What are you listening to now?

[Peter]

Brahms: Double concerto / Rostropovich, Oistrakh, karajan.

[Harvey]

Der fliegenee Hollander: Klemperer, Bohm, Sinopoli, and Parry (Sung in English)

Best Senta by far is Anja Silja on Klemperer recording.

Love this opera. Hence my new avatar being the Dutchman from the Sawallisch DVD.

[Sorrano]

Der fliegenee Hollander: Klemperer, Bohm, Sinopoli, and Parry (Sung in English)

Best Senta by far is Anja Silja on Klemperer recording.

Love this opera. Hence my new avatar being the Dutchman from the Sawallisch DVD.

I thought your avatar looked familiar. Nice!

[Michael]

Holst - "The Planets".
This was composed before Pluto was discovered and I remember that some years ago there were various attempts to write a "Plutonian" movement for this work.
Now that Pluto has been discredited as a planet, we can all relax again and enjoy the seven movements.
I wonder why Holst didn't write one for "Earth".

[Harvey]

I thought your avatar looked familiar. Nice!

Thanks. Should I change my username to Van der Decken, which is the legendary name of the Dutchman.

This opera has taken me like the Dutchman has taken Senta. No I won't be jumping into the sea, but I did listen to it all day yesterday.

I am ranking Der fliegende Hollander right up there with Fidelio as two of my very favorite operas. Flotow's Martha follows closely behind those two. Not that one could provide a fun username: Sir Tristan Mickleford.

[Sorrano]

The Dutchman is certainly a favorite of mine, as well.

This morning: Beethoven. Sonata No. 9 in E Minor (John Lill)

[Megan]

I love this timeless masterpiece!


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

Listening to the second movement in Vivaldi's Winter( listen from about 2.47) concerto made me think of the second part of Brahms violin concerto. To me it sounds very, very similar. Does anyone else think so? Is it possible dear old Brahms borrowed this pretty little motif?



listen to Brahms 2nd movement at about 28 seconds in.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWGrZgRf8wo[/YOUTUBE]

[Peter]

Listening to the second movement in Vivaldi's Winter( listen from about 2.47) concerto made me think of the second part of Brahms violin concerto. To me it sounds very, very similar. Does anyone else think so? Is it possible dear old Brahms borrowed this pretty little motif?

At the moment I'm unable to watch Youtube as it has the rather annoying habit of crashing my PC. I'm looking forward to buying a new computer in January!

As to any similarity between the Brahms and Vivaldi - quite possibly, but the borrowing may have been subconscious or even coincidence. Composers throughout history have borrowed from one another, Handel being a most obvious example, but it was common practice in his day! Beethoven certainly got the idea of the Pastoral symphony from Justin Knecht (1752-1817) who had written a symphony titled 'The musical portrait of nature' which has a five movement plan with a first movement describing a beautiful sunlit countryside, a storm in the 3rd movement and the finale titled 'Nature raises her voice towards heaven offering to the creator sweet and agreable songs.' Now it is certain that B knew of this work, even if he never heard it performed - Sir George Grove discovered that this symphony by Knecht was actually advertised on the cover of Beethoven's early 'Electoral' sonatas WoO47.

[Peter]

Mendelssohn piano trios - really excellent.

[Megan]

Suite for cello solo no.4 (BWV.1010) in E flat major by Johann Sebastian Bach

[Peter]

Suite for cello solo no.4 (BWV.1010) in E flat major by Johann Sebastian Bach

Wonderful - who's the soloist? I have the suites played by Pierre Fournier and the performances really are superb.

[Megan]

Wonderful - who's the soloist? I have the suites played by Pierre Fournier and the performances really are superb.

Sorry, the soloist was - Guy Fouquet.

[Megan]

Lovely dreamy music , while preparing Sunday roast.


Lyric PIeces: To Spring; Valse-Impromptu & Albumleaf
Performer: Gerhard Oppitz.



.

[Peter]

Brahms piano concerto no.1 - the legendary 1962 recording Curzon/Szell.

[Megan]

Barcarola e scherzo by Alfredo Casella