What are you listening 2 now?

[Madiel]

Strauss wind works.



So far the two compositions from the 1880s. I'm not sure whether or not I'll tackle both the ones from the 1940s this evening.

EDIT: I did Sonatina no.1, and definitely enjoyed it. But I'll save the 'symphony' for another time.

[Que]

[Harry]

Any thoughts Que?

[Harry]

Johann Adolph Hasse.
Trio sonatas.
Epoca Barocca.
Recorded: 2001, at the Broadcasting Hall, Deutschlandfunk, Cologne, Germany.

Sometimes I read with total astonishment, the reviews from TVO on Qobuz. The present reviewer factually murders the music by such terms as "That if by any sons of Bach music were the man, he would be kicked out by any sons of Bach with one hand tied behind their backs" or "Hasse music is like musical Parsley" "Emotional empty" and "Depth takes a Holiday". This reviewer should be boiled in his own pudding, and afterwards fed to the pigs. What a meal it would be for them. Hard to digestive
In his own way Hasse created a musical feast meal. Well construed, these trios delight and have enough emotional depth, and any of Bach sons would have wished he could write such music with one hand tied behind their backs. So fear not it's well worth listening to this music. Epoca Barocca makes a very strong case for this composer, and in a SOTA recording.

[71 dB]

French Piano Trios (Debussy, Ravel & Schmitt)
Joachim Trio
NAXOS 8.550934

I have been listening to classical music more lately, but I won't be writing everything here. Maybe if something blows me away or something like that I will write about it.

I will also try to "do classical music my way" and stop comparing myself to others. My happiness with classical music was by far the greatest before I came to GMG. Once I came here, I started doubting everything I do and it took the coolness and enjoyment out.

I think we "need" Dunning-Kruger in our lives. We need the delusion of knowing much more than we actually do. That's part of self-esteem. Of course sometimes Dunning-Kruger effect can be dangerous and lead to fatal action, but I don't think my silly beliefs concerning classical music will ever harm anyone.

I am not leaving GMG, but my participation will be limited. I try to go "back" to the old days when classical music felt cool af.

[71 dB]

Johann Adolph Hasse.
Trio sonatas.
Epoca Barocca.
Recorded: 2001, at the Broadcasting Hall, Deutschlandfunk, Cologne, Germany.

Sometimes I read with total astonishment, the reviews from TVO on Qobuz. The present reviewer factually murders the music by such terms as "That if by any sons of Bach music were the man, he would be kicked out by any sons of Bach with one hand tied behind their backs" or "Hasse music is like musical Parsley" "Emotional empty" and "Depth takes a Holiday". This reviewer should be boiled in his own pudding, and afterwards fed to the pigs. What a meal it would be for them. Hard to digestive
In his own way Hasse created a musical feast meal. Well construed, these trio delight and have enough emotional depth, and any of Bach sons would have wished he could write such music with one hand tied behind their backs. So fear not it's well worth listening to this music. Epoca Barocca makes a very strong case for this composer, and in a SOTA recording.

I considered buying this CD for ages, but there always was so much to buy and so little money to spend. I like Hasse's music A LOT!

[Que]

Any thoughts Que?

I'd say it depends on how you respond to Mayumi Hirasaki. I feel her tone is nicely firm but not very generous in warmth, and here playing is a bit cool and detached. With violinists, I need to feel a certain connection, which was lacking in her case. As to the programming: I could have done without the Biber and Vilsmayr pieces. Those are suffiiciently done & dusted on record.

Next:



Turns out these are adaptations of Corelli's Opus 5 sonatas for violin, inspired by an historical example. I love the playing of both Teodoro Baù on voila da gamba and notably the new Italian star on the haprsichord, Andrea Buccarella, in SOTA sound.

But the thing is, despite all of those considerations, I do not get the point or added value of these transcriptions... 

[Traverso]

Bach

Two more recordings of Bach's cantatas with these performers. Today's CD contains one of my absolute favorites, namely "Gott ist unsre Zuverzicht" BWV 197. The aria "Schläfert allen Sorgenkummer" is of a moving beauty that overwhelmed me when I heard it for the first time and moved me to tears. It is sung beautifully here in long lines by René Jacobs.

