# Sharing obscure favourites (READ FIRST POST)



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

This idea is a spin-off from Tchaikov6' Hall of Fame thread. I'm looking for 5-10 TC members who are interested to broaden their horizon by listening to other people's choices for obscure favourites (and sending in one of their own).

If there's sufficient interest, it will go as follows:

1) You select a piece of classical music you love and that you think many here may not know. It cannot be longer than 30 minutes, and it cannot be an excerpt from a larger work (e.g. not a movement from a symphony). It has to be on YouTube or similar sites that do not require registration and/or subscription.

2) You send me a message with your choice and the link. *Do not post your choice in the thread*.

3) I'll collect all submissions and decide when to finalize this phase (max 10 submissions).

4) I will post all submissions with the links.

5) Everyone gets two weeks to listen to the submitted works and post a few lines on each in this thread (including your own submissions). No essays required, but please include whether it was new to you and overall, did you like it or not (or indifferent) - things like that. Feel free to post them one by one rather than all in one post.

6) If you did not send in a choice, you can still share your thoughts on the submitted pieces.

There's no voting, there's no winner. This is just about sharing. If it is successful, there will be more rounds. If not, so be it.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

The first two received. To be fair, one of them was mine.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Alas! I cannot offer a YouTube performance of my submission, the Hovhaness Violin Concerto No. 2, Opus 89a. The Powers That Be have removed the definitive Maro Ajemian/Carlos Surinach/MGM Symphony Orchestra on MGM/Heliodor recording, thus depriving the world of one of the great violin concertos. I have posted several times on this remarkable work, and wish I could again share it with other TC members. Life can be cruel.

At Last: Hovhaness Violin Concerto #2 on YouTube!

It may still be on Spotify. And Amazon still lists the vinyl for $49. Plus, on the vinyl, you get the definitive Piano Concerto No. 1, _Lousadzak_


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

May I suggest that you broaden the criteria to include any freely available sites including Vimeo and those organizations which have full videos on their sites such as Gothenburg Symphony, Philharmonie de Paris, etc.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Becca said:


> May I suggest that you broaden the criteria to include any freely available sites including Vimeo and those organizations which have full videos on their sites such as Gothenburg Symphony, Philharmonie de Paris, etc.


Good point. Any freely accessible site that does not require membership and/or subscription is fine.

I've adjusted the first post accordingly. Thanks.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Strange Magic said:


> Alas! I cannot offer a YouTube performance of my submission, the Hovhaness Violin Concerto No. 2, Opus 89a.


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nE8-4nvTSb00Woc5kZTdUjGBOH7hEYaOQ


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Good idea, Art Rock. We need more musical content. TC is starting to turn in to Talk Politics, Religion, and Philosophy which can be interesting too but the music is the main thing.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Art Rock said:


> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nE8-4nvTSb00Woc5kZTdUjGBOH7hEYaOQ


"VIDEO UNAVAILABLE" is the message that came up and comes up when I check out that link.


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Strange Magic said:


> "VIDEO UNAVAILABLE" is the message that came up and comes up when I check out that link.


It may be a regional thing - I'm in Europe as Art Rock is and I can see the video.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Malx said:


> It may be a regional thing - I'm in Europe as Art Rock is and I can see the video.


I have submitted an alternative selection. But I'm happy our non-USA members--some of them anyway--can hear the violin concerto. It clearly will not be everyone's cup of tea (what is?), but give it a listen and see what you think. It never fails to grip me, in much the same way as does the Prokofiev 2nd Piano Concerto, as a truly original piece of music, without being consciously, deliberately something to _épater les bourgeois_.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Six received, four more is the max. If we get ten this fast, there will probably be a next round as well, and submissions received after the 10th and before I close it out will get priority for a next round.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Good idea! This is a nice companion thread to the more well-known stuff I expect to get nominated for the HoFs.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

We're at eight. I'll give it another 24 hours to see whether we can reach 10, but 8 is also fine. Nice mix as well.

EDIT: Nine.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Here are the ten submissions in alphabetical order:

Art Rock: Peter Warlock - The Curlew (link)
Haydn man: Delius - Violin concerto (link)
Kjetil Heggelund: Edison Denisov - Sonata for Flute & Guitar (link)
Malx: Thea Musgrave - Turbulent Landscapes (link)
Nereffid: Jonathan Dove - Piano Quintet (link)
Open Book: Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 24 (link)
soni: Milton Babbitt - Piano Concerto 2 (link)
Strange Magic: Alan Hovhaness - Piano Concerto No. 1, Opus 48, Lousadzak (link)
Tchaikov6: Bohuslav Martinů - Symphony No. 3 (link)
Trout: Abel Decaux - Clairs de lune (link)

As stated before everyone gets two weeks to listen to the submitted works and post a few lines on each in this thread (including your own submissions). No essays required, but please include whether it was new to you and overall, did you like it or not (or indifferent) - things like that. Feel free to post them one by one rather than all in one post - and I recommend not waiting until the last days to start listening.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Peter Warlock - The Curlew
*
British composer Peter Warlock (1894-1930) left us a handful of orchestral works and lots of songs. His main work is undoubtedly the song cycle _The Curlew_ from 1922, based on four Yeats poems. Scored for the unusual but highly effective combination of tenor, cor anglais, flute and string quartet, this cycle about unrequited love is suitably melancholic, not in the least by the beautiful writing for cor anglais and viola. I listened to the CD version that I bought in the 90s, and that introduced me to this marvelous work: Ian Partridge and The Music Group of London on EMI. I would choose this as my favourite song cycle of the past 100 years (even ahead of Strauss' fabulous Four last songs).

Ranking on the ArtRockometer: "Hors concours", one of 100 most favourite compositions.


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

Art Rock your submission appeared to take me to a site about the weather in The Netherlands, so instead I've started with the Delius Violin Concerto.

*Delius Violin Concerto*

I hadn't heard this piece before. Unfortunately I wasn't impressed with the Delius Violin Concerto. It was constantly meandering and the excessive chromaticism was an annoyance. It seems like the composer is in love but doesn't quite know how to express it. For a Romantic violin concerto with heavy chromaticism, I much prefer Berg's Violin Concerto.


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

*Denisov Sonata for Flute and Guitar*

I hadn't heard this piece before. It's pretty fascinating and has a mysterious, evocative feel to it, and I think the pairing of flute and guitar is a good one. I'm not sure that it needed to be a 15-minute sonata though - I think maybe the piece would have been more effective if it were a series of short movements for flute and guitar, rather than a single longer work.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

*Delius Violin Concerto*

I've heard this work a few times over the years and listened again a few minutes ago. It's not a concerto I think highly of mainly because of a lack of momentum and high degree of syrupy violin passages. However, there are some beautiful moments, and the 3rd movement is an improvement as it displays some decent drive absent from the 1st two movements.

Overall, the Bulldog Ranking Odometer (BRO) is set at 5 out of 10; if not for the 3rd movement, the BRO would be 3.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

soni said:


> Art Rock your submission appeared to take me to a site about the weather in The Netherlands


Corrected, thanks!


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

*Musgrave Turbulent landscapes*

I hadn't listened to this piece before. I think it's quite a good work, and has a lot of potential as film music. However, for listening for pleasure I find it a little too programmatic, but that's just my personal preference, and someone else may end up liking this piece a lot.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Finished Delius, write-up coming later tonight. I unfortunately wasn’t too impressed.


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

*Warlock: The Curlew*

I had never heard of the piece or the composer before. This is actually a great and unique piece of music! It should definitely be heard a lot more often than it is and I can definitely see why Art Rock considers this one of the best song cycles of the last century. (I haven't heard enough song cycles to have a clear opinion )


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 24
*
New to me? No. And yes. And no. I've heard plenty of Haydn, obviously, and he is a composer who never disappoints me - but hardly ever excites me either. The 24th of his 100+ symphonies is a good choice for this exercise, as it is not one of the more popular ones, by a long shot. Not new to me (I have it on a CD of the Northern Chamber Orchestra under Ward on Naxos), but I could not recollect anything about it. So in that sense, somewhat new. Into the CD player it went. The opening Allegro is generic classical era stuff and did not grab my attention. The Adagio is far more interesting, with a flute taking a role almost like a concerto. The Menuet is at the level of the Allegro, and so is the Finale. The Adagio saves it from a lower ranking, but for me this is typical Haydn, pleasant listening, but ultimately not outstanding. I could easily list a dozen Haydn symphonies that I enjoy more.

Ranking on the ArtRockometer: at the lower end of "Good to have" or at the upper end of "Not required".


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

*Warlock - The Curlew*

I have heard this work a few times. For my listening today, I took Art Rock's advice and put on the Partridge version. The music is certainly beautiful and dark. However, I enjoyed each of the four settings more when the vocalist was absent. Also, there's a sameness to each setting that I found a little problematic.

I give it a score of 8 out of 10.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

*Haydn - Symphony no. 24*

I'm very familiar with this symphony and listened earlier today to the Hogwood version on period instruments. It's a fine symphony but well below the quality of the later symphonies in the 80's and higher. So nothing special but a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.

My BRO is 7 out of 10 points.


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

My own choice:
*Thea Musgrave - Turbulent Landscapes*

Thea Musgrave is a Scottish Composer, hence my choice, whose many works generally have a dramatic element to them. Programatic - yes to some degree as with the piece under consideration which is inspired by the dramatic seascapes depicted in a series of paintings by J M W Turner. 
I have known this work pretty much since the disc/performance on the clip was released in 2009. For me it is a piece I suggest people who 'don't like' modern music give a try. It is not groundbreaking in a musical sense given its date of composition (2003) but for me it is an very enjoyable piece that I return to often.


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Warlock: The Curlew*
This music is wonderful! Trying to understand why I feel as if I've heard it before, which I haven't. Maybe it's a bit like Britten when he goes slow. Some free tonality and chromatics makes it mystic and expressionistic.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

*Denisov - Sonata for Flute and Guitar*

I don't recall having heard this piece before - listened to it on a Simax disc.

I have to admit that I'm not big fan of the flute and definitely not a fan of classical guitar music, so my thoughts on the music are likely negatively influenced. Denisov's piece is atmospheric and pleasant, but the melodies didn't do anything for me. So I doubt I'll want to hear it again.

5 out of 10 points (at best).


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Delius Violin Concerto*
Another English piece and one that reminds me of Vaughan-Williams. I will put the impressionist tag on this  I wanted to give it a good review since others here weren't the most positive. Maybe it resembles Korngold?! I like that! It's kind of obvious English romantic too. Impressionistic for being a bit vague. Hope that makes sense...


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Abel Decaux - Clairs de lune
*
New for me? Yes definitely. I had never even heard of this composer. It is hard to believe that this was composed between 1900 and 1907 - I'd have put it many decades later. An extraordinary find. Solo piano is not my favourite genre, but these expressionist pieces (before expressionism became a "thing") are fascinating. This composition already made it worth the effort for me to start this thread. Great suggestion!

Ranking on the ArtRockometer: "Important", desirable to have in my collection.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

May I say that I'm happy with the flying start. Lots of reactions already.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

*Thea Musgrave - Turbulent landscapes*

This is a first-time listening for me. I find the title a little off the mark; it's more of a brooding landscape. With section titles including sea monsters, shipwrecks, snowstorms, wars, and burning houses, I expected an "in your face" presentation.

The above is rather minor. More significant is that I found the piece to meander quite a bit. Also, only judging from this one work, I'd say that Musgrave's melodic gifts are on the low end.

Yet, there's a little piece of me that feels that more listenings might result in a better opinion.

6 out of 10 points.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

*Delius - Violin Concerto*

So I listened to this piece in the morning, and I honestly can't remember a thing about it, which pretty much sums up my feelings about it. I've never loved Delius anyways, I find his melodies to be tedious and forced, as if he's imposing a rigid barrier to the often beautiful moods he evokes.

