What are you listening to now?

[Peter]

I am slowly going back through the Koechel catalog (I own about 150 items): I began several weeks ago with the Requiem K. 626; the last piece that I have heard is the clarinet quartet K. 370; next one will be Idomeneo K. 366.

Surely you mean the Oboe quartet k.370?

Listening to Bartok's recording of his own music, particularly the suite Op.14 as I'm studying it. Also Britten's sea interludes from Peter Grimes - highly evocative music.

[Alberto Venni]

of course

[Alberto Venni]

The reason of my mistake is that recently I posted a discussion in the Mozart forum about arrangements for clarinet quartet of some sonatas for pianoand violin. So I had "clarinet" instead of "oboe" in my head.
Alberto

[Preston]

Nathan Milstein plays Beethoven Kreutzer Sonata
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mixnMzHUYxA

I’ve been listening to this a piece a pretty good bit. I have learned a good bit more about the sonata from listening to this piece. Things I have learned more about are the way the piano can accompany the violin, the way the violin can accompany the piano, the way the music flows, the different sounds the violin can make, more about articulations, how the music is constantly changing speed and the music in general it is like it is taking different forms constantly, how different a quarter note is from a whole and many things like that.

Things I pick up on are the strength of the piece with the fortissimo articulations on the piano and violin, especially when the piano is in the low registers and the bass is very heavy, running up and down scales, while the violin is in the higher registers following those exact notes and vice versa. I also can tell that there are a lot of beautiful parts in this piece, there are a lot of slow lush passages where the notes are sustained on the piano and violin. There is a lot of expression in this piece, just as any other piece, and it is interesting to study, I think. I could never imagine playing the violin like Milstein does, the expression of the violin is astounding.

There are many things I pick up on but these are the ones that come to mind.

If any of you connoisseurs would like to mention what I didn't and more and/or give some tips, I would be thankful.

[Tod]

I'm currently listening to a mix of stuff but right now as I type this, it's the Etudes of Scriabin played by Piers Lane.

[Maurice Colgan]

Beethoven's Fantasia for piano chorus and orchestra op.80.

I know the piano part note by note (mistake by mistake:-) after our (then) 14 year old daughter practiced it for months. But she learnt it in the end, and the Concert was cancelled!!!


http://living.scotsman.com/music.cfm?id=751822007

[Sorrano]

Beethoven's Fantasia for piano chorus and orchestra op.80.

I know the piano part note by note (mistake by mistake:-) after our (then) 14 year old daughter practiced it for months. But she learnt it in the end, and the Concert was cancelled!!!


http://living.scotsman.com/music.cfm?id=751822007

That's a pity about the cancellation!

I've been listening to Berlioz Damnation of Faust.

[Peter]

Nathan Milstein plays Beethoven Kreutzer Sonata
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mixnMzHUYxA

I’ve been listening to this a piece a pretty good bit. I have learned a good bit more about the sonata from listening to this piece. Things I have learned more about are the way the piano can accompany the violin, the way the violin can accompany the piano, the way the music flows, the different sounds the violin can make, more about articulations, how the music is constantly changing speed and the music in general it is like it is taking different forms constantly, how different a quarter note is from a whole and many things like that.

Things I pick up on are the strength of the piece with the fortissimo articulations on the piano and violin, especially when the piano is in the low registers and the bass is very heavy, running up and down scales, while the violin is in the higher registers following those exact notes and vice versa. I also can tell that there are a lot of beautiful parts in this piece, there are a lot of slow lush passages where the notes are sustained on the piano and violin. There is a lot of expression in this piece, just as any other piece, and it is interesting to study, I think. I could never imagine playing the violin like Milstein does, the expression of the violin is astounding.

There are many things I pick up on but these are the ones that come to mind.

If any of you connoisseurs would like to mention what I didn't and more and/or give some tips, I would be thankful.

Well the very opening is totally original and striking with the solo violin chords. Also the unprecedented virtuosity of this sonata took the medium out of the private salon and into the concert hall. The original title page actually refers to this as 'a very concertante style, almost like a concerto.'

The sonata was originally written for George Bridgetower and he gave the first performance with Beethoven. Unfortunately they fell out and Beethoven dedicated the work to Kreutzer who seemed quite indifferent and never performed the sonata.

In 1889, Leo Tolstoy published a novella entitled The Kreutzer Sonata, using the Beethoven piece as an example of how people can be led astray by their unruly passions. The latter story in turn gave rise to Leoš Janácek’s first string quartet. Two films were based on Tostoy's novella: Kreutzersonate (1937) directed by Veit Harlan and Kreytserova sonata (1987) directed by Mikhail Shvejtser. The short story Sonata, by Scottish poet and novelist Jackie Kay, details a love affair between two women who originally met whilst rehearsing for a performance of the Kreutzer Sonata.

I have an excellent recording with Kempff and Menuhin.

As this topic has reached our 5 page limit, I'll have to close this and open another thread.