onsdag den 10. november 2010

Scandinavian music

The first week in June plus some days are always enjoyable in my little village. The most famous man from our place has his birthday on the 9th of June, this year it is birthday no. 147, and there are now rumours how to celebrate him in 2015.

The name and the man is Carl August Nielsen. This year the first week goes with the competition of the violin concerto, great talents from the whole world plays their hearts out. On saturday we have a little gardenparty in the museum, and of course we shall hear music og we shall all sing numbers of his danish songs. All danes grew up singing his tunes.

My celebration is to play the 5.th symphony on my turntable. This time I choose Rafael Kubelik who conducted this symphony at a concert when he received the Sonning musicprize. I will also hear his violinconcerto, and choose Nikolai Schneiders version.


Our museum is this little house where Carl Nielsen grew up. The garden party is behind the house, and at this time of the year the isle of Funen shows it's best side as the garden of Denmark.
  


There is a lot of music to enjoy from up here in the north, and maybe there is some not so known music?

No no - I have not forget Sibelius. But there are so many many fine records, and here is one of them. My wife and I often discuss who is the best to play the violin concerto. We will never agree I think, but the fun to listen and discuss it - is a love surprime! This time my wife wins (again), for many years this is her Sibelius concerto!!! I must admit, I enjoy it too - and the 5th get a wonderfully, no GREAT performance. Another day I maybe tell which is my version.

Jean Sibelius - Nigel Kennedy - Simon Rattle




This is one of best Nielsen recordings you can find. I don't think it is on CD. A marvellous concert to turn down the concerthouse. Great sounds from this Unicorn LP.

Carl Nielsen, Symphony no 3  Sinfonia Espansiva -  
Yuri Ahronovitch


More music from my village. A great recording of a masterpiece, that kettledrum is magnificient. And Horenstein make it all work so right.

Carl Nielsen, Symphony no 5 - Jascha Horenstein



A very pleasing record, with great music from Grieg, and a recording that can't get bettered.
Edvard Grieg and Emil Gilels





Iceland do have many fine musicians and orchestras. Here is a magnificient symphony from the best known composer from Iceland. (test your HiFi for dynamics!!!).


Jón Leifs (May 1, 1899 – July 30, 1968),
Rob Barnett writes in Classical music web
Leifs wrote this work during the period March 1941 to July 1942. It was written in the wake of the premiere of the Organ Concerto during which most of the Berlin audience walked out leaving only 20 in the hall at the end of the work.
The composer lived with his German concert pianist wife at Ehrbrucke at the time. In return for his discretion and occasional complicity (the Nazis broadcast one of his talks to Iceland) his Jewish wife (a concert pianist, blacklisted of course) and two daughters were not harmed.
The Saga Symphony also known as Saga Heroes was, in some part, inspired by the pattern of Liszt's Faust Symphony which Leifs had heard in Leipzig in 1916. Its genesis and movement titles owe all to Leifs' identification with the same Edda characters that in other Aryan contexts should have guaranteed Leifs a ready audience in Hitler's Germany. However his music was never going to be ideologically acceptable.
What of it? It is instantly memorable for its unadorned style. Long-lined ideas are not a hallmark of his writing. In the first movement (Skarphedinn) and the fourth (Glamr og Grettir) Leifs batters us with a sequence of exciting off-beat hammer blows punched out with great definition. A wide dynamic range is called for from the just audible to the deafening. Both extremes are there in the first movement. Schuman-like writing for the brass can be heard in Gudrun Osvifrsdottir (2nd) movement mingled with a declamatory expression heard during the wilder moments in Nielsen 5. The scherzo Bjorn ad baki Kara whispers, and patters at first like a light-footed night-chase with much pizzicato and with convulsively spat out percussive shots and clangs - a Leifs signature. The courtly dances of the Thormodr Kolbrunarskald prepare the way for the raw, spare punches of a finale that also offers some moments of affecting rural piping of a decidedly Celtica Nova type. However the abiding impressions are of a welter of stamping, of activity always controlled and defined but goaded onwards. If ultimately this does not have truly symphonic shaping the work's tableaux are the stuff of the frosty dreams which make up the sagas of Njal, Gretts, Laxdaela, Fostbraeda and the Heimskringla.
The orchestra includes six nordic lurs heard at end of the fifth and final movement. Unusual instruments used include various sizes and type of stone, an iron anvil, shields of wood, leather and iron and big wooden hammers truck against the sides of huge wooden containers.
The symphony was premiered during the September 1950 Nordic Music Days Festival in Helsinki with Jussi Jalas conducting. Jalas directed the work again in 1972 this time in Reykjavik and four years later recorded it for release on the Iceland Music Information Centre LP now superseded by this disc. The Jalas LP had each of the five movements considerably shortened. Counting recording sessions this probably only its fifth performance.
Surely the definitive recording of one of the strangest of symphonies from the 1940s - allied to no school or calling - sui generis.