While it certainly isn't one of the worst pieces I've heard, it's something that simply doesn't interest me and I don't find myself returning to it, especially when there are loads of better violin concerti from the same era out there.

3/10


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Abel Decaux: Clairs de Lune*

The first roughly 12 minutes of this piece were, for me, without sufficient impetus to warrant comment, being (to my ears) like very pale, thin Debussy. At approx. 12 minutes in we encounter a very brief Rachmaninoff moment of pianistic bells, always enjoyable. We lapse back to peace and quiet until about 16 minutes in. Then we have Ravel-like rumblings of increasing power and sonority reminiscent of the Ravel of the Concerto for the Left Hand, which I appreciated. So, for me, it is the final roughly 5 minutes of this work that hold my attention and would make me want to hear at least those 5 minutes again.

As always, my position is that the music, any music, is just there. Whether I like it or hate it or am indifferent to it is just me--your experience may vary and is what is of overall importance. If my assessment differs from yours, pay no attention to me.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

*Bohuslav Martinů - Symphony No. 3*

There are 3 composers who I tend to lump together - Edmund Rubbra, Eduard Tubin and Bohuslav Martinů - although the only common factors are that they were symphonists, active around the same time, and I got to know and like them about the same time.

One of the criticisms sometimes leveled at Bruckner is that he wrote the same symphony 9 times - this could probably also be said of Martinu, albeit 5 times*, and with about the same amount of truth, i.e. not enough to be meaningful. Martinu was a prolific composer with a very identifiable 'finger-print' which can be heard within the first 15 seconds of the 3rd symphony, and then there is the ever-present piano! I can't say that this is my favourite of the 6, that would probably be either the 2nd or 4th, but it is well worth listening to, and he is a composer worth getting to know.

* He wrote 6 although the last one is entitled Fantaisies symphoniques and is about as much different from the the first 5 as those 5 are similar to each other, i.e. etc., etc.


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Jonathan Dove - Piano Quintet*

I wanted to start with the one composer I never have even heard of. The work seems to reside within the a relatively accessible modern neo-tonal idiom. While lots of people roll their eyes at these types of works being composed now, I still find them quite interesting since there are many ways to bend and blur standard tonality to create a style sui generis. And indeed, this work is quite refreshing! The bookend movements of the work I found to be quite wonderful. They take a rather familiar modern semi-tonal soundscape yet add its own flair. The music strikes me as a vibrant jaunt on a sunny day. My only wish is that there was a bit more contrast between the two movements.

The second movement, however, I found to be a bit of a failure. The strings seem to recede to a bit of a stasis to make way for the piano to jump in at any given moment. And despite how insipid the string lines are, I definitely prefer their part to whatever Dove had in mind for the piano. The piano just seems to clamor in jarringly like a bell, disrupting the entire musical flow and emotional consistency of the movement.

Despite being uneven, the piece is a worthwhile listen, if only to introduce oneself to a new contemporary composer with an accessible, yet interesting neo-tonal language. I myself am interested in hearing more of the composer's works.


----------



## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Alright, I'm gonna listen in order. Not all at once though. I'm going to approach this as sort of a stream of consciousness first impressions as I'm listening sort of thing, so if my thoughts are a little jumbled at times that's why.

Peter Warlock - The Curlew


Listening as I type. This is right up my ally. I love when pieces of music are for a small ensemble of unique instruments and the composer is very sensitive to the variety of colors they can achieve with all the combinations. 

I am also really enjoying the economy of the piece. The Warlock (who is a composer I have heard of but not listened to before) composes with purpose. Each moment, each gesture, each sigh, moan and movement has lots of weight, everything is there with purpose. These two aspects of the piece I just mentioned reminds me of Takemitsu's chamber music, obviously totally different in sound but the economical quality of the writing combined with the sensitivity to the unique sounds of the instruments is something the latter excelled at as well. 

I also really like that the instrumentation changes frequently and not one dominates for too long, also the stratification of the melodic line throughout the instruments grabs me. 

Speaking of melodic lines, the melodies and harmonies are beautiful. They are lush in the same kind of way that Ravel's music is lush but with a totally different kind of language, like two sides of the same coin. 

I love the sort of ebb and flow of how the voices and the instruments are interacting as well. 

There is a real talent for tone painting at play here. The music really reflects the words very well, which isn't always easy to do.

"The Bows have withered because I have told them my dreams". The way the singer delivered that line, and the muted atmosphere. That moment is goosebump worthy. 

I really enjoyed this piece Art Rock. Thank you! I will have to look into this composer more. The piece reminded me of "Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings" by also British composer Benjamin Britten, a piece I also enjoy very much. But while the Britten is more "englishy" for lack of a better term and usually sung in a more theatrical opera-like manner, this was a lot darker and the tone of the singing was much more personal (I don't know if the singing style comes down to the writing or the interpretation of the players). I hear in Warlock a great mix a lush, perhaps impressionist style harmonies but also with a tinge of expressionism in that it seems to express dark themes of the inner psyche. And of course there's also the lyricism that was very prevalent I think in much British music being written at the time. Now that I think about it, what I'm describing is quite similar to the music of Arnold Bax as well.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

*Abel Decaux: Clairs de Lune*

This is new for me. As Art Rock indicated, the music sounds quite advanced for its date of composition. However, the first half is like standing still and frozen; the work does subsequently pick up some but it's too little too late for my constitution.

I'll give it 2 out of 10.


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

*Delius - Violin Concerto*

This is a piece I have heard previously on a number of occasions and it is fairly typical of of Delius's string writing - it can be perceived as impressionistic, at times meandering even long winded but given he was composing in a way that ignored standard forms such as sonata form I can to a degree forgive him that.
Despite the possible shortcomings stated above I have to say I get more out of this piece than previous posters - I will accept that the first two movements could have benefited from being slightly more compact but I enjoy the fact that there is less formal structure to the work, perhaps my enjoyment of Debussy's works may explain my tolerance of the chromaticism evident.
I like the work whilst it will never be a desert island choice.

Two comments I would make, firstly the youtube performance linked to is to my ears a young violinist who is not fully 'inside' the piece with an orchestra which at times appears to be sight reading. I also listened to Tasmin Little's recording - Little is totally immersed in Delius's world, this for me makes a big difference, my comments are based on Little's recording (second recording with Andrew Davis).
Secondly I have never thought of Delius as being part of the English group that many put together that includes Vaughan Williams/Elgar et al.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Bohuslav Martinů - Symphony No. 3*

New to me? Absolutely not. I have dozens of Martinů CD's, including two versions of this symphony (Jarvi on Brilliant/BIS and Neumann on Supraphon). One of my extended favourite composers, but if right now I had to pick highlights in his repertoire I'd go for the concertos, choral works and chamber music rather than for the symphonies. Let's see whether that is still the case after I hear the third again. I picked the Neumann version to listen to - a CD I bought in Prague in the 90s. The first movement sets the scene: disturbing, turmoil, despair, anger - after all, this is a wartime symphony when Martinů was safe in the USA but must have worried about what was happening to his home country. The Largo perhaps unexpectedly lifts the mood a bit, although there are some threatening passages as well. The final movement (with some lovely oboe lines) leads to a more optimistic conclusion. All in all, what I am missing in this symphony (and in many of his works) is a strong memorable melody line somewhere, and personally I'm not a fan of using piano in a symphony, even though it is not that intrusive here. That said, it is still a work well worth listening to repeatedly, and one that I would not like to be without.

Ranking on the ArtRockometer: "Important", desirable to have in my collection.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

A reminder: please also say something about your own submissions. Thanks.


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

*Peter Warlock - The Curlew*

A brief comment on this one from me - song cycles are really not my thing and whilst I can see that the combination of instrumention is novel and interesting I'm afraid this is not for me - sorry Art.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

No need to say sorry - not a single composition will please everyone, so every participant should give their honest reaction. Positive or negative does not matter.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Edison Denisov - Sonata for Flute & Guitar
*
New? The composer, no, the work, yes. I have a handful of Denisov CD's, but they are all orchestral, so it's interesting to check out a chamber music composition via the provided link. Flute and guitar is not a combination you see every day, the harp or the piano being the traditional partners of the flute in sonatas. Right from the start, I found the flute very dominant, not sure whether that is on purpose or whether it is a recording issue - judging from the notes played, I suspect the former, although the title of the fist part "dialogue" suggest otherwise. The "Nocturne" part does not suggest anything nocturnal to me - lots of acrobatics from the flute while the guitar just plucks along (at least that's how I hear it). The concluding "Serenade" is another misnomer to my taste. More interesting work for the guitar here, and it makes me wonder why this was not done in the other movements as well. So in the end, does it work? I have my doubts about this particular combination - I think replacing the guitar by a stronger instrument would have been better. And if one wants to be special, then maybe a marimba? As it is, it was an interesting 15 minutes, but not a work that I would love to hear again - although it could be that attending a live performance of it in a suitable surrounding would be interesting.

Ranking on the ArtRockometer: "Not required".


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Milton Babbitt - Piano Concerto 2*

I had heard of Milton Babbitt, but I never actually heard anything by him. So here we go into uncharted territory. I was a bit wary, because, although I like quite a lot of modern classical music, only a very small percentage of what I like features the piano. Not my favourite instrument to start with, too often in mcm to my taste it is used like a percussion instrument. Unfortunately, the current work is no exception. The orchestral part also does not do it for me either. Around 8 minutes I was tempted to switch it off, but I decided to play fair, and listen to the whole work. Unfortunately, nothing happened that changed my mind. This one is definitely not for me. Judging from its inclusion in this round, and the applause at the end, others do appreciate it a lot though.

Ranking on the ArtRockometer: "Not required".


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Bohuslav Martinů: Third Symphony*

I will here ride the coattails of Becca and Art Rock and give the Martinů 3rd a modest thumbs up. I believe I have priority in asserting on TC several years ago the notion that after the triumph of the 1st symphony, Martinů chose to rewrite a weaker, less inspired version of same several times over. I found the 3rd to be generic symphonic Martinů: pleasant, with the usual vigorous first movement; I enjoyed the Largo more with its hints of threatening to break out into sustained melody. The closing movement, after rambling on somewhat like the Moderato ended in Martinů's usual cheerfulness. The situation for me with Martinů is that the 1st symphony is so marvelous--the musical veil of shimmering, rising bubbles that typify the first movement of the 1st is just a highlight of that masterful work--that my ability to fully appreciate the later symphonies has been fatally compromised. But I will definitely listen to the 3rd again (and the others). Long Live the Martinů First!


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Delius - Violin concerto*

Not new to me, I have plenty of Delius CD's, including the violin concerto in the version by Ralph Holmes and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Vernon Handley. I recall thinking that this is the best of the four Delius concertos, and remembering it as a somewhat rhapsodic but lovely concerto in one continuous movement. I played the CD once more. There's a pastoral quality to this music, with moments of sadness as well. The violin is a prominent but not dominating part of the soundscape, in sharp contrast with the earlier romantic tradition. Not the very best British violin concerto for me (that would be Bax or Moeran, and then Elgar), but at a level just below that. It was good to listen to it once more.

Ranking on the ArtRockometer: in the upper end of "Important", desirable to have in my collection.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Listening to the Curlew right now and planning on re listening to the Delius later to see if I like it a bit more.


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

*Dove Piano Quintet*

Haven't heard this before, and won't hear it again. It had some nice sounds, but overall it felt rather pointless and listening to this sort of thing regularly would make me question why I like music.


