Advice on works presently considering exploring

[some guy]

Westerkamp.

Thank you Sean. That was a name I was going to put on my list, but I couldn't pull her name out of the old memory bank. But of course. Hildegard Westerkamp's a good 'un, that's fo sho.

[Maciek]

Maciek, the Baird pieces are Psychodrama and Tomorrow on an Olympia CD recorded 1980...

Well, Psychodrama is certainly top notch Baird, one of his greatest pieces. Tomorrow, on the other hand, is an opera. And while it is short for an opera, it does seem quite long to me. It's probably Baird's most "difficult" work. So if you want a piece that might take more than a few listening sessions to "crack", you should go for it. Anyway, Psychodrama is certainly worth your time.

SZYMANOWSKI, Karol (1882-1937 Polish)

Unless you've made some absolutely amazing discovery (which I want to hear more about!), that should probably read:

SZYMANSKI, Pawel (1954- Polish)

[Brahmsian]

This insightful thread from my favorite music blogger, about listening into the music and evolving one's own listening abilities, comes to mind:

http://www.overgrownpath.com/2009/11/lost-art-of-listening.html

Let's just say that some are better at that, than others!

I enjoyed reading this, thank you! 

[marvinbrown]

These caught my attention from the library presently using, all new to me-

Rimsky-Korsakov Tsar Saltan (what's the flight of the bumblebee like in its original setting?)

  Sean I just had to write back and say that I am listening to Tsar Saltan and my God what a pleasant surprise this opera is proving to be!! The opera is filled with lyrical,beautiful melodies and chorus lines!  Flight of the bumble bee appears in Act 3 and the bumble bee motif repeats throughout the Act.  The soprano joins in and then later, the chorus- the effect is quite stunning.  This whole business of playing the Flight of the bumble bee as a "suite" is bulls**t (pardon my French!). It should be heard in its context. The way Rimsky-Korsakov intended it to be. Rimsky-Korsakov was one hell of an orchestrator and devoted much of his career to opera.  Why oh why aren't his operas recorded and performed in the West!   

  I started a thread a while back on Russian operas- it was short lived  !  We in the West should be ashamed of ourselves for neglecting this very fine opera composer!  He was a fan of Wagner too- BLESS HIM!

  marvin

[bhodges]

  I started a thread a while back on Russian operas- it was short lived  !  We in the West should be ashamed of ourselves for neglecting this very fine opera composer! 

Valery Gergiev has been one of the most important advocates for Rimsky-Korsakov's operas (and Russian operas in general).  Thanks to him, I've seen The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, which probably never would have arrived here otherwise, and a concert version of The Snow Maiden.  Both are filled with terrific music.

--Bruce

[marvinbrown]

Valery Gergiev has been one of the most important advocates for Rimsky-Korsakov's operas (and Russian operas in general).  Thanks to him, I've seen The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, which probably never would have arrived here otherwise, and a concert version of The Snow Maiden.  Both are filled with terrific music.

--Bruce

  True Bruce...very true- however in the past it has been a challenge to get a hold of COMPLETE recordings of Rimsky-Korsakov's operas.  The website Novi linked us to is invaluable! I had no trouble downloading all three operas and I would urge everyone here to do the same.  Happy listening  .

  marvin 

[bhodges]

I suspect that, like a lot of operas, the plots of these are too fanciful (or perhaps just plain weird) for some.  Haven't heard Tsar Sultan yet, but would definitely be up for it, based on Rimsky-Korsakov's output.  What a fantastic orchestrator.

--Bruce

[Franco]

I suspect that, like a lot of operas, the plots of these are too fanciful (or perhaps just plain weird) for some.  Haven't heard Tsar Sultan yet, but would definitely be up for it, based on Rimsky-Korsakov's output.  What a fantastic orchestrator.

--Bruce

Funny: this is the first sentence on the page linked for the three operas

Damned with faint praise--"a great orchestrator"--Rimsky-Korsakov is almost always treated as a minor figure outside of Russia.

[marvinbrown]

Funny: this is the first sentence on the page linked for the three operas

  It bears repeating Franco  .......it bears repeating  !

  marvin

[Sean]

Hi Marvin

Sean I just had to write back and say that I am listening to Tsar Saltan and my God what a pleasant surprise this opera is proving to be!! The opera is filled with lyrical,beautiful melodies and chorus lines!

Yes, R-K's operatic output is his major achievement but the West seems determined to ignore it- it's one of music's paradoxes; one thing is the particular dramatically static idiom but there are plenty of similar Western European works that have succeeded. I know several, May night making an impression on me exactly like this one on you.

Flight of the bumble bee appears in Act 3 and the bumble bee motif repeats throughout the Act.  The soprano joins in and then later, the chorus- the effect is quite stunning.  This whole business of playing the Flight of the bumble bee as a "suite" is bulls**t (pardon my French!).

No doubt it is, and no doubt the practice is part of the prejudice.

Korsakov was one hell of an orchestrator...

Absolutely.

[Sean]

My library has these attractions, all new to me- any thoughts welcome.

Albrechtsberger & Krumpholz   Harp concertos
Bach, JC                     La Clemenza di Scipione               
Bartok          Microcosmos          
Bellini          Beatrice di tenda          
Bellini          I Capulet ii Montecchi       
Bridge         songs            
Busoni         Arlecchino & Turandot      
Carver         Mass Cantate domino         
Chabrier         Le roi Malgre lui          
Donizetti         Lucrezia Borgia         
Donizetti         Maria Stuarda         
Donizetti         Poliuto            
Dove         Flight            
Feldman         String quartet                     
Floyd         Of mice and men         
Handel         L'Allegro            
Isaac          sacred             
Jacob & Stanford      Organ               
Johnson, Robert      Sacred            
Kabalevski      Colas Breugnon         
Massenet                      Le Cid            
Nordheim       Var            
Leighton & Parry      Organ            
Lully         Le bourgeois Gentilh      
Riley         Var            
Rossini         Tancredi            
Rutter         Sacred                  
Sinding          Var            
Wagenseil                    Harp concerto
Vivaldi         Dorilla in Tempe         
Yun         Var            

[Maciek]

Merging. Sorry, Sean, no reason to keep these in two separate threads.

I'd think I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Lucrezia Borgia and Maria Stuarda would be pretty self-evident choices, if you don't know them, as well as the Rossini and Lully. Microcosmos can be quite fun to play, even the easiest pieces, but I can imagine that listening through all of it might be tiring. Or maybe not, who knows, it might turn out quite fascinating. Nordheim is a composer I'm quite fond of, I wonder what you'd think of him.

[knight66]

Back to Rimsky; tickle your ears with this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBwXt_06T9w&feature=related

Mike

[Sean]

Thanks Maciek; no I don't know those important Donizetti operas, nor the Rossini, or his Semiramide that's also available here. I've explored a couple of Nordheim works- they're broodingly Nordic and encourage further exploration; I borrowed Microcosmos years back but got bored with it after about 15 minutes- must try harder.

Merging. Sorry, Sean, no reason to keep these in two separate threads.

I'd think I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Lucrezia Borgia and Maria Stuarda would be pretty self-evident choices, if you don't know them, as well as the Rossini and Lully. Microcosmos can be quite fun to play, even the easiest pieces, but I can imagine that listening through all of it might be tiring. Or maybe not, who knows, it might turn out quite fascinating. Nordheim is a composer I'm quite fond of, I wonder what you'd think of him.