Sergei Rachmaninoff / Ludwig van Beethoven PIANO CONCERTOS Van Cliburn (piano) Chicago Symphony Orchestra Fritz Reiner RCA Victor Living Stereo 1961, 1962, 1994 Notes:"E-flat major was to Beethoven a heroic key by the evidence of the "Eroica" Symphony which has something of the same proud spirit. Beethoven seems to have been possessed by this tonality in 1809, the year of the concerto, for the piano sonata, Op. 81a, and the so-called harp quartet (op.74), both in E flat, were also composed in this year. It was a year of war; French troops occupied Vienna, and the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte made his headquarters in the palace of
Schönbrunn. These outward events had no effect upon the artist Beethoven and his seclusive domain of tones, except to annoy him and impede his work."
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18
I. Moderato - Allegro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUrotc3cj-s
II. Adagio sostenuto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv3NfWt6LzM
III. Allegro scherzando
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5GbS96-_xwBeethoven: Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat, Op.73 "Emperor" I. Allegro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5a2TmzBxuU
II. Adagio un poco mosso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwXC4H60ZR8
III. Rondo - Allegro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeGBUHYYWTICheers |
So glad you like Tureck Jim, Canada got a jewel in her !
Canada is opening american border entry at midnight today after
18 months of no go. US did not do so , A friend in Montreal says stay away, average joe is angry when Canada is better vacined.
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I'm so glad you liked Pires playing the Bach Len, she really is a wonderful pianist. Len I can see why you like Tureck so much measured ,crystalline and so so accurate , not a note or inflection out of place anywhere. I am going to keep that Goldberg close for a long time to come.
Has anyone heard Zimmerman's new traversal of the Beethoven piano Concertos. Absolute magic and a wonderful accompaniment from Sir Simon Rattle , all the slow movements are measured and a luminous quality pervades the whole set . Zimmerman as usual is superlative in his accuracy and phrasing and his playing is astonishing. The main movements are brisk and his runs are super even with not a note clipped or out of place. The recordings are full and enjoyable if maybe a bit on the side but you do hear everything that's going on. |
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Scotia ain Jim ! I'll have to check that B Flat Major .Lang may yer lum reek as well . |
My dear friend Len , so good to see you in print again ( I thought you were in the huff with us. Right enough I haven't been contributing either and it's been too hot for headphones as well. Thank goodness it's piddling with rain here now as I can get back to my beloved Bach and I am as happy as a wee pig in s**t just now listening to Maria Jiao Pires playing the masters' Partita No 1 in B Flat Major. What a wonderful pianist she is, playing as if she's spinning gold.
I hope you are keeping ok Len." Lang may yer lum reek." Jim. |
Sound familiar?: More than familiar. I think David Hurwitz talked about this also, using the same music in both pieces. Thanks Cheers |
IMO Prokofiev is bested by only Sibelius and Carl Nielsen among modern composers .
IMO, his best " Romeo and Juliet" is the Previn /LSO outing is the greatest.
Most of all he did with the LSO is never been bested.
Celbidache did a stunning Classical and his 3rd Piano Concerto with the Berliners but is hard to find on Urania.
Ormandy also did an fine 1and 5 .As did Thomes Sandard with Royal Scottish on Linn .
Valery Gergiev had the Russian touch on many labels and is can’t miss
on all of them.
My fav piece is his his 6th . Mravinsky’’LenPoPraga/67 my best outing.
Nothing wrong with Ormandy's 6 either.
Cheers
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Shostakovich:
24 Preludes and Fugues for Piano.
i prefer Scherbakov’s recording, both the playing and the sound quality, over Jarrett’s. I haven’t heard Nikolayeva’s or any others. |
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Sergei Prokofiev VIOLIN CONCERTO Maxim Vengerov (violin) London Symphony Orchestra Mstislav Rostropovich Teldec 1994 Notes:"When Stalin launched his second major attack against the composers of the Soviet Union in February 1948, two of the nation's most prominent composers were among the main defendants. One sat in the front row, the other in the last. In the front row was Sergei Prokofiev. Way in the back sat a nervous Dmitri Shostakovich, who left the room every few minutes to smoke a cigarette. No scene could better characterize the two contemporaries. The one self-confident, the other apprehensive..."
