A Brief, incomplete and biased History of Music on One Page

quote:

Originally posted by Whizzkid:
Music is many things and you are right in saying that understanding music brings you closer to it but you can, and that is why people buy quality HiFi's, do just that without the need of scores and text books. Its just they do not feel the need to analyse it all the time its natural to them and me.

Dean...

I get where you are coming from Dean, but for me HiFi, books and scores satisfy entirely different needs.

But I understand what you mean now; my curiosity is completely satisfied.

Thanks.

I like to intellectualise and analyse music. I think this is a condition of being a musician and I can empathise with Mike.

It is a very difficult job to write down and describe our thoughts on musical matters. I think Mike does a good job.

For me, music is everything (nearly). I spend 4-5 hours each day practising (and have done for over 10 years now...), when I'm not practising I am listening, or writing, or reading about music. It is an area of such personal enrichment.

The understanding of the history of music, especially of that from 1600 onwards is imperative if one wants to put a particular work into context. Sure, you can listen and enjoy a particular work, but for me, putting it in a context - both musically and socio-historically is very important.

Dan Carney, I have exciting news! The Zimerman Debussy Preludes came today.

It is going to get the whole of my attention after dinner, and for the rest of the night.

Will post reactions tomorrow.

I couldn't be more excited if I found $1000 laying on the sidewalk!

Mike,

I sincerely hope you won't be disappointed!

I look forward to your reactions.

Atb,

Dan

Over dinner, we really built up an appetite for Debussy. We just laid back and let the Zimerman Debussy Preludes proceed at concert volume, till it was over. I took a smoke break between disk 1 and 2 :-)

Debussy is a composer with every bit as much to say as Bach or Beethoven. These preludes, like Bach's WTC, traverse all these keys. But Debussy will step completely away from that framework in his development sections. This is a new voice - an alien voice :-) Yea! Come and get it!

But I have always heard these played to sound like an impressionist painting. It seems to have a feeling of constraint, with an undercurrent of weak sense of focus. You know - pretty.

Zimerman breathes life into this music, exposing its greatness. His astonishing technique and sure sense of rhythm and voicing
are crowned with an ability to create a stupendous and earth shattering forte.

I have never even been curious to look at this music before, but after another smoke I think I will see what it looks like on paper.

The Zimerman will have coffee with me tomorrow morning ...

A note on the recording. Like the Hewitt WTC, this recording has the best presentation of a real piano sound I have heard. But of course the Zimerman is completely different. That's the way it works when they get the recording right.

I'm in love again.

If only he conducted ...

Sorry to double post :-)

I have been wanting a new set of the Brahms Piano Concertos, so I ordered the DVD of Zimerman doing them with Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic.

Mike,

So, you like?

I already have the Brahms, and rate it very highly!

He has conducted the Chopin concerti for himself... They are a must.

Anyway, I'm glad you like!!

I think Zimerman is one of the all time greats, and hold him out as evidence that pianists are moving up the evolutionary chain.

Next round of CD purchases I want his Chopin Concerti.

Zimerman is someone I want to hear more of.

Thanks so much Dan :-)

Zimerman certainly makes a statement!

He is a fantastic communicator of the music - it really speaks to the listener. He has the technical facility to make sense of some of the most complex music.

In 2007, I saw him live for the second time. He played Bach's 2nd Partita, Beethoven Op. 111, Brahms 119, and Szymanowski Theme and Variatons.

It was breathtaking. In February next year, I'll be going to London to hear the Chopin 2nd and 3rd Piano sonatas played by him - for only £7.

There is a very interesting interview with him on BBC Radio 3, from 2007. I'll see if I can find a link today...

Anyway, I'm glad you found it to your liking!

Atb,

Dan

With Zimerman in the Debussy I am experiencing a clarity of voicing I didn't know the music possessed, and hearing articulations never heard before.

One day we must hear him live.

You have my envy :-)

The Zimerman Brahms Concertos came today, so my evening is taken care of ...

Sounds wonderful!

I'm on a smoke break after the 1st Brahms Concerto.

This DVD is a prize, with a few minor flaws.

The sound is just ok.

The French Horns are sharp in their openings of the first movement. In general, the orchestra does what it has to do.

On the plus side :

Once again, Zimmerman brings the living presence of a composer into the room, on a road built of immaculate voicing, rhythm and phrasing.

The cameraman is first rate, you can always see what Zimerman is doing. This is rarely the case, or maybe I've just made unlucky choices.

Bernstein makes perfect choices of tempos and maintains an effective dynamic scale.

But it's Zimerman who had me leaning so far forward in my chair, I damn near fell on my head :-)

Mike,

You are in for a treat after your smoke

The final movement is superb!

Enjoy

As promised, the Brahms 2nd is a blast. The sound is also much better and the orchestra is on it's game.

I think this is the best music DVD I have ever purchased.

Zimerman/Bernstein/Vienna doing the Brahms Piano Concertos in a DGG DVD.

I am going to stop writing about Zimerman for a bit, as it is making me sound star struck, which I may be :-)

In this case it was Brahms of whom you should be star struck!

ATB from George

Of course, George is right. But I think Brahms is well served here ...

We gave another, more focused listen to the Zimerman Brahms 2nd just now. It fried my brain.

Highly recommended!!!!!