The Classical Music Guide Forums

Ricordanza

Biden appears to be the leading Democratic candidate at this point, but the field is still full of worthy contenders. Lately, I've been paying attention to Michael Bennet, the Senator from Colorado, who has many positive attributes as a candidate and a future President. Here's an admiring column abo...

Ricordanza

Thoughts? I'll give you two thoughts. The theme and variations form is the most enduring of all musical forms. It predates the sonata and, perhaps, has outlasted it. Rzewski's "The People United" is one relatively contemporary example, Lutoslawski's "Paganini Variations" is another, and I am sure t...

Ricordanza

With a name like Schwizgebel, he better be good!

Ricordanza

It’s been 14 years since the Philadelphia Orchestra performed Mahler’s Ninth Symphony. I can’t say I remember every detail of that 2005 performance, under Christoph Eschenbach’s direction. After all, this is an hour-and-a-half work of enormous complexity. But I do remember the emotional intensity of...

Ricordanza

There's a tune by this composer that we've all heard (those of us in the United States, anyway), but few are aware that Offenbach is the composer. It's the Marine Hymn ("From the halls of Montezuma..."). Offenbach's composition was "The Song of the Soldiers of the Sea." Here's a wild piano transcrip...

Ricordanza

Might not the annuating circadian clocks of Boomers dictate their recent preference for earlier starting times on weekdays? That's my guess. When I was surveyed, I voted to keep the starting time at 8 pm. I was working full-time when they did the survey, with a commute of up to one hour to get home...

Ricordanza

I was looking at Rach 3's videos of Pietro Scarpini's performances when I noticed something interesting. The program for the Prokofiev PC 2 indicates that the Thursday evening concert began at 8:45 pm. By contrast, most concerts today begin, at the latest , at 8 pm. In fact, Philadelphia Orchestra e...

Ricordanza

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Sat Apr 20, 2019 8:56 am
Avec Martha Argerich et Stephen Kavacevich, piano

I'm glad to hear that she's on good terms with her ex--at least musically.

Ricordanza

Belle expressed her dismay about the destruction of the famous organ. However, this is from a report on CNN. I've heard this from other news sources:

The church's irreplaceable rose windows and organ are in good condition, a city official said Tuesday. (emphasis added)

A bit of good news.

Ricordanza

So far, the only day that's not good is Friday, June 21. I'd also prefer to stay away from Saturday, June 8, as I have to get back in time for a Philadelphia Orchestra concert that evening.

Ricordanza

Was Sunday Woods' final crowning achievement, or is there more to come? .... To truly appreciate what Woods did on Sunday, you have to consider where he was two years ago. In April 2017, Woods' career was in jeopardy because of a debilitating back injury. Before Woods arrived at Augusta National to...

Ricordanza

I agree. Biden could be an effective opponent to Trump, but he's not my choice for the nomination primarily due to his age. I have other problems with Sanders, but age is also a negative factor. As for Trump, well, age is perhaps the least of the problems with this man.

Ricordanza

The Gershwin estate ought to file a lawsuit against this opera company. I'm not sure what the outcome would be, but George Gershwin's wishes should be respected.

This is one more indication that Hungary is headed in a bad direction.

Ricordanza

Thanks for your review, Don. In addition to a couple of concerto appearances, I've heard Watts twice in recital--once in the 1980's and then in 2014. He remains one of my favorite pianists.

Ricordanza

Eleven years ago, I attended my first cello and piano recital (with cellist Jan Vogler and pianist Louis Lortie) and entitled my review “My Two Favorite Instruments.” I cannot explain why it took me so long to attend another cello and piano recital, but the recital presented by cellist Gautier Capuç...

Ricordanza

On reflection, I want to add a postscript to my review. In his performance of the Symphonic Etudes, only the Finale seemed rushed. Varjon delivered a superb performance of the rest of this work. He had complete command of the most challenging Etudes in the set, while the hauntingly beautiful Variati...

