What Are You Listening To?

[Ruby]

Keith Emerson's "Piano Concerto No 1". I've been listening to it fairly regularly lately, and finding it quite uplifting. It 'works' for me despite some controversy over whether or not it's actually any good. Depends who's listening IMHO!

[video=youtube;0IIKrbVy4w8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IIKrbVy4w8[/video]

[jazzboCR]

Keith Emerson's "Piano Concerto No 1". I've been listening to it fairly regularly lately, and finding it quite uplifting. It 'works' for me despite some controversy over whether or not it's actually any good. Depends who's listening IMHO!

I quite liked it. Thanks for sharing. In an odd way it reminded me of Gabriel Faure--not in the particulars of the music, but in the difficulty of being accepted as "real" music as compared with being just a bunch of musical sketches strung together. "Pretty" music always faces an uphill struggle. If I'm mistaken, please correct me gently; I admit to lack of knowledge in this area.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Faur%C3%A9

[CRAZY-HORSE]

i just "dont get" classical music at all...maybe one day i will.

i own a little bit of classical, mainly(but not exclusively) McCartney's classical sets from the '90s/00's and i just dont like them...well,i like bits and pieces
of the symphonies, but most of it bores me,
like i said...maybe,just maybe, one day.....

[Ruby]

I think it’s just the same as with any other music – you develop preferences for certain composers/pieces - just need to find something that speaks to you – if you are so inclined. Unless you are accustomed to it, it takes ear tuning and patience because generally speaking the pieces are longer and don’t follow the four minute formula, which is apparently optimal for our attention spans!

Some of the ‘crossover’ prog composers appeal to me because they are less formal, less constrained by the dictates of what does or does not constitute the conservative/conventional idea of a symphony, or concerto, or whatever it is they choose to name it. Some of the Latin composers appeal to me also – there seems to be an extra dimension in their stuff – hotter blood, maybe.

In my understanding of classical music, you don’t go adding your own touches, except in how you execute what you are doing – what I mean is, some musicians can nuance and finesse a piece and make it their own while following the score precisely – Jacqueline du Pré, the cellist, being a case in point. It’s a mastery of the instrument and an ability to ‘speak’ with it in a unique voice (which might be stating the obvious! Lol!) Anyway – that is what I like to hear.

I listen when I want a break from babble, but actually, attending a live performance by an orchestra or a concert pianist is much more satisfying IMHO. The same goes for opera. I love to go, but don’t listen to it much otherwise. The acoustics and the atmosphere are usually fantastic in good concert halls/theatres and it’s a more complete experience.

[Ruby]

It's the anniversary of Yehudi Menuhin's death which I discovered while posting on MH's 'Died on this day' thread. I've put this here as it seems to fit better, and he really was in a league of his own. His contract with EMI lasted for 70 years and holds the record in the industry for that (pun intended)! One of the most brilliant violinists/conductors of our times, he was also a very humble man, and a philanthropic one. He found it difficult to venture out of his 'classical' confines, but he actually DID - he played with Ravi Shankar, after plucking up 15 years worth of improvisational courage, and the great jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli, amongst others. I am so amazed at the discipline exhibited in this clip - he had to have been physically very strong as well as being absolutely focused.

[video=youtube;pvZeHHER4tg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvZeHHER4tg[/video]

[kate]

C-H, in November 2013, after about 18 months of near exclusive listening to the Dead, I began to explore alternative music that would yield a comparable degree of the profound satisfaction I achieved by listening to their complex, nuanced sound. Recollecting the words of a former Lit prof, who averred that Shakespeare and Classical music are largely wasted on anyone under 30, I opened a door to the latter; and, if the Dead's prodigious live catalogue represents an ocean of possibilities, then the gamut of Classical interpretation is a veritable cosmos of listening alternatives.

But, of course, the whole point is mute if the art doesn't strike a personal chord. Heck, I dislike country-western, polka, hip-hop, disco, and electronic dance music, though each has a considerable and passionate following despite my apparently insignificant disregard.

Anyway, what I did was to sample madly, including utube, amazon, and itunz, which quickly revealed my affinity for Romantic Classical and the pleasant discovery that we live in a magnificent era for the rapid accumulation of heralded performances via box sets that have otherwise taken veteran collectors years or decades to acquire, and at relatively low prices that now make me wince when spending so much more for less in other genres (that is, in terms of timed music).

I could write a short story on this recent journey of discovery, but let it suffice to say that, should you have questions, just ask! And if Classical is to you what Kanye is to me, then c'est la vie!

Back to the thread at hand: I'm hesitant to admit that my progress through the Toscanini Complete RCA recordings has been slow...largely due to an underwhelmed personal reaction. In a way, however, this might not be surprising given my absolute adoration of Furtwangler and the fact that he and Tosca inhabit markedly different points on the spectrum of musical interpretation: While WF conducts impressionistic pieces to seemingly dizzying heights, AT's pedantic penchant for perfectionism (bonus points for alliteration!) is firmly grounded in earthbound brick and mortar productions.

Even so, I enjoyed his conduction of Puccini's La Boheme immensely (today's listening), as his regimented execution from the podium is well fitted to the often rapid pace of music and conversational interaction between operatic performers - especially during Act I. Oh, and a final note C-H: Ruby's suggestion of a live orchestral performance in order to fully appreciate the complexity and grandeur of Classical music is a good one! And, like the commercial releases, ticket prices are often a pleasant surprise to those accustomed to paying much more for popular acts in other genres./peace, K

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[Jerome]

Hadyn - Symphonies 77 and 76 - don't know a thing about classical music but I liked it. A lot.

[Jerome]

Keith Emerson's "Piano Concerto No 1". I've been listening to it fairly regularly lately, and finding it quite uplifting. It 'works' for me despite some controversy over whether or not it's actually any good. Depends who's listening IMHO!

[video=youtube;0IIKrbVy4w8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IIKrbVy4w8[/video]

The whole Works album just works. Fantastic production. If I remember correctly Melody Maker rated it album of the year in 1977 - might be wrong though.

[jazzboCR]

Hadyn - Symphonies 77 and 76 - don't know a thing about classical music but I liked it. A lot.

Here's more on this supremely gifted and important figure Franz Joseph (includes names of pieces and click-throughs to reviews): http://www.classicalcdguide.com/composers/haydn.htm << Haydn--go seek.

[Ruby]

The whole Works album just works. Fantastic production. If I remember correctly Melody Maker rated it album of the year in 1977 - might be wrong though.

Yes, although I have to say, while I do admire Carl Palmer greatly, his ‘side’ works least for me – not sure it’s the best showcase for him – the chosen tracks are not as impactful or as clear as they might be and it seems a bit muddly, IMHO! Maybe I should listen to that side again, tend to skip over it. The other three sides are great.

It’s a less than cohesive whole, I feel, but that was never the point; there is definitely something to enjoy from all perspectives.