What are you listening to now?

[Michael]

Beethoven's Sonata in F, Opus 54. This little sonata has been very much neglected by pianists and listeners. It's sandwiched in between two giants: the Waldstein and the Appassionata and it is decidedly weird.

There are only two movements and it starts out with a nice, staid tune which resembles the Andante Favori (which Beethoven removed from the Waldstein). After that, it goes completely haywire and the second movement is equally strange, a sort of toccata or perpetuum mobile which is very hard to follow but very entertaining.

[Zevy]

My two local classical radio stations were playing Beethoven's piano concerto no. 4 and Mozart's sinfonia concertante for violin and viola on my way to work this morning. I couldn't decide which one I wanted to listen to, so I wound up switching back and forth. Not the best way to listen to music, but it got me ready to face the work day!

What a dilemma!

[Decrepit Poster]

It's been mostly Hammerklavier and Les Adieux for me these past few days. I listened to them on my new HJ Lim disk twice (having already heard it once). This afternoon I returned to Brautigam. I don't think Hammerklavier is quite ms Lim's cup of tea at this stage of her career, though her interpretation has its moments. Its weakness for me is the last movement, its strength the first two movements. Brautigam is the clear winner here, with no great faults and some extremely fine playing in the slow movements and fugue. His less resonant acoustics are a big plus in this sonata in my opinion. Brautigam comes out ahead in Les Adieux too, with me again not having total sympathy with ms Lim's final movement. Neither Lim nor Brautigam approach Pollini's filmed recital rendition of the final movement available at YouTube. Not for me at any rate.

The highlight of ms Lim's disk is, in my opinion, movement four of Sonata No.11 Op.22, the work sandwiched between the two titans. Brautigam's 'filler' is Sonata No.27, a work I admit not yet having come to terms with.

[Megan]

I'm entranced by this powerful and poetic piece.
The pianist is brilliant too, he is the music!

Fazil Say: Black Earth.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6rRMyQpdTg[/YOUTUBE]

[Decrepit Poster]

STOP THE PRESSES!

Whilst perusing YouTube for alternate Les Adieux performances I noticed a link to Brautigam. My first reaction was to ignore it, thinking it no more than a posting of the performance available on his SACD set, which I own. But the channel name was not what I remembered from having taken a few SACD upload links. I decided to investigate. It was a good thing I did so.

What we see and hear is a videoed live performance of Les Adieux. I consider Braudigam's disk Adieux one of the set's highlights. I like this even better. To me it's more dynamic and emotive. I still slightly prefer Pollini's videoed live final movement, but Brautigam isn't far behind.

I notice a link for what looks to be the Waldstein from that same recital but have not yet taken it.

[Chris]

I caught Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 on the radio on the way to work this morning. A pretty good recording by Vladimir Spivakov and the Moscow Virtuosi, but it doesn't reach the heights of my favorite recordings of the Mozart violin concertos by Arthur Grumiaux and Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchesta. Off to put those on now!

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Brahms: "Tragic" Overture
Dvorak: Scherzo Cappriccioso

[Peter]

Beethoven piano sonatas Op.14/2 and Op.22

[hal9000]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8WxdHJIxCg[/YOUTUBE]

[Peter]

Beethoven piano sonata in Ab Op.26 (the only one of the 32 Chopin regularly played).

[Michael]

Beethoven piano sonata in Ab Op.26 (the only one of the 32 Chopin regularly played).

One of my favourites. It must have given Chopin the inspiration for his own funeral march.

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Glazunov: Violin Concerto

[Michael]

Listening to Alfred Brendel playing Beethoven's opus 26 piano sonata. Beautiful!
(I wonder what put that piece into my head.)

[Michael]

And then, of course, I had to listen to the Opus 27s. I was just starting on Opus 22 when the wife gave me grief for not mowing the lawn.

Thanks, Peter.

[Zevy]

And then, of course, I had to listen to the Opus 27s. I was just starting on Opus 22 when the wife gave me grief for not mowing the lawn.

Thanks, Peter.

I once told my wife that Van Cliburn's mother wouldn't allow him to mow the lawn. She didn't miss a beat and told me not to get any ideas....