Bruckner String Quintet in F major, WAB 112
performed by the Fine Arts Quartet and Gil Sharon. People (rightly) think of Bruckner as a craftsman, a constructor of enormous, highly-developed, colossal symphonies, and there’s a reason for that. As we saw this week (with the exception of his study symphony, a … Continue reading Bruckner String Quintet in F major, WAB 112
Bruckner Symphony no. 2 in Cm, WAB 102
performed by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken under Stanisław Skrowaczewski Those names. The effect of its breadth and grandeur has remained with me ever since. -Robert Simpson (This article is tons longer than I thought it’d be.) So you may or may not … Continue reading Bruckner Symphony no. 2 in Cm, WAB 102
TSO’s Playful Music Adventure
Who doesn’t love chamber music? I’m not much for midweek concerts, because they usually involve first running home to care quickly for a dog, then rushing to a concert, then rushing home to get ready for work the next day, … Continue reading TSO’s Playful Music Adventure
Bruckner Study Symphony in Fm (no. 00)
performed by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken under Stanislaw Skrowaczewski That’s a mouthful, but it’s likely who I’ll feature in the rest of my Bruckner symphony articles. I’ll get to why on Thursday. For now, this. … much about the work betrays the style … Continue reading Bruckner Study Symphony in Fm (no. 00)
NSO’s Dual Faces of Jörg Widmann
We’re coming up to the end of the year. I can count down on one hand now how many NSO concerts there are left, only three after this before the end of the season, which is sad, but it’s exciting … Continue reading NSO’s Dual Faces of Jörg Widmann
Schumann String Quartet in A minor, Op. 41 no. 1
performed by the Fine Arts Quartet I’ll be referring to this article on AllMusic by Blair Johnston throughout my little discussion below. I didn’t really know much about the work, and hadn’t learned much about it from anywhere else, but that is … Continue reading Schumann String Quartet in A minor, Op. 41 no. 1
Mendelssohn String Quartet in E-flat, (posth.)
performed by the Talich quartet To be clear, this is not Mendelssohn’s String Quartet no. 1 (which is confusingly also in E-flat major) but it is his first string quartet. This one was written in 1823, but not published until 1879. At the time of writing, the fourteen-year … Continue reading Mendelssohn String Quartet in E-flat, (posth.)
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 1 in Cm, Op. 11,
performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Claudio Abbado So while the first three string symphonies this week might not have been riveting, life-changing works, or really anything I’d put on more than background music of some kind, they are … Continue reading Mendelssohn Symphony No. 1 in Cm, Op. 11,
Mendelssohn String Symphony no. 3 in E minor
performed by the Amsterdam Sinfonietta under Lev Markiz, or below by the Northern Chamber Orchestra under Nicholas Ward Here we are at our third and final string symphony for the week, digging into early Mendelssohn stuff. Number three is the … Continue reading Mendelssohn String Symphony no. 3 in E minor
Mendelssohn String Symphony no. 2 in D major
performed by the Amsterdam Sinfonietta under Lev Markiz, or below by the Northern Chamber Orchestra under Nicholas Ward So here’s the second of these dozen little symphonies. I won’t have a ton to say about them, I don’t think, but … Continue reading Mendelssohn String Symphony no. 2 in D major
Mendelssohn String Symphony No. 1 in C major
performed by the Amsterdam Sinfonietta under Lev Markiz, or below by the Northern Chamber Orchestra under Nicholas Ward I’d originally intended to do two of Mendy’s actual numbered symphonies this week, and then put on the breaks when I realized they … Continue reading Mendelssohn String Symphony No. 1 in C major
Influential People: Felix Mendelssohn
aka Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy “Musical prodigies … are probably no longer so rare; but what this little man can do in extemporizing and playing at sight borders the miraculous, and I could not have believed it possible at so early … Continue reading Influential People: Felix Mendelssohn
Podcast: Haydn Seek, pt. 1
featuring Mike McCaffrey Listen here or in iTunes I started this podcast to hear and share stories and expertise, people’s unique musical experiences, be it a long-time career and tidbits from it, or a more specific story to share. But … Continue reading Podcast: Haydn Seek, pt. 1
Bach Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat, BWV 1010
performed by Steven Isserlis, or below by Rostropovich (Is it sacrilege to say I don’t like M-Rost’s Bach? As I have discussed below, I have gotten very attached and used to Isserlis’ readings of these works, as new a recording … Continue reading Bach Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat, BWV 1010
NSO’s Two Great Seconds
Could it, should it, be the job of every conductor and every orchestra with every concert to convince their audience that the piece being performed is the greatest symphony or concerto or whatever ever written? I’d say perhaps so. And … Continue reading NSO’s Two Great Seconds
Schubert Symphony no. 5 in B-flat, D. 485
performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under Claudio Abbado (That’s the first movement. Here are the second and third/fourth.) “O Mozart! immortal Mozart! what countless impressions of a brighter, better life hast thou stamped upon our souls!” Schubert’s diary entry … Continue reading Schubert Symphony no. 5 in B-flat, D. 485
Influential People: Franz Schubert
Truly in Schubert there is the divine spark. Ludwig van Beethoven His influence is interesting, and we’re not really going to be discussing his influence as much as his potential influence, or something. This article that I scanned quickly asks … Continue reading Influential People: Franz Schubert
Schubert String Quartet no. 4 in C, D. 46
performed by the Melos Quartet There don’t seem to be any portraits of the Young Franz, at least not that I could dig up in a lazy search. Let’s listen. “Wait… isn’t this in C major?” It’s the darkest C … Continue reading Schubert String Quartet no. 4 in C, D. 46
Schubert String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat, D 36
performed by the Melos quartet So, like the early days with Haydn, we’re still in an early phase of Schubert’s quartet writing. Schubert never lived to be the age Haydn was when he wrote his op. 20 quartets, where we … Continue reading Schubert String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat, D 36
Kun Woo Paik and Friends
I feel bad for being a bit lazy with writing a concert review, but to be honest, I’m being a bit concert-ed out. There’s another one tomorrow that I was debating whether to go to, since I have quite a … Continue reading Kun Woo Paik and Friends
Beethoven Symphony No. 4 in B-flat, Op. 60
performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Rene Leibowitz (see below for more information on recordings) “a slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants” Robert Schumann of Beethoven’s fourth symphony I don’t know that I’d call her that, but she’s certainly … Continue reading Beethoven Symphony No. 4 in B-flat, Op. 60
Fugue for Thought 