The Classical Chat Thread

[Karl Henning]

To thine own name be true . . . .

[TheGSMoeller]

NOAH BENDIX-BALGLEY WINS BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER CONCERTMASTER AUDITION



http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/news/detail/noah-bendix-balgley-wins-berliner-philharmoniker-concertmaster-audition/

[Karl Henning]

Noah Balgley, Jr?

[TheGSMoeller]

Noah Balgley, Jr?

[jlaurson]

Daniele Gatti has canceled two months of work for health reasons.

Inflammation of the shoulder tendons in both shoulders. Sounds uncomfortable.

If you speak German (or are in Vienna today or tomorrow), this might be of interest:





Musikalisches Armbrustschießen: Wiener Symphoniker und Schostakowitsch


http://konzerthaus.at/magazin/Home/tabid/41/entryid/337/Default.aspx

Nach seinen Vokal-Symphonien Nr. 13 und 14 kehrte der todkranke (und sich dessen bewusste) Dmitri Schostakowitsch in seiner 15. und letzten Symphonie zu einer relativ klassischen Form mit vier klar strukturierten Sätzen zurück. Schostakowitsch beschrieb den ersten Satz, das Adagietto, als ,,Spielzeugwarenladen mit vielem Krimskrams und Plunder – durch und durch heiter." Der Hörer wird nach diesem ersten Satz nicht umhinkommen, die Worte des Komponisten anzuzweifeln. Wenn dies ein Spielzeugwarenladen ist, dann einer der kleine Panzer, Spielzeuggewehre und Juniors erstes Folterset verkauft...

[jlaurson]

Ionarts-at-Large: Michael Schade, Trumpeteering Song

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2014/02/ionarts-at-large-michael-schade.html

[DavidW]

Arkivmusic has a Naxos sale on right now.  Don't know if it interests anyone but I thought it was cool.

[jlaurson]

In Memoriam Claudio Abbado: A Discography
http://www.forbes.com/sites/laursonpieler/2014/03/02/in-memoriam_claudio_abbado_discography/

[Karl Henning]

Some people chase tornados; others go after black holes. Either activity affords more aural pleasure than Stockhausen, jeh-jeh-jeh-jeh.

[Karl Henning]

Where's that confounded Bridge?

[jlaurson]

Philippe Herreweghe on Haydn and why Making Records Makes Sense 


http://konzerthaus.at/magazin/Home/tabid/41/entryid/342/Philippe-Herreweghe-on-Haydn-and-why-Making-Records-Makes-Sense.aspx

[mn dave]

Whoa, mama! Jan Swafford has a Beethoven book coming out!!!

Much excitement here.

[asin]061805474X[/asin]

[EigenUser]

I think I'm reaching the conclusion that my favorite eras of music are modern and early romantic. It seems odd that I wouldn't like late romantic so much, since they (not surprisingly) bridge the temporal and stylistic gaps. However, I've been finding that the music of Mahler, (R) Strauss, and even Brahms to be just too long and too heavy. I saw the NSO play Brahms 2nd Symphony last year and I though that it had great writing, but I was bored out of my mind! I don't mean to offend any lovers of this music. It is great. However, my mind just can't handle it. There are some exceptions as always, but this is a trend I've noticed recently.

I've loved Mendelssohn for a long time. His string symphonies and the octet are my favorites of his. His octet, as I'm sure most people here know, was written when he was 16-17! The string symphonies (12 of them + an odd 13th one) have memorable Haydn-like melodies (with some added chromaticism anticipating the era to follow) and clearly show an understanding of Bachian counterpoint. The opening of the 7th one even sounds like it could be a transcription of a Bach keyboard work. Note that these were written when Felix was age 10-12. Geez, it makes me feel so worthless .

Schumann is someone else I've been exploring recently, though at a very slow rate. I am blown away by the "Konzertstuck" for 4 Horns and the "Manfred" overture. Especially the "Konzertstuck" -- really an amazing piece. It should be programmed with Ligeti's "Hamburg" horn concerto; that would be cool. I've enjoyed other stuff of his, but these are my favorites so far.

