tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79624102024-03-06T23:06:14.149-05:00Theme and VariationsThoughts and experiences of exploring classical, jazz, and other art music.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-27511641430050082252013-08-01T12:04:00.000-04:002013-08-01T12:22:12.125-04:00I Wasn't Raised On Classical Music, Part 1: What It Isn'tI know I haven't blogged in a long while, but I have still been listening to music. A Lot.<br />
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I have been a bit active on Facebook, a bit less on Twitter, and I often post links to stories about classical music. I am sure that most, (certainly not all) of you were, like me, not raised on this art form. Through a series of blog postings, I want to encourage those who do not listen or don't like or, most importantly, don't understand classical music, to get from where you are to where you will be happy to be.<br />
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But first I must address the term "classical." Though the true nature of the term has been familiar to me since my first visit to the Harvard Book Store, I didn't really give it much thought until I heard <a href="http://www.robertgreenbergmusic.com/">Maestro Robert Greenberg</a> give a semi-rant on the use of the term. In proper terms, "classical" refers to the art and history of the Greco-Roman period (Classical). It also refers to a period of time in music for (with some slight disagreement of exact dates) the compositions written from 1750 (the year J.S. Bach died) to 1827 (the year Beethoven died). This is called the Classical period (capital C). There is even a scientific field called "classical physics" which refers to the science prior to the quantum and relativity revolutions. Mr. Greenberg (his name is a form of the name of my state, Vermont) has problems with the widely used and general acceptance of the word "classical" to refer to the genre of music we think of when we say classical (lower-case c) music.
It is certainly a term that gets a lot mileage, and I understand his objections to the use of it.<br />
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He has offered alternatives. As the most prolific and popular professor with <a href="http://www.thegreatcourses.com/">The Great Courses</a> his foundational course is entitled <b><a href="http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=700">How To Listen to and Understand Great Music</a>.</b> Now, I really like that term, "great", because you can make it "Great" and now you have a whole new term which refers to multiple things.<br />
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His suggestion is to use the term "concert" music, which I don't think really helps things. Even "Concert" doesn't help, and I think that is because we all think of a concert as a general term for a musical performance, be it Concert, Jazz, Rock, even Hip-hop and Rap.<br />
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So, I will stick with the term classical music for the most part, because it is generally more recognized in some fashion by my targeted readers. However, out of respect for Dr. Greenberg, and because it also gives me another modifier to which I can refer without being redundant in the same paragraph, I will occasionally use the term Concert music (or concert music) as well.<br />
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Whew. All that text and I haven't even gotten to the point yet. So let's get there, shall we?<br />
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When the unitiated hear references to classical music, they usually think of long, complicated works by (and here is another term often used in art circles) Dead Germans. Those that indulge in this genre are upper-class, intellectual types with college degrees and use big words like "Baroque." They are the core audience of public radio, drive European make automobiles (or a Cadillac), and have at least two generations of heirs (a.k.a old people). To see an orchestra performance requires owning and wearing a tuxedo (generally the men) or a designer evening gown (generally the women). The tickets are expensive. There's a protocol to being a member of the audience ("Do I clap yet?") that is arcane as Illuminati rituals. It is boring music, just a bunch of notes that are best reserved for background music in fancy hotel elevators. It is hard to understand, and just one musical work can go on for over an hour (never mind an opera through which you might sit for four hours...more on opera in a future entry).<br />
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I'm sure there are more misunderstandings or objections than those, and I'd love to hear them, please leave comments.<br />
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The bad news is most of those characteristics exist in some form in the Concert Music world. However, the good news is they are in no way <i>requirements</i> for understanding and enjoying it. If you are reading this (and thus still with me) and you can hear, you have everything you need to understand and appreciate classical music. Just as in understanding wine (another misunderstood art form, with many of the same characteristics, and enjoyed by the same people) your explorations can be as complicated or as simple as you like. And like most people who drink wine, you may not understand it, but you know what you like. I'm willing to bet you already have some Concert music favorites and don't even realize it; even opera favorites.<br />
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Well, if it isn't some rarefied, incomprehensible high art form, what is it? That will be the main subject of Part 2.<br />
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I take on this task because I wasn't raised on Concert music. Those of you who knew me from high school know I was strictly a redneck country and western fan, particularly of Western Swing and Texas Outlaw music (Willie and Waylon). I got pulled into the classical genre by, of all things, movie music. James Horner's music for the <b>Star Trek</b> movies was like traveling through space (which was its job after all), and I hungered for more. It occurred to me that orchestral music - classical music - might hold such treasures.<br />
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So I began to listen to the public radio station in Corpus Christi, KEDT. I didn't understand much of what I heard, but once in awhile I did.
And then one day I heard a work that took me into outer space.<br />
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The piece was entitled <i>Variations on a Theme by Thomas Tallis</i>, written by the English composer Ralph Vaughn Williams. (By the way "Ralph" is pronounced "Rafe", go figure.) It reminded me of the hours I spent on the roof of the carport on clear, South Texas nights, staring into the heavens until I felt like I was drifting through the stars.<br />
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Found one!<br />
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I bought an LP, which also had on it a work for violin and orchestra named <i>The Lark Ascending</i>, also by Vaughn Williams. I loved it!
Before long I heard symphonies by Brahms, and orchestral works by Sergei Rachmaninov (hey, didn't Eric Carmen have a song that sounded like that? Two?) that had melodic parts I liked, with some other stuff in between. Of course I heard Bach and Mozart and knew that I was <i>supposed</i> to like them, and they did seem to have some kind of recognizable structure that appealed to my mind, which at that time was filled with exotic mathematics and physics concepts and the workings of electrical circuits (leading to my first degree, in Electrical Engineering). But to be honest, for the most part I didn't understand what I was hearing.<br />
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(To be continued in <b>I Wasn't Raised On Classical Music, Part 2: What It Is</b>)<br />
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<b>Music In My Head: </b><i>Largo Al Factotum, </i>from Rossini's opera <b>The Barber of Seville</b>. If you watched Looney Tunes as a kid, you've heard at least some of it. Think Figaro. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-88091024606624122392012-05-07T12:19:00.000-04:002012-05-07T12:19:35.407-04:00U-Md. Symphony Orchestra gets out of its chairs<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/u-md-symphony-orchestra-gets-out-of-its-chairs-giving-music-a-visual-life/2012/05/06/gIQAaShd6T_story.html?td=sm_facebook&utm_campaign=wpapp&socialreader_check=0&denied=1">Giving music a visual life</a><br />
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We often hear that orchestral music’s problem in the modern world is that it lacks a visual element. And we often see attempts to address this involving video screens, animations or even the computer-generated geometric forms you can play along with your music on iTunes.</div>
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But what the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra and choreographer <a data-xslt="_http" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/12/AR2010091203343.html" style="color: black;">Liz Lerman</a>offered Friday night to open a program titled “Auferstehen” (“revive” or “resurrect”) blew all that out of the water.</div>
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The piece was Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.” It began when a group of young musicians, barefoot, in street clothes, holding their instruments, walked out onto a stage that was empty but for a couple of harps and a few strategically placed stools for the cellists. They lay down, sleeping, frozen; until the solo flute made her entrance, walking out from the wings and moving through the silent ranks like the Pied Piper, stirring the others awake, drawing them into the music after her.</div>
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If you saw this on video, you’d assume it was dubbed; orchestra musicians can’t play and move at the same time. Never assume; these Maryland students could. Having memorized the score, they walked around the stage with naturalistic ease, grouping in small constellations or moving en masse, eddying and flowing with the music. Now everyone massed into two antiphonal groups that took turns driving each other back; now the crowd parted to release a solo clarinet who crossed center stage for her few phrases in the sun before melting back into the throng.</div>
