What Are You Listening To Now?

[Preston]

I guess I should not say it sounds like Bach, but that I could see it being Bach. Thanks for the valuable information Chris. I like the last possibility best, .

[Roehre]

I guess I should not say it sounds like Bach, but that I could see it being Bach. Thanks for the valuable information Chris. I like the last possibility best, .

Which IMO is the most likely.
Btw, the Manze recording of BWV565 for solo-violin appears a couple of years ago on a CD accompanying BBC Music magazine.

[Roehre]

Today:

Hindemith:
Symphony in E-flat (1941)
Symphonische Metamorphosen (1943)

Max Bruch:
Schön Ellen op.24 (1866) (R3: CotW)

Vieuxtemps:
Violin concerto no.5 in a op.37 (1858)

Poulenc:
Aubade (1929) (thanks for remembering me, Sorrano!)

Birtwistle:
Violin concerto (2010/’11)

Le Royaume oublié III:
Persécution, diaspora et Fin du Catharisme 1229-1463
(Hesperion XXI/Savall)

[Chris]

Today more Beethoven piano rarities by Steven Beck.

Early Dance Music:
Piano arrangement of Ritterballet, Hess 89 (I've been looking for a recording of this for a long time, and this is a good one. The tempo is just right. Every orchestral version I have of this is too slow, at least in parts.)
Piano arrangement of WoO 7 Minuets
Piano arrangement of WoO 8 German Dances

Dance Music for Piano:
Piano arrangement of WoO 13 German Dances
Piano arrangement of WoO 10 Minuets
Piano arrangement of WoO 11 Landler
Piano arrangement of WoO 15 Landler
Piano arrangement of nine of the WoO 14 Contradances
Zwei Deutsche Tanze, Hess 67
Kliene Deutsche Walzer, Hess 68
Menuett, Biamonti 74
Menuett, Biamonti 66 (I have been playing this little minuet for years, as it is included the Henle edition of the Beethoven piano pieces, but with no catalog number. Now I know )
Menuetto, Uncatalogued

[Sorrano]

Caught a bit of Hovhaness (Mysterious Mountain). Anyone here very familiar with his music and style? I find the music to be very captivating.

[Roehre]

Caught a bit of Hovhaness (Mysterious Mountain). Anyone here very familiar with his music and style? I find the music to be very captivating.

The problem with Hovhaness is, that if you've heard a couple (5 or so) of his works (especially his symphonies, of which Mysterious Mountain is no.2, from 1955 IIRC), you will discover that he is always using the same type of (folksy/Armenian) melodies, modal harmonies, combined with a lack of structure and often a lack of counterpoint.

His style in the 1950s is the very same style in the 1980s and '90s as well (as Symphony no.50 "Mount St.Helens" opus 360 from 1983 testifies), a stylistic development is nearly absent, I'm afraid.

But his orchestrations are beautifully done, the aural pictures he creates often captivating indeed.

IMO a lot of beautiful music, but without much depth.

[Chris]

Last of Steven Beck's Beethoven piano rarities discs today:

Cameos for Piano:
Tons of rare pieces here. A few of the highlights:
Revised version of Fur Elise - A new take on a old favorite.
Andante in C major, Biamonti 52 - This is the other piece with no catalog number in the Henle edition, and I have played this one a lot too. So those two mysteries are solved!
"Op. 119, No. 12" - Not in the final Op. 119, but nice little piece anyway.
WoO 58, Beethoven's cadenzas to Mozart's piano concerto K 466 - Kind of odd to present them alone and not in the context of a performance of the concerto, but whatever!

Fatasies for Piano:
Sonata quasi una fantasia in D major, Biamonti 213 - A nice piece in a nice completion. I wonder why Beethoven never finished it?
Two piano sonatas, Op. 27
Fantasia, Op. 77

Masters of the Classical Keyboard:
This disc actually has pieces by many composers, including Dussek, Starke, Diabelli, Steibelt, and more, most of which are world premieres. But it does include two "Beethoven" pieces as well (world premieres also): Adieux to the Piano (possibly not even by Beethoven) and 12 Ecosaises WoO 16 (probably not by Beethoven either). Fascinating to finally hear that one (though it certainly isn't a great work). Another fortepiano disc, unfortunately.

[Roehre]

Today:

D’Indy:
Jour d’été à la Montagne op.61 (1905)

Le Royaume oublié III:
Persécution, diaspora et Fin du Catharisme 1229-1463
(Hesperion XXI/Savall)

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Delius "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring"

Bliss "Checkmate"

[Sorrano]

The problem with Hovhaness is, that if you've heard a couple (5 or so) of his works (especially his symphonies, of which Mysterious Mountain is no.2, from 1955 IIRC), you will discover that he is always using the same type of (folksy/Armenian) melodies, modal harmonies, combined with a lack of structure and often a lack of counterpoint.

His style in the 1950s is the very same style in the 1980s and '90s as well (as Symphony no.50 "Mount St.Helens" opus 360 from 1983 testifies), a stylistic development is nearly absent, I'm afraid.

But his orchestrations are beautifully done, the aural pictures he creates often captivating indeed.

IMO a lot of beautiful music, but without much depth.

Too much of it can be a bad thing. However, like you say it is quite beautiful and I do enjoy listening to his music

[Michael]

Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony.

[Peter]

This morning:

Delius "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring"

I haven't heard it yet!!

[Peter]

Beethoven string quartet Op.95
Bruckner 9th symphony

[Sorrano]

I haven't heard it yet!!

I can't tell you how many times I've heard it just over the local radio station. Sometimes I think Delius is their favorite composer.

[Peter]

I can't tell you how many times I've heard it just over the local radio station. Sometimes I think Delius is their favorite composer.

I meant a Cuckoo! Mind you it's too early yet and I'll save the Delius until then.