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#1
General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...
Last post by Madiel - Today at 04:11:33 PMProkofiev: The Prodigal Son
And here endeth the Ballets Russes. There's still one CD to go, of 'historical recordings', but that will have to wait a few months.
I'm very glad I purchased this set. For many of the works I don't know another performance, but it seems pretty solid and I was impressed with the sound quality of the recordings from as far back as the 1950s (sometimes they sound slightly better than the ones from the 1960s!).
As much as anything I appreciate the survey of history, even with all the gaps it's very instructive. Ballets Russes radically changed the course of dance.
I definitely want to go back and listen more carefully to the less familiar works or sets of works. Pretty well all of it seemed worth becoming more familiar with.
And here endeth the Ballets Russes. There's still one CD to go, of 'historical recordings', but that will have to wait a few months.
I'm very glad I purchased this set. For many of the works I don't know another performance, but it seems pretty solid and I was impressed with the sound quality of the recordings from as far back as the 1950s (sometimes they sound slightly better than the ones from the 1960s!).
As much as anything I appreciate the survey of history, even with all the gaps it's very instructive. Ballets Russes radically changed the course of dance.
I definitely want to go back and listen more carefully to the less familiar works or sets of works. Pretty well all of it seemed worth becoming more familiar with.
#2
Composer Discussion / Re: Haydn's Haus
Last post by Skogwald - Today at 04:10:50 PMQuote from: DavidW on Today at 08:35:14 AMI'm sure this has been discussed to death but what are your favorite piano trio recordings? For a complete set I like Trio 1790 and the Beaux Arts Trio. Outside of the box this is my favorite:
I like Van Swieten Trio the best. But they are some of the greatest works in the repertoire and all these you mentioned give me immense joy, too.
#3
General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...
Last post by Symphonic Addict - Today at 04:08:10 PMSilvestrov: String Quartets 1 and 2
I'm not properly a fan of this composer, but these two works sounded good to me and he's got a pretty identifiable voice/style. As usual with him, the feeling of gloomy melancholy pervades the whole pieces. The 1st quartet features more turbulence around its second half, nevertheless. This is not music to listen to often, much less in rainy days, it may get a little depressing.
I'm not properly a fan of this composer, but these two works sounded good to me and he's got a pretty identifiable voice/style. As usual with him, the feeling of gloomy melancholy pervades the whole pieces. The 1st quartet features more turbulence around its second half, nevertheless. This is not music to listen to often, much less in rainy days, it may get a little depressing.
#4
Composer Discussion / Re: CPE Bach (Carl Philipp Ema...
Last post by Skogwald - Today at 04:07:44 PMQuote from: Mandryka on July 29, 2023, 10:40:44 AMSpanyi on the Probestücke sonatas
In my opinion it is no exaggeration to say that C.P.E. Bach's eighteen Probestücke, grouped as six sonatas and published as an appendix to his epoch-making keyboard treatise Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen, are among the most substantial works in the composer's entire keyboard oeuvre. Although Bach's keyboard music shows an amazingly constant high quality it also has some extraordinary high points. I am prepared not only to rank the set of the Probestücke among these, but also to propose it as a pinnacle in the entire literature for the keyboard.
C.P.E. Bach's publications with pedagogical aims show that he never found composing for less skilled or amateur players or even beginners a burden but rather a special challenge, resulting (as in the case of some other brilliant key-board educators such as Johann Sebastian Bach or Bela Bart6k) in excellent pieces. But even among C. R E. Bach's pedagogical works the Probestücke hold a special place. In this publication Bach collected his most precious ideas, as if to demonstrate his finest skills as composer and pedagogue as well as his ideas about the aesthetics of keyboard playing: an hour's worth of music of pure beauty, full of the most varied and sparkling ideas. In most cases I have even refrained from adding embellishments to the repeats in binary movements in order to pre-sent these musical diamonds in their original, unadulterated, marvellous glow.
Even technical restrictions did not discourage Bach: the Probestücke are composed so that they could be played on less modern instruments of the time, with a keyboard range of only four octaves. We also know, from the text part of the Versuch, that Bach did not rule out the performance of the pieces on the harpsichord or other keyboard instruments although his preferred instrument was the clavichord. The Probestücke also contain some indications of Bebung, an effect similar to vibrato on string instruments and only possible to achieve on the clavichord among the keyboard instruments. At the time of composition of the Probestücke, more modern clavichords were being built with a five-octave compass. As the Versuch as well as the Probestücke remained relevant until the end of the eighteenth century (or even longer), I believe that the choice of a clavichord modelled on an instrument of the late eighteenth century is one of the possible historically correct choices. After much experimenting, my conclusion is that my large, late-Saxonian clavichord is a very convincing instrument for the Probestücke. Despite of its powerful and robust sound, the most delicate effects required by these compositions can be achieved on it. This is, however, only one of the numerous types of clavichord and keyboard instrument in general on which this music may have been performed in its time.
Very interesting post, thank you! Is the Spanyi the only recording available of these works?
#5
General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...
Last post by JBS - Today at 03:49:04 PMMoving forward in time
I find Fearful Symmetries to be more interesting than City Noir. It might be described as an expanded and bulked up Shaker Loops.
I find Fearful Symmetries to be more interesting than City Noir. It might be described as an expanded and bulked up Shaker Loops.
#6
General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What concerts are you look...
Last post by brewski - Today at 03:45:47 PMQuote from: T. D. on Today at 02:14:33 PMTo name just one...Ligeti's string quartets performed by the eponymous ensemble...
Right? The parade is kind of incredible. It reminds me somewhat of the early days of the BOAC marathon, when the offerings were a bit more diverse than in some years. (The Oberlin ensemble caused some flashbacks.)
-Bruce
#7
The Diner / Re: Last Movie You Watched
Last post by Madiel - Today at 03:42:31 PMQuote from: Madiel on Today at 03:58:53 AMI am in the middle of watching the Korean film "Decision to Leave". A Korean policeman investigating a man's death becomes obsessed with the much younger Chinese widow.
It's very quirky, but somehow that is intriguing me rather than annoying me. One of the most striking things is people appearing in scenes together when they're actually in different places, but one is observing or thinking about the other.
The second half did not disappoint.
Reminiscent of the classic film noir in terms of the plot, some nice twists, occasionally VERY funny (I had no idea I could laugh so hard at turtles), and definitely directed with visual flair (won Best Director at Cannes). Admittedly I broke the film roughly in half for personal reasons, but I think it was well-paced throughout. Well worth a watch.
#8
General Classical Music Discussion / Re: HIP Debate Chapter 85,000
Last post by DavidW - Today at 03:31:47 PMQuote from: Herman on Today at 11:51:19 AMWell, for one thing I would not have started a topic about this. I think my OP remarks were lifted out of another topic.
Yes it wasn't you. I clipped the whole thing from the Mozart thread because it was off topic.
#9
General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...
Last post by Dry Brett Kavanaugh - Today at 03:21:47 PMGRIGORY GINZBURG. LIVE RECORDINGS AT MOSCOW CONSERVATORY.
#10
General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...
Last post by VonStupp - Today at 03:20:49 PMPercy Grainger
Works for Chorus and Orchestra
Sydney Chamber Choir
Melbourne SO & Choir - Sir Andrew Davis
I found this in my to-be-listened-to pile, from the late Andrew Davis.
VS
Works for Chorus and Orchestra
Sydney Chamber Choir
Melbourne SO & Choir - Sir Andrew Davis
I found this in my to-be-listened-to pile, from the late Andrew Davis.
VS