Here is a fine composer with fine romantic sweden melancholy. Don't miss him. This is a fine symphony, he also wrote fine serenades for orchestra and a fine piano concerto.

Wilhelm Stenhammar
A friend of the danish composer Carl Nielsen.

Janos Solyum is the pianist, and the singer in "Florez och Blancheflor" is Ingvar Wixell. Both records are a treasure in our collection.


















Karl Aage Rasmussen

Music from our own time, by a great living composer (and writer). A must hear and own.
 http://www.karlaagerasmussen.com/

The webside of Rasmussen is in english too. Do have look, so inspiring. 




--David Hurwit, Classicstoday wrote
Danish composer Karl Aage Rasmussen's music often has a bright, humorous character that many listeners will find quite engaging. Movements on a Moving Line is an eclectic musical journey, rhythmically appealing, peppered with catchy tonal episodes, and very cleverly written for small ensemble. I can't say exactly why it works so well, but it all holds together and rewards repeated listening through the sheer brilliance of its virtuosic instrumental writing.
Sinking Though the Dream Mirror, aside from the meaningless title, is a violin concerto of some ambition. At 34 minutes, the central Passacaglia does meander a bit, but it's recognizably the work of the same composer as Movements on a Moving Line. There's one especially delightful episode that will bring a smile to the face of anyone familiar with the second movement of Ives' Fourth Symphony, where the solo violin plays salon music despite all kinds of funny stuff happening around it.
Finally, there's no way to tell how much "inside" information Rasmussen wrote into Three Friends, but it's another enjoyable piece in a style that might best be called the neo-classical avant-garde. It's very effectively structured (its three movements are marked Toccata, Lamento, and Rondo respectively), and offers more than a few humorous touches, especially in the concluding Rondo dedicated to Per Norgard. Fine performances (how nice to see conductor Ole Schmidt's name again!) and excellent recorded sound top off a welcome portrait of this characterful composer.


This is a historic GEM from Danish Composers recorded in 1968 with the fine condctor Johan Hye Knudsen.

Edouard du Puy 1773-1822
Oveture to ”Youht and Foly” from 1806

C.E.F. Weyse 1774-1842
Overture to ”The Sleeping Draught”

Fr. Kuhlau 1786-1832
Overture to ”William Shakespeare”

J.P.E. Hartmann 1805-1900
Overture to ”Little Kirsten”

Peter Heise 1830-1879
Overture to King and Marshal”

C.F.E. Horneman 1840-1906
Overture to ”Aladdin”


Sterling CDS 1018 2 from 1996.


Niels W. Gade (22. februar 1817 – 21. december 1890)

His first Sympfoni C moll ”På Sjølunds fagre Sletter” was first played by Felix Mendelssohn with Gewandhausorkestret in Leipzig. It was very succesfull and Mendelssohn offer him to be his assistance. He settle down and become a big conducter and composer in Germany. He was a personnal friend with Schumann, Liszt and Wagner. In 1847 he overtook the leading of Gewandhaus. He and his father in law the composer J.P.E. Hartmann started the Danish Music Conservatory.



















and here a fine LP, conductet by "my" danish conductor, John Frandsen,




Geirr Tveitt 
October 19, 1908 – February 1, 1981)

Once upon a time I was very interested in HiFi, but too often it draws my attention from music. Allthought here is a bonus from that time, sometimes they also writes about music I did not know. And I did not know Geirr Tveitt a norwegian composer, this record is very good and appealing and great fun too. Based on Hardanger music, you here get 100 hardanger folk tunes played with enthuithiasme in great sound (if you got good speakers) a fine disc from BIS (again). Bravo.


Kalevi Aho

From Finland I find that Kalevi Aho is great composer, very appealing music and a joy to discover. This CD is a good introduction and a fine one to show your gears teeths. Kroumata is a percussion ensemble, and the 11. symphony is written with them as "soloists". Nice idea. As always recordings from Lathi and Vänskä are in their own high legeaue.
See the great review ...

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=74















EinoJuhanni Rautavaara, Symphony no 7 Angel of Light and Annuciations. A great record of great music.