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The other reason you’d think it was dubbed is that the playing was so good: increasingly confident, vividly expressive, and without the kinds of balance problems you might assume would result from letting musicians wander all over the stage. Freed from the black-clad anonymity of the orchestral status quo, allowed to assert their own identities, the musicians took responsibility for one of the most remarkable collaborations I’ve seen.</div>
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You probably couldn’t do this with a professional orchestra. The Maryland program’s “Music in Mind” series, of which this concert was a part, deliberately explores different ways of approaching the experience of concert music, often with collaborators from outside the music world (such as <a data-xslt="_http" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/07/AR2008120702311.html" style="color: black;">a “Petruchka” with puppets and props directed by Doug Fitch</a> in 2008). The point is less to find new templates than, as the orchestra’s Web site ambitiously puts it, “to offer members an experience of art-making that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.” Friday’s concert was one of those happy instances of an experiment that shows why experimentation is worthwhile. It’s a shame that there was only one performance; anyone who loves orchestral music should have had a chance to see it.</div>
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As if to underline the point that it’s possible to love both the experimental and tradition deeply and at the same time, James Ross, the orchestra’s music director, paired this “Afternoon of a Faun” with Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony (“Auferstehung”), one of the biggest pieces in the orchestral repertoire, offered with no experimentation whatsoever. Or was there? To some extent, the intensity of the Debussy carried over into the Mahler in a chamber-music transparency and a distinctively personal approach. The biting cellos at the start of the piece sounded particularly intimate and raw. And after having gotten to know individual players by watching them in the Debussy, it was hard not to keep checking in on them, now in concert garb, among the enormous forces of the Mahler. The physical element even stood out: There are a lot of comings and goings in this piece, as brass and percussionists keep leaving to play passages offstage, and once the bombshell percussionist had established her physical authority with her gyrations in the Debussy, she held attention even as one of a team of percussionists in the symphony.</div>
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But the risk-taking of a distinctive, personal approach paid off less well here, musically. Ross took slow tempi that opened up the piece, stripped away the bombast and exposed the individual players in many ways just as much as the Debussy did. It was an ambitious reading, but impressive though the U-Md. orchestra is, it would have taken the Berlin Philharmonic to sustain some of the long arcs of music Ross was trying to draw out. There were a few moments of pure inspiration — a punched-out climax in the first movement, or an unbelievable hush, like the whole orchestra on tiptoe, in the third. And the University of Maryland Concert Choir was outstanding: The slowness, here, let every word of the final, climactic movement be heard (Jennifer Forni and Yvette Smith, U-Md. alumnae, were the soloists). Too often, though, the slow tempi let the air out of the piece, and the personal approach came off like a friend who talks too long and doesn’t get to the point.</div>
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And yet, all of that talking did have something to communicate. I found the next day that the music had gotten under my skin, so that passages kept flicking through my head.</div>
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Too, this concert was about training young artists, and the experience of taking part and learning that new approaches can indeed revive the old can only be a good thing for the musicians, and audiences, of our future.</div>
</article></div>Mike Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123944484404946254noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-17991896502869418402012-03-29T17:12:00.001-04:002012-03-29T17:12:48.433-04:00Hilary Hahn talks about Prokofiev Concerto No. 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Mike Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123944484404946254noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-55128863467061286302012-02-17T17:26:00.000-05:002012-02-17T17:26:11.937-05:00Meme time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9J4m-XVCTmUWgf6ssMoKlETN22xza9edZVExrt5DXndaI0vVQvacFBPMorGjmYzUN0VQO4_eiNlS9hstdgNyVgP2CQlIRH0TLGeCcWhwHvf7GrR-MvxcfX62gjiBome8iPvOow/s1600/Classical+Music.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9J4m-XVCTmUWgf6ssMoKlETN22xza9edZVExrt5DXndaI0vVQvacFBPMorGjmYzUN0VQO4_eiNlS9hstdgNyVgP2CQlIRH0TLGeCcWhwHvf7GrR-MvxcfX62gjiBome8iPvOow/s320/Classical+Music.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Mike Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123944484404946254noreply@blogger.com81tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-52819254895444010972011-04-20T18:26:00.004-04:002011-04-20T20:32:24.160-04:00Brahms and the Clarinet Part 1The next installment about Brahms takes place near the end of his life, after he had declared he had retired from composing in 1890. However, during a trip to Meiningen in 1891, he was enthralled with the talents of a clarinet player named Richard Muhlfeld. What followed was a trio, quintet, and some sonatas. <br /><br />Of the two, it seems that the quintet is the more popular, though I personally prefer the trio. I have a handful of recordings of these works, which were part of CDs I acquired for other works on the albums. Having spent some time with these works, however, I've come to really like them. I'll start with the quintet.<br /><br />One version of this work I have is that of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clarinet-Quintet-Lluna/dp/B002WEC76C/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1303344357&sr=8-16">Tokyo String Quartet featuring JE Lluna</a> on clarinet. On first listen, it seemed to me that the quartet was attacking the music, rather than playing it. Of the three versions I have, I like this one the least, and I think I'm even going to put it on eBay or something. It includes the clarinet trio, which I didn't give much of a listen, based on my displeasure with the quintet. Looking back at my listening notes, I read "Another deep listen of the Tokyo Quartet version does not strike me as harsh...A very workman-like performance that isn't bad per se; just not as likable as the other two."<br /><br />The Berlin Philharmonic Octet performs on the Philips 2-CD set <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Complete-Quintets-Johannes/dp/B0000041C0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1303344776&sr=1-1">Brahms: The Complete Quintets</a>. Aside from the clarinet quintet, the piano and two string quintets are on this collection. To my taste the Berlin Octet (members of the octet, actually) performed the work much more romantically, rather than in attack mode as by the Tokyo Quartet. It seemed much more pleasant at the outset. From my notes: "I find this version the most pleasing. While the other two are good, at the end of the [Berlin Octet version] I feel as if I've been present at a sublime experience."<br /><br />The third recording features the Brahms Double Concerto, but also has the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Double-Concerto-Clarinet-Quintet/dp/B000VNQ72G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1303345448&sr=1-4">Capucon Quartet with Paul Meyer on the clarinet</a>. This recording has amazing sound; every note is played to its fullest (fullest what? sound quality, failing to find a better word), with a bit of filigree. Their third movement reminds me of frolic through a meadow. The last movement returns to minor mode, ending in a bittersweet chord. This movement taught me a lot about how much sound can be produced from just a few instruments.<br /><br />(Clarinet Trio to follow)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-39657281916518729122011-02-04T16:27:00.003-05:002011-02-04T17:04:02.560-05:00Top 10 Composers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwo6RAEiTb2BkNEhYHk_XLqrjMn4Nb_f08VffchZwG9J4XrGxSVTel75wDfGqxxxZvzxbUvVFrZZH51qb1KOsFxowH7B9iulgYkSWu4j5L37WV8jz5taag-NO4vwRXs7k86sWMQ/s1600/tchaikovsky-01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwo6RAEiTb2BkNEhYHk_XLqrjMn4Nb_f08VffchZwG9J4XrGxSVTel75wDfGqxxxZvzxbUvVFrZZH51qb1KOsFxowH7B9iulgYkSWu4j5L37WV8jz5taag-NO4vwRXs7k86sWMQ/s400/tchaikovsky-01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569958555686926578" /></a><br />New York Times music critic Anthony Tommasini has put together <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/arts/music/23composers.html?_r=1&ref=anthonytommasini"> his list </a> of the Top 10 classical composers of all time to cap off a two-week series of articles and interactive features on the Times' web site. Tommasini invited readers to participate by taking a poll of their own choices and by leaving comments. <br />Here is his final list:<br /><br /> 1. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)<br /> 2. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)<br /> 3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 91)<br /> 4. Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828)<br /> 5. Claude Achille Debussy (1862 – 1918)<br /> 6. Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971)<br /> 7. Johannes Brahms (1833 – 97)<br /> 8. Giuseppe Verdi (1813 – 1901)<br /> 9. Richard Wagner (1813 – 83)<br /> 10. Bela Bartok (1881 – 1945)<br /><br />The first thing that struck me about the list was the absence of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. That just floored me. I had always just assumed that Tchaikovsky was right up there with the Big 3. In fact, I figured picking the Top 5 would be easy - Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Brahms and Tchaikovsky. It was picking the second group of five that I thought would be a problem.