What are you listening to now?

[Peter]

I've been listening to Britten's Violin concerto - an interesting piece that has some beautiful writing. Also Murray Perahia performing Mendelssohn's Variations serieuses which are a cross between Beethoven and Bach - very enjoyable.

[JA Gardiner]

Still working my way through my Beethoven complete Works as advertised here by Michael! Great stuff - I'm up to the Violin Concerto following their ordering of the Cds. Also just got the Brilliant Box sets of Haydn Symphonies - Fischer and Dvorak masterworks to look forward to. Now just need the time to listen to them.......

[Preston]

Thank you Peter for your reply, in the other thread. Are you a fan of Leo Tolstoy, I remember that Stephen was? Do you know why he chose The Kreutzer for his story about people being led astray by their unruly passions?

Kind Regards,
Preston

[Peter]

Thank you Peter for your reply, in the other thread. Are you a fan of Leo Tolstoy, I remember that Stephen was? Do you know why he chose The Kreutzer for his story about people being led astray by their unruly passions?

Kind Regards,
Preston

Can't say I'm up on Tolstoy Preston, so can't help you there! I seem to recall though that he was pretty uncomplementary about Beethoven. This site may help you and it refers to the kreutzer sonata. http://tolstoy.thefreelibrary.com/

[Michael]

Having waded through a massive biography of Tolstoy a few years ago, I was left with the conclusion that the man never held the same opinion for two consecutive days. Nobody denies that he was probably the greatest novelist of all time, but his views on history and music can be taken with a grain of salt.
During his “back to basics” period, he announced that the only good music was folk music, the music of the people (i.e. the serfs) and that all so-called classical music was artificial and deliberately complex. He did burst into tears during the slow movement of Tchaikovsky’s string quartet but he would have argued that that piece was based on a Russian folk tune.
When Tchaikovsky met him, one of the first things Tolstoy said was that Beethoven had no musical talent. Now Peter Ilyich was no great fan of Beethoven but even he was taken aback by this statement. But he needn’t have worried. A couple of months later, Tolstoy was praising the sonatas again!

[Peter]

When Tchaikovsky met him, one of the first things Tolstoy said was that Beethoven had no musical talent. Now Peter Ilyich was no great fan of Beethoven but even he was taken aback by this statement. But he needn’t have worried. A couple of months later, Tolstoy was praising the sonatas again!

To be fair to Tchaikovsky he did greatly admire the middle and early Beethoven works. He also said the Missa Solemnis was a great work, regularly played through the C# minor quartet in a piano arrangement, and also had a picture of Beethoven on his wall. His real music God though was Mozart.

[Preston]

Having waded through a massive biography of Tolstoy a few years ago, I was left with the conclusion that the man never held the same opinion for two consecutive days. Nobody denies that he was probably the greatest novelist of all time, but his views on history and music can be taken with a grain of salt.
During his “back to basics” period, he announced that the only good music was folk music, the music of the people (i.e. the serfs) and that all so-called classical music was artificial and deliberately complex. He did burst into tears during the slow movement of Tchaikovsky’s string quartet but he would have argued that that piece was based on a Russian folk tune.
When Tchaikovsky met him, one of the first things Tolstoy said was that Beethoven had no musical talent. Now Peter Ilyich was no great fan of Beethoven but even he was taken aback by this statement. But he needn’t have worried. A couple of months later, Tolstoy was praising the sonatas again!

Thanks, Peter and Michael. That seems to be pretty naive and ignorant of Tolstoy. To a point that it makes me laugh, saying that folk music was the only good music. It is obvious that his world was quite different. It reminds me of something a hippy might possibly say, that folk music is the only good music.

To say that Beethoven wasn't musically talented is unimaginable. I don't know where he came up with that. He needs to study the music better, before he comments. You would think that he would understand that Beethoven is quite possibly the most talented musician to ever live, in my opinion. Take one of his works for example, The Kreutzer, as Peter pointed out it is at such a level of virtuosity that even Kreutzer himself said it was unplayable. Now if a man can write music so perfectly that it challenges even the greatest virtuosos but still allows them to play it and still makes music out of it, then that is unbelievable, in my opinion.

I am still blown away that he said these things, but... different folks, different strokes.

[Megan]

listening BBC radio 3

All music by Vivaldi, performed by La Serenissima and recorded at Spitalfields Festival.

Concerto/Sinfonia in E minor RV 134

Concerto in B flat RV 370
Adrian Chandler (violin)

La Constanza Trionfante RV 706: 'Sento il cor'
Mhairi Lawson (soprano)

Concerto in E flat RV 254
Adrian Chandler (violin)

La Fida Ninfa RV 714: 'Dolce fiamma' and 'Alma Oppressa'
Mhairi Lawson (soprano)

[Preston]

Final Fantasy X: Piano Collections

I have been watching and listening to the Final Fantasy X: Piano Collections, for a while, on YouTube. It has been very enjoyable. These are piano versions of the actual songs. Here are some links:

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...arch&v=&page=1

Here are some of my favorites (that are on YouTube not the album itself):
- Besaid Island- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCf9ZEqB0Rs
composed by Masashi Hamauzu
- To Zanarkand- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72PkmbUiKH4
composed by Nobuo Uemastu
-Tidus' Theme- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCwhMC9R8yk
composed by Nobuo Uematsu
-Suteki Da Ne- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCwhMC9R8yk
composed by Nobuo Uematsu

Let me know if you like it?

