What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? IV

[silvestrione]

Silvestrione

I initially bought 2 volumes of the Associated Boards sonatas around late 1990s when I was having jazz piano lessons. This was when I was starting to listen to classical music. My teacher was concerned that I had no technique and was very poor at sight reading. As a consequence I was put on a strict regime of Bach . Scarlatti was a composer I checked out in my own as my teacher did not have any real interest in his work.

Faced with the same problem 2 years, I picked up rhe Scarlatti again to improve my reading and I found the music very appealing and perfect for sight reading practice. I then picked up the Schirmer edition of 60 sonatas. The Naxos discs were bought to understand how the music should sound but I am addicted both to listening and playing these sonatas.

Harmonically Scarlatti strikes me as being sophisticated for his time and certainly more interesting than say Mozart or Haydn. He does seem underrated in my opinion . Of the composers whose works I bought to play, Scarlatti is probably the most rewarding yo play and maybe only matched by Haydn and Clementi as sight reading material.

Ah, yes. You're doing very well now, as Scarlatti is sight-reading material! I'm not sure it's right to say he's underrated, though. His range is enormous (sometimes in the same piece: e.g. E minor K 402, and F Sharp K 318 starts sweetly, but has 'passion music' a la Bach in the middle), and widely recognised to be so, and widely played and enjoyed?

[smittims]

John Ireland: The Forgotten Rite, and Mai-Dun: The Halle Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli.

These were the first recordings of these two pieces , sponsored by the British Council. Although composed separately, and clearly inspired by two very different places (Guernsey and the famous earthwork in Dorset) they seem to me like a Dyptich, and have long been favourites. There are some haunting harmonies and cadences in them, and though both short, there is more in them than in many another man's symphony. .

[Pulcinella]

Gave up on Andras Schiff's JSB Partitas, and switched to Bryden Thomson and the LPO in Elgar 1 instead.

[smittims]

And Elgar 2 for me! The 1956 Boult with the LPO, the first stereo recording of the work. Having a few minutes to spare I followed it with the Elegy for strings, another stereo recording butt his time the Halle and Barbirolli,the second of his three recordings of the work. Heard right after the symphony it sounds uncannily like an epilogue to the larger work, and this is an especially heartfelt performance, with Barbirolli already, i 1956, urging his players to re-introduce authentic Elgarian portamento.

[Pulcinella]

Stravinsky

Violin concerto

James Ehnes, BBCPO, Andrew Davis

with the rest of the CD to follow.

[pastoralguy]

I picked up Martha Argerich’s and Nelson Freire’s Salzburg recital from 2009. Brahms’ Haydn Variations, Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Variations and Ravel’s La Valse. Absolutely outstanding music making.

Im working 5 night shifts just now so when I awake at 17.00 I complete my ablutions, make a coffee and listen to this disc before my wife makes my tea.

50p charity shop find.

[smittims]

Britten : Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia. The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult. This was the second recording of the work, and the first in stereo, and it preceded the composer's own. Together with the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, this was the only music by this composer recorded by Sir Adrian, whom Britten repeatedly described as 'dull' and 'ignorant'.

[edashtav]

Britten : Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia. The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult. This was the second recording of the work, and the first in stereo, and it preceded the composer's own. Together with the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, this was the only music by this composer recorded by Sir Adrian, whom Britten repeatedly described as 'dull' and 'ignorant'.

Sir Adrian conducted Britten's Rossini orchestrations for Nixa in 1957.Witty works for a 'dull' dog.

[smittims]

Ah yes, thanks; I had momentarily forgotten them.

I've often wondered why Britten needed to hate Boult so much for so long, but as he was equaly disparaging about several other much -admired musicians I suppose it would take someone who knows more about psychology than I, to explain. .

[pastoralguy]

I picked up Martha Argerich’s and Nelson Freire’s Salzburg recital from 2009. Brahms’ Haydn Variations, Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Variations and Ravel’s La Valse. Absolutely outstanding music making.

Im working 5 night shifts just now so when I awake at 17.00 I complete my ablutions, make a coffee and listen to this disc before my wife makes my tea.

50p charity shop find.

I’ve listened to the Brahms recording a few times and it makes me wish that Ms. Argerich had recorded the Piano Concertos.

[Nimrod]

Sophie Yates' CD The Pleasures of the Imagination: English Harpsichord music of the eighteenth century, is highly recommendable. Does anyone know if she is releated to conductor Martin Yates?

Rather different listening for me today:

Bax: The Garden of Fand
Butterworth : A 'Shropshire Lad' Rhapsody
Vaughan Williams: Eighth Symphony
Elgar: Symphony no.1.

Vintage Pye early stereo recordings made in the Free Trade Hall in 1956.

The entance of the clarinet in Shropshire Lad is magical

[richardfinegold]

I’m doing a deep dive into Chopin Preludes. Today I listened to Walter Klein, a pianist that some might remember for recording Schubert and Mozart for Vox-Turnabout

[smittims]

Yes, Nimrod, I think that would be Pat Ryan, a Halle stalwart for many years.

My choice this morning: The Apocalypse, a full-on, no-punches-pulled setting of passages from the Revelation of John by Eugene Goossens, in a splendid performance conducted by Myer Fredman, one of those underrated conductors who put his efforts into championing neglected music rather than his own career success.

It's certainly big, sonorous, colourful, 'apocalyptic' even; if it has a down side it's our old friend , lack of memorable musical material,the downfall of many a not-quite-top-notch work.

[pastoralguy]

Yuja Wang. The Vienna Recital.

Music by Albeniz, Scriabin, Kapustin, Beethoven, Ligeti, Marquez, Brahms and Gluck.

As always with Ms. Wang, astonishing playing.

[HighlandDougie]

Yuja Wang. The Vienna Recital.

Music by Albeniz, Scriabin, Kapustin, Beethoven, Ligeti, Marquez, Brahms and Gluck.

As always with Ms. Wang, astonishing playing.

I bought this last week as an MQA-CD in Hong Kong - and am even more impressed than when I streamed it from Qobuz. Beautifully recorded and, as someone posted earlier, seriously impressive in the way she matches her playing/interpretation to the different composers without in any way sounding glib. I really liked her Beethoven and very much hope that she perseveres with the complete sonata cycle.