The Classical Music Guide Forums

Ken

^ Bei den Tamino-Klassikforen wäre dies kein Thema; die Antworte wären selbstverständlich. Zum Glück sind wir gerade bei einem etwas 'internationaleren' Forum, da wir es in Kauf nehmen müssen, andere haben unterschiedliche Meinungen wie uns.

Ken

Andre Rieu - The Homecoming!
Various Composers
Johann Strauss Orchestra Netherlands
Denon Records

Ken

Chalkperson wrote:I always held Schumann (and Brahms) in low esteem, and, continue to do so, but, that said i'll try pretty much anything, and even if I don't enjoy it i'm not too bothered, at least I heard it...

In order to become disenchanted with something does one not first have to be enchanted with it?

Ken

Deutsch, natürlich...

Ken

Happy Birthday, Willie! I'll be listening to some Henry V today in your honour...

Ken

I'm very sorry to hear this, TheHorn---though perhaps this will motivate you to check out the Bernstein/NYPO recording of the selfsame work on Sony, if you haven't already... It's a real treat!

Ken

I just remembered another artist who, to directly translate a common German expression, really "goes me animally on the cookies": Thielemann. He seems to believe that he's the greatest thing to happen to German music since his alleged podium predecessor, Furtwängler. And I cannot say that I've ever ...

Ken

Hindemith: Piano Sonatas 1-3
Glenn Gould
Sony

Ken

I hate to admit it, but I can't really deal with Gidon Kremer. His performance of Glass's Violin Concerto with Dohnanyi and the Wiener Philharmoniker is just about the only recording I've heard where I don't periodically cringe at the lack of tone depth and the strange liberties he takes in phrasing...

Ken

Beethoven: Violinesonate Nr. 9, 'Kreutzer'
Isabelle Faust
Alexander Melnikov
Harmonia Mundi (First Recording, 2007)

Ken

Schumann: Klaviertrio in d-Moll, Op. 63
Alfred Cortot, Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casals
Naxos Historical

Ken

True, although saying this implies that many of his works were in fact at one point played. I imagine most composers are lucky if their entire output in fact makes its way to the concert hall. That said, has Saint-Saëns enjoyed a comeback since the 1960s? I'm not too aware of how his popularity has ...

Ken

Jack, you have mentioned Zweitausendeins before, which is a store that I also quite enjoy to browse (even if the organization of CDs is a bit mish-mash). Where else do you enjoy looking for music in this country?

Ken

Though I've obviously not a long collecting history considering my age, what I do notice today is consistent recording quality in unexpected places. 'Minor' labels like Orfeo, BIS, Hyperion, ECM, PentaTone and Hännsler continue to amaze me with the caliber of performances that they release to disc a...

Ken

Right now I'm purchasing only about one CD per month. In the past this rate was much, much higher---but I tend to buy in spurts. This said, I don't feel as though less purchasing is acting as a hindrance to my enjoyment of the music.

I've also learned how to stop worrying and love YouTube.

Ken

Hindemith: Violinsonaten
Ulf Wallin
Roland Pöntinen
BIS

Ken

Schumann: Klavierquintett in E-moll, Op. 44
Thomas Rajna
Alberni String Quartet
Brilliant

Quite a lovely recording.

Ken

In advance of seeing Midori play the selfsame work in recital tonight:

Schumann: Violinsonate Nr. 2 in d-moll, Op. 121

Isabelle Faust/Silke Avenhaus
CPO

Carolin Widmann/Denes Varjon
ECM New Series

George Enescu/Celiny Chilley
Naxos

Ara Malikian/Serouj Kradjian
Hänssler

Ken

^ Yes, und auf Deutsch, natürlich. According to the TestDaF Institute all the time(/money) I invested in German intensive courses have paid off and I'm able to carry out academic work. Whether or not I'm able to carry out idiomatic everyday conversations with lots of charismatic figures of speech is...

Ken

I'm at three: 1. Ottawa, Ontario 2. Halifax, Nova Scotia 3. Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen The odds of me staying here in Düsseldorf at least for the beginning of my doctoral work (as opposed to moving to the city where my supervising faculty is--either Berlin, Weimar, Dortmund, or Aachen) are pret...

Ken

All I can add to this conversation is that I wish Hyperion discs were somewhat more affordable...

Ken

^ Ahem, yeah... And mine, too!

This said, Karajan's recording of the Fourth Symphony from around 1960, which on EMI is paired with his Philharmonia recording of Brahms's Fourth, is well executed.

Ken

Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 4, 5, 10
Isabelle Faust
Alexander Melnikov
Harmonia Mundi

Ken

In-optimistic-honour-of-spring Musik:

Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante, Concertone
Julia Fischer
Gordan Nikolic
Yakov Kreizberg/Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
PentaTone

Ken

This said, Schumann was a notorious opponent of applause between the movements of his orchestral works. Because of this we're left with: - The 'attacca' between the Scherzo/Trio and Finale of the Frühlingssinfonie - The lovely flowing, swelling form of the Piano Concerto - The channeled narrative of...

Ken

A matter of taste, opinion, context, and a whole number of other subjective factors. I dare say that the contemporary attitude towards applause at a classical concert reflects the modern classical-patron demographic and the big scary institution that so-called 'serious' music has turned into. Like R...