<br />But Tommasini drops Brahms downs to No. 7 and doesn't even give Tchaikovsky so much as an honorable mention in his article.<br />But I get where Tommasini is coming from. He is a "Modernist" which accounts for the high ranking of Debussy and Stravinski as well as the inclusion of Bartok over such choices as Haydn or Chopin.<br />Also, he is clearly a big fan of Opera, whereas I have still not given that medium the full attention it deserves and am thus not wedded to choices such as Wagner and Verdi at this time.<br />What Tommasini's list reminds me of is when I was in college and Rolling Stone magazine came out with its list of the Top 100 Rock Albums and then preceded to fill up many of the slots with critically acclaimed, but awful (in my opinion) Punk albums. For instance, they gave the No. 2 slot (right after the Beatles) to the unlistenable Sex Pistols album.<br />But to be fair, I don't really think it is right to compare Debussy and Stravinski to Punk bands. Nevertheless, my choice for the Top 10 is considerably different (Plus I have to have a second Top 10 for all the runner-ups.)<br />So here is my list:<br /><br />Beethoven<br />Mozart<br />Bach<br />Brahms<br />Tchaikovsky<br /><br />Schubert<br />Chopin<br />Haydn<br />Schumann<br />Mahler<br /><br />Mendelssohn<br />Dvorak<br />Rachmaninoff<br />Handel<br />Liszt<br /><br />Shostakovich<br />Saint-Saens<br />Prokofiev<br />Greig<br />Debussy<br /><br />Of course, my list will change and evolve as I continue to absorb and experience more and more music. But it is a fun exercise anyway.Mike Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123944484404946254noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-19587262617716487052010-10-13T22:21:00.000-04:002010-10-13T22:24:23.325-04:00Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival - 18th Season Saturday, August 28th, 2010. Chandler Music Hall, Randolph, Vermont.Dvorak String Quintet in G Major, Op. 77, 1st mvmt.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OvV6xzpz17I?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OvV6xzpz17I?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-73193770261614273472010-06-12T13:32:00.003-04:002010-06-12T14:03:43.352-04:00Brahms' Sonatas for Viola and PianoStarting with this CD, I've decided to keep a <a href="http://www.moleskine.com/catalogue/classic/cahier/cardboard_black_cover/set_of_3_ruled_cahier_journals__black__pocket.php">listener's record</a>, to remind me of my thoughts at the time of listening. (I've also ordered a more <a href="http://www.moleskine.com/catalogue/passions/music_journal/">detailed notebook</a>, which I'll use once the cahier journals run out.) I put my jazz thoughts on the left side, and the classical thoughts on the right side.<br /><br />The CD on which I've worked is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Violin-Viola-Sonatas-Johannes/dp/B000009CMP/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1276364796&sr=8-2">second of a two CD set</a> which features Pinchas Zukerman (playing the violin and viola) and Daniel Barenboim (on piano).<br /><br />The viola with piano sonatas are numbered 1 and 2 of opus 120, late in the composer's career. The first is in F minor. The opening movement of the first sonata is a combination of loud drama and beautiful lyricism. The second movement is very sweet, annotated "Andante un poco adagio." Movement 3 is full of happy-go-lucky music, almost dancelike. The final fourth movement is fast and lively. There is so much sound of full music that I had to remind myself that I was listening to only two instruments.<br /><br />Sonata No. 2 opens lyrically; a pretty first movement. The second movement opens with a fast tempo, followed by a slower, wonderful theme.<br /><br />It was at this point in my note-taking that I realized I can't break down the two works. Every time I listen I hear something that I missed before. At this rate, I could go through multiple notebooks and still not tire of hearing the music. I only wish there were more than two of them.<br /><br />As an introduction, here is the first movement of sonata No. 2.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qdtvr-0Ib4U&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qdtvr-0Ib4U&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-38609982682290339332010-05-22T17:04:00.004-04:002010-05-22T18:00:06.263-04:00Keiko Matsui Part TwoLet's start with a bit of music from her <b>Deep Blue</b> CD:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ojlw2y8GUaU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ojlw2y8GUaU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Rather than copy someone, and get charged with plagiarism, I instead provide a <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/keiko-matsui">link to a great rundown of her life and career</a> from <a href="http://answers.com">Answers.com</a>.<br /><br />Starting with the next two CDs I'll be covering (pun intended) I've decided to keep listening notes. I have a fancy, shmancy notebook for this on order, but I'm starting with a small Moleskine notebook, where I put my jazz notes on the left page of the open book, and classical notes on the right (which currently has some notes on Brahms' sonatas for piano and viola).<br /><br />These aforementioned CD's of Keiko's are her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Waltz-Keiko-Matsui/dp/B000001PGC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274563027&sr=8-2">Night Waltz</a> recording, and her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cherry-Blossom-Keiko-Matsui/dp/B000005QZ0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274563100&sr=1-2">Cherry Blossom</a> CD.<br /><br /><b>Night Waltz</b> is the earlier of the two recordings, and I found a nice video of her performing the title work.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JqUYQbqsMP0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JqUYQbqsMP0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This work is truly in three-quarter time, if my counting is correct, but a bit fast for a ballroom-style dance. It starts off the album, and might be considered a "fusion" work with her inclusion of a rockin' electric guitar.<br /><br />The CD itself is short by today's standards, lasting only 41 minutes and fifteen seconds through nine works. When I listen, it is even shorter, as I usually skip over the two songs "Eyes Were Made to Cry" and "Where Wildflowers Grow." Again, the music is OK, but the lyrics turn me off.<br /><br />If I were to pick a favorite track, it would have to be "Hope." I can't say exactly why; just one of those things, I guess.<br /><br />I read in her bio (from the link I provided above) that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Rachmaninoff">Rachmaninoff</a> is one of her influences, and maybe that is why feel drawn to her music. I can't say exactly why; just one of those things, I guess.<br /><br />The next album, <b>Cherry Blossom</b>, is copyright 1992. In my notes, I noticed that, overall, the CD has the beginnings of her current smooth jazz sound. For example, there is a lot more sax, of which we'll hear quite a bit. The first track is entitled "Rainy Season" and it gets you in the listening mood. But I can't determine the link between the work and its name. I found this to be true on much of the collection. The CD title work, "Cherry Blossoms," sounds more Irish than Japanese. We know how important cherry blossoms are in Japanese art (Japan gave the US a gift of cherry trees, which can be found in the mall area in Washington, D.C.).<br /><br />It's probably ignorance on my part, not recognizing the significance of the title. But, on the last two, I think I get it. The next-to-last work is called "Foot Steps" and you hear what sounds like sneaking around music. The last work is entitled "Dawn Opener," which starts out quietly like early predawn and finishes with the day in full swing. I've thought before that a Vermont morning would sound like that, and here she thought of it years ago.<br /><br />I skip around "She Prays to the Wind," another vocal. Who knows? One day maybe I'll like these songs. I do generally like the music. I once despised opera, and I love it, now. So there may be hope for me yet.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-33466151715376839742010-05-19T10:07:00.005-04:002010-05-19T11:05:21.806-04:00Keiko Matsui - Part OneI'm taking a little side trip (as I warned you I would do) to talk about <a href="http://www.keikomatsui.com/">Keiko Matsui</a>'s recordings. I'm doing concentrated listening to the CD's I have, starting with the ones with the earliest copyright dates to the latest (this won't work all that well, as a bunch of them have the same date). I start with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Northern-Lights-Keiko-Matsui/dp/B0000001PF/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_12">Under Northern Lights</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Borders-Keiko-Matsui/dp/B0000001PH/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_8">No Borders</a>.<br /><br />I should state up front that my first experience with her was with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/White-Owl-Keiko-Matsui/dp/B0000CD5FE/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpt_10">White Owl CD</a>, and I was hooked by the end of the first work. So, for the early recordings, I may refer to that CD.<br /><br /><i>Under Northern Lights</i> is the title of the first track on the CD so named, and it has some nice stuff, but the only works that stick out are the ones I don't like. On many of her early CDs she included one or two vocal works, and, except for one, I really don't like them. Generally, the lyrics are too schmaltzy. There are two such vocal works on this CD: "As Far as the Eye Can See" and "High Brow Country Affair," the latter of which I really, truly don't like.<br /><br /><i>No Borders</i> has one of the best cover photos of her entire set of recordings. I don't know why, but she usually seems kinda sad on most of her covers. This one, though, is a great close up in black and white and she is actually, sorta smiling. The other photos in the notes look great as well. The CD has the only vocal I've liked, "Mover." From the notes I see that the vocals are sung by Greg Walker, with chorus by Maxi Anderson. Another name pops out at me, <a href="http://www.nathaneast.com/">Nathan East</a>. He plays bass for the jazz quartet <a href="http://www.fourplayjazz.com/about.html">Fourplay</a>, as well as adds occasional vocals. So, East gets around in the smooth jazz world.