What are you listening to now?

[Karl Henning]

Hartmann
Symphony № 6 (1953)
Bamberger Symphoniker
Metzmacher

The Sixth Symphony is based on the symphony L'Œuvre (after the novel by Emile Zola) of 1937/38, but uses only its Adagio.  The rapid second movement is replaced by an entirely new piece, called toccata.  The contrast between the two types of movement – the large-scale symphonic Adagio and the rapid, strictly polyphonic movement – can practically be seen as the fundamental model of Hartmann's symphonies.  Here, the toccata consists of three sections called fugue (the themes of Parts 2 and 3 are variations of the fugal subject).  The fugal parts merge very quickly, however, into a virtuoso polyphonic orchestral piece whose harmonies are often determined by simple horizontal symmetries and whose rhythms are established through arithmetical rows.  Hartmann also creates an impressive contrast between the instrumentation of this movement and that of the Adagio.  Whereas the Adagio unfolds in slow developments and grand melodic arches, this movement makes opulent use of percussion instruments (including two xylophones and piano duet).

[Harry]

New acquisition, for me Best Buy of 2014, works of a genius female composer. I am fan as in fanatic, which is more than a admirer. Desert island stuff to be sure!

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2014/08/new-acquisition-pejacevic-dora-1885.html?spref=tw

[Florestan]

"... now GET LOST and let me do what I need to do to be remembered write operas which last for ever and ever and ever!" 

ROTFLMAOL 

[Madiel]

Frank Taylor plays Du Mage at du D'Andrieu, on quite a baroque soundng modern yankee organ - it really sounds like an Andreas Silberman organ.

Frank Taylor was a student of Melville Smith and I don't think I'm kidding myself when I say that I think you can hear a certain similarity of styles. This is a good recording.

The problem is that I have no idea whether I'm listening to music bu Du Mage or D'Andrieu. I can't find a tracklist and on spotify it's just tagged with things like "Tierce en taille"

This'll help. http://www.popfreerecords.com/album-frank-taylor-plays-dumage-and-dandrieu.php

[Karl Henning]

Hartmann
Symphony № 6 (1953)
London Phil
Botstein

Composed in 1951-53, Symphony No. 6 (along with his Symphonies Nos. 3, 4 and 5) is based on an older work which Hartmann fundamentally revised.  It is the Symphony "L'Œuvre," written in 1938 and premiered in Lüttich in 1939, which is based on the novel by Emile Zola (1840-1902) by the same name, telling of the unbalanced and self-doubting painter Claude Lantier's fate (for whom Cézanne modeled against his will).  Hartmann explains his composition in a program note:

In the spring of 1938 I was deeply occupied with Zola's novel L'Œuvre. . . I did not want to create a symphonic poem, but simply musically capture the impression I got from reading the book. . . . I have tried to portray this dark tragedy with all of the beauty and especially all of the horror present in any true artist's existence.

Only parts of the Adagio were taken from that work and reworked for the desemanticized Symphony No. 6, whereas the original introductory Toccata variata, enriched with extensive chamber music parts, was replaced by Hartmann with a completely new conceptualization of the movement bearing the same name.  Both sections are characterized by sweeping climactic sequences, a feature present in many of Hartmann's works.  The Adagio begins with a far-reaching line played by the English horn, followed later by oboe and clarinet in a free metamorphosis of this phrase.  As the movement becomes more and more concentrated, the tempo increases step by step, driving toward a climax marked as such in the score, before the movement fades to a pianissimo.  The Toccata variata, on the other hand, is composed of three segments, each beginning with a strong fugal motive but culminating rapidly.  Not only is the relationship between motives striking (Hartmann calls them "variated themes"), but their instrumental realization as well:  the first segment, dominated by the strings, is followed by the second part in which the wind instruments play the leading role.  Again the strings dominate the third segment, which immediately leads into a brief, forceful sounding stretta.

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[marvinbrown]

I can imagine Meyerbeer replying: "But, Monsieur Wagner, you troubled yourself too much for nothing. Who of us, and on which occasion, did question your ability to write French-style opera?" 

 

"... now GET LOST and let me do what I need to do to be remembered write operas which last for ever and ever and ever!" 

  Good replies! They even put a smile on my face  .

  Now let's go back to the music.  Much like Beethoven's "jump" from the 2nd symphony to the Eroica I find Wagner's leap from Rienzi to The Flying Dutchman as startling. But the jump from the middle 3 music dramas (Dutchman, Lohengrin and Tannhauser)  to the Ring, Tristan, Meistersinger and Parsifal is beyond compare! Works of pure genius just poured out of this man!  Love him, hate him....bottom line you just can't ignore him!

  marvin

   

[Karl Henning]

Good sport, Marvin!

Well, I can ignore Wagner . . . or rather, find that middle ground between loving and hating his work.  I'm saving a re-listen to Parsifal for those long winter nights . . . .

[Madiel]

Opus 4 from this:

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Gloriously expressive stuff, although one of the sopranos is just a fraction over-wobbly for my tastes. But I'm already glad I bought this.

[Karl Henning]

Oh, the Rakhmaninov songs are marvelous.

[PaulR]

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Morning!

[Brian]

amw sent me.



What a strange cover painting.

[Karl Henning]

Hartmann
Symphony № 6 (1953)
Bavarian Radio Symphony
Kubelik

All right, this is truly wonderful!

[Karl Henning]

Hartmann
Symphony № 1 « Versuch eines Requiems » (1935/36; rev.1954/55)
Doris Soffel, alto
Bavarian Radio Symphony
Rieger

[Sergeant Rock]

Haydn String Quartet B minor op.64/2 played by the Auryn Quartet




Sarge

[Papy Oli]

Good evening all 

Haydn Cello Concertos (Hogwood / Coin) for tonight.

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[Brian]

First listen to this presumed classic album!!

[listener]

Afternoon,,,
SOR: 10 Études, Theme and Variations op. 9   NARVÁEZ: Variations on Guárdame las vacas,  + SANZ, MUDARRA and SOLER
Narciso Ypes, guitar
GLUCK: Ezio
Il Complesso Barocco,  Alan Curtis, cond.

[prémont]

Well, I can ignore Wagner . . . or rather, find that middle ground between loving and hating his work.  I'm saving a re-listen to Parsifal for those long winter nights . . . .

Aren´t they long enough already?

[Papy Oli]

One of my favourite classical CDs :

[PaulR]

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