What are you listening 2 now?

[DavidW]

Out of all this, Schubert's Nonet was my wow work! I also liked hearing some off the beaten path Shostakovich.

[Brian]

Hmmm, I've never heard the Schubert Nonet! The Octet steals all the attention.

[DavidW]

Hmmm, I've never heard the Schubert Nonet! The Octet steals all the attention.

Same here!  I was surprised.  I probably looked down on it due to the low D #.

[kyjo]

Going through all of Milhaud's symphonies, I confirm that most of them seem not to have purpose or are written in a style I don't find particularly alluring. On Nos. 1, 2, 6 and the first two movements of the 8th + the Chamber Symphonies is where my interest lies.

Agreed. I really do think Milhaud was too prolific for his own good, as his output is maddeningly uneven IMHO. If he had really focused his energy into producing a smaller body of music, he might've been able to produce overall more convincing results. My favorite works by him are mostly his earlier stuff, like the two famous ballets Le boeuf sur le toit and Le creation du monde, the SQ nos. 1 and 2, and his two VCs which have been splendidly recorded on Orfeo (the 2nd dates from the 1940s). What are some of your favorite non-symphonic works by Milhaud, Cesar?

[Karl Henning]

Agreed. I really do think Milhaud was too prolific for his own good, as his output is maddeningly uneven IMHO. If he had really focused his energy into producing a smaller body of music, he might've been able to produce overall more convincing results. My favorite works by him are mostly his earlier stuff, like the two famous ballets Le boeuf sur le toit and Le creation du monde, the SQ nos. 1 and 2, and his two VCs which have been splendidly recorded on Orfeo (the 2nd dates from the 1940s). What are some of your favorite non-symphonic works by Milhaud, Cesar?

Fewer and finer symphonies, indeed.

[atardecer]

I listened to the first two symphonies of David Diamond, and I thought they were good so I am going to listen to the rest of his symphonies now. Seattle Symphony Orchestra / Gerard Schwarz

[Symphonic Addict]

Agreed. I really do think Milhaud was too prolific for his own good, as his output is maddeningly uneven IMHO. If he had really focused his energy into producing a smaller body of music, he might've been able to produce overall more convincing results. My favorite works by him are mostly his earlier stuff, like the two famous ballets Le boeuf sur le toit and Le creation du monde, the SQ nos. 1 and 2, and his two VCs which have been splendidly recorded on Orfeo (the 2nd dates from the 1940s). What are some of your favorite non-symphonic works by Milhaud, Cesar?

He seems one of those cases where more is less, there are so many works that many tend to be similar each other. One does have to investigate among that huge output to discover gems and I'm sure they exist.

Oh, well, I have many favorite pieces:

L'Homme et son désir (a bizarre yet quite original piece)
String quartets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 15, 17
Le Carnaval de Londres
Le Carnaval d'Aix
Violin Concerto No. 1
Concertino de printemps
Concerto for percussion and orchestra
All the five piano concertos (especially the first three) + Concerto for two pianos and orchestra
Clarinet Concerto
Scaramouche

Most of his chamber music is still unknown to me, but I do want to get familiar with it in the future.

[Symphonic Addict]

I listened to the first two symphonies of David Diamond, and I thought they were good so I am going to listen to the rest of his symphonies now. Seattle Symphony Orchestra / Gerard Schwarz

Very cool, welcome!

[AnotherSpin]

You could literally go to the Wikipedia page on Shostakovich to deal with your PS. For starters, claiming that it wasn't obligatory... so if he was told to take a job, you think he could have just said "no thanks"? Right, because that really fits with what you say about the system.

Your determination to make political points about Russians is obvious and understandable, but there's no need to drag a long-dead composer into it. It's incredibly weird how you talk about what it takes to survive in such a system, but simultaneously assert that DS was a happy and willing participant. Next you'll be telling me that everyone who nods and smiles at Putin actually likes him, despite your own explanation of why people would nod and smile even when they DON'T like him.

You could literally go to the Wikipedia page on Shostakovich to deal with your PS. For starters, claiming that it wasn't obligatory... so if he was told to take a job, you think he could have just said "no thanks"? Right, because that really fits with what you say about the system.

Your determination to make political points about Russians is obvious and understandable, but there's no need to drag a long-dead composer into it. It's incredibly weird how you talk about what it takes to survive in such a system, but simultaneously assert that DS was a happy and willing participant. Next you'll be telling me that everyone who nods and smiles at Putin actually likes him, despite your own explanation of why people would nod and smile even when they DON'T like him.

You pick one thing and ignore the other in what I wrote. Take into account that my understanding of the system is not from books, I lived in the USSR and experienced all the things I am talking about myself. Yes, it was not necessary for Shostakovich to join the Party, especially when the years of terror were replaced by the relatively mild period of Khrushchev. Nor was it obligatory to sit on the Supreme Soviet. Prokofiev did none of these things, if we're talking about composers. I don't think Shostakovich protected anyone from anything. Maybe helped some of his cronies got a flat or holiday rations. Valentin Silvestrov was expelled from the Composers' Union in 1970, when Shostakovich was still a secretary.

I know my reaction to Shostakovich seems excessive. Perhaps the fact that Russian missiles and drones regularly come at my city has something to do with it. The very minute I opened this page and see posts about Russian music, an alarm sounding outside my window warning of a Russian attack. Someone's going to get killed.

I will not write about Shostakovich anymore. Treasure whatever you want.

