Tír Na HiFi

Diapason wrote: No offence here. Trust me. I know exactly how depressing the organ can be!

Simon, I'm afraid it reminds me of when I was dragged to church, every sunday as a child.. cold, austere and forbidding. I've consequently never found any love for the instrument, however in due course, I will try some of Handel's Organ Concertos to see whether I can find a way in... it will be in my own time, though..

fergus wrote:Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra....

I'm sure you don't need any seal of approval from me, do you Fergus??

he he

Jared wrote:... you may have noticed that when I first tackle a new, substantial piece of work, I attempt to compare two two highly regarded, yet stylistically different versions of the piece... for instance, Gardiner & Karajan, or a 50's recording with a recent one... that gives me the way in to trying to understand the varying ways of how a piece might be interpreted. I then add anything which might be appropriate from my BBC Music collection, such as the Octet mentioned above.... I feel it helps me learn...

Your discipline puts me to shame!!!

Jared wrote:

Diapason wrote: No offence here. Trust me. I know exactly how depressing the organ can be!

Simon, I'm afraid it reminds me of when I was dragged to church, every sunday as a child.. cold, austere and forbidding. I've consequently never found any love for the instrument, however in due course, I will try some of Handel's Organ Concertos to see whether I can find a way in... it will be in my own time, though..

That is a very good place to start Jared. However, if you heard Simon playing you would be (almost) immediately converted as most of what he plays is wonderful and accessible....sure we would have you listening to JS Bach and Buxtehude in no time at all!!!

Jared wrote:

fergus wrote:Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra....

I'm sure you don't need any seal of approval from me, do you Fergus??

he he

Majestic, powerful, magnificent and as many other superlatives as one can muster to describe a performance [wink]

fergus wrote: That is a very good place to start Jared. However, if you heard Simon playing you would be (almost) immediately converted as most of what he plays is wonderful and accessible....sure we would have you listening to JS Bach and Buxtehude in no time at all!!!

sounds to me that Simon's organ playing would be worth the trip to Dublin, on it's own... !

You're very kind Fergus, but perhaps a little *too* generous. :-) Certainly if you heard me playing recently you might not be so impressed!!

Diapason wrote:You're very kind Fergus, but perhaps a little *too* generous. :-) Certainly if you heard me playing recently you might not be so impressed!!

That is merely because you have not done so in public at least for quite a while....it is like riding the proverbial bycle Simon and besides, a man of your talent should have no problem in raising your game in no time at all. Do I detect rehearsals in progress for an upcoming performance?

Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht [Orchestral version]....




Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht Op. 4 is programme music based on a poem written at the time. To put it in its musical context this work immediately preceded Gurrelider so it is an extremely accessible Schoenberg composition. It was originally written as a string sextet and was later, apparently, re-arranged for string orchestra. If you came to this music for the first time via the string orchestra version you would be very impressed with the beauty of the music. The passion and the drama of the work are brought out very well in this version. But although it is a beautiful version, the heavy orchestral textures detract from the haunting simplicity and, above all, the intimacy of the original chamber version which is, for me, the essence of the work.

fergus wrote:[Do I detect rehearsals in progress for an upcoming performance?

I'm meant to be contributing to a fairly low-key concert in Monkstown before the summer, but I'll need to get my act together. Hoping to play some movements from Widor Symphonie Romane, and others will play assorted works, mainly French Romantic. I'll let you know.