Mysteries Abysmal

180 hours

We were in a 20th c kinda mood for show #60, so we brought it hard.  The Branca sounded like it had been hijacked by Korn; the Ligeti by Cage.  And the Pärt was a liberal departure from the max 'n' relax sound we identify with him.  The York Bowen evoked a Brahms composing in 1945. 

Glenn Branca.  Symphony No. 8 (first movement)
The Glenn Branca Ensemble, con. G. Branca (Blast First)

György Ligeti. Trois Bagatelles for David Tudor.
Fredrik Ullén, piano.  (BIS)

Anton Arensky.  Symphony No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 4.
USSR Symphony Orchestra; Yevgeny Svetlanov, con. 
(VOX)

Arvo Part. Cello Concerto "Pro et contra."
Bamberg Sym; Neeme Jarvi, con.  (BIS)

York Bowen. Sonata in E minor for Violin & Piano, op. 112
Endymion Ensemble (Epoch)

Henry Cowell.  Symphony No. 15 (Thesis)
The Louisville Orchestra (Robert S. Whitney
& Jorge Mester, conductors) (first edition)

Debussy.  Preludes, Book II. 
Jorge Federico Osorio, piano. (Cedille)

Philip Glass.  Symphony No. 5 (Selections)
Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, con.
(Nonesuch)

Wunderkinder, misc

Friday morning I headed downtown to catch a couple 12 year-old German pianists, Elisabeth Brauss and Kiveli Doerken, perform works of Liszt, Chopin, and Mendelssohn at the Fazioli Salon Series. Wrong notes were all over the place, specifically in the Chopin preludes, but their musical instincts were astounding and way ahead of their years! Speaking of young German women, I reviewed Julia Fischer's Beethoven concert last week. and it was super-duper. Last of all, our final Cyber Classical playlist of 2007, show #55 :Lutoslawski, Witold. String Quartet. Kronos Quartet (Nonesuch) Nancarrow, Conlon
Studies for Player Piano (#s 1,27,36) Robert Miller, piano.  (New World) Locatelli, Pietro Antonio. Concerto for Violin in G, op. 3, no.9 Guiliano Carmignola, violin/ Venice Baroque Orchestra. Andrea Marcon, con. (Archiv) Handel, "Jephtha" Oratario, excerpts from Act 2 Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin, Marcus Creed (Berlin Classics). Stravinsky Les Noces (Svadebka) Tristan Fry Percussion Ensemble, Robert Craft (Naxos). Golijov, Osvaldo St. Mark Passion, excerpts. con, Maria Guinand (Hanssler)
Fesca, Friedrich Ernst, Symphony No. 1, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Frank Beermann (CPO)
Finzi, Gerald, Eclogue, English String Orchestra William Boughton, con. Martin Jones, p. (Nimbus).
Piazzola, Astor "Bandoneon" from Suite Troileana, Sergio and Odair Assad on gtrs (nonesuch). 

Cyber Classical will resume in January 2008. 

 

WRDP Show #54 Playlist and such

One more to go for 2007; we hope you'll tune in this Friday. 

Popov, Gavriil
Symphony No. 1,
Leon Botstein, LSO (Telarc)

Tatum, Art
"Willow Weep for Me," "Emaline," "Yesterdays," "I know that you know"
Steven Mayer, Piano (Naxos)

Furtwangler, Wilhelm
Symphony No.2
Daniel Barenboim, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Teldec)

Schubert, Franz
String Quintet (two cellos) D.956
Emerson String Quartet w/Mstislav Rostropovich
(Duetsche Grammophon)

Beck, Franz Ignaz
Sinfonia in G minor, No. 1
New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, con. Donald Armstrong
(Naxos)

Mlynarski, Emil
Violin Concerto, No.2 in D Op.6
Nigel Kennedy, violin (EMI)

Vaughan Williams, Ralph
In the Fen Country
New Philharmonia Orchestra, con. Sir Adrian Boult
(EMI)

Honegger, Arthur
Prelude, Fugue Et Postlude
Orchestre Philharmonique De Monte Carlo, con. Marius Constant
(Erato)

(photo taken by Mary Deletioglu)

WRDP Playlist #47

I won't be posting every week's playlist, but wanted to commemorate our return to radio.  We're back, baby.

