What are you listening to now?

[Enrique]

This morning:

Igor Stravinsky: Pulcinella: Suite

Do you know the complete ballet, Sorrano, by any chance?

[Roehre]

Today:

Nielsen:
Springtime in Fünen op.42 (1921)

Villa Lobos:
Bachiana brasileira no.5

Prokofiev;
On Guard for peace op.124 (1950)
(a piece best left collecting dust in a forgotten drawer)

[Sorrano]

Do you know the complete ballet, Sorrano, by any chance?

Sorry to respond so late, Enrique. I thought I had the complete ballet on CD on a Stravinsky set, but it doesn't appear to be there, so I would have to say I do not know it. The suite this morning was aired on radio.

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Bach/Busoni: Chorale Prelude, "Herr Gott, nun schleuss' den Himmel auf"

Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3

Georges Bizet: L'Arlésienne: Suite No. 1

[Enrique]

Sorry to respond so late, Enrique. I thought I had the complete ballet on CD on a Stravinsky set, but it doesn't appear to be there, so I would have to say I do not know it. The suite this morning was aired on radio.

Don't mention it. I advice you to listen to the complete version, Sorrano which, if my opinion is worth anything, is one of the wonders of 20th century music, with all due consideration to Pergolesi. But I'm not the only one who thinks so. Cheers.

[Roehre]

Don't mention it. I advice you to listen to the complete version, Sorrano which, if my opinion is worth anything, is one of the wonders of 20th century music, with all due consideration to Pergolesi. But I'm not the only one who thinks so. Cheers.

I do agree with you Enrique, apart from one detail: there isn't that much Pergolesi in it as Stravinsky thought. Pergolesi is one of the composers who wrote more after their death than during their lives: the works attributed to him outnumber the works which are his beyond doubt.
Most of the works used by Stravinsky aren't pergolesi's therefore, e.g. Count Unico van Wassenaer being one of the composers positively identified as the author of a couple of Pulcinella's movements.

Btw, do you know the transcription for violin (or 'cello) and piano Stravinsky and the violinist Dushkin made of the score, calling it Suite italienne?

[Sorrano]

Btw, do you know the transcription for violin (or 'cello) and piano Stravinsky and the violinist Dushkin made of the score, calling it Suite italienne?

It seems this was playing not too long ago on the radio; I caught the very last part of it, so I didn't really get a good listen.

[Roehre]

Today:

Tippett:
Symphony nr.2 (1957)

[Enrique]

I happen to own a recording (Stravinsky, Cleveland Orchestra, Columbia ML4830) of Pulcinella made in 1953. The record cover, with notes by Robert Craft, gives a very detailed listing of the sources used by Stravinsky. The following is a fragment:

Numbers of Pulcinella                                  Sources in  Pergolesi
                                                                    (the chief sources are the 3-act comedies Il Fratello Innamorato (1732) 
                                                                     and Il Flaminio (1735) and the 12 trio sonatas for 2 violines and continuo.
                                                                     All of Stravinsky's copies were made either in the Naples Conservatory
                                                                     or in the British Musem.)               
Overture (G) (orchestra)                            1st move. 1st trio sonata (G)
Scene 1: Serenata (C minor) (tenor)           Polidoro's aria, 1st act Il Flaminio (D minor) (tenor) (orig. with guitar)
                Scherzino (C)                              1st move. 2nd trio sonata (B-flat)
                Allegro (A)                                   3rd move. 2nd trio sonata (B-flat)
                 Andantino (F)                              1st move. 8th trio sonata (E-flat)
Scene 2: Allegro (B-flat)                              1st act Il fratello innamorato, aria di Vannella (B-flat) (soprano)
                ......................................

Now, according to recent criticism, from the twenty one pieces used, eleven should be attributed to other authors and only eight we are certain belong to Pergolesi. For me it's quite a surprise and I thank you for having noticed it.

Btw, do you know the transcription for violin (or 'cello) and piano Stravinsky and the violinist Dushkin made of the score, calling it Suite italienne?

I don't know it, but it would be nice if I had the opportunity to listen to it. The violin must be used, in some places, in a percussion-wise way (I mean, as a percussion instrument), specially in the finale.

[Roehre]

Today:

Tippett:
New Year: suite (1988/’90)

Monteverdi:
Voglio di vita uscir
Fuggi Cor
Ahi, che si part’il mio Sol
Se d’un Angel’il bel viso
Lamento d’Olimpia

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Bliss: Checkmate (1937): Five Dances

Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring

[EternaLisa]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcrQ7_ENiTE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYHmItz840o

Kathleen Battle


someone who is quickly becoming a favorite voice of mine...I just discovered it in my mother's collection this last 2 weekends...

I was playing it while riding with my younger brother last week and he said:
"You have GOT to be kidding me" (irritated), and I replied, "No I am NOT kidding you (irritated x 2) -we were raised on this stuff remember?? I got enough of MacCracks overhead Techno Jungle howling yesterday while munching on their Big Mac yesterday and have to purge my brain today by regressing into something with class... So suffer while I enjoy..."

sibling love in all it's various twists...

a very interesting point bought up by Ms Battles re: Kathleen's mother's observation about training a person OUT of one's singing voice when asked why she didn't give her daughter lessons in voice...good stuff...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkWdE...ture=endscreen

[EternaLisa]

..

[EternaLisa]

...

[Megan]

Leos Janacek
The Cunning Little Vixen Suite

Performers: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Jiri Belohlavek (conductor)