Great Music - Unarranged ...

Annie Fischer playing very much the piano pianistically in a little piece by Handel. The music is really theChaconne in G, and not a Passecagliaas wrongly stated]. Both styles work on arepeated ground bass, for all that. I have Edwin Fischer [no relation] playing this, plus a version on the harpsichord.

Really this is very romantic in approach, with broad swings of tempo and very large dynamic gradings, but still worth the time to listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKupUqfP7Ac&feature=related

George

The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba from "Solomon."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TGKJ9MgCOQ

George

Annia Fischer playing Beethoven's Opus 111 Piano Sonata. I found this the other day, and it prompted me to start the Annie Fischer thread, where Naim Nymph postsed the first part of this, so here is the whole thing. Wonderful music making in my opinion.

First Movement

Second Movement [1/2]

Second Movement [2/2]

George

Kirsten Flagstad, Saint Matthew Passion. Erbarme dich, mein Gott.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZYLByidfPg

George

Ferrier singing Father Of Heaven, from Handel's Judas Maccabaeus. This recording has been known to bring me close to tears [not just close in honesty], and was made at her final recording sessions in October 1952 with the LPO and Adrian Boult.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwpE2AZLvw&NR=1

George

For joy and wisdom to accept life and still be joyful whilst knowing not every part is a bed of roses:

Haydn's Te Deum:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WehL-d5Nocc&feature=related

George

Mozart Krönungsmesse ( Coronation Mass ) Agnus Dei, Vienna Boys Choir:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISbXbsxDPQ0

Best wishes

Manfred

Dear Manfred,

That film is completely amazing! I love the simplicity and purity of a treble rather than lady soprano when it is this fine!

Thanks for the link.

George

A great noise, and great fun. I suspect a rather fine performance!

Part One

Part Two.

Have fun with this!

In holiday mode! George

Wow, you go George, great stuff on youtube. I always loved Warwick too, classy woman and with an honest light touch on the music unlike today.

Thanks for the Brain recommend, I have his box set from a friend's gift of several LPs and just never opened it up till now.

Magnefico!

Mozart; Ave Verum Corpus.

Vienna Boy's Choir!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TfAyX8l5-g

This is a prayer in music, and one I cannot listen to without a tremendous sadness at the way the world goes.

Let time stand still to ponder ...

George

JS Bach Mache Dich, Mein Herz, Rein...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGj1xcPpIZM&feature=related

If there is more wonderfully and inviting Aria, then I have yet to find it.

You don't really need to understand the words to find the consolation in this. It is about the sinner [it is a commentary Aria from the Second Part of the Saint Matthew Passion] who, not better or worse than any other, asks for the worldly to leave him. and Jesus to enter in stead.

65. ARIA (BASS)


Mache dich, mein Herze, rein,
ich will Jesum selbst begraben.
Denn er soll nunmehr in mir für und für
seine süße Ruhe haben.
Welt, geh aus, laß Jesum ein!

Purify yourself, my heart,
I myself will bury Jesus.
For he shall henceforth evermore
sweetly take his rest in me.
World, get out, let Jesus in!


Probably my favourite piece of Music. George

Schubert, Der Leiermann from "Winterreise"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPOw0AyH1qA&feature=related

This music is not only sad, but also hopeless and tragic.

Manfred

Dear Manni,

Thanks. I always struggled with this. I have Hotters excellent recording for EMI, which is not nearly so engaged with the text as DFD, but though it only gets played over less than annually, I can still find something in it.

Winterreise

Song Cycle by Franz Peter Schubert. Poetry by Wilhelm Müller (1794-1827). [English translation: The Winter Journey]

24. Der Leiermann

Drüben hinterm Dorfe
Steht ein Leiermann
Und mit starren Fingern
Dreht er, was er kann.

Barfuß auf dem Eise
[Schwankt]1 er hin und her
Und sein kleiner Teller
Bleibt ihm immer leer.

Keiner mag ihn hören,
Keiner sieht ihn an,
Und die Hunde
Um den alten Mann.

