Your Favourite Purchases of 2019

[Symphonic Addict]

I really can't understand some people's aversion to Romantic symphonic music. Colorful and lush orchestration, gorgeous, sweeping and heartmelting tunes (the best of which will stay in one's head for a long time, forever even), plenty of drama, feelings and thoughts, overall an exhilarating experience, both sensual and intellectual --- what more could one ask for?

You have explained perfectly why I like so much Romantic symphonic music.

[vers la flamme]

Me loves that, too.

There's a time for everything under the sun: a time for Mahler and a time for Mompou, a time for Tchaikovsky and a time for Haydn. Happy are those who love them all for they'll never be bored all through their life. 

So true.

[Florestan]

You have explained perfectly why I like so much Romantic symphonic music.

mon semblable, — mon frère!

[Symphonic Addict]

mon semblable, — mon frère!

[Florestan]

To your health, Cesar, I do raise my glass as well! 

[Christo]

I really can't understand some people's aversion to Romantic symphonic music. Colorful and lush orchestration, gorgeous, sweeping and heartmelting tunes (the best of which will stay in one's head for a long time, forever even), plenty of drama, feelings and thoughts, overall an exhilarating experience, both sensual and intellectual --- what more could one ask for?

Very hard to tell the difference, but let's try a preliminary answer. For me, the problem is a thing named 'sentiment'. Anything sentimental should be under suspicion, the easiest way of hiding real intentions, all too often something rotten. Yet the greatest thing when it's simply being sincere.

Speaking for myself (others won't let me), I do love both the sentimental and the Romantic in Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Dvořák, Saint-Saëns, Grieg, perhaps even more in Samuel Barber, the perfect Romanticist, or Havergal Brian, Rued Langgaard, Franz Schmidt, William Alwyn, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Malcolm Arnold, Richard Arnell. Romanticism isn't the problem, sentimentality instead of sentiment can easily be one.   

[Florestan]

Very hard to tell the difference, but let's try a preliminary answer. For me, the problem is a thing named 'sentiment'. Anything sentimental should be under suspicion, the easiest way of hiding real intentions, all too often something rotten.

Romanticism isn't the problem, sentimentality instead of sentiment can easily be one.   

Please, give us an example or two or three of such sentimental music.

[Christo]

Please, give us an example or two or three of such sentimental music.

1. Schumann
2. Robert Schumann
3. Strauss
4. Ferenc Liszt
5. Richard Strauss again, and seven more times
6. Mahler, but just occasionally and as a means, not an end, yet taking much of your patience while listening through all the sentiment & bombast
7. Skryabin, Skrjabin, Scriabin, whatever
8. Sibelius when drunk (not always)
9. Alban Berg while shmaltzy, no time for composing
10. Kurt Atterberg when uninspired, just rarily ( )
11. Arnold Bax, Harriet Cohen spending a weekend with him
12. Your turn.

[Florestan]

1. Schumann
2. Robert Schumann
3. Strauss
4. Ferenc Liszt
5. Richard Strauss again, and seven more times
6. Mahler, but just occasionally and as a means, not an end, yet taking much of your patience while listening through all the sentiment & bombast
7. Skryabin, Skrjabin, Scriabin, whatever
8. Sibelius when drunk (not always)
9. Alban Berg while shmaltzy, no time for composing
10. Kurt Atterberg when uninspired, just rarily ( )
11. Arnold Bax, Harriet Cohen spending a weekend with him

Oh, dear! Oh my dear! Oh God almighty!

Do you really imply that all those composers wrote suspicious, hiding real intentions, all too often rotten, music?

[mc ukrneal]

1. Schumann
2. Robert Schumann
3. Strauss
4. Ferenc Liszt
5. Richard Strauss again, and seven more times
6. Mahler, but just occasionally and as a means, not an end, yet taking much of your patience while listening through all the sentiment & bombast
7. Skryabin, Skrjabin, Scriabin, whatever
8. Sibelius when drunk (not always)
9. Alban Berg while shmaltzy, no time for composing
10. Kurt Atterberg when uninspired, just rarily ( )
11. Arnold Bax, Harriet Cohen spending a weekend with him
12. Your turn.

