What are you listening to now?

[Zevy]

Bach's Gamba Sonatas, Solo Flute Sonata, and some violin solo works transcribed by Anner Bylsma for violincello piccolo.

[Preston]

Listening to Dvorak's 9th Symphony. I like the 2nd movement, I never realized that the song "Going Home" was based on the 2nd movement, until recently.

[Megan]

Brahms Violin concerto,
Matthew Trusler, violin.

[atserriotserri]

Both Glenn Gould versions; currently the performance by Andras Schiff.

I was prompted to get the GG recordings when I turned on my car radio and I heard the Bach Gamba Sonatas. I was SURE it was GG on the piano and.... sure enough, it was! He is so good with the Bach. And so bad w/ Mozart. I don't have any of his Beethoven recordings other than the Lizst transcriptions of Symphonies 5 & 6.

All the best,

I have almost all GG recordings. I love his Bach, and concerning Beethoven, I find the sonatas interesting but, "unorthodox" to put it in a way; but the concertos are not that controversial, particularly the recently released Emperor concerto, directed by Karajan (a live recording). I haven't dared to listen the Mozart sonatas yet, honestly.

[Zevy]

I haven't dared to listen the Mozart sonatas yet, honestly.

Go to Amazon.com and look them up. You can preview the music. That ought to cure anyone!

All the best,

[atserriotserri]

Radio recordings of Gould playing Beethoven in the first half of the '50s: Piano concertos 1-3, op. 126 bagatelles, Piano trio op. 71, piano sonatas 19 and 28 and variations op. 34 and op. 35.

With Gould is so tempting to create some controversy...

"To the best of my knowledge, no Beethoven lover has ever been bold enough to claim that the Bagatelles op. 126 are far more ingenious and sophisticated than the neighbouring Ninth Symphony op. 125." Glenn Gould.

[Sorrano]

I've always enjoyed those smaller piano works; while they are simpler in terms of textures, form, and such, they do show Beethoven's great genius in economy of materials and are well worth investigating.

[Peter]

Stravinsky's Symphony in 3 movements which I like and Walton's first symphony which I do not! I've tried several times with the Walton and after an impressive opening I find myself bored by it, yet it is an acclaimed work. Anyone else feel the same?

[Preston]

has anybody heard this piece...

Cuncti Simus Concanentes: Ave Maria, by anonymous

This piece is from the Renaissance. The version I have is quite impressive. The piece reminds me of the horrors of the Renaissance era. When I hear the soprano sing, it is so deep. It is like she takes you to the poverty, war, lust, etc. of that era of time, I think, yet she cries for care.

Peter, perhaps I can send you the mp3 file and you can upload to the site, so that everyone can hear this? I would say to go to YouTube, but the version of it their, compares nothing to this soprano- on Youtube it is a male singing, to staccato. The soprano bellows it out.

Has anyone heard this before?

[Peter]

Cuncti Simus Concanentes: Ave Maria, by anonymous

This piece is from the Renaissance. The version I have is quite impressive. The piece reminds me of the horrors of the Renaissance era. When I hear the soprano sing, it is so deep. It is like she takes you to the poverty, war, lust, etc. of that era of time, I think, yet she cries for care.

Peter, perhaps I can send you the mp3 file and you can upload to the site, so that everyone can hear this? I would say to go to YouTube, but the version of it their, compares nothing to this soprano- on Youtube it is a male singing, to staccato. The soprano bellows it out.

Has anyone heard this before?

Hmm what about the horrors of the 20th century? Poverty, lust and war on an unprecedented scale! I'd rather not host the file here (legal issues etc..) but there are places you can upload and then provide a link to.

[Peter]

Listening to Elgar's 2nd symphony - the slow movement is particularly moving.

[Preston]

Hmm what about the horrors of the 20th century? Poverty, lust and war on an unprecedented scale! I'd rather not host the file here (legal issues etc..) but there are places you can upload and then provide a link to.

Peter, I just now saw your post. I was only saying that this piece reminded me of the "horrors" of the Renaissance, I wasn't talking about the 20th century, which you are right about. It is the soprano, she bellows the music out, it really gets to me. Yet, as I said, there is something so sad in her voice that it is similar to crying. It sounds nothing like the one on YouTube.

Now, the horrors of the 20th century, yes, things have escalated to an unprecedented level. Quite frightening. I am glad that you see this, and are not involved in it!

[Sorrano]

Hmm what about the horrors of the 20th century? Poverty, lust and war on an unprecedented scale! I'd rather not host the file here (legal issues etc..) but there are places you can upload and then provide a link to.

If you would really like to get into some of that (musically) there are plenty of works out there specifically reflecting some of the horrors of the past and current Century. Penderecki came immediately to my mind in regards to the Second World War, but there are many, many others, who's music attempts to reflect their (the composers') reaction to this subject. Maybe I'll go and listen to Penderecki's Dies Irae....

[Sorrano]

Yesterday I caught Dvorak's Czech Dances on the radio; this morning it was An American in Paris. The Gershwin reminded me a lot of Grofe this morning for some reason. I'll be thinking of the Grand Canyon Suite all day, I expect.

[Chris]

Tonight I am listening to Haydn's "other" oratorio - the little known, little appreciated "Il ritorno di Tobia", conducted by Andreas Spering.