The Barber Chair

[aligreto]

Barber: Piano Sonata Op. 26 [Horowitz]





This is my first time hearing this work.

I am a self confessed piano-phobe. I find that this work contains passages that are far too percussive in places for my urbane taste regarding this instrument. The musical language, however, certainly has a voice of its own and has a definite interest musically. It can be very aggressive and even angry in places. The third movement is of particular interest due to its ruminative and contemplative nature.

[Roasted Swan]

Some time ago I picked this disc up very cheaply to help 'plug some gaps';



Shamefully I'm not sure I ever listened to it before today.....  What an excellent disc.  The concerto I knew from the other recordings featuring John Browning which are very fine too but I have to say I enjoyed this disc from first to last.  It shows Barber's range and skill as an orchestrator - the three "filler" works are all interesting and diverse.  The Die Natali ( a bit odd to listen to nearer to Easter than Christmas) is a curious fusion of light but serious and Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance has a propulsive energy that is very impressive.  Even the Commando March is good fun to hear.  Definitely a disc to return to sooner than later.

[foxandpeng]

Barber: Piano Sonata Op. 26

I am a self confessed piano-phobe.

Not a useful contribution to the Barber thread from me, I guess, but ...

YES! Me too!

[Mirror Image]

Some time ago I picked this disc up very cheaply to help 'plug some gaps';



Shamefully I'm not sure I ever listened to it before today.....  What an excellent disc.  The concerto I knew from the other recordings featuring John Browning which are very fine too but I have to say I enjoyed this disc from first to last.  It shows Barber's range and skill as an orchestrator - the three "filler" works are all interesting and diverse.  The Die Natali ( a bit odd to listen to nearer to Easter than Christmas) is a curious fusion of light but serious and Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance has a propulsive energy that is very impressive.  Even the Commando March is good fun to hear.  Definitely a disc to return to sooner than later.

Yes, Alsop's Barber is superb in all respects. It is nice to know you're responding to to this music. My only wish was that Alsop had recorded Prayers of Kierkegaard and The Lovers. Both are superb pieces that have been rather well-served on an older Koch disc with Andrew Schenck and the CSO, but I can imagine Alsop bringing a certain magic to both of these works.

[Roasted Swan]

Yes, Alsop's Barber is superb in all respects. It is nice to know you're responding to to this music. My only wish was that Alsop had recorded Prayers of Kierkegaard and The Lovers. Both are superb pieces that have been rather well-served on an older Koch disc with Andrew Schenck and the CSO, but I can imagine Alsop bringing a certain magic to both of these works.

Absolutely - not quite sure why I missed out on this Naxos disc before but glad I've made good the error.  I have the Koch disc but I enjoy this one too;



the Barber gets a fine performance (as far as I can tell!) but the whole programme is both unusual and very fine

[Mirror Image]

Absolutely - not quite sure why I missed out on this Naxos disc before but glad I've made good the error.  I have the Koch disc but I enjoy this one too;



the Barber gets a fine performance (as far as I can tell!) but the whole programme is both unusual and very fine

I actually don't care much for Robert Shaw to be honest. I never thought he was a right for the ASO, but that's just my own two cents. All three of these pieces that Shaw conducted have been better performed elsewhere. I'd love to see a Barber series on BIS, but it won't happen.

[Symphonic Addict]

Not a useful contribution to the Barber thread from me, I guess, but ...

YES! Me too!

... [for me] if they're works like "26 tiny pieces", "14 short preludes", "16 little dances", etc. I tend to prefer more-robust works like sonatas, variations, and so forth.

[Roasted Swan]

I actually don't care much for Robert Shaw to be honest. I never thought he was a right for the ASO, but that's just my own two cents. All three of these pieces that Shaw conducted have been better performed elsewhere. I'd love to see a Barber series on BIS, but it won't happen.

I'm not a huge fan of Shaw either but this disc impressed me as one of his best.  The Vaughan Williams and Bartok which I know better than the Barber are fine performances by any measure.

[Mirror Image]

I'm not a huge fan of Shaw either but this disc impressed me as one of his best.  The Vaughan Williams and Bartok which I know better than the Barber are fine performances by any measure.

I'll have to revisit that disc since you think highly of it. Now, if only I could find it.

[Roasted Swan]

I'll have to revisit that disc since you think highly of it. Now, if only I could find it.

I have a list of "lost discs" which grows with monotonous regularity.  I had an storage/cataloguing system at my old house that basically was not very accurate (as I am now finding out....!).   Currently "missing in action" is some Lloyd, a Dohnanyi disc, a couple of DSCH symphonies and a Mozart opera..... I am very eclectic in what I loose.  I'm going to dig out that Robert Shaw disc too just to make sure I'm not telling you complete lies, but hey, I might have lost that as well.......

[Madiel]

Absolutely - not quite sure why I missed out on this Naxos disc before but glad I've made good the error.  I have the Koch disc but I enjoy this one too;



the Barber gets a fine performance (as far as I can tell!) but the whole programme is both unusual and very fine

I have this disc as well. I am yet to listen to two-thirds of it.

[Mirror Image]

I have a list of "lost discs" which grows with monotonous regularity.  I had an storage/cataloguing system at my old house that basically was not very accurate (as I am now finding out....!).   Currently "missing in action" is some Lloyd, a Dohnanyi disc, a couple of DSCH symphonies and a Mozart opera..... I am very eclectic in what I loose.  I'm going to dig out that Robert Shaw disc too just to make sure I'm not telling you complete lies, but hey, I might have lost that as well.......