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*Jonathan Dove - Piano Quintet*

This is my own choice. My original inclination for picking a piece was to go with one or other of my favourite minimalist or post-minimalist composers but to be honest I thought that might win me a few enemies! (Maybe next time...)
Jonathan Dove isn't a minimalist, in much the same way as John Adams isn't a minimalist. You can certainly hear similarities in their music, though I'd put Dove as rather more lyrical than Adams. Maybe he might even be acceptable to people who insist there's no such thing as good contemporary music?
The piano quintet was composed in Umbria in 2009. I can hear a pastoral summer in the slow movement, though according to the sleeve notes Dove insists that there's "no programme or hidden story. The bells in the second movement are not the bells of Gubbio; yet, in some way, I suspect that all those summer sensations have coloured this score."

For those who like this piece, I highly recommend the entire album: the quintet is followed by the string quartet _Out of Time_ and the superb song cycle _In Damascus_ (for tenor and string quartet - perhaps you could program it with Warlock's _Curlew_!)


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

*Haydn Symphony 24*

I haven't listened to this piece before. It seems rather mundane to me, and a little lacking in warmth. There's certainly nothing wrong with the piece, but I think it would be of the most interest to people who are already big Haydn fans.


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

*Babbitt Piano Concerto 2*

This was my own submission, and a work I discovered at the age of 15 (3 years ago). I find this piece very addictive, and I've listened to it so many times in the past few days that it's getting stuck in my head! There's something so pleasing about the combination of the registral jumps of the piano and highly expressive orchestral writing. The momentary lapses into tonality (one of the hallmarks of Babbitt's style) are incredibly satisfying, especially the powerful major seventh that shows up in the final seconds of the piece. There's also enough drama to keep the piece engaging for the entire 25 minutes - a highlight is the section at 10:42. I also love hearing the ecstatic applause at the end of the live recording, showing that there are also others who appreciate this piece as much as I do


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Milton Babbitt: Piano Concerto No. 2*
*Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 24*

The alpha and omega of musical logic. I have no comment on the Babbitt concerto, as I freely affirm that I am not equipped to judge intelligently of it; I am not part of the audience for whom Babbitt intended this work. My ability to roam the boundaries of classical music ends at Bartók; beyond his marvelous blend of consonance and dissonance lies, for me, an alien musical landscape inhabited by strange creatures whose features and behaviors I do not understand.

The Hayden No. 24 is new to me and I found it delightful: loved every note. Haydn at the top of his game--graceful, melodious, decorous, balanced. The second movement--in part a mini-concerto for flute, then a rather modern-sounding trio for flute, violin, and 'cello, was particularly fine. I add this to my list of excellent Haydn works and am grateful to have had the opportunity to be introduced to it.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

*Peter Warlock - The Curlew*

I really, really liked it. In fact, I listened to it twice through and then made my Dad listen to it with me five hours later. He couldn't stand it, he hates that style of singing. But I'm so glad to have discovered it. I love how the songs are woven together, but the same thread of ideas is still there often - largely due to the interesting instrumentation. The singer isn't crammed in at all times, we're given a lot of instrumental passages to set/convey the mood. A wonderful, short, sweet, piece that I'll be listening to again in the future.

8/10


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

*Martinu - Symphony No. 3*

My own pick. It's interesting reading other's comments on how this is derivative of Martinu's work. I can't comment since this is the only Martinu piece I've heard. I just know I love it and find it endlessly delightful, profound, and passionate. Two years ago my orchestra played this piece, and boy was it a blast. The first couple rehearsals/listenings I hated it, found it choppy with no real melody/drive. But once it came together I found it was one of my favorite pieces we've ever performed. The ending - I won't spoil it - has got to be one of my all-time favorites, absolutely bone chilling.

A masterpiece in my mind.

9/10


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Edison Denisov - Sonata for Flute & Guitar

A great selection - I will hold my hands up - I expected to dislike this piece because of the inclusion of guitar which for me is often a no-go area. I have listened to this piece now twice and I am currently listening a third time as I type. First time around listening to the first section I felt my preconceptions were being confirmed but the two following sections gradually grabbed my attention. Further listening has just confirmed what a fine work this is. 
One to seek out on a recording.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Jonathan Dove: Piano Quintet*

Loved this piece! Happy from start to finish. The short first movement strongly reminded me of elements found in the first and last movements of my selection, _Lousadzak._; that pleased me, and I wondered at Dove's influences. The quiet second movement emphasized the piano as a percussion instrument--glockenspiel, bells--soft, suggestive. The dance-like third movement was delightfully jazzy and rhythmic, again with the piano as yet another percussion instrument with the strings carrying the melody. Well done, Nereffid!


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Gosh, everyone's going so fast! I feel like I'm behind although technically I'm ahead of schedule for the allotted time. It's been fun reading everyone's posts.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Thea Musgrave: Turbulent Landscapes*

Movie music with suggestive touches of Walton and Sibelius, especially in the early minutes. Episodic; excellent background music for figures making their way through brooding landscapes, along cliffs, ledges, etc. Nothing, though, to cling to the memory.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

*Thea Musgrave: Turbulent Landscapes*

SM's summary rather matches my own, also my feelings about what else I have heard by Musgrave, i.e. nice but... This is said as someone who very much appreciates JMW Turner's art - the Clore Gallery at the Tate is always high on my list when in London. Having said that, I will probably give it a second chance.


----------



## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Delius - Violin concerto

Listened to this last night, like others, it didn't leave a huge impact on me but here are my thoughts. First of all, Delius is a composer whose name I have heard many times but have never listened to. I was surprised actually by his musical language because it was not at all what I was expecting. This is actually embarrassing to admit, but I just realized that for my entire life I have gotten Delius mixed up in my head with Delibes...so when I listened to Delius for the first time last night I was expecting some lighthearted syrupy "pop-romantic" type stuff, similar to Lehar. or Suppe...oops.

So anyway, other than my initial shock at the language of the music, what I heard was, like others were mentioning, a rather middle of the road, mediocre type violin concerto. Nothing bad, but nothing that really stood out to me that much and what I think really contributes to this feeling was the treatment of the solo violin. It's just kinda there, chugging along with the rest of the music for the entire piece and to me that's generally not what you want from concerto writing. The best concertos, off the top of my head, *make something* of the soloist, a big dramatic entrance, a great melody, striking techniques unique to the instrument, memorable dialogue with the other instruments. But instead in this concerto the soloist just seems to chug along with everything else. I will say though that his harmonic language, that chromatic, late Romantic type music is a genre that I really enjoy in general. It's just that I don't think he used it as effectively as he could have.

Again, not an unpleasant experience, nothing made me cringe or roll my eyes. It was nice enough, but not memorable to me and unlike the Warlock piece I listened to first, it didn't give me the urge to listen to more of Delius' work.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Thea Musgrave: Turbulent Landscapes
*

New to me? No. I have a handful of Musgrave CD's, including the NMC one that features the current work (the same version as in the YouTube link). Listening to it from CD once more. It's a rather unusual piece for its time, reminding me more than once of the Bax symphonic poems (which I absolutely love), but with some more modern touches at place (the trumpets around the 15 min mark for instance). Although divided into six "panels", the composition is a continuous one, and I find it difficult to keep track at which panel we are just by listening. Tossing the different subjects from my mind, I can really appreciate this work as a symphonic poem.

Artrockometer: "Important" (works that I would really like to have in my CD collection should I have to start over).


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Jonathan Dove - Piano Quintet*

New to me? Yes. I only have one CD by this composer (choral works), and I never heard any of his chamber music. The first movement is a good start. The rhythm at times remind me of Nyman, but overall far more interesting. The second movement starts of in a very romantic mood, followed by an interesting dialogue between piano and string quartet, which slowly becomes more intense and then scales back once more. The final movement sees a return to minimalist rhythms (Some Reich influence here?), alternating between the strings and the piano, leading to a clear finish. If I had to characterize the composition's style, I'd say "a neoromantic take on minimalism", which sounds like kitsch, but it is absolutely not kitsch.I really enjoyed getting to know this piece, and will return to it for sure. Great recommendation! I will listen to the other works on the CD as well (from YouTube).

Artrockometer: "Important" (works that I would really like to have in my CD collection should I have to start over).


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

*Jonathan Dove - Piano Quintet*

A piece and indeed composer that are new to me. 
Having read a couple of the previous reviews on the thread (note to self - stop doing so until listening) I was of the opinion I would struggle with this work. To a degree I did, I as a general statement don't care for minimalism and found in the first and final sections too much of that style evident for my liking - I thought I could hear similarities with John Adams 'Short ride in a Fast Machine' at the start of the section entitled 'Lively'. 
However, and it is a big however I did enjoy the middle section which wasn't to my ears as overtly minimalistic. If that middle section was developed as a piece on its own I would have given a thumbs up as it stands I am glad to have heard the piece but will not rush back.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

After three days we're at 35 of the 100 committed reviews (with a welcome additional 11 by people who are not in the submissions group).


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

> Malx: "Having read a couple of the previous reviews on the thread (note to self - stop doing so until listening)..."


Good advice. I have refrained from reading anybody's comments on any piece until after I have heard the piece myself with a "clean" mind and ears. Art Rock, can you give us all of the gradations of the Artrockometer? I think I might find your measuring tool useful and avail myself of it--I am being serious.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Why not?

6/6 stars: "Hors concours"
Reserved for less than 100 masterpieces.

5/6 stars: "Essential"
Reserved for works that absolutely must be in my CD collection should I have to start over.

4/6 stars: "Important"
Reserved for works that I would really like to have in my CD collection should I have to start over.

3/6 stars: "Good to have"
Reserved for works that would be OK to end up in my CD collection should I have to start over - but that I can accept if they're not.

2/6 stars: "Not required"
Reserved for works that I would prefer not to have in my CD collection should I have to start over.

1/6 stars: "Avoid"
Reserved for works that I would really hate to have in my CD collection should I have to start over.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Art Rock said:


> After three days we're at 35 of the 100 committed reviews (*with a welcome additional 11 by people who are not in the submissions group*).


The reason that I didn't submit a piece at the start was that in all honesty I was almost certain that there would be a number of works in the eventual list which I would be uninterested in completely listening to and commenting on, and so it has turned out. I do hope to continue reviewing as many of the list as time and interest permits.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The notion of keeping the selections submitted relatively short in length/duration is a good one--keeps things manageable. After we're done with this thread, let's try another. I'll listen to anything new, as long as I can quickly eject from the cockpit if need be.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Over the coming weeks I will be posting a few of my more obscure favourites to my Personal Diary thread and welcome any comments. I put one there last night but be aware, it is almost 33 minutes long 

A Personal Diary of Notable Performances


----------



## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

I wish I could have submitted something interesting for this, but I'm so relatively new to classical music that I don't really have any obscure favorites that no else would know about. But I do love discovering obscure stuff! So I listened to a few of the selections here and have my rough thoughts ready to go. I most likely will not hear everything on the list, but I will share my perceptions of what I do get around to hearing, based off a five-star scale...

