The Classical Chat Thread

[jlaurson]

A Helping Hand for Hans Gál!

Conductor Kenneth Woods and his Orchestra of the Swan are busily raising money (via indigogo) for the last installment of their splendid, admirable, gorgeous-sounding Hans Gál Symphony project. Hans Gál is a composer dear to ionarts, he's been mentioned in the past and bound to get more attention still, in the future. His is music "you didn't know you love"—and you won't, unless more recordings...

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-helping-hand-for-hans-gal.html[/url]

[Brian]

Well, the Asrael is relatively recent...

The Mackerras one was a Symphony No. 1 by "Rakostava" played by the "Rakostava Ensemble" and the review explained how it was formed ad-hoc by Mackerras from a bunch of Rakostava enthusiasts.

[Karl Henning]

. . . But hey, that comment at the end about how her Dvorak Seventh would probably suck was spot-on. Can't think of a worse recording of that symphony.

You are a man foresighted, Brian!

[Opus106]

Great to see a pic of Dame Janet again!  I wonder, does she sing at all now?

Not much, really.

http://www.youtube.com/v/fGskxHlFEbg

[TheGSMoeller]

Karl just tweeted this, found it fascinating and sorrowful...

Recording cancelled in Minnesota because 'orchestra is unfit'
http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/08/recording-cancelled-in-minnesota-because-orchestra-is-unfit.html

[DavidW]

I don't understand, what is a lockout?

[TheGSMoeller]

I don't understand, what is a lockout?

Contract disputes between the musicians and the organization. Something that many US orchestras have faced because of finacial cutbacks. The one in Minnesota seems to be the worst of the lot, with the exception of the orchestras that have completely folded.

[DavidW]

Thanks, sounds depressing.

[jlaurson]

Thanks, sounds depressing.

One of the most depressing, and also disgusting, developments in recent American orchestra history... slamming one of the nation's best orchestras, and one with a would-be bright future into the ground. It will not recover from this for decades to come, if ever.

http://www.adaptistration.com/blog/tag/minnesota-orchestra/

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/08/20/daily-circuit-orchestra-lockout

[Brian]

I had a dream that I met this nasty, disgusting guy who was being horrible to women and acting like a giant sleazebag. When he left the room I asked someone, "Who was that?"

"Oh that was Robert von Bahr."

"Darn it...I love BIS."

Can't remember anything else.

I'm told that in real life Robert von Bahr is one of the nicest, most enthusiastic music lovers you'll meet.

[Karl Henning]

It was your dream slandered him, not you, Brian . . . .

[jlaurson]

I'm told that in real life Robert von Bahr is one of the nicest, most enthusiastic music lovers you'll meet.

He can have a bit of a bite, when he means to, but yes... like many of those who really do it 'for the love of the game', he's full of heart-warming enthusiasm.

[Sergeant Rock]

A Helping Hand for Hans Gál!http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-helping-hand-for-hans-gal.html

Happy news: Goal achieved!!!

Excellent 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

I'll post here, though what were quite the right thread is questionable.

Béla Fleck has a new recording out which probably I shall investigate, a concerto for banjo and orchestra, and a banjo quintet (i.e., quintet for banjo and quatuor à cordes).

Pretty much learnt of this piece via Twitter . . . seems he recently performed the piece with the Phila Orchestra. (There's worse cross-over slumming a major orchestra can resort to, I reckon.)

Anyone know who actually did the orchestration/scoring?  Much as I admire Fleck as a musician, I don't have any indicators that he is a composer for orchestra . . . and the samples sound passable.  (For the first and second movements;  the third movement sample seems to promise something on the dumbed-down orchestra model of Keith Emerson's "Piano Concerto No 1.")

The Quintet I have undimmed hopes for, recalling his wonderful Sparrow Quartet/Abigail Washburn project.

[Karl Henning]

Do you have an interest in symphony music, Gentle Reader?

[jochanaan]

Do you have an interest in symphony music, Gentle Reader?

Not when it's "most relaxing" like this.  But then, I've been known to fall asleep to Mahler.

[Karl Henning]

Surely not in the Veni Creator Spiritus, mon cher! 

[jochanaan]

Surely not in the Veni Creator Spiritus, mon cher! 

Yes, even there.

[Karl Henning]

Tee-hee!

[TheGSMoeller]

Stop trying to pressure me, Spotify...