What are you listening 2 now?

[AnotherSpin]

Re-posted from the Cello concertos thread.

Listening to Gavin Bryars's cello concerto 'Farewell to Philosophy' (comp. 1995) as I write. A 35-minute work in 7movements (unbroken), firmly new agey in feeling. Late Kancheli, Silvestrov or Rautavaara might be invoked to provide a comparison. Beautiful, not generic or derivative, it speaks to the heart. I had not listened to this in at least a decade but remembered having been impressed by this work.

Give this a try if you can locate a copy or streaming.

At one time, I often listened to several albums with Bryars' music, including the one you mentioned—it was indeed good. Do you know the one below?

[Maestro267]

Takemitsu: From me flows what you call time

On me it provoked a feeling of... timelessness. Also flotation, meditation. I liked the use of the percussion, principally. Another example of what I consider a nice palate cleanser.

Given it is literally a percussion concerto, that's good.

[Roasted Swan]

Same. New wave haircut, big marketing push, then forgotten.

Really not so.  Kennedy was/is a maverick and he chose to step away from the whole marketing/media thing.  He still plays and splits his time between the UK and Poland.  But he has moved away from 'mainstream' CM and does a lot more jazz/kletzmer alongside other repertoire.  That does not mean he is 'forgotten' as I am sure he chooses exactly how and where he performs.

[Que]

Flemish repertoire from Central-European sources. Besides the composers on the cover, a motet by Johannes Ghiselin and some anonymous (non-Flemish but Franco-Flemish inspired) pieces. This and the previous recording contain parts from Johannes Tourout's masses - they deserve to be recorded in their entirety. Perhaps Beauty Farm can oblige?

[AnotherSpin]

Absolutely. First impressions are exceedingly hard to replicate. Something goes away and we are left to wonder what exactly. It does not diminish the value of that special feeling.

Yes, it is difficult to replicate. Later, I found a way out of such difficulties by shifting the focus of attention/knowing from the event or object of perception to the subject who perceives, that is, to my self. Everything arises and disappears, colored in different shades (good/bad, etc.), while I stay intact.

[Que]

[foxandpeng]

Alan Rawsthorne
Cello Concerto
(Alexander Baillie)
Royal Scottish NO
David Lloyd-Jones
Naxos

Today feels less like a Shostakovich day, despite my current traversal. Busy work at the coal face requires more of my attention than the complexities of #4 will allow.

[Harry]

Annibale Padovano and Vincenzo Pellegrini.
Complete Organ Music.
See back cover for details.

There are 312 pipes made by G. Antegnati. Original wind spring-chest in walnut, including windbox floor, with 12 stop beams and 57 channels, four pallets.
Pipe-rack in leather modeled on the original, now in a museum after conservation work.
Four wedge-bellows in a rear room, with original wind conduit, operated by hand, blower or automatic inflating unit.
Meantone temperament. Pitch: a' (Principale 16') 466 Hz at 20°C.
Restored by Giorgio Carli, Pescantina (Verona) in 1995–2006.


Annibale Padovano was an Italian Renaissance composer who was the first organist at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice from 1552 until his death in 1565. Vincenzo Pellegrini was Kapellmeister at Milan Cathedral from 1611 until his death in 1630. The surviving toccatas, ricercare and canzonas by Padovano and Pellegrini are evidence of the immense modernization that Italian organ music underwent during the Renaissance.
To my great surprise, I am treated to music that captivates from beginning to end. There is no noticeable lack of creativity. This is all well composed by two composers who are not represented in my music collection, and are therefore a welcome addition. The organ certainly plays a major role in appreciating the compositions, and is well recorded. It is wonderful that every now and then a composer appears whose existence you did not know, and in this case two composers, from a period that appeals to me most in terms of organ music. Luca Scandali plays the stars from the sky, on the Antegnati organ from 1565 in the Basilica Santa Barbara, Mantua.

[Todd]

A little bit from this WTC.

[Traverso]

Brahms

CD 2

Sawallisch piano

[André]

At one time, I often listened to several albums with Bryars' music, including the one you mentioned—it was indeed good. Do you know the one below?

Yes I do. The WORST earworm my ears ever came across. Once heard, that tune sung by the old man just can't leave your head ! It has a hypnotic quality (?) that almost makes one seasick.

Speaking of seasickness, yesterday night I listened to this other Bryars composition:



Briefly, it's the tune the musicians were playing as the ship sank. It's an hymn tune played slowly and dimly heard as if under water (along with sundry watery noises). It's repeated with slight variations throughout the disc. The thing goes on for a solid hour. I found that one weirdly comforting, like a lullaby heard from a great distance. Of these 3 Bryars albums the one with the concerto (and 2 other pieces) is definitely the best intro to this composer.

[ritter]

On YouTube...

Lawrence Foster conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in John Cage's ballet The Seasons.

This work, Cage's first orchestral composition (from 1947), was mentioned in a book a read some months ago about George Balanchine's and Lincoln Kirstein's initial ventures to bring ballet to America. It was choreographed by Merce Cunninham for the Ballet Society, with sets by Isamu Noguchi.

I've never been mich of a Cage fan, but did enjoy this work.

[Harry]

A Laurel for Landini. (1325-1397)
14th Century, Italy's Greatest Compüoser.
Gothic Voices.
Recorded at St Andrew's Church, Toddington, Gloucestershire, England, 25 - 27 February 2008.
Cover Illustration: From II Codice Squarcialupi. II Codice Squarcialupi is the major source of Landini's work.
An image of Landini at his Organetto 1s featured on the front cover.


The exceptional layering in the voices, and the precision with which it is presented, is exceptional. The clear vocal lines can be followed perfectly, through all compositions. The purity of the presentation makes listening  a real feast, and I doubt if I have ever heard it better, than what Gothic Voices presents on a tray of sublime creative perfection. The recording sounds clear and beautifully defined.

[Traverso]

Mozart

piano sonatas  2,9.11.12  (1950)

Scarlatti 5 sonatas

[foxandpeng]

Hafliði Hallgrímsson
Cello Concerto
Herma
Truls Mørk
John Storgårds
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Ondine

This is another winner. Not a negative comment from the critics, but more importantly, I'm really impressed. Modern, but accessible.

[Harry]

Christian Sinding.
Violin Sonatas, opus 73 & 99.
Scenes de la vie op.51.
Romance opus,9.
Dora Bratchkova, Andreas Meyer-Hermann.
Recorded in 2002 at the Kammermusikstudio des SWR Stuttgart, Germany.

Lets remember for a moment that Christian Sinding was considered after Grieg the greatest Norwegian composer, and with good reason I might add. His remarkable and fluid and attractive melodic lines keeps one listening to this romantic giant. He makes it easy to get to all the emotional layers of the human soul. The performances and sound are top notch.

[Traverso]

Reynaldo Hahn

Susan Graham  mezzo soprano

[Que]

Annibale Padovano and Vincenzo Pellegrini.
Complete Organ Music.
See back cover for details.

There are 312 pipes made by G. Antegnati. Original wind spring-chest in walnut, including windbox floor, with 12 stop beams and 57 channels, four pallets.
Pipe-rack in leather modeled on the original, now in a museum after conservation work.
Four wedge-bellows in a rear room, with original wind conduit, operated by hand, blower or automatic inflating unit.
Meantone temperament. Pitch: a' (Principale 16') 466 Hz at 20°C.
Restored by Giorgio Carli, Pescantina (Verona) in 1995–2006.


Annibale Padovano was an Italian Renaissance composer who was the first organist at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice from 1552 until his death in 1565. Vincenzo Pellegrini was Kapellmeister at Milan Cathedral from 1611 until his death in 1630. The surviving toccatas, ricercare and canzonas by Padovano and Pellegrini are evidence of the immense modernization that Italian organ music underwent during the Renaissance.
To my great surprise, I am treated to music that captivates from beginning to end. There is no noticeable lack of creativity. This is all well composed by two composers who are not represented in my music collection, and are therefore a welcome addition. The organ certainly plays a major role in appreciating the compositions, and is well recorded. It is wonderful that every now and then a composer appears whose existence you did not know, and in this case two composers, from a period that appeals to me most in terms of organ music. Luca Scandali plays the stars from the sky, on the Antegnati organ from 1565 in the Basilica Santa Barbara, Mantua.

I agree on your positive look on Padovano. I have a disc with his music on my shelves that I picked up as a bargain sometime and it is a recording I quite like:

[SonicMan46]

Röntgen, Julius (1855-1932) - short bio below (check link for a complete listing of his works) - own about 20 recordings (see attachment), mostly Piano Trios, String Trios, and Symphonies - listening to the discs below at the moment (and yes he was a distant relative of the 'more famous' Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen who discovered xrays in 1895).  Now there are 3 volumes of his cello sonatas & 4 CDs of piano works, all not easy to find and not cheap - anyone know these works?  Dave

Julius Röntgen was a productive composer. His extensive oeuvre of over 600 compositions include symphonies, concerts, chamber music for many different ensembles, songs, choral works and operas. In 1878, after spending his youth in Leipzig he accepted a position as head teacher at the Music School in Amsterdam. Since then he has left a mark on Dutch musical life, as a composer, pianist, conductor, concert promotor and educator. As a teacher and later as a director for many years, he became associated with the Amsterdam Conservatory, which he founded in 1884. In 1924 he retired from the Amsterdam music scene but in the last period of his life, from 1924 to 1932, more than two hundred works were created.(Source)

     

[AnotherSpin]

Yes I do. The WORST earworm my ears ever came across. Once heard, that tune sung by the old man just can't leave your head ! It has a hypnotic quality (?) that almost makes one seasick.

[..]

In those years, I really liked Tom Waits, and it was possibly because of Waits' participation that I began listening to the previously unknown to me Bryars. The moment at the end, when Waits' voice appears, was thrilling.