*Warlock- The Curlew*

I had never heard of this composer before this, and briefly researched him to find out he had a very colorful life and personality. Seeing the unusual instrumentation of this song cycle (I had never seen songs accompanied by anything other than solo piano or full orchestra) and that they were based off poems by W.B. Yeats, who is one of my favorite poets, I thought I was in for a treat. Alas, I struggled to connect with it. This work is of a musical language that remains in my blind spot- late Romantic, heavily chromatic, meandering aimlessly (to my ears). The voice was, surprisingly enough, not in the main spotlight; the cycle came across as more like a chamber work with occasional uninvited singing. Also, though this sounds strange, I have always struggled with appreciating classical music that is sung in my native tongue. I've had this problem with works like Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915, and the choral music of Britten and Vaughan Williams (for me, Handel's Messiah does the best job of handling the English language when sung). I do like all those works to varying degrees, but I have a tough time with the vocal elements of them. Maybe it's because the English language is better adapted to the spoken and written word, or because it is so complex that it comes across as awkward and clunky when sung. Or maybe since I can't understand other languages, I can just revel in the beauty of the words and music without understanding what they mean. Anyway, my rating for this: 1/5

*Delius- Violin Concerto*

Delius is one of my favorite British composers, though I'm not generally a big fan of composers from that continent (nothing against the Brits at all! I just don't care for the meandering, pentatonic "pastoralism" that they often fill their music with). Previously I had heard and enjoyed several of his symphonic poems and the Florida Suite, and if my memory serves me right, I had actually heard snippets of this work. His music is not very "profound" or inventive, but it is often replete with fresh-sounding melodies and vitality. But, listening to this concerto in full for the first time, my initial reaction was simply "meh." There was nothing very offensive or unpleasant about the music to me- it just seemed to have no direction to it. My mind went on autopilot for its whole 28 minutes, and I could barely remember anything that happened once it was over. My two possible issues: (1.) I generally don't care for the sound of the solo violin with several notable exceptions, and the solo instrument dominated this work from beginning to end. (2.) The work was cast in a single movement with subdivided sections based off the traditional 3-movement structure. Usually, when a movement lasts past 20 minutes, it loses me unless it is exceptionally well-crafted. Thus, this one wasn't for me. Rating: 1/5

*Martinu- Symphony No. 3*

This is a symphony that I had heard before, along with at least two others from Martinu, and some snippets from his piano and cello concerti. Previously I thought his music was unnecessarily hard-edged, hectoring, and dark. Revisiting the 3rd, I now believe I have achieved success with this composer! The musical language is virtually without match- best described as a cross between Bartok, Prokofiev, and Vaughan Williams with predominant elements of each. Right off the gate, the music is incredibly assertive with that slashing, almost barbaric rhythmic motif that dominates the whole movement. But Martinu alternates this with softer passages of gentle lyricism to relieve the ears. This was the most Prokofiev-esque movement to me. I enjoyed the slow movement quite a bit, with its nocturnal dissonances reminding me of Bartok the most. I seem to be drawing a blank on remembering the finale right now (I listened to it a couple days ago), so maybe I will go revisit it soon. But overall, though I wouldn't count it as a favorite symphony, it is still one that I found enjoyment from it simply due to its individuality and its boldness. My rating: 3/5


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> I wish I could have submitted something interesting for this, but I'm so relatively new to classical music that I don't really have any obscure favorites that no else would know about. But I do love discovering obscure stuff! So I listened to a few of the selections here and have my rough thoughts ready to go. I most likely will not hear everything on the list, but I will share my perceptions of what I do get around to hearing, based off a five-star scale...
> 
> *Warlock- The Curlew*
> 
> ...


Glad you enjoyed the Martinu, I think it's a piece I never tire of!


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

*Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 24*

Had I heard the work before - Yes but as Haydn wrote so many symphonies it wasn't one that I could recall clearly.

I started off listening to the performance via the link provided, lovely dramatic opening Allegro, alls well, we then head into the slow movement an Adagio featuring a promenient place for a flute so much so it almost sounds like a flute concerto movement then I was thrown by the lengthy cadenza like episode at the end of the movement - this I had no recollection of from previous listening.
I then reached for my Hogwood box of symphonies and started again, this time no cadenza which created a much better balance to the symphony. The last two movements were fairly typical Haydn, a stately Menuet and Trio section followed by a fine Allegro finale.
It is a very good early Haydn symphony one that I am glad to be reacquainted with, whats not to like - that cadenza section perhaps!


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Edison Denisov: Sonata for Flute and Guitar*

I began to listen, and awaited the arrival of my old friends melody, harmony, and rhythm. Except for some chords offered by the guitar, the friends were absent for the first section of the piece. But, slowly in the second section, and moreso in the third, the three friends made a halting, hesitant appearence in the guitar work, sometimes a tiny bit suggestive of moments in the Rodrigo concerto, while the flute pretty much kept up its mostly independent flutterings, only occasionally acknowledging the presence of the other instrument. This work would have worked better, I think, either without the flute entirely or with the flute and guitar playing together in a much more mutual fashion. But I shan't be hearing it again.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Denisov - Sonata for Flute and Guitar*

All except my own selection in this exercise are 20th century or later, so I'm not sure I would agree about the diversity that was promised. I feel rather out of my depth because I'm not a fan of modern music (though there have been exceptions). My first impulse is to dislike modern pieces, I will try to suppress my impulses.

In this piece the guitar is schizophrenic as if the composer wanted anything but Spanish guitar or any other conventional guitar sound. It's different in each movement. In the first movement often single notes are plucked, not the chords you would expect. I would almost rather hear the flute alone, though.

In the second movement 6:58 the guitar sounds more conventional and sets a compelling rhythm which is nice. Both guitar and flute become melodic and tonally in sync for a while. But it seems like an odd change and doesn't last. This is the most interesting movement for me.

10:44 In the third movement the guitar is played in a slashing, violent way. Maybe the guitarist should be even more aggressive, he's bit diffident, the flute seems to dominate this dialogue.

I actually like this a little more each time I hear it, but I'll probably never love it. At a live concert it would be nice sandwiched between the more familiar stuff I listen to.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Denisov - Sonata for Flute and Guitar

Enjoyable enough piece, I guess. These modern pieces take time to digest and re-listen to. The problem is I have no interest in listening to this again, especially with the flute, one of my least favorite solo instruments. It’s better than the Delius because it has the decency to keep its BS under 20 minutes 
4/10

Thea Musgrave: Turbulent Landscapes
Another piece that just kind of washed over me. I tried to focus and then found myself dozing off only to snap back in. A piece should draw you in, and although this had interesting ideas I was still left wanting more.
5/10

I really wish I could write longer reviews! I just struggle with analyzing a piece other than just “that was a bop” “that was not a bop”


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Peter Warlock - The Curlew*

I like birds, so the title "The Curlew" attracted me - a beautiful shore bird. I find the piece interesting being scored for flute, English horn, and string quartet. It's beautiful writing for those instruments. I don't hear too many really memorable melodies, except maybe at 0:59, and 2:52. Especially not for the singer - it's the usual sing-song vocals like in certain modern operas which are not my favorite operas. I don't find the piece really all that different and unusual as some listeners on youtube claim. Reminds me of other bleak British music, like Britten's (whom I don't listen to much). It is successfully atmospheric and I can see that it could be haunting. The opening is really something. I think it will grow on me.

I should write another paragraph on some of these pieces after a week or so when I know them better.


----------



## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Tchaikov6 said:


> I really wish I could write longer reviews! I just struggle with analyzing a piece other than just "that was a bop" "that was not a bop"


The key is to ask yourself *why* you feel the way you do about a piece. Once you ask yourself that, the rest will come.


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 24*

I have all of Haydn's symphonies in my collection - this one in Hogwood's recording - but I can't honestly say No. 24 was familiar to me. Well, it's familiar in the sense that it's a Haydn symphony from the 1760s so I had a reasonably good idea what to expect. For some listeners, this can be a case of dismissing Classical (and earlier) works within a genre as being "all the same". Not me, though. I mean, it's unlikely I'll ever be able to instantly distinguish many Haydn symphonies from each other, but when listening in the moment that doesn't matter.
The standout for me here is the second-movement Adagio, which Wikipedia suggests might actually be the slow movement from a now-lost flute concerto. With a charming first movement and a crisp Minuet, and a to-be-fair not quite so memorable but nevertheless still perfectly fine finale, this one's a winner.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Open Book said:


> *Denisov - Sonata for Flute and Guitar*
> 
> All except my own selection in this exercise are 20th century or later, so I'm not sure I would agree about the diversity that was promised.


Point taken wrt time periods, but that's pot luck. When I mentioned the diversity of the ten selections, I was thinking of orchestral versus chamber music versus instrumental versus vocal, and a mix of well-known composers and less common names.


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*Peter Warlock - The Curlew*

This impressed me deeply when I first heard it (I have the John Mark Ainsley/Nash Ensemble recording on Hyperion) but it's been years since I actually listened to it. Would it stand the test of time? Yes indeed. In fact I'd forgotten just how desolate a piece it is. A superb marrying of words and music, I think, evoking the landscape and the loneliness.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

*Alan Hovhaness - Piano Concerto No. 1, Opus 48, Lousadzak
*
New? No, I've had it on CD since the nineties (Keith Jarret with the American Composres Orchestra under Dennis Russell Davies), but it's been a few years since I last heard it. Into the CD player it goes. A fairly short piano concerto, and it takes a minute before the piano enters after the somewhat sinister orchestral introduction. There is a sense of urgency as the music develops into a dialogue. Gradually the orchestral music starts showing the influence of Hovhaness' Armenian background to great effect, something the piano takes over in the final minutes. The music of Hovhaness can sound a bit too easy to my ears sometimes, but this one not at all. A piano concerto unlike any other and a joy to listen to.

Artrockometer: "Essential" (works that that absolutely must be in my CD collection should I have to start over).


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Denisov - Sonata for Flute and Guitar*

Listening to my own selection! I was hoping people here would get blown away by this piece. I believe it's a masterpiece by an influential composer, whom suddenly became obscure. Denisov is one of the composers that made me like modern music, so I seem to like him more that your average guy. The piece has the usual chromatic/free tonality from Denisov, that's bordering on 12-tone music and even some 1/4 tones. His style is to me a bit French (he lived in Paris), meaning impressionistic mixed in the more modernistic. Flute/guitar is a standard duo combination, that's what I learned in the 1980's. OK...I think it starts out beautifully and evocative in the 1st and 2nd mvt. and ends in a fiery (quasi Spanish) 3rd mvt. I read somewhere that he said he liked to write beautiful music. To my ears it is!

for flute/guitar combination this is an essential work!


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

*Milton Babbitt - Piano Concerto 2*

A work I was not aware of so completely new to me.

I am not adverse to new composers, being prepared to give most things a hearing but its fair to say I approached this piece with a little trepidation based largely on my preconceptions. Unfounded preconceptions as I can't recall ever listening to any of Babbitt's compositions.
I found this piece less daunting than I expected, I managed to listen to the whole piece and didn't feel the desire to switch it off.
My issue with works such as this one is the lack of obvious lack of themes and development or at least my inabilty to identify such themes that might exist.
Conclusion: this is a piece I would have to spend a lot of time with to try and understand it - do I have that time with so much other music to listen to, I'm not too sure.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

violadude said:


> The key is to ask yourself *why* you feel the way you do about a piece. Once you ask yourself that, the rest will come.


Indeed, but that's quite tough for me. I've gotten better at it with movie reviews so maybe I just need experience in formulating reasons behind an opinions.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Milton Babbit - Piano Concerto #2*

I know Babbitt. Do they still compose like this anymore? I didn't think it had persisted into the 21st century. The continuous assault of percussive piano plunks and brass flare-ups gives me a headache. If this were a landscape it would be a harsh moonscape with no familiar landmarks. If I am plunked down in the middle of it I would have no idea where I am. Someone liked it so I hope I haven't been too insulting. I look forward to reading their statement on it (don't want to be influenced by other people just yet).


