Classical Music II

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Tessar

It was pretty miraculous. She developed nodes on both of her vocal cords... but keeping in mind that this woman (or at least so I've heard) warms up every time she vocalizes to the C7 (three octaves above Middle C). So just combine that incredible height of range with bad technique, and singing frequently... well it was bound to happen.

She had surgery on one vocal cord, and then later followed it up with surgery on her other cord. Amazingly enough, it healed with either no scarring, or so little that it didn't effect her sound adversely. Typically when surgery must be performed, there is a loss of range, power, and often the person's voice never fully recovers.

However, after she recovered, Natalie improved her technique, and now she quite literally sounds better than ever. Removing most of the straining from her voice has made her sound fuller, and richer. Mind you, I think she sings things a step or so lower now, but then she's getting about middle-aged, so if she is... I can forgive her .

Hmmm...I just sampled her Queen of the Night aria...she gets there, but definitely better at the more "even" stuff.

Yeah, she was a fantastic Queen of the Night! I don't like her version quite as much as Natalie Dessay's, but that is a truly wicked aria, and Lucia Popp sang it incredibly.

I think I disagree with you: Dessay, as I say, gets there. But the amazing thing about Lucia Popp is that she could stay there and still be powerful.
*goes back to Amazon to compare the two*

One more thing about Dessay: she didn't sound very evil

I mentioned Samuel Ramey earlier in my post--have you heard any of his stuff before, Hector? He's great, and was my favorite Bass/Baritone/Whatever before I 'met' Bryn Trefel .


[It wouldn't let me do the post as one post o.O I had to split it up.]

I looked him up, but I haven't sampled yet...

[Tessar]

I shall reply more fully later, but I had to share:


OMGWTFTEHBBQ-SATIE!!!!

Last night my sister sat down at the piano and said, as I was walking up the stairs, "I found something I really like in my old sheet music this afternoon... I'm going to try it--it's very pretty, as I recall."

So she starts playing it, and after three measures I screamed, (from the top of the stairs) "OH MY GOD THAT'S IT!!!!!!"

At which point I flung myself down the stairs as rapidly as possible, and raced to the piano, saying that it was, 'It'.

My sister, without meaning to, had found a piece of music that I've been searching after for about five years. I have such a vivid memory of the music in my head that the first four chords clicked instantly.

It's from a collection called, 'Trois Gymnopedies,' and the music is by Erik Satie. They used a clip of it in the old Lord of the Rings cassette tape books! I don't mean the BBC version, I mean the other one. I've LOVED that theme, because remembering it brings back so many memories, and to me that piece is possibly the most powerful reminder of the 'feel' of what Tolkien, and other fantasy works, are to me.

This is a wikipedia clip about the music, and frankly I couldn't agree more:

Satie's Gymnopédies are gentle yet somewhat irregular pieces of music which deliberately flouted many common practices in classical and even contemporary music. Its cheekiness in avoiding musical conventions however is barely noticeable since the music is strongly guided by its poignant emotional load, and the listener comes away remembering them for their narrative beauty and elegance, rather than their unconventionality.

The pieces are written in 3/4 time and in a similar structure with a similar theme. The Gymnopédies are ethereal, atmospheric pieces regarded as precursors to modern ambient music; in fact, Brian Eno, the pioneering figure of ambient music, has cited Satie as a prime influence. Satie himself used the term "furniture music" to refer to some of his pieces, implying that they could be used as mood-setting background music. However, Satie himself only started to use the term furniture music for some of his 20th century compositions: Satie would never designate the Gymnopédies as furniture music. From the second half of the 20th century on, the Gymnopédies were often erroneously described as part of Satie's body of furniture music, probably due to John Cage's interpretation of Satie's music[1]

Very ethereal, ambient, and (to my ear) wistful.

Apparently Erik was a friend of Debussy, and Debussy orchestrated the one that I know, so I'm going to go looking for that .

[Tessar]

This man, Philippe Jaroussky, is -fantastic-. I like him much better than some of the other countertenors out there.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JCrbTBEeiyQ

[hectorberlioz]

I'll get back to you Tessar...

meanwhile...

RICHARD M. NIXON: I have always had two great-and still unfulfilled-ambitions: to direct a symphony orchestra and to play an organ in a cathedral.(20)

click HERE to see what Presidents have said about music.

