What are you listening to now?

[Decrepit Poster]

My, am I having a treat here! It's ages since I listened to the Etudes ( on my CD played by Murray Perhaia). I’d never heard them on an antique piano before...

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuh4yRu-Yow[/YOUTUBE]

I listened to the second piano concerto in this series last night. I gotta admit I've never been overly keen on either of the piano concertos. In consequence I doubt I've heard 'em all the way through more than four times in my entire life. That said, I was quite taken with this rendition's first two movements. As to the final movement, as usual with this piece it just didn't speak to me until a good ways in.

Otherwise I've done no music listening worth note.

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Reicha: Clarinet Quintet in B-Flat, Op 89

[Harvey]

Fidelio. Waltraud Meier as Leonore, Placido Domingo as Florestan, and Rene Pape as Rocco. Excellent. Waltraud is the best Leonore after my favorite, Gundula Janowitz. And Placido is the best Florestan I have heard (don't care for Vickers).

[Peter]

Brahms piano concerto no.2 - Brendel.

[AeolianHarp]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqQ0VacAYcA[/YOUTUBE]

[AeolianHarp]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gySjx9WTQr4[/YOUTUBE]

[AeolianHarp]

Mozart symphony no 40 in G minor, k550. I love it!

[Zevy]

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 14 in A Major, K.414, Concerto No. 7 in F Major for three Pianos ("Lodron Concerto"), K.242, Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K.488 Leon Fleisher Piano & Cond.
Also: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K.488 Leon Fleisher/Bruno Walter/LAPO (1949!)

[Megan]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roJSYFu3pYk#t=106[/YOUTUBE]

[AeolianHarp]

Mozart again...

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr6MzMflO_g[/YOUTUBE]

[Peter]

Beethoven violin sonatas Op.47, Op.96 - Wilhelm Kempff / Wolfgang Schneiderhan

[Michael]

Beethoven's WoO 32, the so-called "Eyeglass Duo" for viola and cello. It was written for a performance by himself on viola and his friend, Nikolaus Zmeskall on cello and as both had poor eyesight, the manuscript bears the words: "With Two Eyeglasses Obbligato".

It's interesting to realise that Beethoven probably wore spectacles quite often but no contemporary portrait shows that fact.

[Chris]

I always wear glasses at the piano and in front of the computer, but never in pictures!

I love WoO 32. Might give it a listen right now!

[Joy]

Beethoven's WoO 32, the so-called "Eyeglass Duo" for viola and cello. It was written for a performance by himself on viola and his friend, Nikolaus Zmeskall on cello and as both had poor eyesight, the manuscript bears the words: "With Two Eyeglasses Obbligato".

It's interesting to realise that Beethoven probably wore spectacles quite often but no contemporary portrait shows that fact.

Love the title of that one. Didn't Beethoven wear spectacles early on and then later on in life for some reason didn't need them all that often? Could be wrong on that of course. When I was working with computers I needed glasses but then later on when I no longer worked all that much with computers I got along fine without them.

[Michael]

Love the title of that one. Didn't Beethoven wear spectacles early on and then later on in life for some reason didn't need them all that often? Could be wrong on that of course. When I was working with computers I needed glasses but then later on when I no longer worked all that much with computers I got along fine without them.

Hello Joy! Great to hear from you again.
I don't know if Beethoven was wearing spectacles later on in life. I know my own long range vision has improved in my sixties - my optician tells me that's quite common.
There is a drawing of Beethoven wearing glasses in my copy of the 1970 Oxford Companion to Music. Of course, it's an imaginative sketch but I always found it very striking.
If this link works, you might see it:

http://www.wiw.pl/biblioteka/muzyka_cook/pict/04-z.jpg