<br /><br />Two works on the CD are "Kappa (Water Elf)," and "The Wind and the Wolf," with the latter featuring her husband Kazu on the Shakuhachi, a sort of flute. I mention these, as they are on the <i>White Owl</i> CD as well.<br /><br />As a sidebar, I find concentrated listening on a smooth jazz album is easier than on a classical album. Since the works are shorter, I can listen in the car without getting interrupted in the middle of a longer work.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-49501693406076695762010-05-16T22:01:00.004-04:002010-05-16T22:59:33.245-04:00Sonata for Violin and PianoI'm not sure where it started, but at least from Classical era compositions, a work named "Violin Sonata" would include a continuo, such as a keyboard, that was the accompaniment to the violin. In Brahms' three sonatas, the composer made a point of calling them "Sonata for Violin and Piano." This seems to me proper nomenclature, as both instruments play important roles, neither of which is accompaniment. In fact one of the CD liner notes refers to one of the pieces as (my paraphrasing) works for two orchestras. It is true that these works have a marvelous, full sound. With each repeated playing of the sonatas, I hear a new bit of music that adds to the beauty of the work.<br /><br />(Incidentally, I recently saw a PBS special about Charles Schultz, the cartoonist who drew <b>Peanuts</b>. One of the characters in the strip was a piano player named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schroeder_%28Peanuts%29">Schroeder</a>. Though Schultz preferred the music of Brahms, the name "Beethoven" sounded funnier, so that is what he had Schroeder play.)<br /><br />Due to enthusiasm on my part, I have three recordings of Brahms' three sonatas for violin and piano. One of them is a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Violin-Viola-Sonatas-Johannes/dp/B000009CMP/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274062581&sr=1-4">two CD collection</a> (which also contains the viola and piano sonatas, hence the second CD) performed by Pinchas Zukerman and Daniel Barenboim. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Recordings-Century-Sonatas-Ashkenazy/dp/B00000I7VT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274062777&sr=1-1">second recording</a> comes from the EMI Classics <i>Great Recordings of the Century</i>, with Itzhak Perlman on violin and Vladimir Ashkenazy on piano. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Violin-Sonatas-Johannes/dp/B00005NPJ2/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274062994&sr=1-14">third recording</a> also comes from the EMI Classics label, and features Anne-Sophie Mutter on violin and Alexis Weissenberg on piano.<br /><br />The first sonata, well...what can I say? All three of these sonatas are fantastic. I guess rather than blathering on about how great these works are to hear, or their history, but I'll just put links for <a href="http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/5751.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about">Sonata No. 1 Op. 78</a>, Sonata No. 2, Op.100, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Sonata_No._3_%28Brahms%29">Sonata No. 3, Op. 108</a>.<br /><br />I guess the best way to go would be to write about my favorite performers for each sonata. First, I have to admit right up front that I didn't care for the Mutter/Weissenberg performance. (I'm not sure why I put this CD here, it should be with the rest of Ms. Mutter's recordings.) I mostly had a problem with the piano playing. The pianist sounded stiff, almost mechanical, especially when played side-by-side with Mutter's (as usual) superb performance. So, while I find the CD OK, it isn't as pleasant to my ear as are the other two.<br /><br />For the first work, Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78, I give the nod to Zukerman and Barenboim. Their performance reached out of the stereo and grabbed me by the ears, as if to say, "Hear this! Have you ever heard anything like it!?" How can you fail to appreciate such a work?<br /><br />For Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100, I liked the Perlman/Ashkenazy performance the best. Their choice of dynamics and tempi try to out-Romanticize this Romantic music, and it works pretty well. Small wonder it was chosen as one of EMI Classics' <i>Great Recordings of the Century</i>.<br /><br />Finally, for Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108, I go back to Zukerman/Barenboim. It's a close call, and in fact I think the third sonata was the best for each of the three recordings. But while I liked the dynamics of Perlman/Ashkenazy in the second sonata, it was too much for the third sonata.<br /><br />I haven't given the viola sonatas as much playing time as I'd like, so I'll devote more time to them and report back soonest.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-29855988402983835782010-05-03T10:32:00.006-04:002010-05-03T12:48:10.367-04:00What is a "Klavierstucke?"The last of my solo Brahms piano recordings are entitled "Klavierstucke." Aside from this, I had to learn the definitions of some compositional form Brahms used in his solo piano works.<br /><br />A Klavierstucke is a collection of works, some of which can stand on their own outside the collection.<br /><br />The first CD is disc five in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Piano-Works-Box-Set/dp/B0007WFXAI/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1272897452&sr=8-7">collection of solo works</a>. It consists of Ops. 10, 79, and 76. Op. 10 is a set of four "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballade_%28music%29">Ballades</a>." Here is a video of the second ballade in the work.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4jXrQW9Begs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4jXrQW9Begs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />According to Wikipedia, "A ballade (French for "ballad") refers to a one-movement musical piece with lyrical and dramatic narrative qualities." These early <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballades,_Op._10_%28Brahms%29">Op. 10</a> works must have been written around the time Brahms was staying with the Schumann's. There is also a ballade in his Op. 118 works, about which I will talk later. <br /><br />I have two sets of recordings for the ballades, (as well as the Op. 79 rhapsodies coming up). The first, from the big collection, is played by <a href="http://www.austbo.info/">Hakon Austbo</a> (he is the performer of both discs five and six). In all of Austbo's performances I found the works played in what I would call a very workman-like way. It's not that they aren't played well, but they seem to lack a depth of feeling that is to be found in these works.<br /><br />On the other hand, the second performer (who plays most of the same works as discs five and six of the big collection), <a href="http://www.emiclassics.com/artistbiography.php?aid=96">Nicholas Angelich</a>, puts the emotion into his playing that I imagine Brahms intended. Here's a sample of him performing the first ballade of Op. 10.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0PGLaE1rZAA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0PGLaE1rZAA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The next Brahms work I studied was Op. 79, "Rhapsodies." According to Wikipedia, "A rhapsody in music is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, color and tonality." Both of these rhapsodies are in a minor mode (B minor and G minor), and exhibit the kind of free moving music and emotion for which this form is known.<br /><br />I don't have a recording of Angelich playing the Klavierstucke Op. 76, just one performed by Austbo. For this work, I had to learn the definition of a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capriccio_%28music%29">capriccio</a>", which (again, from Wikipedia) "...is a piece of music, usually fairly free in form and of a lively character. The typical capriccio is one that is fast, intense, and often virtuosic in nature.." Op. 76 starts with two of these, followed by two "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermezzi">intermezzi</a>," (I suggest you read the wikipedia link for this one). In all there are four capricci and four intermezzi in Op. 76.<br /><br />Finally, we get to later works Brahms wrote near the end of his life. These consist of a Fantasien, Op. 116, an Intermezzi, Op. 117, and Klavierstucke Ops. 118-119. A new term for me came from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Pieces_for_Piano,_Op._118_%28Brahms%29">Op. 118</a>, which contained a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_%28music%29">Romanze</a>." I was lucky to find a video of Evgeny Kissin performing the romanze.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BVqrHzT4Xxs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BVqrHzT4Xxs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The Op. 119 consists of three intermezzi, and an ending rhapsody. As the last solo piano works written by Brahms, these works are simply beautiful. Here is the second movement played by Irena Koblar, Brahms Op. 119, Intermezzo in E minor.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xebvZv6BbGg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xebvZv6BbGg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I had a hard time getting into these pieces, which is why it took so long to write this entry. To fully appreciate the music, I had to simply sit and listen. I think that may be at the heart of many Brahms' pieces, which might be why Brahms had so many detractors in his lifetime. While some of his music grabs you at first listening (take his second piano concerto, for example), some requires multiple plays before you "get it." It's a little easier now, as we have instant access to the music (just play the CD again), whereas in Brahms time, to hear a piece you had to either hear it in concert, or play it yourself. As for the latter, his solo works could sometimes be too virtuosic for the average amateur pianist. So, if you find yourself paying for a seat at a concert, you want to hear music you will like and understand. I think this is as true today as it was in the 19th century. Some of Brahms' works (some, perhaps much of the classical music repertoire as well) requires the listener to work in order to understand the music.