The Classical Music Guide Forums

Ricordanza

Thanks, Don, and I wish the same to you.

My synagogue will be streaming its services, and I'm especially looking forward to tonight. As in past years, the service begins with a cellist (accompanied by piano) performing Bruch's "Kol Nidrei."

H

Ricordanza

I know one piece I am really liking right now is Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 so I guess we could start there! Welcome to CMG! You chose an excellent starting point. There are plenty of recordings of this work, but you can't go wrong with the all-star combination of Martha Argerich, pianist, and ...

Ricordanza

Listened to this on my iPhone while walking on a nearby nature trail. Brilliant playing by one of my favorite violinists.

Ricordanza

The Curtis Institute of Music released a report it commissioned on the allegations of sexual abuse by Lara St. John. Along with the full report, the Board of Trustees issued a Statement that they "received, reviewed and unanimously accepted" the findings of the investigative report. Here is the Stat...

Ricordanza

"Inspiring" is the right word. Thank you for posting this.

Ricordanza

But right-wing protests that have emerged in support of Trump during his term in office don’t look like the work of astroturfing staffers dressed in the attire of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant elite. He has the backing of a broad network of heavily-armed militia groups, far-right street-fighting...

Ricordanza

Thank you, Don, and my best wishes to you for a happy and healthy New Year.

H

Ricordanza

In any other government or private sector business, this guy would be placed on medical leave to seek treatment. But in the Trump administration, he's considered a model employee. Maybe not such a model employee. It was just announced that he's going on a 60-day medical leave. Top Trump health appo...

Ricordanza

He went further, saying his physical health was in question, and his “mental health has definitely failed.” Caputo has correctly diagnosed himself. There are various forms of psychosis, but delusional thinking is a common thread in these mental diseases. In any other government or private sector bu...

Ricordanza

But this is already a must-have for me. I love opera transcriptions - some sort of mental weakness in me, no doubt - and I love Hamelin. I share your "weakness" and I've been a fan of Hamelin since I first heard him performing in a record store in 1996. Liszt's Norma fantasy was one of the pieces h...

Ricordanza

jserraglio wrote: ↑
Fri Sep 04, 2020 12:36 pm
Trump better create a diversion fast—this story is poison for his reelection bid.

I thought Trump's comments about John McCain would be poison for his 2016 campaign. That didn't deter his followers.

Ricordanza

Soulful music; soulful playing. Includes the justly popular Rachmaninoff sonata, but also less familiar works by Miaskovsky, Schnittke and others. Highly recommended.

Ricordanza

Is it possible to write a fascinating book about the federal bureaucracy? (That is, fascinating to readers other than me—a 35-year veteran of the state bureaucracy.) Michael Lewis has done this, and more. The book paints a sad picture of the transition from the Obama to Trump administrations in thre...

Ricordanza

But this is already a must-have for me. I love opera transcriptions - some sort of mental weakness in me, no doubt - and I love Hamelin. I share your "weakness" and I've been a fan of Hamelin since I first heard him performing in a record store in 1996. Liszt's Norma fantasy was one of the pieces h...

Ricordanza

A few months ago, I renewed my subscription for the Philadelphia Orchestra in the hope that the 2020-2021 season would proceed normally--with a full orchestra performing at the Kimmel Center before a full audience. Alas, that is not to be. The Orchestra will be performing on a very limited schedule ...

Ricordanza

That's quite an ordeal, Steve! Hope that all goes smoothly in the future.

Ricordanza

Curious review. It doesn't seem to really sell the book, yet there are intriguing revelations. Indeed, this is not a standard book review, but Jeremy Denk is not a standard writer. He is a uniquely gifted writer with a remarkable prose style. As much as I admire his artistry as a pianist (I've atte...

Ricordanza

I can certainly endorse one of these recordings: David and Igor Oistrakh's performance of the Sinfonia Concertante. Sublime music; superb performance.

