What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Lethevich]

This is VERY interesting!! I had dismissed Nordgren as too much of a 'modernist' for my tastes but on what basis or what evidence I am blowed if I can remember

Can you help me at all by comparing his music to that by any other composer-either Finnish or another nationality?  Thanks.

I really suck at this sort of thing, so I figure sounds may be better than words - this is the first movement of the 3rd. It IS atypical in its almost tonality/post-romanticism, but isn't out of place amongst the other movements either. I am not greatly familiar with the music of these countries, but at a stretch it could perhaps be said to resemble Pettersson by way of minimalist period Górecki, although a little more ritualistic and less traditionally tonal in sound. Here is the finale, which sounds a bit like like Pettersson paying a visit to Xenakis's house in the heavy use of militaristic drumming, tortured brass, several "unmusical" dissonances that Pettersson generally would not use*, and overall atmosphere of oppression. I find the ending quite satisfying too.

*Pettersson seems relatively single-minded in his use of dissonance to indicate struggle or oppression, and to build them on top of and integrate them into a basically tonal (but emotionally dark) structure. This Nordgren symphony uses dissonance it in a slightly more abstract manner, as well as percussion being used during the relatively serene moments that Pettersson would use to go all-out Romantic (soaring strings, woodwind solos, etc) in (the percussion is one area where Nordgren's Japanese influences do show through occasionally). The general Nordgren atmosphere is more ambiguous, despite occasional explosions.

Edit: This is all, of course, probably wrong - which is why I included the samples

[karlhenning]

Those Nordgren covers alone would be enough to get me to explore his music.  I don't think I've heard any of his work. 

You are such a judge-a-book-by-its-cover guy, Bruce! 

[Harry]

 

[Dundonnell]

I really suck at this sort of thing, so I figure sounds may be better than words - this is the first movement of the 3rd. It IS atypical in its almost tonality/post-romanticism, but isn't out of place amongst the other movements either. I am not greatly familiar with the music of these countries, but at a stretch it could perhaps be said to resemble Pettersson by way of minimalist period Górecki, although a little more ritualistic and less traditionally tonal in sound. Here is the finale, which sounds a bit like like Pettersson paying a visit to Xenakis's house in the heavy use of militaristic drumming, tortured brass, several "unmusical" dissonances that Pettersson generally would not use*, and overall atmosphere of oppression. I find the ending quite satisfying too.

*Pettersson seems relatively single-minded in his use of dissonance to indicate struggle or oppression, and to build them on top of and integrate them into a basically tonal (but emotionally dark) structure. This Nordgren symphony uses dissonance it in a slightly more abstract manner, as well as percussion being used during the relatively serene moments that Pettersson would use to go all-out Romantic (soaring strings, woodwind solos, etc) in (the percussion is one area where Nordgren's Japanese influences do show through occasionally). The general Nordgren atmosphere is more ambiguous, despite occasional explosions.

Edit: This is all, of course, probably wrong - which is why I included the samples

Thank you very much for all this! I shall listen with great interest and get back to you I am currently on a Peter Mennin binge-quite a lot of dissonance here too-in order to tackle Karl's comparison of Mennin with Pettersson

[Harry]

Thank you very much for all this! I shall listen with great interest and get back to you I am currently on a Peter Mennin binge-quite a lot of dissonance here too-in order to tackle Karl's comparison of Mennin with Pettersson

Who's this Mennin fellow? Is there a composer one can compare to Pettersson??
What a sad notion!

[karlhenning]

Not sad, mijn vriend; Mennin is better overall, I am feeling.

[Harry]

Not sad, mijn vriend; Mennin is better overall, I am feeling.

Well well, really, gosh, now I have to check that out.
Could you give me some direction where to look for recordings of his Symphonies.

[karlhenning]

Well well, really, gosh, now I have to check that out.
Could you give me some direction where to look for recordings of his Symphonies.

Not an easy matter;  I am not sure that all his symphonies have been recorded . . . wonder what Alun Francis is doing nowadays? 

