Brahms

[Lat-Literal]

“Beethoven’s last quartets were written by a deaf man and should only be listened to by a deaf man.” - Sir Thomas Beecham

On Beethoven's 7th Symphony, "It's like a lot of yaks jumping around!"

…….er, right.

Thank you.

It is a shame he left us before shock jock radio.

He missed his forte.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

…….er, right.

It is a shame he left us before shock jock radio.

He might have described himself as a kind of musical Norman Lebrecht.

[LMcD]

Too hot outside? May I suggest the perfect antidote to all that 'orrible 'eat out there - Brahms's Clarinet Sonatas - cool and elegant with just a soupçon of more tolerable autumn weather to come. Much as I still admire his large-scale works, it's Brahms's chamber works that I find myself turning to more often these days.

[Serial_Apologist]

Too hot outside? May I suggest the perfect antidote to all that 'orrible 'eat out there - Brahms's Clarinet Sonatas - cool and elegant with just a soupçon of more tolerable autumn weather to come. Much as I still admire his large-scale works, it's Brahms's chamber works that I find myself turning to more often these days.

One of which was on TTN early this morning when as usual I woke up. Brahms is much too warm in its sonorities for this kind of weather. Some people will recommend listening to Sibelius - "En Saga, "Tapiola" or the "Tempest" incidental music for an antidote to the heat, others the respective "arctic symphonies" of Vaughan Williams or Peter Maxwell Davies, but for me these tend to have the very opposite effect from intended: I would go for the Honegger Fourth Symphony, "Deliciae Basiliensis", especially the wonderfully spaced orchestration of the opening movement, which in the calm passages evokes a sensation of coolness and relaxation at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckkvuYxBZ-E

The Ansermet/Suisse Romande version might be preferable, being less agitated, but as Yorkshire people are wont to say, "This'll do".

[jayne lee wilson]

I tend to match musical warmth to seasonal - so certain Brahms works - the Serenades, the String Concerti, Symphony 2, the 2nd and 3rd Quartets - feel as summer pastoral music to me. But I usually listen late night or very early morning in these climes, so ......

Sibelius, unsurprisingly seems more of a wintry sound, but...The Bard, Oceanides, Pelleas (wonderful new Chandos/Gardner album)..... timeless and seasonless masterpieces. Nightride? Could be birdsong awakening in Spring...the human response........

But of course I worship both as two of my Musical Gods.

****

Honegger 4? Gorgeous and very definitely summery! A Swiss Summer Night on the River....(classic recording: Munch; revisionist: Luisi).
But.... back to the garden, cold drink under a tree...