[hectorberlioz]

Ms. Rice has only just begun to see the potential of music as a diplomatic tool, notably last February, when she delivered a speech in Paris about American rapprochement with Europe in the face of vehement disagreements over the invasion of Iraq. During the trip, she visited the Hector Berlioz Conservatory in Paris, where she attended a children's music class and watched young ensembles perform. As cameras caught her listening, she seemed deeply affected by the fledgling musicians.

This is old, but still
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/ar...rssnyt&emc=rss

[hectorberlioz]

RICHARD NIXON: I don't like ballet particularly, and I've seen Swan Lake a number of times. I've seen it, believe it or not, I've seen Swan Lake in Moscow, I've seen it in Leningrad, I've seen it in Sverdlovsk. I have seen it also in Novosibirsk, and all of them with great companies. But if I had to turn on a record, I would like that, some of the Tchaikovsky ballets and so forth. And I like Liszt. I know that somebody was saying to me once when I wanted some number of the Liszt Preludes played at one of our inaugurations, the leader of the orchestra didn't want to play it because he said Hitler liked it. Well, my goodness, the fact that Hitler may have liked the music doesn't mean that I liked it because he did. Liszt preludes has a moving quality to it that I like to play. And then I would say, if you want to get to modern music, I think the "Guadacanal March" in Victory at Sea. That has a lift to it that is really incredible.(10)

I gotta give it to Nixon. Of any president, he has the best tastes

[hectorberlioz]

Listening assignment: go to amazon.com and sample some Edgard Varese. Then you'll appreciate Beethoven more...

[hectorberlioz]

Added:

Machaut: Messe de Notre Dame/Hiliard Ensemble
Byrd: The Three Masses/The Cardinall's Musick

Adding:
Rubbra: Symphonies 3&7/Hickox
Bax: Symphony No.4/Lloyd-Jones
Bliss: Colour Symphony/Lloyd-Jones
Palestrina: Masses/Naxos
Josquin Desprez: Masses/naxos
Ockeghem: masses/Naxos

[hectorberlioz]

So if you want to get the Shostakovich Symphonies on individual discs rather than in a boxed set, which are often mixed bags, here's what I did.
Initially I wanted the whole Haitink collection, but as I read up and listened for myself, I saw the wisdom of going easy on Complete Collections on such important works such as the Shosty Symphonies.

So here are the discs I ended up with:

Syms.Nos.1 & 6/Bernstein/Sony
I bought this disc on an impulse. I already owned Bernstein's Fifth, and I knew he was a great Shosty conductor, seeing as how Shosty once said that he was "my favorite American conductor of my music".
The first symphony is very good as far as the comparisons I can give, comparing only with Lopez-Cobos' which is pretty much just as good. I can't compare the sixth with any other performance yet, but it is very good as fr as I can tell.

Sym.No.4/Rattle/EMI
I've written a review of sorts for this one already, but to re-sum it up: Edgy and sharper in comparison with Haitink, faster and more thunderous, but ocassionally lacking in the phrasing that Haitink details so well and which makes it so lovable.

Sym.No.5/Bernstein/Sony
I can compare this with Gergiev and Stokowski, mostly Stokowski, who leads a great taut performance. But if you listen to the Bernstein afterwards, it pales, esp in passion.

Sym.No.7/Rostropovich/Teldec (repackaged in the Warner Apex series)
Only version I've heard, though I intend to buy Bernstein's legendary DG recording. Very good version, plenty of pomp and circumstance with a little frenzy in the first-movement march. The Adagio is the best part of this symphony in my opinion, and there's even a little Khachaturian-like skit in the middle of it.

Sym.No.8/Haitink/Decca
I can compare with Yoel Levi (on Telarc), and only reccently with my recently acquired Previn/DG. The Previn lacks the sonics that Decca gave Haitink, but I think the Previn is a live recording. I guess the best way to compare these recordings are in the two middle fast movements. Even though Amazon.com critics disagree, I think Levi does a wonderful job in this symphony, but maybe I'm just nostalgic. I remember not liking Haitink's as much when I first got it. But I do like it, and I finally made it through the whole symphony without falling asleep some time ago.

