What are you listening to now?

[Michael]

Just heard my favorite on the radio - Beethoven's Symphony No. 4!

You have mentioned this a few times, Chris, and it intrigues me. No. 4 was the last symphony I became aware of back in the 60s. I was able to track down eight of them on record but I couldn't locate the Fourth.

(You will have to visualise a world without the internet, the CD or the download. What you heard was what was available in your local shop.)
I finally and reluctantly had to pay full price for Karajan's version (60s cycle) and I never liked it. For me, it has been the ugly duckling of the symphonies
.
When I finally got hold of Bernstein's NYPO version, all was made clear!
The ugly duckling turned into a swan. It's an extraordinary work and it proves again - as I have said to the point of boredom - Beethoven needs time.

[Roehre]

Today:

Martinu:
Piano quintet no.2 H.298 (1944)

Langgaard:
Symphony no.5 (version I; 1917/’18-1926) “Sommersagnsdrama”
Symphony no.5 (version II; 1917/’18 – 1931) “Steppenatur”

Hans Huber:
Symphony no.3 in C op.118 “Heroische” (1902)

Bruckner:
String quintet in F: Adagio (arr. String orchestra Fritz Oeser)

[Chris]

You have mentioned this a few times, Chris, and it intrigues me. No. 4 was the last symphony I became aware of back in the 60s. I was able to track down eight of them on record but I couldn't locate the Fourth.

(You will have to visualise a world without the internet, the CD or the download. What you heard was what was available in your local shop.)
I finally and reluctantly had to pay full price for Karajan's version (60s cycle) and I never liked it. For me, it has been the ugly duckling of the symphonies
.
When I finally got hold of Bernstein's NYPO version, all was made clear!
The ugly duckling turned into a swan. It's an extraordinary work and it proves again - as I have said to the point of boredom - Beethoven needs time.

Interesting, Michael. My first exposure to it was in 1999, when I was in college. Everyone in the dorms had their hard drives shared, so you could just go through everyone's files and copy their music or videos. Usually this wasn't too interesting, but I did find one computer that had the complete Beethoven symphonies. I knew a few of them already, but I had never heard 1, 2, 4, or 8 at least. I listened to them in order, and I loved them all, but No. 4 really stood out to me. It was like pure sonic joy in that first movement. I listened to it over and over and the first chance I had I bought my own cycle of the Symphonies - George Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra. This was really the beginning of my classical music CD collection!

I wish I knew who was playing in those mp3s I first heard, though...

[Michael]

Interesting, Michael. My first exposure to it was in 1999, when I was in college. Everyone in the dorms had their hard drives shared, so you could just go through everyone's files and copy their music or videos. Usually this wasn't too interesting, but I did find one computer that had the complete Beethoven symphonies. I knew a few of them already, but I had never heard 1, 2, 4, or 8 at least. I listened to them in order, and I loved them all, but No. 4 really stood out to me. It was like pure sonic joy in that first movement. I listened to it over and over and the first chance I had I bought my own cycle of the Symphonies - George Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra. This was really the beginning of my classical music CD collection!

I wish I knew who was playing in those mp3s I first heard, though...

Yes - the first time you hear something it makes an indelible impression.
But the opening of the Fourth has been difficult for many people including many composers of the time. I thought it was absolutely awful (not any more!!!) How you latched onto it so quickly is amazing.
Anyway, you have just reminded me that I have the George Szell version. I have about 500 Beethoven discs and I just can't keep track!
I have dug out the Szell and will give it a listen in your honour!



.

[Chris]

But the opening of the Fourth has been difficult for many people including many composers of the time.

Do you mean the slow introduction to the first movement or the entire first movement?

I have dug out the Szell and will give it a listen in your honour!

Excellent, I am honored! I also have the Zinman cycle and does the 4th justice as well. Carlos Kleiber really does amazing things with it, and for a while I thought maybe that was the version I first heard, but I don't think he ever recorded a full cycle, so it couldn't have been him.

[Michael]

Do you mean the slow introduction to the first movement or the entire first movement?
.

I meant the slow introduction which was very daring but really was only an extension of what Haydn was doing with most of his later symphonies.
I actually had trouble with the slow movement and the finale. You must remember that I was listening to nothing but pop music the year before.

I was somewhat relieved to find that many contemporary composers found the introduction puzzling, but something similar occurs in the opening of the third Razumovsky - a black pall of an introduction and then a glorious allegro.
It's likely that Beethoven's experiences in those two works gave him the idea for the weird transition from the 3rd to the 4th movement in his Fifth Symphony. He suspended work on the 5th halfway through and composed the 4th.
Anyway, I'm rambling a bit. It's three in the morning over here and I'm going to bed!

[Michael]

Carlos Kleiber really does amazing things with it, and for a while I thought maybe that was the version I first heard, but I don't think he ever recorded a full cycle, so it couldn't have been him.

No, I think Carlos Kleiber only recorded the 5th, 7th and 4th - and I think the last was a live performance that was luckily preserved because Carlos was very contrary about recordings.
Now I'm really going to bed!

[Chris]

I meant the slow introduction which was very daring but really was only an extension of what Haydn was doing with most of his later symphonies.

Yes. Beethoven used this technique (to a much smaller extent) in the finale of his first symphony, which very clearly shows Haydn's influence.

I actually had trouble with the slow movement and the finale. You must remember that I was listening to nothing but pop music the year before.

The slow movement is part of what really grabbed me about this work. Usually slow movements don't do much for me, but this one really did, and so all of the movements really seemed to come together to make a spectacular complete work.

[Roehre]

.....But the opening of the Fourth has been difficult for many people including many composers of the time. .....

Listen to the opening of Haydn's Symphony no.102 (also in B-flat) and be in for a surprise

[Michael]

Listen to the opening of Haydn's Symphony no.102 (also in B-flat) and be in for a surprise

I thought 94 was the "Surprise"!
I have a lot of Haydn but not 102- (I have the ones on either side of it) so I had to YouTube it. Yes .... I can see where B was coming from, especially the opening chord. But Haydn doesn't leave you floundering around, wondering what key you're in - or if you are ever going to find one.
Anyway, thanks for the introduction to 102 (pun intended). My next purchase.



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[Roehre]

Nebra, Jose de [1702-1768] (R3 TtN: iPlayer):
Llegad, llegad, creyentes, cantata
Que contrario, Señor, cantata
Alienta fervorosa
Entre cándidos

Biber:
Battalia a 10 in D C.61 (1673)

Martinu:
Sinfonia Concertante for violin, cello, oboe, bassoon and orchestra H.322 (1949)

Kodaly:
Psalmus hungaricus opus 13

Hans Huber:
Symphony no.4 in A “Academische” (1903 rev 1918)

Maxwell Davies:
String Quartet (1952)
Le Jongleur de Notre Dame (1978)

[Sorrano]

Last night:

Smetana:
Bartered Bride Overture
Symphony in E Minor (I lied, it was Szell's orchestration of the E Minor Quartet)

Schubert:
Symphony No. 1 in D Major (Not the quartet!)

[Roehre]

Today:

Hans Huber:
Symphony no.5 in F “Romantische” (1906)

Rossini:
Overture William Tell (BBCMM CD)

Stravinsky:
Petrushka (1911; version?) (BBCMM CD)

[Peter]

Brahms: German Requiem. I think it quite astonishing that he wrote such a masterful work so early on in his career.

[Michael]

Beethoven's complete set of piano variations. (Not all in one day, of course, but I am trying to listen to them in chronological order).