What are you listening to now?

[Chris]

Bach - Organ Miniatures (BWV 533, 535, 539, 549a, 550, 551, 561, 563, 566, 568-570, 575-578, 583, 585-590, 802-5, 1027a, 1079i, 1079v) - Christopher Herrick

A nice mix of pieces here. The always popular "Little" fugue in G minor, which I have been trying to learn myself and my 2-year-old nephew is currently obsessed with. The "Gigue" fugue, which I find absolutely delightful, whether or not Bach actually wrote it. The Four Duets, which no one seems to know the purpose of, or if they were really meant as organ or harpsichord pieces. Herrick's light and quick style of playing does much for the pieces on these discs.

[Preston]

The always popular "Little" fugue in G minor, which I have been trying to learn myself and my 2-year-old nephew is currently obsessed with.

Sounds like your nephew has quite an ear for being 2! I wish I was listening to Bach at that age.

[Roehre]

A nephew of mine was completely besotted by Verdi's Traviata, 2nd act, as he was 6 or so. By then I personally hadn't consciously heard any classical music (that started at 14, from then onwards it went down rapidly, no recovery possible anymore, I'm afraid :-) ).

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Today:

Harty:
An Irish Symphony (1904)

Stanford:
Symphony no.3 “Irish” op.28 (1888)

Sweelinck:
Livre second des Pseaumes de David (p.1613): pars 1mo

[Roehre]

Today:

Dallapiccola:
Marsias (1943) (R3: Ao3)

Diepenbrock:
Marsyas (1910)

Sweelinck:
Livre second des Pseaumes de David (p.1613): pars tertio

[Roehre]

Today:

Rouget de l’Isle (arr.Gossec):
La Marseillaise

Rouget de l’Isle (arr.Berlioz):
La Marseillaise

Liszt:
La Marseillaise S.237 (1872)

Klemperer:
Symphony [no.1] in 2 movements (1960)

Schumann:
Ouverture Hermann und Dorothea op.136 (1851)
Die beiden Grenadiere op.49/1 (1840)

Benoit:
Ouverture Charlotte Corday (1876)

Sweelinck:
Cinquante Pseaumes de David (p.1604)
(= Livre premier des Pseaumes de David (p.1624)): pars primo

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Khachaturian: Gayaneh Suite
Spohr: Double Quartet No. 1 in d, Mvt. 1

[Chris]

Sounds like your nephew has quite an ear for being 2! I wish I was listening to Bach at that age.

Indeed. I had showed him a video of the "Little" Fugue in G minor on YouTube, and he kept asking to watch it over and over again, so I bought the DVD for him. It's Ton Koopman playing various organ and harpsichord pieces. Yesterday his mother told me that he spent much time at the piano, saying, "Look, Mom! I'm Ton Koopman!" Better than sports heroes or rock stars, that's for sure!

[Roehre]

Today:

Liszt: i.a.
Scherzo und Marsch S.177
Csardas S.224 and 225
Marches S. 229-233, 520-523
Rakocki-Marsch S.244a

Sweelinck:
Cinquante Pseaumes de David (p.1604)
(= Livre premier des Pseaumes de David (p.1624)): pars secundo

Weir:
Stars, Night, Music and Light (2011) (R3: Proms) (the whole 3’30” of it )

[Preston]

Indeed. I had showed him a video of the "Little" Fugue in G minor on YouTube, and he kept asking to watch it over and over again, so I bought the DVD for him. It's Ton Koopman playing various organ and harpsichord pieces. Yesterday his mother told me that he spent much time at the piano, saying, "Look, Mom! I'm Ton Koopman!" Better than sports heroes or rock stars, that's for sure!

He really picked up on the music. "Better than sports heroes or rock stars", indeed! I would like my nieces and nephews, when they come - which won't be too long - to enjoy classical at a young age. Heck, even love it and practice it. Hopefully, my siblings will work with me on this one - they should!, and imo, it will pay off in the "long-run".

Though, throughout the years I have gotten my original immediate family (not my own immediate family) to listen to classical, go to concerts with me, etc. In fact, my father, who never listened to classical, and I go to classical concerts somewhat often, .

[Preston]

By then I personally hadn't consciously heard any classical music (that started at 14, from then onwards it went down rapidly, no recovery possible anymore, I'm afraid :-) ).

You are not alone, . I, too, didn't consciously hear (more like listen to, in my case) classical until around 19-20, which is not long after I became conscious or self-aware. I was very focused on Mozart around the time when I first started listening, then came Beethoven, and so on - if I remember correctly.

[Preston]

Preston, does that matter?

Yes, in a sense - to my mind. I would almost swear, literally - I am hearing the very melodies, patterns, themes, etc. as Dvorak intended them to be heard and it is concerning to me. So yes, I find it somewhat concerning and interesting. And, feel that it is important when trying to understand (or feel correctly) the music of the masters (particularly that of Beethoven, etc.).

Of course it makes it sometimes easier to know a couple of things regarding the background of the composer and particular pieces of his.

Agreed.

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Since I have been typing these 3 posts, I am not listening to classical at the moment but to Lisa Gerrard's and Hans Zimmer's song "Now We Are Free" from the movie Gladiator.

[dice45]

This morning: George Malcolm playing Bach's Goldberg Variations on a Goff harpsichord. Acquired this gem a few days ago. It shows me details and colours that i didn't know up to now. So my cherished Wanda Landoska performance got a buddy, an equal one yet sooo different

[Roehre]

Today:

Constantinescu:
Free Variations on Byzantium theme for cello and orchestra (1957) (R3 TtN, including bad editing)

Sweelinck:
Cinquante Pseaumes de David (p.1604)
(= Livre premier des Pseaumes de David (p.1624)): pars tertio

Carter:
Conversations (2010) (R3: H&N)

[Roehre]

Today:

Sibelius:
Symphony no.1 in e op.39 (1900)
+Alternative fragments from 1st, 2nd and 4th mvts; alternative scherzo (1898/1899)

Anonymus 13C:
A Scottish Lady Mass

Brian:
Symphony no.1 „The Gothic“ (R3 Proms)

[Peter]

Preston;
The scherzo of Dvorak's 2nd symphony will knock you over.

As for the Dvorak's 6th symphony, I fully agree with Roehre about the coda of the 1st movment being one of the best codas written, but allow me to add that the coda of the 4th movement does not lag behind

Dvorak's 6th was influenced by Brahms 2nd symphony (also in D) and the coda to that finale is also pretty impressive - in fact it is probably the most exhilarating thing Brahms wrote!