BACH TO BOULEZ (pronounced 'back' to Boulez)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde: Der Abschied 1/2
Der Abschied translated into English is 'The Farewell'. It is the last movement of his un-numbered symphony. Fearing he would die after writing his ninth symphony(as Beethoven did) he wrote this symphony after completing the eighth symphony. He chose to not number this work to outsmart fate itself. He went on to write his ninth and unfinished tenth. In his mind when he got to the tenth he was actually starting his eleventh. What he didn't know was that there were other composers who died after writing nine symphonies: Vaughan Williams, Dvorak, Glazunov(ninth was unfinished). Bruckner could be added to the list but he did write two early study symphonies that we now count as No.'s '0' & '00'. In this case we find a real similarity between the two composers as they both wrote a total of eleven symphonies and the last ones were left unfinished.
I feel that in this movement he was initiating his departure from this world. On May 18,1911 he did depart this world.
Gustav Mahler... July 7,1860 - May 18,1911
One hundred years ago today Gustav Mahler passed away. Few words can describe the sorrow I feel of his passing away at such a young age. If only he had lived another 20 or so years, imagine what more he could have written.But the music he did leave us will live in the hearts and minds of those who do love his music. Thank-you Herr Mahler!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Villa-Lobos - String Quartet no.1: Cantilena
There is unfortunately no complete performance by one group of this wonderful work on YouTube. So I did find six different quartets performing one movement each. This is a wonderful introduction to the huge cycle of string quartets by Villa-Lobos. In the first six quartets Villa-Lobos incorporated Brazilian colours and an incredible sense of being in the middle of the Amazonian rainforest all at the same time. The tragedy of these quartets is that they are seldom performed outside of Latin America.
This is glorious music, so please DISCOVER and ENJOY!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Villa-Lobos - Choros No.3 "Pica-Pau"
Choros no.3 is a perfect example that Villa-Lobos was completely fluent at writing music for chorus/voices. It is one of his most popular and best loved works in his entire repertoire!
PLEASE ENJOY!
Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras No.7 1/3
Raul, this one is for you. More glorious music from the great Brazilian master! Please listen and enjoy!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras No.5 - Aria
If you're not sure that you have ever heard the music of Villa-Lobos, this clip should prove that you have heard something written by the Brazilian master.
ENJOY!
Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras No.2 1/4
This is marvellous music by the most important composer to come from Latin America and specifically Brazil. Villa-Lobos was a very prolific composer in that he wrote over 2,000 works in every genre known to the Western musical world. He wrote 12 symphonies, 17 string quartets, 5 piano concertos, a virtual ton of solo piano music, 6 operas and many other delightful works. This music is from a great cycle of works named "Bachianas Brasileiras", a Brazilian homage to J.S. Bach. He also wrote another cycle of marvellous music called "Choros". In his music he shows his great pride of being Brazilian. While the Bachianas and Choros are quite nationalistic, the symphonies tend to be more formalistic. It is as if Villa-Lobos was trying to show the world that he could write symphonies that were not nationalistic. The string quartets are every bit as important a cycle as those written by Shostakovich(15 quartets) and Bartok(6 quartets). They are a blend of Brazilian and neo-classical elements. Villa-Lobos also wrote elegant and delightful music for the solo guitar.
After so many years of ignoring his music, my eyes and ears have been opened to this incredibly marvellous music. Recently I purchased the complete symphonies on the CPO label, the complete string quartets on the Dorian label and the best recordings ever of the complete Choros and Bachianas Brasileiras on the BIS label. Please note that in the case of the quartets, these recordings can also be purchased on the Brilliant label, albeit without the bonus DVD offered in the Dorian set. The DVD is a complete performance of the Quartet No.1 and interviews with the performers. The BIS set comes with a bonus CD of the composer's complete solo guitar music. This bonus CD is a total delight!! In every way all these performances along with the complete piano concertos on the DECCA label are all top notch and have received rave reviews from all over the world!
This is great music! PLEASE ENJOY!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tippett - selections from 'The Midsummer Marriage'
I have posted this before but just recently I bought the complete opera on the Lyrita label(2CD). I have loved and always will love this opera. Last time I owned this work and recording was some 35 years ago when it was available in vinyl on the Phillips label. Originally recorded by Lyrita in July 1970, it was licensed to Phillips for marketing purposes. At the time, Lyrita made the best recordings of any company on the planet but the company was not well known at all. Even by today's standards, Lyrita's recordings are still hard to beat. Please go out and purchase this wonderful opera.....it's rewards are bountiful!
Discover and enjoy!
Tippett: "Steal Away" from 'A Child of our Time'
Glorious music from a glorious work. What more can be said!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Villa-Lobos Piano Concerto No.2 1/4
What a discovery! I have never known the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos and to hear these marvellous concertos is an incredible discovery. The next project is to purchase the complete set of his symphonies, which is available on the CPO label. Other Central and South American composers such as Ginastera and Chavez I am quite familiar with. Discovering Villa-Lobos' music is really mind blowing. Great stuff!
