What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[Petrushka]

Agree with Alison here. Incidentally, I have been conducted by the late Sir Vivian n numerous occasions. He was local to my area. Lovely man.

Sir Vivian Dunn wrote a terrific march for the film Cockleshell Heroes. The Farnon Derby Day March is a regular fixture for me on this day, a typical tuneful bouncy number that really gets me in the mood.

[Bryn]

As mentioned elsewhere, earlier, now listing to the 2009 concert performance of Martinu's Juliette, conducted by Jiří Bĕlohlávek. At the time of the broadcast I bemoaned the fact that it was not Charles Mackerras who was in charge. That opinion was heavily influenced by my introduction to Julietta having been the E.N.O production conducted by the latter. Listening to the Bĕlohlávek Juliette again today I have to say I do not miss Sir Charles's hand nearly as much. However, I was prompted by another post to check whether Opera Depot had the E.N.O./Mackerras Julietta on file (my taping from FM suffers from the fact that I was living but a mile or so downhill of the then Crystal Palace 405 line television transmitter, which meant an annoying accompaniment of buzzing interference). Not only do they not have a recording of that broadcast, they appear to have no Martinu whatever!

[Dave2002]

Elgar. The Black Knight

Since tomorrow is Pentacost I thought I'd listen to this, IMHO, underrated work from the master.

The RLPO & CHORUS under Sir Charles Groves.

EMI.

Isn't it Pentecost? Pentacost sounds like a trade name - or something else.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecost

[EdgeleyRob]

Farnon: March - Derby Day
Band of HM Royal Marines
Lt Col Sir F Vivian Dunn

Alwyn: Overture - Derby Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzqp-lGrBgs

and an extra for the Alwyn

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Pentacost sounds like a trade name - or something else.

- like an up-market Poundland: "Fiverworld"?

[umslopogaas]

Roman Habenstock-Ramati - various works for chamber ensemble and orchestra. I'm sure it is wonderful stuff, but to my rather tired ears it is a bit difficult to keep in aural focus.

I try to appreciate new music, because, great composers though they are, I have heard a lot of Beethoven and Co. and time is getting short (I'm 67 years old). I'm always willing to try new things, but this thing is rather difficult for my non-musically trained ears.

[cloughie]

- like an up-market Poundland: "Fiverworld"?

My god ferney, I hope you're not predicting inflation on that scale!

[cloughie]

Roman Habenstock-Ramati - various works for chamber ensemble and orchestra. I'm sure it is wonderful stuff, but to my rather tired ears it is a bit difficult to keep in aural focus.

I try to appreciate new music, because, great composers though they are, I have heard a lot of Beethoven and Co. and time is getting short (I'm 67 years old). I'm always willing to try new things, but this thing is rather difficult for my non-musically trained ears.

I know what you mean, and there's the memory almost full problem!

[pastoralguy]

Isn't it Pentecost? Pentacost sounds like a trade name - or something else.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecost

I failed to mention that whisky was involved in Pentecostal celebrations.

[umslopogaas]

Thanks Cloughie, that is true. I suppose that we should be thankful to know that our memory is nearly full, because if we dont know that, then the memory is not only full, but failing.

I have been commanding my memory to reveal itself for the last few years, so that I can put down on paper what is there. Fascinating. I would urge anyone of any age to do so, because it will be source information. Historians need source material to do their job. It will always be unreliable, but at least, its available.

And yes, I have read Proust in the english translation and he does have a lot to say about memory. Wonderful, wonderful writing.

[Richard Barrett]

Roman Habenstock-Ramati - various works for chamber ensemble and orchestra. I'm sure it is wonderful stuff, but to my rather tired ears it is a bit difficult to keep in aural focus.

For what it's worth, I've never found his work very interesting - more a symptom of general stylistic tendencies of his time than a creator of new ones. I wonder though what it was that led you to investigate his work, given that these days it receives so little attention, compared with 40 years ago when books on contemporary music would almost always illustrate one of his unconventionally-notated scores.

Does one's memory really eventually fill up? I feel intuitively that it doesn't work that way, but I'm ten years younger than you so maybe it's around the corner.

[kea]

For what it's worth I don't find Haubenstock-Ramati's music that memorable either and I'm 25 >_>

And yeah I've never seen memory as a storage medium that can be filled up, but more like a skill, which can be practised. At least, my mom is working to improve hers with an iPad app and says it actually works, which is probably good because she was getting very frustrated with not being able to retain information before that.

[teamsaint]

Vaughan Williams and Delius piano concertos.
PIers Lane/RLPO/ Handley.

The RVW doesn't seem to get that many concert outings, ( one Proms Performance since 1939) but surely deserves more attention from programmers.
Any thoughts about why this lack ?

[MrGongGong]

Roman Habenstock-Ramati - various works for chamber ensemble and orchestra. I'm sure it is wonderful stuff, but to my rather tired ears it is a bit difficult to keep in aural focus.

I try to appreciate new music, because, great composers though they are, I have heard a lot of Beethoven and Co. and time is getting short (I'm 67 years old). I'm always willing to try new things, but this thing is rather difficult for my non-musically trained ears.

Some really interesting approaches to the score
BUT (as Richard says) not always successful pieces

[Pulcinella]

Vaughan Williams and Delius piano concertos.
PIers Lane/RLPO/ Handley.

The RVW doesn't seem to get that many concert outings, ( one Proms Performance since 1939) but surely deserves more attention from programmers.
Any thoughts about why this lack ?

Was it reworked for two pianos because it was deemed too difficult for one player, I wonder?
I love it to bits in either version!