What are you listening 2 now?

[Brian]

Shortly before writing his Piano Concerto No. 5, Wilms wrote the following in a letter to a friend:

'It is, in fact, an addiction among music lovers who fancy themselves as connoisseurs, that they try to track down reminiscences in new pieces of music; if they find an idea that has even a remote resemblance to another, they immediately say: this is from this composer, that from that one! But, as we know, even though two movements may look quite similar, they can nonetheless, at least in the way they are worked out, be very different from each other!'

Methinks the man doth protest too much, because Wilms' Piano Concerto No. 5 starts with a blatant, delicious plagiarism of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5. They're both in E flat, and they both begin with full orchestral chords and extensive up-and-down piano cadenzas. "Remote resemblance" is putting it mildly.

The rest of the piece speaks to a gentler, less heroic sensibility than Beethoven's. (Maybe think young Schubert instead, or Ries.) It's not as funny as that copycat intro, but it's a skillfully written, entertaining piece.

Brautigam plays a modern copy of an 1819 piano.

[Todd]

Methinks the man doth protest too much, because Wilms' Piano Concerto No. 5 starts with a blatant, delicious plagiarism of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5.

Always steal from the best.

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schönberg
Chamber Symphonies No. 1 & 2

[Harry]

Tis evening, time for Christmas Music.

Johann Heinrich Rolle.
Christmas Oratorio.
Kammerchor Michaelstein.
Telemann Kammerorchester Michaelstein, Ludger Remy.
Gundula Anders, Dorothee Mields, Sopranos.
Britta Schwartz, Alt.
Wilfried Jochens, Tenor.
Dirk Schmidt, Bass.

A wonderful Oratorio, but part of the soloists are not up to the task, Gundula Anders voice is most of the time strained and at times uncomfortable, and Wilfried Jochens had a bad day, sings out of tune at times, Dorothee Mields is a balm for sore ears, as is Dirk Schmidt. The choir has to do with some mediocre choir compositions, for me this is clearly second tier, despite Ludger Remy whom I respect.
Britta Schwartz is passable but clearly not in her element.

[Brian]

Peter Friis Johansson presents three rare/new piano concertos, two by women. First up is a late romantic lost work by Laura Netzel, which PFJ completed with 116 bars based on her sketches and his own idea of creating a cyclical conclusion to make a satisfying resolution (and avoid having to wholly invent the ending). The booklet helpfully tells you the exact second of the finale at which the music passes from Netzel's original - which was fully orchestrated until she suddenly stopped writing - to Johansson's own creation.

PFJ describes Netzel as "a woman who had much to express but, at the same time, was not necessarily in full command of the seasoned composer's complete toolkit so that one perceives that her grandiose musical ideas do not always yield the proper returns." This may sound a little patronizing on paper, but the listening experience suggests its truth. There are lots of striking ideas throughout the piece - particularly the attention-getting opening, which suggests Netzel was trying to outdo Grieg's concerto - but there are also melodies that end seemingly halfway, and development sections that do not really develop. On the whole, I'd say it is a much more rewarding listen than, say, Clara Schumann's concerto, and I will listen again, but the incomplete nature of the piece and the inadequate education which musical men of the 1800s saw fit to give Netzel are reminders that, in a different world, this could have been more.

Sven-David Sandström's Five Pieces are up next. When PFJ called Sandström and asked for a concerto, apparently the very first question the composer asked was "Do you want two tubas or none?", out of the endearing belief that no orchestral musician should have to sit alone. PFJ chose two, and accordingly this is a Big-scored piece, with a sort of cosmic feel. At the end of the first movement, if you feel like you've been blasted out to space on a rocket ship, the starry glitter of the tranquil second movement may confirm that belief. This is a really interesting and enjoyable concerto, with moments of great tenderness and conventional romantic warmth (the final movement) but also fun filmic color, virtuosic piano writing, and the occasional avant-garde sonic technique. I absolutely loved this piece.

