Classical Music for Aficionados

@cd318  - Sorry, you are correct. Vaccinate. Now, I'll move back to music. Sorry for the momentary lapse into something, uh, not musical....

"Greenland, with a population of only just over 56,000, and most of that contained in a few of the largest cities, you could immunize half of the population in a good solid 8 hour shift."


I'm guessing you mean vaccinate rather than immunise.

The best case scenarios indicate 90% immunisation ( but only after the second dose in the recommended timescale).

No such figure is being offered for the worst case.


Anyway, how do people feel about the various Zenph re-recordings out there?

I feel that the 1955 Goldberg's by Gould were pretty good tonally. 

Very listenable indeed.

Texas has already administered nearly 1 Million does to date. That's over 17 times the entire population of Greenland. It's a matter of scale.

Yes ,and only 6 months to do that many in USA .

@schubert  -Greenland, with a population of only just over 56,000, and most of that contained in a few of the largest cities, you could immunize half of the population in a good solid 8 hour shift.

Actually was Greenland , Denmark's ski area . .

Deutschland.. Their trains run on time too.

OK then I give up , which country ?

If you say so, Jim

Belgium maybe Len ?

Gee , just saw one country  is far ahead of all others on  getting the wholepopulation vaccinated .
It's in North Europe and first letter  starts with a G . Bet nobody can guess. .

@rvpiano  Rv Thanks for that , it's not always one is allowed to play what one likes when you also have to earn living.
I love the Well tempered Clavier there is so much to learn from them.
I remember a saying by Busoni that was, Bach is the Old Testament and Beethoven The New and together they make Liszt possible.

(Yes maybe !!!!).

Jim,

Sorry to say I never played the Goldberg Variations, but I played most of the Well-Tempered Clavier Book One.

Angela Hewitt has a new Fazioli piano to replace the one that movers dropped.  But the new one has only 3 pedals, whereas the old one had 4.You can't always get what you want.
https://www.facebook.com/Angela-Hewitt-201013549988366/videos/angelas-new-fazioli/311645020196585/

@rvpiano     RV I always meant to ask you do you play the Goldbergs by chance ?

The only thing I’m knocking out these days is myself!😉

Think you could knock this out, rv?
Wish I could  , at a concert in Glasgow University .
Tomorrow !  

https://youtu.be/IhYPBRedFnI?t=1

That’s not all people like about Ms B.

@rvpiano  Thanks!  Just did a comparison of Schubert's D 899 Impromptu no. 3, and in this particular piece I think I preferred her over Perahia and Schiff.

Jim
His Chopin mazurkas are superb, unhurried, deeply melodic.

His Scarlatti sonatas bounce!

For those who think of all the Violin Concertos , like me, is the Brahms,. here is a great one . I heard it yesterday at a friends house and just bought it at Amazon . Has excellent Double Con. as well.


Not a few think that the Gewandhaus under Chailly was as good as any band in the world .

https://youtu.be/_10S9WBoSMc?t=2

I believe she is a major talent.
Original, probing with a blazing technique.
However, I believe  she still has some maturing to do.

So how do we feel about Khatia Buniatishvili?

I just watched, errr, listened to a couple of her videos on youtube and liked her playing a lot.

@jcazador          Jeremy I remember in the eighties my friend and I travelled up to Glasgow to catch a concert with Fou-Ts'ong playing Tchaikovsky' 1st Piano concerto. When the  piece stared he launched into the the opening with the wrong chord sequence and continued playing wrong chords until the main piece was established. My pal and I were horrified and wondered why they didn't stop and start the piece again.
At the end of the piece we all gave him a huge ovation and we could see a look of massive relief on his face. he made a little speech after that and said how he loved the Scottish people and would try to do more concerts up here and then he treated us to three beautiful Chopin pieces.

more links to Fou Ts’ong recordings & videos
https://www.forte-piano-pianissimo.com/Fou-Ts-ong.html

Shostakovich and Rochberg...explore!

@schubert     Len your lovely Gaelic message to me in Glasgow is
                        "The Big Man's askin fur ye"
As Robert Burns was want to say,
                         Wha's like us naebody the're a' deid.
Good Luck and God bless.

Wow the sound of this organ is out of this world....

thanks...

A great Organ piece of  "Wachet Auf"
The problem with Bach's words in his greatest Cantata is that
words , in any  tongue ,   only get in the way with a choir .







https://youtu.be/Cas1jTPU7Cw?t=1






























wa

Fou Ts’ong
Chinese pianist, 86 years old, has died of corona virus.  He gained fame in europe beginning in 1955, and eventually sought refuge during Mao's time.I found 2 recordings by him: Chopin mazurkas and Scarlatti sonatas.Article about him in today's NYT.

Jim
Mustonen is scheduled to play in London in March.
https://de.schott-music.com/shop/autoren/olli-mustonen/

Yes!  Next up on the stack is Bernard Ringeissen playing Op. 35 Etudes, then Laurent Martin in the Op. 63 Esquisses, then Mustonen with the Op. 31 Preludes to round off this set.