<br /><br />So, on to some chamber works.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-20657921792750223212010-04-20T21:03:00.003-04:002010-04-20T21:53:34.508-04:00Brahms Piano VariationsAs I had indicated in an earlier post, I have been listening to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Piano-Works-Box-Set/dp/B0007WFXAI/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1268845397&sr=1-12">solo piano works of Brahms</a>. I've gotten to the two CD's that feature his theme and variations work.<br /><br />What I've really enjoyed are the two books of variations based on a theme of Paganini. This is partially because one of my favorite classical works is Rachmaninoff's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhapsody_on_a_Theme_of_Paganini">Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini</a>. This latter work is one of his most popular and well-known works, and the theme that is used by Rachmaninoff was earlier <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganini_Variations_%28Brahms%29">used by Brahms</a>.<br /><br />There are twenty-eight variations in all, divided into two books, each with the theme followed by fourteen variations. Each variation is relatively short, the longest lasting a bit over two minutes. Apparently these are quite challenging works to perform. I found them very enjoyable.<br /><br />Also on this disc are the Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, Op. 24.<br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.classicalconnect.com/files/CCPlayer.swf" width="350" height="120"><param name="movie" value="http://www.classicalconnect.com/files/CCPlayer.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="playlist=/node/3372/play/xml" /><a href="http://www.classicalconnect.com/">Classical Connect - Free classical music online</a></p></object><br /><br />There are some twenty variations on this theme.<br /><br />The second disc of variations (the fourth in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Piano-Works-Box-Set/dp/B0007WFXAI/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1268845397&sr=1-12">CD collection</a>) contains two sets of variations (Op. 21, No. 1 and 2) on an original theme. I found these to be uninspiring. I simply could not get into them at all. I suspect more time with them would help alleviate my ambivalence, but I will admit that while Brahms is one of my favorite composers, not everything he composed floats my boat.<br /><br />Finally, on this CD is Brahms Op. 9, Variations on a Theme of Robert Schumann. These I like much better, so I often would just skip ahead to these. There are sixteen variations in this work, again rather short, the longest being a little over two minutes.<br /><br />Both CD's are recordings of <a href="http://www.schmitt-leonardy.de/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=WSL-EN.Person">Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy</a>. I haven't heard these works performed by anyone else, but I can't find anything but brilliant playing of these works. There are several YouTube videos of his recordings, which are more artistic than the average video. I close with one of them, some of the Paganini variations.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mZAQmq_czos&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mZAQmq_czos&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-28096740429042443022010-03-17T12:27:00.004-04:002010-03-17T13:29:58.026-04:00Brahms Solo Piano WorksI've reached <a href="http://www.johannesbrahms.org/">Johannes Brahms</a> (1833-1897), one of my favorite composers. There are many CD's of Brahms' music in my collection, so I will have quite a few entries on him and his compositions.<br /><br />Born in Hamburg, Germany, the son of a musician, Brahms showed early talent on the piano. In his teens he got work as a piano player in dockside brothels. It is thought that these settings gave him his lifelong aversion to women, although there were a few who stole his heart. One of those was Clara (Wieck) Schumann, about whom we will have more to say in the Brahms entries.<br /><br />At the age of twenty, Brahms went on a tour as accompanist to Eduard Remenyi, a Hungarian violinist a few years older. Several months after the tour began Brahms was introduced to Joseph Joachim, a world renowned violinist, and the two hit it off. When Brahms left Joachim to continue the tour, he was encouraged to meet Robert Schumann when he reached Dusseldorf. However, at that time Brahms was resentful of Schumann, as during a concert tour which took Robert to Hamburg, Brahms had sent an envelop to Schumann to obtain his thoughts on the works. Schumann returned the envelop unopened. <br /><br />After leaving Joachim, Brahms and Remenyi went to Wiemar, where Franz Liszt held court. The meeting with Liszt did not go well, prompting a split with Remenyi. Brahms went back to Joachim for a while, before setting out on a walk along the Rhine, visiting friends and relatives. He had a letter of introduction to Schumann in his pocket, though he still had sour feelings for Robert. Everywhere Brahms went, he was encouraged to pay a visit to Schumann. It wasn't until he visited someone with a collection of Schumann's scores that he had a change of heart. He found Schumann's music to be very much to his liking.<br /><br />Brahms finally did visit Schumann and his wife, Clara, and the couple were amazed at the solo piano works of Brahms. He was invited to stay with them for a few weeks (an invitation he nearly turned down - it wasn't until Clara went on a search of Brahms did he realize that the Schumanns were sincere). It was during this time that Schumann wrote <b>The Article</b>, sometimes referred to as <b>The Curse</b>. Schumann a former editor and creator of periodicals dedicated to music, wrote in the <b><i>Neue Zeitschrift für Musik</b></i> that a new prodigious talent was afoot, a new Beethoven who was "destined to give ideal expression to the times." While this spread the word throughout Europe about Brahms, the article put a lot of pressure on Brahms, which is why it took so long for him to write his first symphony.<br /><br />At a San Antonio shop selling overstock books, CDs, and other media that I obtained a collection of six CDs of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Piano-Works-Box-Set/dp/B0007WFXAI/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1268845397&sr=1-12">Brahms solo piano works</a>. I have been listening to the first two CD's of the set, which contain the some of the works Brahms played for Schumann on the day they met. CD 1 contains the Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 1, a Scherzo in E Flat Minor, Op. 4, and a set of Waltzes, Op. 39. CD 2 contains Piano Sonata No. 2 in F Sharp Minor, Op. 2, and Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5.<br /><br />The Op. 1 sonata is an amazing work, and it is no small wonder that it impressed Robert Schumann. The first movement (an allegro) sets the stage for the entire collection, a powerful opening theme as memorable as the beginning of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. There are some wonderfully lyric passages throughout the sonata, as well as in the scherzo. The twenty-one waltzes of Op. 39 are each very short (only one of which is over two minutes long) but are really fun, too.<br /><br />The second CD's sonatas are performed by Helene Grimaud. I don't have another recording with which to compare, but it seems to me that the tempi Grimaud plays are too fast in some sections, and too slow in others. Though she is undoubtedly a very talented player, her speeds take away from the performance, and the works. I may someday find another recording, to see if I am right or not.<br /><br />For the works by Brahms, I plan to start with the simpler works, work up through the chamber works, then on to the symphonic works; the two serenades, the concerti, and the symphonies. I'm really looking forward to add my experiences to the blog.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-16167616239592779102010-03-09T22:27:00.002-05:002010-03-09T22:31:25.232-05:00Chopin's 'Soul and Heart'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVORqjRG5Npmu6N8iOTRdGSKumx8Y_yLCHZ_bqi6zbp2bQpVtAiOhdPKeQM3kCMF3U11IL9NjWzwPc5UiZb_-UYZUsbhgUh5Voi2r0YNo1RMX1kE_WHa0NVhWzakWnl-d_pm5O6A/s1600-h/ED-AL104_chopin_DV_20100308192857%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 394px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVORqjRG5Npmu6N8iOTRdGSKumx8Y_yLCHZ_bqi6zbp2bQpVtAiOhdPKeQM3kCMF3U11IL9NjWzwPc5UiZb_-UYZUsbhgUh5Voi2r0YNo1RMX1kE_WHa0NVhWzakWnl-d_pm5O6A/s400/ED-AL104_chopin_DV_20100308192857%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446842607469853058" /></a><br />From the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703915204575103460977606700.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_5">Wall Street Journal</a><br /><br />By BYRON JANIS <br />March 1 was the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great composer and pianist Frédéric François Chopin. Or was it? Not according to his sister Ludwika, Franz Liszt and Chopin's close friend Jules Fontana. They all said, at one time or another, that he was born on March 1, 1 809, despite Chopin's insisting his birthday was a year later. To add to the mystery, there is a birth certificate issued by the parish church in Brochów, Poland (and on display there to this day)—near Zelazowa Wola, the small town outside Warsaw where Chopin was born. It gives us still another date: Feb. 22, 1810, the same date inscribed on Polish monuments and on his burial site at Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.<br /> <br />Chopin was born of a French father and a Polish mother, and though he lived half his life in Paris, his heart and soul were always with Poland. His passion for music showed itself early—even at age 3 he would cry whenever he heard it. His mother, an amateur pianist, decided to give him lessons and taught him what little she knew. Fortunately, both his later piano teachers recognized the boy's genius and did not try to force the conventional methods of playing on him. They let him go his own way, freeing him to become the unique, great pianist he was.<br /><br />.At age 7 he wrote his first composition and gave his first public recital—to tremendous acclaim. He continued studying piano and composition at the Warsaw Lyceum and gave highly successful concerts that made him the toast of Warsaw.