Ricordanza

jserraglio wrote: ↑
Thu Aug 06, 2020 3:39 am
My centenarian mom died in a care home here in Ohio on March 17. I hadn't been allowed to visit her for the previous 3 weeks.

That's a double blow. I'm very sorry for your loss and for the circumstances under which it occurred.

Ricordanza

Mr. Fleisher’s recordings of the Brahms and Beethoven piano concertos with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, made between 1958 and 1963, are still considered among the most vivid and moving accounts of those works.

I agree. These recordings are the gold standard in this repertoire.

Ricordanza

Like the autocrats he admires (Erdogan, Putin, etc.), Trump is setting the stage to rig the process so that he remains in power indefinitely. Sure, the Constitution says that the President can't change the date of the election and must leave office by January 20, but when has Trump ever shown he res...

Ricordanza

Thunderstorms are in the weather forecast today, as they were 12 years ago on this date (July 23, 2008) when my wife and I took a chance and attended a concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Music Center in Fairmount Park. As I re-read my review, two thoughts come to mind. The first, of c...

Ricordanza

I haven't listened to all of Igor Levit's Beethoven sonata recordings, but his rendition of the last five sonatas compares favorably with any others I've heard. This writer's hasty dismissal of Levit is undeserved.

Ricordanza

The Philadelphia Orchestra, believe it or not, just hired its first full-time African-American member. However, she is not actually a performing musician; rather, she is a music librarian, and will never appear on stage. A correction is in order. Nicole Jordan is the first female African-American o...

Ricordanza

My companion on my last couple of walks has been the remarkable pianist Arcadi Volodos (via my iPhone). "Volodos Plays Liszt" is an album of ten pieces which display Volodos' artistry as well as his incredible technical command. Highlights for me are Vallee D'Obermann (the opening track), St. Franci...

Ricordanza

Washington Post columnist Max Boot recently posted an interesting, informative....and scary piece on this issue: What if Trump loses but insists he won? Opinion by Max Boot Columnist July 6, 2020 at 3:18 p.m. EDT On his present trajectory, President Trump is heading for a whopping defeat in November...

Ricordanza

The United States and Australia can be allies, vibrant democracies, respectful of the rule of law and upholders of universal human rights, but claims about common values that bind the two societies derive from nostalgia about an effective, freedom loving US democracy that no longer exists. This U.S...

Ricordanza

Trump has told so many lies that, after a while, the most recent lie results in a shrug of the shoulders. But the audacity of this lie really gets me. Are his followers so detached from reality that they swallow this outrageous deception?

Ricordanza

I just learned the sad news that on July 2, we lost Nikolai Kapustin, the Russian composer known for his brilliant piano compositions with a jazz idiom. I haven't seen any obits in major media (NY Times, Washington Post) as yet, but I'm sure we will see some articles about this unique talent. For a ...

Ricordanza

Just thought I'd add a mini-rant on the ads that bother me the most: the pharmaceutical commercials. It's not that the content is unpleasant. On the contrary, these ads are rather idyllic--after taking the advertised drugs, people suffering from some very serious physical and mental diseases are sud...

Ricordanza

Anybody else notice this lately? I've been getting robo calls (and junk calls with live voices) on my landline for quite some time. Not as many as you, Lance, but it averages about 4 a day. Since I have caller ID, I usually can spot them and avoid answering them, but they are still annoying (waking...

Ricordanza

As for Trump dropping out, this is just wishful thinking. Even if the polls are right (which they were not in 2016), I don't see Trump giving up. Rather, Trump and his allies are going to step up their efforts at voter suppression. Their path to victory is to suppress the votes of Democrats (restri...

Ricordanza

As for Trump dropping out, this is just wishful thinking. Even if the polls are right (which they were not in 2016), I don't see Trump giving up. Rather, Trump and his allies are going to step up their efforts at voter suppression. Their path to victory is to suppress the votes of Democrats (restric...

Ricordanza

david johnson wrote: ↑
Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:14 am
I most always mute the ads, but will watch ones I find amusing.

