Tír Na HiFi

A journey back to Rach for Jared.

Watching the BBC Proms and I quite enjoyed the first new piece by a British composer, the composers name escapes me (sorry). The Britten was fine, Stephen Hough is a dream and Katie Derham is a real pain in the arse (sorry, but it's true)

Seán wrote:A journey back to Rach for Jared.

Watching the BBC Proms and I quite enjoyed the first new piece by a British composer, the composers name escapes me (sorry). The Britten was fine, Stephen Hough is a dream and Katie Derham is a real pain in the arse (sorry, but it's true)

also watching the Proms... hope you manage to sit through the RVW Symphony without nodding off, Sean! Just keep focusing on the lovely Sally Matthews (!) Incidentally, I saw her in the Glyndebourne production of The Marriage of Figaro last night... 2 evenings in a row with Sally can't be bad!

Katie Derham.... hmm... her lack of knowledge is evident every time she opens her mouth... I keep thinking 'Suzy Klein should be doing this!'

Yeah, a blast of Rachmaninov today... it had been a little while to be fair.

An upcoming CD review assignment for this recording

Sean Hickey Cello and Clarinet Concertos (2007, 2006)

Dmitry Kouzov, cello Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet Vladimir Lande, conductor St. Petersburg State SO

Delos DE 3448

Although born in 1970, Hickey's music is highly influenced by Shostakovich and Britten to some extent. Quite accessible and highly interesting.

Interesting note, Hickey's Day job is Director of Sales and Business Development for Naxos records... surprised he has time to compose full scale works!

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No 1, 2, 3 & 7
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Nikolaus Harnoncourt - conducting.

I had to go into work this morning, however, I had the office to myself and as I was equipped with my old Sony Walkman CD player and a pair of Sennheiser PX100's I was able to enjoy these marvellous performances in peace. I never tire of listening to Beethoven's music.

Seán wrote:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No 1, 2, 3 & 7
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Nikolaus Harnoncourt - conducting.

I had to go into work this morning, however, I had the office to myself and as I was equipped with my old Sony Walkman CD player and a pair of Sennheiser PX100's I was able to enjoy these marvellous performances in peace. I never tire of listening to Beethoven's music.

Amen to that!

it's been this interesting disk of Rach's Cello music for me today... newly arrived and on third listen. I love the Cello Sonata.

Seán wrote: I had to go into work this morning, however, I had the office to myself and as I was equipped with my old Sony Walkman CD player and a pair of Sennheiser PX100's I was able to enjoy these marvellous performances in peace. I never tire of listening to Beethoven's music.

great way to reclaim something from your day, Sean...

The highlights for me in this particular set were Symphonies Nos. 4 & 9.

Beethoven's No. 4 for me is his most enigmatic work even after all of these years of listening! I find the musical language different and elusive in some way. I really must sit down and study it some time. This particular version was quite a powerful one I thought.

Beethoven's 9th is a momentous work by any standards and it is not always successfully performed even given some of the illustrious forces that have recorded it. Not everyone it seems to me can crack the entire four movements separately and still make the work a conclusive whole. Oftentimes the soloists fail in the choral section. This version I found to be very satisfying overall.


Incidentally I saw recent enough photos of Maestro Addado and he looked in very bad health. One does hope that he does not suffer unduly with his illness!

fergus wrote:Incidentally I saw recent enough photos of Maestro Abbado and he looked in very bad health. One does hope that he does not suffer unduly with his illness!

just a little worse for wear after all those birthday celebrations Sean laid on for him... he'll be fine! ;-)

well, this has been my VERY FIRST EVER listen to the music of Scriabin, and I actually found it to be more accessible than I'd imagined:

The Poem of Ecstacy
Symph No.2
BBC Phil/ Vassily Sinaisky