What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[Pulcinella]

I am listening to the afternoon concert which is not as advertised on the website but seems good, this oboe concerto by Ralph Vaughan Williams anyway...

Edit..my mistake I was looking at afternoon concert when the concert is the lunchtime concert

That RVW concerto is a little gem!

[BBMmk2]

Haydn
The Seasons (1801)
Carolyn Sampson (soprano)
Jeremy Ovenden (tenor)
Andrew Foster-Williams (bass-baritone)
National Forum of Music Choir, Wroclaw
Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra
Gabrieli Players
Paul McCreesh, with Ben Palmer (assist. cond.)

Radu Lupu - Complete Decca Solo Recordings
CD 1
Beethoven
Two Rondos, Op.51
32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor, WoO80
Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op.37
(Radu Lupu, piano, London Symphony Orchestra,
Lawrence Foster)
Piano Sonata No.18 in G minor, Op.49/1
Piano Sonata No.20 in G major, Op.49/2
CD 2
Piano Sonata No.14 in C minor, Op.13“Pathetique”
Piano Sonata No.21 in C major, Op. 30 “Waldstein”
Radu Lupu (piano).

[smittims]

Another old favourite for me: Concertantemusik by Boris Blacher: the Hans Rosbaud recording.

My music teacher at school uused to play it to us and challenge us to identify it. We never did.

[Pulcinella]

Another old favourite for me: Concertantemusik by Boris Blacher: the Hans Rosbaud recording.

My music teacher at school uused to play it to us and challenge us to identify it. We never did.

Not even the second or third time (if he used to play it a lot)?

[JasonPalmer]

Listening to strauss's domestic symphonia from the afternoon concert....

[smittims]

I see what you mean, Pulcinella, but he never told us what it was. I can't remember how I found out. It's a catchy little piece , which goes through my head all day when I've re-heard it.

For me its Mahler's first, Boulez. I can't decide about Pierre as a Mahler interpreter. I first heard him conduct this composer at the Proms in 1975? Eighth with the BBC and Ninth with the NYPO. very good, but...? I can't decide if he really cares about the music or if it's more a vehicle for his prodigious skills.

But then , one could say that about Herbert. Or could one?

[RichardB]

I can't decide if he really cares about the music or if it's more a vehicle for his prodigious skills.

I don't think Boulez was interested in "vehicles for his prodigious skills", and he almost only conducted music that he felt a personal affinity with as a composer - no Brahms, Tchaikovsky or Sibelius to name but three composers to whose work his skills as a conductor might have brought some valuable insights. The fact that you can ask such a question, though, means that one can never really extrapolate a conductor's thoughts about the music they perform from listening to the results. Is it an important question? For my liking Boulez isn't sufficiently flexible in tempo with Mahler. Some people have suggested that this is indicative of an uninvolved relationship to the music, but why should that be the case?

[RichardB]

Now playing (thanks to Jayne's reminder, I hadn't seen this before), Haydn symphonies in the Antonini series, volume 13. One of the most attractive volumes in the cycle so far. When I have more time I will compare no.31 with the Harnoncourt recording which is pretty exciting too.

[Bryn]

I don't think Boulez was interested in "vehicles for his prodigious skills", and he almost only conducted music that he felt a personal affinity with as a composer - no Brahms, Tchaikovsky or Sibelius to name but three composers to whose work his skills as a conductor might have brought some valuable insights. The fact that you can ask such a question, though, means that one can never really extrapolate a conductor's thoughts about the music they perform from listening to the results. Is it an important question? For my liking Boulez isn't sufficiently flexible in tempo with Mahler. Some people have suggested that this is indicative of an uninvolved relationship to the music, but why should that be the case?

Your point about the flexibility of tempo is well taken. I recall a BBC Radio programme, from way back, in which it was mentioned that Mahler's gait was unusual in that it continuously changed. In effect, he even walked with rubato.

[BBMmk2]

Carrying on with listening to:-

Radu Lupu - The Complete Decca Solo Recordings
CD 4
Brahms
2 Rhasodiess, Op.79
3 Intermezzi, Op.117
6 Klaviertücke, Op.118
4 Klavierstücke, Op.119
CD 5 Franz Schubert
Piano Sonata No.16 in A minor D845
Piano Sonata No.18 in G major D894
CD 6
Piano Sonata No No 5 in Ab major D557
2 Scherzos D593
6 Moments Musicaux D780
CD 7
Piano Sonata No.20 in A major D959
Piano Sonata No.14 in A minor D784
Piano Sonata No.1 in A minor D157
Radu Lupu (piano)

[Stanfordian]

Vivaldi, Veracini & Marcello – ‘Lost in Venice’
Vivaldi
Concerto for violin, strings & basso (RV 182)
Concerto for cello, strings & basso (RV 788)
Concerto for violin, strings & basso (RV 320)
Sinfonia a 4 in D (RV 786)
Concerto for violin, strings & basso (RV 263):
Allegro non molto
Concerto for two violins, strings & basso (RV 521)
Francesco Maria Veracini
Overture No 6 in B-flat
Benedetto Marcello
Concerto for violin, strings & basso, Op. 1/9
Infermi d'Amore (period instruments) / Vadym Makarenko (baroque violin)
Recorded 2022, Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Fundación Villa de Pedraza, Segovia, Spain
Eudora, CD

[Pulcinella]

I see what you mean, Pulcinella, but he never told us what it was. I can't remember how I found out. It's a catchy little piece , which goes through my head all day when I've re-heard it.

For me its Mahler's first, Boulez. I can't decide about Pierre as a Mahler interpreter. I first heard him conduct this composer at the Proms in 1975? Eighth with the BBC and Ninth with the NYPO. very good, but...? I can't decide if he really cares about the music or if it's more a vehicle for his prodigious skills.

But then , one could say that about Herbert. Or could one?

Now, I understand; the mystery remained!

[RichardB]

Now playing: the Chiaroscuro Quartet playing Mozart's "Prussian" quartets, another thing I didn't know about before seeing it mentioned here. So far: excellent.

[pastoralguy]

Now playing: the Chiaroscuro Quartet playing Mozart's "Prussian" quartets, another thing I didn't know about before seeing it mentioned here. So far: excellent.

[MickyD]

Now playing (thanks to Jayne's reminder, I hadn't seen this before), Haydn symphonies in the Antonini series, volume 13. One of the most attractive volumes in the cycle so far. When I have more time I will compare no.31 with the Harnoncourt recording which is pretty exciting too.

Yes, agreed, those few Harnoncourt Haydn discs are well worth seeking out.