Gurn's Classical Corner

[Opus106]

This one, referenced above seems interesting, but I haven't been able to locate any sample audio clips at all, which is frustrating.

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Gaetano-Brunetti-4-Streichquartette/hnum/3056453

[Scarpia]

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Gaetano-Brunetti-4-Streichquartette/hnum/3056453

Ooooh, thanks.

[SonicMan46]

Druschetsky, Georg (1745-1819) - String Quintets w/ the Festetics SQ + an extra violist added; just left a post in the 'listening thread' which of course will be quickly ignored - but yet another composer new to me from a great time period that I just love!

Now, I'm not sure WHY I even bought this disc except for the group (love the Festetics!) and an excellent review by Jerry Dubins from Fanfare HERE; so why not!

After the first listening, this is absolutely a wonderful disc - the compositions are well written (hard to tell them from Haydn) and the performances on period instruments superb and well recorded - a recommendation for those who like string chamber works from the 'classical transitional' period - 

Now, I would like to purchase more of this composer - but little is known and recorded - he apparently wrote much chamber music (he was an oboist & percussion player, his main fame) - Dutch Wiki seems to have the best listing of his compositions (I needed to do an English translation)!

So, who knows this composer?  And if so, what of the FEW recordings (at least, that I could find?) would be worth consideration - I'm especially interested in this chamber wind music - thanks all - Dave 

[Gurn Blanston]

Well, Dave, he was new to me, too, and I'll probably get that string music disk. Meanwhile, I found this one on Amazon and ordered it:



Being a Harmonie fan, it seemed appropriate. If you spell his name with a "z" instead of an "s" you will do better in a search.




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Now playing:
Divertimento Salzburg / Haselböck - Hob 18 06 Concerto in F for Organ & Violin 1st mvmt - Allegro moderato

[SonicMan46]

Well, Dave, he was new to me, too, and I'll probably get that string music disk. Meanwhile, I found this one on Amazon and ordered it:

   

Being a Harmonie fan, it seemed appropriate. If you spell his name with a "z" instead of an "s" you will do better in a search.

Gurn - that disc looks GOOD!  But also found a couple of others added above that are also of interest - not sure others have heard these?  However - seem attractive!  Dave 

[Gurn Blanston]

Gurn - that disc looks GOOD!  But also found a couple of others added above that are also of interest - not sure others have heard these?  However - seem attractive!  Dave 

Indeed, especially that oboe 4tet disk, although the one on Accent holds promise due to the players (Amphion Wind Octet) who I have heard otherwise. Funny how you go on past some names without seeing them, and then when you are looking, there turns out to be some nice things there. And I have grown increasingly fond of the Bohemians of late...



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Now playing:
Musica Antiqua Amsterdam / Koopman - Hob 18 06 Concerto in F for Keyboard 1st mvmt - Allegro moderato

[SonicMan46]

Indeed, especially that oboe 4tet disk, although the one on Accent holds promise due to the players (Amphion Wind Octet) who I have heard otherwise. Funny how you go on past some names without seeing them, and then when you are looking, there turns out to be some nice things there. And I have grown increasingly fond of the Bohemians of late...

Gurn - yes, these eastern European composers ( regardless of their country of origin during that period - hard to keep tract of the geography of the times!) just wrote wonderful 'wind music' (we know many composers already of the times!) - these guys seem to have had a special knack for 'wind composing' - maybe in their diets?      Dave

[Gurn Blanston]

Gurn - yes, these eastern European composers ( regardless of their country of origin during that period - hard to keep tract of the geography of the times!) just wrote wonderful 'wind music' (we know many composers already of the times!) - these guys seem to have had a special knack for 'wind composing' - maybe in their diets?      Dave

I don't know, it's true that MY diet gives me a certain knack with wind....  

But yes, the Bohemians (or Czechs as I think they are (is THAT even right any more?) )  were especially excellent at it. It is no wonder that Mozart was so near and dear to them, their mutual love of wind music was a strong bond. BTW, according to Groves, Drus wrote a whole bunch of music for 3 Bassett Horns (sounds more Mozartian, eh?) and also was famous in his time for concerts on percussion. There is a disk out there of his music for Timpani & Orchestra which puts me in mind of being Timpani Concerti!  How about that? 




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Now playing:
Academy of Ancient Music / Hogwood - Hob 01 001 Symphony in D 2nd mvmt - Andante

[Gabriel]

But yes, the Bohemians (or Czechs as I think they are (is THAT even right any more?) )  were especially excellent at it.