Syms.Nos. 5 & 9/Gergiev/Philips( #9 being the important work here)
Only version, but this a great work, and I certainly have no complaints of the performance. The Fifth is one of those "go-back-to-the-real-thing" performances, and the famous opening fanfare of the last movement is SLOW. Very slow in comparison with the Bernstein and Stokowski.

Sym.No.10/Karajan/DG
A very famous version of Shosty's tenth, and the only one I own. But of course I can see what all the hype is about: it has a nice dry-but-not-dead sound to it.

Sym.No.11/Rostropovich/LSO LIVE
A VERY hard symphony to get used to. Not that it doesn't have its fast movements, but it moves in an entirely diferent way than any other of his symphonies. A common comparison is with film music. There's nothing wrong with this performance, but, as my Gramophone Guide puts it "play loud, or not at all."

Syms.Nos.2 & 12/Jansons/EMI
...Review Still Pending ...

Sym.No.13/Haitink/Decca
One of my favorite Shosty works period. And Haitink, as usual, fleshes out the details like nobody else (as far as I can tell).

Syms.Nos.3 & 14/Jansons/EMI
If you need to complete your Shosty Syms collection via single discs, Jansons two Shostakovich releases incl the pairing above of Nos. 2 and 12, and this one, are the perfect ones to get. If you expect your Fourteenths to be snappy, sharp, and cruel, then you cant possibly be dissapointed by this disc. ...REVIEW FOR SYM.NO.3 STILL PENDING...

Syms.Nos.1 & 15/Lopez-Cobos/Telarc
I can compare these performances to Bernstein for No.1, which as I say is just barely above par, and Haitink for No.15. This is better. But not dramatically so. I guess what makes me smile is the fact that the Cincinatti Sym Orch can play just ass well in this repoirtoire as the Concertgebouw.

[hectorberlioz]

Hey, I liked this format so much that I've decided to do reviews of all the major symphonists....If I can

Symphony No.1/James Judd/Harmonia Mundi
This was the second Mahler symphony that I investigated, and it did take me awhile to get to listening to it. When I did, it was the 2nd mvmt that caught my attention. Over time I got to know this piece and the aspects of the recording and interpretation. The Mahler First being one of the THE most important symphonies, it's rather shameful that I haven't investigated other recordings, such as the Kubelik or Abbado.

Symphony No.2/Klemperer/EMI
I love the first four movements of this symphony, and the first half of the fifth movement, but the choral ending hasn't convinced me yet. Amazingly, Mahler managed to produce the Hollywood sound before Hollywood came along. I like Klemperer's conducting, but I have the feeling that Simon Rattle's might have that extra zest that the symphony seems to need, in my opinion.

Symphony No.3/Chailly/Decca
This has become one of my favorite Mahler symphonies, especially the third movement. Usually I listen to the gargantuan first movement by itself. If I don't, I usually fall asleep before it ends! Chailly really brings down the house, though once again, it's the only version I've heard.

Symphony No.4/Jordan/Erato (repackaged as Warner Apex)
For all my judgement is worth, Armin Jordan makes this symphony sound fresh, and not a little like a sleigh zipping through the snow. It is my opinion that the vocal last movement is the best vocal/choral achievement that Mahler incorporated into any of his symphonies.

Symphony No.5/Abbado/DG-Chicago Sym Orch & Berlin Philharmonic/DG
The big differrence is the weight of performance: Berlin feels heavy, large-footed, and rather Brucknerian. The labor without the love. The Chicago performance is far better, especially if you appreciate a more get-to-the-point interpretation of Mahler. Chicago's great orchestra pulls off an agile, dramatic, and silver-y performance that fits the Fifth like a glove. It is a performance that is part of Deutsche Gramophone's Galleria series.

Symphony No.6/Karajan/DG ~Maurice de Abravanel/Vanguard Classics
It really is amazing to me that Karajan, probably the most trumpted conductor of the "Recording" age, is very nearly matched by Maurice Abravanel's performance with the Utah Symphony Orchestra. Investigate for yourself. O Taste and See.

