Pieces that have blown you away recently

[Symphonic Addict]

Two masterful works from the Classical era:

Kalliwoda: Grosse Sonate, for piano four hands
Reicha: Piano Quintet in C minor



Kalliwoda and Reicha are undoubtedly two of the most original composers from this period and these two works show that fertile creativity in spades.

[Florestan]

The cover is a complete mismatch to the music. 

[Symphonic Addict]

The cover is a complete mismatch to the music. 

It sure is, but what matters is the music, and exceptional it is.

[Symphonic Addict]

Lately a complete recording and three pieces:


Vivian Fung: Her four string quartets

High-quality music, filled with truly striking effects (among them pizzicati, just listen to the 3rd movement of the 1st Quartet if you don't believe me), imaginative writing and much, so much excitement!!! Holy cow, if you don't feel energized by these tremendous quartets, you're made of stone. But not only is there impetus and drama galore, but also moments of squeezing beauty that often include pentatonic scale. Discovering new music of this caliber keeps me addict and makes me never stop.

Some of the best contemporary string quartets out there. Period.




Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Sonata for violin and cello, op. 148

This brilliant Italian composer keeps growing in my estimation, and this extraordinary creation is further proof of his immense talent. The whole work is imbued with a captivating sense of lyricism and even mysticism that manages to bewitch (the 2nd movement Cavatina exemplifies those features exceptionally well). The dialogue between those two instruments reaches moments of hypnotic beauty and playful exchange of ideas. Several moments made me smile because of the sheer inventiveness the writing displayed. I'm not ashamed to call this sonata a sovereign masterpiece. It really is. One of the most wonderful pieces for this little frequent combination of forces, probably my favorite of them all. I confess that I had listened to this work previously, but on revisiting it today the impression I got was vastly superior.




Sofia Gubaidulina: Sieben Worte, for cello, bayan and strings

I've been listening to many of her works with orchestra other than concertos as of late, and Sieben Worte has stood out the most so far. What a darkly atmospheric and scary work. Gubaidulina was one of the queens of textures, sonorities, tension, intrigue, and Sieben Worte contains all of that and more. The way she employed the bayan (a kind of accordion) to maximum effect is second to none. She knew her stuff for sure. Listening to this work at night, being alone and lights off (more so for Halloween) must be a terrifying experience.




Kevin Puts: Symphony No. 1

I don't remember when or where I got a recording of this piece (it seems that it was a radio broadcast), but glad I preserved it. This is a sort of neo-romantic work which traverses several sections featuring ominous, dark, tragic and eventually, hopeful moods, with a quite interesting 'per aspera ad astra' narrative. It's full of turbulence and moments of sublime beauty. It manages to thrill you and touch you if you're keen on this kind of music. A phenomenal musical journey. Happy to see that there are still composers who keep writing music like this.

[Roasted Swan]

Lately a complete recording and three pieces:


Vivian Fung: Her four string quartets

High-quality music, filled with truly striking effects (among them pizzicati, just listen to the 3rd movement of the 1st Quartet if you don't believe me), imaginative writing and much, so much excitement!!! Holy cow, if you don't feel energized by these tremendous quartets, you're made of stone. But not only is there impetus and drama galore, but also moments of squeezing beauty that often include pentatonic scale. Discovering new music of this caliber keeps me addict and makes me never stop.

Some of the best contemporary string quartets out there. Period.




Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Sonata for violin and cello, op. 148

This brilliant Italian composer keeps growing in my estimation, and this extraordinary creation is further proof of his immense talent. The whole work is imbued with a captivating sense of lyricism and even mysticism that manages to bewitch (the 2nd movement Cavatina exemplifies those features exceptionally well). The dialogue between those two instruments reaches moments of hypnotic beauty and playful exchange of ideas. Several moments made me smile because of the sheer inventiveness the writing displayed. I'm not ashamed to call this sonata a sovereign masterpiece. It really is. One of the most wonderful pieces for this little frequent combination of forces, probably my favorite of them all. I confess that I had listened to this work previously, but on revisiting it today the impression I got was vastly superior.




