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Britten
Simple Symphony
Britten Quartet

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Last work for the night:

Saint-Saëns
Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61
Andrew Wan, violin
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
Kent Nagano





A little background information on this work:

Saint-Saëns composed a number of concertos, among them two for cello, five for piano, and three for violin. As he had the Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 28 (1859), and the Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Op. 28 (1863), Saint-Saëns composed the Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61, for the virtuoso violinist Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908). Sarasate gave the first performance of the work at one of the composer's many Monday soirées in 1880, the year Saint-Saëns completed the piece.

As in all the pieces Saint-Saëns composed for Sarasate, the Violin Concerto No. 3 frequently allows the soloist to display technical prowess; however, the piece requires refined musicality, as well. The Third Concerto stands out among Saint-Saëns' works in the genre because it reverts to a format with three clearly separated movements.

The concerto begins without an orchestral introduction; instead, only quietly rumbling chords that provide a harmonic background for the harsh violin theme can be heard. As the first movement progresses, it reveals itself as a very dramatic essay, contrasting passionate, effusive sections with more gentle passages. With a basic outline of sonata form, the movement features a first theme that conveys a sense of yearning and searching through numerous accents and an apparent lack of direction. After a few flashy flourishes from the soloist, the full orchestra powerfully re-states parts of the main theme, creating a transition to the contrasting, lyrical secondary theme. Fragmentation and thematic transformation propel the movement toward a rousing conclusion.

For the second movement, Saint-Saëns composed a barcarolle in which the violin and woodwinds exchange material. The key, B flat major, is striking in that it is a half step below that of the first movement. The melodies are Italianate in this 6/8 time movement, marked Andantino quasi Allegretto. Judging from Sarasate's own compositions, the second movement of Saint-Saëns' concerto is well suited to the violinist's elegant style. The excellent close features a violin line of harmonics that climbs to the stratosphere and seems to disappear.

Surprisingly, a slow introduction, which one might expect to open the first movement of a symphony or concerto, precedes the finale. Marked Molto moderato e maestoso, the introduction, with its coarse violin part alternating with busy orchestral passages, avoids the key of the movement, B minor. After reaching the dominant, the tempo shifts to Allegro non troppo and the movement begins. Throughout the finale, the orchestra is more involved in the musical argument than it is in the previous movements. The opening, leaping theme with triplets contrasts with a rising scale that is the secondary idea, and at the center of the movement can be heard an elegant, cantabile section in G major in which the orchestra takes a leading role. Occasionally the movement takes on a "gypsy" flavor before a return of the leaping theme leads to a change to B major, a brief, chorale-like passage for the orchestra and flashy conclusion in the new key.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

[foxandpeng]

Some symphonies by this composer remind me of Schnittke. There is a sort of "schizophrenic" aura to those pieces.

I don't know Schnittke as well as I should, but I can see what you mean - on both counts. I did try to listen to #7 late last night, but it was a little fraught fir that time of night. Much to enjoy here. 

[Que]

Morning listening on Spotify:



Impressive.

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Cantata BWV 20 "O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort" [Gardiner]

[Harry]

Believe it our not, all the backlog has been listened to, so finally I can start delving in my collection. I start with a CD I bought in 1995, and after one hearing I never visited again, that was my reaction to the enormous piles of CD'S that needed an outing.

Franz Berwald.

The Queen of Golconda, Overture.
Piano Concerto in D major.
Festival of the Bayaderes.
Violin Concerto in C sharp minor, opus 2.
Serious and joyful Fancies.

Royal PO, Ulf Björlin.

Marian Migdal, Piano.
Arve Tellefsen, Violin.


Recorded in 1976 in the Abbey Road Studios by Stuart Eltman, this ADD recording sounds really beautiful, and about the performance is nothing to complain. Marvelous start me thinks.

[Traverso]

Bach

Musikalisches Opfer


This is one of my favorite works by Bach

[Florestan]

The Lekeu sonata needs no introduction and the Ysaye pieces are utterly charming. A superb disc, Florestan's Stamp of Approval.

[aligreto]

Arnold: Overtures [Gamba]






Tam O' Shanter
A Flourish For Orchestra
The Fair Field
A Sussex Overture

[Harry]

I bought this set in 2010, played it in 2010, 2012 & 2016. Time to revisit this music.

Niels W. Gade.

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, & No. 8 in B minor.

Stockholm Sinfonietta, Neeme Jarvi,

[Traverso]

Messiaen

Returning to this fine collection

[Biffo]

Richard Strauss: Dance Suite from harpsichord pieces by Francois Couperin - Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Rudolf Kempe

[Florestan]

And we're back to the art of programming again.

I don't always want people to do it. I mean, if someone supplies me a group of opuses in number order so be it. In the days of digital music I just won't listen to it all at once. But I do like it when people show they've put some thought into the music listening experience.

Chopin's music is ideally suited to this kind of recital.

[Florestan]

I had rather hgh expectations but I'm disappointed. The balance between orchestral sections is poorly judged resulting in a rather annoying distorsion of music's character. KV 16 in particular is virtually unrecognizable. A quick comparison with Pinnock or Hogwood is enough to put this in the Meh! category.

[Traverso]

Bach

English Suite No.6 BWV 811
French Suite No.5 BWV 816
Prelude and Fugue No.15  BWV 860 (wtc)
Prelude and Fugue No. 39 BWV 884  (wtc)

[Harry]

Bought this set in 2008, and played it twice, 2008 & 2009. Revisited.

Bohuslav Martinu.
Symphonies No. 1 & 5.
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bryden Thomson.

[Florestan]

The piano cycle, KV 311.

Now, this is some properly played Mozart.

[ritter]

Although I have two quasi-complete Debussy piano sets coming my way (Jacques Février and Hans Henkemans), I'm now listening to the Images played by Monique Haas.

CD 2 of this set:



This is a set I keep in my office. When I first bought it, I wasn't that impressed. This time around, though, I think Mme. Haas does a splendid job in the Images.

"A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday." 

[Spotted Horses]

Roussel, Petite Suite, Martinon

It is an Erato Disque recording from the 60's that appears in this collection:



A charming work in three movements, colorful performance. Enjoyed the trumpet in the last movement.

[Harry]

Bought in 2007. Played twice, 2007 & 2008.

Franz Berwald.
Symphonies and Overtures.
CD I.
Symphony No. 2 & 3.
Overtures: Estrella de Soria & The Queen of Golconda.

Swedish Radio SO, Roy Goodman.

Fine performances, well recorded by Tony Faulkner.