Nuba al-Maya
Ibn Baya: Omar Metioui, Eduardo Paniagua
Cuts 1-4
Pneuma 630

Music From the Court of Juana I de Castilla
Cuts 2,3,5
Pneuma 710

Bedrich Smetana
3 Salon Polkas
Andras Schiff, piano
Teldec 21261

Leos Janacek
"Taras Bulba"
Rafael Kubelick, con.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
MCCL 97018

John Ireland
Legend
Piers Lane, piano
Ulster Orchestra
Hyperion CDA67296

Francesco Veracini
Sonata in D minor, Op. 2, No. 12
Trio Settecento
Cedille 90000 099

Carl Stamitz
Concerto for viola & orchestra, op. 1
Hariolf Schlichter, soloist
Munich Chamber Orchestra
Tudor 7087

Richard Strauss
4 Last Songs: Im Abendrot
Cheryl Studer
Giuseppe Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden
DG 439 865

Frank Martin
Ballade for Cello & Chamber Orchestra
Quirine Viersen, cello
Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra
Etcetera KTC1290

Carl Nielsen
Clarinet Concerto
Sabine Meyer, soloist
Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Simon Rattle
EMI 0946

Anton Webern
Passacaglia, Op. 1
Giuseppe Sinopoli
Staatskapelle Dresden
Teldec 3984

"Song of the Birds", arr. Sally Beamish
cellist, Steven Isserlis
Hyperion CDA67541

What we're playing, vol. 44

Boyce, symphony #6, William Boughton, con.  English String Orchestra

Janacek, Leos.  "In the Mist" and "Recollection," Andras Schiff, p. 

Brahms, Intermezzi Op. 117, #1 & 2, Helene Grimaud, p. 

Bruckner, Anton.  Symphony #2.  Barenboim, con.

Szymanowski, Karol. "Symphonie Concertante" L.A Phil, Rubinstein, p. 

Berio, Luciano.  "Ritorno degli snovidenia" Ensemble InterContemporain, Boulez, con. 

Faure, "Requiem" Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, George Guest.   

Thank Denk

A rare, non-pejorative comment on our music came by way of AOL instant messenger on Sunday: "this is wonderful music.  what is it?" Thanks for askin', it's Schumann's d minor piano trio. And I was inspired to play it after reading Jeremy Denk's epic analysis of the piece.  Grazi. Aren't classical radio and blogging favorable companions?

Hour 1 (Show #42)

Shostakovich, "Katerina Izmailova," Rozhdestvensky, cond.  (Russian Revelations)

Tin Hat, "Old World," "The Secret Fluid of Dusk," "Blind Paper Dragon," and "Daisy Bell."

Stravinsky, "Agon," Craft, cond.  Orchestra of St. Lukes

Hour 2

Schumann, Piano Trio in d minor, Op. 63.  Rubinstein, Szeryng, Fournier.  RCA

Bartok, "The Miraculous Mandarin." Nagano, cond.  London Symp. Orchestra

Hour 3

Fesca, Friedrich Ernst. "Symphony 3" Beerman, cond. NDR Philharmonie.  CPO

Bach Sonata for Flute and Violin, Frans Bruggen.  Teldec. 

Show #39

Gerry spinned some forgotten 45s for those studious DePaul kids while I was away yesterday.  I've provided his playlist.  And congrats to DePaul University for making a rare positive headline in academia.   

"Nights Black Bird"
Fretwork
Dowland: Pavan from "Lachrimae Antiquae"
Byrd: Fantasia in 6 Parts
Dowland: Pavan from "Lachrimae Antiquae"(Virgin Classics)

J. F. Rebel
"Le Tombeau de M. de Lully"
Marc Minkowski/ Les Musiciens du Louvre (Erato)

Antonio Vivaldi
Sinfonia in B minor "Al Santo Sepolcro"
Concerto for Cello RV 424
Concerto for Oboe RV 461
Concerto Amsterdam/Jaap Schroder (Teldec)

J. Delphin Alard (arr. Tarrega/Lendle)
"Estudio brilliante"
Wolfgang Lendle, guitar (Teldec)

Johannes Brahms
String Quartet #1
Borodin Quartet (Teldec)

Camille Saint-Saens
Piano Conceryo #4 op 44
Francois-Rene Duchable/Alain Lombard, Strasbourg Phil. (Erato)

Richard Stauss
Die Frau Ohne Schatten
First act (1-7)
Deborah Voigt, Ben Heppner, Hanna Schwarz
Giuseppe Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden (Teldec)

Johannes Brahms
Four Piano Pieces op119
Richard Goode, piano (Nonesuch)

Dmitry Kabalevsky
Piano Concerto #4, "Prague"
Yuri Popov, piano/Moscow Phil.,Kabalevsky

Ysaye what?

Next week is the last show of 2006 and we'll have a surprise interview in the third hour.   37 shows for the first year suggests a little too much inconsistency; we've done everything we can to maintain a regular following, but it seems like every week there is some bizzarre hurdle to hop.  If some of you are looking for something a little different to listen to these days, give the Eugene Ysaye violin sonata a go.  I don't think I've heard anything quite like it. 

