# the pre-NPP



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I'm not overly tempted to purchase any music these days, as I've just started a project that will take at least a couple of months: loading up the CDs I already own to my new Mac.

BTW - I am a full-fledged Mac convert. Best computer I ever owned. I do not foresee myself returning to the PC fold.

Anyway, so my listening for now has been limited to the stuff I decided to upload first. For instance, I've just finished Schumann's Fantasie by Pollini:










One of the advantages that listening through the computer has over listening directly from CDs is that individual works gain more clarity. Because the Schubert work on that disk is first, and is an old favorite of mine, I had not really appreciated the Schumann.

The Fantasie has become my favorite Schumann work for solo piano. That is not a remarkable achievement, as I don't know Schumann's work well. Still, it is something.










The Rite of Spring. Boy, I love that work. I love the rhythms, the harmonies, the melodies, the instrumentation. Absolutely a masterpiece. This recording of it is new to me, but it is (on a first hearing) excellent.










The cello concerto and that recording of it deserve their fame, but continuing the theme of works overshadowed by their pairings, today I listened to the Sea Pictures, and it is really a wonderful work. And there is nothing bad to be said about Janet Baker's voice.










Listened to this yesterday. Not as familiar with it as many people are, but I'm getting better. I paid a lot of attention to the famous "Ciaccona" section. I'd like it to be one of the pieces I have nearly memorized.










Another old favorite - speaking of things nearly memorized. I've listened to this so much, my wife seems to have it memorized as well. Most beautiful song-cycle I know of.










This makes me wonder why there are so many works for string quartet and not more for string quintet. From beginning to end this is a wonderful experience. (If you don't have it, get the set with the string quartets as well.)


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Great to see your blog up & running again, science. Thanks for posting.

re the *Schubert "Wanderer Fantasy"* I bought it on vinyl not long ago, with Paul Badura-Skoda playing. I haven't listened to it yet, but I think I've heard Liszt's orchestration of it on radio ages ago & liked it. This orchestration seems to be just as popular as the original, here in Australia a popular concert item.

re_ *Rite of Spring*_, like it as well, but rarely listen to it now (first got to know it 20+ years ago). Lately, i've been discovering "the old chameleon's" chamber works.

re that* elgar* recording - i've got it on tape, time i upgraded to cd. what a gem! both works are "lived" not merely played by these great musicians.

re the* j.s. bach solo violin things*, i've been getting into them as well, but played by yehudi menuhin & ruggiero ricci.

re *schubert's winterreise*, i heard it on radio once, thought it kind of too dark & depressing. but i love other songs of his, esp. "the shepherd on the rock." as for the *string quintet,* have loved it to the max for like 20 yrs. a gem of gems. sublime in all ways. love how he uses the cellos to underpin everything. if you like this, get into brahms' string sextets - i have discussed this in my latest post on my own blog here. i've only got schubert's quintet & brahms' first sextet on vinyl, so again, time to get them on cd (& yet another gem like this is bruckner's quintet - his only chamber work to have entered the repertoire - a memorable concert here in the '90's was both the bruckner & brahms 1st sextet played on the one bill, marvellous!!!)...


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Winterreise is indeed dark and depressing, and I love it for that. (I'm also a fan of Shostakovich's 8th string quartet.) 

Stravinsky is evidently a rather deep subject, and he's one of the composers I've neglected a bit too much. For a long time Rite and some of the sacred choral music were the only works I knew by him, but now I've been getting into the rest of his music as well. Still, I didn't have a modern recording of the Rite until recently. 

I will look for Liszt's orchestration of the Wanderer Fantasy. I'd like to hear that very much.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

i also like shosty's 8th SQ. But only occassionally, it is so powerful. I have Barshai's transcription for string orch. (without timpani, he also did one with timpani). he'd just joined the communist party when writing this, he felt he was kind of forced to. he was not happy about it at all. a concurrent visit to dresden, firebombed in WW2, bought up other memories. it's basically bleakness in music. not much sense of hope here, even the tiny bit of hope that is in r. strauss' metamorphosen, a kind of similar "reflection" on himself and times past.

yes, much of stravinsky is still a mystery to me to (unknown to me). i like his oedipus rex a lot. un histoire d'soldat & other chamber things of his as well. THIS 2 disc set on eloquence has been my gateway into that. his serial music is largely undiscovered territory for me at this stage.

as for the liszt transcription, there is THIS Australian disc of his complete transcriptions for piano & orch. i'm not sure if you can get hold of it where you are? maybe not, i'm just putting it out there as an option. i don't have this one, but want to get it, i have a few of these discovery series on ABC classics (budget series) & they're excellent, some of our finest musicians, some i've experienced live here, i can vouch for them 110 per cent. another seperate disc of the wanderer & other transcriptions is HERE.

Then again, i know you don't want to buy things now! don't want to recommend you more things, so you spend money & get in your significant other half's "bad books!" :lol: anyway, these are just things i'm floating by you :tiphat: ...


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

The first one was particularly interesting, and I appreciate it. Hopefully I won't buy it for at least a year!


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

One thing I'm not sure about - which of the works on the Liszt recording were you referring to?


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

i realised i made a mistake. i'll try to explain. the first recording below contains liszt's pno/orch. transcription of the "wanderer fantasy." the second one has the original version (which you've already got) plus some other things.

to clarify -

THIS site has the full details of the complete liszt transcriptions for pno & orch. disc. incl. his transcription of schubert's wanderer fantasy as well as of works by other composers.

THE OTHER disc has the original version (schubert's) of the "wanderer fantasy" (solo piano, of course) as well as schubert/liszt things for solo piano, as well as solo piano works by mozart & prokofiev.

hope that helps. a bit confusing as the liszt/schubert "wanderer fantasy" is on the first disc, the original version on the second. sorry for lack of clarity, i was "on the fly" when i did that earlier post, was trying to cram a lot of stuff in.

cheers, s...


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Ok, thank you very much. It all makes sense now!


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

your welcome, & btw i'm thinking of getting the liszt pno/orch. transcriptions disc soon. as i said, i've got a couple of these abc classics discovery series & they're great, esp. the ones of performers i hear live sometimes, even the ones i haven't. maestro muhai tang's disc of bruckner's sym #7 with the queensland SO just sounds great, passes "the test" absolutely. mr tang studied under von karajan, but his style is totally different to my ears. kind of lighter & more nuanced on the lighter aspects, "warmth," etc. it's great that our orchestras & musicians are now able to handle the most complex repertoire like this. only a few decades ago, this was virtually impossible. we've come a long way in this country vis a vis classical music, that's for sure...


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