What are you listening to?

[Jared]

Just when I am getting my List under control!!!

Oh you'll love it... the recording and performances are both very fine indeed, and the classical guitar make the serenades quite different from the norm (slightly Spanish, if I may say)... gives me a new dimension to Hummel's repertoire.

[Jared]

two very high quality recordings of different parts of Purcell's amazing repertoire... both are very welcome additions to my collection!

[Diapason]

The one thing that I have always wondered about with this work is why Tchaikovsky did not use that strong, powerful opening theme again after the first three minutes of the work?

Motivated by this comment, which had never occurred to me before, I hunted out the sheet music on imslp.org (such a fantastic resource) and listened to it a couple of times. You're right, Fergus, it is strange! Anyway, by complete coincidence, there was a live performance of the work on Lyric last night and I thought it was fab. Did anyone else hear it? It was the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Mikhail Pletnev, and the soloist was Daniil Trifonov, winner of Tchaikovsky Competition 2011.

[Jared]

I'm limbering up for June... ;-)

[Jared]

The one thing that I have always wondered about with this work is why Tchaikovsky did not use that strong, powerful opening theme again after the first three minutes of the work?

Motivated by this comment, which had never occurred to me before, I hunted out the sheet music on imslp.org (such a fantastic resource) and listened to it a couple of times. You're right, Fergus, it is strange! Anyway, by complete coincidence, there was a live performance of the work on Lyric last night and I thought it was fab. Did anyone else hear it? It was the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Mikhail Pletnev, and the soloist was Daniil Trifonov, winner of Tchaikovsky Competition 2011.

Simon, do you have Pletnev's own version of these works? They're one of the finest versions out there and also one of the cheapest:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Pia ... 652&sr=8-1

[Diapason]

I'm limbering up for June... ;-)

I'm feeling under pressure now post-Mussorgsky, I'd better start swatting up on the work. The best I can hope for is that I bamboozle you all with arcane musical insights directly cogged from a book and that none of us has a hope of understanding...

Simon, do you have Pletnev's own version of these works? They're one of the finest versions out there and also one of the cheapest:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Pia ... 652&sr=8-1

Thanks for that, I should probably put that on the list straightaway. I have two recordings of it on my shelf:



and



The Wild is really good, although could do with a bit more bravura (aka balls!) at times. The Demidenko has its moments but doesn't really work quite so well overall. However, the Scriabin on the same disc is magical. Do you know that work? The slow movement is just meltingly gorgeous.

[Jared]

Do you know that work? The slow movement is just meltingly gorgeous.

Yes, I certainly know the work, but neither of the versions you have quoted. I own:





of which the former is perfectly fine and the second very fine indeed...

[Diapason]

Sorry, I meant the Scriabin!

[Jared]

Sorry, I meant the Scriabin!

Sorry, I'm an eejit!

I don't know any Scriabin at all, I'm afraid... an area I have yet to explore at a future date.

[Diapason]

Well I'd strongly recommend that Piano Concerto to kick things off!