David Hurwitz

[Mirror Image]

I think he means that if a work has been recorded 30 times, perhaps 10 of those are good, 10 are passable and 10 are bad and one can select anything from those 10 good ones and be happy. This kind of mindset indicates he cares about the music.

I don't know Spohr's music at all so I don't comment on that. Why don't I just check out his clarinet concertos? Because theres a million of other things to check out and I don't know where to start!! Bartok's Piano Concertos? Prokofiev's Piano Sonatas? Tippett's Piano Concerto (Hurwitz says it great)? When do I have the time when all I do is watch Youtube about PRN going against Anthony Fantano! 

To the bolded text, you can have the time if you make the time. If you're on YouTube watching one video after another, it's your own fault.

[71 dB]

To the bolded text, you can have the time if you make the time. If you're on YouTube watching one video after another, it's your own fault.

Yes, it's definitely my own fault. Before Youtube/internet came along it was MUCH easier to make the time and even my non-existing skills were adequate.

[Daverz]

I think he means that if a work has been recorded 30 times, perhaps 10 of those are good, 10 are passable and 10 are bad and one can select anything from those 10 good ones and be happy. This kind of mindset indicates he cares about the music.

I don't know Spohr's music at all so I don't comment on that. Why don't I just check out his clarinet concertos? Because theres a million of other things to check out and I don't know where to start!! Bartok's Piano Concertos? Prokofiev's Piano Sonatas? Tippett's Piano Concerto (Hurwitz says it great)? When do I have the time when all I do is watch Youtube about PRN going against Anthony Fantano! 

Of those, you definitely need to hear the Bartok Piano Concertos toot suite.

[Mirror Image]

Yes, it's definitely my own fault. Before Youtube/internet came along it was MUCH easier to make the time and even my non-existing skills were adequate.

Why are you always playing the victim, 71 dB? I mean you could easily pull yourself away from YouTube and the internet if you truly wanted to, but I guess you'd rather complain about the fact that you believe you can't.

[71 dB]

Why are you always playing the victim, 71 dB? I mean you could easily pull yourself away from YouTube and the internet if you truly wanted to, but I guess you'd rather complain about the fact that you believe you can't.

Maybe you are not a Youtube junky, but let me tell you the addiction is most powerful!  However, I was able to listen to Rodrigo's Harp Concerto today...

[71 dB]

Of those, you definitely need to hear the Bartok Piano Concertos toot suite.

Okay then. I have explored Bartok very little. I got his string quartets, but never really warmed up to them...

[Daverz]

Okay then. I have explored Bartok very little. I got his string quartets, but never really warmed up to them...

Yeah, not the place to start with Bartok.   You want to start with the late works like the Concerto for Orchestra and the Piano Concerto No. 3.

[Madiel]

Maybe you are not a Youtube junky, but let me tell you the addiction is most powerful!

I suggest, not for the first time, that you try listening to the podcast Rabbit Hole.  Addiction is an appropriate word.

[71 dB]

Yeah, not the place to start with Bartok.   You want to start with the late works like the Concerto for Orchestra and the Piano Concerto No. 3.

Of course Concerto for Orchestra and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta are familiar and I have the Rahbari Naxos of those. I like those works. I also liked Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion when I borrowed it from a friend, but that seems to be a rarely recorded piece for some reason*. The String Quartets (Takács Quartet) didn't do good for my enthusiam to explore Bartók further. Now I listened to the Piano Concertos on Spotify (Géza Anda/Ferenc Fricsay) and they were ok. I liked the second most, followed by the third while the first one contained the most "Bartok weirdness." Ironically the first concerto sounds most modern and the last the most romantic, but I guess that's Bartók for you: A strange man. 

* David Hurwitz praised the Martha Argerich on DG, but when I checked it on Amazon the asked price was no less than £1.200! I got depressed.

[Daverz]

Of course Concerto for Orchestra and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta are familiar and I have the Rahbari Naxos of those. I like those works. I also liked Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion when I borrowed it from a friend, but that seems to be a rarely recorded piece for some reason*. The String Quartets (Takács Quartet) didn't do good for my enthusiam to explore Bartók further. Now I listened to the Piano Concertos on Spotify (Géza Anda/Ferenc Fricsay) and they were ok. I liked the second most, followed by the third while the first one contained the most "Bartok weirdness." Ironically the first concerto sounds most modern and the last the most romantic, but I guess that's Bartók for you: A strange man. 

* David Hurwitz praised the Martha Argerich on DG, but when I checked it on Amazon the asked price was no less than £1.200! I got depressed.

Piano Concertos 2 & 3 are my favorite as well, particularly for the middle movements, spooky in 2 and serene in 3.

The Argerich/Freire Sonata for 2 Pianos & Percussion is easy to find streaming or as a download.  A physical disc can probably found in some Argerich box.  Presto has a reasonable price on a single CD, but I believe it's a CDR:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8077250--bartok-ravel-works-for-2-pianos-and-percussion

It sounds like you've hit all the Bartok highlights except for the Violin Concerto.  I'd add Bluebeard's Castle, Dance Suite, the Divertimento, Contrasts, and The Miraculous Manadarin (full ballet).

