Classical Music

[Mercutio]

Anyone familiar with Boismortier? I'm doing a trio sonata (originally for drei flöten) with a violin and flute tomorrow at our school Christmas concert. (me on oboe). His 6 trio sonatas in this group are quite pleasant and quite simple (we've barely practiced the one we're doing).

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by Mercutio

Anyone familiar with Boismortier? I'm doing a trio sonata (originally for drei flöten) with a violin and flute tomorrow at our school Christmas concert. (me on oboe). His 6 trio sonatas in this group are quite pleasant and quite simple (we've barely practiced the one we're doing).

Nope. Never herad about him.

[Mercutio]

Neither had I until my teacher reccommended the trios!

How about W. F. Bach's flute duets? Those are really pretty.

or Marcello oboe concerto? I'm doing that for all-state tryouts this saturday

[Ragnarok]

Originally Posted by Silme*Christian

Heavy mettal, punk, rock 'n role, all of those must DIE!!!

Hey man can't we all just get a long

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by Mercutio

or Marcello oboe concerto? I'm doing that for all-state tryouts this saturday

How did you did?

BTW, I'm a complete ignorant about flute or oboe music.

[Mercutio]

first chair in senior band and orchestra!

[Khamûl]

Congratulations! I was an all-state trumpet player in high school.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Khamûl

I've fallen in love with Mozart's Queen of the Night Aria from The Magic Flute. Those vocal gymnastics are amazing.

Tell me about it! I once listened to just that aria about a thousand times in one night. You are of course speaking of her major aria (only aria?) in the second act? Well her first act aria ia nearly as good! I have Otto Klemperer's recording of the Magic flute, with Lucia Popp sing the Queen of the Night role. I've never heard it better, and I dont find it wanting

Speaking of Klemperer, I have his version of Mahler's second. My first impression was that it was like the First and Eighth...a second hearing was necessary for me to enjoy it. Of course a second hearing was necessary for every work of Mahler's that I have. I also now own the eighth, conducted by Riccardo Chailly (strange, I wanted the Robert Shaw version of Mahler, and the Chailly version of Janacek's Missa Glagolica. Now I have both, but with Shaw/Janacek and Mahler/chailly.)

Fat Middle...I am wanting to get a Brahms: The Symphonies set, what do you suggest?

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Mercutio

I absolutely love "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky/Ravel. It's so wonderful . Sigh. Oh and George Gershwin's stuff is really really cool.

I absolutely detest "Bolero" (by Ravel). It is so boring. I'm sick of that melody. Did ya know that Ravel himself called it "piece for orchestra without music." No kidding!

It was a dissapointing piece for me...I was expecting something rousing, like the 1812 overture. Two listens was too much for me..., and I was thinking, Ravel was the first to write music in the "minimalist" style (composers who write in that genre are John Adams, Steve Reich and Phillip Glass).

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by trolls' bane

Also, I heard Riggoletto in English a while back. Didn't undersand a word. May as well have stayed in Italian.

I know what you mean! But still, the music was rousing,eh? I especially love the fisrt scene of Act I. Btw, I have been unfortunate enough to have bought a Rigoletto without a libretto. Would one of you chaps tell me if it has an overture, or it that opening music is simply...part of scene one?

[hectorberlioz]

I forgot!
mendelssohn has now entered my list of the Ten Greats.
I have all his symphonies, his violin concerto, several overtures (Ah! the hebrides! Ah! Ruy Blas!) A midsummer nights dream, and four string quartets, all very wonderful stuff, especially the second symphony.


And, for Mercutio: get Berlioz's Romeo and Juliette symphony! It is absolutely the lovliest thing...and the Nuits d'Ete song cycle...ahhh

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Fat Middle...I am wanting to get a Brahms: The Symphonies set, what do you suggest?

Best First I've listen to is by Furtwangler (Hamburg recording 1952 IIRR). Fantastic.
Best Fourth is by Carlos Kleiber, and I've listen a lot of versions of this symphony. None like that.
I love also Second and Third and the Haydn Variations, but I haven't a definite prefference about them. I've got the Second by Barenboim and Third by Giulini. Very good, but... I listened once to the Third by Barenboim in the radio, and I liked it best that any of those two that I own

The Haydn Variations I usually listen to is by Furtwangler because it comes with the First.