Sofia Gubaidulina: Sieben Worte, for cello, bayan and strings

I've been listening to many of her works with orchestra other than concertos as of late, and Sieben Worte has stood out the most so far. What a darkly atmospheric and scary work. Gubaidulina was one of the queens of textures, sonorities, tension, intrigue, and Sieben Worte contains all of that and more. The way she employed the bayan (a kind of accordion) to maximum effect is second to none. She knew her stuff for sure. Listening to this work at night, being alone and lights off (more so for Halloween) must be a terrifying experience.




Kevin Puts: Symphony No. 1

I don't remember when or where I got a recording of this piece (it seems that it was a radio broadcast), but glad I preserved it. This is a sort of neo-romantic work which traverses several sections featuring ominous, dark, tragic and eventually, hopeful moods, with a quite interesting 'per aspera ad astra' narrative. It's full of turbulence and moments of sublime beauty. It manages to thrill you and touch you if you're keen on this kind of music. A phenomenal musical journey. Happy to see that there are still composers who keep writing music like this.

I don't know any of the music you write about here but I really enjoy reading your reactions!  A genuine sense of being "blown away" that makes me keen to search it out as well - thankyou!

[Symphonic Addict]

I don't know any of the music you write about here but I really enjoy reading your reactions!  A genuine sense of being "blown away" that makes me keen to search it out as well - thankyou!

Thanks for reading! It goes without saying that music has become an essential part of my life. It's a real passion and very addictive too.

[hopefullytrusting]

Not a specific piece, but a specific pianist: Josu de Solaun

Everything I've heard him play has been refreshing - like I had never heard that piece before (like drinking cold, crisp water from a mountain spring).

Brahms Op. 116-119: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ_4xv3Yr6M
Haydn Piano Sonata 33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKqgqZBYuds (this is what drew me to the pianist)
Janacek's In the Mist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiSsxYVYqYA

I'm guzzling it all down.

[Florestan]

Not a specific piece, but a specific pianist: Josu de Solaun

Everything I've heard him play has been refreshing - like I had never heard that piece before (like drinking cold, crisp water from a mountain spring).

Brahms Op. 116-119: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ_4xv3Yr6M
Haydn Piano Sonata 33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKqgqZBYuds (this is what drew me to the pianist)
Janacek's In the Mist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiSsxYVYqYA

I'm guzzling it all down.

Check out this one too:

[hopefullytrusting]

Check out this one too:

For sure, I love Enescu.

Enescu's recording of Bach's solo violin works, for me, is the best recording of those pieces, as a sidenote.

[Florestan]

For sure, I love Enescu.

Enescu's recording of Bach's solo violin works, for me, is the best recording of those pieces, as a sidenote.

Haven't heard them but I suppose the sound is not very good?

[hopefullytrusting]

Haven't heard them but I suppose the sound is not very good?

Well, I love the sound, but I also think Backhaus, pre-1970s, is the best version of most Beethoven sonatas. I love fuzzy, warm recordings.

[Cato]

Well, I love the sound, but I also think Backhaus, pre-1970s, is the best version of most Beethoven sonatas. I love fuzzy, warm recordings.

Amen!  The Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas with Wilhelm Backhaus on LONDON/DECCA are wonderful to hear, one of the greatest listening experiences that you can have!

[Cato]

Two masterful works from the Classical era:

Kalliwoda: Grosse Sonate, for piano four hands




Kalliwoda and Reicha are undoubtedly two of the most original composers from this period and these two works show that fertile creativity in spades.

Kalliwoda has been a favorite for years, but I have never heard - or heard of - this fantastic work!

Consider me blown away for sure!  Highly recommended!

