What are you listening to now?

[Peter]

One of my favourite Orthodox chants 'Now the Powers of Heaven' performed by the Moscow Sretensky Monastery Choir - really beautiful.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyREJRz8wNI[/YOUTUBE]

[Chris]

Very beautiful!

[Megan]

Messiaen - Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum

I cannot get the video to load, even though I took out the s.



[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2015&v=3f4qdJHatNM[/YOUTUBE]

[Megan]

Johann Christian Bach
Quintet for flute, oboe, violin, viola & basso continuo (Op.11 No.2) in G major
Ensemble: Les Adieux.



Antonio Lotti
Sonata for 2 oboes, bassoon and continuo in F major, 'Echo sonata'
Performer: Rinaldo Alessandrini. Ensemble: Ensemble Zefiro.



Joseph Haydn
Sonata in G minor H.16.44 for piano
Performer: Kristian Bezuidenhout.

[Michael]

Listening all week to the Liszt transcriptions of the Beethoven symphonies played by Cyprien Katsaris. Fascinating.
Beethoven himself started a piano arrangement of the seventh symphony, but he never got past the introduction to the first movement. I haven't reached Liszt's version but it will be interesting to compare the two. Beethoven's fragment is distinctly underwhelming.

[Megan]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDgRIAT6u3M[/YOUTUBE]

[Chris]

Listening all week to the Liszt transcriptions of the Beethoven symphonies played by Cyprien Katsaris. Fascinating.
Beethoven himself started a piano arrangement of the seventh symphony, but he never got past the introduction to the first movement. I haven't reached Liszt's version but it will be interesting to compare the two. Beethoven's fragment is distinctly underwhelming.

As I recall Katsaris isn't strictly playing Liszt's versions in his recordings. He has made some modifications and additions. I guess Liszt's transcriptions were just too easy

[Michael]

According to Katsaris himself, he did make some slight changes in the Pastoral Symphony transcription and he has given specific details. He states that these changes were minor additions and nothing was substracted.

I presume the other transcriptions were not changed in any way from the originals.

[Chris]

At the very least there are also changes to the 4th movement of the 9th symphony - I can clearly hear them.

[Michael]

I haven't reached the Ninth yet, but I believe Liszt himself made a number of versions of the last movement - including at least one for two pianos (or four hands or whatever). He was never satisfied with the finale.

I personally would not know if Katsaris is deviating from Liszt as I am not too familiar with any arrangements of the symphonies.

But I must say that I am enjoying them immensely. I thought I knew the symphonies pretty well but the reductions have highlighted a lot of wonderful moments that have been buried (for me) in the full orchestra.

[Enrique]

I had one of Liszt's transcriptions in my hand and make a pupil at the conservatory to play it to my great satisfaction.

[Michael]

I had one of Liszt's transcriptions in my hand and make a pupil at the conservatory to play it to my great satisfaction.

It's fascinating to think that, for most of the 19th century, before the invention of the gramophone or radio, this was the way the majority of music lovers heard the orchestral works of Beethoven (and indeed many other composers.)

I don't refer to Liszt specifically but to the many arrangements by lesser composers which, nevertheless, helped listeners to become familiar with great orchestral works which they might never have had the opportunity to hear in a concert hall.

[Enrique]

It certainly is, Michael. That applies to composers too. I know Debussy and Stravinsky played the Rite on the piano (four hands) before the latter could hear it on the concert hall (I forgot the name of the theater). The piano was an integral part of a house, besides that of a composer, I mean. Debussy did not attend the premier. Maybe he was already dead. He did hear, in the theater, both The Firebird and Petrushka.

[Peter]

It certainly is, Michael. That applies to composers too. I know Debussy and Stravinsky played the Rite on the piano (four hands) before the latter could hear it on the concert hall (I forgot the name of the theater). The piano was an integral part of a house, besides that of a composer, I mean. Debussy did not attend the premier. Maybe he was already dead. He did hear, in the theater, both The Firebird and Petrushka.

I think Debussy did attend - he certainly wasn't dead until 5 years after in 1918. He wrote in anticipation of the premier 'I await the performance like a gluttonous child to whom sweets have been promised.’

[Chris]

I haven't reached the Ninth yet, but I believe Liszt himself made a number of versions of the last movement - including at least one for two pianos (or four hands or whatever). He was never satisfied with the finale.

I personally would not know if Katsaris is deviating from Liszt as I am not too familiar with any arrangements of the symphonies.

But I must say that I am enjoying them immensely. I thought I knew the symphonies pretty well but the reductions have highlighted a lot of wonderful moments that have been buried (for me) in the full orchestra.

Yes, I love these transcriptions too. They reveal the genius of Beethoven's orchestral compositions through Liszt's incredible mastery of the piano and his ability to simultaneously remain true to the piece he is transcribing while at the same creating a truly pianistic work.