What are you listening to now?

[Sorrano]

I bow, Sir, to your wisdom. I bow -doubly so - to your choice of Bruckner.

More Bruckner tonight! I listened to the 4th Symphony (original version), conducted by Gunter Wand. I found this to be a very satisfying performance.

I do look forward to your impressions of your upcoming Vienna trip. Good luck with it!

[Peter]

Noted. As I type (Sunday 18 July), I am on the eve of my departure to Vienna for 4 days. I will do the expected "Beethoven stuff", then I think I shall take a "sabbatical" from the forum. I hope you will allow me a few comments post-Vienna to give you my impressions.

It would be very interesting to hear about your trip - have a great time!

[Peter]

Listening to the proms the other day, Mahler's 8th. Then yesterday Prokofiev playing his 3rd piano concerto.

[Sorrano]

Listening to the proms the other day, Mahler's 8th. Then yesterday Prokofiev playing his 3rd piano concerto.

Ahhh! Thanks for reminding me; Mahler's 4th was featured on the radio yesterday. Each Sunday afternoon the complete Mahler symphonies are being featured, one a week, to commemorate the sesquicentennial of his birth.

[Chris]

Listening to a disc of Italian songs by Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, and Schubert by Cecilia Bartoli and Andras Schiff. The highlight is the Haydn cantata Arianna a Naxos.

[Chris]

In my ongoing exploration of the music of Haydn, I have uncovered a great injustice. The string trios! I am listening to these now, and they are absolutely delightful, worthy of a place alongside his magnificent string quartets and piano trios, earlier works though they may be.

The injustice is...though apparently popular in their time, hardly anyone has ever heard of them now, and there are almost no recordings of them. From what I have been able to discover, only one complete recording has ever been made, by Das Wiener Philharmonia Trio for Camerata in Japan, and they went out of print fast. There were six discs total, and it seems four of them got releases outside of Japan, but not the last two. It took me forever to get a hold of all of them - I actually had to order one from somewhere in Japan. But it was worth it. The pieces are wonderful, better even then Mozart's, I think, and hold up well to Beethoven's excellent trios. And they are well played and well recorded.

Why have they been ignored? I can think of a couple of reasons. First, they are listed as "Divertimenti" in Hoboken's catalog of Haydn's works (though they may not have been given that title by Haydn), so people may think they are just light entertainment music. Second, most of the trios are written for two violins and cello rather than violin, viola, and cello, making them less likely to be played by string trio groups.

[Sorrano]

This morning a couple of the radio features were Piatigorsky's cello and piano arrangement of Stravinsky's Pulcinella, "Suite italienne" and Borodin's "In the Steppes of Central Asia", which is a favorite of mine.

[Quijote]

More Bruckner tonight! I listened to the 4th Symphony (original version), conducted by Gunter Wand. I found this to be a very satisfying performance.

I do look forward to your impressions of your upcoming Vienna trip. Good luck with it!

Well Sorrano, just for you : on the way to Vienna (where I now post this) we passed by St. Florestan's (check spelling!) where Bruckner often played the organ and where he is buried. Yes, I checked out the crypt where his coffin is placed and paid due homage (humming the 5th ...). Quite a moving experience.

[Quijote]

This morning a couple of the radio features were Piatigorsky's cello and piano arrangement of Stravinsky's Pulcinella, "Suite italienne" [...]

Ah Sorrano, you bring back memories ... I had to play the above for a 'cello exam. I haven't touched the piece since!!

[Sorrano]

Ah Sorrano, you bring back memories ... I had to play the above for a 'cello exam. I haven't touched the piece since!!

I actually thought of you while this was playing and wondered if you knew this piece.

[Sorrano]

Well Sorrano, just for you : on the way to Vienna (where I now post this) we passed by St. Florestan's (check spelling!) where Bruckner often played the organ and where he is buried. Yes, I checked out the crypt where his coffin is placed and paid due homage (humming the 5th ...). Quite a moving experience.

That is among places I most wish to visit! Incidentally, the 5th is due for a listen very soon, perhaps this weekend. I am envious, but in a good way.

[Peter]

Last night I was watching the BBC proms: Britten Sinfonia da requiem. Prokofiev piano concerto no.1 and Shostakovich symphony no.7.

Tonight is Beethoven night at the proms!

[Preston]

Peter, do you know what the playlist for Beethoven is? Is there anyway to watch it over the internet?

Listening to The Egmont.

[Peter]

Peter, do you know what the playlist for Beethoven is? Is there anyway to watch it over the internet?

Listening to The Egmont.

Sorry I didn't see your post till now, but you can watch the proms live online. Here is the link which gives full details of the complete season - enjoy! There is another Beethoven night I think next friday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/

[Preston]

Thanks for the link, good stuff so far, great in fact. Though, tonight is the Prom 9, correct? Seems if so, there is no Beethoven, unfortunately, .