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

Similar style than the albums of Tord Gustavsen before...

Always different, sometimes interesting, sometimes going too far...

While best known as a master of the organ and of the polyphonic Cantata, the great Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) also left us a number of Spiritual Concerts for soloists and instrumental ensemble. For this recital, Hans-Jorg Mammel (tenor) has selected works from this repertoire, including amazing vocal chaconnes which bear the undisputed signature of the great composer the young Bach so much admired.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYjj9KBulBg

CD - Lykke Li - I Never Learn

Florestan posted:

Sergei Rachmaninov:  Artur Pizarro (piano), Christian Tetzlaff (violin), Tanja Tetzlaff (cello)

Piano Trio No. 2 'Trio Elegiaque' for Piano, Violin, and Cello Op. 9

This Piano Trio in D minor remains one of my favourite piano trios.  Rachmaninov was only 20 years old when he wrote it.  Unimaginable really that music like this was conceived in the first place let alone that someone at any age could be so brutally honest and emotionally frank.  Written as a tribute to Tchaikovsky after his death in 1893 it really is a great work - which fits nicely right beside Tchaikovsky's own Piano Trio in A minor.  Two great indispensable works for me actually.

Pizarro / Tetzlaff / Tetzlaff actually doing a fairly nice job here of the work.  In the end though, it seems for me that the ultimate recording of this work for me remains Kogan / Luzanov / Svetlanov.  

 

After another listen today I would have to say that this is a very strong contender.  Had I not recently come across the Kogan / Luzanov / Svetlanov, I would have ranked this one at or near the very top at least.  It certainly is strong but in different ways.  It is funny how one never knows how music can affect you.  The Tetzlaff team here on strings though seem to be the dominant force.  Pizarro is very good too but his style with Rachmaninov is to underplay him.  This is perfect for much of the work but he tends to get lost behind the Tetzlaffs at times.  

What is amazing about the Kogan / Luzanov / Svetlanov is that upon the first listen I was immediately dumbfounded.  It affected me so deeply and it was like the veil was lifted for the first time and everything made sense.  Furthermore, the trio of players seem to be so unified in the view of the piece.  It was not three individuals each speaking there view but three players all unbelievably unified in vision and focus.  So rare an event is this.  (Of course, this is a viewpoint that I connect with and so this is the outcome for me - others will differ on this.   In the Kogan / Luzanov / Svetlanov, I just hear three incredibly strong players but in the end it is Yevgeny Svetlanov, who for me, just nails it.  It seems to me that he is the driver for this success.  He is conducting from the piano and the violin and the cello complements perfectly.  Simply outstanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU4zkQcHuvM

A must for any percussion lover.

To finish the evening off.

I just cannot contain myself.  If you feel so inclined listen carefully to this trio.  The string players here have so much character and with the piano it is such a joy to hear this.

Listen from the beginning.  Remember that this is a young musician expressing himself musically about the effect that the death of Tchaikovsky had on him.  So the music reflects everything from anguish to sorrow.  I wish I could go note by note but if you are interested I'll show you in about 5 minutes some remarkable things.  Starting at about 5'-40" listen only to the strings for now.  They are about to have the most remarkable conversation.

I should mention to that just before the 6' mark that Svetlanov drops 4 bars?  So anyway, the cello comes in first and states the case.  Next comes the violin to state the same thing but slightly differently.  Then they come together but they still don't quite agree.  (more on this later).  So of course, some tension needs to be introduced again.  Listen how the character of the strings changes.  They become slightly agitated and the beauty disappears.

Over this 5 minutes section also note every musical device is employed.  You experience the softest to the loudest, there is micro and macro phrasing and you will experience an accelerando and then a ritardando.  Kogan / Luzanov / Svetlanov deliver this all in such a convincing way.  I don't here this perfection with other ensembles quite to this degree of perfection.