This fourth release in a cycle of Einojuhani Rautavaara's complete symphonies couples the Finnish composer's symphonic work, Angel of Light, with the concerto for organ, brass quintet and symphonic wind orchestra, Annunciations. Leif Segerstam conducts the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.

The seventh symphony was commissioned by the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 1995. It completes Rautavaara's 'Angels Series' which includes the orchestral work Angels and Visitations (1978) and the double bass concerto Angel of Dusk (1980). Annunciations was composed in 1976-77 for the Stockholm Organ Festival, and the triple forces required by the instrumentation were proposed by the commissioning organisation. Its first Finnish performance inspired a critic to write about the Finale that it brought to mind the Pasolini film in which "drunken noblemen roll around on the keyboard of an organ." The virtuoso organ part is performed by soloist Kari Jussila at the organ of Helsinki's Finlandia Hall.

This recording became an international best-seller and spurred Rautavaara to considerable international fame, including in 1997 a GRAMMY nomination and a Cannes Classical Award as 'Best Disc of Music by a Living Composer'.

tirsdag den 9. november 2010

Music of Bach on the piano

I am a very little piano player myself, so great piano playing is a great thing for me to listening to. Here is my favourite piano records with music from the great J.S. Bach. I have some cembalo records, but I admit that the piano is my way to Bachs instrumental music.

The list is also shows some of ”my” pianists.

Ivo Pogorelich is always a pleasure to listening to, fresh air and great dynamics. His Bach has great spirit.



This CD from Pires is a delightfull affair. Great sound from a grand in a church acoustic, and enjoyable playing of highest rank.When I change something in my audiosystem this is one of the challenge for rhe change.



And now to my very first "love" among pianists. Wilhelm Kempff.
Goldberg variations is a favourite piece, så I list three very different records of the work. The best one? Is the one playing on the stereo!




Here is the poet of piano playing, Murray Perahia. I think it is a great recording and it sounds great.




Of course Gould is here too, he is humming too, strange - is he still alive? At least when he plays, I say it is Gould playing now. A very moving record.
 
I miss at least one Goldberg, the latest from Andras Schiff.














The Book! My first record was Richter. I still like it, in spite of the troubled acoustic. Richter is my God, and the travel in this universe is a miracle. Well Tempered Ear.




I am also satisfied with my CD version from Naxos with Jando. Indeed very happy.

And this double of the first book, Fellner raise constant in my collection.


The is pearling streaming piano playing from a unique earcatching Martha Argerich. Great sounds too.

Here is an record of special caracter, in my ears a GREAT one. But the music demands for a Koroliov to play it. Then it becomes a record for "Desert Islands". The sound is perfect. A treasure.


The tacet CD sound is unique.

And one more humming from Gould, of course.

And then there are the partitas with Richard Goode, Murray Perahia. Enjoyable transcribsions from Hess, Kempff, Busoni. And another time there will be much more Bach for orchestra and the great choral works.





mandag den 8. november 2010

Anton Bruckner

 Anton Bruckner:

My favourite Bruckner recordings

Symphony no 1:
Berlin Philharmonic / Eugene Jochum (DG LP)
A great sounding record, a joy to hear.

Symphony no 2:
Vienna Symphony / Carlo Maria Giulini (EMI LP).
On CD it can be found on the lbel Testament.

Another splendid version is played by NSO Ireland, conductet by Tintner. (Naxos CD)






Symphony no 3:
Dresden Staatskapelle / Eugene Jochum (EMI CD)

Concertgebouw / Maris Jansons
I think if I was a rich man, I will buy everything Jansons made these days in Amsterdam and Münich. Music matters, and the orchestras are miracles to listen to.









Symphony no 4:
Concertgebouw / Maris Jansons (CD).

The famous from Vienna Philharmonic and Karl Böhm on Decca LP or CD.



Berlin Philharmonic / Karajan (EMI LP)
Well – this time Karajan is the winner. It must be one of the best he ever made. I heard it first time in competition where experts should choose between 6 recordings, without knowing who to play. It was a very clear winner. I was surprised when I got to know it was Karajan. But why surprised? The DG version is very good too.












Symphony no 5:
Philharmonia / Otto Klemperer, (EMI)/ Sergiu Celibidache / Claudio Abbado




Symphony no 6:
Philharmonia / Otto Klemperer (SAX)

Symphony no 7:
Stuttgart RSO / Carlo Maria Giulini (DVD),
This is very enjoyable, first part is rehearsels, and shows the master wise and knowing, and in the concert they play there hearts out. Very moving.

