What are you listening to right now?
Sat, Jul 14 2012, 10:59PM
#2
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Today Hindemith month continued for me with two of the one act operas, 'Sancta Susanna' and 'Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen'. Both are under forty minutes in length and form part of a tryptch with 'Das Nusch-Nuschi'.
I really enjoyed Sancta Susanna, which is a really good score. The whole opening section (almost a third of the opera) has an unrelenting 'high pedal in the organ' which at first I took for a fault in my headphones - silly me! But that single effect is actually very fine and unsettling, together with the very sparse chamber like writing before the nuns enter. If you like scores like Elektra, Salome, Wozzeck and Lulu then you will find much to enjoy here. Hindemith has the ability, like Mahler, to make the orchestra sound intimate and suddenly expansive. I was reminded of how the orchestra is used in Das Lied von der Erde and the second and fourth movements of the seventh symphony. Hindemith is not quite as sensual as Berg (or as beautiful for me) but listening to these two works I cannot help wondering why we don't hear them more often in the concert hall.
Sun, Jul 15 2012, 1:08PM
#3
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Today Hindemith month continued for me ....
Now, Naupilus, don't let yourself get TOO distracted from your studies here! LOL ;-)
Best wishes,
Petra
Mon, Jul 16 2012, 6:27PM
#4
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Yesterday afternoon I listened to the third Proms concert: Pelleas et Melisande. Did anyone else here catch it? I quite enjoyed it (though I wish that I had had a libretto of it with me! Reading some synopses of it helped...along with the remanents of old French language lessons!
Best wishes,
Petra
p.s. I really like what the BBC has done to their website especially regarding the Proms information and arrangement of it. Much easier and more helpful too!
Fri, Jul 20 2012, 10:44AM
#5
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Bach Motets, Monteverdi Choir, Gardiner - simply wonderful
Wed, Jul 25 2012, 9:41AM
#6
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Listening to Debussy's Preludes - comparing the Walter Gieseking version with the Krystian Zimerman (both given a Gramophone Music Guide Gem award).
Yet to identify a preference (apart from the sound quality).
Wed, Jul 25 2012, 11:48AM
#7
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Earlier I listened to Gottfried von Einem's Interlude from Dantons Tod followed by Paul Hindemith's Symphonic Dances. I also have (I believe) PH's Symphony in E-Flat in my Bernstein box which I need to get around to listening to. Wonder whether or not his violin concerto is in my EMI Oistrakh box? I'll take a look over the weekend.
Hi Petra, unless Oistrakh recorded it more than once his Hindemith violin concerto is on Decca with composer conducting (Bruch's Scottish Fantasia with Horenstein on the other side of the LP); superb performances.
Best wishes 33lp
Wed, Jul 25 2012, 4:26PM
#8
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Bach Motets, Monteverdi Choir, Gardiner - simply wonderful
Those nice people at Amazon devlivered this to me yesterday - on first listening I have to agree, a brilliant recording!
The CD cover is a bit strange though, is there any connection between Bach and a high wire walker?
Wed, Jul 25 2012, 11:36PM
#9
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Earlier I listened to Gottfried von Einem's Interlude from Dantons Tod followed by Paul Hindemith's Symphonic Dances. I also have (I believe) PH's Symphony in E-Flat in my Bernstein box which I need to get around to listening to. Wonder whether or not his violin concerto is in my EMI Oistrakh box? I'll take a look over the weekend.
Hi Petra, unless Oistrakh recorded it more than once his Hindemith violin concerto is on Decca with composer conducting (Bruch's Scottish Fantasia with Horenstein on the other side of the LP); superb performances.
Best wishes 33lp
Hi 33!
Ah, crumbs! :-( Thanks anyway for the information!
Best wishes,
Petra
Wed, Jul 25 2012, 11:39PM
#10
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Bach Motets, Monteverdi Choir, Gardiner - simply wonderful
Those nice people at Amazon devlivered this to me yesterday - on first listening I have to agree, a brilliant recording!
The CD cover is a bit strange though, is there any connection between Bach and a high wire walker?
Covenant and Chris,
I do love Gardiner's Bach cantata series (both the older ones on DG Archiv and his SDG ones), so hopefully, I'll find these at a nice price. Nice to read your feedback! Enjoy!
Best wishes,
Petra
Wed, Jul 25 2012, 11:44PM
#11
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Listening to Debussy's Preludes - comparing the Walter Gieseking version with the Krystian Zimerman (both given a Gramophone Music Guide Gem award).
Yet to identify a preference (apart from the sound quality).
Hi Kev!
Isn't it lovely to be able to enjoy more than one person's performance of some wonderful pieces of music?! ;-) I agree, both are wonderful...plus there are further ones to explore if you're interested?
Best wishes,
Petra
p.s. I do hope, however, that you aren't so severly limited by spatial constraints that you would have to choose one CD over another? ;-)
Thu, Jul 26 2012, 4:37PM
#12
RE: What are you listening to right now?
.... just some beautiful neglected and refreshing piano pieces by Halfdan Kjerulf (1815-1868), a pre-contemporary of Edward Grieg, wonderfully played by Einar Steen-Nokleberg (Simax PSC 1228, 3 CDs).
Thu, Jul 26 2012, 8:13PM
#13
RE: What are you listening to right now?
.... just some beautiful neglected and refreshing piano pieces by Halfdan Kjerulf (1815-1868), a pre-contemporary of Edward Grieg, wonderfully played by Einar Steen-Nokleberg (Simax PSC 1228, 3 CDs).
Hi 47 (Alceste? What would you like to be called?)! I haven't heard of this composer before, but I've enjoyed S-N's recordings (from the little that I've heard of his playing so far).
BTW, that's a lovely picture that you've chosen for you 'photo'. May I ask what the story is behind it? :-)
Best wishes,
Petra
Sat, Jul 28 2012, 7:06PM
#14
Debussy Preludes
...there are further ones to explore if you're interested?
Well I'm always open to suggestions Petra. Which version(s) did you have in mind?
Having had no musical training to speak of, my perception of piano music is fairly
basic, for example - Glenn Gould: a bit of a plodder; Murray Perahia:a
ballet dancer. Chopin: sugary; Debussy: intellectual
Thankfully, spatial constraints are not a problem, particularly as I subscribe to Spotify. All the best. Kev.
Thu, Aug 2 2012, 9:13PM
#15
RE: Debussy Preludes
...there are further ones to explore if you're interested?
Well I'm always open to suggestions Petra. Which version(s) did you have in mind?
Having had no musical training to speak of, my perception of piano music is fairly
basic, for example - Glenn Gould: a bit of a plodder; Murray Perahia:a
ballet dancer. Chopin: sugary; Debussy: intellectual
Thankfully, spatial constraints are not a problem, particularly as I subscribe to Spotify. All the best. Kev.
Hi Kev!
Been busy watching a lot of Olympics lately--not much music, but thought that I'd poke my nose in here.
Another favorite performer of Debussy for me is (get ready for a big surprise here) Ivan Moravec. I hope that Spotify has some of his recordings. I've yet to try their program.
Any latest discoveries for you? Hope that all is well....
Best, P.
Earlier I listened to Gottfried von Einem's Interlude from Dantons Tod followed by Paul Hindemith's Symphonic Dances. I also have (I believe) PH's Symphony in E-Flat in my Bernstein box which I need to get around to listening to. Wonder whether or not his violin concerto is in my EMI Oistrakh box? I'll take a look over the weekend.
Thanks for the further suggestions everyone!
And good luck with your studies Naupilus.
Best wishes,
Petra