Gurn's Classical Corner

[Dr. Dread]

*taps foot, checks watch*

[Sorin Eushayson]

Cherubini's SQ's are a very worthwhile start to exploring his music. I have 2 cycles, both good: Hausmusik on Virgin and Quartetto David on BIS. Hausmusik has the advantage of PI, but QD are very good.

I rather enjoy the Hausmusik album.  You can get all six quartets in one set for a mere $27!


http://www.amazon.com/Cherubini-Complete-String-Quartets-Luigi/dp/B00008MLWX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1251337160&sr=1-1

[Gurn Blanston]

I rather enjoy the Hausmusik album.  You can get all six quartets in one set for a mere $27!


http://www.amazon.com/Cherubini-Complete-String-Quartets-Luigi/dp/B00008MLWX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1251337160&sr=1-1

Yep, it's a peach.   I am just trying to give a very good alternative to the non-PIons so they can listen too.



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Listening to:
Quatuor Festetics - Hob 03 31 Quartet in Eb for Strings Op 20 #1 1st mvmt - Allegro moderato

[SonicMan46]

I rather enjoy the Hausmusik album.  You can get all six quartets in one set for a mere $27!



Amazon LINK

Sorin - I have the same 3-CD set and enjoy!    Amazing that after years of writing operas & church music, he turned to chamber music w/ all of these works written after the age of 50 y/o (and even much later in his life) - these are worth exploring; just melodic, delightful, and with an operatic flare - 

[Gabriel]

Sorin - I have the same 3-CD set and enjoy!    Amazing that after years of writing operas & church music, he turned to chamber music w/ all of these works written after the age of 50 y/o (and even much later in his life) - these are worth exploring; just melodic, delightful, and with an operatic flare - 

They are very unique works indeed, quite away from the line of the Viennese composers and also far from the Italian tradition of Boccherini or Brunetti (and yet, not too close to the approaches of the French classicism towards string quartet).

You, guys, are missing the best recording: the one by the Melos Quartet, originally in DG and now available in Brilliant for an absurd price.

[SonicMan46]

You, guys, are missing the best recording: the one by the Melos Quartet, originally in DG and now available in Brilliant for an absurd price.

Gabriel - thanks for the recommendation above w/ the Melos Quartet; I was actually reading a quite good Amazonian Review last night, in which 4 different recordings of these works were compared; the Melos performances seemed to be the favorites of this reviewer w/ Hausmusik bringing up the rear, but seemingly not by much! Dave 

[Gabriel]

Gabriel - thanks for the recommendation above w/ the Melos Quartet; I was actually reading a quite good Amazonian Review last night, in which 4 different recordings of these works were compared; the Melos performances seemed to be the favorites of this reviewer w/ Hausmusik bringing up the rear, but seemingly not by much! Dave 

We will agree that these magnificent works justify owning more than one version.

[Sorin Eushayson]

We will agree that these magnificent works justify owning more than one version.

  Don't tempt me, Gabriel!

[Gabriel]

  Don't tempt me, Gabriel!

The temptation comes from such excellent music, Sorin! Cherubini was really a great composer. Muti's already in charge of his religious music with splendid recordings (but he hasn't recorded all the Masses yet). I'd be really glad if some champions such as Jacobs, Minkowski or Rousset would take the challenge of recording the yet unrecorded operas (for example Eliza, Anacréon or Faniska), as well as recording with a star cast the original version of Médée (in French, not the hybrid Italian version re-composed during the Romantic period by other musicians).

But in the meanwhile, you can buy the Melos Quartet set.

[SonicMan46]

But in the meanwhile, you can buy the Melos Quartet set.

LOL -     Just put in my order for the Melos Quartet on Brilliant the other night - Dave 

[DavidW]

Make-it-Beethoven-Sunday:

I listened to some decent music, bad music (Wellington's Victory), and some good music this morning.  Out of the good music, I wanted to mention one work that caught my ears as a rare gem.

Beethoven's WoO 33 organ work is pretty darned good, and the adagio is stunningly beautiful.  Has anybody else heard this?  Do you know when it was written?  It has an ethereal, airy sound to it, and focuses more on easy on the ears gallant textures over the contrapuntally dense organ music that I'm more used to from the baroque era.

A simple google search revealed that I was listening to a transcription and it was meant for a "musical clock", what the heck is that?  How can a clock make music?

Anybody else, have you heard this work?  Do you know when it comes from, it has no Op # so I'm tempted that it's an early work, but maybe not.  Especially the way it sounds, I really want to call it an early work.  Hmmm...

[Gurn Blanston]

Make-it-Beethoven-Sunday:

I listened to some decent music, bad music (Wellington's Victory), and some good music this morning.  Out of the good music, I wanted to mention one work that caught my ears as a rare gem.

