Gurn's Classical Corner

Started by Gurn Blanston, February 22, 2009, 07:05:20 AM

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The new erato

Quote from: Mozart on July 02, 2009, 08:48:15 PM
Gurn and others, what do you know about Spech? I'm listening to a string quartet of his played by the Festetics and its good stuff :) Never heard his name before and there isn't much info on him to be found.

Im surprised how good this quartet is...I've only heard num 2 in g minor.


Spech should be recorded by the Swedish Flesch Quartet.

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: snyprrr on July 06, 2009, 09:15:30 AM
Pichl???

What about him? I have 2 or 3 lovely symphony disks by him, but have never seen any chamber music, nor particularly SQ's...

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

SonicMan46

Quote from: snyprrr on July 06, 2009, 09:15:30 AM
Pichl???

Snyprrr - check out Gurn's thread in the old forum HERE on Pichl - I just have one of those Chandos Symphony discs (thought I had obtained more!) - checking Amazon a few moments ago, still not much more, esp. of the chamber works!   :)

Gabriel

I haven't got too many Pichl works either. The Chandos symphonies CD is very pleasant (almost not unforgettable listening), and I'm happy to own one chamber composition of his, a string trio in D major. I'm afraid Pichl doesn't rank among the top composers of his time, but as a secondary composer he's a very competent one.

I'd like to remark a recent discovery: some days ago I bought a recent Naxos CD containing three violin concertos by Pierre Rode (1774-1830), linked to Beethoven's last violin sonata. I am often reticent to buy Naxos recordings, but as I didn't have anything by this composer, I decided to pick it up. Great surprise: I'd say the 7th concerto (A minor) is a hidden jewel (and the booklet points out that it was a favourite of Wieniawski), while the other two are excellent works. If anyone is interested in violin concerti of the late classical style, this should be a must (until a better version becomes available).

DavidW

As far as I could find this composer has only been mentioned twice: once on a cello concertos thread, the other as a joke by D Minor.  I couldn't sleep last night so I was listening to the radio and there was a fantastic trumpet concerto.  I thought who could this be?  It was clearly classical in style, but I've already re-listened to the great trumpet concerto of the classical era just a few days ago, Michael Haydn's concerto, and this was not that.  So who could this be?  At the end of the piece it was identified as Neruda's trumpet concerto.

Johann Neruda (according to wikipedia) was a classical era composer known primarly for being chief conductor of the Dresden Court Orchestra.  He wrote several concertos, symphonies and other works.  You can find his trumpet concerto, bassoon concerto, cello concertos and his trio sonatas on cd.

I found the trumpet concerto available for $.89 on amazon mp3!  If you can spare that amount, you are in for a treat. :)
http://www.amazon.com/Johann-Baptist-Georg-Neruda-Trompetenkonzert/dp/B000YYO8YQ/

If there are any Neruda fans out there, and you have favored recordings I would appreciate if you shared them. 8)

karlhenning

Quote from: DavidW on July 20, 2009, 11:02:36 AM
As far as I could find this composer has only been mentioned twice: once on a cello concertos thread, the other as a joke by D Minor.  I couldn't sleep last night so I was listening to the radio and there was a fantastic trumpet concerto.  I thought who could this be?  It was clearly classical in style, but I've already re-listened to the great trumpet concerto of the classical era just a few days ago, Michael Haydn's concerto, and this was not that.

You sure it wasn't Franz Joseph's?—or are you proposing that Michael really wrote Franz Joseph's music?  ;D ::) 8) 0:)

DavidW

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on July 20, 2009, 11:05:23 AM
You sure it wasn't Franz Joseph's?—or are you proposing that Michael really wrote Franz Joseph's music?  ;D ::) 8) 0:)

I mean early classical era, i.e. same style as what I was hearing played on the radio.  Sorry about that.  I won't directly the compare the two works since it's pretty much apples and oranges considering the gulf between when they were written.

SonicMan46

Holzbauer, Ignaz (1711-1783) - Flute Concertos w/ Karl Kaiser (on a wooden reproduction) & La Stagione Frankfurt (period instruments); not much on this composer - Gurn had started a thread a few years ago (link can be found earlier in this thread) that went for just a page!

Holzbauer was Austrian and pretty much a contemporary of the elder Bach sons; his early training was in Vienna, and then to Italy; so, German/Italian influences in his music (his flute concertos reflect a lighter more atmospheric 'Vivaldian' influence).  He was then hired to 'head up' the famous Mannheim orchestra (quite a position!); the court was headed by Karl Theodor (who like Frederick the Great of the Prussian court), a flute player - thus, Holzbauer wrote a lot of varied flute compositions (of course, most yet to be re-discovered and recorded).

The only other disc that I own of his music are some Symphonies, also on the CPO label (and excellent).  The Flute Concertos on this disc are played beautifully and recorded well, as expected.  Holzbauer emphasizes the flowing melodic capabilities of the flute rather than fast pyrotechnics - quite enjoyable.  If you are a fan of 'period flute' recordings, I cannot imagine you not enjoying this disc.

Upon exploring Amazon, there is not much more available from this 'once famous' composer, except for an opera (apparently that was one of his major outputs!) - looking forward to CPO finding and recording more of his works -  :)



Herman

Quote from: SonicMan on July 20, 2009, 02:40:33 PM



They flipped this picture around for the cd-cover! The woman should be facing the other direction. It is a portrait  of Mme Henriette de Verninac, sister of painter Eugene Delacroix, painted by Jean-Louis David. It's in the Paris Louvre, and I visit it every time I'm in Paris. Since it's not in the room with the big famous David pictures (Napoleon's coronation, the Rape of the Sabine Women, &c) it's always a quiet place.

