What are you listening to now?

[Roehre]

Today:

Last night’s R3 Hear and Now:
Xenakis:
Okho for 3 Djembe Players
Pleiades

John Cage:
Amores

Pierre Boulez:
Sonatine

-----
Klami
Sérénades joyeuses (1933) (R3: TtN)
(7 minutes of Stravinsky in all but name

JSBach:
Cantata BWV 177 “Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ” (for today, the 4th Sunday after Trinity)

Martinu:
Czech rhapsody for violin and piano H.307 (1945)
Czech rhapsody for violin and orchestra H.307a (1945, in a very craftfully and sensibly made orchestration by Teml, 2000)

Sibelius:
Bagatelles op.97 (1920)
Suite champetre and suite mignonne op.98 (piano versies 1920)

[Quijote]

My proof reading skills seem not to be up-to-scratch looking at this sentence, do they? No. it was Mendelssohn using Doctor Who's Tardis to time travel .

Very well, Roehre. So Mendelssohn wasn't happy with his first 1930 (!) version, time-travel notwitstanding. Still, my question was not as ingénue as you think : I simply wondered if he had bowed down to peer pressure, as did poor Anton Bruckner. That said, such versions always offer fascinating insights to those who want to understand compostional processes.

[Quijote]

Tonight, or rather this morning :
John Sebastian Brook : Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4 ("Christ lay in the bonds of death"). A marvellous early Cantata in E minor (though in the Bach "371" the theme appears several times in various keys). Its "tragic" mood suits perfectly my grumpiness, not to mention the essential solo 'cello part that completely carries this work. No 'cello, no Cantata, I say.

[Quijote]

To continue my posting above (and in a sense perhaps related to Michael's LvB 7th symphony 2nd movt. concept of "effectiveness" in marrying music with image), here are the words of Verse 1 set to Brook's Christ Lag in Todes Baden, BWV 4 :

Christ lay in the bonds of death
Delivered for our sins,
He has risen again
And has brought us life;
We must be joyful for this,
Praise God and be grateful to Him
And sing
Hallelujay!

Fine words, no doubt. Here's the dichotomy (for me) : one may argue a certain joyfulness in the verse. Strangely, the music (to my ears) far outstrips the "honky donky dooh-dah" biblical message. The words are nothing. The music is everything. I abstain from using the sanctimonious word "spiritual".

[Quijote]

About two o'clock this morning, when all God-fearing folk were asleep in their beds [...]

And what about us Devil-worshipping, Beethoven-Bach-Bruckner (oh go on then, Brahms too) - loving Night Owls? Never a kind word for us!

[Preston]

And what about us Devil-worshipping...

The "Devil" worshiping will burn with the fires of "Hell"- truly- at least, according to the "great book". While the "God-fearing" will learn to understand- some, more.

Personally, I fear "God" far worse than the "Devil", in the Biblical sense. For it is "God" that is the judge and will make the decisions (damnation so to say) not the "Devil"- Biblically speaking of course. Just so you know, I look at The Holy Bible mythologically, - similar to ancient Greek mythology. That is only me though.

Now off to listen to the Dies Irae from Mozart's Requiem Mass.

...the sanctimonious word "spiritual".

I must completely and totally disagree that the word spiritual, in itself, is sanctimonious. If one uses spiritual sanctimoniously then that is quite different- not very spiritual in itself is it? I believe the word spiritual is a glorious word and when used properly is anything but sanctimonious.

Then I will be listening to Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, perhaps the Gloria (though am not sure), for spiritual purposes- after the wrath of the Dies Irae, .

[Quijote]

Not going to talk about sprituality. Sulking, brooding and generally feeling sorry for myself. Ergo, Bach BWV 4. Again. And again.

[Bonn1827]

Oh really? Devil Worshipping, Phil? Do tell...!! Who have I been in contact with lately, then? (I just want to hear you - just once - laugh at somebody else's joke, for Ludwig's sake!!!!!!!)

[Quijote]

Oh really? Devil Worshipping, Phil? Do tell...!! Who have I been in contact with lately, then? (I just want to hear you - just once - laugh at somebody else's joke, for Ludwig's sake!!!!!!!)

Oh, I'm laughing, don't you worry. Deep, belly-aching, rib-tickling giggles all round, I am.

[Quijote]

By the way, I normally laugh roundly at Michael's jokes. Oops, I notice he's just come on-line. Got to go ...

[Roehre]

Today:

Dvorak:
Symphony no.6 in D op.60

Liszt:
Préludes et harmonies poétiques et réligieuses S.171d
Eight pieces from 1845/’46 from the Weimar N5 Sketchbook.
Interesting listening, as it makes IMO clear why Liszt hasn’t published these pieces himself in these versions (though he re-used material from them): as series (planned as such by Liszt) lacking in contrast, individual pieces too loosely constructed (a pitfall he avoided in the pieces in which he re-used this material)


Sibelius:
5 Romantic compositions op.101 (1923/’24)
5 Characteristic Impressions op.103 (1923/’24)
Rather weird how widely diverse the quality of these piece is, certainly given the (self-)criticism of Sibelius’ himself.


Hyperion-CD “A Song for Francesca”, music in Italy 1330-1430

Carter:
Cello concerto (2000)

[Hofrat]

Dvorak's 6th symphony opus 60 in D major is one of my favorites. The codas of the 1st and 4th movements are amazing.

[Sorrano]

This morning the radio came on with an absolute riveting performance of Sibelius' Violin Concerto. I've heard it several times, but never quite like this. Jascha Heifetz with Thomas Beecham and the London Philharmonic performed.

I will have to give the Dvorak 6th a listen, too. I quite enjoy his symphonies!

[Quijote]

Tonight:

Biber "The Mystery Sonatas" Tragicomedia/Davitt Moroney

This is the most fabulous music!! These works occupy a unique place in the history of music for being the most extreme example of the application of scordatura tunings, in which the strings of the instrument are deliberately 'mistuned' to unusual notes. This involves phenomenal mental gymnastics for the violinist, since what is notated on the page bears no resemblance to the sound which comes out of the instrument.

Perhaps Philip can better explain, in layman's terms, all about scordatura.

I think you did a good job already, Bonn! Actually, the gymnastics are not quite so extreme as you suggest. Take Bach solo 'cello suite n° 5 (with scordatura) : the top 'cello string is "de-tuned" down a tone, and you simply play the score as it stands - written. Often though, depending on the edition, it gives the real sounding medium on a second stave. I agree that visually it can be gymnastic.

[Roehre]

Today:

Sibelius:
5 esquisses opus 114 (1929)
Glimpses of a change of style and of an 8th Symphony here?

K. Huber:
"..inwendig voller Figur.." (1971)

Zimmermann:
Die Befristeten
Ich wandte mich um und sah alles Unrecht... (1970)