What Are You Listening To Now?

[Joy]

Might be a good time to start up a new thread since the other is getting soooo loooong!

For me this morning is the Symphony No. 4 in d Op 120 by Robert Schumann with conductor Daniel Barenboim and The Berlin Philharmonic.

[Peter]

Yes Joy good idea. I love the Schumann 4th which exists in two versions and I prefer it before he messed about and revised it!

Listening to Josquin Desprez motets - what an amazing composer!

[Hofrat]

Dear Peter;

Generally, when a composer revises a work, it is for the better. If I am not mistaken, Schumann scored guitars in the first version of his 4th symphony which he rightfully scrapped in his revised version.

[Peter]

Dear Peter;

Generally, when a composer revises a work, it is for the better. If I am not mistaken, Schumann scored guitars in the first version of his 4th symphony which he rightfully scrapped in his revised version.

Well that is very much a matter of opinion - take the controversy surrounding Op.130 for example. I believe I'm right that Brahms preferred the first version of symphony 4.

A quote from Wikipedia "Schumann's biographer Peter Ostwald comments that this earlier version is "lighter and more transparent in texture" than the revision, but that Clara "always insisted that the later, heavier, and more stately version [of 1851] was the better one." Few conductors have agreed with Clara, and sometimes take the liberty of making minor adjustments here and there. Gustav Mahler even went so far as to re-orchestrate the entire work."

[Hofrat]

Peter;

I did use the word "generally" in my statement. You are right that it is a matter of taste as to which version of the Schumann 4th symphony is better.

As for opus 130, Beethoven did not want to revise it. He was coerced to do so. In my neck of the woods, opus 130 is performed with the Grosse Fugue as the finale, and the "replacement" movement is played as an encore. Personally, I like both versions of opus 130.

I do not have to remind you that Beethoven "revised" Fidelio twice. The final version is outstanding while the two prior versions are very weak in comparison. Even Brahms went back and revised works. He went back and revised his piano trio opus 8 a quarter century after it was initially written and published.

[Chris]

Listening to Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-flat major, K. 207.

[Sorrano]

This morning I caught the last movement of Brahm's 1st Clarinet Sonata. I quite liked it!

[Peter]

Peter;



I do not have to remind you that Beethoven "revised" Fidelio twice. The final version is outstanding while the two prior versions are very weak in comparison.

Indeed but he was also coerced into doing this! As to the final version, well the drama was improved at the loss of some fine music. This revision point is interesting because we always assume that Beethoven's works were fixed once finished - Ries claims as much - yet we know several of the symphonies (and other major works) were given private performances and changed prior to the public performance.

[Hofrat]

Peter;

Yes, a lot of great material was cut from the early versions of Fidelio including a show-stopping aria and chorus song by Pizarro.

During Beethoven's lifetime and after his death, performances of his 5th symphony continued to be given from manuscript orchestral material prepared by Beethoven himself and revised by him in several stages.

[Geratlas]

Another excellent Beethoven exemple is his revision of the (so called second) Leonore Overture.
Beethoven's corrected score was performed with the opera under C.M.von Weber.

I have aptly chosen Schumann's Spring Symphony, as my Friday starter. Otherwise I have been listening, playing, and singing a lot of Beethoven songs. My singing is not very good though. Seriously... It is not.

Also whenever I scurry out and about, two or three theme variations from those 33 Veränderungen, constantly conjure and prick my ear. For fourteen days now. How lucky am I not to have been infatuated with such great, great music!!!

[Chris]

Listening to Mozart's Duo for Violin and Viola in G major, K. 423.

[Hofrat]

The revisions in the 2nd Leonore overture came with the 1806 revisions of Fidelio, thus becoming the 3rd Leonore overture.

[Geratlas]

Hello Hofrat; Yes, thank you for the clarification. I earned that one.

Now, there is no real need to go over the numbers once designated the 'Leonores'. All the same, my standpoint is that the Leonore ov:s II and -III, is very much the same overture moulded twice. Therein you have the 'excellent exemple'. As you know, both these scores predate that of the overture, Leonore I, which is really then the 2nd Leonore overture. Very circumstantially indeed.

I have had hard to find any Eggert music, and only bet YOU would know where to look. Your help would be most welcome therefore.

As a possible treat, and as I believe you are presently very much into Joseph Martin Kraus, you should know that The Royal Theatre/Opera here in Stockholm, did premiere an all new ballet production in 2 acts, Gustav III, which uses music by him, which is only appropriate, minding its subject. I will attend it myself next week.

Have you by any chance listened to any Schubert lately? I will have a round of his solo songs, and would love to hear (of) his early operas. Either Adrast or Sacontala(SIC). Not to say them both, that is!!! Over to you :::

[Hofrat]

The reason you are having a hard time finding recordings of Eggert's music is simple: so little has been recorded! As a matter of fact, 90% of his music is still in manuscript form, which of course hinders performance and recording possibilities. Unless more zealots like me take interest in Eggert, it will be a very long time before you will see more recordings.

In vinyl, you can find a very poor recording of Eggert's Eb symphony (the one with the trombones that predates Beethoven's 5th). The recording number is SLT-33272. I was told that there is a vinyl recording of the Eggert G-minor symphony but I have not come across it.

On CD format there is a nice recording of Eggert's C-minor string quartet by Musica Sveciae (MSCD 425). Artemis has recorded one movement of Eggert's C-major symphony (do not ask why they recorded only one movement!). The recording number is Artemis Arte 7141.

BTW, did you attend the November 2007 concert in Stockholm in which the Eggert's Eb symphony was performed for the first time in 200 years? I was planning to be there but a household accident prevented me from going.

[Peter]

Martinu symponies 2 and 4 - great stuff.