There are some amusing ads--GEICO ads come to mind--but after the 52nd repetition, they are just annoying.

I don't have DVR, so my technique is to switch to a movie channel for the 4 minutes or so that the ads are playing.

Ricordanza

Thanks for the alert.

Ricordanza

I'll have to wait two more months until I find out the Philadelphia Orchestra's plans for the fall. Here's the relevant excerpt from the email I just received: Since the onset of the pandemic and our last concert on March 12, we have all been wondering when it will be safe and practical for us—music...

Ricordanza

And as I've already reported in another thread, I've paid for my 2020/21 Philadelphia Orchestra season. Two of the six concerts take place in 2020 (November and December). The renewal for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society is sitting on my desk. Perhaps if there are cancellations without refund...

Ricordanza

I've already paid for my 2020/21 season here in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. And as I've already reported in another thread, I've paid for my 2020/21 Philadelphia Orchestra season. Two of the six concerts take place in 2020 (November and December). The renewal for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Soc...

Ricordanza

Best wishes on your birthday, Lance, and thanks for all you do.

H

Ricordanza

I also commend Leonard Slatkin for thinking through these issues. Are his solutions feasible? Will others follow his lead or come up with different ideas? Who knows. I've taken a chance and renewed my subscription to the Philadelphia Orchestra for next season. The first concert is scheduled for Nove...

Ricordanza

I'm sure that Rach 3 is in mourning. :roll: Rep. Steve King, who was shunned by GOP leaders for his racist remarks, loses in Iowa primary By Mike DeBonis June 3, 2020 at 12:48 a.m. EDT Iowa Republicans voted Tuesday to end the long and divisive congressional career of Rep. Steve King, whose hard-rig...

Ricordanza

Put the TV on this morning early to get the latest on the terrible situation in Minneapolis-suddenly there was the live scene of a CNN reporter and his crew being arrested for no reason I could understand-it's all on tape now of course. I was also watching CNN when this happened. Before the arrest,...

Ricordanza

To accompany my daily walk (actually, two daily walks), this 1976 recording by Vladimir Ashkenazy of the complete Rachmaninoff Preludes. It's been a while since I listened to the complete set and this was a pleasant reminder of Rachmaninoff's magnificent contribution to the piano literature. Ashkena...

Ricordanza

This is not the first time that Trump has promoted a discredited conspiracy theory, but he reached a new low here, particularly after doubling down on this crusade after receiving the letter from the widower. So I posted the following query on Facebook: A question to my friends and relatives who rem...

Ricordanza

Here's an excellent response from my friend, Rabbi Lewis Eron: I sent this as a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer in response to our President's desire to "order" the states to open houses of worship: I am sorry to hear that our President wants to "open" Houses of Worship, and I am even more sorry...

Ricordanza

Everyone will have different thoughts on this. I am probably more "traditional" in my thinking, but that comes with getting older! (Maybe.) :roll: I also tend to be more "traditional" in my approach to concerts, but there's an additional reason why I prefer having a concert follow the printed progr...

Ricordanza

barney wrote: ↑
Fri May 15, 2020 7:38 am

Why not show a little optimism?

My subscription purchase is an expression of optimism. I'm asking my CMG friends to tell me whether or not my optimism is grounded in reality.

Ricordanza

That's the question on my mind. I don't see how "social distancing" can be applied; audience capacity would have to be reduced drastically, and that would not be financially feasible for already strained budgets. And how do you fit a 100-piece orchestra on the stage with musicians spaced six feet ap...

Ricordanza

In my area, patients who are having a bad cold can visit a general practitioner....Dr. Howard Shivers.

There's another doctor in my area who passed away a few years ago. He was an OB/GYN named....Dr. Busch.

Ricordanza

Just thought I'd lighten things up a bit. We may have done this topic before; if so, my apologies, but it's always worth revisiting. So here's my initial offering. I came across this in the NY Times--an unlikely name for an expert on meat: Last week was the fourth week in a row that the number of ca...

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