<br /><br />In 1831 Chopin moved to Paris, where he spent his time performing and teaching piano. It was there that he met George Sand, who became his lover. The two spent many summers at Sand's country home in Nohant, where Chopin composed some of his greatest music.<br /><br />After their eight-year love affair ended in 1847, Chopin was never the same. He died less than two years later. The cause was thought to be tuberculosis, but the autopsy stated "cause unknown." His close friends agreed that he died of a broken heart.<br /><br />In 39 brief years Chopin managed to compose over 180 works for piano, and except for three piano sonatas and two concertos, most of them last no more than three to five minutes. Chopin's mastery of the genre shows itself in his magical preludes and mazurkas. His 24 études, which are basically technically challenging exercises, have been transformed into beautiful music by Chopin's genius.<br /><br />The ballade, full of dramatic intensity, mainly inspired by Polish epic poems, was a new musical form invented by Chopin. He converted the scherzo, originally a musical jest, into a work of a completely different nature. "How is gravity to clothe itself if humor wears such dark veils?" Robert Schumann once observed of these works. Chopin also transformed the polonaise, a dance that predated him, into a Polish processional march. One Chopin polonaise even gave us the popular song "Till the End of Time."<br /><br />Chopin was born just as the Romantic Period started—in fact, he was one of its initiators. But in his outlook he also harked back to the Classical Period of Bach and Mozart—the only two composers he really loved. He blended classical restraint with romantic feeling, detesting any exaggeration that would turn sentiment into sentimentality. To recognize that is to play Chopin's music the way he wanted it played—the way he himself played it. Yet there's more to it than that. To play his music as he felt it (as we learn from his writings) is to free it of all earthly bonds. As artists, that is our greatest challenge.<br /><br />Chopin's physical strength was limited not only by his delicate physique, but by his battle with tuberculosis. As a result, many who heard him perform in public auditoriums complained that his tone was almost inaudible. Yet genius that he was, he found a way to handle and transcend his limitations. He devised a tonal palette scaled down to the softest sound possible, increasing to a mezzo forte (half-loud) that sounded like a fortissimo by way of contrast.<br /><br />Like the man, Chopin's music was a mystery. Nothing like it had ever been heard before, nor has it been since. Liszt would introduce Chopin to friends with words that captured that otherworldly quality: "I want you to meet a man who comes from another planet."<br /><br />No word is more important in describing the playing of Chopin's music than rubato. It comes from the Italian word robare, to rob, but in music it means "give and take." If you steal a little time here, you've got to give it back. For example, in playing a melodic phrase, if you go forward in the first two bars, you must pull back in the next two so that the freedom you took does not break the rhythmical pulse. The classic feeling will come from the left hand, which Chopin insisted should be played as evenly as possible. Then the right hand can have its romance and play as freely as the left hand will allow. Every performer will use that freedom differently, and that is the beauty of the "disciplined freedom" that makes Chopin Chopin.<br /><br />Chopin said the Polish word zal—a "bittersweet melancholy"—best described much of his music. Paradoxically, it can also mean anger, even rage, an emotion also found in Chopin's musical vocabulary. Schumann agreed, describing Chopin's music as "cannons buried in flowers." For example, listen to the Ballade in G-minor and the Scherzo in C-sharp minor.<br /><br />When I was 7 and first "met" Chopin, his music touched a special place in me that nothing else had. I wanted to know more about the man. I discovered he was, like his music, filled with intense emotions and tender poetry.<br /><br />It was not only playing his music that brought me close to Chopin. In 1955 I visited Nohant, and had the thrill of unexpectedly meeting George Sand's granddaughter, Aurore Lauth Sand. She was 11 when her grandmother died in 1876 and remembered her vividly. To have played a Chopin nocturne for her, in the very room where it was written, was one of my life's most unforgettable moments.<br /><br />Then in 1990 Andrew Borey, the great-great-grandson of Chopin's sister Ludwika, walked into my life. This charming, elegant Polish gentleman and I became very special friends. When I recorded an all-Chopin CD in 1996, you can imagine how moving it was for me to have Andrew and his son George sitting on the stage with me.<br /><br />Chopin's own words perhaps best describe him: "Bach is like an astronomer who, with the help of ciphers, finds the most wonderful stars. Beethoven infuses the universe with the power of his spirit. I do not climb so high. A long time ago, I decided my universe would be the soul and heart of man."<br /><br />Chopin knew that climbing higher was not the only way to reach heaven.<br /><br />Mr. Janis is a world-renowned concert pianist particularly known for his interpretations of Chopin. PBS will air a documentary about his life in October and J. Wiley will publish his memoirs in the fall.Mike Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123944484404946254noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-70735514560941404272010-03-06T21:42:00.003-05:002010-03-06T22:17:12.205-05:00William Boyce (1711-1779)The CD player has been serenading me with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/William-Boyce-Eight-Symphonies-Op/dp/B0008JEKCC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267929854&sr=8-4">symphonies</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Boyce">William Boyce</a>, or, at least the eight symphonies of his Op. 2.<br /><br />Something mentioned in the Wikipedia link (isn't that a great source of info?) not written in the CD liner notes is that Boyce, like Beethoven, went deaf. Unlike Beethoven, however, he did not continue to compose, but did go on to complete works of his teachers.<br /><br />Generally speaking, the Baroque era is said to run from 1600 to 1750. These eight symphonies are each partially inspired or borrowed from some of Boyce's earlier works; the symphonies themselves were published in 1760. Musicologists will warn us not to take era dates as hardbound boundaries, and in this case it is good not to do so. These symphonies definitely have late or High Baroque styles. Except for the sixth of the set (which has two), the symphonies have three movements each. These are short works, with the longest being the eighth which is a little under eleven minutes long.<br /><br />Most of the works have a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_overture">French Overture</a> for the first movement, followed by dance-like movements. They do not always follow the Haydnesque formula of the second movement being slow, and the third movement a minuet-and-trio form. As might be expected from the practice of borrowing from other works to make new ones, the eight symphonies have a hodge-podge of movement structure.<br /><br />Listening to the CD, the works remind me of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Music_%28Handel%29">Handel's <i>Water Music</i></a>, which is also in the French Overture form. These are light works. I don't recall ever hearing them on classical music radio. Were it not for <a href="http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=7210">Robert Greenberg's course on the symphony</a>, I doubt I would have heard of them at all. That would be a shame; though lately I've not been in a mode to listen to much Baroque era music, I have enjoyed these. It is also interesting to hear pre-classical era symphonies.<br /><br />A <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=boyce+symphony&search_type=&aq=2&oq=boyce+sy">YouTube search</a> brings up several examples/movements of these works.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-47165394350650268172010-03-04T16:22:00.002-05:002010-03-04T17:09:46.724-05:00Alexander Borodin (1833-1887), Another of the Mighty HandfulI've discussed members of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five">Russian Mighty Five</a>, five mostly self-taught composers from the Romantic Period who turned away from German music in favor of a more Russian form of great music. One of them was Balakirev, <a href="http://themeandvariations.blogspot.com/2009/12/mily-alexeyevich-balakirev.html">about whom I wrote earlier</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Borodin">Borodin</a> remained an amateur for most of his career, teaching science and chemistry in order to pay for his musical hobbies. In my collection I have two of his symphonies (one, the third, was only a sketch, and was orchestrated by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Glazunov">Alexander Glazunov</a>, another of The Five), some music from his opera <i>Prince Igor</i>, and his two string quartets.<br /><br />His Symphony No. 2 in B Minor wasn't a smashing success at its premiere, but a reworked version with changes suggested by another member of The Five, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Rimsky-Korsakov">Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov</a>, did win some acclaim for Borodin. I've found in listening to it personally that I have trouble finding something to hook onto structurally. I suspect it will take more listening in order to find my own way into the work. From an auditory distance, I like the symphony, with its exotic sounds and conversations between orchestral sections. <br /><br />I find the quartets a little easier to understand, perhaps because they seem to stick closer to Western structure, though, with them, too, I can't seem to find my way into the works.<br /><br />Borodin's most famous works come from his opera <i>Prince Igor</i>, with music from the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polovetsian_Dances">Polovtsian Dances</a></i> used in the musical <i>Kismet</i>. The most recognizable part is the "Stranger in Paradise" theme, as well as other dances from the opera. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yI1bYFVWIw">Sarah Brightman</a> has recorded a version with lyrics, as has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsKi8R8bazY">Tony Bennett</a> and numerous others.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page">Wikipedia</a> has an explanation of who the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polovtsian">Polovtsians</a> were.<br /><br />I find it hard to say much more about the music, especially given the citations I've given for Borodin's biography as well as his small output of music. There's none of the music I don't like, and I look forward to spending more time with it. I suspect such Russian Nationalist music is an acquired taste, and what little I do get out of it makes me want more.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-17603307117234150342010-03-04T13:45:00.002-05:002010-03-04T13:52:55.725-05:00Taking the Scenic RouteWhile listening to <a href="http://www.keikomatsui.com/">Keiko Matsui</a>'s CD <a href="http://www.amazon.com/White-Owl-Keiko-Matsui/dp/B0000CD5FE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267728628&sr=8-2">White Owl</a> it occurred to me that I am not as familiar with her other recordings as I am with that one. So, as a sort of side trip, I will be listening and learning about her and her music on occasion, writing about what I've heard on this blog, along with the classical music.<br /><br />I'll probably do the same for my Bob James collection, as well, at some point. In any event, I appreciate that you read the blog, and hope for more comments!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-62956832772665796222010-03-03T20:02:00.004-05:002010-03-03T20:43:49.924-05:00Bond ReclassifiedFans of the string quartet <a href="http://www.bondmusic.net/">Bond</a> will <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Classified-Bond/dp/B0001ZDKAQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267664301&sr=1-4">get the pun</a> in the title.<br /><br />I'm not sure where I first learned of the group. I used to belong to the now gone BMG Music Club (which has turned things over to <a href="http://www.yourmusic.com/home/">yourmusic.com</a>, a sad situation, as yourmusic.com just doesn't do the job as well as BMG did - in their sales e-mails, they push groups or performers of whom I've never heard, and none of them classical music artists), which picked them as Selected Recordings on occasion. I seem to recall my Mom telling me about them, too. At any rate, I added their "Best of" recording, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Explosive-Best-Bond/dp/B0009NCQJ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267664301&sr=1-1">Explosive</a>, to my collection last year. It's a DualDisc that has the CD on one side and a DVD on the other. The DVD includes the entire CD in Surround Sound, plus has their music videos. And for Christmas I was thrilled to get their performance DVD from 2001, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bond-Live-Royal-Albert-Hall/dp/B00005O147/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267664301&sr=1-6">Bond - Live at the Royal Albert Hall</a>.<br /><br />For those not in the know about Bond, checking out the links I've included will reveal that the quartet consists of four very hot babes playing the string instruments of a string quartet (two violins, a viola, and a 'cello). Their web site claims that they are the "MOST POPULAR STRING QUARTET IN THE HISTORY OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY." Problem is, they aren't a string quartet. The lead performers are a quartet, but they have keyboard players, a small string ensemble, guitar and bass players, plus percussion and drummers as part of the group.<br /><br />Their repertoire consists of original works, plus arrangements of classical music gone electric. At first, I just thought that they might be controversial, but didn't really question their classical music classification. But it was brought up in an interview included on the Royal Albert Hall DVD that, in Britain, they had been "banned" from the classical charts. My knee-jerk reaction was what is typical of me when I hear of art work being banned, which was a mild case of outrage. It wasn't until I went back to the CD in preparation for this entry that I realized that, not only are they not a quartet, they aren't classical performers, either.<br /><br />That's not to say that they aren't a blast to hear, and even more of one to watch. I like them, a lot, and I like what I suspect are the disturbances the group causes classical music snobs. I'm sure they have the talent to play classical string quartet repertoire; they even have some tracks played using acoustic instruments.<br /><br />But the CD is not going back into the classical music bookcase; nor are the ones I have on order (by the way, I have got to stop this blog from leading me to buy more music!).<br /><br />The thing is, even though they use classical music in some of their performances, that doesn't make them classicists. An analogy would go like this: I drive a vehicle made by GM. I'm sure there are common parts (nut, bolts, paint, adhesives) among their various offerings, but that doesn't make what I drive a Cadillac. <br /><br />By all means, I recommend their recordings. It's fun stuff, very inspired, and a far sight better than the disco versions of some classical works that bubbled up during the '70s. Their original works are great. And, finally, they are, well, four very hot babes, along with being talented musicians. But their CDs belong on the shelf with the pop-rock recordings.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-25067609783437387542010-02-26T17:37:00.004-05:002010-02-26T18:34:33.949-05:00Peter and the Wolf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7ysZTYLttVkT76jjaCcGNMEnhcAk7qwzVnqx_x8LhCdhaSJ-QzKZb-6tUPXTx6IM-2b1wRu5CORpuH7x9jnl7Uy8jQRUFwzFWCQWyyVx7u1O7A2TdzPExGCIndpcIVaGpVpEsQ/s1600-h/1093E.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7ysZTYLttVkT76jjaCcGNMEnhcAk7qwzVnqx_x8LhCdhaSJ-QzKZb-6tUPXTx6IM-2b1wRu5CORpuH7x9jnl7Uy8jQRUFwzFWCQWyyVx7u1O7A2TdzPExGCIndpcIVaGpVpEsQ/s400/1093E.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442685272868914434" /></a><br />I have been listening to Peter and the Wolf alot lately as it has become one of my kids' favorites everytime they get in the car with me. <br />Peter in the Wolf is a musical composition for children composed by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. It has a prominent role for a narrator who tells a Russian folk tale about a young boy who goes against his grandfather's wishes and manages to capture a wolf. There is a musical theme for each of the characters in the story using a different instrument from the orchestra.<br />The theme for Peter is played by the strings and is the best known of the piece. It is very catchy. In fact, it is playing in my head right now.<br />As for the other characters, there is a bird represented by a flute; a duck represented by an oboe; a cat represented by a clarinet; the grandfather represented by the bassoon; the wolf represented by the horns; the hunters represented by the woodwinds; and gunshots represented by the timpani. <br />There have been many recordings made of Peter and the Wolf over the years with a wide assortment of famous people taking the role of the narrator. Here are a few examples from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_and_the_Wolf"> Wikipedia entry:</a><br />Arthur Godfrey<br />Sir John Gielgud<br />Leonard Bernstein<br />Basil Rathbone<br />Boris Karloff<br />Christopher Lee<br />Sean Connery<br />Peter Ustinov<br />Dudley Moore<br />Captain Kangaroo<br />David Bowie<br />Mia Farrow<br />Itzhak Perlman<br />Lorne Greene<br />Sir Alec Guiness<br />Jonathan Winters<br />Patrick Stewart<br />Ben Kingsley<br />Carol Channing<br />David Attenborough<br />Sharon Stone<br />William F. Buckley Jr.<br /><br />And of course there was the animated Disney version that came out in 1946 and was narrated by Sterling Holloway, better know as the voice of Winnie the Pooh.<br /><br />But the version I have was narrated by Sting, the former lead singer of The Police, one of my all-time favorite bands. It was recorded sometime in 1991 by Deutsche Grammophon with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Claudio Abbado.<br />While I have not listened to all the other versions, I think that Sting does an exceptionally good job. He certainly holds my kids' attention. At first, the kids were indifferent to the music and wanted me to scoot up to the story-telling, but I insisted we listen to the whole piece and now they recognize the themes of the different characters and enjoy it as a whole.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jzjIlni8_qg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jzjIlni8_qg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Mike Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123944484404946254noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-88298255246778951212010-02-18T19:07:00.002-05:002010-02-18T19:42:37.315-05:00Luigi Boccherini (February 19, 1743 – May 28, 1805)<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Boccherini">Luigi Boccherini</a> belongs to that sad, long list of artists who die poor and then become extremely popular. He started life as the son of a cellist, become a cellist like his father, with a public debut at the age of thirteen. He was born in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca">Lucca, Italy</a>, where his remains were moved in 1927 when he was "rediscovered" in the twentieth century.<br /><br />Music critic Charles Burney, in 1776, wrote of Boccherini, "There is perhaps no instrumental music more ingenious, elegant, and pleasing, than his quintets: in which invention, grace, modulation, and good taste conspire to render them, when well executed, a treat for the most refined hearers and critical judges of musical composition." The quintets on which Burney heaps praise consist of a regular string quartet (two violins, viola, and cello) with an extra cello (no surprise there, since he was a cellist). These were among the first of their kind, however another chamber ensemble he pioneered was the piano quintet (piano plus string quartet).