"Bohemian" is not a synonym of "Czech". If my memory does not fail here, Czechs can be Bohemian, Moravian or Silesian depending on their origin. Prague is in Bohemia, but Brno is in Moravia. Ostrava is in part in Moravia and part in Silesia.

Anyway, the number of excellent Czech composers working at that time in all Europe is really impressive. (If I am not mistaken, while Franz Schubert is obviously associated with Vienna, Schubert is a Czech family name).

Back to Czech wind music of classicism, another relevant composer was Václav Vincenc Masek. I've got some compositions of his, including a concerto for three harpsichords and wind octet (it's a curious formation). Typical style galant, transparent and enjoyable.

[SonicMan46]

Lickl, Georg (1769-1843) - String Quartets - ANOTHER one of these Classical-Romantic composers that is completely new to me; I just left a lengthy post in the 'listening thread', part of which on Lickl is quoted below; born in Austria, he spent about 20 yrs of his early life in Vienna leaving in 1807 for a choirmaster post in Hungary; studied w/ two of the best teachers in Vienna and wrote these works in the 1790s - my comments and those from Fanfare and Don (Bulldog) below, the latter two linked! 

This is my 3rd disc of the Authentic Quartet who are definitely a notch below some of my favorite HIP SQs, such as the Festetics & Q.M. - probably a combination of the music that they are recording, i.e. not Haydn or Mozart but the second or lower tiers - NOW, I do own a lot of that music which can sound just fine in the 'right' hands, so the other part of the equation is the playing of this group - quite an easy listen, pleasant, but just no 'fireworks' I guess!

Now I was looking on Amazon for other recordings of Lickl, and the 'Wind Music' disc on MDG looks quite interesting - just wondering if anyone has heard these performances?  Thanks - Dave 

Lickl, Georg (1769-1843) - String Quartets w/ the Authentic Quartet - Lickl was Austrain and spent about 20 years of his early time in Vienna, studied w/ Albrectsberger & Haydn - these works were composed in the 1790s and are well written; the sound is also recorded well, but this Quartet just does not seem to have the 'spit, polish, and vim'!  I have a handful of their recordings now and am always left wanting other period instrument groups taking a round, such as the Festetics (who did a great job on a CD that I showed yesterday, i.e. Druschetsky SQs!) - now, this group has received some 'mixed' reviews both in this forum and elsewhere - Fanfare Review HERE & Don's Thoughts HERE - bottom line for me; good string writing, well produced, somewhat indifferent and occasionally 'erratic' performances?

 

[Antoine Marchand]

Nice painting on the cover. Any info about it? 

P.S.: the woman has a very strange left-hand.

[Gurn Blanston]

"Bohemian" is not a synonym of "Czech". If my memory does not fail here, Czechs can be Bohemian, Moravian or Silesian depending on their origin. Prague is in Bohemia, but Brno is in Moravia. Ostrava is in part in Moravia and part in Silesia.

Anyway, the number of excellent Czech composers working at that time in all Europe is really impressive. (If I am not mistaken, while Franz Schubert is obviously associated with Vienna, Schubert is a Czech family name).

Back to Czech wind music of classicism, another relevant composer was Václav Vincenc Masek. I've got some compositions of his, including a concerto for three harpsichords and wind octet (it's a curious formation). Typical style galant, transparent and enjoyable.

Yes, I didn't mean that Czechs were Bohemians (necessarily) but rather the opposite, that Bohemians were now Czechs. Since I didn't know that for many years, I thought maybe some others didn't either. I actually didn't learn it until I got interested in the music.

Of particular interest to me are the various Benda's, Wanhal, Pichl, folks of that persuasion. Even though they nearly all ended up in Vienna and became part of "Viennese Classicism", very many of the ones that I seem to enjoy the most turn out to be Czechs in origin. Masek is yet another new one to Czech out... thanks!



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Now playing:
Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Solti - Op 125 Symphony #9 in d 3rd mvmt - Adagio molto e cantabile

[Gurn Blanston]

Lickl, Georg (1769-1843) - String Quartets - ANOTHER one of these Classical-Romantic composers that is completely new to me; I just left a lengthy post in the 'listening thread', part of which on Lickl is quoted below; born in Austria, he spent about 20 yrs of his early life in Vienna leaving in 1807 for a choirmaster post in Hungary; studied w/ two of the best teachers in Vienna and wrote these works in the 1790s - my comments and those from Fanfare and Don (Bulldog) below, the latter two linked! 

This is my 3rd disc of the Authentic Quartet who are definitely a notch below some of my favorite HIP SQs, such as the Festetics & Q.M. - probably a combination of the music that they are recording, i.e. not Haydn or Mozart but the second or lower tiers - NOW, I do own a lot of that music which can sound just fine in the 'right' hands, so the other part of the equation is the playing of this group - quite an easy listen, pleasant, but just no 'fireworks' I guess!

