Isn't this lovely?

[Enrique]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq6_nHyFSrc[/YOUTUBE]

Such an heterogenous group of people and such an heterogenous group of métiers. I must say this is an impeccable translation of Brahms.

[Enrique]

Now, compare with this (15:50):

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff-LGGl4wCU[/YOUTUBE]

These are not amateur musicians, of course. What's your opinion?

[Peter]

Yes very beautiful - I love the Brahms piano quintet, also the Elgar - sorry to be so English again but listen to the slow movement of his piano quintet, very beautiful and I think influenced by the Brahms:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK30_jJqELs

[Enrique]

By the way, that was Condoleeza Rice. I'm listening to the Elgar. Have a nice vacation (my sister translated for me).

[Enrique]

You're right about Brahms. Undeniable. I'm getting fonder of Elgar each time. Is there not a shadow of Faure here? Don't be sorry to live in a country that gave Europe so many a lesson throughout her history. And especially, such a beautiful one.

[Peter]

You're right about Brahms. Undeniable. I'm getting fonder of Elgar each time. Is there not a shadow of Faure here? Don't be sorry to live in a country that gave Europe so many a lesson throughout her history. And especially, such a beautiful one.

Yes if you get beyond the nationalistic jingoism that is often associated with Elgar which he himself hated (he especially disliked the setting of 'Land of hope and glory' to his famous march), there is much of a great depth. Interesting you detect a hint of Faure, you're probably right!

[Enrique]

If you do not mind this irruption into the thread, this is another example of that all-the-time playing with major and minor, characteristic of Brahms, that I was speaking about in another thread. Of course such a resource was an everyday occurrence from, say Mozart? on (probably much earlier):



Notice how, within the same theme, while the first period is in A flat major, in the second one he goes to A flat minor.