The Classical Music Guide Forums

Cyril Ignatius

Yes, The Planets, from Holst is a masterpiece, and is as good as anywhere to start. Let me offer a few lovely "can't miss" pieces. You like the Planets - now go to one of Holst's countrymen Ralph Vaughan Williams for his Symphony # 5 and a CD recording of his short tone poems with very English theme...

Cyril Ignatius

Ann Coulter occasionally goes over the top in her comments. But the bigger picture is that by-and-large she is a master polemicist whose writings have done tremendous good in bringing some of our political and social crises to to a large audience in an insightful, humorous and entertaining way.

Cyril Ignatius

I have enjoyed the Richter recording on LP of the Saint-Saens Piano Concerto # 5 with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kirl Kondrashin. The recording also includes the Impromptus A Flat-E Flat.

How would you assess this recording?

Cyril Ignatius

If only!

Cyril Ignatius

Sorry, Mozart is easy. The first (musically important) composer of virtuoso demands was Beethoven. :roll: And Beethoven's virtuosity as compared with Mozart's is relevant to this thread because . . . . ? Back to Cyril's question. I came to Mozart's piano music just about last in my love for the guy...

Cyril Ignatius

Elements like virtuosity, intensity and complexity can be part of great art, but they are not of themselves great art. Beethoven broke new ground for the expressive power of the piano, as did Beethoven, Field, Schubert, Liszt and so on. But Mozart had done much before them in raising the level of ar...

Cyril Ignatius

So this is THE BIG DAY. Joannes Christostomos Wolfgang Gottlieb Mozart was born on January 27th, 1756 in Salzburg. Music lovers around the world will rightfully celebrate in many different ways. I came to Mozart's music somewhat late, my own interests being heaviest in the romantic/late-romantic per...

Cyril Ignatius

The question of boycotts and suspension of trade is an interesting and debatable one. But the consistancy issue here assumes that a company that trades kitchenware, let us say, is in a form of engagement with China that is equivalent to a company that is engaged directly in the very activity of cens...

Cyril Ignatius

Interesting article. The Google search engine is very impressive, and its growth as a company even more impressive. But now the company is also a walking, breathing moral disgrace. And the attempt by one of the above quoted people to draw moral symmetry between the practice of censoring pornography ...

Cyril Ignatius

Thank you Lance. You're a Scholar and a Gentleman!

I'll hunt these recordings down. I see he also recorded a Russian Songs CD on Decca, featuring Tchaikovsky among others.

I presume his Boris Godunov with Von Karajan and Vienna would be a solid choice. Any thoughts?

Cyril Ignatius

RebLem is right. Experimential/experiental musical activities that are part of the process of kids learning - good and well. And assumming of course, that it is complementing rather than substituting for the solid exposure to classical music that should be foundational to a child's education.

Cyril Ignatius

It's comforting to think that getting the latest music electronics gadgetry isn't necessarily worth all the fuss. I listen to CDs at home on the smaller, more modest Bose CD player, but had picked up some old LPs at garage sales and had an odd sentimental desire to find a record player to actually b...

Cyril Ignatius

Last year I picked up an older recording "Nicolai Ghiarov: French and Russian Arias", with the London Symphony Orchestra and Edward Downes. I keep playing this recording. What an inspired Voice! Are there any opera people out there to fill me in on Ghiarov? Is there any Ghiaurov CD you would most re...

Cyril Ignatius

I am not a pianist or an expert on Liszt, but I am very pleased with the Jean Yves Thibaudet recordings of the Liszt concertos, the Hungarian Fantasy, and Totentanz. I've also had an opportunity to attend several of Thibaudet's public performances in recent years of Liszt, Ravel (Concerto for the Le...

Cyril Ignatius

What an excellent article!

And it improves my image of Harvard as well.

Cyril Ignatius

Great article! Victor Davis Hanson is a National Treasure!

Cyril Ignatius

Israel's capacity or lack thereof to strike back at Iran from from outside Israel is an interesting issue. Ultimately, the outcome will be the same, because a nuclear strike by Iran against Israel would bring a devastating strike against Iran by the United States. (at least until 2009 anyway) So may...

