For Classical music lovers

[Anton Bruckner]

Here are my recent purchases.

1. Joachim Raff's complete piano trios. Very beautiful. No 3 in A minor is awesome.

2. Schumann's Piano Quartet doubled with Draeseke's Quintet for piano, violin, viola, cello and horn in B flat major, op 48. A rare find. I emailed mdg label directly in germany and got my hands on the last copy it is officially out of production.

3. Rachmaninoff's Piano Trios. I especially like his first one in G minor. Good listening.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Sweet! Enjoy, Keon!

 

[Simply_Nikki]

Hey where are the concertos! Do you like Saint Saens? He has a beautiful piano concerto #2, I forget what key its in, I think G minor, but I want it badly. Also Rachmoninov concertos are just astounding. In fact, I'm gonna listen to the Rach right now .

 

[bookslover]

Just got, through Amazon via a music shop in England, a disc of Glenn Gould playing the last 5 Haydn piano sonatas; recorded in 1980-1981. This was the last record release by Gould before his death in 1982. His Haydn isn't very elegant, but he is the master of bringing out the inner voices of the music.

Great stuff; Haydn is my favorite composer, anyway...

 

[Anton Bruckner]

Hey where are the concertos! Do you like Saint Saens? He has a beautiful piano concerto #2, I forget what key its in, I think G minor, but I want it badly. Also Rachmoninov concertos are just astounding. In fact, I'm gonna listen to the Rach right now .

once you get hooked on chamber music; concertos and symphonies take a back seat. chamber music are intimate and they are dedicated to the individual, whereas concertos and symphonies willingly try to draw attention to themselves. Besides I have gone through the concerto and the symphony phase.

ps. Saint Saens 2nd piano concerto in g minor is brilliant. I have it on my list as greatest piano concertos ever written. The opening is one of the most moving things ever written. Ironically Bruch's violin concerto brings out the same sentiment. And I hope you enjoyed your Rach.

 

[Anton Bruckner]

Just got, through Amazon via a music shop in England, a disc of Glenn Gould playing the last 5 Haydn piano sonatas; recorded in 1980-1981. This was the last record release by Gould before his death in 1982. His Haydn isn't very elegant, but he is the master of bringing out the inner voices of the music.

Great stuff; Haydn is my favorite composer, anyway...

Glen Gould is awesome. I have his performance of the Liszt transcriptions of Beethoven's 5th, 6th symphonies(first movement only of the 6th). Beautiful performance. The man has supreme control, and he brings out every nuance that the music has.

As for Haydn, I have never been motivated to buy anything of his. The only works I have in my collection are his symphonies 44-46, and one of his Nielsen Masses.

 

[Anton Bruckner]

ooops Nikki, seems like I did buy a concerto. I have Busoni's Piano Concerto, which has a chorale finale. It is 4 movements like Brahms 2nd piano concerto, but to me it seems less cohesive.

 

[Calvibaptist]

This question was asked when I was in college: If you were stuck completely away from civilization and could only have one composer's music with you, who would it be?

My choice is Mozart. He was a brilliant man with great passion.

 

[Ivan]

This question was asked when I was in college: If you were stuck completely away from civilization and could only have one composer's music with you, who would it be?

My choice is Mozart. He was a brilliant man with great passion.

 

[Anton Bruckner]

This question was asked when I was in college: If you were stuck completely away from civilization and could only have one composer's music with you, who would it be?

My choice is Mozart. He was a brilliant man with great passion.

 

[JBaldwin]

I don't know Calvibaptist, I think I would go with J.S. Bach. I never tire of his music.

 

[Ivan]

I don't know Calvibaptist, I think I would go with J.S. Bach. I never tire of his music.

Yes, good stuff. Ahhhhh, BACH!!

 

[Simply_Nikki]

This question was asked when I was in college: If you were stuck completely away from civilization and could only have one composer's music with you, who would it be?

My choice is Mozart. He was a brilliant man with great passion.

Ugh... sorry Mozart is not my favorite in terms of piano works, the classical era was a bit too tinkly for me in the piano department. LOL. I do love his requiem and his orchestral works. I must say I am biased to the big showy passionate power piano pieces (since i'm a pianist), and Piano concertos are my favorites to listen to. But I don't think I could live without Beethoven. Well actually I could but you know what i mean.

 

[Simply_Nikki]

I don't know Calvibaptist, I think I would go with J.S. Bach. I never tire of his music.

Yes, good stuff. Ahhhhh, BACH!!

J.S Bach, godly man, 22 children between 2 wives, fugues are amazing inventions are brilliant, but after awhile the sewing machine sound of all those 16th notes gets to me. LOL

However, I don't think I would tire from PDQ Bach

 

[JBaldwin]

PDQ Bach!!!! His stuff is hilarious. A musical genius in his own right.

 

[Calvibaptist]

This question was asked when I was in college: If you were stuck completely away from civilization and could only have one composer's music with you, who would it be?

My choice is Mozart. He was a brilliant man with great passion.