Discover and enjoy!!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Bruckner Symphony No.5(last movement) - 'Third Reich' version
This is how the Third Reich wanted Bruckner to sound......with clashing cymbals and triangle! What a laugh! This is one of his symphonies that never suffered from revision, that is until the Nazi's got their rotten hands on it. Don't even bother trying to purchase this atrocious recording!! As great as Hans Knappertsbusch was a conductor(especially with the operas of Richard Wagner......his "Parsifal" was beyond reproach, perhaps even divinely inspired), he prefered the 'Nazi' versions of Bruckner's symphonies......tragic and disgusting!
Discover and laugh!
Bruckner Symphony No. 4(last movement) - 1878 version
I just found the 1878 version of the Fourth known as the 'Volksfest' movement on YouTube. Thematically it is closer to the 1880 version than to the earlier 1874 original version. This version of the last movement can be purchsed on the Naxos label coupled with Symphony No.00(double zero....his actual 'first' symphony) conducted by Georg Tintner. As I said, in my previous post, buying Bruckner's symphonies can be difficult if you don't know which version is which!
BE AMAZED!
Bruckner Symphony No.4(last movement) - 1874 version
This is a recording of Bruckner's original vision for his Fourth Symphony. After completing this work in 1874, he felt at odds with it and as early as 1878 he proceeded to revise the whole work. The third movement in the 1874 version was entirely scraped and a whole new movement was written. On advise from his students and friends Bruckner often re-worked his symphonies. The most notable re-workings were done on the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Eighth Symphonies. There are so many versions especially of the Third and Fourth, that just trying to marry a score with the right recording is practically impossible. Even Hitler had his hands in having all of the symphonies re-scored to bring out the majesty of the Third Reich. The 'original' version of the Third is almost 30 minutes longer than the version that we hear in the concert halls today.
The First Symphony has two versions: one that is known as the 'Linz' version(original) and the much later 'Vienna' version(much beefed up orchestration). The recordings to purchase, if you want to hear some of these 'original' versions, can be found on the Naxos label. Georg Tintner did much to preserve Bruckner's original intentions. As in the case of his recording of the Fourth, he stuck with the version(1880) that is heard in the concert halls. For a great reference recording of the 1874 version, I heartily recommend the Sony recording with Kent Nagano conducting the Bavarian State Orchestra.....quite spectacular! If you know this work, the 1874 version will really surprise you! If you don't know either versions, I suggest starting with the 1880 version(everybody records this one). When purchasing the above mentioned symphonies, please take care to get the "right" ones that are performed in the concert halls.
Although this post is only a fragment from the last movement, try to compare it with my next post. Be prepared to be surprised!
Discover and be amazed!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Casella Symphony No.2 1/5
Casella knew Mahler and endevoured to get Mahler's symphonies performed. There are moments in this symphony of stylistic resemblances to Mahler's symphonies. Most notibly in the last movement there are resemblances to Mahler's Seventh Symphony. If you like Mahler you should take to this symphony with great ease. This is a Chandos recording. Naxos is in the process of recording all of Casella's symphonies and this work and his First Symphony are available. Personally I think the acoustics are better in the Chandos recording but interpretively the critics seem to think that the Naxos recording is better. In any case, please give this work a hearing.....it will not hurt your ears.
Discover!
PS...Upon purchasing the Chandos recording, I discovered a definite link between the last movement of Casella's Second and the last movement of Mahler's Third Symphony. In my opinion both recordings are flawed. The Chandos recording is spectacular(organ and bells....wow!) but fails to bring out the gritty Mahlerian textures. The Naxos recording brings out the Mahlerian textures but the sound stinks(I get the idea that the Rome Orchestra is an amateur ensemble) probably due to lousy sound engineering! I suggest purchasing both interpretations or wait until another label records this work. The CPO label has just released a recording of Casella's Third Symphony. It received high praise from the critics, so let's hope CPO will record this fine work!
Casella Sympnony No.2 5/5
It is especially in this part of the last movement that I hear definite thematic references to Mahler's Third Symphony(last movement).
Get a load of the spectacular sound of full organ and bells! Magnificent!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Szymanowski's opera "King Roger" - opening music
This has to be the most glorious opening of any opera I have ever heard in my life. The whole opera lasts about an hour and a half and the music is fantastic and senuous! I hope you enjoy this very haunting music!
A movement from Szymanowski's ballet "Harnasie"
This is for those that find Szymanowski's music too dificult to listen to. This movement is called "The Raid of the Harnasie - Dance". Hopefully this shouldn't hurt your ears. Very exciting music, indeed!
Szymanowski Stabat Mater 1/3
This is a glorious work that I recently discovered. In all my musical travels I have rarely been so carried away as I am by this Twentieth Century liturgical masterpiece! There are many fine recordings of this work, namely Sir Simon Rattle's on EMI and Antoni Wit's on Naxos. I have both and heartily recommend them without reservations. Please take time to hear this wonderful work and I hope it blesses you as much as it has blessed me!
