What are you listening to now?

[Roehre]

Today:

Metronome CD Music for Mona Lisa
Italian and French Music from the late 15th/early 16th centuries

[Roehre]

Today:

Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 5 in D major op.107 'Reformation' (1830-version) (R3 Proms iPlayer)

Arnold:
Horn concerto no.2 opus 58 (1956)

[Roehre]

Today:

Roussel:
Symphony no.3 in g op.42 (1931)

Scherrer:
Symphony opus 6 no.5 (1780s)

Vinter:
Hunter’s Moon (horn & orch; 1942)

Ernesto Halffter:
Elegia (1966)
Psalm 22 Dominus regit me (1967)
Psam 116 Alleluia. Laudate Dominum (1967)

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Fran‡aix: Le Gay Paris

Svendsen: Carnival in Paris

Tchaikovsky: 4th Movement from Symphony No. 2

[Quijote]

On a less sepulchral note, this morning:
Haydn: Cello Concerto No. 1

What a rollicking concerto, especially the 3rd movement! How much I regret LvB never wrote a 'cello concerto you can't imagine.

[Sorrano]

What a rollicking concerto, especially the 3rd movement! How much I regret LvB never wrote a 'cello concerto you can't imagine.

The more that I've listened to Haydn's music the more I like it. It is a pity, I certainly agree, that LvB did not do a Cello concerto. When I listened to the Bach Cello Suite No. 2 I thought of you but then only the 1st movement was played with the Cello while the other movements were arranged for the various other instruments. (My personal favorite of that grouping was the recorder of all things!)

[Quijote]

I think I said this before : No Haydn, no Beethoven.
So you liked the 2nd Bach 'cello suite? My personal preference lies with the 6th.

[Sorrano]

I think I said this before : No Haydn, no Beethoven.
So you liked the 2nd Bach 'cello suite? My personal preference lies with the 6th.

I meant that the second movement, arranged for recorder, was my preferred arrangement. The radio played the work, but had each movement played by a different instrument. Only the 1st movement was played by the Cello.

Bach is still very much an undiscovered country for me, although I've studied his chorales, etc. in theory classes, it's taken a long time for me to really warm up to his music. The solo instrumental music has had the biggest role in developing my interest, so I think that I would get into any of the Cello suites with some enthusiasm.

[Roehre]

Today:

Fritz (1718-1783):
Violin concerto in E (1741?)
Symphony no.1 (1772)

Gipps:
Horn concerto opus 58 (1969)

[Quijote]

I meant that the second movement, arranged for recorder, was my preferred arrangement. The radio played the work, but had each movement played by a different instrument. Only the 1st movement was played by the Cello.

Bach is still very much an undiscovered country for me, although I've studied his chorales, etc. in theory classes, it's taken a long time for me to really warm up to his music. The solo instrumental music has had the biggest role in developing my interest, so I think that I would get into any of the Cello suites with some enthusiasm.

Please do check out Bach's 6th suite for solo 'cello, it's a volcano! Please also be aware that there are two ways of performing it : a) on the original 5-string instrument Bach intended and b) the later 4-string instrument. With the best will in the world, performing the 6th suite on a 4-string instrument poses serious intonation problems (high positions, lots of thumb) and even the 'greats' such as Casals, Rostro, et al are never pitch perfect. Check out the HIP performances on a 5-string 'cello and then compare. Two HIP performers worth checking out are Jaap Ter Linden and Anner Bylsman. Let us know your comments when you get a moment.

[Chris]

Two HIP performers worth checking out are Jaap Ter Linden and Anner Bylsman. Let us know your comments when you get a moment.

I really like Paolo Beschi's set on Baroque cello.

Samples here:

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Cello-Sui...o+cello+suites

[Preston]

I really like Paolo Beschi's set on Baroque cello.

Samples here:

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Cello-Sui...o+cello+suites

I listened to a couple of the samples, the Prelude from Suites 1 and 6. Imo, that instrument has much more feeling, expression, etc. in it?

I know the prelude of the 1st suite, and while it has a much nicer sound when compared with the standard cello (imo, so much looser and free-er), I thought Paolo took it too fast?

Then I listened to the prelude of the 6th suite and compared it with some of the standard cello videos on YouTube, it too had a much nicer sound, and while it was faster, I think he expressed it more how Bach intended it. It sounded faster but much more understood and complete when compared with the ones on YouTube. It reminds me of a dance - is that correct?

Also, is the Baroque cello the Viol' de Gamba?

Anyway thanks Chris.

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Stravinsky/Piatigorsky: Suite italienn for Cello and Piano

[Chris]

I listened to a couple of the samples, the Prelude from Suites 1 and 6. Imo, that instrument has much more feeling, expression, etc. in it?

Mm, I don't know about that. I find that period string instruments have a kind of weaker yet harsher tone when compared to their modern equivalents. Generally speaking, I don't care too much for them as solo instruments (but I find that they can sound electrifying in ensembles). But it's also important to keep in mind that we are dealing with recorded sound here, and there is much more going into what you hear than just the instrument. The microphones used, the mic preamps used, the placement of the mics, the room in which the recording took place, and the EQ and effects used all have a massive impact on the finished sound of a recording. It sounds to me like mics were placed very close to the cello in this recording - you can hear a lot of the sound of the bow on the strings, the fingers on the strings, and breathing. It makes for a very expressive, intimate, exciting recording, I think. This doesn't always work, but I think it worked very well here.

I know the prelude of the 1st suite, and while it has a much nicer sound when compared with the standard cello (imo, so much looser and free-er), I thought Paolo took it too fast?

I think these recordings are generally on the fast side, which is part of what I like about them, and what I expect you would not like! Often performances on period instruments tend to be faster, which, depending on the situation, is supposed to be more in line with the practices of the day and the intentions of the composers. Of course one must be careful not to take that too far and wind up with what Peter Jan Belder calls "Turbo Baroque"!

Also, is the Baroque cello the Viol' de Gamba?

No, the Baroque cello is just a cello as they were in the Baroque period. It is a member of the violin family (violin, viola, cello, bass). The viola da gamba is a different instrument entirely. You can read about the viol family here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viol - and if you search around YouTube you can find some videos of people playing viols.

[Roehre]

Today:

Monteverdi:
Vespro della Beata Vergine (p.1610) (R3 iPlayer TtN)

Bowen:
Horn concerto op.150 (1955)