Arthur Honegger: Symphony #2/ Charles Munch, Orchestre de Paris (EMI)
Frank Martin: Petite Symphonie Concertante/ Armin Jordan, Orch. de la Suisse Romande (Erato)
Eugene Ysaye: Sonata for Violin #5/ Thomas Zehetmair (ECM)
Alberto Ginastera: Concerto for Harp/ Isabelle Moretti, harp; David Robertson, Orch. Nat. de Lyon (Naïve)
Astor Piazzolla: Cinco Piezas/ Eduardo Fernandez, guitar (Oehms)
Aonton Webern: Symphon7 op.21/ Giuseppe Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden (Teldec)
Telemann: Suite in F major/ Jaap Schroder, violin; Frans Bruggen, Concerto Amsterdam
Mozart: Piano Trio K. 505/ Vienna Schubert Trio (EMI)
Villa Lobos: Bachanias Brasileiras #4/ Rosana Lamosa, Sop.; Kenneth Schermerhorn, Nashville Sym.

"This music blows"

So said an instant message to the radio station during the 3rd movement of Mahler's 4th.  Maybe it was the high wailing of the strings conductor Harold Farberman perhaps overly emphasized?  Or maybe the adagio in general was just too boring?  Or maybe our unknown sender was mortified that something-which-smelled-of-classical was being broadcast on his college radio station?  Probably the latter.  Converting the college kids is no easy task, especially when they tune in during the midst of an epic, 22 minute super slow movement.  Feedback like that is always appreciated, but next time tell us why Mahler blew. 

Show #35

Hour 1

Chopin, Frederic.  Ballade #4, f minor.  Krystian Zimerman, p.  (Deutsche Grammophon.) 

Zemlinsky, Alexander.  "Lyric Symphony in seven songs to poems by Tagore."  Op. 18.  Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Antony Beaumont, cond.  (Chandos.)

Hour 2

David Byrne.  "High Life for Nine Instruments." Balanescu Quartet (Argo.)

Bloch, Ernest.  Suite for Viola and Piano.  Daniel Raiskin (viola) Lisa Smirnova (piano) (Arte Nova)

Brahms, Johanness.  Piano Trio #3 in c minor.  Renaud and Gautier Capacon, Nicholas Angelich, p.  (Virgin)

Hour 3

Handel, GF.  Concerto Gross Op. 6, #5.  Academy of Ancient Music, Andrew Manze, dir (Harmonia Mundi)

Mahler, Gustav.  Symphony #4, movements 3 and 4.  Harold Farberman, cond.  London Symphony Orchestra (Vox)

Show #34

***update

No show last week because I was in Michigan and tight security refused to let Gerry downstairs. Boo. I think, hopefully, that tonight we made up for the absence with a pretty tight error-free show; we brought in some interesting and strange music from Vainberg and some modern arrangements of 17th century English and Italian works by John Potter.  But the best thing about the show was the R. Strauss piece Gerry played which I had never heard. First-class second-rate composer mein arsch***. 

***Marc Geelhoed , as I see here, calls this "Strauss at his most inispid. It's a collection of ballroom dances, and it's all light and fun, I guess, but there's only so long a composer can wink at you before you think he's got something stuck in his eye." 

Ouch.  Hey, maybe that 'light and fun' sounded so good because it followed the relentlessly somber "Care-charming sleep." I love the insipid and want more of it; and this is when I'm most apt to toss out a critical ear. 

____________________________________

Hour 1

Stefano Landi: "Homo fugit velut umgra," "Man flees like a shadow." L'Arpeggiata/Marco Beasley, tenor. (Alpha)

Arthur Honegger: Symphony #3 "Liturgique" Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Charles Dutoit, cond. (Apex)

Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto Grosso Op. 6, #7. I Solisti Veneti/ Claudio Scimone, cond.

Hour 2

Mystery Piece not guessed: Rachmaninoff Suite #1 for 2 pianos, 3rd movement (tears).  Vladimir Ashkenazy and Andre Previn, p (London). 

Vainberg, M.: Concerto for Trumpet and orchestra op. 94.  Sergai Nakariakov, trumpet.  Jena Philharmonic, Andrey Boreyko, cond. (Teldec). 

Hour 3

various composers, Care-charming Sleep.  The Dowland Project, arr. John Potter and co.  (ECM)

Richard Strauss: Suite from LeBourgeois Gentilhomme, Op. 60.  CSO, Fritz Reiner, cond. (BMG)

Haydn, Nocturne #8 in G.  Music Party, Alan Hacker (London)

John Ireland: minuet from A Downland Suite.  English String Orchestra, William Boughton, cond.  (Nimbus)