Topic: Gurn's Classical Corner

[DavidW]

Yes. You were sitting there eating Ramen for breakfast again and said "screw this, I'm gonna get rid of that gigantic Bach's Box from my shelf by selling it to Gurn and tomorrow I'm going out to eat a real breakfast!".

Ah good old grad school days!

[Gurn Blanston]

Ah good old grad school days!

Flash from the past. Bach is OK, but just not nutritious.

[milk]

I took a chance and downloaded this after hearing the samples. This is quite an enjoyable recording.
Perhaps I'm out on a limb considering my lack of technical knowledge about organs and organ music
but the registrations Bonizzoni uses seem particularly colorful and interesting.

[Leo K.]

A wonderful recording of flute concertos by Johann Joachim Quantz. It's Aces!!!


Quantz's flute works are special works, and place me squarely into the Galant world. The slow movements in particular are delicate, transparent idyllic places.

[Ataraxia]

A wonderful recording of flute concertos by Johann Joachim Quantz. It's Aces!!!

I'm taking this one out for a drive.

[Gurn Blanston]

A wonderful recording of flute concertos by Johann Joachim Quantz. It's Aces!!!


Quantz's flute works are special works, and place me squarely into the Galant world. The slow movements in particular are delicate, transparent idyllic places.

I have some Quantz concertos, not those though. I agree, he was the preeminent composer for the flute in the 18th century. And a patient man too, putting up as he did with Frederick the Great for so many years.    I'm going to have to revisit this composer, he's very fine!

[Leo K.]

I have some Quantz concertos, not those though. I agree, he was the preeminent composer for the flute in the 18th century. And a patient man too, putting up as he did with Frederick the Great for so many years.    I'm going to have to revisit this composer, he's very fine!

I have three disks of Quantz, the concertos mentioned above, a set of his flute quartets, and a disk with Quantz and his influences. It is only recently I got interested in the flute of the galant and classical eras. I also love Frederick the Great's music, truly beautiful music!

[Jeffrey Smith]

I have three disks of Quantz, the concertos mentioned above, a set of his flute quartets, and a disk with Quantz and his influences. It is only recently I got interested in the flute of the galant and classical eras. I also love Frederick the Great's music, truly beautiful music!

Then you'll probably be interested in this, which has inter alia a concerto and a sonata by Frederick, a concerto by Quantz, a sonata by Frederick's sister, concertos and sonatas by CPE Bach, Benda, and Agricola, and the Trio Sonata from the Musical Offering.

[Leo K.]

Then you'll probably be interested in this, which has inter alia a concerto and a sonata by Frederick, a concerto by Quantz, a sonata by Frederick's sister, concertos and sonatas by CPE Bach, Benda, and Agricola, and the Trio Sonata from the Musical Offering.

Ah! Thanks for the heads up on that one 

[Leon]

This set is interesting.  I had little of Dominico Cimarosa's music, and that was vocal.  The music is well worth a listen and as far as I can tell, this is the only complete collection of his keyboard music.  Not having any notes I don't know what kind of instrument he is using, but to me it sounds more like a real instrument from the period and not a modern replica.



There are three volumes, and I have all of them as mp3s.  I may not splurge for the CDs (they are going for a pretty penny from Amazon MP sellers) but am glad to have the music in any event.

Andrea Coen is new to me.  But he seems to be a early music specialist.  I will probably look into getting more of his recordings since he focuses on Italian Classical and pre-Classical composers, playing period instruments.

 

[Gurn Blanston]

I have this disk;

which, despite being played on a modern piano ( ) gives a good idea what the music sounds like. And by my taste, it sounds pretty good! At the time I got this, I had yet to ever see that disk of yours before, thanks for pointing it out, Arnold. I'll see if I can track it down for reasonable, and if not, well, downloads work too! 

[Que]

Andrea Coen is new to me.  But he seems to be a early music specialist.  I will probably look into getting more of his recordings since he focuses on Italian Classical and pre-Classical composers, playing period instruments.

Andrea Coen is terific. What about this intriguing set with the first sonatas ever written for fortepiano?  It's awesome, I tell you!

Q

[Gurn Blanston]

Andrea Coen is terific. What about this intriguing set with the first sonatas ever written for fortepiano?  It's awesome, I tell you!

Q

Yes, I didn't put 2 + 2 together on Coen's name, but you're right; that Giustini set is great! ANd the music is only 60 years older than the Cimarosa...

[Que]

Yes, I didn't put 2 + 2 together on Coen's name, but you're right; that Giustini set is great! ANd the music is only 60 years older than the Cimarosa...

That is quite some time-difference. But would you consider these pieces from 1732 as transitional?  I've read somewhere that the transitional period was between 1730-1760.  As the first compositions for the fortepiano they were kind of ahead of their time... I personally can definitely hear the dawn of Classicism in them, though the outer structure is still along Baroque conventions.

Q

[chasmaniac]

Alessandro Rolla, Viola Sonatas et al., Jennifer Stumm

Solid.

Viola jokes. We've all heard them, and I've even told a few myself. Most likely they are the product of pure jealousy, because no other instrument can sound as ravishing or expressive, especially in the hands of a consummate virtuoso like Jennifer Stumm.

In 1757, the year composer Alessandro Rolla was born, Handel put the finishing touches on his last oratorio (The Triumph of Time) and Mozart celebrated his first birthday, undoubtedly dashing off a symphony or two in honor of the occasion. Rolla lived on for some 84 years--long enough to champion the music of Beethoven in Italy and become an advocate for a young upstart named Giuseppe Verdi. Rolla was--beyond doubt--the finest violist of his time, and he pioneered many of the brilliant virtuoso techniques that were later exploited by his erstwhile pupil, Nicolo Paganini.