SonicMan46

Quote from: SonicMan on July 20, 2009, 02:40:33 PM
 

Quote from: Herman on July 27, 2009, 04:25:28 AM
They flipped this picture around for the cd-cover! The woman should be facing the other direction. It is a portrait  of Mme Henriette de Verninac, sister of painter Eugene Delacroix, painted by Jean-Louis David. It's in the Paris Louvre, and I visit it every time I'm in Paris. Since it's not in the room with the big famous David pictures (Napoleon's coronation, the Rape of the Sabine Women, &c) it's always a quiet place.

Herman - yes I see - included another pic above reversed; I've been to the Lourve a couple of times, but has really been a while - must have seen that original, and have always like David:)

Herman



Another one by Jacques-Louis David. The portrait of Mme de Recamier, with the unfinished background. This one is in the hall with the big historical paintings. It's rather funny; all the tourists (and of course I'm a tourist too) are thronging the big pictures, and usually I'm the only one looking in the other direction.

Another favorite on the "back" wall is this one:



It's from a second-tier painter, Elizabeth Vigee Lebrun. It looks like a sentimental mom-daughter picture, but if you realize it's a self-portrait, it's a little different. Lebrun was royalist and fled to Russia duringthe Revolution.

Mozart

From some notes of a cd:

QuoteIn Mozart's day, the pianist not only assumed the solo part, but also that of the basso continuo.

Really? So why is it not played that way now?
"I am the musical tree, eat of my fruit and your spirit shall rejoiceth!"
- Amadeus 6:26

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Mozart on August 02, 2009, 11:54:41 AM
From some notes of a cd:

Really? So why is it not played that way now?

Sometimes it is. Certainly on some fortepiano recordings. The soloist will play BC during the tuttis... :)

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Gabriel

I see that the "Classical Corner" is widening its contents to include, other than classical composers, classicist paintings... ;)

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Gabriel on August 02, 2009, 02:18:10 PM
I see that the "Classical Corner" is widening its contents to include, other than classical composers, classicist paintings... ;)

QuoteVisit us in "Gurn's Classical Corner". We discuss music, composers, instruments and other things from the Classical Era.

Well, what could I say? Nice painting! :D  How are you, mon ami?  New music lately?

8)

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Listening to:
Collegium Musicum 90 / Hickox - Hob 01 101 Symphony in D 'Clock"  2nd mvmt - Andante
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

DavidW

Well then we need to discuss cafes in 18th century Vienna!  It's crucial in our understanding of the great Viennese composers how good their coffee was, and how much they drank on a daily basis! ;D

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: DavidW on August 02, 2009, 02:27:50 PM
Well then we need to discuss cafes in 18th century Vienna!  It's crucial in our understanding of the great Viennese composers how good their coffee was, and how much they drank on a daily basis! ;D

Kaffe und Sachentorte with a pipe in the morning, then beer and little brown sausages and a pipe in the evening. The good life. :)

8)

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Listening to:
Collegium Musicum 90 / Hickox - Hob 01 101 Symphony in D 'Clock"  4th mvmt - Finale: Vivace
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Gabriel

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on August 02, 2009, 02:22:29 PM
Well, what could I say? Nice painting! :D  How are you, mon ami?  New music lately?

I've been very enthusiastic about the discovery of the Naxos recording of three of Rode's violin concertos. I also bought two other Naxos recordings of Kraus' music: a violin concerto (big but not particularly impressive) and some ballet music (wonderful music that shows a spectacular ability for orchestration, as nowhere else - as far as I know - in Kraus' production.

This reminds me of a CD with vocal music by Kraus in the Phoenix Edition label, that includes the finest recording I know of the splendid overture to Olympie.

And you, Gurn? New discoveries?

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Gabriel on August 02, 2009, 02:43:30 PM
I've been very enthusiastic about the discovery of the Naxos recording of three of Rode's violin concertos. I also bought two other Naxos recordings of Kraus' music: a violin concerto (big but not particularly impressive) and some ballet music (wonderful music that shows a spectacular ability for orchestration, as nowhere else - as far as I know - in Kraus' production.

This reminds me of a CD with vocal music by Kraus in the Phoenix Edition label, that includes the finest recording I know of the splendid overture to Olympie.

And you, Gurn? New discoveries?

Sounds interesting, particularly the Rode, given my taste for violin music. I'll have to pick that one up. :)

No, not new discoveries as such, I have been concentrating for the last 2 months on assembling a Complete Haydn (without resorting to a Big Box). Once one gets past the well-known works, this task becomes incredibly difficult. But since I am stubborn I will persevere. :)  Today on eBay I acquired my first Solomons disk of his symphonies which I look forward to, but it is the divertimentos that are so difficult. Well, that's what makes things interesting. If it was simple, anyone could do it. :D

8)



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Listening to: Collegium Musicum 90 / Hickox - Hob 01 102 Symphony in Bb 2nd mvmt - Adagio
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Antoine Marchand

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on August 02, 2009, 02:54:26 PM
"... I have been concentrating for the last 2 months on assembling a Complete Haydn (without resorting to a Big Box).

Great! I'm doing something similar, Gurn. We are brave men.  ;D

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on August 02, 2009, 02:54:26 PM
Today on eBay I acquired my first Solomons disk of his symphonies which I look forward to, but it is the divertimentos that are so difficult. Well, that's what makes things interesting. If it was simple, anyone could do it. :D

Comments will be very, very welcomed, when you listen to your Solomons. It has been mistery for me during years.

:)