Beethoven's WoO 33 organ work is pretty darned good, and the adagio is stunningly beautiful.  Has anybody else heard this?  Do you know when it was written?  It has an ethereal, airy sound to it, and focuses more on easy on the ears gallant textures over the contrapuntally dense organ music that I'm more used to from the baroque era.

A simple google search revealed that I was listening to a transcription and it was meant for a "musical clock", what the heck is that?  How can a clock make music?

Anybody else, have you heard this work?  Do you know when it comes from, it has no Op # so I'm tempted that it's an early work, but maybe not.  Especially the way it sounds, I really want to call it an early work.  Hmmm...

Actually, there are 5 pieces for musical clock, WoO 33 #1-5. A musical clock is like a giant music box, where a drum has the notes punched out and the drum then revolves and plucks the right notes. Sort of the way a player piano works. Mozart, Haydn, Kozeluch and many others wrote works for musical clock, because they were extremely popular in Vienna in the period 1780-1815. The one that Beethoven wrote for was located in a deal like a wax museum, owned by Count Joseph Deym, it was very popular.

These works were composed mainly in 1799-1800, although a couple of them were sketched out as early as 1794. They are played on the organ now, for the obvious reason that transporting a clockwork around is difficult and also doesn't require a player, just a mechanic.

Mozart's Fantasia K 608 and his Adagio & Allegro in f minor K 594 were both composed for musical clock. It is believed that no one can possibly play either of these pieces at the speed they are supposed to be played, but they sound damn nice on the organ, and also in an arrangement for fortepiano 4 hands.



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Listening to:
NBC Symphony / Toscanini - Op 125 Symphony #9 in d 2nd mvmt - Molto vivace

[Gabriel]

LOL -     Just put in my order for the Melos Quartet on Brilliant the other night - Dave 

Bravo, Dave!

[Gurn Blanston]

Here you can listen to it

here

I tried to do the mp3 thing just like Que does, but it won't work for me, don't know why.

I've got all 5 of them played on the organ (also) by Simon Preston on the Complete Beethoven Edition. Nice little works.

I don't know how to do that file thing either. Q has more patience than I do.




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Listening to:
NBC Symphony / Toscanini - Op 125 Symphony #9 in d 3rd mvmt - Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato

[DavidW]

Actually, there are 5 pieces for musical clock, WoO 33 #1-5. A musical clock is like a giant music box, where a drum has the notes punched out and the drum then revolves and plucks the right notes. Sort of the way a player piano works. Mozart, Haydn, Kozeluch and many others wrote works for musical clock, because they were extremely popular in Vienna in the period 1780-1815. The one that Beethoven wrote for was located in a deal like a wax museum, owned by Count Joseph Deym, it was very popular.

These works were composed mainly in 1799-1800, although a couple of them were sketched out as early as 1794. They are played on the organ now, for the obvious reason that transporting a clockwork around is difficult and also doesn't require a player, just a mechanic.

Mozart's Fantasia K 608 and his Adagio & Allegro in f minor K 594 were both composed for musical clock. It is believed that no one can possibly play either of these pieces at the speed they are supposed to be played, but they sound damn nice on the organ, and also in an arrangement for fortepiano 4 hands.



----------------
Listening to:
NBC Symphony / Toscanini - Op 125 Symphony #9 in d 2nd mvmt - Molto vivace

Ah I am enlightened now, thanks!  That's quite a curiousity then, musical clock music since it was popular for such a very short time, I guess it was a fad.

[Gurn Blanston]

Ah I am enlightened now, thanks!  That's quite a curiousity then, musical clock music since it was popular for such a very short time, I guess it was a fad.

Yeah, I'm sure it was. Actually, it was popular for longer than that, the clock towers in a lot of the churches had music players. The one in the church in Salzburg where Mozart grew up is still working today, IIRC it is playing the same tunes for us as it played for him! But the museum thing, and having them independent of the churches, that was a short term fad.



----------------
Listening to:
NBC Symphony / Toscanini - Op 125 Symphony #9 in d 3rd mvmt - Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato

[karlhenning]

Simplified Couperin family tree

[Gurn Blanston]

Simplified Couperin family tree

Pour quoi, monsieur? 

[karlhenning]

Inspired both by MN Dave's listening . . . which in turn was a timely reminder how much I enjoy his clavier music.

[Gurn Blanston]

Inspired both by MN Dave's listening . . . which in turn was a timely reminder how much I enjoy his clavier music.

Ah! Makes sense.

But he isn't Classical... It would be like posting Henning here. Just wouldn't be either good or prudent. Just sayin'...