What Are You Listening To Now?

[Peter]

Tonight it's been Ligeti's Ramifications, then Faure and Durufle's Requiems. Of the latter two I can only say sublime music!

Absolutely - I wonder if Faure knew Beethoven's comment on writing a Requiem that it would be calm peaceful music? I think he said something along those lines!

[Sorrano]

Absolutely - I wonder if Faure knew Beethoven's comment on writing a Requiem that it would be calm peaceful music? I think he said something along those lines!

Funny you should mention that; it was included in the notes with the disc.

[Peter]

Funny you should mention that; it was included in the notes with the disc.

Interesting - pity Beethoven never got round to it! Listening to the sublime Elegischer gesang.

[Quijote]

Original as ever, I post not what I'm listening to at the moment, nor what I have heard recently in concert; rather, I post what I have missed today because I fell asleep on the sofa (and for which I had a free ticket - the concert, not the sofa) :

So, what I would have heard had I not been in the land of slumber :

The Ensemble in Extremis (from Strasbourg, no less), playing

Philippe HUREL, Tombeau in memoriam Gérard Grisey;
Gérard GRISEY, Talea;
Gérard GRISEY, Vortex Temporum I, II, III.

It is most annoying, as today sees the close of the Strasbourg "Musica" contemporary music festival. Such is life.

[Quijote]

Tonight it's been Ligeti's Ramifications, then Faure and Durufle's Requiems. Of the latter two I can only say sublime music!

And the former?

[Hammerklavier]

Andras Schiff, playing Beethoven sonatas Op. 54, 57, 78, 79 and 81a.

[Sorrano]

And the former?

I'll have to give that another listening to. However, his Requiem is upcoming and I will probably listen to that this evening. The Requiem happens to be among my favorites of Ligeti's (along with Lontano). I do enjoy his music quite a bit but I don't recall Ramifications well enough to comment on that as the Faure and Durufle Requiems impressed so deeply afterward.

[Quijote]

At least you maintain an open mind (rather, "ear") Sorrano. I too am a great admirer of Ligeti. May I recommend something to you by him :

Musica Ricercata (= literally, "remembered music") - pastiche in the hands of a Master! Surprisingly,for Ligeti, a relatively 'easy' piece to play (piano).

[Preston]

Mozart Symphony #25

http://www.ecouteactive.fr/mozartwa/Symph25-1.html

I thought this was pretty neat. It was done with Garritan Personal Orchestra, not by me. It is a diagram showing you the different parts of the movement, while the music plays. Just click on a part in the diagram and the music will play.

[Sorrano]

Last night it was Ligeti's Requiem, a very powerful and emotion evoking work. I could not help but wonder (having been watching Ken Burns documentary on World War II) if some of the elements of that war are not felt in this work. There is something of emotional quality that is quite a bit more drastic than what we might encounter in a 19th Century work.

[atserriotserri]

Andras Schiff, playing Beethoven sonatas Op. 54, 57, 78, 79 and 81a.

The new ECM recordings? If so, what's your opinion? Those records are tempting me...

[Peter]

The new ECM recordings? If so, what's your opinion? Those records are tempting me...

I'm afraid I've never warmed to Schiff but I know a lot of people like him - personally I'd stick with Brendel.

[Michael]

I'm afraid I've never warmed to Schiff but I know a lot of people like him - personally I'd stick with Brendel.

I also would stick with Brendel but I must single out Schiff's achievement in accompanying Peter Schreier in a disc of Beethoven Lieder which they brought out in 1996. His playing in "An die ferne Geliebte" is simply luminous and rivals Gerald Moore.
You have just reminded me of it, so that is my "What are you listening to" for today.

[Peter]

Ravel's Alborado del grazioso - as I'm struggling with those damned rapid repeated notes!

[Arno]

Symphony #5 in various transcriptions (string quintet (Eberse), piano (both versions of Liszt), organ (Stender), piano 4 hands).

Arno