[Harry]

I'd say it depends on how you respond to Mayumi Hirasaki. I feel her tone is nicely firm but not very generous in warmth, and here playing is a bit cool and detached. With violinists, I need to feel a certain connection, which was lacking in her case. As to the programming: I could have done without the Biber and Vilsmayr pieces. Those are sufficiently done & dusted on record.

Thank you this helps!

[Florestan]

a bit too mellow and sweet

Well, it's medieval romantics, right?...   

[Harry]

Arnold Bax
Quintet in G for Two Violins, Viola & Two Cellos (edited by Paul Barritt).
String Quartet in A major.

Divertimenti Ensemble:
Paul Barritt & Rachel Isserlis (violins)
Jonathan Barritt (viola)
Josephine Horder (cello)
Sebastian Comberti (cello)

Recorded at St Paul's Church, Southgate, London 4-6 March 2003.



Both works are persuasively performed here, and well recorded too. Bax is on my menu, on a regular basis. Both works on this disc are for me top drawer compositions. They touch several strings in me, and I always feel pulled in and follow without hesitation. This disc is OOP, at least Dutton's website tells me so.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Bach organ music.

[Que]

Well, it's medieval romantics, right?...   

I guess that (silly) thought might have played into it...

[Florestan]

Enjoying this series immensely!

[Florestan]

I guess that (silly) thought might have played into it...

Seriously now, what's wrong with mellow and sweet? 

[Traverso]

Bach

To conclude these cantatas, the last CD from this 60-part set with Harnoncourt/Leonhardt with yet another gem of a performance of the cantata "Lass Fürstin, Lass noch einen Strahl" BWV198

[Cato]

I have been listening to classical music more lately, but I won't be writing everything here. Maybe if something blows me away or something like that I will write about it.

I will also try to "do classical music my way" and stop comparing myself to others. My happiness with classical music was by far the greatest before I came to GMG. Once I came here, I started doubting everything I do and it took the coolness and enjoyment out.

Oh my!  That is certainly not the intention here!  My experience has been quite positive, as other members have recommended composers unknown to me, the discovery of whom has been enlightening and enjoyable.

And I hope I have helped other members in return!

I have not experienced "doubt" as a result of reading anything here: e.g. I suspect my enthusiasm for Theodore Dubois, a minor French composer (in Baseball, he might be considered a .250 hitter    ) is not shared by many, along with  Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov, Alexander Nemtin and others, but I have never wondered whether I should stop listening to their works.

Anyway, I hope the "coolness" and "enjoyment" return! 


In recent days...Tchaikovsky's Symphony #3 and Symphony #4: the latter a "warhorse" (but what a warhorse!) and the former a wild and extravagant, 5-movement ride of delight!

[Iota]

Ravel: Jeux d'eau, Sonatine
Seong-Jin Cho (piano)

It sighs, it glows, it sparkles and stirs sensually in its dream of beauty and sensuality. And Seong-Jin Cho draws open the curtains on the music for all to see.

[SonicMan46]

Any 'double bass' fans? 

Last night on Netflix we watched the short documentary (35 mins) on Orin O'Brien (short bio below) The Only Girl in the Orchestra directed by her niece and released just a few months ago - not sure how many works for this instrument have been written, being familiar w/ the concertos by Vanhal & Dittersdorf only; so put together a short Spotify playlist of the two recordings at the bottom.

Not familiar with Johannes Sperger (1750-1812), he was both a double bassist and composer - he wrote 18 concertos for the instrument; probably my preference between the two recordings.  Dave

Orin O'Brien (born 1935) is an American double bassist. She was a member of the New York Philharmonic, joining in 1966 under the direction of Leonard Bernstein; she was the first woman to join the orchestra. O'Brien retired from the Philharmonic in 2021 after a 55-year career. She was on the college faculty at the Juilliard School (co-chair of the double bass department from 1992 to 2002), Manhattan School of Music, and Mannes College The New School for Music. (Source)

[Karl Henning]

Because it's been a while, both simply this symphony (one of my very favorite pieces of music) and this recording, in particular.

Shostakovich
Symphony № 4 in c minor Op. 43
Phila. Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy