What are you listening to now?

[Peter]

Hahaha! It is a absolutely wonderful work! I've listened to it probably about 30+ times in the last 4 days! It has such a powerful message in it! I just bought a CD of it off of amazon today for about $8.50 (USD) shipped. But it is coming from the UK so it will take a few weeks.. I think I have Elijahitis!

Rocco you have to see the doc quick!! Sounds like a bad case, one of the worst of Elijahitis I've come across - I prescribe that you don't listen to another note of Mendelsohnn this year and take some Handel to restore health - a severe doctor might even recommend Wagner, but that might be too drastic at this stage!

[Rocco]

Rocco you have to see the doc quick!! Sounds like a bad case, one of the worst of Elijahitis I've come across - I prescribe that you don't listen to another note of Mendelsohnn this year and take some Handel to restore health - a severe doctor might even recommend Wagner, but that might be too drastic at this stage!

Hahaha! I do that when I discover a wonderful new work! I want to know it so well that I can know what will come next when it's playing.

[Peter]

Hahaha! I do that when I discover a wonderful new work! I want to know it so well that I can know what will come next when it's playing.

Yes I used to do it as well! I think it's great that you have that thrill and excitement on discovering something new. There is a danger however - my father got fixated on three works which I had introduced to him (in fact I converted my whole family to classical music when I was about 12) - these were Beethoven's 'Emperor' concerto, Schubert's 9th symphony and 'Trout' quintet which he played incessantly over many years in his car, hardly having time for anything else and making them almost unbearable for me! To this day he still listens to them regularly, but fortunately I'm rarely in the car with him!!

[Enrique]

I used to do that too, just for the joy of listening to the new wonder. Listening to a work over and over again, however, has robed some of the luster things like the Ninth and the German Requiem (some months ago I could listen to it in the theater; the whole thing was almost ruined by the excessive loudness of the bass in the organ in some passages. As I write, I discover the cause. The Colon Theater has no pipe organ. They have used, it is apparent, an electric instrument. Don't understand how the director did not notice the unbalanced sound), just to mention but a few, have. Quite a pity, for these were shinny, splendorous things then. Once in a while, though, they are kind of reborn for my exclusive benefit. [This has an air of confession. I apologize but do not feel like erasing. Also glad to hear enthusiast intelligent people speak.]

Note: when you are young, things like the excessive loudness mentioned above don't really matter. You go straight to what came out of the composer's pen and the interpreter becomes transparent (that is, he has to be there, or else nothing will work, but you do not see it, not even notice its precense if you don't know beforehand). I think what you predominantly perceive is the inner logic in the music, and this can hardly be altered by the execution.

[Sorrano]

This morning:
Rodrigo:
"Cançoneta"
"Invocación y danza" (Hommage a` Manuel de Falla) (1961)
Pierné: "Canzonetta," Op 19
Barber: "Canzonetta" (1981)

[Sorrano]

This morning:
Borodin: String Quartet #2 in d

[Rocco]

Yes I used to do it as well! I think it's great that you have that thrill and excitement on discovering something new. There is a danger however - my father got fixated on three works which I had introduced to him (in fact I converted my whole family to classical music when I was about 12) - these were Beethoven's 'Emperor' concerto, Schubert's 9th symphony and 'Trout' quintet which he played incessantly over many years in his car, hardly having time for anything else and making them almost unbearable for me! To this day he still listens to them regularly, but fortunately I'm rarely in the car with him!!

Haha! I'm listening to Brahms German Requiem right now, and I listened to Handel's Messiah and some Beethoven last night!

[AeolianHarp]

The Hanover Band and Mozart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flXK2bgKbyw


Mozart - Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola in E-flat Major

[Harvey]

Shubert Lieder with Gundula Janowitz Gundula Janowitz

[dahc]

I'm stuck on LVB's String Quartet #15 A minor. I find with some of the Masters works I can't stop listening to. Over and over trying to grasp every nuance of his melodic and rhythmic variation. Do I need to see a psycologyist? I'm going to study the score now.

[Peter]

I'm stuck on LVB's String Quartet #15 A minor. I find with some of the Masters works I can't stop listening to. Over and over trying to grasp every nuance of his melodic and rhythmic variation. Do I need to see a psycologyist? I'm going to study the score now.

Not at all - the late works more than any others need repeated listening to try to fathom the mysteries! Actually I think it is one of the acid tests of a truly great work, does it stand up to repeated listening and each time reveal something new?

[Sorrano]

Last night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_IbwlSXHpQ

I thought it a particularly effective performance, especially the 2nd movement.