What are you listening to?

[Jared]

If you like Isokowski's voice, Jared, then I highly recommend her reading of Paul Hindemith's exquisite song cycle, Das Marienleben (available on Ondine), based on texts by the great Rainer Maria Rilke, and considered by Glenn Gould to be be the finest song cycle yet written.

Very interesting Paul, thank you.

[fergus]

More beautiful music....





....once again beautifully sung.

[Jose Echenique]

If you like Isokowski's voice, Jared, then I highly recommend her reading of Paul Hindemith's exquisite song cycle, Das Marienleben (available on Ondine), based on texts by the great Rainer Maria Rilke, and considered by Glenn Gould to be be the finest song cycle yet written.

You can never be too sure about Glenn Gould. He thought Mozart died too late rather than too early (Brendel considered him a joke) and his favourite singers were Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Barbra Streisand! Ugh!

[Jared]

Hmmm I have to say, this has more than a little of the 'British Light Music Programme' about it... pleasant enough but I can't see it having a great deal of lasting resonance for me.. at best it's quite interesting, at worst it's a little derivative and bland, whilst the last piece, Jesus Dear Jesus is utterly toe-curling! I guess the composer's surname should have told me all I needed to know, but it was still worth a £1 charity shop punt...

[Jared]

You can never be too sure about Glenn Gould. He thought Mozart died too late rather than too early (Brendel considered him a joke) and his favourite singers were Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Barbra Streisand! Ugh!

I like a bit of Betty Blackhead...

yes, he apparently never got the hang of Mozart's piano works, did he?

[Jose Echenique]

You can never be too sure about Glenn Gould. He thought Mozart died too late rather than too early (Brendel considered him a joke) and his favourite singers were Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Barbra Streisand! Ugh!

I like a bit of Betty Blackhead...

yes, he apparently never got the hang of Mozart's piano works, did he?

He played them as badly as he could as to prove his point. Sadly (for him) you only have to take Lipatti, Giesseking, Serkin, Pollini, Perahia, Haskil, Brendel, etc., to prove him wrong.
He also made THE most perverse recording ever of Brahms 2nd Concerto with Leonard Bernstein.
Lenny himself famously said that he didn´t endorse the performance. The problem with Gould is that he thought he was better than the music, and of course, he wasn´t.

[Seán]

If you like Isokowski's voice, Jared, then I highly recommend her reading of Paul Hindemith's exquisite song cycle, Das Marienleben (available on Ondine), based on texts by the great Rainer Maria Rilke, and considered by Glenn Gould to be be the finest song cycle yet written.

You can never be too sure about Glenn Gould. He thought Mozart died too late rather than too early (Brendel considered him a joke) and his favourite singers were Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Barbra Streisand! Ugh!

Ugh is right!

[Jared]

Sadly (for him) you only have to take Lipatti, Giesseking, Serkin, Pollini, Perahia, Haskil, Brendel, etc., to prove him wrong.

Completely... when it comes to Mozart, I'd also add Pires, Anda, Barenboim and especially Clifford Curzon to that list... if you ever feel so inclined Pepe, have a listen to this disk:



as smooth as silk and as rich as velvet...

[Jared]

this disk seems to sum up singlehandedly, every emotion felt by Fergus, during his recent Symphonic traversal of this composer; in turns sublimely melodic and atmospheric, then jarring, discordant and bombastic rhythms, bordering on atonality... hmmm.. quite a mix of styles, here...

[fergus]

this disk seems to sum up singlehandedly, every emotion felt by Fergus, during his recent Symphonic traversal of this composer; in turns sublimely melodic and atmospheric, then jarring, discordant and bombastic rhythms, bordering on atonality... hmmm.. quite a mix of styles, here...

I found his music to be interesting enough Jared particularly the later works where he seemed to find his own voice and style. How did you get on with that CD yourself....challenging, a bit perplexed but enjoyed it?