The somewhat cosmic imagery in Five Pieces is made more explicit in the final concerto, Andrea Tarrodi's "Stellar Clouds," which has seven movements with titles like "star formation" and "hypernova." (OK, one is titled "solo cadenza.") Tarrodi, by the way, is the daughter of trombonist-composer Christian Lindberg, which helps explain her easy entree into both Scandinavian orchestras and BIS Records.

This is a more musically abstract piece, significantly more "contemporary" than Sandström. Maybe it is a little bit self-conscious about making sure that the sound pictures are all sci-fi and cosmic, with mystical Messiaenic chords taking the place of melodies, but they are all quite enjoyable. (Take it for what it's worth, but BIS CEO Robert von Bahr thinks Debussy would have written music like this if he was around today. Eh, whatever. No need to bring him into it.) The cadenza, which PFJ now frequently plays as a standalone piece at recitals, is a humdinger, and gives way to a short finale recapping all the material that has come before.

This is a delightful 79:43 of new or new-to-our-ears piano concertos. Loads of fun. Heck of an entertaining new release, and now I am going to start seriously exploring Sandström's other orchestral concertos and the album on Channel featuring his choral music.

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 6 in A Major

[Brian]

Even if you have read about Michael Spyres' ability to be both baritone and tenor with equal felicity, the first moment when you actually hear him make the switch is mind-boggling. For me, it's between song 1 and song 2 in Les Nuits d'Ete, when he flips the switch to baritone to match the new mood. I had a genuine shock moment of "wait, this is the same person?!?!"

[JBS]

From the Warner Offenbach box


Not sure what the cover image references to in the opera, but the plot is complicated enough, with the titular group of bandits at one point disguising themselves as Spaniards so they can then disguise themselves as Italians...
Gilbert (as in Gilbert and Sullivan) authored an English language version which was recorded by the Ohio Light Opera (but now apparently OOP.)

[JBS]

Even if you have read about Michael Spyres' ability to be both baritone and tenor with equal felicity, the first moment when you actually hear him make the switch is mind-boggling. For me, it's between song 1 and song 2 in Les Nuits d'Ete, when he flips the switch to baritone to match the new mood. I had a genuine shock moment of "wait, this is the same person?!?!"

But how is the recording?
I've got the Les Siecles recording of exactly the same program so I'm not sure if I want this one.

[Harry]

Christmas through the Ages.
Lots of different performers from the label Hyperion.

Most of the stuff is a lot of fun. And all is well recorded

[Brian]

But how is the recording?
I've got the Les Siecles recording of exactly the same program so I'm not sure if I want this one.

Mostly just wanted to experience Spyres. Recording seemed great; Nelson is very reliable on Berlioz. I didn't try Harold - too much good competition in that (also including Minkowski).

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schönberg
Gurrelieder

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Soltan Hajibeyov: Karvan. Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra.

[j winter]

Unwinding with some Chopin...

[Bachtoven]

I received three piano LPs today. First up is this amazing recital from Richter.

[Mandryka]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h1bUZmWEoDQ

Really impressed by this Sokolov recital at Bisdorf in 2013, the Haydn. I have it with good sound if anyone wants it - three Haydn sonatas.

(What is Bisdorf like? It doesn't even have a wiki! There must be something special about it which made Sokolov want to give a concert there.)

[Todd]

[Bachtoven]

[JBS]

Old school Brandenburgs
From the Paillard Bach set

The Third Concerto is, unlike the CD individual issue, placed between the Fifth and Sixth for no obvious reason, and has a candenza based on the Toccata BWV 915.

With Rampal, Andre, Jarry and others as soloists this might be called a French Allstars recording.

[Mapman]

Maiden-Listen Monday:
Clémence de Grandval: Oboe Concerto (Orchestrated by Lencsés)
Lajos Lencsés; Boreyko: RSO Stuttgart des SWR

The third movement reminds me a bit of the first movement of Strauss' (much later) concerto.



Gould: American Salute
Abravanel: Utah

Fun orchestration!



A second listen to
Martinů: Symphony #5
Flor: Berlin Symphony Orchestra

This doesn't really sound like anything else. It's cool music.