Now I was looking on Amazon for other recordings of Lickl, and the 'Wind Music' disc on MDG looks quite interesting - just wondering if anyone has heard these performances?  Thanks - Dave 

I have exactly one work by Lickl, a "Quintet concertante in F major for Winds" which came as filler, more or less, on a disk of Haydn wind divertimentos. It is nice, solid writing, fits in with what I think of as typical for the period. You actually told me far more about him than I knew coming in, so thanks for that.



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Now playing:
Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Solti - Op 125 Symphony #9 in d 3rd mvmt - Adagio molto e cantabile

[Antoine Marchand]

Nice painting on the cover. Any info about it? 

Ooops... I didn't see the last line of the message:

Now I was looking on Amazon for other recordings of Lickl, and the 'Wind Music' disc on MDG looks quite interesting - just wondering if anyone has heard these performances?

[SonicMan46]

Nice painting on the cover. Any info about it? 

P.S.: the woman has a very strange left-hand.

Antoine - I don't own that wind disc - just thinking about a purchase (if not OPP!) - so, know nothing about the painting, but I was thinking late 18th-early 19th century, so I googled some English & American portrait artists of those times (i.e. Gainsborough, Ramsay, Peeles, & Gilbert Stuart) - NO luck!  Certainly plenty of others to think about, plus MDG often uses more obscure paintings from my experience w/ their liner notes!  Dave 

[Antoine Marchand]

Antoine - I don't own that wind disc - just thinking about a purchase (if not OPP!) - so, know nothing about the painting, but I was thinking late 18th-early 19th century, so I googled some English & American portrait artists of those times (i.e. Gainsborough, Ramsay, Peeles, & Gilbert Stuart) - NO luck!  Certainly plenty of others to think about, plus MDG often uses more obscure paintings from my experience w/ their liner notes!  Dave 

I found it! 

George Romney [English Painter, 1734-1802], Mrs. Russell and Child (1786)

A lot of wonderful paintings:

Emma, Lady Hamilton, immortal beloved of Lord Nelson

[SonicMan46]

I found it! 

George Romney [English Painter, 1734-1802], Mrs. Russell and Child (1786)

A lot of wonderful paintings:

 

Emma, Lady Hamilton, immortal beloved of Lord Nelson

Antoine - yes, Romney another great portrait painter from that era - I've seen a LOT of his work over the years and he did wonderful faces of children!  Emma was a beauty - purchased the new Criterion production of That Hamilton Woman w/ Leigh & Olivier last year on release - another later beauty!  Dave 

[kishnevi]

Yes, I didn't mean that Czechs were Bohemians (necessarily) but rather the opposite, that Bohemians were now Czechs. Since I didn't know that for many years, I thought maybe some others didn't either. I actually didn't learn it until I got interested in the music.

You're better than Shakespeare.  He apparently thought that Bohemia had a seacoast (Winter's Tale).

[kishnevi]

Purchased and gave this a first run through last night


The liner notes try to slide by the question, but Florez (to my ears) sings this as a natural tenor with the appropriate transpositions (or else he has an unusually high top register), not as a haut-contre, but it is the original Paris version, un Berliozed.   Vocal ornamentation seems used appropriately.

Garmendia and Marianelli are excellent, but it's Florez who gets the ovations.  (It's a live recording--there's applause after the end of each act, and after Florez' second act aria, but the applause at the end of acts two and three is noticeably less robust than that at the end of the first act, when Orphee's aria provides the finale, and the aforementioned second act aria.)   But the opera does, after all, live and die by whomever sings Orpheus--the character is onstage, and usually singing, for the entire opera; poor Eurydice doesn't even appear until the very end of Act Two and doesn't sing a note until Act Three.

My favorite part of the opera is the opening of Act II,  with the contrast between Orpheus's singing and the dances/choruses of the demons and Furies, the demonic theme which acts as a rondo throughout, and Gluck's use of real dissonances (and if they sound dissonant even today, I have to wonder what they sounded like to 18th century audiences) to paint a musical picture of demonry.

[Gabriel]

People interested in Johann Nepomuk Hummel's music will be eager to know that Brilliant has released a recording of one of his operas, Mathilde von Guise. I have listened to some numbers of it. The music is very good so far, showing German roots as well as some Italian influence.

It has been the first time I've heard Solamente naturali playing; this orchestra sounds, if not exceptional, firm and competent. The overture, as far as my simple audio system allows me to judge, has been intelligently played (I'd love to listen to it in my official audio system).