<br /><br />Boccherini's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boccherini-Quintets-Strings-Tristan-Fry/dp/B00000417Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1266539101&sr=8-1">guitar quintets</a> were most likely derived from piano quintets; apparently such a practice was common, given the demand for chamber music. These works have a definite Classical Era sound. Despite the name "guitar quintet" these works do not universally feature the guitar. One of the quintets, No. 4 in D, is nicknamed "Fandango" and includes the addition of a sistrum (interesting in and of itself, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistrum">check it out</a>) and castanets. While his trips and stays in Madrid may have colored some of his works, mostly he is a composer of Italian-style music.<br /><br />I have two symphonies by Boccherini, one in D Major and one in A Major, both only three movements long. It comes as no surprise that they remind me of symphonies of Haydn, as both composers are from the same era. The CD I have comes from one of those low-cost box collections, this series called <i>The Greatest Symphonies.</i> The CD also contains a performance of Haydn's Symphony No. 99, but I will cover that when I got to Haydn.<br /><br /><i>There sure seems to be a lot of performers and composers who begin with the letter "B" in my collection, doesn't it? I'm not even up to Brahms yet! Borodin is next...)</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-67023136092402618212010-02-06T12:12:00.003-05:002010-02-06T13:24:51.114-05:00Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875)Bizet was born on October 25, 1838, the only child of musician parents. His parents nurtured his talent, and he entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1848, at the age of ten. Among his talents was a musical memory similar to that of Mozart.<br /><br />At seventeen, <a href="http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/bizet.html">Bizet</a> wrote his <i>Symphony in C</i>, of which I have a copy that shares disc space with Mendelssohn's excerpts from his incidental music for <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>, along with Smetana's <i>The Moldau</i>. If you haven't heard the latter work (or you have, but just don't recognize the name) you are in for a real treat. Though this is an entry for Bizet, I can't help but include a YouTube performance of <i>The Moldau</i>, in two parts.<br /><br /><b>Part One</b><br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LlLPLO90fSk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LlLPLO90fSk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br /><b>Part Two</b><br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k0lPLOeBzyA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k0lPLOeBzyA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />Bizet's symphony sounds like something Mozart or Haydn might have written. It is a charming piece, but it resembles music from the Classical era more than the Romantic era in which Bizet lived. It was never performed in his lifetime, and he tucked it away with other works from his youth. It was eighty years later when the piece was discovered by music historian Douglas Parker, who in turn drew the attention of conductor Felix Weingartner. It received its first performance in Basle, Switzerland in February 1935.<br /><br />Bizet is best known for his opera <i>Carmen</i>, one of the most popular operas of all time. I have a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bizet-Carmen-Suite-Petite-LArl%C3%A9sienne/dp/B0002KVVAQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1265479876&sr=1-3">recording</a> of excerpts from the two <i>Carmen</i> suites, but not the entire two suites. The CD also has his <i>Petite Suite for Orchestra</i> and the <i>L'Arlesienne Suite Nos. 1 & 2</i>.<br /><br />Though the recording does not include both <i>Carmen</i> suites, what it does include is a lot of fun, especially if you have seen the opera. Bizet didn't actually arrange the two suites, as he died just three months from the opera's premiere. This first performance, shown in Paris, was not much of a success. However, it was a blockbuster smash hit in Vienna. By this time, Bizet had died at the young age of 36. A couple of years ago I did a "Carmenathon" by watching all the DVD versions I could find at Borders, as well as through NetFlix. I thought I posted it here, but apparently did not. In any event, it was fun to do. I read that Brahms went to the opera some twenty times. Hopefully one day I'll see the opera live.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-40120347385212738012010-01-13T12:11:00.004-05:002010-01-13T13:02:47.689-05:00More BeriotTwo other CDs have been playing for me lately, one of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beriot-Violin-Twelve-Scenes-Studies/dp/B002ED6VIQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1263402850&sr=1-2">solo violin works</a>, and another of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Auguste-Beriot-Duos-Concertants-Six/dp/B0020MSTFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1263402850&sr=1-1">violin duets</a>.<br /><br />The solo works include his <i>12 Scenes ou Caprices pour le violon, Op. 109</i>, plus <i>Nine Studies</i>, and his <i>Prelude ou Improvisation, Op. Post.</i>, performed by <a href="http://www.yca.org/hristova.html">Bella Hristova</a>. The scenes are given titles that indicate the mood of the music. For example, the first one, <i>La Separation</i>, begins with a sad largo followed by a con moto section, both of which return to end the scene. <i>La Fougue</i> (The Spirit, The Fire) is a vivace con fuoco with a martial section of double stops.<br /><br />The <i>Nine Studies</i> are said to be "vintage Beriot study material that rises to the level of artistry in the hands of a master," according to the CD liner notes.<br /><br />The last work, the <i>Prelude ou Improvisation</i> has few bar lines, and alternates between quiet and energetic, lyrical and virtuosic playing. Before the work is done, the performer will have used a number of violinist's tricks.<br /><br />By far, though, my favorite has been the recording of violin duets. There are three <i>Duo Concertants</i>, Op. 57, each of them consisting of three movements. These are great works, with some beautiful lyric sections. They have been very comforting to me during my migraine attacks, as I listen to them in the dark. The recording also includes <i>Six Characteristic Duos</i>, Op. 113, based on themes from a Prince Yusupov's <i>Ballet Espagnol</i>. These are a set of fun works, the violins "imitating" guitars, playing various themes, including a fandango and a bolero.<br /><br />I found a YouTube video of the artists, Christine Sohn and John Marcus, making their Naxos recording of the duets.<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/adQUag1Nqi0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/adQUag1Nqi0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />These Beriot recordings have been a great discovery for me, and I'll be on the watch for more of his works (I have already ordered a recording of piano trios). I highly recommend these works for anyone's collection. Since many of them are on the Naxos label, the CD's are not costly, and are indeed a bargain.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-42048391792396554602010-01-10T15:18:00.006-05:002010-01-10T15:54:38.131-05:00Charles-Auguste de Beriot<a href="http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/main.jsp">ArkivMusic</a> is a great source for classical music recordings. They also have a weekly e-mail which advertises weekend specials, and introduces some new, sometimes off the beaten path, musical recordings. It was through one of those that I learned about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_de_B%C3%A9riot">Charles-Auguste de Beriot</a>. So, as with Balakirev, I'm going backwards a little bit in the alphabet, this time with three CD's of violin concerti.<br /><br />Some of the sources on Beriot indicate that he is familiar to many violinists, though more for practice pieces than for concert works. Beriot wrote ten violin concerti in all, and I was able to find recordings of concerti 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. Two of the recordings come from the <a href="http://www.naxos.com/">Naxos</a> label, while the third is a German label <a href="http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/home">CPO</a>.<br /><br />I love it when I discover a new Romantic-era composer, and Beriot, who lived from 1802 to 1870, lands right into that period. His works reflect the time as well. His Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 16, is a one movement work subtitled "Military." And the piece does sound like it could be arranged for a marching or military band. He was influenced by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Paganini">Nicolo Paganini</a>, as indicated by the virtuosic second and third concerti.<br /><br />The sources say that Beriot was the father of the so-called Franco-Belgian school of violin playing; I didn't know there was such a thing. But in a neat case of serendipity, the school is mentioned in the interview with Hilary Hahn I linked in the entry below.<br /><br />My method for writing these entries involves spending time with the recording(s) of interest, in alphabetical order as they are arranged in my collection. Sometimes, the pieces don't hold my interest, and I find my mind wandering away from the music and onto something else. I didn't find that with the Beriot recordings. I was able to play and listen to them time and again. I suspect that for many people music, particularly classical music, is something to occupy the background as they do something else unrelated. When I work with these recordings (and at other times, too) I just sit (or, during a migraine attack, lay in the dark) and listen, as I would at a concert. I find this to be an excellent way to spend time, and sometimes I come away from hearing a recording and feeling as if I have just experienced something very special. That is how I have felt with these concerti.<br /><br />I also have a CD of solo violin works, plus a neat recording of works for two violins. I'll be spending my time with them next.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7962410.post-49686359495677659152010-01-10T15:16:00.000-05:002010-01-10T15:18:05.279-05:00Hilary Hahn InterviewA Q&A interview with Hilary Hahn by Opera Today has been posted on the web. Read it <a href="http://www.operatoday.com/content/2010/01/an_interview_wi.php">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233472492675055779noreply@blogger.com1