Ricordanza

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Mon Apr 08, 2019 12:12 pm
Did Varjon play any of the posthumous, " extra" Variations for the Schumann ?

No, just the original set.

Ricordanza

Three years ago, I took a chance and bought tickets for a recital by a musician I had never heard of—the Hungarian pianist, Dénes Várjon. My reasoning was that, after many years of attending Philadelphia Chamber Music Society concerts, I had come to trust their judgment that they had good reason to ...

Ricordanza

When we go to NYC, we also avoid driving in Manhattan. We haven't tried the Secaucus option. We either take the ferry from Weehawken (which includes a free shuttle bus to midtown) or take the NJ Transit train from the Hamilton station (near Trenton). I grew up in New York and learned to drive there....

Ricordanza

John F wrote: ↑
Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:34 pm

In "The Romantic Generation," Charles Rosen writes at some lengh about this feature of Brahms's piano writing. Interesting reading.

Just added to my "To Read" list. Thanks.

Ricordanza

In most cases, it’s not a good thing to say that a performer is predictable. It usually means that a performer does essentially the same thing at each concert; we know what to expect, and the result is boredom. Emanuel Ax is anything but boring. Tuesday evening, March 19th, marked the fifth time tha...

Ricordanza

I'm disappointed. He is someone who could have competed effectively with Trump for votes in the "heartland." Sen. Sherrod Brown, Democrat from Ohio, won’t run for president By David Weigel and Chelsea Janes (Washington Post) March 7 at 12:30 PM Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio announced Thursday that he w...

Ricordanza

It's been many years since I watched this film, but I remember the impact it made. The music is not just an added feature--it's the heart of the film.

Ricordanza

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Sat Mar 02, 2019 6:01 pm
Feb.2019 : 2 new eggs and a new Dad !!

https://whotv.com/2019/02/27/second-egg ... gles-nest/

Click on " here " link at end of article for real-time view.

Not much action this morning. When are the eggs expected to hatch?

Ricordanza

The people won't forgive or forget. Take that to the bank. My citibank deposit has been duly made. Meantime, newly minted-pol AOC among others smugly applaud their fait accompli — s ituation n ormal, a ll f luff'd u p. What is AOC? The correct question is "Who is AOC?" The answer is newly-elected C...

Ricordanza

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Thu Feb 21, 2019 7:49 pm
The Strauss I have never warmed to

I will admit that I didn't like "Zarathustra" on first hearing, or even second. In contrast, "Till Eulenspiegel" and "Ein Heldenleben" became instant favorites. But after listening to "Zarathustra" a few more times, I came to love the piece.

Ricordanza

Why do I go to concerts? The obvious answer, of course, is to hear great music. While I could also hear great music by listening to CDs and downloads, attending concerts satisfies my desire for the immediacy and (occasionally) thrill of live performance. But there’s another reason--I also go for the...

Ricordanza

The brilliant Russian pianist Nikolai Lugansky has a Facebook page, which I follow. The latest post was in Russian, but when I clicked on the "Translation" link, here's what I got. There's at least one word that's out of place, don't you think? :roll: The album of Nicholas with the record of Forepla...

Ricordanza

I remember him from his left wing days, when he was known as Lyn Marcus. It's not surprising that an individual has a paranoid viewpoint and constructs a worldview based on that. But it's still surprising to me that such an individual attracts a following of people who adopt the same worldview. Mayb...

Ricordanza

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 12, 2019 5:57 pm
Thanks,Ricordanza, as usual insightful yet clear , I learn something every time from your reviews which bring us vicariously into the hall.

Thank you!

Ricordanza

Seventy-three years ago, four faculty members of the Juilliard School came together to form a string quartet. The members are different today, of course, but the name still represents the pinnacle of chamber music playing. The current quartet is made up of Areta Zhulla, first violin (the newest memb...

Ricordanza

Here's some background info on "Merle Hazard" by the Washington Post's Anne Midgette: Who would’ve thought a bluegrass spoof of atonal music would take off on YouTube? By Anne Midgette Classical music critic February 8 Gimme some of that ol’ atonal music. It lingers in my ears! Schoenberg and Alban ...

