What are you listening to now?

[Enrique]

This is Tchaikowsky's sixth symphony. Look at 36:37. Up to the triplet in the penultimate measure (3rd movement) there is a certain tempo. But when the triplet comes, he unbelievably slows down the tempo. What kind of an idiot can he be? All the impetus is lost!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VswsTffasc[/youtube]

It may be that some day humanity will perish. But should humans survive, listening to the 4th movement will remain one of the things that make existence nontrivial. I'm sure there are some people that won't disagree.

[Fidelio]

New DG Beethoven collection 2020 - Large Choral works

[Enrique]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDqCIcsUtPI[/youtube]
The execution is a wonder! These people know how to do things well. A pity the triplet in the penultimate measure of the third movement. And in the coda, last movement, the triplets in the double basses are not clearly heard.

[Sorrano]

This week in "Exploring Music With Bill McLaughlin" they are going through each of the Beethoven piano concerti (published ones) in the order they were written. Last night they played the 2nd and tonight will be the first. Added are movements from other piano music composed at the same time as the concerti were written.

[Sorrano]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDqCIcsUtPI[/youtube]
The execution is a wonder! These people know how to do things well. A pity the triplet in the penultimate measure of the third movement. And in the coda, last movement, the triplets in the double basses are not clearly heard.

Enrique, If you get a chance check out (on YouTube) the performance with Claudio Abaddo and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra (playing at the Lucerne Festival). I thought that was a powerful performance of the 6th. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIJiPlbJjs8

[Enrique]

Powerful indeed, Sorrano. And it lacks the ridiculous change of tempo in the penultimate bar in the 3rd movement heard in the video clip in post #91. I was just listening to it in a cafe table in the street, and the noise from traffic didn't quite allowed me to listen. But there is youtube-dl. With it you can download any youtube video to your hard disk in a matter of minutes. Then I listened to it with mplayer which, by software, can increase the loudness up to considerable levels. What was that long silence after the last chord?

[Sorrano]

Powerful indeed, Sorrano. And it lacks the ridiculous change of tempo in the penultimate bar in the 3rd movement heard in the video clip in post #91. I was just listening to it in a cafe table in the street, and the noise from traffic didn't quite allowed me to listen. But there is youtube-dl. With it you can download any youtube video to your hard disk in a matter of minutes. Then I listened to it with mplayer which, by software, can increase the loudness up to considerable levels. What was that long silence after the last chord?

That long silence was Claudio Abaddo holding the tension between the final note and the applause. He waited, then finally let his hands down. I thought it was an effective gesture as I pretty much held my breath, waiting for the signal that he was finished.

[Enrique]

Moving, and I think he showed signs of emotion in his face.

[Sorrano]

I thought it was a great performance and bought the DVD of the entire concert. I have yet to watch the rest of the concert, but I am looking forward to it. I was deeply moved by the passion the orchestra exhibited during the performance of the symphony; it was both an aural and visual treat.

[Enrique]

Sorrano, I saw in google this is a youth orchestra! How can that be?

Rimsky-Korsakov: Russian Easter Festival Overture, op. 36, Evgeny Gergiev conducting.

[Sorrano]

The Simon Bolivar orchestra is from Venezuela and consists of two groups of young people (at least as I understood from a Venezuelan friend and co-worker). There is a younger group and an older group (two orchestras, I believe) that are all part of a revolutionary school of music that has produced some wonderful musicians. The group playing in the festival is the older group and does a lot of touring. I've heard recordings of them previously and was aware of them. It's a wonderful program they have in Venezuela and I hope that continues.

[Peter]

Beautiful previously unknown piece to me - Emil Von Sauer's Piano concerto no.1, the slow movement 'Cavatina'. Emil Sauer was a virtuoso pianist and also a pupil of Liszt and Rubinstein.

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

[Peter]

Another amazing concerto written by an unknown 17 year old Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński - if Mendelssohn had written this at that age it would have been regularly performed. Maybe his name was just too much of a mouthful!

[YOUTUBE] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPn0g-Fe598[/YOUTUBE]

[Enrique]

Hi Peter. How do you do? And how do you do, Sorrano?

Stravinsky, L'Histoire du soldat.

I've seen this work on the stage, some time ago.

[Peter]

Hello Enrique - doing well thank you. Listening to a lot of Elgar lately - one work of his I wasn't that familiar with was the concert overture 'In the South' which I'm really enjoying. Glorious ending from 19' - strong influence of Richard Strauss in this work.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-ZKmVHfgac[/YOUTUBE]