Search found 2646 matches
- Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:45 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Happy 90th Birthday, Cliftwood!
- Replies: 5
- Views: 191
Re: Happy 90th Birthday, Cliftwood!
Happy birthday indeed ! And congratulations on having reached such a venerable age !
- Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:40 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Our First Britten Gloriana c/o DVD Netflix
- Replies: 11
- Views: 381
Re: Our First Britten Gloriana c/o DVD Netflix
Thanks, Maestrob ! Hoary new year to you too !
- Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:37 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Book on conductor/violinist Richard Burgin
- Replies: 8
- Views: 208
Re: Book on conductor/violinist Richard Burgin
This new biography sounds interesting . Has anyone here read the long out of print biography of Koussevitzky by Moses Smith ? I read it long ago and it's quite fascinating , and often rather critical of the legendary Russian conductor's conducting technique and interpretations ,. No wonder Koussevit...
- Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:32 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Simon Rattle to Leave the London Symphony for Munich
- Replies: 3
- Views: 144
Re: Simon Rattle to Leave the London Symphony for Munich
I wish Sir Simon well in Munich, where he has been a regular guest conductor with theBavarianRSO . Apparently, the really like him there, or he would not have been appointed successor to the late,lamented Mariss Jansons . Rattle has been conducting concert performances of Wagner's Ring in Munich, an...
- Fri Jan 01, 2021 6:09 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Our First Britten Gloriana c/o DVD Netflix
- Replies: 11
- Views: 381
Re: Our First Britten Gloriana c/o DVD Netflix
Yes, I've sen the DVD of Gloriana, also on Netflix, and enjoyed it very much . It's a really good opera that deserves to be better known. But unfortunately, the premiere in London was a critical flop , and was rather unfavorably received , which caused Britten a lot of Tsuris , and the opera was neg...
- Mon Dec 28, 2020 4:53 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Violinist Tasmin Little is stepping down.
- Replies: 7
- Views: 271
Re: Violinist Tasmin Little is stepping down.
I've heard several of her recordings and have aired them . Is there any explanation why she is retiring from public performance ? She certainly isn't very old and you would think she had a fair number of years to go before retiring .
- Thu Dec 10, 2020 8:15 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Prokofieff's opera "War and Peace"
- Replies: 17
- Views: 935
Re: Prokofieff's opera "War and Peace"
Well, Gergiev has known Putin for many years . I don't know if he approves of Putin's ruthless suppression of dissent in Russia , but Putin is a classical music fan and a staunch supporter of the arts in Russia, and his generous support has allowed classical music to flourish in Russia .Putin's supp...
- Thu Dec 10, 2020 6:41 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Beethoven and sickeningly stupid culture warriors
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1027
Re: Beethoven and sickeningly stupid culture warriors
I'm glad you like my letter ! Thanks .
- Thu Dec 10, 2020 6:32 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Prokofieff's opera "War and Peace"
- Replies: 17
- Views: 935
Re: Prokofieff's opera "War and Peace"
Interestingly, Gergiev is not actually a Russian, but an ethnic Ossetian . The Ossetians are an ancient people who are the descendants of the ancient Scythian and Sarmatian peoples and speak a language related to Farsi, Kurdish and Pashto . The Ossetians settle din the rugged Caucasus mountains long...
- Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:40 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Prokofieff's opera "War and Peace"
- Replies: 17
- Views: 935
Re: Prokofieff's opera "War and Peace"
Admittedly, Gergiev can be erratic at times, and uneven , but this has been true of many eminent conductors . Like Furtwangler, forget about note perfect laying . But at his best, like Furtwnagler, Gergiev can give prformances of incredible power and eloquence . A few years ago, there was an article...
- Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:22 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Beethoven and sickeningly stupid culture warriors
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1027
Re: Beethoven and sickeningly stupid culture warriors
OK, here is the letter to the editor The title put up by the NY Poat editors is "Canceling Classics ". "As a lifelong classical musician and an unabashed liberal , I found Jonathan Tobin's article on the alleged threat of 'wokesters' to the immortal Ludwig van Beethoven and classical music in genera...
- Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:12 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Since ELGAR was mentioned in a thread ...
- Replies: 2
- Views: 276
Re: Since ELGAR was mentioned in a thread ...
I've heard the huge EMI set ( about 30 CDs ! ) of Elgar's music which I've borrowed a few times from my local library . This includes some of the compose'r sown recordings of his music .This is a good chance to hear sone of Elgar's lesser known works, some of which are very much worth hearing but ra...
- Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:06 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Beethoven and sickeningly stupid culture warriors
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1027
Re: Beethoven and sickeningly stupid culture warriors
No, the music of Beethoven and other composers who happened to be "dead white European males " isn't being "canceled": by anyone , except perhaps by Covid-19 , at least for the time being when it cones to live performances . Much ado about nothing . Not too long ago, a conservative columnist who con...
