Hindemith String Quartet no. 1 in C, op. 2
performed by the Amar Quartet, or below by the Danish String Quartet (cover image by Annie Sprat) Paul Hindemith’s first string quartet wasn’t recognized as such until recently. In Stephen Luttman’s book Paul Hindemith: a Guide to Research, he makes a … Continue reading Hindemith String Quartet no. 1 in C, op. 2
Grieg Violin Sonata no. 3 in Cm, op. 45
performed by Augustin Dumay and Maria João Pires, or below by Julia Fischer and Milana Chernyavska (cover image by Ravi Roshan) Today we discuss the first (and I think only) work of this little stretch of sonatas that isn’t a “no. 1” … Continue reading Grieg Violin Sonata no. 3 in Cm, op. 45
Grieg Cello Sonata in A minor, op. 36
performed by Steven Isserlis and Stephen Hough, or below by Natalia Gutman and Viacheslav Poprugin I am both spiritually and bodily unwell and decide every other day not to compose another note, because I satisfy myself less and less. Grieg, … Continue reading Grieg Cello Sonata in A minor, op. 36
Grieg String Quartet no. 1 in Gm, op. 27
performed by the Vertavo Quartet, or below by the Copenhagen Quartet I have recently finished a string quartet which I still haven’t heard. It is in G minor and is not intended to bring trivialities to market. It strives towards … Continue reading Grieg String Quartet no. 1 in Gm, op. 27
Brahms Violin Sonata No. 1 in G, Op. 78, ‘Regensonate’
performed by Pinchas Zukerman & Daniel Barenboim (cover image by Ian Baldwin) Maybe I shouldn’t be discussing the first sonata before I address the violin concerto. The op. 78 sonata is only Brahms’ second work for the violin as a solo … Continue reading Brahms Violin Sonata No. 1 in G, Op. 78, ‘Regensonate’
Brahms Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, op. 38
performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Rudolf Serkin, or below with Jacqueline du Pré and Barenboim (The work is officially titled ‘Sonate für Klavier und Violoncello‘; we will discuss this shortly.) (cover image by Miguel Mateo) Brahms completed his first sonata … Continue reading Brahms Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, op. 38
Brahms Piano Trio no. 1 in B major, Op. 8
performed by Tamás Vásáry, Thomas Brandis and Ottomar Borwitzky, or below by Suk, Starker, and Katchen (cover image by Juja Han) Play this work while you’re reading, if you can, at least the first movement. Brahms was a prodigy for sure. … Continue reading Brahms Piano Trio no. 1 in B major, Op. 8
Beethoven Variations in E-flat piano trio, op. 44
performed by Trio Wanderer, or below by the Castle Trio, on period instruments (cover image by Martin Oslic) More Beethoven! Today’s work acts as sort of an introduction to what we’ll be doing in the month of August, similar to … Continue reading Beethoven Variations in E-flat piano trio, op. 44
TSO’s Der Mond
The TSO continues their presentation of Carl Orff’s operatic works, which began with last year’s performance of Die Kluge in their old stomping grounds the Zhong Shan Hall. That was the primary reason I didn’t go… But tonight we got Der Mond, a … Continue reading TSO’s Der Mond
A Month of Opera in Review
(cover image by Ian Baldwin) I started this (last) month’s series by talking about how difficult it was for me to appreciate and discover opera the way I listen to music (headphones, no visuals, no subtitles, etc.), but I discovered … Continue reading A Month of Opera in Review
Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress
performed by Anne Sophie Von Otter, Ian Bostridge, Deborah York, Bryn Terfel, et al., the London Symphony Orchestra, and Monteverdi Choir under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, or below in this recording led by Kent Nagano For idle hearts and hands and … Continue reading Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress
Shostakovich String Quartet No. 3 in F major, op. 73
performed by the Emerson String Quartet, or below by the Borodin Quartet Although this is only the third of the composer’s fifteen completed string quartets, it’s not an early work by any means. In fact, it comes after the composer’s ninth symphony, op. 70, … Continue reading Shostakovich String Quartet No. 3 in F major, op. 73
Shostakovich: The Nose
performed by the “Soloists, Chorus & Orchestra Of The Moscow Chamber Theatre” and the Leningrad Philharmonic under Gennady Rozhdestvensky, or below (in English) by the Royal Opera conducted by Ingo Metzmacher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoC21I9YDz8 The Nose loses all meaning if it is seen just as … Continue reading Shostakovich: The Nose
Bartók String Quartet no. 3
performed by the Emerson Quartet, or below by the Takács Quartet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXQ2-uD_4LU Bartók’s third string quartet was written in Budapest in 1927, putting it just after the first piano concerto in his output. Remember, despite the low numbers, these are … Continue reading Bartók String Quartet no. 3
A Million Musical Words
1,000,000 is a lot of almost anything. 1 million seconds is about 11 and a half days. 1 million days is more than 2,737 years. You could log 1 million miles (ish) by circling the earth about 40 times, or … Continue reading A Million Musical Words
Berg: Lyric Suite
Performed by the Quatuor Diotima and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, or below by the Juilliard Quartet (without vocalist) If I haven’t already mentioned it, and I’m pretty sure I have, the works of Alban Berg might for many be the way into … Continue reading Berg: Lyric Suite
NSO’s Il Trittico
performed by Taiwan’s 國家交響樂團 a.k.a. National Symphony Orchestra a.k.a. Taiwan Philharmonic, or below in a trailer for the work from The Royal Opera This is a concert (opera) review, and less so a discussion of the opera itself, but I’m … Continue reading NSO’s Il Trittico
Berg: Wozzeck, op. 7
performed by the Vienna Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado and all the people in this recording (Act 1 with subtitles below, Abbado and the Vienna State Opera) Still, alles still, als wär’ die Welt tot (Still, all is still, as if the … Continue reading Berg: Wozzeck, op. 7
Revisit: Webern’s 5 Sätze für Streichquartett, op. 5
performed by the Quatuor Diotima, or below by the Juilliard Quartet playlist for the entire work here Qualifying Statements This is another revisit article, and one I’ve been meaning to rewrite for a long time. My previous articles on works … Continue reading Revisit: Webern’s 5 Sätze für Streichquartett, op. 5
Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle
performed by Jessye Norman, László Polgár and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Boulez, or below by Anne Sofie von Otter, John Tomlinson and the Berlin Philharmonic under Bernard Haitink (There’s also an English version with Gwynne Howell, Sally Burgess and … Continue reading Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle
Schoenberg: Erwartung, op. 17
performed by Janis Martin and the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Boulez, or by the astoundingly talented Jessye Norman at the Metropolitan Opera under James Levine (the only one I can find with subtitles), or in a higher-quality video below featuring … Continue reading Schoenberg: Erwartung, op. 17
Fugue for Thought 