The Classical Chat Thread

[amw]

I've just discovered that The Sixteen Harry Christophers are not, in fact, a vocal group consisting entirely of people named Harry Christopher, but a vocal group called The Sixteen conducted by a person named Harry Christophers.

In retrospect, that seems the only logical conclusion, yet nonetheless I feel my world is slightly poorer for having learned this fact.

[kishnevi]

I've just discovered that The Sixteen Harry Christophers are not, in fact, a vocal group consisting entirely of people named Harry Christopher, but a vocal group called The Sixteen conducted by a person named Harry Christophers.

In retrospect, that seems the only logical conclusion, yet nonetheless I feel my world is slightly poorer for having learned this fact.

And to add to confusion,  the number of vocalists is not always sixteen.

[Karl Henning]

And to add to confusion,  the number of vocalists is not always sixteen.

Well, probably shouldn't be.

(Of course, one might add that if you have sixteen singers, they probably shouldn't all be named Harry Christopher, either . . . .)

[jochanaan]

And to add to confusion,  the number of vocalists is not always sixteen.

Sounds like The BareNaked Ladies, who neither are ladies nor perform in the nude...

[Karl Henning]

False advertising, dadgummit!

[jochanaan]

False advertising, dadgummit!

I know.  Someone should sue...

[TheGSMoeller]

Damn you, Satie...

[Brian]

Interesting to me that Maurizio Pollini, according to ArkivMusic, has only recorded music by 18 composers in a nearly 50-year career. He's been unusually adventurous in 20th century repertoire, but 18 seems scant, and before 1900 there are some amazing omissions. Never a single solo work by Mozart, Haydn, Brahms; just one by J.S. Bach. Nothing from Ravel, Scriabin, Rachmaninov.

For context: Yevgeny Sudbin, who I think is around age 30, has already recorded music by 17 different composers. Herbert Schuch has done 14.

I wonder if this reflects more on Pollini, or on the variety and learn-everything-ness that we expect of virtuosos in the 21st century, which wasn't necessarily the case when Pollini was young?

[kishnevi]

Interesting to me that Maurizio Pollini, according to ArkivMusic, has only recorded music by 18 composers in a nearly 50-year career. He's been unusually adventurous in 20th century repertoire, but 18 seems scant, and before 1900 there are some amazing omissions. Never a single solo work by Mozart, Haydn, Brahms; just one by J.S. Bach. Nothing from Ravel, Scriabin, Rachmaninov.

For context: Yevgeny Sudbin, who I think is around age 30, has already recorded music by 17 different composers. Herbert Schuch has done 14.

I wonder if this reflects more on Pollini, or on the variety and learn-everything-ness that we expect of virtuosos in the 21st century, which wasn't necessarily the case when Pollini was young?

Possibly he never felt attracted to the late Romantic repetoire?  At any rate,  I'd say his advocacy of modern, living, composers more than balances out the lack of standard warhorses.

[Todd]

Interesting to me that Maurizio Pollini, according to ArkivMusic, has only recorded music by 18 composers in a nearly 50-year career.

Keep in mind that he has played more music in recital, and he has conducted occasionally, too (see below).  Maybe more live recordings will pop up in coming years.  I'd rather an artist focus on works that interest him or her than try to master everything.  Incidentally, Pollini did state in an interview that he wants to record Gaspard, but who knows if he will.

[Karl Henning]

Possibly he never felt attracted to the late Romantic repetoire?

And I have known more than one, let us say, advanced student of the piano who, on considering the huge herd of pianists ready to play All the Usual Suspects, find Other Music more attractive. (Particularly, but not exclusively, new music.)

[Karl Henning]

Well, I do like them, but I couldn't say that I love them . . . .

[Gurn Blanston]

Sounds like The BareNaked Ladies, who neither are ladies nor perform in the nude...

Hey, that woman is no lady....

[Mandryka]

Interesting to me that Maurizio Pollini, according to ArkivMusic, has only recorded music by 18 composers in a nearly 50-year career. He's been unusually adventurous in 20th century repertoire, but 18 seems scant, and before 1900 there are some amazing omissions. Never a single solo work by Mozart, Haydn, Brahms; just one by J.S. Bach. Nothing from Ravel, Scriabin, Rachmaninov.

For context: Yevgeny Sudbin, who I think is around age 30, has already recorded music by 17 different composers. Herbert Schuch has done 14.

I wonder if this reflects more on Pollini, or on the variety and learn-everything-ness that we expect of virtuosos in the 21st century, which wasn't necessarily the case when Pollini was young?

I have recordings of music solo music by Brahms and Mozart. His commercial recordings aren't all on DG.

[Mandryka]

Sounds like The BareNaked Ladies, who neither are ladies nor perform in the nude...

Or a  peanut,which is neither a pea nor a nut.

Not to mention the Holy Roman Empire.

[TheGSMoeller]

A few pics from my visit to the Civic Opera House in Chicago. A view from my seat for Parsifal and a few from inside the pit. The second one featuring a photobomb from an orchestra member 

[Henk]

It appears to that I develop a preference of opera (Rossini, Cimarosa, Handel, Mozart, Bizet) and some postmodern music (Parra, de Raaff, Aperghis, Ferneyhough, Pécou, Birtwistle, Donatoni). And I know why.

Beethoven and Stravinsky are other composers who remain my favorites, because I like their music so much.

[Karl Henning]

G Major

[jlaurson]

http://www.listenmusicmag.com/composer/wagner-the-revolutionary.php

Wagner the Revolutionary

REBELLION, MA NON TROPPO!

[TheGSMoeller]

It's time my fine-feathered friends!