The Classical Chat Thread

[j winter]

Thanks. I've very much enjoyed this Bruckner box.

Do you know aught of the Chinese chop on the sleeve?

And here I thought I had discovered some new piece of slang... 

[Papy Oli]

And here I thought I had discovered some new piece of slang... 

i had to look it up too.... Not as culinary as i had hoped either...

[Karl Henning]

The back page of the Bruckner EMI leaflet has the following, Karl :

Symbol of Longevity - Sergiu Celibidache's view of life and music was markedly influenced by Zen. A Japanese Zen Master once described Celibidache's conducting as "free music through free hands". Shou is a Chinese symbol for longevity. (snip) For this edition, the Shou has been chosen to symbolise Celibidache's ongoing musical and spiritual legacy.

Merci beaucoups!

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Thanks. I've very much enjoyed this Bruckner box.

Do you know aught of the Chinese chop on the sleeve?

Oh, you meant LITERALLY! 

[Brian]

I just had lunch with a retired horn player from a German opera orchestra, and he told me this story I think you'll like...

Once upon a time the orchestra was performing Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, and they began rehearsal with the very introduction. The bassoon player was a practical jokester, so when he made his entrance for his big gloomy solo, he came in forte, with big bouncing energy.

The conductor stopped the orchestra and said, "Bassoon, please play your solo more solemnly...veiled, as if a veil has been drawn before you."

The bassoonist answered, "Sir, this is a bassoon. It has only two settings: On, or Off!"

[Karl Henning]

Nice!

[Papy Oli]

A spelling mistake that made me chuckle in an Article's FAQ about Tidal :

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Tidal offer classical music?

Yes. Tidal's music library has works from Puccino, Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, and more.

https://www.soundguys.com/tidal-hifi-review-25846/

[Todd]

Covid brings with it something new, video reviews by David Hurwitz: https://www.classicstoday.com/review/storgards-shostakovich-snooze-video-review/?utm_source=Classics+Today+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c6642adb4e-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6ca671ff6a-c6642adb4e-84134585

[Brian]

I'm not sure how I feel about that turn of events. I prefer reading stuff to watching videos. He better be darn handsome.

[Brian]

He better be darn handsome.

(He looks like an 1800s evil sea captain.)

[Brian]

BIS CEO Robert von Bahr, in his eClassical "daily deal" writeup today, has yet another of the seemingly endless stories about Neeme Jarvi's [depending on if you love him or hate him] unflappable professionalism and dependability / soulless indifference to musical character.

"In every orchestra there is someone who has the respect of the rest and can dare to stand up against any conductor. In the Stockholm PO in those days it was Alf Nilsson, the first oboe, and one of the finest I have ever heard. His solo in Brahms can't be bettered. He was really feared by all conductors, because he was invariably right and had the integrity to speak out freely. He is also the soloist in the Strauss Concerto here, and I was very happy to be able to record him in this seminal piece.

"Also we have Der Bürger als Edelmann, a hopelessly difficult piece that I would call chamber music for an orchestra, where every participant is taken to the technical limits. Neeme Järvi conducts with his usual aplomb, in spite of having lost his score just prior to the recording. He had to conduct from a complete new score without any markings, the pages refusing to lie still when he turned page, but, for Neeme such small things don't matter. RvB"

[Todd]

BIS CEO Robert von Bahr, in his eClassical "daily deal" writeup today, has yet another of the seemingly endless stories about Neeme Jarvi's [depending on if you love him or hate him] unflappable professionalism and dependability / soulless indifference to musical character.

The world needs kapellmeisters.  Perhaps I am in a minority, but I neither love nor hate the elder Jarvi.  In core rep he is a kapellmeister; in rare rep he is a useful guide.

[amw]

BIS CEO Robert von Bahr, in his eClassical "daily deal" writeup today, has yet another of the seemingly endless stories about Neeme Jarvi's [depending on if you love him or hate him] unflappable professionalism and dependability / soulless indifference to musical character.

I'm neither a Järvi lover or hater but in some semi-blind personal listening explorations I found his recordings to be among the best for certain works: Shostakovich 11 & 14, his Dvořák cycle, his Martinů cycle and at least a few of the Prokofiev symphonies. (+ the Prokofiev piano concertos with Horacio Gutiérrez but obviously the soloist steals the show.) All of these stood up to recordings by the more critically acclaimed conductors out there. I haven't examined his output in any kind of detail so I don't know what other semi-standard rep he beats out the competition in, but even if all he does is orchestra management it does yield convincing results sometimes.

[Brian]

Chefs in Texas love a local flour mill for its high quality - and the founder and miller is a former viola da gamba player and early music conductor who sold his gambas to buy a mill (and a banjo).

[Papy Oli]

The BBC has an ongoing documentary series called Being Beethoven, 2 episodes so far.

Contributors include so far Marin Alsop, Ivan Fischer, Boris Giltburg, Viviana Sofronitsky, Takacs Qt, singing by Mark Padmore and apparently Paul Lewis on ep.2 as well.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000kqq4/being-beethoven

[Brian]

I like this new Rite of Spring "music video": https://twitter.com/_yshani/status/1285200892577316867

[Todd]

Can't play income generating concerts and recitals?  Jamina Gerl has a web-based alternative.  Leveraging Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/jaminagerl), for pre-figured monthly contribution amounts, she'll offer recognition, do Q&A, unlock recordings and videos, and even learn and record short pieces (under five minutes).  I wouldn't mind hearing her take on Nuages Gris.

Seems like a good idea.  I wish her all the success in the world.

[Papy Oli]

Julian Bream had died.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/aug/14/julian-bream-british-classical-guitarist-dies-aged-87

[Brian]

Some of you guys might enjoy my first ever article in Texas Monthly magazine, which is about a 100-year-old classical radio station that started in a fire station with fire marshals airing their classical records between calls.

[JBS]

Some of you guys might enjoy my first ever article in Texas Monthly magazine, which is about a 100-year-old classical radio station that started in a fire station with fire marshals airing their classical records between calls.

Well written, sir.