What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

Bach

Vol.4 CD 2

[Madiel]

Haydn: Keyboard Sonata no.52 in G



A fine and inventive work (would one expect anything less of Haydn c.1780?). One of its notable features is that it's one of a pair of sonatas where Haydn used the same theme but gave it different treatments. He got the publisher of the first edition to print a statement that this was intentional so that people wouldn't criticise the similarity.

[Madiel]

The funny thing is that some people accept, or even demand, unsatisfactory instruments on the reason that "it's what they played and listened to back then", but when it is pointed out to them that, by the same token, unsatisfactory environments and etiquette should also be accepted, because "it's where and how they listened back then", they strongly disagree.

Let's not spend all night preaching to the choir.

[ritter]

The funny thing is that some people accept, or even demand, unsatisfactory instruments on the reason that "it's what they played and listened to back then", but when it is pointed out to them that, by the same token, unsatisfactory environments and etiquette should also be accepted, because "it's where and how they listened back then", they strongly disagree.

¡Don erre que erre! 

Good day to you, Andrei!

[Florestan]

Good day to you, Andrei!

To you too, Rafael.

[Harry]

BACH, Johann Sebastian (1685–1750)
Complete Organ works.
Volume I.
See for details back cover.
Masaaki Suzuki, Plays on the Schnitger organ, in the Martini Church, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Pitch: a' = 465 Hz & Tuning: after Hinz, Variant of Neidhardt.
July 2014 at the Martinikerk, Groningen, The Netherlands.

A marvelous performance, and SOTA recording, which is no mean feat in the acoustics of the Martini Church. Time and time again I hear this fine instrument, and know full well, it will not get better as the present time and age.

[prémont]

The funny thing is that some people accept, or even demand, unsatisfactory instruments on the reason that "it's what they played and listened to back then", but when it is pointed out to them that, by the same token, unsatisfactory environments and etiquette should also be accepted, because "it's where and how they listened back then", they strongly disagree.

What you don't understand is that there are people - many of them active musicians - who think that the old "imperfect" instruments are the ideal vehicles for the old music written for them. Fortunately for you though, you can still enjoy old music played on "perfect" modern instruments. Each to his own.

[Madiel]

What you don't understand is that there are people - many of them active musicians - who think that the old "imperfect" instruments are the ideal vehicles for the old music written for them. Fortunately for you though, you can still enjoy old music played on "perfect" modern instruments. Each to his own.

In fact I consider there are quite a few cases where the old instruments are the better choice. But honky-tonk piano is not one of them.

[Traverso]

What you don't understand is that there are people - many of them active musicians - who think that the old "imperfect" instruments are the ideal vehicles for the old music written for them. Fortunately for you though, you can still enjoy old music played on "perfect" modern instruments. Each to his own.

Have you listened to the Bach trio sonatas (Bergwerff) and what is your verdict....

[prémont]

In fact I consider there are quite a few cases where the old instruments are the better choice. But honky-tonk piano is not one of them.

I agree with you so far that I don't think all restored or rebuilt fortepianos are a pure joy to listen to.

[prémont]

Have you listened to the Bach trio sonatas (Bergwerff) and what is your verdict....

Yes, I listened to them twice in the weekend, and you will find my comments in the "Bach on the organ" thread.

[vandermolen]

Claudio Santoro:

[Madiel]

Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto



I feel I can appreciate this better after digging into Nielsen's body of work more. It has something in common with the 6th symphony, in that Nielsen uses rather small-scale forces. There's almost a neoclassical tinge to it, although Nielsen's approach to harmony and form is still very Nielsen and the clarinet flies off every which way. Plus the snare drum plays a starring role.

[Traverso]

Yes, I listened to them twice in the weekend, and you will find my comments in the "Bach on the organ" thread.

I look it up...

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker. Utah Symphony & Maurice Abravanel.

[Traverso]

Corelli

12 Concerti Grossi Op.6

Musica Amphion Pieter-Jan Belder

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Shostakovich Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43

[DavidW]

[Que]

The funny thing is that some people accept, or even demand, unsatisfactory instruments on the reason that "it's what they played and listened to back then", but when it is pointed out to them that, by the same token, unsatisfactory environments and etiquette should also be accepted, because "it's where and how they listened back then", they strongly disagree.

There is no such thing as "unsatisfactory" instruments, Andrei. Over time technical developements have create new possibilities and changes of the circumstances in performing led to new requirements. Though I dare anyone to demonstrate that the people that construct a present-day "run-of-the-mill" Steinways posses technical skills that are superior to Johannes Ruckers, the famous Flemish harpsichord builder, or Constanzo Antegnati, the famous Italian organ builder.

[Florestan]

What you don't understand is that there are people - many of them active musicians - who think that the old "imperfect" instruments are the ideal vehicles for the old music written for them.

If ideality (is this a word?) means agreement between something and the original vehicle through which that something was presented, then I have no problem whatsoever in agreeing that harpsichords are ideal for Bach's keyboard partitas. My problem is with the selective application of this criterion. Harpsichords were not designed for being listened to in concert halls or through headphones from a recording. Therefore, such listening environments are not ideal for Bach's keyboard partitas. Demanding strict adherence to harpsichords while making allowance for recordings or recitals is inconsistent in terms of ideality. We can have the ideal instrument but rarely, if ever, do we have the ideal environment too, and therefore rarely, if ever,  do we have the ideal experience of old music. That's all I'm saying --- and this is the last time I'm saying it.