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Milton Babbitt - Piano Concerto No. 2*

This may be labeled as a concerto, but Babbitt really is not using the full orchestra together at any given time. That gives the piece quite an intimate feeling, almost as if it were chamber music. Yet the piece feels quite organic and free-flowing as instruments from the orchestra just seemlessly rotate with each other, all the while in constant dialogue with the restless piano. As a comparison, John Cage definitely comes to mind. However, I find Cage's approach more attractive simply because of the sheer timbral beauty he evokes from his ensembles at any given second. And I also love how much more space Cage gives his pieces to breathe via literal pauses and silences, which provides a greater emphasis on the natural climaxes and phrases that arrive, whether intentional or not. This concerto wanders a bit too aimlessly and relentlessly without any room for self-reflection or appreciation, until it just all abruptly ends. Ultimately, while I definitely find Babbitt's stylistic treatment of the orchestra interesting and quite unusual, the piece does not make more than an intellectual impression on me. I do miss the pithy energy of some of his earlier pieces, like his _String Quartet No. 2_ and _Philomel_.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Haydn - Symphony 24 - My Choice*

This is one of the first classical pieces I ever heard from a live Boston Symphony performance before 1969. I taped it and heard it over and over. It was not historically accurate but had a wonderful and prominent harpsichord continuo, especially in the 3rd movement, which is always inaudible in other performances. I love the concerto-like flute part in the second movement, not the only time Haydn allows an instrument to "solo" in one of his symphonies.

I realize Haydn doesn't excite people, especially early Haydn, which I prefer to older "Papa" Haydn. He does not tug on the emotions as deeply as some composers but is a pure music maker. I don't feel he is typically performed well. I am not a fan of most complete Haydn symphony recordings where it sounds like every symphony has to be slogged through for completeness. I don't like Hogwood or Dorati much.

For my Boston Symphony performance the conductor, whoever he was, loved this work, and it showed. I just wanted to see how other people reacted to it. It is special for me because of early associations so I probably have overrated it.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Bohuslav Martinu - Symphony no. 3 *

Twentieth century work from the 40's. Not long but it feels like a massive, serious symphony which was born of and seems to describe, the struggles and pain of the war years, I'm guessing, like Shostakovich's works.

This kind of thing is not something I prefer in my normal listening. I listen to and buy classical, romantic, and baroque works. This is not a must-own. But if it's on the radio or played in a Berlin Philharmonic streamed broadcast, I will listen.

It is compelling in many ways. By turns anguished, serene, harrowing, playful. I like the use of the piano, nice touch at the end. As expected, its themes do not equal the miraculous riches of Strauss, Mahler, or Bruckner, the most contemporary composers of large symphonic works I listen to avidly. I would bet the symphonies of Martinu are not as different from each other as these three composers' works are.

You can tell it is Czech music and that's a good thing. At 12:39-13:06 the high, hushed strings and woodwinds remind me of passages in Dvorak or Smetana. I can picture myself returning to this on youtube, checking out other performances. I don't think other interpretations would make a big difference to me, though.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Frederick Delius: Violin Concerto*

A winner. Definitely an English work. It does not begin well for me, as the violin is too discursive for the first 6 minutes. But the piece then becomes quite lyrical and melodic and continues along very pleasantly for about 8 minutes, when the orchestra swells and it and the violin become more animated. About 3 minutes of this and it becomes yet more animated, sprightly, sunny before settling down to some lovely autumnal final passages. Overall, not a great violin concerto, but one to instill a sense of pastoral, almost elegiac calm and well-being, often very much appreciated in today's world.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Alan Hovhaness: Piano Concerto No. 1, Lousadzak*

Lousadzak, The Coming of Light, was my introduction to the music of Hovhaness. I read a very favorable review of the MGM recording (it is backed on the vinyl with the equally wonderful Violin Concerto No. 2) and purchased it. It remains for me, some 60 years later, powerful for its setting from the beginning a mood of hushed premonitory anticipation of something quite different from our usual musical experience--something from another culture, another geography, another world. "Orientalism?" Possibly, but of a perceived authenticity that the works of the Mighty Five cannot presume. After the darker, anthemic thrumming sonorities of the first movement, we enter a dream world of tinkling, shimmering, sinuous, ophidian "oriental" melody dotted with the tinkling trills of the piano--the closest parallels in mood are the slow movements of the Khachaturian Piano Concerto and the Rodrigo Concertó de Aranjuez, and bits of De Falla's Nights. We enter the final third with the piano and strings dancing and climbing as the light gathers strength yet rises higher and higher both on the keyboard and into the stratosphere, when abruptly all stops.

Not a piece for everyone. But I literally never tire of it, as it induces a trancelike absorption even though (and probably because) I know every note of it by heart. The only problem with the defining Ajemian/Surinach recording is its mediocre sound quality--it was not well-recorded by MGM and needs either a state-of-the-art remastering or a faithful re-recording by someone who understands the work (not Keith Jarrett!)


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Open Book said:


> *Bohuslav Martinu - Symphony no. 3 *
> This kind of thing is not something I prefer in my normal listening. I listen to and buy classical, romantic, and baroque works. This is not a must-own. But if it's on the radio or played in a Berlin Philharmonic streamed broadcast, I will listen.


There is a performance of Martinu's 4th symphony, which I consider one of his better symphonies, in the BPO DCH archive with Alan Gilbert conducting.


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

*Hovhaness Piano Concerto 1*

Hmm, an interesting piece. I think I'd have to listen to it again to be able to tell whether I like it or not. I think this is contemplative music, which like the music of John Cage would demand complete absorption (although of course stylistically it has little in common with Cage). Unfortunately I can't say much more on this piece, but I might listen to it a second time later and comment again.


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

*Alan Hovhaness - Piano Concerto No. 1, Opus 48, Lousadzak*

Sorry to say I really couldn't warm to this, the obvious eastern influence to the sound of the piece is not something I care for.
However listening to the piece has done something useful for me - I previously had dismissed Hovhaness as a composer simply because the initial pieces I had heard from him were symphonies that all sounded a bit 'wishy washy'. This work indicates there is a more to him than I had previously thought, further exploration is required.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

*Alan Hovhaness - Piano Concerto No. 1, Opus 48, Lousadzak*

This type of music likely has "trance-like" properties. Unforunately, the version I heard on YouTube has toxic sound; it's boxy and each instrument has a horrible tone to it. The ending was a surprise - so abrupt.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Reminder: deadline is 11 February. In five days, we managed to get 53 listens/reactions posted (from the participants, another 15 by others), so that's encouraging.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Lousadzak, (Cont.)*

I agree completely about the poor quality of the sound of the Ajemian/Surinach recording. I bought the CD with Keith Jarrett hoping for better sound, but the somewhat improved sound quality was offset by Jarrett's mishandling of tempi, especially in the critical first movement. Regarding Hovhaness' music overall, MGM adopted Hovhaness as their featured contemporary composer back in the late 1950s, issuing a series of his early works on vinyl. I had many of them, but one by one they dropped out of my collection, as, except for the two concertos with the Ajemian sisters, I deemed them nowhere as interesting as that original purchase and have listened only sparingly to other Hovhaness since, insanely productive though he was in the intervening decades. So, for me, Hovhaness is a composer struck by the lightening bolt of genius twice early in his career, but whose other music I was not properly equipped to appreciate to the same degree.


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

*Martinů Symphony 3*

I knew this would be good immediately in the first 10 seconds. Brilliant piece filled with life and energy. I hadn't listened to this specific symphony before, but I have heard the 6th Symphony.


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

*Milton Babbitt - Piano Concerto 2*

I was rather reluctant to listen to this as my preconceived notion is that Babbitt is not someone who I would like, but I decided to at least give it a try. I admit that it isn't quite what I was anticipating but still...

Preconceived notions - 1, Babbitt - 0


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Thea Musgrave - Turbulent Landscapes*

I believe I've never heard music by Musgrave before. I knew she wrote something for guitar, but haven't heard it. I always thought she was a modernist, but this gives me a retro feeling. Like back 100 years  I like it, at least the sea monsters and shipwreck! It would make a nice start to a concert with maybe Sibelius violin concerto and then after intermission Ein Heldenleben by Richard Strauss. Going to make the violinist work hard!!!


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

*Bohuslav Martinů - Symphony No. 3*

I'll be brief, I know this Symphony and can say it is a symphony that is well worth repeated listening. I have two sets of the complete Martinu symphonies in my collection - but Bryden Thomson's set is not one of them. On this evidence it is one to consider.
Excellent choice.


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

*Abel Decaux - Clairs de lune *

A new compostion and a new composer for me and probably the choice that fits the criteria of the thread best.
All I can say is wow - this selection has really made me sit up and listen. Here we have a composer ahead of his time in terms of the soundworld he creates.
I have listened to the four movements twice now and I am impressed - truth be told on first hearing the opening 2 minutes or so didn't inspire me but the rest of the work certainly changes that. I hear sounds that are for me reminiscent of Schoenberg but how likely is it that Decaux had heard Schoenberg's piano works (I haven't checked the date of Schoenbergs compostions so someone may correct me).
As may be obvious I find this piece intriguing and I have added Chiu's disc to my wish list.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Two of us have completed all 10 reactions/reviews (if my spreadsheet is correct). Some of us have some catching up to though, with almost half of the allotted time gone.


----------



## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

*Decaux Clairs de Lune*

Saving the best till last I see! Although there were other pieces in this round I liked, I think this is the only one other than my own submission that I will incorporate into my music listening. Some really expressive writing here! Never heard of this piece before, and it seems to have been the only one this composer published.

Thanks a lot Trout! This one is a major discovery.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Thea Musgrave - Turbulent landscapes*

Program music that might make a good background for an action movie but I have little interest in hearing it alone. The composer is a skillful craftswoman but this kind of thing no longer sounds fresh, it's full of cliches from similar scores. That may be unjust, for all I know the composer could have invented this genre, but I'm a bit tired of it. Full of annoying dramatic gestures and typical loud eruptions in the brass section.

Relenting a bit. This is actually too complex to be a movie score. That's a compliment. And I'll admit some of the quieter sections are deliciously spooky like from 6:00 to 9:00 with the oboe weaving its spell. All in all not my cup of tea but not sorry to have heard it.

Oh, and I neglected to mention that all 9 of these pieces are new to me. At least, I have no memory of them. But most of the composers are not new to me, anyone who listens to classical radio gets subjected to a variety of music.


----------



## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

*Haydn- Symphony No. 24*

I agree with the assessment of Haydn by many here- he is a composer that never pulls out a dud or who repels me. I can always count on him for a nice little shot of nonchalance and effervescence. But I would not count any of his works among my ultimate favorites (except the Nelson Mass, which is undoubtedly his magnum opus IMO), since I find them so homogeneous- maybe the cello concerti, a couple of the London Symphonies, The Creation are standouts. But otherwise, I have perfectly middle-of-the-road feelings about his music. Predictably, that's exactly the kind of sentiment I had with this symphony. Pleasant, streamlined, compact- but not bedazzling. I would rate this below almost all his symphonies I've heard so far- it's lacking in the wit and imagination that characterizes his later symphonies. Three of the movements I can hardly remember at all. The only one that stuck out to me was that lovely flute-concerto-esque slow movement, but even that wasn't particularly memorable for the musical components. For me, a nice diversion and little else. Rating: 1/5


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

*Martinu Symphony 3*

I listened to Neeme Jarvi/Bamberg Symphony Orchestra on the BIS label.

I liked the syncopated, seesaw of a rhythm that opens the first couple minutes of the first movement, and I liked how it gets transmitted like a virus from the strings to the woodwinds. I also liked the little bassoon solo at the beginning of the development section where the bassoon played the exact same rhythm but with longer durational values (eighth becomes quarter, quarter becomes half). But I found the recapitulation way too similar to the opening. And I thought the climax at the end could've been a bit more forceful.

Parts of the second movement very much reminded me of Shostakovich's 5th, especially the 5th's opening movement. So much so that it makes me wonder if Martinu was aware of it.

The first half of the third movement was about what I expected of Martinu: a series of passages showing off different high-speed rhythmic figures. But I was pleasantly surprised when the movement suddenly slowed down and a series of instrumental solos broke through and sang to the accompaniment of arpeggios. Perhaps Martinu should've offered in the first half some signs of what was to come in the second half so as to retain some semblance of thematic unity (because there really isn't any). But otherwise, no problems with the movement slowing down.