Cyril Ignatius

I love Cronkite. He has a genial quality. And I hope he continues to host the Vienna New Year's Concert for at least 20 more years - his commentary on the lives of the Strauss' and the haunts of Vienna are priceless. However, foreign policy is not his strong suit. The United States should leave Iraq...

Cyril Ignatius

I'm all for the Rubinstein collection - but I want to include the other Rubinstein here as well. Anton Rubinstein the patriarch of the great Russian musical scene - whose piano conncertos !-4 and some of his solo works - by any decent sense of cosmic justice - deserve their rightful place among the ...

Cyril Ignatius

It's good to hear the accounts of the various recordings of Brahms Piano Concerto # 1. I've always had the Clifford Curzon recording, and wanted to know how it stacked up with others. I love both Brahms # 1 and 2, although in different ways. Maybe I'll try one of these other recordings. One thing fo...

Cyril Ignatius

I apologize for the 1824 Foster birthdate listing - it was a typo. I sometime jumble numbers. He was of course born on July on July 4th 1826 - the same day Jefferson and Adams died. And the circumstances of his demise and death are all too similar in tone to that of Schubert and others, for all the ...

Cyril Ignatius

The year 2006 will feature great celebrations of the life and works of Mozart; and it is to be hoped, Shostakovich as well. The year 2006 is also the 180th birthday of Steven Collins Foster. Born on July 4th, 1824, Foster died in the Bowery of NYC in 1864 on this day - January 13th. Foster didn't wr...

Cyril Ignatius

The Ravel recommendations (the two piano concertos) are excellent. And more Ravel - his Mother Goose Suite. And get the full orchestral recording by Simon Rattle and the Birmingham Symphony of Dapnis and Chloe - simply awsome! And Pavanne for A Dead Princess is inspired! Albinez' Sole piano works, I...

Cyril Ignatius

Corlyss is correct all the way through on this. The mainstream media dropped the ball again for the umpteenth time. And no, the public isn't with the media on this. The majority realize we have some seriously dangerous people in our midst; that some listening in is simply one of the costs of trying ...

Cyril Ignatius

The year is 2205, a guy gets into a record shop via teleporter and gets himself a recording of Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story Dances, "Wow crap!" he says, "This is awesome!~This *** period composer!" *** =? I don't know what they will call this period we are in - I'm not even sure exactly when...

Cyril Ignatius

I will definitely add to the recommendations for the Faure and Rutter Requiems. The Rutter Requiem will no doubt be seen as one of the masterpieces of 20th century religious music. Yes, the Faure and Rutter requiems tend to be softer and different than many of the others, but that in no way diminish...

Cyril Ignatius

He's been blessed not only with longevity but artistic productivity into his 80s. I saw him conduct Bruckner's 7th with the National Symphony about 3 years ago, and saw him conduct at the Cincinnati Symphony this past spring. He moves more slowly to and from the podium, but once he begins he's in ve...

Cyril Ignatius

Hilary Hahn is definitely one of the greats on the scene today. May she live long and prosper. I attended her performance of the Elgar Violin Concerto a number of years ago at the Milwaukee Symphony and met her in the lobby where she was signing copies of the Bach CD. And yes, so many young people g...

Cyril Ignatius

Okay, so Lebrecht is the curmudgeon of classical music who forcasts its demise in the concert hall and recordings as Ralph notes. Does here merely see this decline coming or is he actively trying to bring it about? Obviously Mozart was a genius. On the other hand, it could be that great overkill is ...

Cyril Ignatius

But with the understanding, of course, that Johann Strauss Jr. was the true king of small symphonic compositions!!!

Cyril Ignatius

With respect to Jack Kelso's one works per composer, and erring towards large symphonies that traverse great horizons, here is my alphabetized, but not ranked, list: Beethoven, # 9 Brahms, # 2 Bruckner, # 7 Elgar, # 1 Mahler, # 3 Rachmaninov, # 2 Schubert # 9 Shostakovich # 5 Sibelius # 5 Vaughan Wi...

Cyril Ignatius

I'm not familiar with Norman Lebrecht, and I suspect some other readers may not be either, so will one of the veterans here will fill us in on this character? Obviously the article is very colorful and really quite amusing in its own way. Certainly many very reasonable people have already pointed ou...

