WAYLTL - August 2024

[Todd M. McComb]

A new cycle of Brahms Symphonies from the Chamber Orchestra of
Europe & Yannick Nezet-Seguin on DG....

I'm not sure why this called out to me this week, but I enjoyed it
at least one time through.... Some here might know I like the
Gardiner Brahms, and this is also smaller forces. So I'm looking
forward to hearing these again in other random moments. The latest
in sound quality also doesn't hurt.

[Todd M. McComb]

Rather farther afield, there does seem to be some ongoing interest
in Sorabji here. (My own interests have shifted more toward less
traditionally minded composers, but Sorabji does have his moments....)

And so I also want to mention the new _Vocal and Chamber Works_
by "Wild Beautiful Orchestra" on Bis. It's an opportunity to hear
something beyond piano solos. (And as I recall, his mother was an
opera singer...?)

It's also worth noting, perhaps, that I've once again wanted to
highlight a new album on Bis (after Brahms String Quintets last
month...). I have no idea if being owned by Apple played into these
releases at all -- as they may have basically been booked already
-- but so far, Apple's ownership doesn't appear to be bad. (I say
that with an abundance of caution!)

[Owen Hartnett]

Just happened to come upon this video of the remarkable Chelsea Guo on
Youtube. She's most remarkable in that she is both an accomplished soprano
*and* an accomplished pianist, who often accompanies her own singing
(accompanies her own playing?).

Ms. Guo seems to revel in the beauty of the music, which is abundant here.

-Owen

[Owen Hartnett]

Greatest of all time index finger on a pianist:

-Owen

[Graham]

Post by Owen Hartnett
http://youtu.be/amQ63EZfUMA
-Owen

I think the phrase "of all time" should be banned!!!!!

[DeepBlue]

Post by Graham

Post by Owen Hartnett
http://youtu.be/amQ63EZfUMA

I think the phrase "of all time" should be banned!!!!!

Would you consider replacing it with "greatest
of all past times"? With an exception for Chico
of course. He was indeed the GOAT! ;-)

Cheers!

[Owen Hartnett]

Post by Graham

Post by Owen Hartnett
http://youtu.be/amQ63EZfUMA
-Owen

I think the phrase "of all time" should be banned!!!!!

Banned for all time?

-Owen

[Owen Hartnett]

Not classical, but what I've been listening to:


Always love good boogie woogie music, particularly with a skilled pianist, as
has Asleep at the Wheel here, on Route 66:

https://open.spotify.com/track/5xChIVtQe9Eztph0DBbxLe?si=eab9c82a27a446f0

...and Frankie Ford's got no shade on him, in a popular song way back, but
mostly forgotten now:

https://open.spotify.com/track/0GDUR28IO8jDVBYocH3FQF?si=b6a1ff3cc18f4356

-Owen

[palsing]

Ray Benson never disappoints!

[DeepBlue]

Revisiting Elisabeth Leonskaja's recordings,
focusing on more recent live performances
not (yet?) released on physical media.

Elisabeth Leonskaja was born in 1945 in
Tbilisi and was a child prodigy as much
as any pianist in history. She won the
1964 Enescu piano competition straight
out of high school at age 19, and then
enrolled at the Moscow Conservatory!

She had a difficult early careers in
Russia as a result of being Jewish
and married to another Jewish artist
violinist Oleg Kagan. She resumed her
career after moving to Austria. She
has recorded the complete Mozart and
Beethoven Piano Sonatas, as well as
many war horse piano concertos.

Check her biography on Wikipedia and
on her own web site for more details.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Leonskaja

http://www.leonskaja.com/

Cheers!

[DeepBlue]

Post by Todd M. McComb
A new cycle of Brahms Symphonies from the Chamber Orchestra of
Europe & Yannick Nezet-Seguin on DG....
I'm not sure why this called out to me this week, but I enjoyed it
at least one time through.... Some here might know I like the
Gardiner Brahms, and this is also smaller forces. So I'm looking
forward to hearing these again in other random moments. The latest
in sound quality also doesn't hurt.

"Smaller forces" ?!?

Brahms' synphonies require an armored division! ;-)

Cheers!

[Todd M. McComb]

A new recital of Brahms chamber music (Opp, 78, 40, 120/2) performed
in period tunings, Vallotti & Kirnberger III:

https://johnnyreinhard.bandcamp.com/album/johannes-brahms-clarinet-sonata-2-in-f-minor-violin-sonata-1-in-g-major-horn-trio-in-eb-minor-featuring-pianist-joshua-pierce-clarinetist-gilad-harel-violinist-dan-auerbach-and-natural-hornist-so

Fault can always be found with different aspects of these performances,
I'm sure, but I'm generally interested in other tunings, and these
are pretty well executed.... It changes some of the colorings.
(The remarks I was sent, but which don't appear to be included on
the web page, note that the natural horn is a real bear in Vallotti
temperament actually....) Some of the piano figures (e.g. opening
Op. 120/2, and maybe even more so for the third movement...) can
seem to be playing specifically off/with the tuning ambiguities.

[Todd M. McComb]

Last of August, new Schubert 9 from Jan Willem de Vriend and
Residentie Orkest The Hague.... Apparently this conductor got his
reputation by specializing in 17th & 18th century music on modern
instruments. I enjoy the result here.