What are you listening to now?

[Peter]

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'm doing the same as you Michael, moving on to Op.27 today - sorry for causing the domestic upset!

[Michael]

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....

My wife wasn't impressed by Opus 22 either. Can't win.

[Decrepit Poster]

I've done a good deal of listening these past several days. I reheard at least three disks from Brautigam's Beethoven sonata set. I reheard disk two from volume one of HJ Lim's Beethoven sonata set. I listened to two of Schiff's Beethoven sonata recital/lectures, one opus 7, the other not. All that plus some non Beethovian odds and ends at YouTube including a rather nice Scheherazade.

Of special interest:
. . . "Is there a Mahler Tradition?", Deryck Cooke discusses Mahler's fourth symphony with audio examples drawn mostly from early recordings by those acquainted with the composer as well as Mahler's own piano roll of the work. A 1963 BBC broadcast.

. . . Mahler "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" (Baker/Evans/LPO/Morris). I own this as a Nimbus CD. It is my favorite amongst my several Wunderhorn disks.

[Peter]

Mahler symphony no.6 / Mariss Jansons

[AeolianHarp]

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,

I have listened to many pianists' recordings of Hammerklavier- noone can touch Ronald Brautigam, not even close, not even other fortepianists. His is the benchmark!

[AeolianHarp]

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.

Obviously it isn't bucketing down in Ireland like it is here then!

Ask her if she'd like a pet goat- you'd never have to mow the lawn again..

[AeolianHarp]

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.

I like this sonata a lot- had to listen to it after that..

[AeolianHarp]

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.

You made my day there DP! Not seen this video before.

[Zevy]

2 CDs of Dinu Lipatti playing Chopin. On one CD he plays Bach, Mozart, and Schubert. Beautiful.

[AeolianHarp]

Amazing female fortpianst plays the Tempest

My god she is amazing...the allegretto is full of fire- those deep pounding bass notes in the left hand..wow!! It is so thrilling...sends shivers down my spine...BOOOOOM...

I have never heard it played as good as this by anyone.

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

Leaves a Steinway behind I tell you!!!

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Haydn: Symphony No. 94 "Surprise"

For some strange reason I couldn't sleep in this morning.

[Peter]

Beethoven symphonies 1 & 2 / Eliot-Gardiner.

[Harvey]

Dame Janet Baker singing lieder of Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Liszt. Just arrived in today's mail.

[Zevy]

Mozart

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Sinfonia Concertante K. 364, plus a few more Mozart Serenades. They definitely make the long drive more pleasant.

[AeolianHarp]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj0Gy_AOQKM[/YOUTUBE]