Pieces that have blown you away recently

[some guy]

i would say that "tonal" and "atonal" don't really cover all the ways of making music.

At first glance, it would seem that those two terms cover everything, but it's like dividing all animals up into canine and acanine. Sure, "acanine" does cover "all the animals that aren't dogs," but that lumps elephants and scorpions into the same category, which I would think makes the category not really all that useful or desirable. Besides, "acanine" could arguably cover non-animals as well, trees, stones, and philosophical constructs.

It is certainly true that not all music centers on pitch relations, as both tonal and atonal do. That is, if you use a fairly controlled and theoretical definition of atonal. (Several years ago, I catalogued six different definitions of "atonal." I did it simply by noting the ways people have used that word. I doubt I could describe all six today. Suffice that it's messy. And contradictory.)

Anyway, Steve, you might be interested to know that the Badings I mentioned awhile back (Armageddon) is for wind ensemble, soprano, and tape.

[arpeggio]

I know technically 'atonal' may not be correct, but I do not know what other term I could use.

I think everyone would know what I meant.

No need to have a debate about it.

[some guy]

No debate. Just pointing out that a ton of things in the past 100 years aren't really covered by either of those terms is all.

Like the Badings, for instance. 

Anyway, you know I hold you and your musical intelligence in high esteem. No debate there, for sure.

[arpeggio]

Another new composer I have discovered: Robin Stevens

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[some guy]

When I moved from Southern California to Oregon several years ago, I burned my lps to cd and put all of my cds, burned and commercial, into four dj boxes. Later, I started ripping all of those to store in my laptop and some external hard drives. When I moved from Oregon to Europe, I ripped the cds I had purchased in Oregon, of course, and also deposited the dj boxes in a friend's garage. Each visit to the US included a visit to this friend; each (short) visit to this friend included some more ripping. When I was diagnosed with cancer in December (2019), I came to the US to stay with this friend and get treatment under Medicare and get quarantined by COVID-19. Couldn't be a better place to be stuck. Four of my favorite people live here. Many of my most favorite books are in the garage, and I've started through the dj boxes for the fourth time and ripping cds I haven't heard for many years.

I'm only half way through the B's, and already I've been blown away by numerous things, most delightfully by things that hadn't blown me away when I had those cds in my home. Aperghis Graffitis, Alsina Hinterland, Barber, Medea ballet suite, Bartók, Four Pieces and Suite #2, Bastard Noise Advantages of Having a Multifaceted Defense System, Battistelli, Ostinato, Bazelon, symphony #8 1/2, and Brume Cliché numbers one, two, and three. What fun!!

I feel that it's not so much that my current cloud has a silver lining, but more that along with the big, fat silver lining there has been a little bit of cloud.

(Also, I just got to listen to Robin Stevens quartets on Youtube....)

[North Star]

When I moved from Southern California to Oregon several years ago, I burned my lps to cd and put all of my cds, burned and commercial, into four dj boxes. Later, I started ripping all of those to store in my laptop and some external hard drives. When I moved from Oregon to Europe, I ripped the cds I had purchased in Oregon, of course, and also deposited the dj boxes in a friend's garage. Each visit to the US included a visit to this friend; each (short) visit to this friend included some more ripping. When I was diagnosed with cancer in December (2019), I came to the US to stay with this friend and get treatment under Medicare and get quarantined by COVID-19. Couldn't be a better place to be stuck. Four of my favorite people live here. Many of my most favorite books are in the garage, and I've started through the dj boxes for the fourth time and ripping cds I haven't heard for many years.

I'm only half way through the B's, and already I've been blown away by numerous things, most delightfully by things that hadn't blown me away when I had those cds in my home. Aperghis Graffitis, Alsina Hinterland, Barber, Medea ballet suite, Bartók, Four Pieces and Suite #2, Bastard Noise Advantages of Having a Multifaceted Defense System, Battistelli, Ostinato, Bazelon, symphony #8 1/2, and Brume Cliché numbers one, two, and three. What fun!!

I feel that it's not so much that my current cloud has a silver lining, but more that along with the big, fat silver lining there has been a little bit of cloud.

(Also, I just got to listen to Robin Stevens quartets on Youtube....)

That certainly doesn't sound like a bad place to be stuck in. Best of luck, and thank goodness for clouds - where would we be without silver linings? Enjoying the sunshine, that's where, and desperately looking for a nice shade.

