What are you listening 2 now?

[Madiel]

I've never heard it! I have a friend who's a composer who, in classes, talks about how one of the initial decisions you make is about what's important to the composition and what can be left to the discretion of the performers. And he always mentions wryly how Stockhausen decided that having a helicopter was important, while Cage could write music for any instruments and any number of performers.

The Helicopter Quartet is in one of the Licht operas, Mittwoch/Wednesday. Quite how it has anything to do with the rest of the opera, I don't know (and don't really care to find out).

I actually found the basic idea of the Licht operas rather appealing. It's just that when I look at the actual contents past the initial 7-day cycle idea, it devolves into something unfathomably silly.

[Brass Hole]

A good programme with great pianism:

[Biffo]

Szymanowski: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2, op. 61 - Daniel Stabrawa violin with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle

[Madiel]

First listen to the work as far as I know... I've certainly been meaning to.



EDIT: Okay, this is definitely an opera I can get behind.

[amw]

Angela Hewitt Beethoven Op. 31 no. 3.

I have been enjoying all the Hewitt Beethoven sonatas I've heard so far (have acquired all 8 extant volumes) even though I have a sneaking suspicion that I shouldn't, that she's superficial or mannered or whatever. Her playing is certainly never boring, or ordinary, and at times illuminates aspects of the sonatas that don't usually get brought out. It is generally moderate (but not metronomic) in tempi, but not in dynamics or articulation, and lacks the last word in piano technique or nuance but makes up for it with good sound quality, minimal use of pedal, and a sense of humour.

I struggle at the moment to think of a comparable artist in Beethoven—Steven Osborne is more virtuosic, Charles Rosen uglier, Ikuyo Nakamichi prettier, Kazune Shimizu more smoothed out, but they're all names that came to mind. András Schiff is probably overall the most similar, but their styles have important points of difference (Schiff is generally more overtly eccentric and stilted when it comes to rhythm and phrasing, and more virtuosic, and obviously a Fazioli sounds very different from a Bösendorfer). I think I would rate Hewitt as more successful because her performances flow more naturally, but if you didn't like Schiff, you probably won't like Hewitt either.

[Brass Hole]

One of the best releases of this terrible year:

[Traverso]

Mozart

pianoconcert 23 & 27

[Brass Hole]

No 6 & 8:

[Todd]

[Biffo]

Martinu: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No 4 Incantation - Rudolf Firkusny piano with the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Libor Pesek

[vandermolen]

Martinu: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No 4 Incantation - Rudolf Firkusny piano with the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Libor Pesek

Very nice! The best of the Martinu PCs I think.

[vandermolen]

Madetoja: Symphony No.1
Hurwitz doesn't rate these performances but I enjoy them:

[Daverz]

Madetoja: Symphony No.1
Hurwitz doesn't rate these performances but I enjoy them:

I wouldn't say they were bad.  It's just that the Ondine recordings are so much better.

[Papy Oli]

Good afternoon all,

Skriabin - Preludes at the moment.

[Traverso]

Gabrieli

[Papy Oli]

Sibelius
Finlandia & Valse Triste
(Sanderling & Berliner SO)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Kalliwoda: String Quartet No. 1.  This one has a wonderful pizzicato Scherzo.  The Trio of the Scherzo and the Finale are folky and dancelike.  Much of it sounds like proto-Dvorak.



(Reissue of the Calliople CD.)

Oh neat!  I've been wanting to get ahold of his music.

How is the sound on the Japanese release?

PD

[Daverz]

Oh neat!  I've been wanting to get ahold of [Kalliwoda's] music.

How is the sound on the Japanese release?

PD

The sound is excellent, neither too reverberant or too dry.

[Biffo]

Very nice! The best of the Martinu PCs I think.

Very enjoyable but I only have Nos 2, 3 & 4 so can't say which is the best!

[Biffo]

Schubert: Piano Music for Four Hands - Rondo in D major, D 608; Eight Variation on an Original Theme in A flat major, D 813; Rondo i A major, D 951 - Paul Badura-Skoda and Jorg Demus