I have this recording of the Fifth & Sixth Symphonies, and the Concertato, "Moby-Dick", which I think very good.

My favorite Mennin so far is the Symphony No. 7 (Variation Symphony), available from nwcri.

[Dundonnell]

Well well, really, gosh, now I have to check that out.
Could you give me some direction where to look for recordings of his Symphonies.

My dear Harry, I started a thread about Peter Mennin in the Composers' Forum. In that thread I listed all the cd versions of Mennin's symphonies!

Go visit

but to assist you-

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,8478.0.html

[Harry]

My dear Harry, I started a thread about Peter Mennin in the Composers' Forum. In that thread I listed all the cd versions of Mennin's symphonies!

Go visit

but to assist you-

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,8478.0.html

Thankee!

[Harry]

Not an easy matter;  I am not sure that all his symphonies have been recorded . . . wonder what Alun Francis is doing nowadays? 

I have this recording of the Fifth & Sixth Symphonies, and the Concertato, "Moby-Dick", which I think very good.

My favorite Mennin so far is the Symphony No. 7 (Variation Symphony), available from nwcri.

I will act on that Karl, thank you!

[mozartsneighbor]

Joseph Jongen (1873-1953) String Quartets op. 7 & 50, Gong Quartet

[SonicMan46]

Doing some re-listening of several recent purchases this afternoon:

Bonis, Mel(anie) (1858-1937) - Piano Quartets w/ the Mozart Piano Quartet; ordered a disc of her flute works recently - should be on the way!

Dussek, Jan (1760-1812) - Piano Sonatas, Op. 77 & 9;1-3 w/ Markus Becker - 

 

[Harry]

Played it for the first time, and that was quite a adventure, I tell you, wonderful stuff!

[Harry]

And this is also a wonderful discovery!

[Dundonnell]

Played it for the first time, and that was quite a adventure, I tell you, wonderful stuff!

You see, Harry, we CAN agree   A much better work than some recent reviews have indicated!

(I am sure that we do agree most of the time )

[SonicMan46]

And this is also a wonderful discovery!

Harry - I've never heard of this Bulgarian composer! And w/ a first name of Pancho, sounds like a relative of a Mexican bandito of the early 20th century; but I was just reviewing his Wiki Bio, which is quite impressive - I've added this disc to my 'wish list' and hope that you and/or others might recommend some other of his works, e.g. any chamber or orchestral compositions of interest?  Thanks, as always - 

[Dundonnell]

Harry - I've never heard of this Bulgarian composer! And w/ a first name of Pancho, sounds like a relative of a Mexican bandito of the early 20th century; but I was just reviewing his Wiki Bio, which is quite impressive - I've added this disc to my 'wish list' and hope that you and/or others might recommend some other of his works, e.g. any chamber or orchestral compositions of interest?  Thanks, as always - 

May I assist by recommending this CPO disc of the Bulgarian Dances, the Bulgarian Rhapsody "Vardar" and the Traumspielsuite- all rich, colourful works played with great enthusiasm.

I should have added that Vladigerov was the Bulgarian Enescu but without the genius! Still...five piano concertos, two violin concertos, symphonies

[SonicMan46]

May I assist by recommending this CPO disc of the Bulgarian Dances, the Bulgarian Rhapsody "Vardar" and the Traumspielsuite- all rich, colourful works played with great enthusiasm.

Boy, that's service w/ a smile -    Thanks - those were the very works that interested me from reading the Wiki article on this composer - guess that I'll be ordering 2 CDs!

Dinner music for us tonight - some wonderful clarinet music w/ Thea King on the budget Helios label (just $5 each from BRO):

Stanford, Charles & Finzi, Gerald - Clarinet Concertos w/ Alun Francis - in the Fanfare 'Hall of Fame'!

Tausch, Franz (1762-1817) - Concertos for Two Clarinets - King + Nicholas Bucknall w/ Hager & the English Chamber Orch - 

 

[karlhenning]

Janáček
Sinfonietta
LSO
Abbado

First movement is a little deliberate, a little 'solemn';  still, an excellent performance.