Hah! I know the feeling, indeed. This may sound ridiculous, but I have actually bought recordings that I couldn't find just so I don't have to spend a week trying to find it.

[Roasted Swan]

Hah! I know the feeling, indeed. This may sound ridiculous, but I have actually bought recordings that I couldn't find just so I don't have to spend a week trying to find it.

Been there .... done that! (sigh.....)

[Mirror Image]

Been there .... done that! (sigh.....)

It's good to know I'm not alone.

[Andante]

Hah! I know the feeling, indeed. This may sound ridiculous, but I have actually bought recordings that I couldn't find just so I don't have to spend a week trying to find it.

I spent weeks cataloging all of my CD collection I finished the classical and just had the jazz section to do when the computer crashed and I lost the lot but not to worry I had backed it up onto an external hard drive, but the backups just would not work. Grrrrrrr.

[Mirror Image]

I spent weeks cataloging all of my CD collection I finished the classical and just had the jazz section to do when the computer crashed and I lost the lot but not to worry I had backed it up onto an external hard drive, but the backups just would not work. Grrrrrrr.

Long time, no speak, Andante! I hope all is well with you and, yeah, that sounds like frustrating experience, indeed. And I'm aware this is off-topic, but are you a PC or Mac user?

[Andante]

Long time, no speak, Andante! I hope all is well with you and, yeah, that sounds like frustrating experience, indeed. And I'm aware this is off-topic, but are you a PC or Mac user?

Greetings MI I am a PC user and now with W10 which takes a bit of getting used to.

[Mirror Image]

 

Greetings MI I am a PC user and now with W10 which takes a bit of getting used to.

Ah okay. Very cool. I like Windows 10 --- quite possibly their best OP to date. They've kind of modeled it on Apple. The interface feels much more intuitive and the general layout makes much more sense. I'm an Apple user, but I will give props to Microsoft for their well-designed OS.

[aligreto]

I have just finished listening to this CD:

Barber: Orchestral Works Vol. 1 [Alsop]






The School for Scandal overture: This is a fairly short but an interesting work which has many facets and Alsop shows the glistening elements to very fine effect indeed.

Symphony No. 1: I like the assertive and declamatory opening to this work. It is both powerful and expressive. I like the musical language and content as the movement progresses. I also like the gradual build up of tension and drama in the movement. The Scherzo-like second movement is an exercise in perpetual movement and forward momentum! I like the scoring in this movement. The final movement is wonderfully lyrical, wistful, poignant and atmospheric. The work concludes with a satisfactory and definitive resolution.

First Essay for Orchestra Op. 12: I find this to be a very lyrical and pastoral work. It is also filled with emotion. I find that the lower register instruments lend for a deep richness in the foundation of the scoring. I also find the various facets of the musical language to be inventive and very appealing.

Symphony No. 2: I liked the musical language from the opening bars of the opening movement. This music is uncompromising in its approach. It is energetic and animated and it has great forward momentum and drive. It is also exciting and dramatic but interspersed with a number of oases of calm. These also make for integral contrast in the score. The slow movement is an almost sombre affair. The music itself sounds wonderful; it is expansive and lyrical and, once again, it is richly scored. The final movement opens in a turbulent and animated manner and continues in that vein. The elements of drama and tension are eventually introduced and the timpani play a fine part in this. The work concludes with a very fine and assertive conclusion. The scoring throughout reaps a rich sonic reward.


I have enjoyed Alsop's treatment of this music throughout the course of the CD.

[Karl Henning]

I have just finished listening to this CD:

Barber: Orchestral Works Vol. 1 [Alsop]






The School for Scandal overture: This is a fairly short but an interesting work which has many facets and Alsop shows the glistening elements to very fine effect indeed.

Symphony No. 1: I like the assertive and declamatory opening to this work. It is both powerful and expressive. I like the musical language and content as the movement progresses. I also like the gradual build up of tension and drama in the movement. The Scherzo-like second movement is an exercise in perpetual movement and forward momentum! I like the scoring in this movement. The final movement is wonderfully lyrical, wistful, poignant and atmospheric. The work concludes with a satisfactory and definitive resolution.

First Essay for Orchestra Op. 12: I find this to be a very lyrical and pastoral work. It is also filled with emotion. I find that the lower register instruments lend for a deep richness in the foundation of the scoring. I also find the various facets of the musical language to be inventive and very appealing.

Symphony No. 2: I liked the musical language from the opening bars of the opening movement. This music is uncompromising in its approach. It is energetic and animated and it has great forward momentum and drive. It is also exciting and dramatic but interspersed with a number of oases of calm. These also make for integral contrast in the score. The slow movement is an almost sombre affair. The music itself sounds wonderful; it is expansive and lyrical and, once again, it is richly scored. The final movement opens in a turbulent and animated manner and continues in that vein. The elements of drama and tension are eventually introduced and the timpani play a fine part in this. The work concludes with a very fine and assertive conclusion. The scoring throughout reaps a rich sonic reward.


I have enjoyed Alsop's treatment of this music throughout the course of the CD.

I had forgotten just how cool a piece the First Symphony is, Fergus!