What are you listening to now?

[Michael]

Listening to Emil Gilels playing the "Apassionata". He takes part of the opening movement quite slowly, but I am beginning to think that this is my favourite version of all.

[Quijote]

Listening to Emil Gilels playing the "Apassionata". He takes part of the opening movement quite slowly, but I am beginning to think that this is my favourite version of all.

Gilels was the first interpreter I ever heard of the "Emperor" concerto, blew my socks off.

[Roehre]

Today:

von Schilings:
Violin concerto op.25 (1910)

R.I.P. Gorecki:
Symphony no.2 "Copernicus" op.31 (1972)

[Sorrano]

Furthermore, how is one to define "living without music for 3 or 4 days"? Not hearing the art, or not practicing (in whatever guise) the art? There are days when I "go without music" in any applied sense, but music is around us at all times. Can I go without actually playing music for several days at end? Yes, easily, especially on holiday. I call this sort of journalism "cant" because it reinforces the ridiculous reification of the composer/musician as "aesthete" or "mystic".

Didn't Beethoven write something similar to this in his Heiligenstadt Testament? Perhaps Gorecki's meaning was deeper; should one exclude the music that is "around us at all times" then you can say that one is living without music for 3 or 4 days. It is a matter of willful exclusion than simply abstaining.

[Sorrano]

Welcome back, Roehre!

Listened to Swan of Tuonela (Sibelius). This fit the mood after the Wagner this morning.

[Michael]

Gilels was the first interpreter I ever heard of the "Emperor" concerto, blew my socks off.

I was wondering what the smell was!
Seriously, though, he is good at tickling the ivories.

[Peter]

I call this sort of journalism "cant" because it reinforces the ridiculous reification of the composer/musician as "aesthete" or "mystic".

Is this as in Stephanie Cant, the excellent conductor/composer?

[Peter]

Gilels was the first interpreter I ever heard of the "Emperor" concerto, blew my socks off.

Me too - perhaps you also bought the box set of lps back in the 70's with the Cleveland and Szell? - must have been a special offer!

Unfortunately I rarely listen to it now as it's quite a palava setting it up on my old stereo and I have to confess to a terrible lack of lp respect as a teenager so consequently my rather large lp collection is almost outdone by as much dust!

[Peter]

Welcome back, Roehre!

Listened to Swan of Tuonela (Sibelius). This fit the mood after the Wagner this morning.

I'm also listening to Sibelius - symphonies 1 and 4. After watching a documentary on Elgar yesterday, I shall be listening to his wonderful 2nd symphony later today.

[Sorrano]

This morning was Faure's suite from "Pelleas et Mellisande". That was a nice way to wake up.

[Quijote]

Fauré. Pelléas. Mélisande. Yàwn, I know. Nah, just kidding with you! Add rélévànt icön.

[Sorrano]

Fauré. Pelléas. Mélisande. Yàwn, I know. Nah, just kidding with you! Add rélévànt icön.

It's just as well you didn't see the listing on the website, but I will be mean and quote it for your displeasure:

"Faur‚ "Pell‚as et Boston Sym DG 423089-2 0:20:51
M‚lisande," Op 80 Orch/Seiji Ozawa;"

Apparently, e's and commas got mixed on the title and composer. But no accents, either.

[Peter]

Beethoven string trios Op.9.

[Quijote]

(... leaping into this thread via my newly invented technique called "upward bathos", given that bathos normally works "top-down") : Eroica, movement 1, bars 275-284, the beginning of that famous "E minor episode", a delicious V7/9 chord that is so poignant it makes me weep. As the weekend is over, I thought it time to get serious.

[Roehre]

Today:

Melartin:
Consolation (1930) (R3: TtN)

JSBach:
Cantatas BWV 90 and 116, for today (Trinity 25)
as well as
Cantatas BWV 106 (Actus tragicus) and 198 (Trauer-ode)

Magnard:
Chant funèbre op.9 (1896)

Coles:
Behind the lines (1918)

Stephan:
Musik für Orchester in einem Satz (1913)

Escher:
Musique pour l'Esprit en Deuil (1943)

Shortall:
Fanfare for those who will not come back