Elliott Carter, 1908-2012

[petrarch]

It is quite good. As usual, the interviews/documentary are quite worthwhile, as they provide insight into the composer as person, what are his concerns, ways of thinking, daily life, and so on. It is sad to note that his wife--who helped him a lot in his daily routine matters and who takes part in some segments of the documentary--passed away shortly after filming was completed. Makes one wonder how the aging composer gets by without his long-time, loving companion.

Sorry, I was confusing the Quintets and Voices DVD with the Juxtapositions one re the documentary. The interview on Quintets and Voices is still interesting (it's really a long conversation between Carter, Irvine Arditti and Ursula Oppens), but the highlights of that disc are the excellent recordings of the 6 pieces it contains, namely the string quartet Fragment II and the Quintet for piano and strings, two pieces from the late 90s.

[Concord]

Release date is Oct. 30. I've preordered mine. It's the third recording of this wonderful concerto and will be my b-day present to  myself.

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Weilerstein is scheduled to appear with the Philadelphia Orchestra in December. Of course, she'll be playing the Elgar. 

[Concord]

The man's own effing blog! Eff yeah! Link sent by the great John Schott.

[snyprrr]

I feel like I want to take the plunge on Night Fantasies. I remember not liking this piece waaay back in the day, thinking it was grey and ugly and blah blah. Somehow I figure Aimard can fix it all for me. Yes?

[Karl Henning]

Hmm . . . wonder why the gatekeeper is blocking the URL f@$%yeahelliottcarter.tumblr.com . . . .

[PaulSC]

I feel like I want to take the plunge on Night Fantasies. I remember not liking this piece waaay back in the day, thinking it was grey and ugly and blah blah. Somehow I figure Aimard can fix it all for me. Yes?

Maybe. He has a great command of the piece but tends to flatten out the contrasts. Drury is the most exciting I think, and I like Rosen (did he re-record for the "complete" set? If so, it's the first recording, paired with the Sonata, that I know...)

Austbo has a new one that interests me, but I've only heard a tiny preview:
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[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I feel like I want to take the plunge on Night Fantasies. I remember not liking this piece waaay back in the day, thinking it was grey and ugly and blah blah. Somehow I figure Aimard can fix it all for me. Yes?

Dunno about Aimard, but Ursula Oppens' version (on Cedille) worked instant magic on me. This, for a piece which is said to be one his thorniest, knottiest, gnarliest (pick your adjective) scores. Maybe it helped that I was suffering from insomnia at the time.

[snyprrr]

Maybe. He has a great command of the piece but tends to flatten out the contrasts. Drury is the most exciting I think, and I like Rosen (did he re-record for the "complete" set? If so, it's the first recording, paired with the Sonata, that I know...)

Austbo has a new one that interests me, but I've only heard a tiny preview:
[asin]B005QJ4DC6[/asin]

Maybe the 'flattening' might appeal to my sore nerves, haha? I don't think I'd mind that at all; however, Drury is good. That Austbo review makes a great case. I'll check YT.

[snyprrr]

Maybe. He has a great command of the piece but tends to flatten out the contrasts. Drury is the most exciting I think, and I like Rosen (did he re-record for the "complete" set? If so, it's the first recording, paired with the Sonata, that I know...)

Austbo has a new one that interests me, but I've only heard a tiny preview:
[asin]B005QJ4DC6[/asin]

YT had Oppens '80, Rosen '82, and Aimard!. True, Aimard plays the piece like I remember him playing the Boulez No.1 on that old Erato cd, very fantastical, fleeting, precise, always sounding beautiful,... and, compared to Rosen, yes, he compresses the dynamics, but, as I suspected, the Teldec recording is so yummy, all other considerations seem to... uh, there they go, haha! But wow, what is up with the Oppens?: the the record itself really sound so clangy? She's certainly the most violent. I'm sure it was her recording that turned me off many decades ago. If Drury is recorded as well as Aimard is, and plays like Rosen or better or whatever, well, that would be cool.

[Concord]

I have all the recordings of Night Fantasies except the most recent by Mr. Austbo. My favorite is Drury's, though I can't tell you why. It simply grabs me more than most others. My other two favorites are Oppens (her second recording on Cedille) and Aimard. Oppens is more muscular. (I saw her play it at Curtis, and she was stunning.) Aimard is quieter, more sensitive, more subtle — in a word, French. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these three, although the Oppens CD has the added attraction  of including all of Carter's other piano music to date.

Oh, BTW, Brewski, yesterday I had the pleasure of interviewing the conductor David Hayes, who led the Mannes Orchestra in the NYC premiere of Carter's Flute Concerto last season, which I believe you attended. He'll be conducting a concert of American choral music next week in Philadelphia. The program includes Carter's two Dickinson settings.

[snyprrr]

I have all the recordings of Night Fantasies except the most recent by Mr. Austbo. My favorite is Drury's, though I can't tell you why. It simply grabs me more than most others. My other two favorites are Oppens (her second recording on Cedille) and Aimard. Oppens is more muscular. (I saw her play it at Curtis, and she was stunning.) Aimard is quieter, more sensitive, more subtle — in a word, French. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these three, although the Oppens CD has the added attraction  of including all of Carter's other piano music to date.

Oh, BTW, Brewski, yesterday I had the pleasure of interviewing the conductor David Hayes, who led the Mannes Orchestra in the NYC premiere of Carter's Flute Concerto last season, which I believe you attended. He'll be conducting a concert of American choral music next week in Philadelphia. The program includes Carter's two Dickinson settings.

Well, that's two for Drury.

[Brian]

103 years is a pretty long run.

Still. 

[bwv 1080]

David Starobim posted on Facebook that EC died today, just a month shy of his 104th birthday

[KeithW]

103 years is a pretty long run.

Still. 

EDIT: Caution. This has been reported by BBC Music Magazine, The Guardian, and KUSC radio, but there does not yet appear to be an official statement from the family. Looking for verification.

sad news indeed.  This report seems to have some confirmation:
http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/carter1908-2012

[not edward]

Very sad (if hardly unexpected) news. A true giant gone.

According to his publisher, he had remained actively composing until a short time ago. Daniel Barenboim premiered Dialogues II a couple of weeks ago, and he had recently completed a short (8-minute) work Instances for the Seattle Symphony to be premiered in February.

[KeithW]

sad news indeed.  This report seems to have some confirmation:
http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/carter1908-2012

and there's a nice tribute from our local classical radio station:

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/blogs/wqxr-blog/2012/nov/05/elliott-carter-american-modernist-composer-dies-103/

[San Antone]

Sad news.  Elliott Carter is one of the greats. 

[Brahmsian]

Sad news.     Yet, a very long lived and productive life.  RIP.

[Mirror Image]

Don't care for his music, but he remained a musical force to be reckoned with most of his composing career. RIP

[kishnevi]

Don't care for his music, but he remained a musical force to be reckoned with most of his composing career. RIP

John, have you ever listened to his string quartets?  Quite worthwhile,  and they'll probably hold their own in comparison to any other chamber works composed in the 20th-21st century era--and as you know,  I have a rather limited appetite for most 20th century music.

I have them on 2 Naxos CDs played by the Pacifica Quartet; don't know what other performances are available.

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These represent his complete set of quartets.
Unless, of course, he wrote something in the genre in 2009 or after.....