Mozart Symphony no. 8 in D
Performed by the ASMF/Marriner Mozart Monday from a special location: Milton, GA (another M, for Mozart Monday in Milton) In this week’s MM, we find our family still in Vienna, even after they should have been back in Salzburg. It was finished in 1768. This somehow feels super polished and although simple, tightly written and more mature, especially the first movement. It is predominantly strings, with oboe and flute calling out between the action here and there in the Allegro. It has great motion and feeling, and I feel this has more dynamic expression than any of the precious pieces. … Continue reading Mozart Symphony no. 8 in D
Cyril Scott: Symphony No 1. In G
This article has been marked as in need of a revisit. That’s where I feel like I didn’t do the piece justice or have more to say (usually because I didn’t know it nearly well enough or didn’t have the right perspective). I’ll keep the original article for posterity, but publish a new version that will eventually be linked here for my new take on it. performed by the BBC Philharmonic under Martyn Brabbins in a world premiere recording I don’t remember exactly how I came across this gentleman, but I think it went something like this. I was looking … Continue reading Cyril Scott: Symphony No 1. In G
Arnold Bax: Symphony no 1.
This piece has been revisited, and an updated article has been written. Please read it here. I’ll keep the original article (below) for posterity, but I would suggest reading the new article instead. Performed by someone I listened to this probably four or five or six times. This one is in stark contrast to the other English symphony I have been listening to. This is clearly a war symphony. It’s a piece written just after World War I, finished in 1922, and it has the atmosphere to prove it. The multiple listens appear to have paid off, because in reviewing … Continue reading Arnold Bax: Symphony no 1.
Mozart symphony no 7 in D, K. 45
Completed in 1768 after the family’s return to Vienna after a vacation and escape from smallpox. Parts of it were later refashioned into an opera (La Finta Semplice) and another entire symphony (K. 46a, the link for which on Wikipedia redirects to the aforementioned opera, but apparently the one I listened to, as the first movement is marked “Overture”) This one was likely premiered at a private performance. It’s a short one, but the two bits I enjoyed most were the first and fourth movements. The andante in 2/4 and the minuetto/trio are just fine, but didn’t much capture my … Continue reading Mozart symphony no 7 in D, K. 45
Concert Review: Valentina Lisitsa in Taipei
I am working on kind of a two-part post I started last week. Been through a few listenings of each work, and am preparing more thoughts, but there is something else to share firstly. I was thrilled to buy tickets to see Ms. Valentina Lisitsa here in Taipei in our very own national concert hall. I went ahead and bought better seats. “Second floor” is the first floor of the auditorium, at the same level as the stage, and we were on the 19th row, just left of center, perfect place to see the blurs that were Ms. Lisitsa’s hands … Continue reading Concert Review: Valentina Lisitsa in Taipei
Bela Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 166
This article has been marked as in need of a revisit. That’s where I feel like I didn’t do the piece justice or have more to say (usually because I didn’t know it nearly well enough or didn’t have the right perspective). I’ll keep the original article for posterity, but publish a new version that will eventually be linked here for my new take on it. performed by the Cleveland Orchestra under Christoph von Dohnányi AND NOW for something completely different. I was thinking of listening to the Grieg piano concerto, which I will be hearing Ms. Valentina Lisitsa her … Continue reading Bela Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 166
Sergei Prokofiev: symphony no. 4 (op. 47)
performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev (I think) (This piece has been ‘revisited’ since I felt the article below to be inadequate. The updated articles are here here for the original op. 47 , and here for the revised op. 112.) It’s Prokofiev. The recording I have happens to be the earlier, unrevised version; that’s the only reason I chose this one. I may address op. 112 separately. The first movement is generally “eroico” in nature, heavy and big, but also kind of menacing in places. The second theme is contrastingly lyrical and nice, and the middle section is … Continue reading Sergei Prokofiev: symphony no. 4 (op. 47)
Mozart Symphony No. 6 in F, K. 43
performed by ASMF/Marriner Mozart Monday, and for the first time… I love this! It’s surprisingly pleasing. It’s the longest of Mozart’s childhood symphonies so far, his first in F, the first to have a minuet/trio and the first to have two obligatory viola parts, which was certainly not apparent to me. He was eleven when he wrote this one, and probably finished in Moravia, where the family had apparently fled Vienna die to an epidemic of smallpox. What was apparent was that it felt far more mature and developed than his others. It’s longer (almost 14 minutes) and in four … Continue reading Mozart Symphony No. 6 in F, K. 43
Antonin Dvorak: Symphony no. 2, op. 4
This article has been marked as in need of a revisit. That’s where I feel like I didn’t do the piece justice or have more to say (usually because I didn’t know it nearly well enough or didn’t have the right perspective). I’ll keep the original article for posterity, but publish a new version that will eventually be linked here for my new take on it. performed by the Berlin Philharmonic under Raphael Kubelik It’s taking me more time to get through what I believe is enough listens to write these days. Started listening to this one last week, and … Continue reading Antonin Dvorak: Symphony no. 2, op. 4
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony no. 5 in Em, op. 64
Performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink This has got to be one of my recent favorites. It would be in my top five at the moment (although, if I were to make a top five list, it … Continue reading Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony no. 5 in Em, op. 64
Darius Milhaud: Symphony No. 1