But the most amazing musical outcome comes for me at the 8' mark.  Knowing what you heard at the 6' mark this is the solution.  From about 7'-50" focus only on the strings for now.  Change of character and you have the beauty of tone emphatically return.  What is so simple but remarkable for my ear is that Rachmaninov fools us.  The re-entry of the string this time is the violin (first time was the cello) but he has the violin returning in a low range which is actually the territory of the cello.  I don't know why this gets me so emotional but it is effective for me anyway.  It is like a woman singing in her lowest range and then a man singing in his highest range.  And the strings here represent the human cries.  But I digress.  

From 7'-50" onward if you focus on the violin (in a low range and many may believe it is the cello) listen how it does not stop from the section before.  If you don't listen specifically for this you will miss this important point as the violin is so soft at the beginning that you barely hear it.  But what a reward to follow it through.  This alone could be my favourite part of the piece.  What follows is the most beautiful (and tasteful) crescendo and then decrescendo you can imagine.  The anguish is unbearable for me.  The cello returns at a higher pitch than the violin and does the same.  Ultimately then on the third sweep, the violin and cello return in unison (same pitch but an octave apart).   

 Long story short, I simply do not hear such a convincing dialog between three players elsewhere.

Frederic Chopin:  Dmitri Alexeev (piano Steinway D 578221)

55 Mazurkas

2016 will finally be a year of returning seriously to my musical passion.  The last decade I was taken to the cleaners and learnt the hard way what a vindictive person can do to someone.  So, with still only 24 hours in a day but with a returned hunger and ambition to finally return to my first love I will be focusing seriously on my top 10 composers only.  There is simply no way for any pianist who loves piano to avoid Chopin and it has been years since I thought about the Mazurkas.  This set of music is very important to me and I intend to continue learning them from where I left off.  I am quite fond of the Mazurkas.

I just received this set played by Dmitri Alexeev a couple days ago but on the first listen I am completely stunned.  This is definitely a top set.  The piano is a tad forthright but it is still a wonderful example of a beautiful Steinway.  

The thing about these pieces is that they sound so unremarkably simple.  Nothing could be farther from the truth though.  The complexity is in the rhythm and stylistic interpretation.  My blood through a distance connects me with European music from the west to the Russian east but I would be not telling the truth if I pretended that understanding and relaying this is easy.  It is sad that in this day and age it isn't politically correct to view nationalism as a positive thing.  I think that is sad.  

This music is really Polish nationalistic music and it is very special for that.  Why shouldn't we celebrate and acknowledge that countries of origin, language, and tradition make us all different.

I am very happy with this new set for me from Dmitri Alexeev.  The program notes alone are worth the price.  It has a nice essay on different styles of playing (Russian school, French etc.), and discusses many recordings since Rubinstein's first complete recording in 1938/39.  It is very informative.

Robert Plant. The Principle Of Moments. On vinyl from 1983. His second solo album.

Robert Plant. Pictures At Eleven. Original vinyl from 1982. His debut solo album.

Blackstar- Bowie; Great album, this guy's on fire. If like me you always thought the sax on the end of Walk On The Wild Side was far too short (Bowie produced) he makes up for it in spades. Lot of hype but well worth it.

Cheers

PG

Johnny Cash. Original Golden Hits Volume I. On Sun label vinyl from 1969. Straight forward boom-chicka-boom melodies with the Tennessee Two. Elegant in their musical and lyric simplicity.

During my workout..

The usual breakfast piano session, very good album..

Oh no...

SACD on repeat...

We have lost someone very special. Sad day.  

Green Day. Shenanigans. On CD from 2002. It's Green Day and it's LOUD, but it's still very musical and oozing with great Billie Joe melodic bites. Just don't listen to it twice in a row or you may get a headache.

He left behind a magnificent body over work, created over almost five decades. And none of his albums were as great as this. On 1980s Japanese vinyl:

On vinyl, first play. Turns out his last album was an absolute corker.

Rise and Fall of Ziggy then Heathen as these are the only 2 albums I have on non vinyl.

The Ryko reissue from the early 90s:

New piano star Nino Gvetadze; she really sings through the piano;