What are you listening to now?

[Roehre]

Today:

Reicha:
Symphony no.1 in E flat major opus 41 (1803)

Shostakovich
Sinfonia for viola and strings (=String Quartet no.13 op.138 (1970] arr. A. Tchaikovsky [2010])

Taylor:
Viola Concerto “Humoreskes” Op. 41 (2011/’12)

Hayes:
Byzantium (2012)

Knussen:
Sonya's lullaby Op. 16 (1978)

Fujikura:
Eternal escape (2001)

Monteverdi:
Laetatus sum I,
Salve Regina,
Domine, ne in furore tuo
Salve Regina I
Dixit Dominus II
Sanctorum meritis II
Adoramus te, Christe
Beatus vir
Exulta, filia Sion
Magnificat II à 4 voci
Salve, o Regina, o Mater
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes III

[Enrique]

Schoenberg
Gurre-Lieder - Herrgott weisst du was du tatest
Drei Klavierstuecke (1894)

[Peter]

Shostakovich Symphony Np.5 / Mahler symphony no.5

[Roehre]

Today:


Kersters:
Hulde aan Paul van Ostaijen opus 79 (1985) (R3 TtN)

Bruckner :
Prelude & Fugue in C-minor WAB131 (1847)

Schumann:
Klavierstücke op.32 (1839)
Nachtlied opus 108 (1851)
Phantasiestücke op.111 (1851)
6 Lieder opus 107 (1852)
Gesänge der Frühe op.133 (1853)

Holliger:
Siebengesang (1967)
Toronto Excercises (2005)

[Megan]

Bach
BWV 1004. Chaconne [partita no. 2]
solo violin.


Salve Regina by Johannes Ockeghem
The Hilliard Ensemble, Paul Hillier (director)


BBC Early Music Show
Lucie Skeaping explores the Marian hymn Salve Regina.




.

[Roehre]

...
Salve Regina by Johannes Ockeghem
The Hilliard Ensemble, Paul Hillier (director)


BBC Early Music Show
Lucie Skeaping explores the Marian hymn Salve Regina.
.

Excellent programme, isn't it?

[Megan]

Yes Roehre, it was a wonderful feast of usually rich Renaissance music.
We listen to the The Early Music Show every week.

[Roehre]

Today:


R3 Early Music Show: The Salve Regina
Ockeghem, di Lasso, DesPrez, Victoria, Guerrero

Schumann:
Carnaval opus 9
Arabeske opus 18
Canon für Alexis

Stravinsky:
Symphony in three Movements

Stockhausen:
Trans (Premiere performance SWF 16 October 1971)

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Haydn: Symphony No. 87

(At last, some Haydn for Beethoven lovers!)

[Chris]

Mozart - Piano Concertos 1-4 (K 37, 39-41), 3 Concertos K 107
Schroter - Piano Concerto Op. 3, No. 3

Perahia/English Chamber Orchestra

I intend to listen to Brendel's recordings of the Mozart piano concertos this week, but he sadly chose not to record Concertos 1-4 and the K 107 concertos. It is somewhat understandable in that these works are not completely original, but arrangements of keyboard sonatas by other composers. Still, they are interesting when looking at Mozart's development as a composer. Brendel's recordings were paired with Ingrid Haebler's recordings of Concertos 1-4 and Ton Koopman's recordings of K 107 to complete the set for The Complete Mozart edition, but I don't think these fit with Brendel's very well. These Perahia recordings make a better compliment.

[Sorrano]

Chris, I had a difficult time getting into Mozart's early symphonies, but the concertos really worked for me (I've been listening to one of the "complete" sets, don't remember which one, at the moment) and the divertimenti are great, as well. I've been listening to those as I get a chance over the past few weeks.

[Chris]

Indeed, Sorrano, there is much to love in the early Mozart concertos. Today I'm starting to listen to the Complete Mozart Edition set, which consists of Alfred Brendel's excellent recordings with Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. But as I mentioned, he did not record concertos 1-4 and the K 107 concertos.

So today it's:

Piano Concertos 1-4 (K 37, 39-41)
Ingrid Haebler/Capella Academica Wien/Melkus

The orchestra is a modern instrument ensemble, but Haebler plays a fortepiano. This is not a combination that works very well, in my opinion. I have only seen this done one other time, in Helmut Muller-Bruhl's recording of the Haydn concerto for violin and piano. Even though I think the fortepiano is a pretty terrible-sounding instrument, I think it can actually work pretty well in the Mozart concertos. It has a varying timbre throughout its range that Mozart seems to make deliberate use of. But I think it needs a period-instrument orchestra behind it to make the most of it. Malcolm Bilson's set is excellent, and at least half of that is due to John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists, who bring such a brilliance to the parts for orchestra.

Also:

3 Concertos K 107
Ton Koopman/Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra

And I still think that these recordings, played on harpsichord, don't fit in well with this set. I like Ton Koopman - I love his Bach cantatas, and a lot of his Bach organ works. But sometimes I feel like he over-ornaments things, especially simpler pieces. I don't think Mozart is his best element. At least, his style isn't my preference for these pieces.

Concerto for 3 pianos in F, K 242 "Lodron"
Katia & Marielle Labeque, Semyon Bychkov/Berliner Philharmoniker

I'm surprised Brendel chose to play the 2-piano version of the concerto for his set rather than this 3-piano version. Most sets seem to include the 3-piano version if they include only one. But this is a fine rendition.

And finally:

Piano Concertos K 175, 238, 365

This is getting into the meat of the set, the Brendel recordings. The modern piano may lack the variation in timbre across its range that the fortepiano has, but its greater sustain serves the slow movements better, in my opinion. Of course, that could lead to the temptation to play too slowly, but Brendel seems to avoid that.

K 175 is a favorite of mine among the earlier Mozart works. It was written in 1773, when Mozart was 17. The first movement contains a delightful little melody that always stands out to me, and which is very similar to a melody from the violin concerto K 207. That concerto was supposedly written two years later, in 1775, but some research has indicated that it might have actually been composed in 1773, and I could well believe it. I can imagine Mozart coming up with this excellent little tune that year and playing around with it in both his first completely original piano concerto and his first violin concerto.

[Roehre]

Yesterday:

Stravinsky:
Symphonies des Psaumes

Today:

Stravinsky:
Symphony in C

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Bax: Eight English Dances

Reminded me a lot of Holst's wind suites.

[Chris]

Mozart - Piano Concertos K 242 for 2 pianos, 246, 413, 271, 414, 386 (Rondo), 415, 453, 382 (Rondo)

Brendel/ASMF/Marriner