[Madiel]

You pick one thing and ignore the other in what I wrote. Take into account that my understanding of the system is not from books, I lived in the USSR and experienced all the things I am talking about myself. Yes, it was not necessary for Shostakovich to join the Party, especially when the years of terror were replaced by the relatively mild period of Khrushchev. Nor was it obligatory to sit on the Supreme Soviet. Prokofiev did none of these things, if we're talking about composers. I don't think Shostakovich protected anyone from anything. Maybe helped some of his cronies got a flat or holiday rations. Valentin Silvestrov was expelled from the Composers' Union in 1970, when Shostakovich was still a secretary.

I know my reaction to Shostakovich seems excessive. Perhaps the fact that Russian missiles and drones regularly come at my city has something to do with it. The very minute I opened this page and see posts about Russian music, an alarm sounding outside my window warning of a Russian attack. Someone's going to get killed.

I will not write about Shostakovich anymore. Treasure whatever you want.

Prokofiev was not "asked"/ordered to be the head of the Union. Shostakovich was. You seriously seem to be completely missing the point there. Joining the party was a necessary requirement of being the head of the Union.

 You seem completely unwilling to consider whether or not Shostakovich had free choice in these matters and keep talking as if he freely volunteered for the role of head of the composers' union, despite being referred to evidence that he didn't. You keep just asserting that it wasn't obligatory, as if saying no to a job he didn't want was a viable option. More than that, you just seem to assume that Shostakovich had the job because he wanted it, rather than being told to take it.

You want to talk about picking and ignoring, you are doing a hell of a lot of ignoring yourself.

[Que]

Morning listening, returning to this:



An entire disc with music by Jacobus (Jacques) Barbireau (c.1455-1491), and what a treat.
The Missa Faulx perverse, one of two surviving masses, is written in a very low register. Any upward transposition would be a crime - it's quite special and impressive as it is.

There is precious little of his music. Not just because he died young at age 36, but also because "the library of the cathedral in Antwerp was destroyed by religious fanatics in 1556, including probably most of Barbireau's music". I guess that kind of sh%t is of all times....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobus_Barbireau

PS I do hope Fra Bernardo stays afloat so we can enjoy some more recordings by the ensemble Beauty Farm. Their last recordings - this and the Barbignant/Tinctoris - do not only cover rare and special repertoire, but are also some of the best performances they have ever done.

[Irons]

Wow, Elgar in Soviet Russia. Thoughts?

Now playing:

Not asked me but have the symphony on LP. Only played once as thought it poor.

[Que]

Catching up with Brilliant's organ music issues:



Organ music from the Italian Renaissance.

[Harry]

Catching up with Brilliant's organ music issues:



Organ music from the Italian Renaissance.

I seem to have bought a lot of Organ music from Brilliant, and yes this one too, and as far as I remember I quite liked it.

[AnotherSpin]

Prokofiev was not "asked"/ordered to be the head of the Union. Shostakovich was. You seriously seem to be completely missing the point there. Joining the party was a necessary requirement of being the head of the Union.

 You seem completely unwilling to consider whether or not Shostakovich had free choice in these matters and keep talking as if he freely volunteered for the role of head of the composers' union, despite being referred to evidence that he didn't. You keep just asserting that it wasn't obligatory, as if saying no to a job he didn't want was a viable option. More than that, you just seem to assume that Shostakovich had the job because he wanted it, rather than being told to take it.

You want to talk about picking and ignoring, you are doing a hell of a lot of ignoring yourself.

You're wrong. Shostakovich became secretary of the Composers' Union in 1957 and a party member in 1960. It's in Wikipedia, look carefully.

I don't believe in freedom of choice, and I don't blame Shostakovich, he really didn't have a choice. And he didn't choose to be a loyal servant of the Party, he just was. Nor do I blame anyone for listening to the music of a loyal servant of the regime when the regime's followers are bombing my country. No one chooses anything. I have compassion for every one, not much more.

If you still want to discuss this issue, write in private.

[Madiel]

You're wrong. Shostakovich became secretary of the Composers' Union in 1957 and a party member in 1960. It's in Wikipedia, look carefully.

I don't believe in freedom of choice, and I don't blame Shostakovich, he really didn't have a choice. And he didn't choose to be a loyal servant of the Party, he just was. Nor do I blame anyone for listening to the music of a loyal servant of the regime when the regime's followers are bombing my country. No one chooses anything. I have compassion for every one, not much more.

If you still want to discuss this issue, write in private.

Parts of this are contradictory and bordering on incomprehensible, so I'll pass on the offer.

Also if you are reading Wikipedia in a different language the articles are not the same.

[AnotherSpin]

Parts of this are contradictory and bordering on incomprehensible, so I'll pass on the offer.

I believe that the contradictions have arisen in your head on the basis of a misunderstanding of what I wrote. Although, maybe I failed to use non-native language quite adequately. Have a good evening!

[Papy Oli]

Good morning all,

Fallen for Telemann big time of late.

[Harry]

Seconde Stravaganze.
Venetian & Neapolitan music for Viol Consort.
Composers: Valente, Gesualdo, Trabaci, Buono, Legrenzi, Waesich, Rossi, Montalbano, Storace, Macque.
Ensemble L'Amoroso, Guido Balestracci.
Recorded in 1999 at the Lucca (Pieve di St. Stefano), Italy.
Streaming, Qobuz.

Superb performances and well recorded. This ensemble is quite good, and much of the music is unknown, so in that sense, there is a lot to discover.

[Que]

Good morning all,

Fallen for Telemann big time of late.

Great! 

The conductor Herreweghe once quipped: "Life is too short to listen to Telemann". He was obviously very wrong...  But in his defence: until not that long ago Telemann performances were abismal and deadly boring... But in the right hands and in the right pieces, his witty, polyglot style comes to life.