Can I clarify? Are you talking about the music or the interpretations of that music?

[Daverz]

1. Schumann
2. Robert Schumann
3. Strauss
4. Ferenc Liszt
5. Richard Strauss again, and seven more times
6. Mahler, but just occasionally and as a means, not an end, yet taking much of your patience while listening through all the sentiment & bombast
7. Skryabin, Skrjabin, Scriabin, whatever
8. Sibelius when drunk (not always)
9. Alban Berg while shmaltzy, no time for composing
10. Kurt Atterberg when uninspired, just rarily ( )
11. Arnold Bax, Harriet Cohen spending a weekend with him
12. Your turn.

I get the impression that the commonality is bombast (what I call "tub thumping") and schmaltz.  Though I think Berg was only ironically schmaltzy, to the point of caricature in Wozzeck (I'm not as familiar with Lulu).  Mahler is similar, though he could certainly be sincerely schmaltzy.

How do Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Brahms get a pass?  Particularly Tchaikovsky.

[Christo]

I get the impression that the commonality is bombast (what I call "tub thumping") and schmaltz.  Though I think Berg was only ironically schmaltzy, to the point of caricature in Wozzeck (I'm not as familiar with Lulu).  Mahler is similar, though he could certainly be sincerely schmaltzy.

How do Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Brahms get a pass?  Particularly Tchaikovsky.

No complains about Tchaikovsky, whose overt sentimentality was firmly grounded in Weltschmerz & his personal life, sincerity always guaranteed. Saw Wozzeck live in La Scala four years ago and was thoroughly impressed, no complaints there either. Didn't mention Brahms, but could have done so, not my cup of tea most of the time (though love the German Requiem so much I even sang it ;-), fully agree about Mahler, a great composer IMHO (but who'm I) and something similar applies to Shostakovich (a sentimental exaggerator first class, but really first class, right composer at the right moment in Russian history called Civil War, Great Terror, WW II & Stalin once again, absolutely no complaints there either. Never heard any sentimental note from Dvořák, but a great Romantic he surely was. 

[Roasted Swan]

11. Arnold Bax, Harriet Cohen spending a weekend with him

Glib but factually vacant comment.  Bax was undoubtedly a high Romantic but there is absolutely nothing sentimental in his music... not once not anywhere.  If you want to use Harriet Cohen as the catalyst for such a description consider any/all of the works either written for her or inspired directly by her - Tintagel/November Woods/Symphonic Variations/Winter Legends for starters - big craggy unforgiving works - Romantic YES sentimental NO.

And as it happens I enjoy sentimental music as well.  Yes it can be obvious, yes it can achieve its ends by "easy" means but what is wrong with that and why suppose there always has to be an ulterior/nefarious motive? 

[vandermolen]

I asked my wife to buy me a turntable with built in speakers for Christmas, probably frowned upon here, but I've had great fun playing LPs for the first time in about 30 years. Here's one of my favourites (two great symphonies IMO) that I picked up recently:

[Christo]

Glib but factually vacant comment.  Bax was undoubtedly a high Romantic but there is absolutely nothing sentimental in his music... not once not anywhere.  If you want to use Harriet Cohen as the catalyst for such a description consider any/all of the works either written for her or inspired directly by her - Tintagel/November Woods/Symphonic Variations/Winter Legends for starters - big craggy unforgiving works - Romantic YES sentimental NO.

And as it happens I enjoy sentimental music as well.  Yes it can be obvious, yes it can achieve its ends by "easy" means but what is wrong with that and why suppose there always has to be an ulterior/nefarious motive?

