What Are You Listening To Now?

[Joy]

Mybe we should start another thread on this subject!

First up Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight"
Andras Schiff, piano.

Also Franz Liszt - Paganini Etude No. 3 "La Campanella"
Francois-Rene Duchable, piano.

[Peter]

Tonight will be watching the proms (BBC4) which features Beethoven's Grosse fugue and 5th symphony along with Eliot Carter's Oboe concerto with Nicholas Daniel.

[Kevin Ward]

First up Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight"
Andras Schiff, piano.

Has anyone here reviewed Schiff's recent cycle of sonata recordings, the ones with the minimal ink covers? I can't quite make out if the covers are art prints or minute details from the autograph scores.

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pian...ref=pd_sim_m_2

I'm thinking of purchasing these, but it's quite an investment. They have not been released as a boxed set that I can find.

Oh - I am listening to some Domenico Scarlatti sonatas played by Jeno Jando, currently one that's moderately fast and in a major key. Yeah, that one.

[Sorrano]

This morning I found Respighi's Pines of Rome to be a good wake up piece.

[Joy]

Speaking of the Proms here on 'Performance Today' classical radio they are taking excerpts and playing them so tonight they're featuring Nigel Kennedy performing music from Sir Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto. I suppose this is the same perfromance mentioned from the previous thread.

[Peter]

Speaking of the Proms here on 'Performance Today' classical radio they are taking excerpts and playing them so tonight they're featuring Nigel Kennedy performing music from Sir Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto. I suppose this is the same perfromance mentioned from the previous thread.

Yes I would imagine so.

[tanzemakama]

i am listening to the emperor piano concerto, just can't seem to get enough of it.

[PDG]

That sentence (above) sums up the appeal of the music of Beethoven. It is addictive. Charles Rosen talks about the urge to replay a work once he has played it, because each time he learns something new. The more you play (or hear), the more you 'get the point', but we are all still trying to get the ultimate point.

The Emperor Concerto could in fact have been a concept pop album, with the first movement fitting neatly onto the first side of a 33 1/3 RPM LP, and the second and third movements fitting neatly onto the the second side. The album having a symmetrical running time of around 40 minutes...

[JA Gardiner]

Listening to Lute Music by Kapsberger, beautifully played by Paul O'Dette and fabulously presented in Harmonia Mundi's new Gold series. All completely new to me but some of it sounds incredibly modern for the 17th century - if you hid the CD sleeve and had told me I was listening to Paul Simon or Sting or someone doing instrumentals (rather than trying to be Dowland) I'd have believed you!

[Kevin Ward]

The Emperor Concerto could in fact have been a concept pop album, with the first movement fitting neatly onto the first side of a 33 1/3 RPM LP, and the second and third movements fitting neatly onto the the second side. The album having a symmetrical running time of around 40 minutes...

Interesting that you should say that. Most of my life I've found the Adagio hauntingly familiar, like a pop tune I couldn't quite put my finger on. Then earlier this week I was listening to a podcast interview of Canadian pianist Jon Kimura Parker who was soon to perform the Emperor with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Parker states that Leonard Bernstein loved the adagio so much he included part of the theme in West Side Story, well four notes of it anyway. "There's a place for us . . . ."

By golly -- that was it! Okay it's not exactly pop, but it certainly was popular.
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I am listening to Hummel: Piano Concertos (No. 2 right now I think) – Tamas Pal / Budapest Chamber Orchestra; Hae-won Chang, piano. I'm thinking I'd still rather just hear Beethoven.

[AlexOv]

"I'm thinking I'd still rather just hear Beethoven."

Interesting that you should say that, Kevin! That's how I feel and you have expressed it with exactly the words I would use, but unfortunately I don't need to be listening to only Hummel to feel that way. Alas, I listen to almost no other classical music than Beethoven. This means that my musical horizons stay where they are.... with Beethoven. This is a shame because people like Hummel were highly regarded in their day and I just am not keen to devote what little free time I have to hunting for CD's with his, or others, music.

At the moment, I am listening, as I have, many times over several days, to the second last piano sonata, Op 110, played by Brendel. For many years I ignored it in favour of the final one ( my ulitmate favourite) but I recall someone in these columns saying - not recently by any means - that it was their or Brendel's favourite. (and no, I am not going to try to search all these words in this forum to find out!).

It really is wonderful music. Next, I should try to give extended listenings to the Hammerclavier? And 109, as well.

[Joy]

Listening to Lute Music by Kapsberger, beautifully played by Paul O'Dette and fabulously presented in Harmonia Mundi's new Gold series. All completely new to me but some of it sounds incredibly modern for the 17th century - if you hid the CD sleeve and had told me I was listening to Paul Simon or Sting or someone doing instrumentals (rather than trying to be Dowland) I'd have believed you!

Speaking of Sting, have you heard any of his songs from his CD 'Songs from the Labyrinth' (Music by John Dowland)? It's full of 16th century lute music and it's very enjoyable indeed.

[Joy]

"I'm thinking I'd still rather just hear Beethoven."

Interesting that you should say that, Kevin! That's how I feel and you have expressed it with exactly the words I would use, but unfortunately I don't need to be listening to only Hummel to feel that way. Alas, I listen to almost no other classical music than Beethoven. This means that my musical horizons stay where they are.... with Beethoven. This is a shame because people like Hummel were highly regarded in their day and I just am not keen to devote what little free time I have to hunting for CD's with his, or others, music.

At the moment, I am listening, as I have, many times over several days, to the second last piano sonata, Op 110, played by Brendel. For many years I ignored it in favour of the final one ( my ulitmate favourite) but I recall someone in these columns saying - not recently by any means - that it was their or Brendel's favourite. (and no, I am not going to try to search all these words in this forum to find out!).

It really is wonderful music. Next, I should try to give extended listenings to the Hammerclavier? And 109, as well.

I was like you at the beginning of my Beethoven journey only listening to him but I have tried other classical composers and have found them simply wonderful as well. There's a vast and beautiful classical musical field out there!

[Kevin Ward]

Speaking of Sting, have you heard any of his songs from his CD 'Songs from the Labyrinth' (Music by John Dowland)? It's full of 16th century lute music and it's very enjoyable indeed.

I enjoy the DVD a great deal. It's interesting to hear these pieces with such a non-classical voice. I rather dislike his version of "Can she excuse my wrongs" though. It's taken at breakneck speed compared to what I'm to used hearing. Normally it's my favorite Dowland piece. The rest are quite moving. Sting certainly isn't afraid to go out on a limb.
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I am currently listening to a fan whirring, a musique concrète improvisation composed by my computer.

[JA Gardiner]

Hi Joy

Yes I have the Sting album which is why I mentioned him - like you I think its fascinating and does put back some of the more earthy qualities that tend to get refined out of some other versions of Dowland and his lutenist companion is superb. Now listening to James Macmillen's Tenebrae - I'd love to sing some of these pieces!