[Symphonic Addict]

Kalliwoda has been a favorite for years, but I have never heard - or heard of - this fantastic work!

Consider me blown away for sure!  Highly recommended!

Glad you liked it a lot too. A formidable piece all around.

[Cato]

The first complete performance of the Tenth I heard, over twenty years ago now, was with Rattle, and I recall being very taken with it. I've heard others since, but they didn't leave the same impression. Perhaps it's simply that my interest in Mahler has all but ebbed away over the years.

That is a good one, but let me recommend a classic:

[hopefullytrusting]

This might be the best Op. 1 No. 1 I've ever come across. This is easily one of the best string quartets I've ever heard. It is already in my top 5, in fact, it might topple my current No. 1 (Smetana's String Quartet No. 1).

Jadin's String Quartet No. 1 Op. 1 No. 1 (lol)

[Symphonic Addict]

Zemlinsky: Chamber music

This whole CD contains a good deal of his chamber music and all of it is splendidly performed and recorded (I love the sound quality Praga Digitals provides). However, two pieces impacted me more than the other two: Maiblumen blühten überall for soprano and string sextet and Two pieces for string quintet. The former is exquisiteness in spades, a sensuous late-Romantic piece filled with an enveloping lyricism that won't leave any listener indifferent at all. Ridiculously gorgeous. The latter is written with filigree of the highest craftsmanship, mostly in the substantial first movement which is partly redolent of Brahms (it also features a great melody), whereas the second movement reminded me of Dvorak, and wow, does it display fieriness! Exciting as hell to say the least. Those works were written in his early years and according to the booklet notes, they were left unfinished.




Flagello: Capriccio for cello and orchestra and Credendum for violin and orchestra

Capriccio is a heartfelt, intense, and dramatic piece. There's almost no respite, it sounds almost melodramatic, but I love it. Each time it reaches a climax, it does so with determination, especially when the tam-tam is employed. The final minutes express a deeper feeling, and it ends desolately, hopelessly, gradually fading away. What a crushing piece of work in its relentless drama. I thought it was simply spectacular, so was Credendum, which has an undertone quite similar to the previous work: drama and pain expressed with breadth. I was quite drawn to the furious and raw gestures that are sometimes presented. At 11:30 mark, I was particularly captivated by its lyrical quality, genuinely moving and visceral. The final minutes are also the most poetic and comforting, and here it ends with a slight sense of hope. Another extraordinary, impressive piece.




Schnittke: Nagasaki, for mezzo-soprano, chorus and orchestra

In five movements, each marked by titles as indicated later. Nagasaki, City of Grief opens with poignant, heartfelt, and beautiful ideas, including a truly memorable melody. At 2:07 mark, it gradually gains momentum and strength until it reaches moments of remarkable drama, especially at 5:32 mark, where it reaches a shocking climax, and in the final seconds too. That was tremendous. The Morning has certain elements that make it sound oriental, in addition to conveying a feeling of sadness and slight desolation that I found sensational, along with very energetic passages. On that Fateful Day begins with tumultuous sounds imitating the explosion of a bomb, and what follows is sinister, malicious, somewhat Shostakovichian in style. At 4:24 mark, after so much accumulation of tension, it unleashes an overwhelming climax and doesn't end there. Later on, there is impressive struggle, reaching its most portentous point at 6:24 mark, where the chorus emanates a cry of pain ending in devastation. On the Ashes shows the effects of the catastrophe, doing so with a touch of suspense and interesting orchestral effects. A display of agitation erupts at 3:13 mark and later. The Sun of Peace sounds plaintive, malignant, and belligerent, and it also has its share of irony. It's a truly potent cocktail, an absolute display of cataclysmic power. Not even the ending escaped the merciless turbulence. Utterly breathtaking! Simply spectacular, overwhelming, an indisputably dramatic and fiery work of unabashed power. Yet another work by a composer I like a lot that I hadn't listened to until the past few days.