The Barber Chair

Started by Szykneij, August 13, 2007, 06:50:40 AM

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Mirror Image

Is anyone else a fan of Gastinel's performance of the Barber CC?

Mirror Image

Perhaps a better question would be has anyone heard it? :)

Rons_talking


I agree about the second movement. While I'm not crazy about the first mov., the 2nd movement is Barber at his best. While his scores are often crafted to perfection, the slow movement is stunning in it's raw emotional power and harmonic tension and unusual use of the orchestra. My dad used to give me his used CDs if he didn't like them. When I listened to the New Zealand recording I was floored by the 2nd symphony (that he allegedly wanted to destroy) but no one else seemed to know or care about the 2nd. I wanted to send Dad the CD and tell him to pay more attention to the 2nd! His Essays, the piano concerto and Medea are all among my favorites. The Piano Sonata is also a rush!
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Quote from: Mirror Image on March 17, 2014, 05:10:58 PM
Symphony No. 2 -



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Mirror Image

Quote from: Rons_talking on March 09, 2015, 04:45:12 AMI agree about the second movement. While I'm not crazy about the first mov., the 2nd movement is Barber at his best. While his scores are often crafted to perfection, the slow movement is stunning in it's raw emotional power and harmonic tension and unusual use of the orchestra. My dad used to give me his used CDs if he didn't like them. When I listened to the New Zealand recording I was floored by the 2nd symphony (that he allegedly wanted to destroy) but no one else seemed to know or care about the 2nd. I wanted to send Dad the CD and tell him to pay more attention to the 2nd! His Essays, the piano concerto and Medea are all among my favorites. The Piano Sonata is also a rush!

I love his Symphony No. 2 and don't find anything weak about any of the movements. Don't forget about the Cello Concerto and check out the Gastinel/Brown performance on Naive (my favorite performance of the work). The slow movement of the Cello Concerto is some of the most gorgeous music I've ever heard.

Oh, and let's not forget this:

Happy Birthday, Barber!

Rons_talking

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 09, 2015, 08:17:39 AM
I love his Symphony No. 2 and don't find anything weak about any of the movements. Don't forget about the Cello Concerto and check out the Gastinel/Brown performance on Naive (my favorite performance of the work). The slow movement of the Cello Concerto is some of the most gorgeous music I've ever heard.

Oh, and let's not forget this:

Happy Birthday, Barber!

Sorry to cut your quote up above. Yes, Barber's 2nd is a great piece all the way through. When I was younger I didn't care for some of Barber's music as I do now. I used to be put off by the romantic nature of some of his louder music thinkin it "bombastic." But I missed out on the harmonic and melodic brilliance that I'm now better equipped to hear. Still, I love a lot of his music while other works don't do anything for me. But I have no doubt that his talent was beyond that of nearly any of his contemporaries. I don't believe he ever really found his true musical voice, at least not to his own satisfaction. But he has quite a few masterworks.

Mirror Image

#145
Quote from: Rons_talking on March 11, 2015, 05:48:57 PMSorry to cut your quote up above. Yes, Barber's 2nd is a great piece all the way through. When I was younger I didn't care for some of Barber's music as I do now. I used to be put off by the romantic nature of some of his louder music thinkin it "bombastic." But I missed out on the harmonic and melodic brilliance that I'm now better equipped to hear. Still, I love a lot of his music while other works don't do anything for me. But I have no doubt that his talent was beyond that of nearly any of his contemporaries. I don't believe he ever really found his true musical voice, at least not to his own satisfaction. But he has quite a few masterworks.

Yes, the lyricism of Barber's music is what gives the music it's unique sound-world. I wouldn't say that he didn't find his own musical voice as his mature works could have come from no one but him. One listen to say the Essay for Orchestra No. 1, for example, it never would cross my mind that this music was coming from another composer. Perhaps it's because I've become attuned to his style enough to recognize him? Anyway, he was a master. Other American composers in a similar league (for me): Ives, Copland, Diamond, and Schuman.

Madiel

I listened to all three of the Essays for Orchestra earlier today.

