What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[Pulcinella]

Scene 1, Act 2 of Berg's Lulu, as conducted by Boulez.

edit - how I love this opera! I don't have the libretto - just fantastic music.

The libretto (admittedly without translation) can be found here:

https://opera-guide.ch/en/operas/lulu/libretto/de/

PS: looks like it might also be in English in a PDF download available here:

https://treesforall.info/berg-lulu-libretto-25/

[RichardB]

Thanks. Looks a bit pricey though - https://www.boosey.com/shop/prod/Ber...y-Score/608051

That is pretty steep to be sure, although it does seem to include the second volume with act 3. I have a 1963 edition (when of course there was no Act 3) which I acquired second hand for next to nothing. The libretto is very interesting in itself though, and has its own leitmotiv-like structure where odd phrases keep recurring in different contexts.

[cloughie]

Is that a dropped youtube or 4’33”?

Either way there’s nothing there!

[BBMmk2]

Today, I’m carrying on with my theme, of celebrating the artistry of Andrew Litton. A most underrated conductor, imo.

Prokofiev
The Symphonies
Scythian Suite, Op.20
Lieutenant Kijé Suite, Op.60
The Love for Three Oranges Suite, Op.33b
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrew Litton.

[Joseph K]

Is that a dropped youtube or 4’33”?

Either way there’s nothing there!

I thought you said it was only my videos that don't appear?

[Joseph K]

The libretto (admittedly without translation) can be found here:

https://opera-guide.ch/en/operas/lulu/libretto/de/

PS: looks like it might also be in English in a PDF download available here:

https://treesforall.info/berg-lulu-libretto-25/

That is pretty steep to be sure, although it does seem to include the second volume with act 3. I have a 1963 edition (when of course there was no Act 3) which I acquired second hand for next to nothing. The libretto is very interesting in itself though, and has its own leitmotiv-like structure where odd phrases keep recurring in different contexts.

Thanks Pulcinella for the links. I've been studying German for a while now so it might be a good idea to take a look at the libretto - which sounds interesting.

[Stanfordian]

Handel – ‘Enchantresses’ – Sandrine Piau
Arias from Lotario, Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare, Cantata 'Lucrezia' (O Numi eterni),
Alcina, Amadigi di Gaula, Rinaldo & 3 Concerti grossi from op. 6
Sandrine Piau (soprano),
Les Paladins/Jérôme Correas (direction)
Recorded 2020 Théâtre de Poissy, France
Alpha Classics, new CD

[ostuni]

The double CD "Ein Weihnachtsoratorium" conducted by Florian Heyerick collects together nine Christmas cantatas, of which one highlight is the Bach-like way Graupner weaves imaginative textures around chorale melodies, and another is, once more, the odd choices of instrumentation, as in the soprano-tenor duet "Komm, mein Freund, mein Heil, mein König" from the cantata "Jauchzet ihr Himmel" GWV1105/53 with its four pianissimo timpani.

That certainly piqued my interest, and I've just been listening, and score-following (the original full score is on IMSLP) - I'd never thought I'd hear a walking bassline on 4 baroque timps! Many thanks for this.

[MickyD]

It's hard to know where to start given that the size of his output (and the fact that all of it is preserved) makes Telemann look like a slouch. For the orchestral music, the second volume of Nova Straavaganza's three-volume survey is one I keep returning to - it contains examples both of Graupner's extravagant instrumentation (the overture in F, GWV451, for viola d'amore, flute, 2 chalumeaux, horn and strings) and of the strange sparseness of some of his movements (the Largo from the Sinfonia GWV571, although there are more extreme examples). The double CD "Ein Weihnachtsoratorium" conducted by Florian Heyerick collects together nine Christmas cantatas, of which one highlight is the Bach-like way Graupner weaves imaginative textures around chorale melodies, and another is, once more, the odd choices of instrumentation, as in the soprano-tenor duet "Komm, mein Freund, mein Heil, mein König" from the cantata "Jauchzet ihr Himmel" GWV1105/53 with its four pianissimo timpani.

Blimey, the poor devil must have been working day and night if he makes Telemann look like a slouch! But how lucky for him (and us) that all his output is preserved. What a shame that bigger names weren't so fortunate - I seem to remember reading somewhere that had the scores survived, we would have had twice the number of Bach cantatas that we have now. That's a tragic loss, although I guess there is always hope that they might turn up on the shelves of an old monastery somewhere.

[BBMmk2]

Carrying on with my theme today, celebrating the artistry of Andrew Litton.

Stravinsky
Petrouchka (1947 version)
Le Sacre du Printemps
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrew Litton

Elgar
Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61
Violin Concerto in G minor, Op.26
Rachel Barton Pine (violin)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Litton.

[RichardB]

Blimey, the poor devil must have been working day and night if he makes Telemann look like a slouch!

I think a somewhat obsessive personality might be detected from his "Canon with 5626 inversions", all painstakingly written out in full, which can be wondered at in IMSLP.

[gurnemanz]

I noticed Graupner's complete harpsichord music recently issued on Brilliant played by Fernando de Luca. 15 hours of music downloadable at Presto for under a tenner. Positively reviewed and tempting for specialists but probably a bit niche for me personally.

[RichardB]

I noticed Graupner's complete harpsichord music recently issued on Brilliant played by Fernando de Luca. 15 hours of music downloadable at Presto for under a tenner. Positively reviewed and tempting for specialists but probably a bit niche for me personally.

Yes I've seen that too, I've listened to some of his keyboard music and it doesn't seem to be on the same level as his ensemble and vocal work; no doubt there are some pearls to be found there, but I'm not sure I have a spare 15 hours to find them!

[MickyD]

The Sperger has yet to be auditioned here, too, but I'll let you know what I think. Yes, I like the Zimmermann very much. Did you hear the same forces in the disc they made of symphonies by Ordonez? That's worth hearing, too. The only time I ever heard anything by him was in a R3 concert broadcast years performed by the AAM and Hogwood.

Just listened to the Sperger symphonies. I don't think they have quite the same emotional impact as the Zimmermann disc, but in such fine performances, they are well worth hearing...some good Sturm und Drang going on there!

[Joseph K]

Finnissy - Catana, String Trio & Contretanze

Happy birthday to Finnissy.