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No.1 in D major Op.19
I Andantino
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jWNWfMzJQY
II Scherzo - Vivacissimo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9uN9IeEifU
III Moderato
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CDIgXyCcR0Cheers |
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Two conductors with a particular affinity for this magnificent work are Loren Maazel in his fabled recording on Decca and Ashkenazy with his performances on Decca and Exton. |
Yes, of course, Orpheus is a chamber orchestra. However, in this case…… Note that Prokofiev’s “Classical Symphony” is scored for double winds (two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons), two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. They kept the number of strings to a minimum, but otherwise pretty much a full size orchestra by most standards. “Romeo and Juliet”. One of my very favorite works and an orchestration tour de force. It features throughout and fairly prominently a tenor saxophone . Unusual for a major orchestral work where typically the use of saxophone, when used at all, is very limited. An interesting factoid which I think may have significance and goes to the point of your quoted historical “Notes” is the fact Prokofiev borrowed (reused) some of his own music from his “Classical Symphony”for use in the later score of “Romeo”. In a sense, one could say that it ties together the moves from Russia to America and then back to Russia. Quiz: what is that borrowed music that can be heard in both works? Hint: it is not one of the movements that you posted, but is one of the movements in the link below. You posted a fine performance, but as far as I’m concerned no one understands this music like the great Russian conductors and great Russian orchestras. This is my favorite recording of “Romeo”: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nbUBb_5tVFMfsoMmxEae3BW1TD3ktdigcBtw, the link above is highlights from the recording of the complete ballet by Gergiev/Kirov. Couldn’t find the complete on YouTube. |
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Chamber Orchestra:
The perfect size.
Cheers |
My favorite recording of Prokofiev’s homage to Haydn. Wonderful performance. For an orchestra to play with this level of cohesion without a conductor is miraculous. |
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Sergei Prokofiev
PETER AND THE WOLF
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Andre Previn
Telarc 1986
Notes: "When Prokofiev returned for good to his native Russia in 1933 from his years in the West, he quickly espoused the Soviet philosophy of promoting music that would appeal to the widest masses of the people. "It is the duty of the composer to serve his fellow men, to beautify life and point the way to a radiant future," he said."
I guess the West didn't impress him.
Peter and the Wolf, a symphonic fairy tale for children Op. 67 (1936)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQW30nE93QwCheers |
Mozart - Schubert SONATA, K448 / FANTASIA, OP.103, D.940 Murray Perahia (piano) Radu Lupu (piano) CBS Masterworks 1985 Notes: "Mozart wrote the D major Sonata in Vienna in November 1781 to be played by himself and Josephine von Aurnhammer. Fräulein
von Aurnhammer was one of his most gifted pupils, and she often appeared with him in performances of his concerto in E-flat for two pianos and orchestra, K.365." Mozart:
Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major, K.448/375a:
I. Allegro con spirito
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hlxrw1cpcIII. Andante
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kPbm80jf7AIII. Allegro molto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY1ZXcgJqJ0Franz Schubert: Notes: "Schubert himself gave the first performance of the Fantasia, with Franz Lachner in Vienna on May 9, 1828. The score is dedicated to Countess Caroline, a young piano student of the composer."
Fantasie in F Minor, Op.103, D. 940
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJhL-cFQh58Cheers |
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Valentina Lisitsa, Scriabin, Nuances. A collection of mainly short, little-played pieces by Scriabin, which don't form part of the main sets (mazurkas, etudes, etc.). Listening again, and I like it even more than the first time around. The two Impromptus are fabulous.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
COMPLETE STRING TRIOS & DUOS Arthur Gumiaux (violin) Arrigo Pelliccia (viola) Philips 1996 Notes:"Mozart's chamber music for strings exhibits a command of the medium unmatched by any other composer -- Mozart's favorite instrument was the viola and he never missed an opportunity to perform with friends, perhaps most notably in the case of the famous "composers" quartet in which he was memorably joined by Vanhal(cello), Dittersdorf(second violin), and Joseph Haydn, no less, playing first violin."
Duo for Violin and Viola in G, K.423
1. Allegro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoThwvlWWBw
2. Adagio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXRsO0J3M5U3. Rondeau (Allegro)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8EnFzsFBKsCheers
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Ivan Moravec playing Beethoven.
One CD holds the Pathetique, Moonlight, Les Adieux, and no. 27 sonatas, and 32 Variations.
The recording quality is very good. Moravec's contrasts between p and f are quite striking, as are his sometimes quite extreme contrasts in tempo.
Overall a fascinating listen.
I really think like you....Moravec is in a class of his own....I had listen to almost all hid cd.... Thanks.... |
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Ivan Moravec playing Beethoven.
One CD holds the Pathetique, Moonlight, Les Adieux, and no. 27 sonatas, and 32 Variations.
The recording quality is very good. Moravec's contrasts between p and f are quite striking, as are his sometimes quite extreme contrasts in tempo.
Overall a fascinating listen. |
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