Ugh... sorry Mozart is not my favorite in terms of piano works, the classical era was a bit too tinkly for me in the piano department. LOL. I do love his requiem and his orchestral works. I must say I am biased to the big showy passionate power piano pieces (since i'm a pianist), and Piano concertos are my favorites to listen to. But I don't think I could live without Beethoven. Well actually I could but you know what i mean.

Beethoven was more of a transition kind of guy from Classical period into Romantic. He has wonderful piano works, though. Sometimes, I like the Baroque and Classical styles because they are very predictable and easy to follow. As you get into the Romantic (especially the later) period, things start to get weird.

 

[Calvibaptist]

I don't know Calvibaptist, I think I would go with J.S. Bach. I never tire of his music.

Yes, good stuff. Ahhhhh, BACH!!

J.S Bach, godly man, 22 children between 2 wives, fugues are amazing inventions are brilliant, but after awhile the sewing machine sound of all those 16th notes gets to me. LOL

However, I don't think I would tire from PDQ Bach

I admit, J.S. Bach is great. I love his organ works. PDQ is pretty hilarious.

 

[Calvibaptist]

At least no one has mentioned Philip Glass or John Cage or any of those other Twentieth Century style wackos. One of my favorite John Cage pieces is "4:33". He sat down at the piano on stage and did absolutely nothing for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. It was the greatest piece of music he ever composed.

 

[Simply_Nikki]

At least no one has mentioned Philip Glass or John Cage or any of those other Twentieth Century style wackos. One of my favorite John Cage pieces is "4:33". He sat down at the piano on stage and did absolutely nothing for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. It was the greatest piece of music he ever composed.

4:33 is awesome!!!! I saw a performance of it via the tele

I'm trying to think of some good 20th century composers... Who are you guys' favorites?

I like Gershwin, Copland, Barber

Has anyone heard of John Adams? He is really weird, I saw an oratorio of his with 3 counter teners singing in very dissonant harmonies, it was atrocious

 

[Calvibaptist]

At least no one has mentioned Philip Glass or John Cage or any of those other Twentieth Century style wackos. One of my favorite John Cage pieces is "4:33". He sat down at the piano on stage and did absolutely nothing for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. It was the greatest piece of music he ever composed.

4:33 is awesome!!!! I saw a performance of it via the tele

I'm trying to think of some good 20th century composers... Who are you guys' favorites?

I like Gershwin, Copland, Barber

Has anyone heard of John Adams? He is really weird, I saw an oratorio of his with 3 counter teners singing in very dissonant harmonies, it was atrocious

John Williams

 

[bookslover]

Glen Gould is awesome. I have his performance of the Liszt transcriptions of Beethoven's 5th, 6th symphonies(first movement only of the 6th). Beautiful performance. The man has supreme control, and he brings out every nuance that the music has.

As for Haydn, I have never been motivated to buy anything of his. The only works I have in my collection are his symphonies 44-46, and one of his Nielsen Masses.

Glenn Gould would have been 75 tomorrow (September 25th). As for Haydn, you should seriously check out his solo keyboard sonatas. Great, great stuff.

 

[JBaldwin]

Calvibaptist said

At least no one has mentioned Philip Glass or John Cage or any of those other Twentieth Century style wackos. One of my favorite John Cage pieces is "4:33". He sat down at the piano on stage and did absolutely nothing for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. It was the greatest piece of music he ever composed.

I am a fan of John Rutter. The Psalm 23 from the Requiem is one of the most beautiful settings to the psalm I have ever heard.

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

John Williams

 

[timmopussycat]

Talk about pushing my buttons!
I'd go into a fugue state if I didn't have recordings of these to hand on a desert island

Keyboard works
J. S. Bach the Well Tempered Clavier, French Suites & Inventions
(Although I'm Canadian I don't like Gould, his touch is monotonous. Try Angela Hewitt for the Inventions or S. Richter for the WTC.)
Bach's keyboard music transcribes well for brass quintet or trombone quartet:
transcription was routine in Bach's day and he would have loved the Canadian Brass take on the c - Prelude & Fugue or the Eastman Trombone Choir's marvelous rendition of the g-Fugue and the two O Sacred Head chorales). Not to mention the marvelous Swingle Singers.
Beethoven- the Waldstein
Shostakovich - Preludes and Fugues

Chamber music
Bach again 2-6 Brandenburg concertos (get the #5 with James Levine - awesome is an understatement)
Brahms, Horn Trio, f-Piano quartet (Peter Damm horn-must be nearly the most beautiful sound in the world)
Brahms - Clarinet trio (Amici)
Martinu - Flute Sonata (Dufour)
Mozart Horn Concertos (Peter Damm)
Ravel - String Quartet

Orchestral
Brahms, Symphonies 2-4, Haydn Variations, Piano Concerto #2
Bruckner -Symphony #8
Mahler Symphonies 1-5
Moussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition
Respighi Ancient Airs and Dances
Rimsky Korsakov - Russian Easter Overture
Schumann - Symphonies 2, 3 Konzertstuck for 4 horns and orchestra
Shostakovich Symphony #5
Smetana - The Moldau

Band
anything by Grainger, Holst and Vaughn Williams

Moderns
Gershwin, Copland, Ridout (Canadian Copland at points especially his Fall Fair).
Ingolf Dahl - Music for Brass Instruments