- Tue Dec 08, 2020 4:58 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Prokofieff's opera "War and Peace"
- Replies: 17
- Views: 935
Re: Prokofieff's opera "War and Peace"
Maestrob , despite your dismissal of the Kirov CD and DVD , I have the DVD and have heard the Philips CD , I still admire it very much . Yes, the playing of the Met orchestra may be more "refined ", but the Kirov orchestra plays superbly , and has the authentic Russian sound for the music, which doe...
- Tue Nov 24, 2020 5:12 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: George Szell: Complete EMI (Warner) Recordings
- Replies: 13
- Views: 816
Re: George Szell: Complete EMI (Warner) Recordings
I've always preferred the recordings made by Szell with orchestras other than the Cleveland to the ones he made with that acclaimed orchestra , as blasphemous as this may sound . I also prefer the Cleveland recordings he made with EMI to this eon what is now Sony Classical . EMI, DG, Decca and Phili...
- Wed Nov 04, 2020 3:43 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Hindemith Operas On Youtube .
- Replies: 2
- Views: 285
Hindemith Operas On Youtube .
Lately, I've been taking advantage of an opportunity to get to know the very interesting but for the most part neglected operas of Hindemith on youtube . I've known his genuinely great opera "Mathis Der Maler " , the complete opera, not the more familiar symphony for many years tfrom the superb EMI ...
- Mon Oct 12, 2020 3:22 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: The Cleveland Orchestra, America’s Finest, Restarts Recording
- Replies: 12
- Views: 894
Re: The Cleveland Orchestra, America’s Finest, Restarts Recording
Interesting, but I wouldn't call Lorin Maazel's recordings with the Cleveland orchestra"forgettable ". Certainly not his classic recording of Prokofiev's complete "Romeo & Juliette for Decca, their first recorded collaboration . Under Maazel, the orchestra sounded vastly different than under Szell ....
- Mon Oct 12, 2020 3:09 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Why did Balakirev go out of fashion?
- Replies: 12
- Views: 739
Re: Why did Balakirev go out of fashion?
The music of Balakirev never "want out of fashion ". Outside of Russia,it has never been performed with any regularity at all . The only exception might be his incredibly difficult piano piece "Islamey, based on Circassian folk music , which is truly amazing even though hardly anyone in the west is ...
- Sat Oct 03, 2020 12:38 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Orchestras Are Rushing to Add Black Composers. Will It Last?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 719
Re: Orchestras Are Rushing to Add Black Composers. Will It Last?
I don't think orchestras are "rushing" to do this, but they are making a serious attempt to give more black composers a chance to be heard at concerts, which I think is a good idea . They've a;sp been making an effort to perform more music by women composers , past and present, which is also admirab...
- Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:36 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Musicians on How to Bring Racial Equity to Auditions
- Replies: 6
- Views: 794
Re: Musicians on How to Bring Racial Equity to Auditions
American orchestras do not intentionally try to discriminate against black musicians . The only reason for their scarcity in our orchestras is because so far, very few young blacks have aimed at careers in symphony orchestras . Few get exposure to classical music as children and not too many have be...
- Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:16 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: For the Met Opera, the Pandemic Could Be a Necessary Reset
- Replies: 1
- Views: 467
Re: For the Met Opera, the Pandemic Could Be a Necessary Reset
Interesting article, but I think Tommasini overstates his claim about the Met's repertoire being "overwhelmingly traditional . In fact, within the pas ten year or so, the Met's repertoire has become more and more diversified and interesting . And in fact if you compare the Met's overall repertoire i...
- Wed Aug 26, 2020 6:44 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Let’s scale down opera
- Replies: 5
- Views: 458
Re: Let’s scale down opera
"Smaller scale opera " certainly has its place, and I have no objection to it . But there is absolutely nothing wrong with lavish productions of larger than life operas such as Aida, Wagner's Ring, La Gioconda, the Meyerbeer operas , Messiaen's Saint Francis , Les Troyens by Berlioz, and others . Tr...
- Wed Aug 12, 2020 3:43 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Can't warm to Bruckner
- Replies: 57
- Views: 14853
Re: Can't warm to Bruckner
I've been confirmed Bruckner fan ever since I discovered his music 50 years ago as a teenager , when I got the classic recording of his 9th with Carl Schuricht and the Vienna Philharmonic . His music instantly "clicked " with me and I became familiar with all of his other 8 completed symphonies , an...
