What are you listening 2 now?

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

NP: Koechlin Nouvelles sonatines Nos. 1-4, Op. 87 (Korstick)

Good recording, John. I like Korstick's recordings of Debussy as well.
You mentioned some of your favorite Debussy piano recordings several times, but Korstick was not included.

[Mandryka]

Had to deviate from my usual listening pensum today because the stitches in my eyes were removed. Painful business that. Have already 50% of my vision back, and the doc is very optimistic of even further improvement, I believed her, she"s very pretty and capable in that field. I want to believe, didn't Fox Mulder say so? 

Good news! Fingers crossed.

[Iota]

Well, fleetingly. First time was in Bayreuth in 1979 (I was in my teens at the time, and Boulez was conducting the Ring for the fourth summer). He was having lunch a couple of tables away from the one my mother and I were sitting at in the restaurant of our hotel. I had bought a poster of the Bayreuth Festival, that had a portrait of Wagner and his signature printed on it, and went to fetch it from my room; when it seemed appropriate, walked over to Boulez's table and asked him to sign it. He said he'd be delighted, looked at the poster, and slyly said: "I'll sign above Wagner's signature!" to immedaietly add "No, better below", and stamped his minuscule signature in the "right" place. The framed poster (which also has the signatures of many of the singers of that summer,  and of conductors Edo de Waart and Dennis Russell Davies, who led Lohengrin and The Flying Dutchman, respectively) still hangs on my walls.

Later, during the Madrid concerts in 1992, I also exchanged a couple of words with him (he was very polite and friendly), and then had a short online exchange with him (about his at the time long-awaited opera, that was never to be) on the now defuct Deutsche Grammophon "Yellow Lounge" forum.

Good day to you, John.

  A nice story, I like his gentle humour. It also made me laugh a little, as the idea of my mother at Bayreuth is just about as far from the realms of possibility as such a thing could be!  (Neither of my parents ever really listened to music.)

Good news Harry! I wish you a speedy recovery.

+1


Playing here:



Prokofiev Piano Sonata No.3

Yefim Bronfman

For now, all other pianists have been eclipsed by Ovchinnikov for me in the Prokofiev sonatas, but still very glad to have this great set by another great pianist, lurking on my shelves.
None of the capriciousness and ambiguity of Ovchinnikov, but full of glitter, brilliance and moments of lyricism, and undeniably a fantastic performance.

[Symphonic Addict]

A Jewish cellist who's in rancher clothing. Hmmm...looks like a candidate for worst album cover.

I was just listening to this last week. Some very good music in it, but the cover is just... strange! You'd expect some Ricky Skaggs or Buck Owens!

I kind of agree, but as said before, music is what counts in the end.

[Symphonic Addict]

Most interesting, thanks!

The Rouse or the Mosolov or both? 

[Symphonic Addict]

When I mention a composer or suggest a work that rarely appears here, another different person is given the credit for that. People can sometimes be really weird.

[ritter]

Revisiting the music of Matthias Pintscher

[Symphonic Addict]

Listening to Avshalomov's Symphony No. 1 for the first time. It has strong echoes from Chinese music.

[ritter]

And before calling it a night, revisiting Ernst Krenek's Symphonie "Pallas Athene", op. 137  (music derived from the 1954 opera Pallas Athene weint, even if the symphony was completed before the opera):


Very serious, but very engaging, 12-tone stuff. Excellent!

[Symphonic Addict]

Another American Concerto for orchestra, and quite fun it is! Both recording and performance are impressive.

[SimonNZ]

[Symphonic Addict]

I confirmed I have a special fondness for Schumann's piano sonatas.




This disc contains some vibrant, colourful and very Czech-sounding music, just that in a sort of late-Romantic fashion. The sound quality is impeccable and potent.

[André]

Krenek's biggest symphonic work and a formidable work by all accounts. I am strongly reminded of Bruckner's 9th by virtue of its cast, practically identical (two huge movements sandwiching the scherzo, with timings of 23, 12 and 21 minutes), and the fact that its material gives rise to patiently constructed, enormous sonic edifices. Essentially atonal, built around thematic and rythmic cells developed to breaking point. Think of the B9 scherzo's timpani ostinatos, or the huge dissonant passages of the Adagio (say, minutes 12-20) and fast forward some 30 years. Quite the symphonic juggernaut.

[Daverz]

Krenek's biggest symphonic work and a formidable work by all accounts. I am strongly reminded of Bruckner's 9th by virtue of its cast, practically identical (two huge movements sandwiching the scherzo, with timings of 23, 12 and 21 minutes), and the fact that its material gives rise to patiently constructed, enormous sonic edifices. Essentially atonal, built around thematic and rythmic cells developed to breaking point. Think of the B9 scherzo's timpani ostinatos, or the huge dissonant passages of the Adagio (say, minutes 12-20) and fast forward some 30 years. Quite the symphonic juggernaut.

Quite interested in how much of the cycle you will be covering.  I was quite impressed by No. 3.

Now playing, first listen:



Kremer seems more measured at the outset of the Violin Concerto than other recordings (there are a lot of them now).  This must be the best orchestra that has recorded the work.

[Karl Henning]

Good recording, John. I like Korstick's recordings of Debussy as well.
You mentioned some of your favorite Debussy piano recordings several times, but Korstick was not included.

Love this disc.

[Karl Henning]

The Rouse or the Mosolov or both? 

I meant the Rouse, but I'm curious about the Mosolov, as well.

[Karl Henning]

When I mention a composer or suggest a work that rarely appears here, another different person is given the credit for that. People can sometimes be really weird.

If I've done, I'm sorry.

[Mirror Image]

Well, fleetingly. First time was in Bayreuth in 1979 (I was in my teens at the time, and Boulez was conducting the Ring for the fourth summer). He was having lunch a couple of tables away from the one my mother and I were sitting at in the restaurant of our hotel. I had bought a poster of the Bayreuth Festival, that had a portrait of Wagner and his signature printed on it, and went to fetch it from my room; when it seemed appropriate, walked over to Boulez's table and asked him to sign it. He said he'd be delighted, looked at the poster, and slyly said: "I'll sign above Wagner's signature!" to immedaietly add "No, better below", and stamped his minuscule signature in the "right" place. The framed poster (which also has the signatures of many of the singers of that summer,  and of conductors Edo de Waart and Dennis Russell Davies, who led Lohengrin and The Flying Dutchman, respectively) still hangs on my walls.

Later, during the Madrid concerts in 1992, I also exchanged a couple of words with him (he was very polite and friendly), and then had a short online exchange with him (about his at the time long-awaited opera, that was never to be) on the now defuct Deutsche Grammophon "Yellow Lounge" forum.

Good day to you, John.

That's so wonderful, Rafael. It must've been an absolute thrill meeting one of your heroes. You know, sometimes, we have these people build up so large in our minds that we forget that they're just ordinary people when all is said and done. I would've love to meet him as well, because I have admired him for quite some time as a conductor, but I'm proud that I developed an appreciation for his own music, too. A remarkable musician all-around and there will never be another one like him.

[Mirror Image]

NP: Schulhoff Esquisses de Jazz (Tomáš Víšek)

[Mirror Image]

NP: Roussel Sinfonietta, Op. 52 (Cluytens)