Final Score: 7/10


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

*Delius - Violin concerto*

About what I expect of Delius who is one of those composers who I think I ought to like but instead usually seem to find tiresome as the works just don't seem to go anywhere. I won't bother keeping a copy!


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Peter Warlock: The Curlew*

Allegro Con Brio's remarks in Post #71 largely mirror my own reaction. I am fond of Yeats' poetry but found, even with headphones, that due to the miking I ended up missing about half of the lyrics. Also, I am just not a good audience for classical song, and so would have been more receptive to the piece had there been no lyrics or singer, with the composer perhaps offering us a musical tone poem depicting a moorland setting where an actual curlew will likely be found. But clearly that was not what the composer had in mind so my suggestion is impertinent.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

*Alan Hovhaness - Piano Concerto No. 1, Opus 48*

I've never loved Hovhaness. His music often seems labored and unnatural. This is a (sort of) exception. As others have noted, the Armenian/Eastern touches in the music I think really help it. However, like the Delius, there's nothing that really popped out at me and for that reason I can't consider it a favorite. However, I'm planning to dive back into this as soon as I can to see what others love so much that I may have been missing.

5/10


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

We're at 60/100 now, with four participants completing their 10 after the first of the two weeks. I will send a reminder to the players who have completed 0-3 listens/posts.


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

I'll have a bunch of comments in the next few days, promise!...


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*Bohuslav Martinů - Symphony No. 3*

I've heard this in the past, but I couldn't remember it. No that this is any fault of the music - on proper acquaintance it's a fine work. I like Martinů generally, and I really should listen to more of his music. This symphony has plenty of his rhythmic drive, and there's an odd sort of Baroqueishness to some of the middle movement. And what a wonderfully ambivalent ending! Definitely a work I'll return to.


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Jonathan Dove - Piano Quintet*

So I'm listening to something similar to minimalism. To me, that's the pop of contemporary classical, and I'm sorry I don't mean that in a nice way  I'd rather listen to pop than minimalism. I'm going to hear it all and maybe change my mind...(sweet harmonies, repeating rhythms and short melodies here). In recent years I've been more aware of my incomprehensible resistance to a few musical genres. I would like to be open and accepting of all kinds of music, but then suddenly just forget that...So there...


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*Abel Decaux - Clairs de lune*

Intriguing choice... I had never heard of the composer before, which makes this piece the true obscurity for me. For the first couple of movements, I can't say it managed to get beyond "interesting". Not in an especially negative way, it just wasn't doing much for me, but I could appreciate that it seems ahead of its time (if I'd come to it blind, I might have guessed Messiaen as the composer). But I liked the third movement, with its use of the _Dies irae_ and spooky ending, and the rippling fourth movement rounded things off nicely. Not a major discovery in terms of my own preferences, but good to know.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

On second (or third) thought, everybody's posts in this thread merit a Like. Kudos to Art Rock for coming up with this most excellent idea for a brief communal effort that exposed most of us to music new to most of us, by turns. I have enjoyed it thoroughly and continue to do so. AR, give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.:tiphat:


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I hope we can do a few more of this. Once most people are done with this round, I'll ask for some specific feedback to fine tune the process.


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Strange Magic said:


> On second (or third) thought, everybody's posts in this thread merit a Like. Kudos to Art Rock for coming up with this most excellent idea for a brief communal effort that exposed most of us to music new to most of us, by turns. I have enjoyed it thoroughly and continue to do so. AR, give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.:tiphat:


Agreed, good work Art.


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Haydn- Symphony No. 24*

I wouldn't call a symphony by Haydn obscure. They are all pearls and sound as pearls! So this is the sound of a pearl  I don't want so much to remember themes, rather be surprised or taken on a musical journey. This pearl sounds a bit different than the one I heard in my car on my way to work...REALLY different now. So the conductor took a wild detour to wonderland! Kind of fun


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Milton Babbitt - Piano Concerto 2*

Am I in the mood for this after Haydn? I do like contemporary piano concertos! Right now I'm glad I don't have to follow the score  This style makes me feel creative and gives me extra energy and it puts me in a state of constant surprise. Going to do some yoga after!


----------



## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> (except the Nelson Mass, which is undoubtedly his magnum opus IMO),


Whatabout the Theresienmesse


----------



## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

hammeredklavier said:


> Whatabout the Theresienmesse


I'll try to hear that tomorrow; never heard it before!


----------



## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

*Musgrave- Turbulent Landscapes, Dove- Piano Quintet, Decaux- Clairs de Lune*

I sampled all of these today and, I regret to say, none of them were for me. The Musgrave seemed like an uninspired pseudo-impressionist work, the Dove like an edgy minimalist piece, and the Decaux like a fragmented series of tone rows. Nothing in them spoke to my sensibilities. I have yet to hear Hovhaness, Denisov, and Babbitt, but based off the comments of others on those works, I think my time with this game is done. The only composition in it that I received any sort of enjoyment from was the Martinu. If this type of thing is run again, I plan on participating fully and submitting a selection. At the very least, this helped me discover the existence of music I most likely would never have known was there. But for now, I humbly accept my limitations in failing to understand the appeal of the majority of the music showcased here, and leave them for the enjoyment of those whose tastes are tailored to them.


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

*Decaux - Clairs de Lune*

The whole tone scale is all over the place, so I wouldn't say it's atonal. Still, this is remarkable for a piece written in 1900. It appears that impressionism was already in the rear-view mirror for Decaux, even though Debussy was just beginning his impressionist phase; instead, Decaux seems to be anticipating late Scriabin by building chords on the whole tone scale without any sense of harmonic progression (Scriabin used synthetic scales, but same concept). There are also a couple places where the octave is actively avoided, and where the tritone is on full display (though the tritone is an interval in the whole tone scale, so it's a little unavoidable). Though Debussy and Schoenberg deserve all the credit they get for advancing music, I'll now have to rethink their places in history in light of what I just heard from Decaux (the music of Hauer and Roslavets had a similar effect on me when I first heard them).

9.5/10


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

*Haydn - Symphony No. 24*

It's Haydn... I mean, what's not to love? It's simple, melodic, not too long, just symphonic perfection. It's definitely not one of my favorite symphonies of his, but I find it difficult to criticize Haydn's music, almost more so than Bach and Mozart. It would be like criticizing the word choice in a sacred text. Haydn isn't _sacred_, but his music tells us he doesn't give a **** what we think to an extent, he's here for a good time and he wants to express that.

7/10


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Alan Hovhaness - Lousadzak (Concerto for Piano and Strings), Op. 48*

This piece has gorgeous and unusual sounds. It's arresting from the start. What produces that drone that gets inside your skull in the beginning over the basses? Is that some kind of lute that enters with the piano at 1:24? Is there any percussion? Sounds too exotic to be scored for just piano and strings. Is this influenced by ethnic folk and maybe religious music?

It has a long buildup at the start and seems to be going somewhere. You begin to realize that it doesn't really develop conventionally the way classical music does. It morphs as it goes along in a different way, probably like Near Eastern music. It doesn't really reach a resolution. When it ends there is no strong clue it was going to end there, at least not to me.

I like this and I think it is truly different. If I have any criticism, it wears on me a bit because it stays at a near constant volume and intensity. I have heard music of Hovhaness before but never listened to one of his pieces repeatedly. I would try this with more of his works. Suggestions welcome.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Open Book said:


> I have heard music of Hovhaness before but never listened to one of his pieces repeatedly. I would try this with more of his works. Suggestions welcome.


My favourite Hovhaness piece is Symphony No. 50, Op. 360, Mount St. Helens. It also has a tremendous variation in intensity.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

^^^^Open Book, I think you will be also pleased by Hovhaness' Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 89a, the piece that shared the classic MGM vinyl with _Lousadzak_--it was to be my selection here, but seemed not to be available on YouTube to all of the posters. I find it equally as beautiful as the piano concerto.

Regarding possible antecedents to _Lousadzak_ and triggers to Hovhaness' musical style beyond his Armenian heritage, my attention was turned to the Arabo-Andalus tradition of _Gharnati_, which I have posted about several times in the non-classical music forum: Gharnati: Arabo-Andalusian Music from the Maghreb. I find some of the parallels quite striking.

A favorite example of Gharnati:


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*Edison Denisov - Sonata for Flute & Guitar*

I've heard of Denisov but until now hadn't heard any of his compositions. Flute and guitar isn't an immediately appealing prospect for me, though. Not knowing what to expect, the first movement nevertheless felt like something I might have expected - 1970s-vintage chamber music that's fairly accessible. I enjoyed the flute sonorities in the first movement but my mind wandered a bit. The second movement is more immediately enjoyable, being quite lyrical - at least to begin with; by the end the flute is giving us some rather odd chirrups, which I found quite endearing. And the third movement is nicely rhythmic and percussive from the guitar.

I found an interview with Denisov online (http://www.bruceduffie.com/denisov.html) in which he says "I'm not opposed to diverting music, nor against entertaining music at all. For instance, my Sonata for Flute and Guitar I consider pure entertainment. I have written some music that I consider pure entertainment, but they are a little less important than other works. This is because there are fewer of those works inside me." Seems like I should be listening to more Denisov, then - and the sonata certainly didn't put me off that idea.


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

Hovhaness - Lousadzak

I would like this piece a lot more if it weren't for that terrible sound quality. The lower registers of the piano were basically bleeding into the rest of the orchestra, and for the first half of the piece, which is mostly in the piano's bass, the piano is all you hear. Fortunately, the score was available in that youtube video, so I was able to project into my head what I should hear. Overall, I thought the orchestral writing was a pretty uninspiring. It basically consisted of imitations of the piano or marcato statements of some of the melodies, all instruments in unison. The tell for this are the occasional instructions for senza mesura (to play without a meter), which wouldn't be required had Hovhaness just wrote some more interesting string parts. The piano writing, however, is exquisite, and its simplicity has a purpose. Folk tunes, arpeggios and tremolos often circle around a central note or two -- a note that has to be passed through in order to complete the folk tune or arpeggio but is never emphasized -- and will all consist of the same notes, just transposed up and down a pitch for effect. Such strict range in pitch makes me think Hovhaness is trying to recreate some of those primitive instruments that have the range of just a few notes. 

Given what I wrote, I'd say there was a lot of potential in this piece that wasn't realized. That orchestral writing is really holding this piece back.

6.5/10


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

*Jonathon Dove - Piano Quintet*

Cool piece! I got a Modern vibe without it feeling too pretentious/atonal/etc. Not that the serialism in music nowadays is bad, but it's refreshing for tonal music with the same "new" feeling. The first movement just made me excited, or rather, energetic. While I wasn't a fan of the second movement, it seemed meandering and pointless, I usually don't do well with slow movements the first time around. Third movement was much more minamalist than the other two (not sure if they were all supposed to), but I liked it. A great piece by a composer I had never heard of!

7/10


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

The link for the Babbitt doesn't work anymore, maybe that's just for me though.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Tchaikov6 said:


> The link for the Babbitt doesn't work anymore, maybe that's just for me though.


Still works for me.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

That's all I'm seeing. I'm sure it's just my device, but is there another recording out there that is available (can't seem to find anything on Youtube)?


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Bump.

We're at 70% of the players' reactions.


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*Frederick Delius - Violin concerto*

I seem to have enjoyed this more than many of you. I have mixed feelings about Delius - I tend to enjoy his music, but not to get excited by it. The violin concerto didn't grab me to begin with, but once the slow section began I was pulled in. The lyricism here seemed to have a slight American tinge to it - maybe that was just me. With the continuous structure it doesn't feel like a "proper" violin concerto. I forgive it that, though - for me it was more like listening to a nice rhapsodic orchestral work with a very prominent violin part. I wouldn't say I'm excited by this particular Delius work either, but I did like it and I'd put it high on my Delius list.


