# SS 06.02.21 - Kernis #2



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!
_*
*For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Aaron Jay Kernis (1960 - )*

Symphony No. 2

1. Alarm
2. Air/Ground
3. Barricade

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!_


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is upon us and another symphony is up for your listening enjoyment.

Thanks to Cougarjuno and Mika as always for filling in during my absences.

This weekend we welcome the first appearance of American composer Aaron Jay Kernis with his Second Symphony. I'm not familiar with Kernis so I'm looking forward to checking it out. It's fairly short so hopefully everyone can give it a spin.

I'll be listening to this one:




Marin Alsop/Peabody Symphony Orchestra


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

New one for me and will stream this version


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

I'll also try the Birmingham and Hugh Wolff recording via You Tube. Mostly unfamiliar with Kernis work.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I will try the Alsop video as posted by realdealblues .


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Haydn man said:


> View attachment 150238
> 
> New one for me and will stream this version


Streaming also...............


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

This is my first encounter with Aaron Jay Kernis' music.

Listened to both the Marin Alsop and the Hugh Wolff recordings on Spotify.

Read what the composer wrote about his second symphony (which reflected on the Gulf War) on chandos.net, in the free booklet of Marin Alsop's Naxos CD (link). I got a feeling that although Mr. Kernis was looking at a distance he was still very much shocked by the absurdity of all of it. The vivid image that he described as an influence to the last movement did come through horrifyingly in the music.

(Compared to Ge Ganru's String Quartet No. 5, which emphasizes more on the pain and hopelessness brought by the same war, Mr. Kernis' is perhaps less troubling emotionally, but I have no doubt he's sincere in his statement.)

Good SS choice. Serious music should challenge the mind, and makes us reflect on our feelings/experience.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I have two discs of his music including his first symphony ("Symphony in Waves"). Will check out the second.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Listened to Wolf recording this afternoon...have had this for awhile, only listened once...it's interesting...I'll give it some more hearings...certainly has some interesting parts.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Yesterday I listened to the Hugh Wolff/Birmingham performance. That left me a little cold, so I listened again today. Much better the second time around!

This is taut and sometimes disturbing music, as befits its stated subject matter. The excellent orchestration helps maintain interest, and several episodes are quite memorable. It closes with what must be history’s loudest tam-tam roll, which is certainly a rare thing.

Interesting and unusual music, gripping in places, and a great bit of listening from SS.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I'm not particularly attracted to this music. It opens with a tonal atmosphere I refer to as "diminished-itis," lots of minor thirds and a bright, harsh "rhythmic drive" that I find uninteresting.
I like the second slow movement much more, although this is marred by the orchestration, which makes it sound like too many things are happening at once, like Ives' Fourth Symphony. But he's not Ives. I like the sound of the second movement closing; pretty. Still, I hear snatches of diminished-itis creeping in.
The last movement also suffers from diminished-itis, although this time it is cloaked in Messiaen-esque solo tutti lines. The big percussion noises at the end do not impress me, but might wake me back up if I fall asleep wearing headphones.
The very last successions of chords are interesting, although I think any soundtrack composer could do the same if not better.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I think my feelings about this are more in line with KenOC’s observations 
Something different for the SS tradition


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Belatedly getting to last Saturday's Symphony selection using Qobuz as this not a work I have.
A piece that doesn't immediately grab me - but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

On first listen it came over as slightly disjointed, patchy - good bits, not so good bits, lacked something, but I'm not sure what. However I have not given up on it and have marked it for another listen sometime soon.
I haven't read what the composers thoughts and inspirations are/were as I prefer to listen without guidance until I form my own initial opinion.


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