Ricordanza

Great! Thanks for posting this.

Ricordanza

This is another one of my LPs that I haven't listened to in years. This was a little different than my usual acquisitions. Generally, when I visited Sam Goody's or Korvette's (50+ years ago!), I had a pretty good idea what I wanted to buy. I might have heard a record on the radio (WQXR, WNCN, or WBA...

Ricordanza

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:13 am

All heading your way, I believe,Ricordanza.

Yes, the Polar Vortex is scheduled to be here in the Philadelphia/South Jersey region on Thursday. They are predicting a high temperature of 16 degrees F, which is certainly colder than I'd like, but not eyeball freezing weather.

Ricordanza

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Mon Jan 28, 2019 9:20 am
The revised forecast for this coming Wed. is - 29F. ( - 34C. ) ; you're welcome to come and try it !

Be careful! I understand that frostbite can set in after only 5 minutes of exposure to this temperature.

Ricordanza

"I’m not doing this to be a spoiler.”

That may not be Schultz' intent, but it most certainly will help Trump win.

Ricordanza

Wow! I think I just found my candidate for President.

Ricordanza

Thanks for posting this, John. Now on my "To Read" list.

Ricordanza

Some works are such landmarks in music that when they appear on a concert program, there is a sense of occasion for the event. That was the case Friday evening, January 18, when the well-respected pianist Peter Serkin presented Bach’s Goldberg Variations as the highlight of his recital. Serkin is no...

Ricordanza

I have heard this pianist only once in concert; it was a performance of Prokofiev's 3rd Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra 11 years ago, and he made a strong impression. Here's what I wrote: Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski (lots of consonants, but I’m informed it’s pronounced trip – CHESS – ...

Ricordanza

Tommasini's oft-repeated complaint about the standard repertory is a little tiresome, but I can't fault him for his observation that Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony is a little long-winded. It's one of several pieces in the orchestral repertory that could have used some editing. In the book publishin...

Ricordanza

My collection of LPs, CDs, and books is far less extensive than others who have posted on this thread. If I die while still in this house, then it will be my son's headache. That may seem cruel, but my sister and I had a similar burden when our father died. We handled it--some stuff was donated, som...

Ricordanza

John F wrote: ↑
Fri Jan 11, 2019 4:45 pm
As I said, the images Brendel uses to focus his playing are entirely personal. He has never taught, as far as I know.

Imogen Cooper was one of his students. I'm sure there were others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imogen_Cooper

Ricordanza

This is very sad news. I met John in person only once--at one of our "meet-ups"--but felt that I knew him better through our electronic interactions on this site and, to a lesser extent, on Facebook. Our little community here has suffered a tremendous loss. Thanks, Don, for bringing this to our atte...

Ricordanza

Who here has heard of pianist Edith Farnadi (that is, besides Lance, who has heard of everybody)? Well, I just dug out one of my old vinyl records and confirmed my impression from years ago that this lady was one terrific pianist. In addition to her exuberant, sparkling playing of these Hungarian Rh...

Ricordanza

I also watched it last night on the Philadelphia PBS affiliate (WHYY). Wonderful concert.

Ricordanza

I'm disappointed that they didn't include Hilary Hahn's Bach album.

http://www.hilaryhahn.com/albums/hilary ... partita-1/

Ricordanza

This book exceeded my expectations. I was anticipating a book that provided some interesting anecdotes about Leonard Bernstein and his family from the viewpoint of his eldest daughter. But it’s so much more. Yes, Jamie provides lots of entertaining anecdotes and the book can be enjoyed on that level...

Ricordanza

Hilary Hahn Plays Bach Twenty-one years ago, at age 17, Hilary Hahn released her disc of three Bach works for solo violin: Sonata No. 3 and Partitas Nos. 2 and 3. This included, of course, the famous Chaconne , the concluding piece of Partita No. 2. All those (including me) who enjoyed this superb ...

Search found 1782 matches