[kishnevi]

Perhaps you should go for shorter duration works?  For Strauss for example you might try the songs and Metamorphoses.  Granted late Romantic can be a bit self indulgent and harmonically rich to the point of indigestion.  But I usually think of Brahms as mid romantic not Late.

[DavidW]

Especially the "Konzertstuck" -- really an amazing piece. It should be programmed with Ligeti's "Hamburg" horn concerto; that would be cool. I've enjoyed other stuff of his, but these are my favorites so far.

I think I'll have to give that program a try, sounds cool!  In Mahler try his lieder, those shorter forms pack a punch.  Unless I'm mistake, I think that helped Brian or Karl get into Mahler.  I also prefer the shorter forms.  You can find many short works in the romantic era in the form of chamber works, solo piano and concerti.

[EigenUser]

Perhaps you should go for shorter duration works?  For Strauss for example you might try the songs and Metamorphoses.  Granted late Romantic can be a bit self indulgent and harmonically rich to the point of indigestion.  But I usually think of Brahms as mid romantic not Late.

Yes, this is definitely the problem -- the music is perfectly good, but it overstays its welcome (for me). The problem that I run into is that I love the big orchestra sound, but also a relatively short duration. I also don't really like songs very much  .

I think I'll have to give that program a try, sounds cool!  In Mahler try his lieder, those shorter forms pack a punch.  Unless I'm mistake, I think that helped Brian or Karl get into Mahler.  I also prefer the shorter forms.  You can find many short works in the romantic era in the form of chamber works, solo piano and concerti.

I have enjoyed, for whatever reason, the scherzos to Mahler's 2nd and 7th.

[Ken B]

I think I'm reaching the conclusion that my favorite eras of music are modern and early romantic. It seems odd that I wouldn't like late romantic so much, since they (not surprisingly) bridge the temporal and stylistic gaps. However, I've been finding that the music of Mahler, (R) Strauss, and even Brahms to be just too long and too heavy. I saw the NSO play Brahms 2nd Symphony last year and I though that it had great writing, but I was bored out of my mind! I don't mean to offend any lovers of this music. It is great. However, my mind just can't handle it. There are some exceptions as always, but this is a trend I've noticed recently.

I've loved Mendelssohn for a long time. His string symphonies and the octet are my favorites of his. His octet, as I'm sure most people here know, was written when he was 16-17! The string symphonies (12 of them + an odd 13th one) have memorable Haydn-like melodies (with some added chromaticism anticipating the era to follow) and clearly show an understanding of Bachian counterpoint. The opening of the 7th one even sounds like it could be a transcription of a Bach keyboard work. Note that these were written when Felix was age 10-12. Geez, it makes me feel so worthless .

Schumann is someone else I've been exploring recently, though at a very slow rate. I am blown away by the "Konzertstuck" for 4 Horns and the "Manfred" overture. Especially the "Konzertstuck" -- really an amazing piece. It should be programmed with Ligeti's "Hamburg" horn concerto; that would be cool. I've enjoyed other stuff of his, but these are my favorites so far.

I commend to you J N Hummel. Piano concerti and masses on Chandos especially.

Also try the late Brahms piano pieces, opp 116-118, which are short.

[amw]

Schumann is hard for me to recommend because his best works are piano music and songs. If you insist on orchestras you could try the 4th symphony, but otherwise the way to explore is more or less to start with Op. 1 (the 'Abegg' variations) and work your way up the opus numbers from there.

For 'bite size' late Romanticism try Franck's Le chausseur maudit?

[North Star]

Yes, this is definitely the problem -- the music is perfectly good, but it overstays its welcome (for me). The problem that I run into is that I love the big orchestra sound, but also a relatively short duration. I also don't really like songs very much  .
I have enjoyed, for whatever reason, the scherzos to Mahler's 2nd and 7th.

Hmm, have you tried Schumann's Cello Concerto? Granted, the orchestra isn't huge in that one, but it's also not too long.

[Karl Henning]

In a blurb for the famous biography of Brahms, I read:

. . . in this masterful book, Jan Swafford, critically acclaimed as both biographer and composer . . .

So is Swafford a critically acclaimed composer, and I never knew? . . .