Symphony No.7/Bernstein/Sony
I love this symphony everytime I listen to it, but then again, I don't listen to it much. It must be Bernstein's performance, which is rather gooey. I hate to accuse Bernstein of this, great interpreter of Mahler that he is remembered as. But honestly, I can't keep track of what is what in this symphony, and part of the reason why is that the symphony is broken into 19 tracks!!! Nineteen tracks for five movements? Hardly necessary, and extremely aggravating to listen to on an ipod, when you have to listen to the tiny breaks inbetween, which ruins the continuity of each seperate movement.

Symphony No.8/Chailly/Decca
Anyone sho says that fervor is enough in a performance is wrong. Chailly is fervent, the Concertgebouw is fervent, the singers are fervent, and the performance is hardly as good as it should be, considering the forces. It just doesn't cut the mustard in any way. Robert Shaw, derided by many, pulls a stupendous performance on Telarc with the full 1000+ forces. Chailly uses half, in an effort I suppose, to lead a more supple performance.

Symphony No.9/Boulez/DG~Haitink/Philips~Gielen/Hanssler
Boulez is the best, and I still don't understand why some folks -fervent Mahlerians, no less- hate his performances so much. To me, he has a clear ear. Rather than seeing his performance of this symphony as "fake", I see a performance that is, well, Mahlerian. NOT like Bernstein at all, mind you, but not the glass wall that some feel Boulez holds in front of the score.
As for Haitink, it is nearly as good, but the Orchestral sound doesn't satisfy me. The Gielen is recently acquired.

Symphony No.10/Rattle/EMI
A hard symphony to listen to. I till haven't made it through mvt 1-5 yet.

[hectorberlioz]

I bought a two-disc collection of Sutherland, I've yet to listen through it, but I expect some spectacular vocals in the italian pieces.

[Tessar]

BLECH! Southerland?

BOOO!!!

Boooo, I say!



I tease, of course . I hope you enjoy it.

[hectorberlioz]

*whaps Tessar on the head*
Quiet, you louse.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

Imperial March anyone? John Philip Souza? Don't they qualify as classic?

I actually have about 40 Sousa Marches now...plus another 40 by various other Band composers.

My personal favorites are Henry Fillmore's "The Footlifter", Roland Forrest Seitz's "March Grandioso", and Richard Rodgers "Guadalcanal March".
Try 'em out.

[Mercutio]

Hi all.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Mercutio

Hi all.

*gasp* A post that isnt by me! Wow. Raaaarrre.

[Tessar]

I post sometimes.

In fact, I'll post right now:


I wuz listinin' to Joan South-lands 'tuther day, an' I hurd she's classufied as a Dramaytic Supranuh.

Huh. More laik Dramaytic AYMUTURE! Hyuck, hyuck!




But speaking of sopranos, I repeat again that if you haven't listened to Philippe Jaroussky, you should check him out. I really dig his voice, and personally prefer it to Andreas Scholl and David Daniels, although I can see why other people tend to prefer them to Jaroussky.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Tessar

I post sometimes.

In fact, I'll post right now:


I wuz listinin' to Joan South-lands 'tuther day, an' I hurd she's classufied as a Dramaytic Supranuh.

Huh. More laik Dramaytic AYMUTURE! Hyuck, hyuck!




But speaking of sopranos, I repeat again that if you haven't listened to Philippe Jaroussky, you should check him out. I really dig his voice, and personally prefer it to Andreas Scholl and David Daniels, although I can see why other people tend to prefer them to Jaroussky.

aHAAhahaHAA!!!

Here's a better post: Nobody can capture the Queen of the Night's aria quite like Lucia Popp. Listening to it now.

[hectorberlioz]

Hello, self.

I just got the first three Bruckner syms from Naxos-

Self: You think I don't know this?

ok, nevermmind then. Sheesh.

[Tessar]

I youtubed Bruckner and I really like what I've heard--I listened to movements from his second and eighth symphonies and some other pieces that I can't recall the names of. Quite good stuff!

Two things I've been keen to get my hands on lately are Richard Strauss's 'Ariadne auf Naxos', followed closely by Maurice Ravel's Valse Nobles. Oh, and thirdly that Berlioz cycle of art songs you turned me on to... I'm leaning towards the one sung by Susan Ghram, as I'm rather a fan of her and she has such a lovely, warm tone.

I just need to get myself a new job before I can go buying all of the music I want . Dratted college courses being all scattered about so that I can't get solid working-blocks of time. *sigh*