Thanks, great contribution, point taken. As it happens, I enjoy much sentimental music too, love even Tchaikovsky (vague hope that Harry doesn't disagree too strongly with my verdict of him). 

[Mookalafalas]

[asin]B071FSG54X[/asin]      [asin]B06Y61X2WM[/asin]

   I got these both crazy cheap in a sale.  They've been making me very happy.

[Roasted Swan]

Thanks, great contribution, point taken. As it happens, I enjoy much sentimental music too, love even Tchaikovsky (vague hope that Harry doesn't disagree too strongly with my verdict of him). 

Christo - I reread my comment and thought .... ooh .... that's a bit high and mighty by me (I like Bax a lot so got my knickers in a bit of a twist) - thankyou for accepting the spirit if not the manner of my riposte!  I love Tchaikovsky too as well as pretty much all the arch-Romantics but I find their sentiment sincere.  Its the faux-spiritual stuff (Karl Jenkins et al) that gets me spluttering into my late night herbal tea.

[Christo]

Its the faux-spiritual stuff (Karl Jenkins et al) that gets me spluttering into my late night herbal tea.

Hahaha, attended an All Karl Jenkins concert in Utrecht as a waiter, not so many years ago (volunteering as a waiter gave me a free ticket & and freedom of movement during concerts, better than sitting in a chair all the time) and overheard all the table talk afterwards. I had just been hearing the most horrible music of my entire life, the audience the most moving, spiritual experience they couldn't stop talking about. Apparently music is in the ear of the beholder too. 

More acceptable yet not unlike Jenkins is John Rutter IMHO. Yet as a choir we deliberately bring one or two Rutter carols during our Christmas recital. Whatever we think of it (some of my colleagues won't share my allergy) we don't care, the audience enjoys it and is even more impressed with the "difficult stuff" next, e.g. Ēriks Ešenvalds (we did a premiere of his Magnificat et Nunc Dimittis, more to follow). But Jenkins ... 

[Roasted Swan]

Hahaha, attended an All Karl Jenkins concert in Utrecht as a waiter, not so many years ago (volunteering as a waiter gave me a free ticket & and freedom of movement during concerts, better than sitting in a chair all the time) and overheard all the table talk afterwards. I had just been hearing the most horrible music of my entire life, the audience the most moving, spiritual experience they couldn't stop talking about. Apparently music is in the ear of the beholder too. 

More acceptable yet not unlike Jenkins is John Rutter IMHO. Yet as a choir we deliberately bring one or two Rutter carols during our Christmas recital. Whatever we think of it (some of my colleagues won't share my allergy) we don't care, the audience enjoys it and is even more impressed with the "difficult stuff" next, e.g. Ēriks Ešenvalds (we did a premiere of his Magnificat et Nunc Dimittis, more to follow). But Jenkins ... 

I don't object to John Rutter because I don't think he tries to write music that is anything except what it is - tuneful, easy to assimilate, attractive.  He writes effectively for voices and instruments but without pretending there is any great depth to his music.  His carols - originals and arrangements "work" well - his co-edited three volumes of Carols for Choirs are a mainstay for many choirs and I like their practicality for singers of all abilities.  I clearly remember being at Primary School in the UK (the school you go to up to age 11) in the late 60's and the music teacher getting us to sing "The Shepherd's Pipe Carol" which must have been brand new/unknown at the time.  I absolutely loved it because it had a brightness and bounce that was quite different from the staid and steady "O Come All Ye...."

Another composer I encountered this year and enjoyed a lot but many don't is Ola Gjeilo.  My quartet was booked by a local choir to play for his "Luminous Night of the Soul" and it was a joy to do.  For sure not "challenging" music but a genuine balm to the senses and rewarding to play and perform.  And that's really all I want as a performer.  Here's a link of an American performance for those who don't know it....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OaRZrdoTQ0

[springrite]

A discussion about music soon turned into a discussion on English (the language, and words...) 
I love romantic music only in small doses.