Discover and ENJOY!
Szymanowski Three Kasprowicz Songs 1/3
These three songs by Karol Szymanowski are very beautiful and remind me of the songs with orchestra that Richard Strauss wrote. They should pose no problem except that they are sung in Polish and no translations are offered. In the recording I have on the Naxos label, translations are not provided but I am so carried away by the magnificence of the music that one need not follow the words to appreciate them. They will not hurt your ears!
Please enjoy!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Last Movement from Stanford's Symphony No.3 "Irish"
It would seem that a great deal of English composers were either born in Ireland or greatly influenced after having visited there. Sir Hamilton Harty wrote his only symphony and titled it an "Irish Symphony". Sir Arnold Bax wrote works that described in tone pictures the countryside, fables and myths of Ireland. Sir Charles Villiers Stanford wrote this Symphony and six Irish Rhapsodies. They obviously loved Ireland for all it's beautiful countryside and people. Or perhaps the lot of them just couldn't give up Irish Whiskey.....who knows, maybe I should give it a try. Knowing myself as I do I'll probably get drunk and never compose an Irish symphony!
Stanford's Irish Rhapsody No.1 1/2
I recently purchased the fabulous two disc set, on the Chandos label, of the complete Irish Rhapsodies, Piano Concerto No.2 and "Variations on Down Among the Dead Men" by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. I heartily recommend this set! This is music that couldn't possibly hurt your ears and if it does.....give up on Classical Music, it just ain't for you!
Please discover this glorious music and ENJOY!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Arnold Bax Symphony No.4 1/5
Bax considered his Fourth to be a "brazenly romantic"(his exact words) symphony. Like all of his other six works in this genre, the fourth is tuneful, evocative and quite exciting. Bax's music will NOT hurt your ears, unless you are not all that romantic.
None the less.....DISCOVER AND ENJOY!
Edmund Rubbra Symphony No 3 1/3
I'm thrilled to see some of the glorious symphonies of Edmund Rubbra on YouTube. This Symphony and the Fourth, along with the remaining seven symphonies, are some of the finest symphonies written by a Twentieth Century English composer. I just wish his wonderful and transcendental Seventh Symphony was available on YouTube.
Please discover and enjoy!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Boulez - "Livre pour cordes"
Give this splendid work a good listen to....it will NOT hurt your ears!
Boulez - Notation VII
This is a movement from Boulez' "Notations". A very exciting work one would not associate with Boulez considering most of the other masterpieces he has written. There are moments in this movement that remind me of Messiaen's "Turangalila Symphony". It is short, so give it a try.....you may like it!
This will NOT hurt your ears!
Ravel - Ma Mere l'Oye(Mother Goose) Suite 1/5
Originally written for piano and later orchestrated into a work lasting half an hour long. The suite is a condensed version of the original orchestrated piece. This is an exquisite and charming work, brimming with brilliant tunes and exuberant orchestrations.
Please ENJOY! I hope you love this as much as I do!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Vagn Holmboe Symphony No. 3 1/4
It was suggested to me that I should hear the music of this great Danish composer by a good friend of mine from Denmark. I don`t know Holmboe`s music at all and this symphony has surprised me with it`s exuberance and remarkable accesibility. I will spend more time getting to know this great Danish composer`s music. Thank-you very much, Evan!
Discover and ENJOY!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Shostakovitch - an excerpt from 'The Gadfly'
This CAN'T hurt your ears! The previous post might disturb......this does not! When I first discovered this, it shocked the hell out of me as I didn't think the composer had it in him to write such beautiful music. I hope you love this as much as I do!
Listen and ENJOY!
Shostakovitch - an excerpt from Symphony no. 14
Shostakovitch that might hurt your ears! This clip is from his Fourteenth Symphony and in my opinion it is one of his masterpieces. It may not be for all but I adore it!
Prokofiev Symphony No.1 1/2
If the Fourth Symphony does hurt your ears, there is no way this symphony will do any harm. This work is a joy to listen to and it ranks amongst some of the most loved works Prokofiev ever wrote!
Listen, discover and ENJOY!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Prokofiev Symphony No. 4 1/4
I have avoided Prokofiev's Fourth Symphony for far too long. I have been well aware of Prokofiev's symphonies no.'s 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7, but have maintained a wrongful determination to avoid discovering his Third and Fourth. Part of the problem probably stems from the fact that the composer re-wrote this symphony in 1947 and added an additional 14 minutes onto the score. I once heard this version and took an immediate dislike to it. The ORIGINAL version, however, it a total delight. If you like/love his music to "Romeo and Juliet", this wonderful symphony should not be difficult to appreciate.
Please discover and ENJOY!
(Just a note: His Third is more difficult to appreciate as it sounds like he was trying to imitate the sounds one would hear in a steel foundry.......crash.....bang.....boom!)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The Mahler Year
Last year we celebrated the 150th anniversary of Mahler's birth. This year we commemerate Mahler's death 100 years ago. This clip is from the Master's early years. He was twenty years old when he wrote this dramtic cantata.
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