This article has been marked as in need of a revisit. That’s where I feel like I didn’t do the piece justice or have more to say (usually because I didn’t know it nearly well enough or didn’t have the right perspective). I’ll keep the original article for posterity, but publish a new version that will eventually be linked here for my new take on it. performed by the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Basel under Alun Francis I’ve listened to this one at least three or four times… Almost. Just not in its entirety. So I gave it my full attention this morning. … Continue reading Darius Milhaud: Symphony No. 1
Mozart Symphony No. 5 in Bb
performed by ASMF under Sir Neville Marriner Mozart Monday! This is how I will get through his symphonies. That makes it sound like torture. It isn’t that bad. They are very pleasant, but again, I am just not thrilled about the classical period (yet). Symphony number five was written while Mozart was still only nine years old, at The Hague. Still very short, still only in three movements. I notice that it seems the harpsichord takes a more background role in this work, and the horns are very much in the forefront. They sing in an almost unpleasantly high register … Continue reading Mozart Symphony No. 5 in Bb
Eduard Tubin: Symphony No. 1
This article has been marked as in need of a revisit. That’s where I feel like I didn’t do the piece justice or have more to say (usually because I didn’t know it nearly well enough or didn’t have the right perspective). I’ll keep the original article for posterity, but publish a new version that will eventually be linked here for my new take on it. performed by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra under Neeme Järvi I listened to this about five times. I have enjoyed quite a bit of the modern Finnish composers, maybe due to the influence of people … Continue reading Eduard Tubin: Symphony No. 1
Kalevi Aho: symphony No. 2
This piece has been revisited, and an updated article has been written. Please read it here. I’ll keep the original article (below) for posterity, but I would suggest reading the new article instead. performed by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä …and now for something completely different. I’ve been trying to get through all the works from the composers that I currently have, and that means I’ve been making the rounds with more familiar composers. Even though I haven’t posted things from Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Beethoven, or some of the other typical symphonies, it’s only because I’ve already listened to … Continue reading Kalevi Aho: symphony No. 2
Schumann Symphony no. 4 in Dm (1851 version)
This article has been marked as in need of a revisit. That’s where I feel like I didn’t do the piece justice or have more to say (usually because I didn’t know it nearly well enough or didn’t have the … Continue reading Schumann Symphony no. 4 in Dm (1851 version)
Myaskovsky Symphony No. 3 in Am
performed by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra under Yevgeny Svetlanov (This piece has been ‘revisited’ since I felt the article below to be inadequate. For the updated article, click here.) Losing a post in progress is like Tumblr stealing a small part of my life. And infuriating. This one is two movements, but that doesn’t mean it lacks length. Each movement is at or over 20 minutes, so it comes in at somewhere shy of 45 minutes. As I’ve said before, I’m not super great at recognizing structure and key changes and all of that business, and it’s certainly harder … Continue reading Myaskovsky Symphony No. 3 in Am
Mozart Symphony No. 4
as performed (still) by Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner Mozart Monday… I also realized last week was almost entirely of first symphonies, aside from Bruckner: Rautavaara Mozart Shostakovich Borodin Barber I apparently didn’t sync Mozart 2 or 3 to my iPod (I suppose I’ll skip the spurious symphonies) so we move to number 4. I found it thoroughly more interesting texturally. Again, it’s really short, so I listened to it a few times. Need I say it is very… Mozart-y? I suppose the boy made some progress in a year. He was nine when … Continue reading Mozart Symphony No. 4
Alexander Borodin: Symphony No. 1 in Eb
Performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under Gennady Rozhdestvensky There’s no article for Wikipedia on this, but other sources reveal it was premiered in 1868 by Borodin’s mentor, Mily Balakirev. I had heard somewhere that Balakirev also helped Rimsky-Korsakov with (and conducted the premiere of) his first symphony. Balakirev encouraged RK to continue work on the first movement. He did so, but apparently made a disaster of the orchestration. Balakirev came to the rescue again, getting RK started by helping him orchestrate the first page. He did well after that. But later, RK said of Balakirev: “[I] was convinced … Continue reading Alexander Borodin: Symphony No. 1 in Eb
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1 in Fm
performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Mstislav Rostropovich (This piece has been ‘revisited’ since I felt the article below to be inadequate. For the updated article, click here.) This was Shostakovich’s graduation piece at the Leningrad conservatory, and he … Continue reading Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1 in Fm
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony no. 1 in Eb (K. 16)
Performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Neville Marriner (from their boxed collection of all Mozart symphonies)This one is short enough that I listened to it three times. It’s one of the earliest symphonic works I’ve listened to, and obviously Mozart’s earliest. The boy was already known as a performer, but Wikipedia says, he “had composed little music.” Looking at the Köchel catalogue, the K. #s before this one were keyboard pieces (allegros, minuets, andante), four violin sonatas, and six sonatas for harpsichord, violin, (flute) and cello. Almost all of his works before the harpsichord pieces … Continue reading Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony no. 1 in Eb (K. 16)
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No 6 in A
This piece has been revisited, and an updated article has been written. Please read it here. I’ll keep the original article (below) for posterity, but I would suggest reading the new article instead. Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti (Decca, … Continue reading Anton Bruckner: Symphony No 6 in A
Fugue for Thought 