What was your last concert?

[smittims]

I'm sorry to see you don't like Brahms' music, Ian. For me and for many others his music is full of melody and use of his harmony is endlessly subtle and rearding. I regard him as the finest composer since Beethoven and I endorse from my own experience LMcD's love of his chamber works .

You may be interested to know that your remarks about lack of melody and dullness mirror those of British critics in the late 19th century when Brahms' music was first played in London and Manchester. I hope you will come to like it in time.

[LMcD]

I'm sorry to see you don't like Brahms' music, Ian. For me and for many others his music is full of melody and use of his harmony is endlessly subtle and rearding. I regard him as the finest composer since Beethoven and I endorse from my own experience LMcD's love of his chamber works .

You may be interested to know that your remarks about lack of melody and dullness mirror those of British critics in the late 19th century when Brahms' music was first played in London and Manchester. I hope you will come to like it in time.

I think his Hungarian Dances could also possibly claim to be endowed with at least a modest degree of melodious and tuneful, joyfulness.

[Ian Thumwood]

Smittims

I have tried and struggled with Brahms. What is odd is that he is cited as an influence on Enescu who I think is a good candidate for most underrated composer...although I would have to add that I feel Syzmanowski is probably the one composer who is under valued more than any other. I know that you are not a fan. I find Enescu more satisfying than Brahms and the discs of his piano work by Luiza Borac were a revelation to me when I discovered them 2 years ago. For me , Chopin was the epitome of what could be achieved on a piano in the mod 18th century and I am constantly amazed by his music, whether the Preludes or Etudes. I was reading a book about female composers which identified how modish German music was in 19th century and how this caused issues for French composers who were dismissed for not being German in artistic French circles.

I think everyone has a blind side with Classical music with certain composers being unlistenable. For me Brahms falls into this category but I cannot say Germanic composers are my favourite. It is possible to change your opinion and I am finding Haydns piano sonatas almost as enjoyable as Scarlatti.a year ago I would never have listened to Haydn .

Might also be interesting to run a new thread of composers who should be an influence on jazz which is my main interest. Bach is the obvious choice and Scarlatti should be another more closely aligned as an influence. I know pianists like Brad Mehldau have cited Brahms as an influence. I find Haydn s clarity of lines to be very similar to jazz too but I am only aware of Steve Lacy citing him amongst jazz musicians.

[cloughie]

I think his Hungarian Dances could also possibly claim to be endowed with at least a modest degree of melodious and tuneful, joyfulness.

Most days his 2nd Piano Concerto would top the list of my favourite piano concerti - all four movements crafted with skill and beauty and a wonderful cello solo too. The 2nd symphony is a lovely work and his Serenades 1and 2 packed with good tunes! His solo piano works are not always the most interesting and I don’t go out of my way to hear his German Requiem but then few C19th choral works really appeal.

[smittims]

Coincidentally I've just listened to the second concerto with Louis Kentner,the Philharmonia and Sir Adrian Boult, a vintage 'Music for Pleasure' LP. I agree about the serenades; like Tchaikovsky's suites I think they are undervalued.

[hmvman]

Sometimes I find Brahms can be rather bombastic but then you get some meltingly beautiful melodies. Another agreement here regarding the serenades - can't understand why they're not played more.

Autumn is upon us and one of the joys of the next few months is the British Music Society of York chamber music concert series. Friday evening saw the start of the season with a recital by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Amazing dexterity and exhilarating playing in a programme of mainly Debussy including Children's Corner and the second book of Etudes. Ravel and Liszt were also in the programme but the real ear-opener for me was Stockhausen's Klavierstücke IX. Jean-Efflam gave us an excellent, and entertaining, introduction to the piece before playing it.

[smittims]

The Klavierstucke are I think among Stockhausen's more approacheable works. Some time ago when he was Composer of the Week we heard some very interesting early works such as the sonatina for violin and piano which were surprisingly different from the image we have of him over the years.

[hmvman]

The Klavierstucke are I think among Stockhausen's more approacheable works. Some time ago when he was Composer of the Week we heard some very interesting early works such as the sonatina for violin and piano which were surprisingly different from the image we have of him over the years.

Thanks, smittims, I'll give that work a try.

[Retune]

Piotr Anderszewski: Beethoven Op.126 and Bartok bagatelles, Brahms intermezzi, Bach Partita #1, at the Barbican last week:

https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2024/event/piotr-anderszewski

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/oct/04/piotr-anderszewski-review-barbican-london

A happy spur of the moment decision to go to this one - a really excellent concert that the Guardian review has captured well. This is the first time I've heard Anderszewski live, and I hope it won't be the last. I didn't know the Bartok at all, but it was one of the highlights of the evening - always nice to discover something new in a live performance by a great musician. The Beethoven and Bach were every bit as good as you'd expect from Anderszewski, and even the Brahms sceptics in this thread might have been won over by the intermezzi.

[HighlandDougie]

A Brahms-fest in Lyon last Sunday - Budapest Festival Orchestra/Ivan Fischer. 2 Hungarian Dances to preface first and second halves, then Kirill Gerstein in PC1 in the first half and the First Symphony in the second. Rather vertiginous seats in the very top row of the 'Auditorium de Lyon' - the only ones left. But acoustically fine. Wonderful orchestra and fine performances from soloist and conductor. Good excuse to 'motor' back down the old RN7 and pick up rather a lot of wine.

[jannelder]

Isata and Sheku and other chamber musicians at the Highgate Chamber music festival: Schumann Piano quartet ( others) and a world premiere of Tor Mordon for piano and cello, by Natalie Klouda, inspired by the Kanneh Mason’s joint Welsh/ Antiguan heritage. It included a minor second, as used by some Antiguan frogs!

[smittims]

I remember Alan Bush saying in an intervew that he avoided writing a descending semitone in his music, as it sounded negative (I'm paraphrasing as I can't recall his actual word ) in contrast to the optimistic note he wanted his music to sound (in line with his political philosophy) .