Haydn Symphony no. 20 in C (H. I/20)
performed by the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra under Adam Fischer, or below by the Philharmonia Hungarica under Antal Dorati Haydn symphonies, man. There’s a ton of them. I feel bad-ish for burning through them in quick stretches like this, but if … Continue reading Haydn Symphony no. 20 in C (H. I/20)
Bach Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009
performed by Steven Isserlis, or in a nice (if not slightly resonant) performance below by Jean-Guihen Queyras (cover image from here, photographed by Alex Markovich) Back to Bach. Also, it’s May now, so hop down below to see what that means for … Continue reading Bach Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009
TSO’s Gershwin, Relax!
led by the incredible Wayne Marshall Nights like tonight are a testament to the importance of an inspiring leader. It’s not terribly often one walks into a concert with a program of works all by one composer, but that is, as the … Continue reading TSO’s Gershwin, Relax!
SQS: Haydn String quartets 17-22, op. 17
performed by the Buchberger Quartet, or per the below links We’re just burning through the early Haydn quartets! (Maybe he should have, too! I kid, really.) The opus 17 quartets are as follows: Quartet No. 17 in F major, Op. … Continue reading SQS: Haydn String quartets 17-22, op. 17
NSO’s Shostakovich: His Humor and Seriousness
A concert review. What a fantastic program. Also, I think I’m going to stop including “concert review” in the titles of my concert reviews. Isn’t it obvious? Should be. Just added that first line there. The titles get too long … Continue reading NSO’s Shostakovich: His Humor and Seriousness
Schoenberg Piano Concerto, op. 42
performed by Mitsuko Uchida and the Cleveland orchestra under Pierre Boulez Finally! It’s here. I’ve been eager to write this article now for years. It was a strange experience I had with this work, as I was describing to someone the … Continue reading Schoenberg Piano Concerto, op. 42
Schoenberg: Sechs Kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19
performed by Maurizio Pollini (live performance below) I said to Webern: for my music you must have time. It does not suit people who have other things to do. But it is in any case a great pleasure to hear … Continue reading Schoenberg: Sechs Kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19
Podcast: His Cup Runneth Over, Pt. 2
featuring pianist Clipper Erickson Listen here or search for us in iTunes In my previous conversation with Mr. Erickson, we focused almost exclusively on the music of R. Nathaniel Dett, whose music Erickson recorded and released last year to great … Continue reading Podcast: His Cup Runneth Over, Pt. 2
Concert Review: Alexander Rudin plays Bach
All six of them. These pieces have been interjecting themselves into my life lately. When I started the String Quartet Series back in February, I decided to start with Bach because it’d been two and a half years on the blog and … Continue reading Concert Review: Alexander Rudin plays Bach
Schoenberg String Quartet no. 1, op. 7
performed by the New Vienna String Quartet (above is the first ‘movement’; the entire work is available from this playlist) I have conducted the most difficult scores of Wagner; I have written complicated music myself in scores of up to … Continue reading Schoenberg String Quartet no. 1, op. 7
Concert review: TSO’s Demons and Miracles
With Sergej Krylov and Roberto Abbado Speechless. Back at 中山堂 for another Taipei Symphony concert. While it’s a pretty venue, it’s not how a concert hall looks but how it sounds that matters, and in the latter regard, the Taipei Symphony more than deserves a … Continue reading Concert review: TSO’s Demons and Miracles
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83
performed by Maurizio Pollini and the Vienna Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado I find Brahms so intimidating to talk about (if you haven’t already noticed). Like I mentioned in Tuesday’s post about the piano sonata, there’s always so much going on, … Continue reading Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83
Concert Review: 張昊晨 Piano Recital
April has been and will continue to be a busy month for concerts, as will May. It is due in part to last-minute concerts I heard about and didn’t want to miss. Last weekend’s chamber concert of Spohr and Brahms was … Continue reading Concert Review: 張昊晨 Piano Recital
Brahms Piano Sonata No. 2 in F#m, Op. 2
performed by Krystian Zimerman movement 1 below; the rest of the piece in the playlist here Zimerman is back because he’s amazing. Ditto for Brahms. Last time we saw Brahms (well, before his sextet on Sunday) was last summer. How … Continue reading Brahms Piano Sonata No. 2 in F#m, Op. 2
SQS: Brahms String Sextet no. 1 in B flat, op 18
performed by the Amadeus Quartet, Cecil Aronowitz & William Pleeth, or a stunning performance below from the Israeli Chamber Project Brahms’ chamber music is something special. I say that not being very familiar with it, really, but being far more eager … Continue reading SQS: Brahms String Sextet no. 1 in B flat, op 18
Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf String Quartet no. 1 in D
performed by the Kubín Quartet This work, unlike many of the quartets from Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert (and Haydn) that we’ve discussed so far, while still bearing a ‘no. 1’ moniker, is not a first attempt, nor is it a youthful work. … Continue reading Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf String Quartet no. 1 in D
Concert Review: NSO’s The Principals
The nonet. And Louis Spohr. What do they have in common? They both seem to be rarely if ever heard these days. An older gentleman who I see at (literally) every concert I attend waved to me excitedly during the intermission, shuffling … Continue reading Concert Review: NSO’s The Principals
Chopin: Ballade no. 3 in A flat, op. 47
(also) performed by Krystian Zimerman Tuesday we talked about the second ballade, and as discussed, various people associate the same poem as the inspiration for either one of these works. No. 3 was completed a few years later, in 1841, … Continue reading Chopin: Ballade no. 3 in A flat, op. 47
Chopin: Ballade no. 2 in F, op. 38
performed by Krystian Zimerman (the above video is an excellent performance, but from at least a few decades ago, as the pianist’s coiffure will attest, but the specific performance by Zimerman is from the Chopin Complete Edition, where it is taken at a … Continue reading Chopin: Ballade no. 2 in F, op. 38
Concert Review: 師大音樂學系交響樂團- Espansiva
It was an ambitious program, one that convinced me to go see them. I’ve been to every one of their concerts over the past few years. They’ve played things like Rachmaninoff’s second symphony, Brahms’ second, Tchaikovsky’s second piano concerto, and … Continue reading Concert Review: 師大音樂學系交響樂團- Espansiva
Podcast: A Viola Player Speaks, Pt. 2
with Jess Wyatt of A Viola Player Writes You can listen to the episode here or in iTunes. Find the article for and links to part one here. Also, go subscribe in iTunes or through PodBean, where you can also find previous … Continue reading Podcast: A Viola Player Speaks, Pt. 2
Fugue for Thought 