What are you listening to? (VOL VI)

The candles and bath salts are ready so just need to step into the.........







Dean...

Disc 2

From HDX:



Regards,
Michel

Roni Size getting down and mean.






Dean...

Lone - Ecstasy&Friends:



'Karen Loves Kate'

Liking this CC, sounds a bit Nathan Fake (first album).

quote:

Originally posted by Chief Chirpa:
Lone - Ecstasy&Friends:



'Karen Loves Kate'

Dean...

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:
Loving this snow. Roast in oven, log fire roaring, a pile of CD's and vinyl - ready to rock

Well not played this, I guess, since I bought it on release back in 1984. Wonder how it sounds now.

A lesser man would have traded thatin long ago...

steve

quote:

Originally posted by droodzilla:

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:
Loving this snow. Roast in oven, log fire roaring, a pile of CD's and vinyl - ready to rock

Well not played this, I guess, since I bought it on release back in 1984. Wonder how it sounds now.

A lesser man would have traded thatin long ago...

some of the quietest vinyl I have played in a long time - no pops or crackles - shows how little it got played when I first bought it...

quote:

Originally posted by MilesSmiles:

quote:

Originally posted by ewemon:

Good?

Taking me a little while to get into this one.

For me her best is still the album Million Dollar Secret with the Johnny Nocturne band as it really swings.

Johannes Brahms: Performer: Garrick Ohlsson (Piano)

Theme and Variations for Piano in D minor
Variations and Fugue for Piano in B flat major on a theme by Handel, Op. 24
Variations (11) for Piano on an Original Theme, Set 1, Op. 21
Variations (13) for Piano on a Hungarian Dance, Set 2, Op. 21
Variations (16) for Piano in F sharp minor on a Theme by Schumann, Op. 9
Variations (28) for Piano on a theme by Paganini, Op. 35


First listen to this one today and I am very pleased about this recording. Actually, this has been a Garrick Ohlsson year for me, as I don’t think I had any recordings of his before this. I started with a complete Chopin set last spring and now I am just waiting to receive the Vol 9 to make a complete Beethoven piano sonatas set.

The highlights for me initially are the Theme and Variations in d minor and the Variations on a theme by Schumann Op 9. The Schumann is special because Brahms pulls the theme from Schumann’s Opus 99 Bunte Blätter (Coloured Leaves), a long time favorite of mine which unfortunately gets rarely recorded and if it does it is more often not complete (think Clara Haskil, Wilhelm Kempff, Mikhail Pletnev).

Arcadi Volodos is probably my favorite full recording (Live at Carnegie Hall) and I highly recommend this album too. If interested you can go to Amazon.de and listen to the beginnings of the Bunte Blätter (Number 8-21). Number 11 (Nr. 4) is the Theme Brahms uses for the variations and Number 12 (Nr. 5) is the secondary one. Number 17 (Nr. 10) is one of my favorite pieces period. Pure romanticism reaching to places beyond this earth. Unfortunately, many older artist wouldn't record late Schumann as they would simply refer to it as music from a mad man.


Schumann’s Bunte Blätter is really a set of 14 individual piano pieces but grouped first as a set of 3 pieces, then a group of 5 pieces bound by the title Albumblätter, and then the remaining pieces each have individual, descriptive titles. Brahms takes his theme from the first of the five Albumblätter and this places the core of these variations based in f sharp minor. The only other reference to the original Bunte Blätter is when Brahm’s briefly references the second of Albumblätter with the haunting piece (marked Schnell).

The poignancy in this music and the choice of Brahms to use this theme of his friend, Robert Schumann, was very intentional. Although we know Brahms was very much in love Clara Schumann, it was a love he could never realize due to the complexity of the situation and out of respect for his friend Robert. These variations were mostly written at the very time that Robert Schumann was confined to an asylum in Düsseldorf (1854) and Clara was pregnant with their 7th child. Clara, herself a pianist, had written a set of variations on the same theme maybe a year earlier. Brahms dedicated his Variations to Clara.

So you can imagine that from Brahm’s point of view this is a tribute to his friend Robert Schumann but it is also an offering of emotional support to Clara Schumann.

All in all a very nice album if you like Brahms.

Best Regards,
Doug

On Vinyl:-

On Vinyl:-

Rush - Vapor Trails

On Vinyl:-

quote:

Originally posted by Florestan:





Best Regards,
Doug

Doug,

Great to hear from you again. As always, you are full of insight and music recommendations.

Regards,

Haim