[some guy]

Ha ha, yeah. It's been nice here in Southern California so far, cool temperatures and lots of rain (and, in the mountains, lots of snow). But that's over now. Now it's temperatures in the 30s (86 farenheit and up) every day. Whew. But "oh well." It is nice to be surrounded by the books and cds that I used to own. That makes up for a lot.

I just ripped some Behrman last night. Whew!! That's some nice stuff. When I was first listening to twentieth century music, devouring I suppose I should say, I came across an lp of the Sonic Arts Union. This was the first thing I had come across that was too much, even for me. (Well, the second. The first was Elliott Carter's Double Concerto.) I found it very rough going, except maybe for the Mumma, but I also knew that this was the real thing, and that when I was ready, it would all seem fine.

I was eventually ready, and it was all fine.

[Symphonic Addict]

Lydia Auster (1912-1933), an Estonian composer. Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major. Is there anything more devastatingly beautiful? Very sensitive indeed, but masterly written too. Not apt for ultra-romantic allergic! 

Pizzetti, Tubin, Rachmaninov, Vaughan Williams, Puccini, the very romantic Marx, even Korngold and Sibelius, are names whom I can associate this splendorous concerto in style. What a find.

It's even more astonishing is that is from Kazakh origins the composer.

A Youtube link is provided there to enjoy it if you're 'adventurous'. 

Very recommended.

[some guy]

Lydia was 81 when she died, not 21.

Under attack for some of that time for "formalism," the Soviet catchall term for "music we don't like." You know, kinda like "atonal" is for classical music discussion groups.

[arpeggio]

I am a fan of most of the music of George Antheil.



The above CD contaings the following works:

Serenade No. 1   
   
Serenade No. 2   
      
The Golden Bird (version for orchestra)   
   
Dreams   

These are all new works for me with the exception of The Golden Bird.  I am familiar with the original piano version.  Antheil orchestrated them in 1921.  The orchestral version is very effective.

[71 dB]

Lydia Auster (1912-1933), an Estonian composer. Piano Concerto No. 1 in G major.

Did she use Lydian mode? 

[ritter]

Did she use Lydian mode? 

And, was she tattooed? 

[André]

Every so and so, I have a Bloch period. Every time I go through his music I am struck - astounded even - by how intensely felt his music sounds. Whether it's chamber, instrumental or orchestral music, it never fails to transport me into a realm where emotions reign unchecked and unchallenged.

[arpeggio]

Ernest Bloch.

I am having similar experiences Bloch.

I received the following as a present from my son. It was on my Amazon Wish List.  It has been on it for so long I forgot about it.

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WOW!!!!!!!

[arpeggio]

I am a big fan of the Marine Band.  I attend as many of their concerts that I can.

The following CD is of a concert that I missed.  Even though I was familiar with most of the works I had to get the CD to hear thieir fantastic interpretations.




I am most impressed by the way the band performs Copland's Emblems.  This is the second recording I have of the Marine Band performing it.  For me it is incoherent.  But when the Marine Band plays it, it makes sense.

The work that really blew away was Gerard Schwarz's Above and Beyond.  I had know idea that he was an accomplished composer.  He composed it for the Marine Band.

[vandermolen]

+1 for Bloch
Interesting that 'Wind Band Classics' mentioned above features Paul Creston. I was just going to nominate his Third Symphony for this thread. I've liked his Second Symphony for decades but until now I had not realised how fine No.3 is, especially its deeply moving slow movement - one of my best musical discoveries of this year, music which I find consoling in our troubled times.

[arpeggio]

Creston composed several works for band.  I have performed some of them. His best known is the Celebration Overture.  I have a few recordings of it.  This is the best one.

[vandermolen]

Creston composed several works for band.  I have performed some of them. His best known is the Celebration Overture.  I have a few recordings of it.  This is the best one.

Thanks - good to know. I must look out for it.

[arpeggio]

There so much classical music I frequently discover works from the standard repertoire for the first time.

Even though Rachmaninov is one of my favorites, I have just discovered his Opus 23 and 32 Preludes.

After all of these years, how could I have missed them?

[Florestan]

Cross-post from the WAYL2N thread

Earlier today, live on radio while driving, the Berlin PO concert

Mahler - Symphony No. 4

Kirill Petrenko (conductor), Christiane Karg (soprano)

I have never ever heard this symphony performed this way, almost chamberlike, almost like a concerto grosso alternating ripieno and concertino. The strangest version I've ever heard --- and also the best hands down. It charmed, touched and moved my soul as no other performance of this symphony I've ever heard. Desert island stuff. I hope they recorded it and will release it in the near future.