Triple Concerto

[Serge]

I love the triple concerto, but I really would like to hear a version that would go a little quicker than the ones I know. I always feel as if the music could go about five bpm faster. Are there any fast versions of this work?

[Claudie MICAULT]

I am totally fond of the triple concerto !!! (One can be a teacher, a pianist and even a SINGER without to be only devoted to himself Rod !!!). I love ALL the mouvements, and I must say the RONDO ALLA POLACCA amazed me.
I have two versions of it (PERLMAN, YO YO MA and BARENDOIM, the second one is ARRAU, SZERYNG an STARKER with Eliahu Inbal as conductor).
Regarding the works for piano and cello I have KEMPFF and FOURNIER.
I think you all know that BEETHOVEN wrote for cello mostly for the virtuoso Jean-Louis DUPORT... and of course you know that ROSTROPOVITCH plays on DUPORT's cello : an amazing sound indeed (I have heard him in PARIS playing the Sonatas 1 and 2 from Beethoven).
It is very interesting to hear how Beethoven treated the theme from HAENDEL's oratorio "Juadas Maccabeus"... and also the Duet from MOZART's Magic flute ! A very intelligent work !

[Rod]

Originally posted by Claudie MICAULT:

It is very interesting to hear how Beethoven treated the theme from HAENDEL's oratorio "Juadas Maccabeus"... and also the Duet from MOZART's Magic flute ! A very intelligent work !

I agree, B's variations for cello and piano are excellent, especially the HANDEL variations!



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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Rod]

Originally posted by Serge:
I love the triple concerto, but I really would like to hear a version that would go a little quicker than the ones I know. I always feel as if the music could go about five bpm faster. Are there any fast versions of this work?

I don't know of one, but you could say the above about most Beethoven recordings!

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Claudie MICAULT:
I am totally fond of the triple concerto !!! (One can be a teacher, a pianist and even a SINGER without to be only devoted to himself Rod !!!). I love ALL the mouvements, and I must say the RONDO ALLA POLACCA amazed me.
I have two versions of it (PERLMAN, YO YO MA and BARENDOIM, the second one is ARRAU, SZERYNG an STARKER with Eliahu Inbal as conductor).

Which of these two versions do you like better?

[Claudie MICAULT]

I prefer the dynamic of the first version (PERLMANN, YO YO MA, BARENDOIM...). The fact that the pianist conduct himself the orchestra is probably the cause of this nervosity... But the second one is not bad at all, especially in the slow mouvement.

(Naturally I wanted to write "Judah" and not "Juadah" !!!... the listening of HAENDEL's operas and oratorio music is very important to understand Beethoven. Heandel had a bigger idea of what to do with an orchestra than Mozart or Haydn, and his developments of themas are far away more interesting).

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Claudie

[Rod]

Originally posted by Claudie MICAULT:

(Naturally I wanted to write "Judah" and not "Juadah" !!!... the listening of HAENDEL's operas and oratorio music is very important to understand Beethoven. Heandel had a bigger idea of what to do with an orchestra than Mozart or Haydn, and his developments of themas are far away more interesting).

I agree absolutely, in the past I compared H's Oratorios with B's Symphonies, such is the power of expression and inventiveness (by coincidence I have Jeptha on my walkman today, generally regarded as H's best oratorio). In my opinion these works have no parallel until the arrival of Beethoven, and Beethoven alone.


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Claudie MICAULT]

I do love "Jephta" too... which version are you listening ?

I just read here in Germany that a big movie is planed for 2003 about HAENDEL ! Let us hope it will not be something in the mood of "Immortal beloved" or "Amadeus". They are writing : "a movie about the story of the first big rock star".... as they put a picture of Haendel I think they are speaking of him !

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Claudie

[Rod]

Originally posted by Claudie MICAULT:
I do love "Jephta" too... which version are you listening ?

I just read here in Germany that a big movie is planed for 2003 about HAENDEL ! Let us hope it will not be something in the mood of "Immortal beloved" or "Amadeus". They are writing : "a movie about the story of the first big rock star".... as they put a picture of Haendel I think they are speaking of him !

Sorry, I forgot about this question. The version of Jephtha (at last the correct spelling!!) I was playing was a live German recording by the Barockorchester der Klosterkonzerte and the Maulbronner Kammerchor. Emma Kirkby plays Iphis. A pretty good effort at less than half the price of the critics recommended recording by Gardiner. I also have Harnoncourts version but this is awful, especially the singing. Avoid this one!!

I was watching Ken Russel's movie 'Mahler' last week. Interesting, though some of the bizarre imagery does not quite work, and the ending is weak. In fact it has no ending as such, it just simply stops when you least expect it. Still better than IB though!!


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Joy]

Originally posted by Rod:

I was watching Ken Russel's movie 'Mahler' last week. Interesting, though some of the bizarre imagery does not quite work, and the ending is weak. In fact it has no ending as such, it just simply stops when you least expect it. Still better than IB though!!


[/B]

Did you find this movie 'believable'? I mean did they make it fake Hollywood style or does it stick to the facts for the most part?

Joy

[Rod]

Originally posted by Joy:
Did you find this movie 'believable'? I mean did they make it fake Hollywood style or does it stick to the facts for the most part?

Joy

It is not a comprehensive analysis. It covers his Jewish upbringing, and his relationship with his wife and that's about it. Alot of it takes place in a train carriage. It's deliberately abstract, I presume it is not meant to be an authentic biography in any way, it is just capturing a few emotions. Not a bad idea in principle. IB is more conventional and thus what goes on must be placed under greater scrutiny - and here it obviously fails dismally.



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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
It is not a comprehensive analysis. It covers his Jewish upbringing, and his relationship with his wife and that's about it. Alot of it takes place in a train carriage. It's deliberately abstract, I presume it is not meant to be an authentic biography in any way, it is just capturing a few emotions. Not a bad idea in principle. IB is more conventional and thus what goes on must be placed under greater scrutiny - and here it obviously fails dismally.

I agree, I remember this film from a while back and found it rather bizarre but fascinating! Did you get in on video or was it on tv? I quite like Ken Russell's the music lovers (about Tchaikovsky) - interesting seeing our former transport minister (Glenda Jackson) romping naked in a desparate bid to seduce Tchaikovsky! (again in a train - old Ken obviously has a train fixation to go with his sexual obsessions!)

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
I agree, I remember this film from a while back and found it rather bizarre but fascinating! Did you get in on video or was it on tv?

It was a video, lent to me by my mother's current husband (no3). He's into Mahler's symphonies, but otherwise he's quite a nice guy.


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Joy]

Originally posted by Rod:
It is not a comprehensive analysis. It covers his Jewish upbringing, and his relationship with his wife and that's about it. Alot of it takes place in a train carriage. It's deliberately abstract, I presume it is not meant to be an authentic biography in any way, it is just capturing a few emotions. Not a bad idea in principle. IB is more conventional and thus what goes on must be placed under greater scrutiny - and here it obviously fails dismally.

I saw a program on PBS last year featuring Mahler and it featured his music, wife, and his obsession with his own death. Quite interesting. I prefer documentaries to movies. It seems they always screw up when they're trying to explain someone's life through a full length feature and then they have the nerve to call it a biography! They think they have to embellish on a person's life when the truth is far more interesting than fiction.

Joy