performed by the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra under Leonid Grin (cover image by Hannu Keski Hakuni) Erik “Erkki” Gustaf Oskarsson Melartin was born on February 7, 1875 in Käkisalmi (or Kexholm in Swedish), which since 1948 is known as Priozersk (Приозе́рск) in Russia. He … Continue reading Erkki Melartin: Symphony no. 1 in Cm, op. 30
Performed by the Orchestre National de France under Bernard Haitink, with Anne Sofie von Otter, Wolfgang Holzmair, Laurent Naouri, et al., or below by the Vienna Philharmonic and many more under Claudio Abbado So here we are with our first opera of … Continue reading Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
performed by the Vienna Philharmonic under Pierre Boulez From the order of the movements (where the usual first movement now comes second) it is difficult to speak of a key for the ‘whole Symphony’, and to avoid misunderstandings the key … Continue reading Revisit: Mahler Symphony no. 5
(Spring Song) performed by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä If ever there was a piece that felt like one of those rare, never-to-be repeated moments in life, blue sky, sun’s warmth on your back, in a picture-perfect landscape … Continue reading Sibelius: Vårsång
performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Jascha Horenstein, Earl Wild, piano This may not be the most popular version of the work, but it’s the one I ‘learned’ this piece from; it’s the one I came to love this piece as a result of, and no other performance compares. It may be a bit brisker than a few other interpretations, but it’s perfect. These people knew what they were doing. and this is a must-watch Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 (Nikolai Lugansky) from Philharmonia Orchestra on Vimeo. So…. This is an important piece. I’d been thinking what to … Continue reading Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in Cm, op. 18
performed by members of the Ensemble InterContemporain (Amazon) (and for a delightful video of a live performance, check this out) This is the best I could do with a reference to Boulez this week, and it’s a few days late. It’s … Continue reading Arnold Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (sextet version)
performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle (or below in an equally wonderful recording with the Lahti Symphony under Osmo Vänskä) This one’s been brewing a while. It has been the most thorough preparation of any … Continue reading Jean Sibelius: Symphony no. 2 in D major, Op. 43
Fugue for Thought 