[Jo498]

With the Bartok quartets, start with #4 or #5, or even the melancholy #6.

I think Hurwitz referred to an early Kovacevich/Argerich recording or the 2P&P sonata, if this exists? There is also the Kontarskys and others who are pretty good. (I like it but not quite as much as the piano concertos.)

[Todd]

I think Hurwitz referred to an early Kovacevich/Argerich recording or the 2P&P sonata, if this exists?

[Mirror Image]

Maybe you are not a Youtube junky, but let me tell you the addiction is most powerful!  However, I was able to listen to Rodrigo's Harp Concerto today...

If I get on YouTube, it's usually to watch a documentary about a composer or some kind of interview with a musician I like or simply to sample a piece of music from a recording I'm interested in acquiring. But let me tell you that it's NOT an addiction unless you allow it to be.

[71 dB]

Piano Concertos 2 & 3 are my favorite as well, particularly for the middle movements, spooky in 2 and serene in 3.

I totally agree with this. The slow movements of 2 and 3 are the "reason" to listen to these. 

The Argerich/Freire Sonata for 2 Pianos & Percussion is easy to find streaming or as a download.  A physical disc can probably found in some Argerich box.  Presto has a reasonable price on a single CD, but I believe it's a CDR:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8077250--bartok-ravel-works-for-2-pianos-and-percussion

It's actually "only" £14.29 + shipping (condition good) on Amazon.co.uk, but even that is a bit high, especially as I haven't even heard the CD. I can stream it on Spotify, althout tonight I will watch snooker on tv. I avoid downloads. I am a physical media guy. I looked for some Argerich boxes, but didn't find this one, maybe because this is DG and those boxes where Warner.

It sounds like you've hit all the Bartok highlights except for the Violin Concerto.  I'd add Bluebeard's Castle, Dance Suite, the Divertimento, Contrasts, and The Miraculous Manadarin (full ballet).

Oh, okay. Thanks for the list of works to check out. I actually have the Divertimento on a Naxos disc of 20th century string music. 

[Brahmsian]

71db,

I'll chime in to recommend Bartok's 'The Wooden Prince' before 'The Miraculous Mandarin'.

Both are great, but I believe Wooden Prince is the more accessible of the two.

[71 dB]

If I get on YouTube, it's usually to watch a documentary about a composer or some kind of interview with a musician I like or simply to sample a piece of music from a recording I'm interested in acquiring. But let me tell you that it's NOT an addiction unless you allow it to be.

You have not found the "evil" addictive stuff on Youtube. Many Youtube content creators are geniuses in hooking people and making them subscribe and watch their videos. That's how they can have hundreds of thousand or even millions of subscribtions. That's their way of making their living. I am warning you. Keep watching only boring* composers documents if you don't want to become a Youtube junky, but be aware! Youtube keeps recommending all kind of videos and anyone of them may HOOK you depending on your taste, preferences and weaknesses. If you accidentally watch one of those videos Youtube begings recommending other similar videos and you are doomed! 

* Yes, "boring" in the sense they don't give you an addiction.

[71 dB]

71db,

I'll chime in to recommend Bartok's 'The Wooden Prince' before 'The Miraculous Mandarin'.

Both are great, but I believe Wooden Prince is the more accessible of the two.

Thanks! I wrote myself a list of these recommended works Kept in my Naxos Bartók CD jewel box so it won't get lost:

[Mirror Image]

You have not found the "evil" addictive stuff on Youtube. Many Youtube content creators are geniuses in hooking people and making them subscribe and watch their videos. That's how they can have hundreds of thousand or even millions of subscribtions. That's their way of making their living. I am warning you. Keep watching only boring* composers documents if you don't want to become a Youtube junky, but be aware! Youtube keeps recommending all kind of videos and anyone of them may HOOK you depending on your taste, preferences and weaknesses. If you accidentally watch one of those videos Youtube begings recommending other similar videos and you are doomed! 

* Yes, "boring" in the sense they don't give you an addiction.

The only geniuses I see on YouTube are the composers of whom I watch these 'boring' documentaries. Those are the real geniuses in my mind. I wouldn't be caught dead watching one of those videos you watch on that site, because 1. I'm not brain-dead and 2. I'm not easily lead (i. e. gullible) into believing the propaganda in which you subscribe.

[Brian]

The only geniuses I see on YouTube are the composers of whom I watch these 'boring' documentaries. Those are the real geniuses in my mind. I wouldn't be caught dead watching one of those videos you watch on that site, because 1. I'm not brain-dead and 2. I'm not easily lead (i. e. gullible) into believing the propaganda in which you subscribe.

Uh, did I miss something, maybe in another thread? I saw 71dB describing "evil" propaganda but never saw him say that he believes any of it.

[Mirror Image]

Uh, did I miss something, maybe in another thread? I saw 71dB describing "evil" propaganda but never saw him say that he believes any of it.

I'm not sure about actual quotes from 71 dB saying he believed in the propaganda or not, but my point, more or less, was that he's wasted a lot of time watching junk, which is fine if that's what he wants to do, but the way he's talking about it sounds like he's a fallen victim to these types of YouTube videos and that he has no control over what he's actually watching and this couldn't be any further from the truth.