What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[BBMmk2]

Yesterday’s listening.

The Organ of St Bavo, Haarlem
Joseph Nolan, organ.

A very good transcription of the famous Bach Chaconne.

Sibelius
Lemminkäinen Suite, Op.22
Pohjola’s Daughter, Op.49
Finnish RSO
Hannu Lintu

Elgar
Symphony No.2 in Eb major, Op.63
Serenade in E minor, Op.20
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Edward Gardner

Verklärte Nacht
Christine Rice (mezzo soprano)
Stuart Skelton (tenor)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Edward Gardner

[Bryn]

I'd be interested to hear more abut this Guido Balestracci recording. The only one I can find by him is an all-Schubert programme on Ricercar, where his Allegro moderato is not much faster than Rudin's (12:07 vs. 12:50) taking into account the latter's tendency to slow down every four or five bars.

There is some textual evidence from the 18th century of "Allegro moderato" representing a dramatically slower tempo than a plain "Allegro", at least if I recall correctly from the liner notes to the London Haydn Quartet recordings of Haydn's Op. 20 and 33, but conventions had probably changed by the early 19th century—in what direction, it's hard to know, but as far as I recall Allegrettos, Allegro moderatos, and Allegro ma non troppos became faster, whereas Allegros became slower. (Andantes also became slower; the term "Moderato", which had disappeared as an independent tempo designation after Haydn's early quartets and did not reappear until Schubert, replaced the old "Andante".)

Of recordings of the Arpeggione I have immediate access to, the quickest first movement is the rather bizarre clarinet transcription by Fabio di Càsola (10:18; tempo averages about crotchet = 116); the average first movement tempo is around 11 1/2 minutes (about crotchet = 104 to 108); the slowest first movement apart from Rudin is one by Stefano Veggetti on cello (12:41; tempo averages about crotchet = 96). Given that, around the same time, Carl Czerny was preparing printed editions of Beethoven's music in which he assigned the Allegro moderato of the Archduke Trio (which has a similar range of note values) a tempo of crotchet = 138, I would say none of these come across as especially plausible. As always, it would be interesting to hear someone attempt to play Schubert at realistic, historically accurate tempi, but I've given up hope of it ever actually happening.

(edit: Ok, I probably shouldn't be so pessimistic—the ongoing András Schiff Schubert cycle on period instruments is making a stab at it, although I still think his D960 opener is a bit too slow.)

The Guido Balestracci recording is on QOBUZ, replete with booklet pdf. Try searching for "A Schubertiade with arpeggione". The resolution goes up to very high (24 bits 176.4 kHz - Stereo).

[Richard Barrett]

his Allegro moderato is not much faster than Rudin's (12:07 vs. 12:50) taking into account the latter's tendency to slow down every four or five bars

It's the latter that's the problem as far as I'm concerned. It isn't much slower in terms of overall duration but it seems too slow because it's dragging itself from one phrase to the next rather laboriously. (There's only one Guido Balestracci recording and it isn't all Schubert in fact.)

[Leinster Lass]

As well you don’t live in a bungalow - and I doubt you’d travel from Eire before morning unless you’ve a night flight to Luton!

No, no, you don't understand - the ladder leads up from the basement, where I do all my trolling, to the ground-floor bedroom.

[richardfinegold]

Thank you - #13208 duly amended!

Currently working my way through my newly acquired William Boyce symphonies - the perfect example of a deliquescent non-deistic yet monochaotic non-agrarian neo-liberal accompaniment to the sort of conversazione semihungarica anabolica senza provocazione alla marcia rustica Hibernia that we've all been enjoying!
'Say good night Dick'
'Good night Dick'.

I think that I have got a set of Boyce Symphonies somewhere, I believe recorded by the AAM. I remember it as Handelian, without the strong rhythm, and had the feel of high quality Serenades with an English flair

[cloughie]

I think that I have got a set of Boyce Symphonies somewhere, I believe recorded by the AAM. I remember it as Handelian, without the strong rhythm, and had the feel of high quality Serenades with an English flair

Could be a Pinnock - I think that’s how it’s spelt, or is it spelled!