Und er läßt es gehen
Alles, wie es will,
Dreht und seine Leier
Steht ihm nimmer still.

Wunderlicher Alter,
Soll ich mit dir geh'n?
Willst zu meinen Liedern
Deine Leier dreh'n?


24. The Hurdy-Gurdy-Man [English tanslation, Arthur Rishi]

There, behind the village,
stands a hurdy-gurdy-man,
And with numb fingers
he plays the best he can.

Barefoot on the ice,
he staggers back and forth,
And his little plate
remains ever empty.

No one wants to hear him,
no one looks at him,
And the hounds snarl
at the old man.

And he lets it all go by,
everything as it will,
He plays, and his hurdy-gurdy
is never still.

Strange old man,
shall I go with you?
Will you play your hurdy-gurdy
to my songs?

Thanks for posting.

ATB from George

Dear George,

thank you for posting.

The Schubertlieder are something special. I think that they can be difficult for non-German-speaking listeners.

Here is another sad piece from the same composer, this time without words:

String quintet D 956 2nd movement ( Adagio )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3OR4o6E2Yg&feature=related

Best wishes

Manfred

Thanks for that one Manni.

Here is something quite dark as well, but in Rachmaninoff's hands the Chopin Funeral March has light and shade, and not one drip of false emtion applied. It is, in a manner, uplifting in its effect. Heart stopping in its way too! Who else would dare to pause like that between the opening funerebre section, before the light steals in to dispel the gloom?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6mIk90ORmw&feature=related

ATB from George

Dear George,

thanks for this version of the Funeral March. However, I prefer the stronger interpretation of Martha Argerich ( DG 419 055-2 ), it shows more desperation.

Here the composer Rachmaninoff plays his own work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wddtne7KSs

Best wishes

Manfred

Dear George,

what do you think about Kari Bremnes from Norway? I have most of her records, and I like them very much.

Here is an example ( Togsang, that means train song ):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RkUUdGy_Bs

Best wishes

Manfred

Dear Manni,

My Goodness! What a treat! I found this straight off!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14wmR5lCKWM&NR=1

She is new to me, but will soon find herself in my library. This is real music making!

Thanks from George

PS: And then this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-tUEhuVuL8&NR=1

Dear George,

I am happy, that you did enjoy the music of Kari. Unbelieveble for me, that you did`nt know about her before.

Here are my favorite Kari Bremnes albums:

"Gate ved Gate", Kirkelig Kulturverksted Fxcd 143

"Erindring", Kirkelig Kulturverksted Fxcd 156

"Norwegian Mood" ( in English ), Kirkelig Kulturverksted Fxcd 221

"Svarta Bjorn", Kirkelig Kulturverksted Fxcd 200

The last one is my top favorite, sad songs with beautiful melodies, excellent recording and a wonderful voice, a real "must have"!

Best wishes

Manfred

"Gate ved Gate", Kirkelig Kulturverksted Fxcd 143

Next month I will get this one!

ATB from George

Great fun from a great English composer of orchestra, chamber, and film music, as well as also being the first trumpet player in the London Philharmonic Orcheastra for a while!

Malcolm Arnold's Tam o'Shanter Overture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIcIU4o61WQ

May I recommend the Scottish, and English Dances from him, and these were recorded on Lyritia, and will soon be re-issed on newly mastered CDs, as will the whole Lyrita catalogue, as I undertand it. Among his film music are the scores for Bridge on the River Qaui, and Whistle Down the Wind. He was a genius!

ATB from George

Eric Coates' Knightbridge March!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTPWUDscd_s

Dame Ethel Smythe referred to Eric Coates as the little who wrote tunes!

How right she was!

George

Back to Bach, and the tune nicked for the Hamlet adds!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlT8yeEYbMs

A rather fine performance too!

ATB from George

Humperdinck's Overture, Hansel and Gretel, which is great fun in Otto Klemperer's recording with the Philharmonia for EMI.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NNn3U1unnu0

ATB from George