Dresden Staatskapelle / Herbert Blomstedt CD Denon)
A special performance, and would say in brighter lights than usual.

Dresden Staatskapelle (EMI CD) or Berlin Philharmonic (DG LP) / Eugene Jochum I like both records a lot, on the LP there is some magnificientWagner musiv from Parsifal.

Symphony no 8:
Gürzenich Orch. / Günther Wand (DHM LP)
When this records appearS some great Bruckner fans started a new world time, year 0.

Gewandhause Leipzig / Herbert Blomstedt
This was his farewell concert in Leipzig, and the last as chief at all. Now it is for joy when he conducts.

Symphony no 9:
Gürzenich Orch. / Günther Wand (DHM LP)

Concertgebouw / Chailly (CD Decca)

And I enjoy very much the two boxsets from DG with Celibidache and Stuttgart RSO ( 3-4-5-7-8-9).
Wish lists still? Yes, more Carlo Maria Giulini from Testament or DG. And there are some DVDs with Günther Wand.

Jazz

A GREAT DAY IN HARLEM

This is a great picture, and the story is filmed (a good one). I use the picture to find music with the musicians, some of them are more or less forgotten. But they are so GREAT. Here is a list of the albums I find, Great albums. You should see the film and get inspired and get a good warm feeling.
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Day-Harlem-Dizzy-Gillespie/dp/B000BVNS7U













Count Basie:

You know, this is my new kids, og de er gode alle sammen, og de, som ikke er helt modne endnu, de bliver det!!!!!

Mon ikke ....
Men dette er starten på Bæsis nye band, med tårnhøje ambitioner. Ikke mere dansehal, nu er det koncertsalen der skal erobres. Og det blev den over hele verden, Chairman at the board.

Dette dobbelt CD sæt er fra omkring 1952, så det er ret korte numre, de skulle jo kunne være på en pladeside.

SWING IT AGAIN. Sættet indeholder følgende bandsammensætninger.


Paul Campbell,trumpet; Wendell Culley,trumpet;
Joe Newman,trumpet; Charlie Shavers,trumpet;
Henry Coker,trombone; Benny Powell,trombone; Jimmy Wilkins,trombone;
Marshall Royal,sax; Paul Quinichette,sax; Ernie Wilkins,sax;
Floyd Johnson,sax; Charlie Fowlkes,sax;
Freddy Green,guitar; Count Basie,piano,organ;
Jimmy Lewis,bass; Gas Johnson,drums;

Jan.25,1952,New York(1,3,5,6)

Paul Campbell,trumpet; Wendell Culley,trumpet;
Reunald Jones,trumpet; Joe Newman,trumpet;
Henry Coker,trombone; Benny Powell,trombone; Jimmy Wilkins,trombone;
Marshall Royal,sax; Ernie Wilkins,sax; Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis,sax;
Paul Quinichette,sax; Charlie Fowlkes,sax;
Freddy Green,guitar; Count Basie,piano;
Jimmy Lewis,bass; Gas Johnson,drums;

Jul.22,1952,New York(9-12)

Paul Campbell,trumpet; Wendell Culley,trumpet;
Reunald Jones,trumpet; Joe Newman,trumpet;
Henry Coker,trombone; Benny Powell,trombone; Jimmy Wilkins,trombone;
Marshall Royal,sax; Ernie Wilkins,sax; Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis,sax;
Paul Quinichette,sax; Charlie Fowlkes,sax;
Freddy Green,guitar; Oscar Peterson,piano;
Ray Brown,bass; Gas Johnson,drums;

Jul.26,1952,New York(2)

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis,sax; Paul Quinichette,sax;
Oscar Peterson,piano; Count Basie,organ;
Freddy Green,guitar; Ray Brown,bass; Gas Johnson,drums;

Jul.26,1952,New York(4)

Paul Campbell,trumpet; Wendell Culley,trumpet;
Reunald Jones,trumpet; Joe Newman,trumpet;
Henry Coker,trombone; Benny Powell,trombone; Jimmy Wilkins,trombone;
Marshall Royal,sax; Ernie Wilkins,sax; Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis,sax;
Paul Quinichette,sax; Charlie Fowlkes,sax;
Freddy Green,guitar; Count Basie,piano;
Eugene 'Gene' Ramey,bass; Gas Johnson,drums;
Al Hibbler,vocal;

Dec.12,1952,New York(7,8)