[Leinster Lass]

I think that I have got a set of Boyce Symphonies somewhere, I believe recorded by the AAM. I remember it as Handelian, without the strong rhythm, and had the feel of high quality Serenades with an English flair

Wuerttemberg CO/Faerber, which also includes a couple of pieces by Leopold Mozart - the 'Toy' Symphony and the Trumpet Concerto. From what I've heard of them so far, your characterization of the Boyce symphonies is spot on. They're very useful if one has a few minutes to spare before tuning in to the TV news - and not just because of their brevity.

[Pulcinella]

I think that I have got a set of Boyce Symphonies somewhere, I believe recorded by the AAM. I remember it as Handelian, without the strong rhythm, and had the feel of high quality Serenades with an English flair

The AAM version is with Hogwood, and it got MickyD's vote rather than the Pinnock (with The English Concert).

[cloughie]

Wuerttemberg CO/Faerber, which also includes a couple of pieces by Leopold Mozart - the 'Toy' Symphony and the Trumpet Concerto. From what I've heard of them so far, your characterization of the Boyce symphonies is spot on. They're very useful if one has a few minutes to spare before tuning in to the TV news - and not just because of their brevity.

Was misled - I interpreted neo-liberal as hipp.

[Leinster Lass]

Was misled - I interpreted neo-liberal as hipp.

'Neo-liberal 'is what we here call a hipp replacement.

[Tapiola]

Yesterday morning:

Mahler - Symphony No 6 (Cleveland/Szell)

[Scherzo 2nd...]

That last chord could wake the dead.

[jayne lee wilson]

Glorious music, gloriously played and recorded....
K250 is arguably Mozart's first out-and-out orchestral masterpiece (pace K183 or the Serenata Notturno...I'm sure others will have others...); such an inexhaustible stream of invention and imagination, still seems and sounds like a miracle....

I'd had the menuetto (vi) in my head all day, for no obvious reason (that haunting trio!); perhaps one of the Quartets I play constantly had reminded me of it.
So I had to play it.... and of course, the complete masterpiece itself.....


Mes favoris
Cet élément a bien été ajouté / retiré de vos favoris.Mozart: Haffner Serenade & Ein musikalischer Spaß

Michael Alexander Willens, Die Kölner Akademie
Released on 07/02/2020 by BIS
QOBUZ 24/96

[cloughie]

Glorious music, gloriously played and recorded....
K250 is arguably Mozart's first out-and-out orchestral masterpiece (pace K183 or the Serenata Notturno...I'm sure others will have others...); such an inexhaustible stream of invention and imagination, still seems and sounds like a miracle....

I'd had the menuetto (vi) in my head all day, for no obvious reason (that haunting trio!); perhaps one of the Quartets I play constantly had reminded me of it.
So I had to play it.... and of course, the complete masterpiece itself.....


Mes favoris
Cet élément a bien été ajouté / retiré de vos favoris.Mozart: Haffner Serenade & Ein musikalischer Spaß

Michael Alexander Willens, Die Kölner Akademie
Released on 07/02/2020 by BIS
QOBUZ 24/96

Great CD as is their Posthorn!

[Richard Barrett]

Agreed! (I can do without the Spass though, once you've got all the "jokes" there isn't much left.)

Now playing: Schubert, Trio in E flat (Höbarth, Rudin, Häkkinen). Excellent! I think it will be my preferred recording of this piece from now on. Which means I guess I'll have to listen to the "Arpeggione" on the same disc again. Never mind, maybe it will grow on me. It's still Schubert after all.

[gradus]

Terrific Bavouzet Wigmore Hall recital from 2015, repeated on Monday Lunchtime Concert. I enjoyed it the first time round and just as much now: Sonatas by Beethoven and Boulez, Studies by Ohana and Debussy and L'isle joyeuse as an encore.