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*Alan Hovhaness - Piano Concerto No. 1, Opus 48, Lousadzak*

This is a marvellous work whose hypnotic nature is right up my alley. I've liked Hovhaness since I first heard part of his "Mount St Helens" symphony on a CD sampler back in [checks music library] 1994, but I haven't heard a huge amount of his music. What I have heard, though, includes two other works written the same year as this concerto, the _Celestial Fantasy_ and the flute concerto _Elibris_. They're in the same ball park as _Lousadzak_, musically speaking, but I'd rank it higher than them thanks to the propulsive drive of the piano. Maybe it's the sound of the recording too. I mean, yes, it's absolutely brutal, but it gave a kind of other-worldly feel to it - a different kind of other-worldly feel, I should say, because there wasn't anything else like Hovhaness back in 1944. Listening to this, I had something of an impression that I was listening to a field recording of some central Asian folk music on instruments not unlike those used in Western classical music! I'd love to hear a new recording in proper sound - a gap in the market that very much needs to be filled.


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Alan Hovhaness - Piano Concerto No. 1*

Now I've heard Hovhaness too. I had to go back and check if he ever changed chords and to my surprise he did. I wasn't so impressed by the composition or the performance. There was something in the overall sound that made me think the recording wasn't well prepared.


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Bohuslav Martinů - Symphony No. 3*

I decided to put on Jiri Belohlavek and BBC Orch. on spotify. This one I've heard before, but not so often. Martinu is maybe similar to Janacek, whom I love. I have both in my cd collection. This is exciting music with that Eastern European attitude. Maybe a bit like Shostakovich even? Fun fact: Stockholm is more east than Praha! This is way more fun and interesting than Hovhaness! Love it <3 Might have to buy all the symphonies!


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Delius - Violin Concerto*

Another Romantic violin concerto to make someone swoon, but not me. I have heard a lot of these kind of violin concerti lately and they've never been my thing. The violin plays nearly constantly here, which is annoying. The piece is filled with notes but nothing stands out about it after several hearings and two other performances. Either its themes are undistinguished or they aren't repeated enough to be memorable. There are affecting moments because it makes all the right noises.


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

*Abel Decaux - Clairs de lune*

Never heard of him! Bet he's French  Like Debussy, Scriabin or even Messiaen maybe and I like that. This composer seems to be ahead of his time. I'm not often in the mood for French impressionism, but tonight was alright. I first thought of Scriabin actually, but Debussy became clearer after a while. 
Moonlight <3 Leave me alone you big ol' moon, the light you cast is just a liar...(Tom Waits)


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

*Lousadzak: A Note on the Piano's Sonority*

Some further factoids about _Lousadzak_: I have read in several places that Hovhaness' intention in Lousadzak was to have the piano mirror or replicate or imitate the sounds of three Armenian stringed instruments (which are also found throughout the area): the Saz, the Kanoon, and the Tar. Here are short YouTube videos presenting the instruments. It is pretty clear that the piano does just that, with the Saz predominant in the first movement.

Saz: 




Kanoon (Qanun, other spellings): 




Tar:


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

*Babbitt - Piano Concerto 2*

I had no idea Babbitt wrote a piano concerto, let alone two of them. I'm familiar with a lot of his earlier pieces up to the mid 60's but less familiar with anything after, so it's good to be exposed to some late Babbitt. That said, this serialist work was written in 1998, about 30 years after serialism's heyday, which makes me wonder if Babbitt ever got the message that composers have moved on from serialism to styles that are just as radical and daring, such as spectralism, minimalism, musique concrète, and electronic music. This may sound weird, but from my perspective as a listener of music in 2020, this piece, while good, sounds dated and old-fashioned. As for the music itself, I would have to see the score to know more, but one thing that I always found intriguing about Babbitt's piano music, and that's on full display here, is the perception of a regular beat to his music even though there isn't any. Babbitt is pretty good at hiding the fact that durational values are ordered in a series that may or may not adhere to a typical beat. In contrast, early Boulez or Stockhausen piano music often sounds violent and irrational, despite following the similar procedures.

6.5/10


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

I’m sorry, I’m not sure I can complete this. I have two left, and will be listening to Clairs de Lune soon. However, I can not find a single recording of the Babbitt and the SoundCloud won’t work for me. I don’t want to make it a hassle in this thread, I’m just letting Art Rock know just in case the SoundCloud continues not working.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Tchaikov6 said:


> I'm sorry, I'm not sure I can complete this. I have two left, and will be listening to Clairs de Lune soon. However, I can not find a single recording of the Babbitt and the SoundCloud won't work for me. I don't want to make it a hassle in this thread, I'm just letting Art Rock know just in case the SoundCloud continues not working.


No problem, if you can't get it to work, so be it.


----------



## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I am afraid I am going to give my apologies this time, as I will be unable to take part in this due to other events taking all my time recently
Sorry to Art Rock and everyone else


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

That can happen. No problem.

We're at 84% completion after the removal of Haydn man. While we wait for the remaining reactions, here's a chance for some feedback.

*I hope we can do this more often, every few weeks a new session (possibly with varying participants) would be great.

Now that the first one is almost done, I'd like to get your reactions to a couple of questions on the set-up.

[1] I've picked 6-10 pieces. Are you OK with this number, and if not, what would you propose?
[2] I've picked 30 min as the maximum duration. Are you OK with this timing, and if not, what would you propose?
[3] I've picked two weeks to complete all listens and posts. Are you OK with this timing, and if not, what would you propose?
[4] I've opted for "secret" submissions via the message system. Are you OK with that or would you prefer posting submissions in the thread?
[5] Do you have any other suggestions for improvement?*


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I'm fine with all of it.


----------



## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

I'm good with all of it too except the 30-minute max, which rules out a great number of fantastic works. Maybe 1 hour max? Or that would be too much of a time commitment for participants?


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

10 pieces x 30 minutes = 5 hours' listening, which is about as much as I'm prepared to commit to over a couple of weeks, especially if I'm trying to give a fair hearing to music I don't particularly like. Increasing the length would put me off, even if the number of works was reduced.
Everything else is fine though.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

I’m good with all of it, although maybe extending the time limit to an hour, since there are a lot of great pieces that miss out otherwise.


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

*Thea Musgrave - Turbulent Landscapes*

I like this. I haven't heard much by Musgrave but had a reasonable idea what to expect. These are all nicely evocative pieces, though as usual the question is raised over how much influence a title has on one's perception of the music. Would it have been quite as enjoyable if I didn't have an idea what it was supposed to be depicting (or didn't think it depicted anything)? Perhaps not, although I subsequently listened to Musgrave's _Concerto for Orchestra_ and was quite able to enjoy it without having some nice Turner paintings to look at...


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Abel Decaux - Clairs de Lune*

Funny that this is a church organist's only published piece, written between 1900 and 1907.

Is this really ahead of its time? That would only be by a few years, wouldn't it? It reminds me of Scriabin. Actually, after around 14:00 it reminds of something Radiohead did with piano.

I don't have much to say. There are a lot of silences here and the music moves with geologic slowness, which may be the choice of the performer, and is kind of cool. I like "La Mer" the best. When I'm in a certain mood for something quiet and nocturnal I would go back to youtube and play this.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Art Rock said:


> That can happen. No problem.
> 
> We're at 84% completion after the removal of Haydn man. While we wait for the remaining reactions, here's a chance for some feedback.
> 
> ...


This has been perfect. I haven't felt overwhelmed or time-pressured with the parameters here. Even with pieces that are a bit of a chore for me.

You might want to vary the parameters since it would be nice to be able to do longer pieces occasionally or partially. Maybe 6 pieces of an hour limit, in two weeks.

Did you see a disadvantage to posting the submissions, except that people might question them and you'd have to justify the ones you discarded? Secret submissions are OK with me, though, it's your game.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Open Book said:


> This has been perfect. I haven't felt overwhelmed or time-pressured with the parameters here. Even with pieces that are a bit of a chore for me.
> 
> You might want to vary the parameters since it would be nice to be able to do longer pieces occasionally or partially. Maybe 6 pieces of an hour limit, in two weeks.
> 
> Did you see a disadvantage to posting the submissions, except that people might question them and you'd have to justify the ones you discarded? Secret submissions are OK with me, though, it's your game.


I went for secret indeed in case someone submitted a piece that was clearly not obscure in any sense of the word.

Wrt the maximum duration: if this is turning into a series of exercises (which I hope), we could once in a while do a 6 players round with a one hour time limit.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

I prefer the 30-minute limit. On no evidence whatsoever, I believe it will deter people from committing to the complete cycle. I personally do not have the gift of listening to an hour-long piece that I may not find compelling if it's being done as part of a regimen.


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Peter Warlock - The Curlew*

I cannot remember if I heard this piece before or not, and after listening it's possible I might forget again in a year. I don't mean that as a dig at the quality of the music per se, it is just that this type of composition, while very pleasant and sweet, just does not really stick with me for whatever reason. It is a quiet, lush piece of the post-Romantic era which in general is a bit of a personal blind spot in taste, along with similar composers like Schoeck, Butterworth, and Moeran. All of whom wrote lovely-sounding music, but I seem only able to admire them from afar. Perhaps it is just their subtlety as I do really love Finzi, whom, in comparison, wears his heart on his sleeve quite a bit more.


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Frederick Delius - Violin Concerto*

I can definitely say this piece is new to me. At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite by not falling for the Warlock, I thought this piece was both lovely and enjoyable. I did not expect for it to be in just one single movement and much more rhapsodic in form than a traditional concerto. In fact, I cannot think of another violin concerto off-hand like that, not that it really matters since "concerto" is a bit of an arbitrary label at this point in time anyways. Regardless, the piece feels idyllic, sunny, and purely wholesome all throughout as there is an inherent lack of conflict, tension, or climaxes. It is not very ambitious in trying to achieve musical or emotional profundity, but I say it doesn't matter as sometimes the simplest pleasures in life are the most meaningful.


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Edison Denisov - Sonata for Flute & Guitar*

I have heard a few pieces from Denisov that I quite like (especially the _Requiem_), but this one is new. I was intrigued by how his style would work on a much smaller scale. I have to say that the first two movements left me cold, dithering in a fairly conservative, post-Impressionist soundworld. Maybe this is an unfair comparison, but Takemitsu's contemporaneous flute and guitar works make this one sound rather dated and uninspired. But the third movement totally rocks! It also feels like a completely different piece, as if Denisov just dropped all pretenses of creating a serious, atmospheric work and just decided to have some fun, letting the guitar just strum percussively and the flute flutter rapidly in response. I re-listened to the piece just for these 5 minutes alone. For my money, Denisov should have scrapped the other movements and expanded this into a 15-minute jam session.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Eight more listens/posts to wrap this up. I'll post the second edition (sign-up) tomorrow - if you like to have input on the format, please post something in this thread in the coming 24 hours.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

*Abel Decaux - Clairs de Lune*

That Clairs sure was de Lune.

An interesting piece I guess, but it was a tad too long, I would have preferred perhaps a ten minute piece instead. At the same time, it somehow felt rushed. This is another piece that I really have no thoughts on, I came in focused and came out kind of tuned out unfortunately... wish I liked it more!