Fantastic pieces. And I'd rather forgotten how dark they are.  Like all Barber there's a certain amount of lyricism but this is still quite rugged music.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Mirror Image

Quote from: orfeo on March 16, 2015, 04:00:00 AM
I listened to all three of the Essays for Orchestra earlier today.

Fantastic pieces. And I'd rather forgotten how dark they are.  Like all Barber there's a certain amount of lyricism but this is still quite rugged music.

Indeed. All great works IMHO.

kishnevi

Last night ordered this as part of a larger order

Don't think there are that many recordings of the PC, so this may be of interest. (I think I only have the one from Naxos.)
The Barber nocturne is Op.33, Homage to John Field.

vandermolen

Quote from: orfeo on March 16, 2015, 04:00:00 AM
I listened to all three of the Essays for Orchestra earlier today.

Fantastic pieces. And I'd rather forgotten how dark they are.  Like all Barber there's a certain amount of lyricism but this is still quite rugged music.

The redemptive last section of No 2 is very moving.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Madiel

Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 16, 2015, 08:20:07 AM
Last night ordered this as part of a larger order

Don't think there are that many recordings of the PC, so this may be of interest. (I think I only have the one from Naxos.)
The Barber nocturne is Op.33, Homage to John Field.

I saw this yesterday, it looked quite interesting so I'd be keen to hear your opinion of it.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Rons_talking

Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 16, 2015, 08:20:07 AM
Last night ordered this as part of a larger order

Don't think there are that many recordings of the PC, so this may be of interest. (I think I only have the one from Naxos.)
The Barber nocturne is Op.33, Homage to John Field.

A great piece! I don't understand why there aren't more recordings of this work. I'd like to hear this version. I hear a wide variance in the records that I've heard. I love the way the lyrical 2nd movement is followed by the exciting 5/8 finale. A pianist's dream.

Mirror Image

Quote from: Rons_talking on March 18, 2015, 02:46:14 AM
A great piece! I don't understand why there aren't more recordings of this work. I'd like to hear this version. I hear a wide variance in the records that I've heard. I love the way the lyrical 2nd movement is followed by the exciting 5/8 finale. A pianist's dream.

I have the same opinion. I'm not sure why the Piano Concerto is so neglected. I feel the same way about the Cello Concerto.

vandermolen

I was delighted to hear the wonderful Second Essay played live in London this afternoon (Boston SO/Nelsons). I have never heard this work in concert before and this was a great performance. I know that this is sacrilegious but my brother and I agreed that the terrific end of the Second Essay would have made a better ending to Roy Harris's Third Symphony than the one that Harris himself wrote. :o
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on August 23, 2015, 11:44:14 AM
I was delighted to hear the wonderful Second Essay played live in London this afternoon (Boston SO/Nelsons). I have never heard this work in concert before and this was a great performance. I know that this is sacrilegious but my brother and I agreed that the terrific end of the Second Essay would have made a better ending to Roy Harris's Third Symphony than the one that Harris himself wrote. :o

It's okay as I don't like Roy Harris, so you are forgiven, Jeffrey. ;) ;D

Maestro267

My favourite Barber work at present (having not heard everything he wrote) is the Toccata Festiva for organ and orchestra. Very thrilling piece, and the organ pedal cadenza is stunning!

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 23, 2015, 11:51:33 AM
It's okay as I don't like Roy Harris, so you are forgiven, Jeffrey. ;) ;D
Actually I like Roy Harris's Third Symphony very much - I just think that the end is not as good as the end of Barber's Second Essay, although it depends a bit on the performance I guess.

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Karl Henning

Quote from: vandermolen on August 23, 2015, 11:44:14 AM
I was delighted to hear the wonderful Second Essay played live in London this afternoon (Boston SO/Nelsons). I have never heard this work in concert before and this was a great performance.

Splendid!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Christo

... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

#159
Barber's Second Symphony is great IMHO. He should never have withdrawn it - like Vaughan Williams excising the best and most moving section of 'A London Symphony' in 1936 - madness:
[asin]B00000DBQY[/asin]
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).