As a conductor, Rolla regularly performed the new music of his day: the operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. Yet his own compositions--at least those heard here--remain firmly rooted in the 18th century. Nothing in any of these scores would have disturbed Mozart. Even the scoring of the sonatas is pleasantly old-fashioned. They are written for viola and "basso". In modern performance the bass line is sometimes taken by a second viola, a cello, or (as here) the piano. No matter; Rolla's focus was always on the solo viola and its uncanny ability to charm even the most hard-hearted joker.

The writing is invariably concise and compact. Rolla manages to say more in four minutes (the opening Allegro of the E-flat Sonata, for example) than most composers achieve over considerably longer time spans. Indeed no single movement here lasts longer than seven minutes, and every measure sings joyously. Undoubtedly Verdi himself would not have been ashamed to have penned the haunting Romance, the middle movement of the C Major Sonata. Even the three Exercises--clearly intended as teaching pieces--are filled with many delightful turns of phrase. The Duet is another gem in the bright, joyous key of A Major. It must be tremendous fun to play for both violists. The finale, oddly enough, is designated "Allegro bizzarro", though the music hardly lives up to such an odd name.

Ms. Stumm plays these delicacies with passion and total commitment. Her tone is creamier and more buttery than your Italian grandmother's homemade carbonara sauce. And Stumm phrases as seamlessly as a seasoned gondolier serenading his passengers as they effortlessly glide across Venice's Grand Canal. Moreover, Stumm is undaunted by the showy passage-work that Rolla flings at her without mercy, and she never allows these flourishes to undermine the beauty or impede the flow of the musical line.

Ferschtman matches Stumm note for note in the Duet, while the self-effacing Ms. Shih handles her undistinguished piano accompaniment with considerable aplomb. The recorded sound is warm and plush, yet vividly detailed. Let's hope that we soon have more of Rolla's exceptional music from this eloquent source.

Now have you heard the one about the violist who always played in tune? Nah, neither have I.
--amazon review

[Leo K.]

I'm often returning to this set, the early symphonies of Sammartini, and I'm surprised at my growing emotional involvement with thes works. There's a life affirming quality in the performances, and these early works show deep introspection in the slow movements. It's quite profound and beautiful to behold.

 

[Jeffrey Smith]

This landed and got played today:

Overall, a nicely balanced and well performed program.
Includes
Graun: Overture and Allegro in d minor Graun WV A:XI:2
Nichelmann:  Concerto for Keyboard Concertante in c minor D-B M. Th. 169
Frederick II (the Great): Sonata for Flute and B.C. in c minor "pour Potsdam" no. 190
Graun: Concerto for Viola da Gamba concertata in a minor  Graun WV A:XIII:14
CPE Bach: Symphony No. 1 in D major Wq 183, 1

(I ordered mine last weekend from Arkivmusic; not sure how they got it to me a week before Amazon's official release date).

A fortepiano was used for the solo in the keyboard concerto and the basso continuo in the flute sonata,  although no details were given about the particular instrument used.

This being an anniversary year for Frederick, I expect more releases of this sort to appear.

[Gurn Blanston]

This landed and got played today:

Overall, a nicely balanced and well performed program.
Includes
Graun: Overture and Allegro in d minor Graun WV A:XI:2
Nichelmann:  Concerto for Keyboard Concertante in c minor D-B M. Th. 169
Frederick II (the Great): Sonata for Flute and B.C. in c minor "pour Potsdam" no. 190
Graun: Concerto for Viola da Gamba concertata in a minor  Graun WV A:XIII:14
CPE Bach: Symphony No. 1 in D major Wq 183, 1

(I ordered mine last weekend from Arkivmusic; not sure how they got it to me a week before Amazon's official release date).

A fortepiano was used for the solo in the keyboard concerto and the basso continuo in the flute sonata,  although no details were given about the particular instrument used.

This being an anniversary year for Frederick, I expect more releases of this sort to appear.

Thanks for pointing this one out, Jeffrey. I want something that is nicely representative of the era, but I don't want, at this time, to plunge in over my head while I still have so many irons in the fire. This looks like a good solution.

[Leo K.]

As for Galuppi, he is a recent discovery for me too, here are the recordings I am enjoying of his work, played by Ilario Gregoletto on a harpischord:

The music of Baldassare Galuppi is an underated treasure.

I recently aquired this set of three individual disks, played on the piano by Peter Seivewright, and I was not prepared by the beautiful sound of the execution and nuance heard on this set. I think only three volumes are out so far, with more to come, hopefully.

I am hearing this composer in a completely different way. The music doesn't have the action of a Scarlatti or Soler, but makes up by being achingly melodic and lush, with explorations with melodic pace, and sometimes harmony that astounds me. These recordings are something to behold.

[mc ukrneal]

The music of Baldassare Galuppi is an underated treasure.

I recently aquired this set of three individual disks, played on the piano by Peter Seivewright, and I was not prepared by the beautiful sound of the execution and nuance heard on this set. I think only three volumes are out so far, with more to come, hopefully.

I am hearing this composer in a completely different way. The music doesn't have the action of a Scarlatti or Soler, but makes up by being achingly melodic and lush, with explorations with melodic pace, and sometimes harmony that astounds me. These recordings are something to behold.

Hmmm. Interesting. But I am not sure this will ever be completed. The last one was issued years ago.