Schubert String Quartet no. 2 in C, D. 32
performed by the Melos Quartet, or below (which I believe is the exact same recording, though uncredited and un-movement-ed) I’m not sure what to make of this work. I’ve found very little about it online, often referred to as a … Continue reading Schubert String Quartet no. 2 in C, D. 32
Concert Review: NSO’s Blast of Spring
I love the French horn. But it has to be one of the most difficult, unreliable, wobbly instruments in the ensemble. In most (rare-ish) cases of a missed entry or high note, a ‘whoops’ of loss of tone or control, the … Continue reading Concert Review: NSO’s Blast of Spring
Schubert String Quartet no. 1, D. 18
performed by the Melos Quartet This quartet is listed in some places as being in “various” or mixed keys. The Kalmus Study Score that I rented from the library (volume one of three) lists it as C minor. In any … Continue reading Schubert String Quartet no. 1, D. 18
Schubert Piano Sonata no. 4 in C, D. 537
performed by Mitsuko Uchida We’ll get around to the other incomplete sonatas and stuff later, but for now, we feature the first piano work of his that really blew me away, and the earliest completed sonata. I was fascinated with his Wanderer … Continue reading Schubert Piano Sonata no. 4 in C, D. 537
Schubert Piano Sonata in E, D. 157
performed by Wilhelm Kempff If, as Messiaen stated and many others might agree, Mozart is ‘an extraordinary rhythmician,’ one of the most talented and gifted rhythmic composers, then Schubert must be one of the most lyrical. With Mozart’s first string quartet from a … Continue reading Schubert Piano Sonata in E, D. 157
Mozart Symphony no. 13 in F, K. 112
performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner, or below by The Academy of Ancient Music under Christopher Hogwood (what’s with the academies?) So it’s been some time since we got around to a Mozart … Continue reading Mozart Symphony no. 13 in F, K. 112
W. A. Mozart String Quartet no. 1 in G, K. 80
performed by the Amadeus Quartet This first string quartet effort, when the composer was only fourteen years old, has charm and interest in spades compared to the first efforts of Papa Haydn. While I’m sure his divertimenti served their intended … Continue reading W. A. Mozart String Quartet no. 1 in G, K. 80
Beethoven String Quartet no. 1 in F, op. 18, no. 1
performed by the Artemis quartet, or below by in a fantastic performance by the Ariel Quartet And here we are at Beethoven’s first quartets. Like Haydn’s op. 1 and others after, Beethoven’s no. 18 is a collection of six quartets, published … Continue reading Beethoven String Quartet no. 1 in F, op. 18, no. 1
Concert Review: TSO’s Dadaocheng at Dawn
Something political. I went to a concert last night with the recently elected president of Taiwan. Or we happened to be in the same building. I got to the concert hall (中山堂, not the National Concert Hall) later than I … Continue reading Concert Review: TSO’s Dadaocheng at Dawn
Podcast: His Cup Runneth Over, part 1
(…with lots of captivating recording projects) featuring pianist Clipper Erickson. Listen here or find us in iTunes. Kickstarter is such an amazing idea. Richard Narroway, with whom I chatted a month or so ago, used it for his recording/tour project with … Continue reading Podcast: His Cup Runneth Over, part 1
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 in Cm, Op. 37
performed by Maurizio Pollini and the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado, or the same pianist with the Vienna Philharmonic under Karl Böhm I saw almost nothing but empty pages; at the most, on one page or another a few Egyptian … Continue reading Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 in Cm, Op. 37
Beethoven Piano Sonata no. 4 in Eb, op. 7
performed by Maurizio Pollini, or below by Richard Goode Also, required (or at least very enjoyable, informative) watching (actually listening) is Andras Schiff’s lecture about the piece from Wigmore Hall below: Dating from 1796, Beethoven’s second-longest piano sonata, the Grand Sonata, … Continue reading Beethoven Piano Sonata no. 4 in Eb, op. 7
Beethoven Sonata for piano, 4 hands, in D, op. 6
performed by Jörg Demus and Norman Shetler, or below by Lucia Tiovis and Andrei Roth Piano four-hands. That’s different than two pianos, obviously, which is why it’s nice to watch the above video of two people sitting at the piano and working … Continue reading Beethoven Sonata for piano, 4 hands, in D, op. 6
Concert Review: NSO’s Musical Philosophy
I’m not entirely sure what it was about these three pieces that tie them together under that title, even before hearing the first piece on the program. Some things, though, never change, and that’s so comforting. 19:30 pm, the chatter from … Continue reading Concert Review: NSO’s Musical Philosophy
SQS: Haydn String Quartets #12-16, op. 9
performed by the Buchberger Quartet The opus 9 quartets, with links to performances of the works (not by Buchberger), are as follows: Quartet No. 11 in D minor, Op. 9, No. 4, FHE No. 16, Hoboken No. III:22 Quartet No. … Continue reading SQS: Haydn String Quartets #12-16, op. 9
SQS: Haydn String Quartet no. 11, op. 9, no. 4 in Dm
performed by the Buchberger Quartet, or below by the Festetics Quartet The first string quartet (of all, but especially) of Haydn’s that we shall sink our teeth into for this series is his number 11, the fourth of his opus nine … Continue reading SQS: Haydn String Quartet no. 11, op. 9, no. 4 in Dm
Babbitt String Quartet no. 3
performed (in the only existing recording I am aware of) by the Fine Arts quartet, the dedicatee of the work As with any relatively intricate composition, further rehearings or — more realistically— further recalling should lead the listener from those local coherences … Continue reading Babbitt String Quartet no. 3
Pierre Boulez: Livre pour Quatuor (1962)
performed by the Quatuor Parisii from the DG box set the Livre pour Quatuor, from its history as well as its overall economy, does not appear as a bloc but, in reference to Mallarmé’s Livre, like a series of detachable pages that … Continue reading Pierre Boulez: Livre pour Quatuor (1962)
Influential People: Pierre Boulez
(title image located here, from the Dutch National Archive) In this video of Mitsuko Uchida speaking about Schoenberg’s piano concerto, she mentions how Debussy and Schoenberg approached their rebellion against tonality in different ways. She says (I’m paraphrasing; just go watch … Continue reading Influential People: Pierre Boulez
Concert Review: TSO’s ‘Light and Shadow from South America’
He may be small, but he’s got something. my fellow concertgoer for the evening, watching the guitarist in a pre-concert lecture Sometimes (more often than not), I go to a concert because I see something on the program I like … Continue reading Concert Review: TSO’s ‘Light and Shadow from South America’
Podcast: A Viola Player Speaks, Part 1
with Jess Wyatt of A Viola Player Writes. Listen to the episode in iTunes or via Podbean. This is Jess’s Facebook page. Jess Wyatt was another of my early guest interviewees who I burdened with writing out answers to my ignorant amateur questions … Continue reading Podcast: A Viola Player Speaks, Part 1
Fugue for Thought 