4/10


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Thea Musgrave - Turbulent Landscapes*

This is another composer whom I only knew in name only. Right off the bat I was skeptical because I really dislike when composers put in descriptive adjectives in the titles of their works. I would much prefer if Musgrave titled the piece "Landscapes," which has a much less clear musical association on its own. "Turblent," however, already conjures up a vivid set of expectations that the music must meet or risk disappointing. And indeed, I thought the piece was, in my opinion, far too mild and coherent to deserve that title. Sure there is some orchestral swelling heralded by trumpet and timpani flourishes as well as some incomplete Marseillaise thrown in here and there for good measure, but the music is purely laminar. And title aside, neither the motifs nor the music as a whole never culminated into anything interesting. Simply not for me.


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

*Haydn - Symphony 24*

I have little exposure to music written between Bach and mature Mozart (I've heard some Haydn but not a lot), so hearing this music was like entering forbidden territory for me. Especially when I came in with preconceptions as to what Haydn's music is like but left with a completely new understanding of his music. This symphony wasn't the best I've ever heard, but I now have a solid reference point that establishes early from late Haydn. For me, this early symphony sounds like a hybrid between baroque and classical music. The first movement, for instance, is in binary form, a musical form you often see in Bach and especially in Scarlatti's sonatas. Yet, the main theme of the A section gets played in the dominant key right at the beginning of the B section, which you sometimes see in the sonata forms of the classical period. There's also a peculiarity in the score. The cellos and double bass share lines with the bassoons, suggesting Haydn is still regarding these instruments as a sort of basso continuo. Yet, they don't actually play the typical chord progressions of a bass line but rather in tutti with the upper string instruments. The only movement that reminded me of what Haydn was to become was actually the minuet/trio. Hearing this symphony gives me the urge to fix this blind spot I have with early classical period music.

Music: 4/10
Experience: 8/10


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 24*

I think I've heard a couple dozen of Haydn's symphonies throughout the years, most of which are his most well-known and well-regarded. So this one is probably new. And it's fine. The second movement is my favorite of the four where it detours from the rigid symphonic framework for a couple minutes for a nice, lyrical flute-violin-cello trio. I read that this movement seems to be derived from a lost flute concerto, which, if that movement was indicative of its quality, I would rather hear than the rest of this symphony. Alas, I am generally not very fond of the early- and mid-Classical period, with the exception of the Sturm und Drang phase. Indeed, some of my favorite Haydn symphonies come during this time, such as the beautiful, proto-Romantic 49th "La Passione."


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Alan Hovhaness - Piano Concerto No. 1, op. 48 "Lousadzak"*

Hovhaness has never been a particular favorite. I tend to find his music overly twee, faux-Asian, and clichéd, as well as lacking the dynamic capabilities to make his music truly evocative (which I assume he intends based on his pieces' programmatic titles). However, I might have to revise my opinion after hearing this work. I was very impressed. I found it to be a great blend of his Eastern timbral influences with his Western sensibilities. In a way, it sounds like a 70-year precursor to John Luther Adams' _Become Ocean_ in how it eschews melody and instead builds these "sound walls" with shimmering piano ostinatos and string pizzicato. The effect becomes much greater than the sum of its parts as I become slowly hypnotized from this overwhelming aura. Great suggestion.


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

*Dove - Piano Quintet*

Whoever in their review (I think it was Art Rock) said that the first movement sounds like Michael Nyman is pretty spot on, especially from 1:15-1:35 in the link given. Beyond that, though, this piece did nothing for me. The second movement in particular was a let down. When I read about the piece online, I thought bells would actually be used, but by "bells", Dove actually meant bell-like sounds in the piano. Which isn't a problem, but for me, the gold standard for that is Ravel's _La vallée des cloches_ from _Miroirs_. Unfortunately, Dove didn't come close to that standard; in fact, the bell sounds seemed to have no purpose at all. Oh well. This was the first time I heard Jonathan Dove; for the foreseeable future, this may well be the last.

4/10


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Bohuslav Martinů - Symphony No. 3*

I don't know of a composer more consistent than Martinů. There is a certain uniformity to the style and quality of his works that I find particularly impressive given that the man composed around 400 pieces, many of which being large-scale orchestral works. The man was simply a machine. However, the other side to such consistency is that I would not call any of his pieces a "masterpiece." This piece is no exception. I've seen this symphony described as one of his most "tragic" works and that may be true. However, tragic Martinů sounds pretty darn similar to normal or even beatific Martinů. I think using a neo-classical/Baroque style for most all of your works does inherently limit your emotional range. Stravinsky even moved on from the style once he ran out of different things to say. But I still like the same things I like in most Martinů works: the sturdiness, the sleekness, the light textures, the prominence of the piano for a percussive touch, the overall charm. I think it certainly deserves to be as well-known as the composer's best-regarded symphonies, which usually seem to be the 4th and the 6th.


----------



## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

*Abel Decaux - Clairs de lune*

Lastly my own selection. I chose this not only because, as many of you remarked, it is incredibly ahead of its time, but also because, in my view, it is musically as extraordinary as some of Debussy's and Schoenberg's piano works to follow. Decaux styled the piece after Edgar Allan Poe which explains why there is such a pervasive nightmarish stillness. The first movement contains some really striking chordal dissonances, especially the ominous sustained tritones in the bass that signal the chiming bells at midnight. They return in the second movement as the music momentarily takes flight, running away from some ghastly presence before returning to stasis. The third movement has perhaps my favorite use of the Dies Irae theme in any piece where it not so much announces death, but more subtly hints at it before dissolving into nothingness. The last movement presents some comforting Debussyan ostinatos hinting at a resolution but never delivering. All of this makes for one of my all-time favorite works. I really do hope this piece will be retroactively remembered better for its place in history and not just as some curious musical footnote.

Thanks to Art Rock and to all the people who submitted works! I'm glad I got to hear a wide variety of works outside of my normal listening bubble and I look forward to the next batch.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

*Jonathan Dove - Piano Quintet*

(written in 2009, from composer's website)

For me, a winner. Playful. Inventive. Wistful in the beautiful slow movement. Music flows from this composer. He courts the listener instead of shoving dogma at the listener like many modern composers, especially 20th century ones.

The piano is dominant. I find the recording treble-centered and favoring the piano, or is it the writing? The Curlew seems to better exploit the sounds a string quartet can achieve - it gets wonderful tones out of all the strings including the lower-pitched ones. I'm missing really deep cello and viola sounds here. Nevertheless I like this work better than The Curlew.

Why is this style called minimalist? There is some deliberate repetition, especially in the final movement. But it doesn't overly rely on repetitive elements. There is a lot going on.

There are actual clear themes here, like one that first appears at 1:40. It's a simple catchy theme, but it's like a beacon and the work can take off from there, only to return to it at 5:55. The best music has elements of simplicity and directness, then works complexities off that.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Art Rock said:


> Point taken wrt time periods, but that's pot luck. When I mentioned the diversity of the ten selections, I was thinking of orchestral versus chamber music versus instrumental versus vocal, and a mix of well-known composers and less common names.


I take it back. They are pretty diverse. That was my prejudice against modern music speaking.


----------



## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

*Musgrave - Turbulent Landscapes*

A couple of posters thought the music didn't live up to the expectations of the titles of the individual movements. But personally, I think this a problem with programmatic music in general because with program music, a narrative is being told through means other than writing or speech so you need some sort of translation key that establishes connections between parts of the story and parts of the music. A title alone will never ever suffice in making those connections because a title, taken out of context, can mean so many different things; at the very least, program notes by the composer are required. And program notes are exactly what Musgrave has written for this piece. They're quite good and make this piece much more enjoyable (link below). For program music, it's still not my favorite, as I would've liked some more texture to the music; it just felt a little too thin at times. But still not bad.

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/work/1098/14442

6.5/10


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

We're almost done - if my spreadsheet is correct, the only "required" listen/post remaining is by Nereffid (Babbitt). This thread will remain open, so others can still give their opinions on these pieces (we've had almost 30 additional reactions, much appreciated).

In a few hours, I will start the second edition in a new thread. Based on the feedback received so far, I will choose the same format, while the third edition will be a smaller group for longer compositions. 

I'm happy with the response this idea has got, and I do hope that we can make this a recurring event in TC.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Art Rock said:


> We're almost done - if my spreadsheet is correct, the only "required" listen/post remaining is by Nereffid (Babbitt). This thread will remain open, so others can still give their opinions on these pieces (we've had almost 30 additional reactions, much appreciated).
> 
> In a few hours, I will start the second edition in a new thread. Based on the feedback received so far, I will choose the same format, while the third edition will be a smaller group for longer compositions.
> 
> I'm happy with the response this idea has got, and I do hope that we can make this a recurring event in TC.


Thanks for running, I discovered some awesome new pieces through this thread!


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Art Rock said:


> the only "required" listen/post remaining is by Nereffid




I had meant to get to this over the weekend but didn't get a chance. And so:

*Milton Babbitt - Piano Concerto 2*
Did I save the best for last?
Nope.
Babbitt's one of those composers to whom I occasionally listen in the hopes that _maybe this time it'll work for me_. But as soon as the piece started I felt that familiar sinking feeling. Obviously there's a composer at work here, so the old cliché of "it just sounds completely random" is unfair. And yet... I feel unconvinced that any particular sound was necessarily a better choice than any other particular sound. The overall effect is somewhat akin to watching a multitude of raindrops trickling down a big window - one raindrop's about the same as any other, and while you may occasionally be diverted by an interesting confluence of a couple of big trickles, eventually you're left thinking, _Jesus, what have I been doing for the last half-hour?_

*Final thoughts on the project*
Well done, Art Rock! Despite the above griping, it's been a fun couple of weeks listening to music I wouldn't otherwise have heard. I know we're not required to do this, but since others have rated the music, I'll do a sort of ranking:
1st tier: Warlock, Dove, Hovhaness
2nd tier: Haydn, Martinů, Delius
3rd tier: Musgrave, Denisov, Decaux
4th tier: Babbitt


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Nereffid said:


> I had meant to get to this over the weekend but didn't get a chance. And so:


Well, the deadline was tomorrow, so no worries. 

My favourite find was not one of the submitted pieces (although there were some good ones!), but Jonathan Dove's song cycle _In Damascus_.

Episode 2 is under way, there are still a few seats free.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Nereffid said:


> I had meant to get to this over the weekend but didn't get a chance. And so:
> 
> *Milton Babbitt - Piano Concerto 2*
> Did I save the best for last?
> ...


Most excellent final thoughts, Nereffid! Using your template, I would rank the selections thusly:
1st tier: Hovhaness (of course!)
2nd tier: Haydn, Delius, Martinů, Dove
3rd tier: Warlock, Musgrave, Denisov, Decaux
4th tier: Babbitt


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Bulldog said:


> *Denisov - Sonata for Flute and Guitar*
> 
> I have to admit that I'm not big fan of the flute


You and Mozart both, eh?
I'm sure you both agree that the flute is a necessary element of the orchestra, though? 
The music school associated with my local orchestra has a flute chorus of about 15 advanced students that gives occasional concerts. I can't imagine listening to 15 flutes for any length of time. Even if there is a piano accompaniment.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Malx said:


> *Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 24*
> 
> I was thrown by the lengthy cadenza like episode at the end of the movement - this I had no recollection of from previous listening.
> I then reached for my Hogwood box of symphonies and started again, this time no cadenza which created a much better balance to the symphony. The last two movements were fairly typical Haydn, a stately Menuet and Trio section followed by a fine Allegro finale.
> It is a very good early Haydn symphony one that I am glad to be reacquainted with, whats not to like - that cadenza section perhaps!


That cadenza is weird and doesn't belong. It keeps veering into modern-day sounds. From the youtube comments, the conductor wrote it, "because I feel it like this."

This performance otherwise sounded the most like I want this symphony to sound, of the youtube choices.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Open Book said:


> You and Mozart both, eh?
> I'm sure you both agree that the flute is a necessary element of the orchestra, though?


Of course, as long as the score calls for the instrument.


----------