Ken

and what about the younger set? Are they buying CDs or downloading? As a member of this set (I assume!), I'll pitch in my personal experience: "yes and yes, though not at the moment." When I do buy music I still prefer to have the hard-copy CD in front of me, jewel case, liner notes and all. Often ...

Ken

Surprised not to see any mention of Arrau's fabulous recording on Philips with Haitink and the Concertgebouw. I think this is my benchmark for this work.

Ken

Schumannjahr 2010 includes the occasional diversion into 'other Schuman(n)s'.

William Schuman: Violin Concerto
Philippe Quint
José Serebrier/Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Naxos

Ken

^ Critics like Hurwitz are of course fully guilty for overpraising each and every new Argerich release and assigning them full stars. I can't remember the last time I saw a new Argerich (Live or '& Friends') record that didn't receive undivided acclaim from the press.

Ken

"Legendary pianist and recluse Martha Argerich will continue to release live performances of music that she has recorded numerous times previously."

Ken

Yesterday:

Walton: Violin, Viola Concertos
Yehudi Menuhin
Sir William Walton/Philharmonia Orchestra of London
EMI

Ken

slofstra wrote:I played the piano sonatas upstairs the other night and even my wife and niece remarked on how good this music is.

Honestly one of my favourite discs in my collection. A real gem.

Ken

Interesting, because sometimes I find the sheer power and drive of Richter's playing to evoke the same kind of superficiality that he hears in Gould. Nevertheless, both are tremendous interpreters with highly charismatic styles, which I believe is one of the things that I like most about their playi...

Ken

This is a difficult thread for me to plunge in to: I listen almost exclusively with headphones, and the poster who mentioned that he wishes to preserve his musician's ears is right---I don't want to be deaf at 40!

Ken

Chalkperson wrote:oh, I just checked, Woody Allen does not like Schumann either, he calls it "flowery" and much prefers Schubert (of course, now there is a real Composer)...

Ah, good---I've just found one more reason not to like Woody Allen!

Ken

...and Brahm's Handel Variations are superb, so is his Requiem, Schumann's Vocal Music is like a wet fish handshake by comparison... :wink: When was the last time you listened to Szenen aus Goethes 'Faust' or Manfred , Chalk? Or perhaps the Romanzen und Balladen from his Dresden period, in which he...

Ken

Those who believe that Schumann was a less-than-capable orchestrator, or that he had difficulty blending singular instrumental lines into an ensemble must confront the composer's lively and clever Konzertstück für vier Hörner , perhaps one of the most creative---not to mention challenging---concerta...

Ken

^ I would love to see a new recording of his neglected Düsseldorf-era voice and orchestra works, 'Der Könnigssohn', 'Rheinweinlied', and 'Neujahrslied', which as far as I know do not exist on CD. The latter two I had the pleasure of hearing here in Düsseldorf on New Year's Day and was very impressed...

Ken

I must disagree a little, however, with my friend, Ken. Schumann's art-songs are as important to his overall output as Beethoven's piano sonatas are to the Bonn Master; but we must be careful not to commit a "Grieg-ism" and proclaim Schumann as primarily a song-composer, any more than Mendelssohn o...

Ken

Now a question to all: which single Schumann work do you find the most challenging/difficult to enjoy/understand? This should be very interesting. Tschüß, Jack I possibly the F minor Sonata, 'Concert sans orchestre', the most challenging of his works. It seems to run tangentially to anything he had...

Ken

That Schumann is my favourite composer should not surprise those of you who know my posting history in these forums. His music is at once highly personal and characteristic, and his complete musical intelligence and contribution to Romanticism both as a composer and as a writer should not be underes...

Ken

Sad to hear about Hétu's passing; he had certainly made his name as one of the best Canadian composers.

Ken

I find it irritating when a conductor addresses the audience without saying anything that most people did not already know, or just to try to 'break the ice', as it were. I also don't enjoy it very much when through his or her speech the conductor gives away a critical 'secret' in the music that lis...

Ken

Chalkperson wrote:
Ken wrote:Do we measure greatness in terms of impact and influence? If so, then probably Furtwängler, Toscanini, and Karajan---not necessarily in that order.
Turning your back on Christoph von Dohnányi I see...

I might be biased, but I'm not blind to history!

Ken

I often log on at 8:00 CEST (2:00 EST) and post a few of my meanderings... So you can't blame me for the early-morning lull! But really, folks---a good night's sleep is probably more advisable than staying up until morning-grey electronically arguing about your five favourite page-turners with other...

Ken

Do we measure greatness in terms of impact and influence? If so, then probably Furtwängler, Toscanini, and Karajan---not necessarily in that order.

Ken

Better late than never: Herzlichen Glückwünsch nachträglich zum Geburtstag, Chalkperson!

Ken

Great project!

I have not a drop of British blood, but find quite an affinity for the language, as well as the musik of Elgar, Britten, Tippett, Adès, and especially William Walton. Look forward to reading your commentary on some of these composers!

Ken

Wow, I almost missed the occasion---thanks for reminding us, Lance! I still have time to make good by listening to Brendel play one or two of the Sonatas.

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