Cyril Ignatius

Tort reform, anyone???

Cyril Ignatius

I recently purchased a DVD of Francois playing the Ravel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, and the Grieg Piano Concerto. I recommend it, and it is almost like stepping back in time to attend a concert.

Cyril Ignatius

That's pretty good, Karl. But I have to quibble. Mahler completed the Adagio of his Tenth Symphony, and it is one of the greatest pieces he wrote, in my humble opinion. Moreover, at 28 minutes or so, and artistically complex, it is fully a symphony in its own right. My own list of the truly great Ma...

Cyril Ignatius

So many issues swirling around this great revelation on Beethoven! Even an interesting question as to the artistic standing of the best of the American art song - a fascinating question, maybe we'll have to take that up separately. Here's a question to the experts and ponderers alike. It seems to be...

Cyril Ignatius

If nobody will put Mahler's 3rd in, than I must. What a symphony!! Where better to see Mahler's genius. And Bruckner's Fifth, Sixth and Ninth are also at the top (Each of Bruckner's 4-9 are tremendous artistic achievements) It is good to see Bruckner has begun to get some of the attention he deserve...

Cyril Ignatius

Are you sure it isn't Saint Saen's Symphony # 3 "The Organ Symphony"?

Cyril Ignatius

I don't recall offhand wether John Covelli came through Milwaukee during the time I attended concerts at the Milwaukee Symphony. This time was perhaps the very last of the Zdenek Macal era and then for several years where the conductors were in and out alot and then into the first part of the curren...

Cyril Ignatius

If you want something charming and lyrical, try out Karl Goldmark's Rustic Wedding Symphony, which I'm listening to right now as I write this. Very different from Debussy, but with delightful country charm. Yes, Debussy' piano preludes are very different that the famous Prelude to the Afternoon of a...

Cyril Ignatius

I really like the collection of comments above. I also think jbuck hits the nail on the head in pointing out that many circumstances might deny a person the exposure to classical music. Yes, many people not initially exposed to music might come into it through various circumstances, but the larger p...

Cyril Ignatius

These approaches to classical music are greatly needed in our society. I love the great concerts in the large concert halls - I'm a regular wherever I happen to be living. Since I moved to KY in early August of 2004, the Cincinnati Symphony has been my "home" orchestra. Before this, and going back i...

Cyril Ignatius

It sounds interesting. For those of us who are techologically challenged, can you explain a little more how the process works. I'm a composer of what I loosely term "light-classical miniatures' for solo instrument, and seeking a publishing market, etc. In terms of the practical process, how would th...

Cyril Ignatius

Ravel - Daphnis and Chloe, complete ballet score, with Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony.

Nicolai Ghiaurov - Russian Arias, with Edward Downes and the LSO

Mozart, Piano Concerto # 23 Wilhelm Kempff, piano, with the Bamberger Symphony and Ferdinand Leitner.

Cyril Ignatius

Maybe we can work on that movie - But lets get Adrian Brody for the actor, perhaps. But really, who better than Bronfman to select pianos - he's a class act.

Cyril Ignatius

When it comes to this question of Mozart and Beethoven on the piano, I can only speak as a listener and not a player, when it comes to the piano. And my listening development went almost directly backwards, starting from music solidly rooted in the romantic/late romantic period, then moveing into ea...

Cyril Ignatius

Okay Karl, I'm willing to work with this. Henryk Gorecki (1933- ) as far as I know is still alive and his Third Symphony just might be one of those stratospheric compositions on the level of Brahms Second Symphony. Are there others?

Cyril Ignatius

For grand music of soaring heights and tragic depths you might try some good opera, almost anything by Puccini. Franz Lehar is also great. Try Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. And Verdi's Il Trovatore. Here is one of my favorites: "A Beautiful World" by Tenor Jerry Hadley. This CD features ma...

Cyril Ignatius

Karl and David - has any living composer written anything as glorious as Brahm's Second Symphony?

Cyril Ignatius

I would recommend the Jean Yves Thibaudet CD featuring Piano Concertos # 1 and 2, the Hungarian Fantasy and Totentanz. Liszt was such a major innovator. I learned something about music from his works that I think of as the Franz Liszt rule, or the Franz Liszt principle. Some of his music isn't that ...

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