What are you listening to? (Vol VII)

Excellent. I'd never have known that.

Re your prize, you can have a free Radiohead newspaper on Monday at midday if you know where to find one. More here.

Sell it on, and have a record-buying splurge on the proceeds - next week's new Burial twelve, Street Halo , and the imminent new Lone ep, Echolocations, for starters.

great blues album

I recently bought the box set with Kempff's 1964/1965 cycle.  Lovely. And at the price, very close to the best value in my entire collection.

from a friend

Hello Mr Crow,

I have a Wilhelm Kempff 32 LvB piano sonata’s on a big DG vinyl box-set, but records really need to be perfect to get the best from piano, most of my vinyl set is near mint but I still seem to prefer hearing a good piano recording on CD.

The sound quality on my ‘moonlight’ Kempff CD is very enjoyable imho albeit showing it’s age, I know there are better recordings around these day, but I always like hearing Kempff play Beethoven : )

Debs

Bravo Piotr Anderszewski!  Just like Brahms, Schumann can be difficult music to understand from the outside.  It is complex and may seem self-absorbed and it takes considerable work to come to terms with it (at least this is my own experience).    

Anderszewski here has recorded a Schumann album that really offers a tough nut to crack.  And if you are willing to be patient and work at it the rewards are many.  As I alluded to above in regards to Grace Francis, I really like when artists can offer us something difficult and challenging.  

This got me thinking about the Schumann that is familiar and recorded often compared to the lesser known music.  Many artist, such as Wilhelm Kempff, have even said they would never record any late Schumann (due to the association with his mental issues).  A quick look at some of Schumann's main piano music written and it is easy to see that by far the most recorded / popular works are mostly from the Op. 17 Phantasie and earlier (from when he was still a young'in and had a idealized view of the world maybe?).  The op. no. is dating the music from earliest to latest.  Op. 133 marks the end of his compositions and was at the time when he was suicidal. 

Theme and Variations for Piano on the name ABEGG, Op. 1

Papillons, Op. 2

Davidsbündlertänze for Piano, Op. 6

Toccata for Piano in C major, Op. 7 

Allegro for Piano in B minor, Op. 8

Carnaval, Op. 9

Sonata for Piano no 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 11

Symphonic Etudes for Piano, Op. 13

Sonata for Piano no 3 in F minor, Op. 14 "Concert sans orchestre"

Kreisleriana, Op. 16

Phantasie for Piano in C major, Op. 17

Blumenstück for Piano in D flat major, Op. 19

=>Humoreske for Piano in B flat major, Op. 20

Novelletten for Piano, Op. 21

Sonata for Piano no 2 in G minor, Op. 22 

Nachtstücke for Piano, Op. 23

Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26

Romances for Piano, Op. 28

=>Etudes in Canon Form for Pedal Piano, Op. 56

Album für die Jugend, Op. 68

Waldszenen, Op. 82

Bunte Blätter for Piano, Op. 99

=>Gesänge der Frühe (5) for Piano, Op. 133

Get this for the Humoreske alone.  The middle section marked Einfach und zart is one of the saddest, most beautiful melodies around and for me the most memorable as I often play this on the piano.  It is a fascinating work and Anderszewski plays it with such passion and conviction.   Like with most Schumann, it is quite autobiographical and you will be taken along for a ride in Schumann's mind - the melancholy and carefree bliss turns to chaotic hyperactivity in a second and the inner voices start appearing from no where....

I'm not usually a fan of the Virgin sound, which sometimes tend to be bright, it isn't enough here to distract me from such fine playing.

Regards,

Doug

#5, the Emperor - executed to perfection by Lewis and Belohlavek.

Cheers,

EJ

now we're dancing

Doug,

Good to see you enjoy this, I am fully in agreement with your assessment.

EJ

What do you think, Haim?

EJ

Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

Hypothetically Murdered (1931)

Orchestral Suite op.31a

Act I

Act II

Act III

Act I (part II)

Four Romances on Poems By Pushkin op.46

...for bass and chamber orchestra (1937)

orchestration completed by Gerard McBurney.

World Premiere Recording of Original Version

Five Fragments op.42 (1935)

Suite no.1 for Jazz Band, sans op.E (1934)

~<>~

Dimitri Kharitonov bass

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra ~ Mark Elder conductor

Recorded in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England ~ December 1992

[DDD]  United CD © 1993 ~ (Total Timing 71:10)

My first listen... rather enjoying it too! : )

Debs

steve