The Gealic was God Bless You , Jim.
I don't know that in Glasgow .
God Bless You  Next Year  ! 
With a good wife and loving daughter he has done well so far .

Hi Jeremy , I have been listening to that recording for many many years , Alkan certainly knew how to stress out a pianist. I don't see his name anywhere for live concerts and he doesn't seem to be producing any recordings either .Maybe he is now teaching somewhere and prefers that. It's a pity because he is a lovely player with a great technique as that Alkan and Shostakovich shows.
Jeremy you have a lovely New Year and keep away from that virus.

Jim.

jim
love that mustonen recording, both the alkan and the shostakovich
https://www.allmusic.com/album/shostakovich-preludes-op-34-alkan-preludes-op-31-mw0001840990
2leftears
love that  Alkan's Grande Sonate "Les Quatre Ages
pianist is Hamelin, awesome

@schubert        Len I have never  heard the Yales doing LvB lates , my go to was always the Alban Bergs whos full set I had and a good job they were on CD as if vinyl I would have been replacing them every month.
Alas Len I never had the time to learn the Gaelic but my granny was from Islay and when she watched us sometimes when we were kids she would nurse us and sing Gaelic lullabies to us. Lovely times with her and I would love to meet her again.
Jim. 

@twoleftears    Have you tried Olli Mustonen playing
 Alkan's 25 preludes Op.25. Beautiful little character pieces and as an added bonus on the original CD you were also treated to the Shostakovitch 24 Preludes Op.34 as well . I have the digital downloads now archived on my SSD and still listen to it often.

For the ultimate system work-out try Alkan's Grande Sonate "Les Quatre Ages" (Hyperion) at a, errr, healthy volume.

Revisiting Alkan led by the Pied Piper.

Thank you so much jcazador !


Think I will jump into the water.

To me , this is the Greatest piece of Music Ever Written .https://youtu.be/__lCZeePG48?t=1

Schubert:
try looking for it under Cuarteto Casals 
(with a C instead of a Q)

The Yale Quartet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f81GcoYsxfg&list=PLHuZcgj4as6XCF7H_HieHEVR29lz2zZb3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftK3eT_Tlik&list=PL9W1r-HCuTOZh0Epwlx6TLMuk5EpxYBF3

To Jim, Len and all others,

Here’s to a very happy holiday season, and a rid to to this dreaded plague

Casals not on Amazon at THIS time Jim . I'll find it some way.

The channel classics Mozart piano concerto series has been immensely satisfying for many many years. great sound and music. fwiw

One my way to Amazon for the HM cut Jim.
IMO The greatest for the last are the American Yale Qt.But very hard to find . I have the original Vinyl and if I could only keep one LP it would be it .Seen the Vinyl going for over $500!I’ll see if I can find one ,try in UK, if I find one here I’ll send it to Scotia .
The first are as good as the last, just in a different way .

Gabh mo liesgeul

At this moment I am listening to Quarteto Casals playing the Beethoven string Quartets Op.18. on Quobuz and what a treat they are .You know you are in the presence of a supreme master even with these quartets . This group are superb , they match each other in virtuosity of ensemble playing and their tone is beautifully matched to each other. 
The recording is by Harmonia Mundi and I don't think I have heard better from any other recording company , I urge you to give it a try.  

To my friends ,Len, RV and Maghister, have a great Christmas Holliday and keep clear of that horrible bug.

"Lang may yer lum reek"  an old Scots saying , Long life to you.

and Len, Don't let the bu**ers get you down.  Jim.  

I forgot this rendition of the " Rhapsody for alto" of Brahms by Marian Anderson, which is with Kathleen Ferrier the goddesses of song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w35B8hK5Y4

Easily one of the greatest Bach rendition by a female voice on par with Kathleen Ferrier and very, very few others...

In her voice emotion eclipse technical art like the sun eclipse the world....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuzYE3E0Nfk




For those which can be interested by her, this documentary illustrate his talent by astonishing example of solo chants classical pieces and the greatest of all negro spirituals ever sang and probably never to be sing again with so much deep rendition: "crucifixion"....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXkUlCv4Jj4


To fill the cup of those thirsty listen to his version of " deep river" :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bytFrsL4_4

Or this "elegie" of Massenet, compare it to any other interpretation even of Caballe or anyone else:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bytFrsL4_4


Her modest ego let shine divinity without interrupting the light by any sin of proudness....


Then in this "ave maria" version she does not sing at all, she pray and look at the way Stokowsky look at her:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXhdUC43Jq0

I love her.....It is amazing to see the soul through this body.....Easily one of the most beautiful woman i ever see...


I cannot resist to give his "Casta Diva" rendition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPGEiWAPm1M

These are at least on the same emotional level than Maria Callas.... In fact i prefer the more natural and simple interpretation of Anderson...

Like Sibelius said to her visiting him: " my roof is too low for you " I dont think that the old composer was meaning it to be only a compliment, more a fact in his heart after listening her ....