- Wed Aug 12, 2020 3:21 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Spectator on Don Carlo
- Replies: 20
- Views: 1502
Re: Spectator on Don Carlo
An interesting article, but it doesn't mention one of the best recordings of the opera, namely Solti, with Tebaldi , Bumbry, Bergonzi, Fischer-Dieskau , Ghiaurov and Talvela, a cast which would e hard o beat anywhere , any time . And yes, Fischer-Dieskau was a much better Verdi baritone than most cr...
- Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:35 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Claudio Abbado Complete DGG Editions
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1283
Re: Claudio Abbado Complete DGG Editions
I've never found Abbado's performances to be "bland " or "too polite ". Certainly not his Chicago recordings . For example his recording of Prokofiev's " Scythian" suite with them is terrifically exciting . Possibly some get the impression of "too polite" because of his unpretentious,mild-mannered p...
- Wed Jun 10, 2020 7:01 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Happy Birthday, Lance G. Hill!
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2132
Re: Happy Birthday, Lance G. Hill!
Happy birthday, Lance !
- Mon May 18, 2020 3:52 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: I'd like to hear from CMGers how you are doing
- Replies: 36
- Views: 10399
Re: I'd like to hear from CMGers how you are doing
I'm still stuck here at United Hebrew in New Rochelle because of my disability unfortunately . Things aren't too bad here but I've been stuck on my floor for about two months because of the corona virus , no visitors are allowed until further notice even immediate family , and I've been feeling pret...
- Fri Apr 24, 2020 6:44 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Opera Vision Channel On Youtube .
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1576
Opera Vision Channel On Youtube .
There's an excellent opera channel on youtube called "Opera Vision " where you can see recent performances of operas , popular and obscure with large and clear English titles . The performances are from all over Europe from towns as diverse as Venice, Naples, Stockholm and Riga . Among the operas I'...
- Fri Apr 03, 2020 3:59 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Our first ever Maid of Orleans
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2290
Re: Our first ever Maid of Orleans
I too enjoyed this DVD performance very much . I had known this opera from way back on LP in the stone age , because my local library had the LP with Irina Arkhipova and the late Gennady Rozhdestvensky conducting . I think "The Maid of Orleans " could be big hit in a Met production , say with Gergie...
- Fri Apr 03, 2020 3:54 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Bayreuth Festival cancelled
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1375
Re: Bayreuth Festival cancelled
Oh weh ! Beckmesser's revenge !
- Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:30 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: period instruments for beethoven
- Replies: 4
- Views: 2744
Re: period instruments for beethoven
I've heard Gardiner's set of the Beethoven symphonies on Archiv with the same orchestra , and I enjoyed it on the whole . I wish I could attend the upcoming cycle at Carnegie hall .The only thing that bothers me is Gardiner's begging the question, assuming that we are actually hearing what the music...
- Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:19 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: A principal oboist from "the wrong school?" Oh my
- Replies: 4
- Views: 2586
Re: A principal oboist from "the wrong school?" Oh my
He would never have been chosen for this key position in the Philadelphia orchestra if they didn't like his sound and style of playing a lot !
- Tue Feb 04, 2020 7:04 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: My First Hans Heiling
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2590
Re: My First Hans Heiling
Yikes ! I haven't heard this opera, although I've been aware of it for who knows ho long . I have a CD of Marschner's opera "Der Vampyr " with the late Helmut Froschauer conducting the Cologne radio orchestra and chorus . The cast includes the young Jonas Kaufmann before became an operatic superstar...
- Sun Jan 26, 2020 6:42 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Ashkenazy retires
- Replies: 22
- Views: 7203
Re: Ashkenazy retires
Sad to see him retiring from performing . I've enjoyed many of the recordings of him as a conductor too . He's been regular with the Royal Concertgebouw, the Philharmonic , the Royal Philharmonic, the Cleveland orchestra , the Czech Philharmonic , the Deutsches Sinfonie Berlin, formerly the Berlin R...
- Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:46 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Belated birthday greetings: DONALD ISLER!
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3413
Re: Belated birthday greetings: DONALD ISLER!
Happy birthday, Donald !
- Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:00 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: R.I.P., Barry Tuckwell .
- Replies: 18
- Views: 8514
R.I.P., Barry Tuckwell .
Sad news . The great Barry Tuckwell, one of the greatest horn players of all time, has passed away at 88 . His virtuosity on this treacherous instrument was almost superhuman . His ability to play the instrument's treacherous high register with pupate and accuracy and agility in rapid fire passages ...
- Thu Jan 16, 2020 6:41 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: dudamel contract extension
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1650
Re: dudamel contract extension
Like his conducting or not, Dudamel is the real thing, no shallow ,flashy glamor boy or flash in the pan . He's proven his ability and is was not created by slick publicity . He would not be music director of the L.A. Phil. and a regular with the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics and other top orchest...
- Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:48 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Our First Le Villi
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2814
Re: Our First Le Villi
I've also seen a DVD of both of these early Puccini operas from one of the Italian music festivals, I don't recall which one conducted by Hungarian maestro Tamas Pal . This is also worth trying . If I remember correctly, I got this trough Netflix, which has an excellent selection of of opera and cla...
- Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:41 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: How a Forgotten Opera Made a Big Comeback
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1767
Re: How a Forgotten Opera Made a Big Comeback
The New York city opera had a production of "Die Tote Stadt " from I believe the 70s, which it did with considerable success . If I remember, the late Julius Rudel conducted it .
- Mon Dec 30, 2019 6:11 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Classical Opera Has a Racism Problem
- Replies: 21
- Views: 5242
Re: Classical Opera Has a Racism Problem
Much ado about nothing . These operas were not written with the intention of disparaging non-whites or to incite racist hatred of them . Actors and operatic tenors have traditionally performed the role of Othello or Otello with makeup to make the skin appear darker not out of racism but in an attemp...
- Tue Dec 10, 2019 7:38 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: A loss
- Replies: 54
- Views: 23378
Re: A loss
So sorry to hear about this . I often disagreed with John, but he was certainly a highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic music lover . He will be missed at this forum .
- Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:36 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Is ‘Playing It Safe’ Bad for Classical Music?
- Replies: 41
- Views: 15598
Re: Is ‘Playing It Safe’ Bad for Classical Music?
If you compare the programming of the New York Philharmonic with many other US orchestras, they have actually been doing more new or recent works than most of them for decades . They have performed new or recent works by Philip Glass, John Adams, Christopher Rouse,Thomas Ades, Henze, Tan Dun, Unsuk ...
- Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:19 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Peter Gelb’s Contract Is Extended at the Metropolitan Opera
- Replies: 8
- Views: 4218
Re: Peter Gelb’s Contract Is Extended at the Metropolitan Opera
Being general manager of the Met is one of the most thankless jobs in classical music . You're damned if you do and damned if you don't . No matter how hard you try , somebody will always be pissed off about your choice of repertoire , casting, conductors , directors and designers etc . Some people ...
- Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:11 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: César Franck
- Replies: 24
- Views: 12205
Re: César Franck
"Les Djinns" by Franck, inspired by Arabic folklore from where we get the word Genie " is an interesting work - sort of a symphonic poem / concertante work for orchestra and solo piano . I remember this from a n old EMI LP with the lae Aldo Ciccolini and if I remember , Serge Baudo conducting . Ther...
- Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:04 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: spontini opera article
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3335
Re: spontini opera article
Not too long ago, I borrowed a live recording of Callas and Corelli in "La Vestale " through library interloan on the same pirate label and enjoyed it too .
- Mon Nov 04, 2019 2:32 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: A radio tribute to James Levine?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 13431
Re: A radio tribute to James Levine?
Levine is also suffering from Parkinson's disease, sciatica and arm tremors , so even if there hadn't been any scandals with him he probably will not be able to conduct anywhere again , which is terribly sad . I've never found his conducting or piano playing to be "shallow and facile ". Like his int...
- Sun Oct 06, 2019 4:16 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Standards for New Music
- Replies: 72
- Views: 73861
Re: Standards for New Music
If you're hearing a new or recent work by a contemporary composer at a a concert , or experiencing a new opera in an opera house , it's often difficult to judge it based on one hearing, if it's a work of any length or complexity . In many cases, only repeated hearings will enable you to decide if yo...
- Sun Oct 06, 2019 4:01 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Martin Bernheimer, Tartly Eloquent Music Critic, Dies at 83
- Replies: 5
- Views: 5349
Re: Martin Bernheimer, Tartly Eloquent Music Critic, Dies at 83
I know you're not suppose dot speak ill of the dead , but Bernheimer, even though he may have been a distinguished music critic , often wrote grossly unfair and gratuitously nasty reviews of many eminent musicians, such as Mehta, Maazel and others as cited in the obituary . It's one thing to disagre...
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:16 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: I Will Save Classical Music
- Replies: 5
- Views: 6483
Re: I Will Save Classical Music
I recently heard his quirky take on "Don Giovanni" on Sony . It certainly isn't boring ! He seems like a really interesting character and I'd like to hear more of his conducting . I don't know why, but there seems to be a lot of hostility toward today's younger generation of conductors here on this ...
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:11 pm
- Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
- Topic: Lyric Opera of Chicago Mazzola Will Take Over
- Replies: 3
- Views: 5500
Re: Lyric Opera of Chicago Mazzola Will Take Over
Both Bartoletti and Andrew Davis are and were highly respected in Chicago , and Davis is a very distinguished conductor . Not a conductor's opera house ? They've had many eminent ones there over the years . I haven't heard Mazola's conducting yet so I can't judge him , but from what I've read about ...