I don't know about a Set. There are a lot of them, and probably very good. I suppose that anyone by a good orchestra should be a good option, but I wouldn't change the First and Fourth I've mentioned for any other version

[Mercutio]

Ok so I went to the Philadelphia Orchestra concert yesterday. I paid $8 (plus a $2 fee, what!) and got a "student understudy" ticket. You can buy from an hour before the concert up. They seat you wherever people have canceled or just not shown up. I ended up in a $100 seat surrounded by some old ladies on the ground level in the middle both back-to-front and side-to-side (it's sloped),and no one sat in front of me. It was probably one of the best seats in the whole hall.

Now for the concert: it was unusual because they had two soloists:

1. Philly Orch's own Richard Woodhams (oboe, took from John de Lancie who used to be principal oboist of the orch. from the 50s-70s and was one of the oboists in his time) who is also one of the oboists of today. He played the Strauss oboe concerto (which was sort of commissioned by the same John de Lancie). It's a really tough piece and he played it marvelously.
2. Emmanuel Ax, world famous pianist. He did Mozart's last piano concerto (I believe), great expression, amazing skill & control.

Also on the program was the overture to the Magic Flute and Strauss's Metamorphoses for 23 solo strings.

Only complaint: during the oboe concerto maestro Eschenbach seemed to ignore the soloist's soloist-ness...in better explanation he didn't give Woodhams enough free rein...he conducted too much...and at one point ignored the tempo Woodhams had taken and brought the orchestra back in too fast.

ah but wasn't it all wonderful

[Fat middle]

Wow! that sounds like a wonderfull experience. I'm sooo envious

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Fat middle

Best First I've listen to is by Furtwangler (Hamburg recording 1952 IIRR). Fantastic.
Best Fourth is by Carlos Kleiber, and I've listen a lot of versions of this symphony. None like that.
I love also Second and Third and the Haydn Variations, but I haven't a definite prefference about them. I've got the Second by Barenboim and Third by Giulini. Very good, but... I listened once to the Third by Barenboim in the radio, and I liked it best that any of those two that I own

The Haydn Variations I usually listen to is by Furtwangler because it comes with the First.

I don't know about a Set. There are a lot of them, and probably very good. I suppose that anyone by a good orchestra should be a good option, but I wouldn't change the First and Fourth I've mentioned for any other version

Wonderful, wonderful...its a good alternative to the Karajan set. I just had a funny feelinf that Karajan and Brahms just didn't fit...so I decided to stay away.
Btw, awhile ago I met this (jerk) girl in hastings. She was looking in the classical section more intently that anyone I had seen do before; so I asked her if she liked classical music. She said it was what she liked best (of music). I showed and told her about Berlioz and the symphonie fantastique. Apperantly she isnt very adventurous (she's a real snob)...apperantly all she listens to is Grieg (nothing wrong with Grieg...) and Sarah Brightman (YUCK!!!).


Also Merc,
what a wonderful evening it must have been! I'm looking around for a Strauss Horn concerto..., his Metamorphoses is quite a long piece (it seems long), and it took me a bit to get used to it.

btw, I'm looking into rare stuff now. The five symphonies by Brkanovic and the Requiem in C minor by Michael Haydn.

[hectorberlioz]

One of these days I'll have to remember to bring my article: The Ninth Symphony; along with me to show you guys what phrases I can turn

I also have a monumental Mozart/requiem article underway as well as ones on Mendelssohn (entitled mendelssohn: a restrained romantic) and Cherubini (I'm quite devoted that fellow...) and also an article entitled: What has happpened to the composer?; and: False and True Romantic composers.

[Mercutio]

Barely no time...anyway

all-state orchestra

conductor = wonderful
musicians = better than last year, pretty decent
repertoire = William Grant Still's Afro American Symphony (he was an oboist so I have tons of wonderful solos)
Orpheus in the Underworld (overture) by... Offenbach
Mozart Flute concerto #?
Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorgsky

I haven't had so much fun playing oboe in ages!!! I'll upload the cd to the web somewhere once I get it (our concert is saturday, we'll get the cd in a few months at most).

[hectorberlioz]

Alright...nominate your ten favorite adagios

From...

the Ninth by Beethoven
Ninth by Dvorak (really a Largo)
Ninth by Mahler
Fifth by Mahler
First by Mahler
Eighth by Dvorak
Twelfth S. Quartet by Dvorak
from V. Conc. by Mendelssohn
from V.Conc. by Elgar (recently aquired)
from Sym. Fantastique by Berlioz

[trolls' bane]

I got a few new CD's since my last post in this thread. I now have "25 Thunderous Classics," "25 Symphony Favorites," "25 Concerto Favorites," "Great Classical Marches," and the "Carmina Burana."

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

i now have the Il Divo album by Il Divo and it is excellent