Brahms

[vinteuil]

Ok, nice post ferney, but go on, give us a clue.

... I don't know ferneyhiccough's predilection here ; I very much like la Gaia Scienza on winter & winter, with Federica Valli on an 1842 Erard

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00005CCZ0

.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... I don't know ferneyhiccough's predilection here ; I very much like la Gaia Scienza on winter & winter, with Federica Valli on an 1842 Erard

That'll do me, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K-eL5X0pTM

[teamsaint]

That'll do me, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K-eL5X0pTM

thanks both.

[Dave2002]

There's some crazily fast piano playing on a seriously loud Steinway piano on Radio Lyric FM (Ireland) - https://vodhls.rasset.ie/manifest/au...8926_261_.m3u8

Barry Douglas plays in Brahms Op 25 piano quartet at the West Cork Music Festival, with Dmitry Sikovetsky, Bret Dean and Marc Coppey. Probably not how it should be played, but exciting to hear it like that on occasions.

It starts about 1 hour in on the track.

[Serial_Apologist]

There's some crazily fast piano playing on a seriously loud Steinway piano on Radio Lyric FM (Ireland) - https://vodhls.rasset.ie/manifest/au...8926_261_.m3u8



Barry Douglas plays in Brahms Op 25 piano quartet at the West Cork Music Festival, with Dmitry Sikovetsky, Bret Dean and Marc Coppey. Probably not how it should be played, but exciting to hear it like that on occasions.

It starts about 1 hour in on the track.

P'raps he had a train to catch...

[aeolium]

There are plenty of modern-instrument Brahms chamber music and piano recordings that I greatly admire and love: Lupu's playing of the Intermezzi; Curzon in the Sonata op 5; Thea King and the Gabrielis in the Clarinet Quintet; Tuckwell, Ashkenazy and Perlman in the Horn Trio; the Quartetto Italiano in the Quartets; the ASMF Chamber Ensemble in the String Sextets, etc. Even the Pollini/Quartetto Italiano recording of the Piano Quintet, which I think is far too overpowering a performance for this music, is spellbinding to listen to imv.

[Daniel]

There didn't used to be much Brahms in which I didn't find something special, but my enthusiasm for large swathes of it has, for the time being anyway, rather waned. There are a number of things I still get much pleasure from, but a greater number I don't. Not fully sure why. I've gone off his manner I think, and the way the music is constructed seems to stifle spontaneity at times.
Also, very subjectively, a sense that, despite the music's obvious expressivity and sometimes quite wild and dark qualities, there is something slightly contained in some corner of its emotional make-up. Hard to explain, I see that it's great music, but with some exceptions, not for me at the moment.

.. and while I'm digging this hole (and as he's been mentioned) ... I feel a little bit like that about Britten too .. as if he's circling round an emotional wound and being inspired by its effect, rather than the thing itself.
But his character/style is broadly less opaque than Brahms, and the inhibition can seem to me to become a virtue, the constraint cranking up internal pressure and being a kind of dynamo for his imagination.

Read Ferney's period instrument post with interest, and will try some of the performances out.

[Lento]

I think Britten is reported to have said that he wished Brahms would "say what he meant". Whether he was referring to musical matters (rhythmical ambiguity, thick textures, fondness for "chewing things over") or a lack of perceived emotional directness, I have no idea. Another reported comment was that he listened to Brahms once a year, in order to remind himself how not to compose. Tells us more about the waspish side of Britten than it does about Brahms, I fear.

[gurnemanz]

I think Britten is reported to have said that he wished Brahms would "say what he meant". Whether he was referring to musical matters (rhythmical ambiguity, thick textures, fondness for "chewing things over") or a lack of perceived emotional directness, I have no idea. Another reported comment was that he listened to Brahms once a year, in order to remind himself how not to compose. Tells us more about the waspish side of Britten than it does about Brahms, I fear.

Britten could also be on the receiving end of was waspishness. Asked his opinion of Britten, Stravinsky said: "I think that Mr Britten is a very good accompanist."

[gradus]

I wonder what Brahms would have made of Britten.

[Barbirollians]

I'd say BB's music is somewhat less accessible than Brahms.'

And, though 'dislike' would be too strong a term, operas like Owen Wingrave and compositions like the string quartets don't really do anything for me and I wouldn't be all that bothered if I never heard them again.

Reading this discussion has confirmed my initial feeling - that you need to have some level of musical education to 'take against' Brahms. I really don't hear anything to dislike at all.

I like the string quartets especially the Third - I cannot abide the Spring Symphony though !

[P. G. Tipps]

When you admit to not liking the music of a particular composer you are always asked 'why'? That's a bit like asking why you don't like a particular food , imv.

I can't give any specific reason why I don't like Brahms apart from the fact that I think Mahler had a point when he said the music is 'over-cooked'. Someone also once told me that he found Brahms' music 'smug and self-satisfied' and that he often found the composer's advocates to be very much the same.

Brahms is not for me, I'm afraid, and others might not be too surprised to learn that I've had absolutely no music education whatsoever!

[Flosshilde]

[Barbirollians]

Saying Brahms is over cooked is about as daft as saying Mahler is overwrought .

[visualnickmos]

When you admit to not liking the music of a particular composer you are always asked 'why'? That's a bit like asking why you don't like a particular food , imv.

I can't give any specific reason why I don't like Brahms apart from the fact that I think Mahler had a point when he said the music is 'over-cooked'. Someone also once told me that he found Brahms' music 'smug and self-satisfied' and that he often found the composer's advocates to be very much the same.

Brahms is not for me, I'm afraid, and others might not be too surprised to learn that I've had absolutely no music education whatsoever!

Excellent analogy.

Me neither.

However - not quite sure about Brahms being 'over-cooked' - some would say Bruckner is not only over-cooked, but 'done to death!' but, we all have our likes, dislikes, and so on..... (just to be clear - I like Brahms and Bruckner - am I normal? )