What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. X)

System 7 - POINT 3 ~ WATER ALBUM  -  on c.d..

somewhere in the region of Radio Dome musick and beyond into other highly ambient domains.

Shawn Mullins, Honeydew, flac streamed via Hugo. Had this for ages and not really listened to it, seems pleasant enough but not as good as the excellent Soul's Core which we love

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, Pathetique

First the Gergiev version and then twice the Karajan (1985) version. Gergiev is the more dramatic, but I feel Karajan's conveys more tension, more of the inner torment. I had just assumed this to be because of his slower tempo, but checking the times of each movement it seems Karajan is almost consistently faster throughout. Whatever, it's brilliant music. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlR6lqGM_dM

Still unavailable in the US.

Waiting on this since it was first posted.  Still haven't seen a US release date.  Really liked the first one. 

This is a really good album...

Haim, like in a trance, I followed and fell right into your suggestive post here. 

Johannes Brahms:  Mischa Maisky (cello), Pavel Gililov (piano)

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38

Seven Lieder...ohne Worte

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99

Over the weekend I began my work in earnest on the F major Sonata.  Along with the Andante from the Rachmaninov Cello Sonata, the Debussy Cello Sonata and now the Brahms Sonata, this will be my main focus on the piano for at least the next year of my life.

Strange how it goes.  On the surface, it is much easier for me to understand the E minor Sonata.  Instantaneously recognizable and easy to relate to I was easily more familiar with it than the F major sonata but since my cellist partner had already played the E minor years ago she now picked the F major sonata to be this years main work.  Funny how working on something creates an eventual love for a work that did not exist prior to facing the struggle.

A very challenging work it is.  Yes, I have already more than once thought of throwing in the towel and admitting defeat.  It is typical Brahms, that is, at times fiendishly difficult and brutal. Throw in polyrhythms and sometimes one tends to lose the will to live on.

So my focus for now is on just the first 65 bars of the Allegro vivace.  A small bite for a full time professional but more than enough for a part timer with busy life.  Note by note, bar by bar one has to go deep and leave no detail unturned.  Probably only 1/3 of the 1st movement but there are no shortcuts.  It takes a lot of time and sweat to learn this music properly and a lot of work has to be done prior to my first rehearsal with the cellist.  

To put it in perspective, these 65 bars may take about a month to learn and only about 2 minutes to play (and then repeated for 4 minutes) when fully learned (out of about 28 or 30 minutes total).  In the same time, I would imagine that maybe Haim would have read 4 or 5 books.  This explains why I haven't been able to post very much in the "What is the last book you have read" section.  With what energy I have left in day now I tend to only be able to look at books with lots of pictures and few words...

Over the weekend I spent time with the many recordings I already have of this work but working on a new piece really creates demand and expands the library fast as one has a hunger and curiosity to hear how others interpret a work.  Once I spend enough time with the work then eventually I stop listening as I develop my own ideas.

Johannes Brahms:  Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Rudolf Serkin (piano)

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99

 Johannes Brahms:  Zuill Bailey (cello), Awadagin Pratt (piano)

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99

Johannes Brahms:  Pablo Casals (cello), Mieczyslaw Horszowski (piano)

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99

Johannes Brahms:  Marc Coppey (cello), Peter Laul (piano)

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99

Johannes Brahms:  Paul Watkins (cello), Ian Brown (piano)

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99

Johannes Brahms:  Anne Gastinel (cello), Francois-Frederic Guy (piano)

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99

Johannes Brahms:  Thomas Carroll (cello), Llyr Williams (piano)

Sonate for Violoncello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99

Really enjoy this one. 

Tackling with Franck's Piano Quintet. 

Due to a poor sound quality of fiddle, it's testing my patience.

John Mellencamp. Human Wheels. Originally released in 1993, I'm listening to the 2005 CD remaster. The title track is a poetic, haunting eulogy set to rather up-beat music; seems befitting of the overall dark nature of this LP. Perhaps the beginning of a dark period in Mellencamp's career? I'm looking forward to hearing his latest LP. Hope to find the vinyl out soon locally.

Personally I don't think he has made a better album than Soul's Core.

The new Jon Dee Graham Do not forget. I don't have any artwork at the moment.

Heart. Dog & Butterfly. On Portrait vinyl from 1978. I prefer the Dog side to the Butterfly side of this LP, and just for kicks I played the Butterfly side first tonight .