What are you listening to now?

[Peter]

Best version I've heard!

I have a recording coupled with the 1812 which comes with a warning for your audio equipment because of the canons!

Listening to Manuel De Falla; 'El sombrero de tres picos'

[Zevy]

Mozart: PC 21&23
Rudolph Serkin/Abbado/LSO

[AeolianHarp]

I have a recording coupled with the 1812 which comes with a warning for your audio equipment because of the canons!

Listening to Manuel De Falla; 'El sombrero de tres picos'

Your neighbours must love you Peter lol.

[Michael]

I have a recording coupled with the 1812 which comes with a warning for your audio equipment because of the canons!

[/I]

Yes - I have that one too. (And if it's Dorati, that must be the one Aeolian was listening to.)
The most intriguing recording I have is the one by (believe it or not) Neville Marriner and the Academy of St.Martin-in-the-Fields!
And it sounds as if it was actually recorded in the fields because it starts with almost a full minute of background sound effects before the drums come in: birds singing and even dogs barking - and these are woven into the performance.
When the French theme is played softly in the minor key, you can even hear carrion crows cawing.
Weird but quite effective.




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[Michael]

Beethoven: The Diabolical Variations.

You know what I mean - but I have re-titled this work because I think it is the single most difficult piano work that Beethoven ever wrote. On very rare occasions I can "get" it, but mostly it's beyond me. But I persevere. As Beethoven himself said (about other works): "It's not for you. It's for a later generation."
I am aware that he made that remark about 200 years ago but I think it still applies to this work.

I love all Beethoven's piano music, sonatas, marches and variations of which he wrote a good deal but the Diabelli set is the only one that eludes me. I must have half a dozen different recordings of Opus 120 and I know every tiny bit of it. But rarely do I get the feeling that I understand it.
Alfred Brendel wrote a most illuminating essay on this work. He gave every variation a title - or a visualisation. For example, the second variation he described as "Snowflakes", the next one was "Confidence and nagging doubt". Number 5 he called "Tamed Goblin" - and so on.
He felt he needed these mental pictures to help his performance. This gives me great encouragement. If Brendel needed help, there's hope for the rest of us.

[Decrepit Poster]

Best version I've heard!

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPX7RT9uFUU[/YOUTUBE]

Ah yes, the Dorati. It was quite the demo disk at the dawn of the stereo era and holds up amazingly well today. Didn't it originally come with two flags of the appropriate nationalities to be placed atop each speaker, or do I misremember?

Yes - I have that one too. (And if it's Dorati, that must be the one Aeolian was listening to.)
The most intriguing recording I have is the one by (believe it or not) Neville Marriner and the Academy of St.Martin-in-the-Fields!
And it sounds as if it was actually recorded in the fields because it starts with almost a full minute of background sound effects before the drums come in: birds singing and even dogs barking - and these are woven into the performance.
When the French theme is played softly in the minor key, you can even hear carrion crows cawing.
Weird but quite effective.

I found this at YouTube and gave part one (it's divided into two uploads) a listen. The spacial effects floored me. I should first mention that my computer audio system consists of a SoundBlaster X-fi sound card connected to a Yamaha four channel power amp feeding four speakers properly spaced for surround sound. With this setup the opening of the Academy recording has environmental sounds coming from between and beyond all four speakers so that horses, for instance, occasionally gallop across the rear. Very neat! Once the opening fanfares were done and battle commenced my allegiance rapidly switched to Dorati and also Karajan, both of which to my retched ears offer better musketry, cannons and orchestral presence.

BTW, if you haven't done so already check out Dorati's companion 1812, also available at YouTube. Another sonic spectacular and a fine rendition to boot.

[Michael]

Wow! I have a Yamaha amp but it's not four channel. It sounds like you have a great setup but you weren't seduced by the sound effects and you went back to Dorati.
Let's face it: "Wellington's Victory" was Wellington's finest hour - but not Beethoven's. However, it's good fun and great for showing off the stereo/quadrophonic system.
It's hard to believe that this piece of nonsense overshadowed the Seventh Symphony at its first performance.

[Zevy]

Let's face it: "Wellington's Victory" was Wellington's finest hour - but not Beethoven's.

Michael - I love that line!

However, it's good fun and great for showing off the stereo/quadrophonic system.
It's hard to believe that this piece of nonsense overshadowed the Seventh Symphony at its first performance.

Did it really? I don't recall reading that. I don't know that many pieces of music that can overshadow the 7th.

[Michael]

Did it really? I don't recall reading that. I don't know that many pieces of music that can overshadow the 7th]

Well, it doesn't overshadow it today and the so-called "Battle Symphony" is generally regarded as one of Beethoven's worst compositions. He had no illusions about it himself but it was a nice money-spinner. It did fit the bill back in December of 1813 and on that occasion it seemed to be more popular than the 7th symphony (except maybe for the symphony's slow movement which got such a reception that it had to be repeated).
It is a fact that this Battle Symphony helped to boost Beethoven's fame and made him a superstar!

All this has reminded me of an amusing incident some few years ago. On "Drivetime Classics", a radio show on our classical music station, Lyric FM, when somebody put on a recording of "Wellington's Victory". It was obvious that he had never heard it because after about two minutes of cannons and musketry, he stopped the CD and apologised, saying something to the effect that this work was very weird indeed. Probably the broadcasters were afraid of causing a traffic accident!


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[Zevy]

I guess we can call these people "cattle", as Beethoven himself referred to those who did not appreciate the Grosse Fugue.

[Michael]

I guess we can call these people "cattle", as Beethoven himself referred to those who did not appreciate the Grosse Fugue.

Give them a break! I read an article by a famous musician (whose name escapes me) and she admitted that it took her 20 years to understand the Grosse Fugue. Even Beethoven tacitly acknowledged that it was very difficult; he supplied a substitute movement without too much fuss.
It took me about 30 years and yet I cannot say that I "understand" it. But it makes musical sense to me and that's probably as far as I'll get, but I'm very happy with that.

[Peter]

Manuel De Falla - Harpsichord concerto.

[Megan]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHVwXy4J4WQ[/YOUTUBE]

[Chris]

Beethoven: The Diabolical Variations.

You know what I mean - but I have re-titled this work because I think it is the single most difficult piano work that Beethoven ever wrote. On very rare occasions I can "get" it, but mostly it's beyond me.

I agree with you, Michael. I love Beethoven's late piano music, and I listen to it frequently, but this is one I don't listen to very often. It takes a lot of work just to listen to it and understand what is going on. I love the little Waltz that provides the basis for the variations, and the variations on their own are all captivating, but relating them all back to the theme and seeing how they fit into the work as a whole is difficult. I have a much easier time with Bach's Goldberg Variations!

I don't seem to have the same trouble with the Grosse Fuge - I loved it on the first hearing, and I have loved it ever since! In fact, this discussion has prompted me to listen to it again, which I am doing now. My preferred recording has long been that of the Talich Quartet. It's very "raw", with a ton of energy. But I am listening to the Takacs Quartet recording now, which is even more "raw". Maybe too much! But it is electrifying, and I love this one too.

[Michael]

Yes - that's exactly my situation. I've listened to the Fuge as many times as the Diabelli but only the quartet has become a firm favourite.