Kind Regards,
Preston

[DavidO]

• Bartok String Quartet No. 2
• Haydn String Quartet Op. 20 No. 5
• Bach B Minor Mass Crucifixus & Dona Nobis Pacem
• Alex North "A Streetcar Named Desire" soundtrack

Last week, I ordered the Scherbakov recordings of the Liszt piano scores of the B. symphonies. I got them a few days ago & have been enjoying the hell out of them (I had previously heard only Glenn Gould's recording of No. 5 & first mov't of No. 6). Scherbakov is an excellent pianist!

The complete box on Naxos is very affordable, btw, on Amazon. Recommended to one & all.

[Joy]

Beethoven's Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2 with pianist Till Fellner.
Background from the classical radio station;
"As a young man in his twenties, Beethoven was not only creating exciting new music for the keyboard, he was actually driving the technology forward. The harpsichord simply could not contain him. At Washington's National Gallery of Art, Till Fellner plays one of those athletic forward-looking pieces that Beethoven's publisher nevertheless tried to sell both to the modern pianoforte owner AND to the traditionalist still resisting the cooings of the upgrade."

[Peter]

Beethoven's Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2 with pianist Till Fellner.
Background from the classical radio station;
"As a young man in his twenties, Beethoven was not only creating exciting new music for the keyboard, he was actually driving the technology forward. The harpsichord simply could not contain him. At Washington's National Gallery of Art, Till Fellner plays one of those athletic forward-looking pieces that Beethoven's publisher nevertheless tried to sell both to the modern pianoforte owner AND to the traditionalist still resisting the cooings of the upgrade."

Who's the twit on your classical station? Obviously from the same school of ignorance as some on Classic fm! The harpsichord didn't contain Haydn, Clementi, Dussek, Cramer or Mozart either - it was simply the publisher trying to cash in on both markets. Nor was Beethoven the only force driving the technology forward - yes the new virtuoso composers were making greater demands on the instrument but the main catalyst was the competition amongst the manufacturers for new innovations - a list of patents taken out during this period reveals this. For example just consider those ridiculous pedals with absurd percussion effects - I don't think that was down to a demand from Beethoven, though he did make use of them on one occasion in the March for piano duet Op.45 no.2.

[Preston]

I have been watching and listening to the Final Fantasy X: Piano Collections, for a while, on YouTube. It has been very enjoyable. These are piano versions of the actual songs. Here are some links:

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...arch&v=&page=1

Here are some of my favorites (that are on YouTube not the album itself):
- Besaid Island- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCf9ZEqB0Rs
composed by Masashi Hamauzu
- To Zanarkand- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72PkmbUiKH4
composed by Nobuo Uemastu
-Tidus' Theme- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCwhMC9R8yk
composed by Nobuo Uematsu
-Suteki Da Ne- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCwhMC9R8yk
composed by Nobuo Uematsu

Let me know if you like it?

Kind Regards,
Preston

No comments anyone? Uematsu is considered by many to be one of the top ranking musicians of our time. I would really like to hear what y'all think of the music.

Peter... anyone???

[Peter]

No comments anyone? Uematsu is considered by many to be one of the top ranking musicians of our time. I would really like to hear what y'all think of the music.

Peter... anyone???

Oh dear if this is one of the best of our time it shows what a mess we're in - Preston I only listened to half of one track which honestly was all I could stand. There isn't much post 1950 that attracts my attention but Oliver Knussen is way ahead of this. By way of antedote I've been listening to Bartok's thrilling score for the Miraculous Mandarin.

[Preston]

Oh dear if this is one of the best of our time it shows what a mess we're in - Preston I only listened to half of one track which honestly was all I could stand. There isn't much post 1950 that attracts my attention but Oliver Knussen is way ahead of this. By way of antedote I've been listening to Bartok's thrilling score for the Miraculous Mandarin.

Thank you for at least trying to listen and thank you for replying, Peter, . I personally enjoy his music and respect him and his music very much. For me, some of it is pleasant while some of it is serious to listen to. I don't know if he is one of the best of our time, but a lot of people say he is. I feel that there is musicality/form in his music. He uses good melodies, repeats themes, focuses on structure, harmony, etc. I don't know, maybe you should try listening to some of his orchestrated pieces, with a live orchestra??? Maybe his opera scene, "Maria and Draco"? The orchestra in Tokyo is very supportive of his work, he has had American orchestra's perform his pieces. I feel that he is a good deal better than Jeremy Soule. Even Jeremy, once joined the company he worked for, Jeremy still hopes to score one of his series of games! I hope that you find his orchestrated pieces to be better, .

Here is the link to his orchestral music, in case you want to check it out, http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=tour+de+japon .

Best Regards,
Preston