Listening is by far the most important musical activity

[opus10no2]

Not composing, not performing, just listening.

A good listener will discover more, and the fertile soil of his musical mind will flower with the stimulus of great music.

As a composer, one may use formulae or extramusical ideas, but the musical imagination, the instruments playing inside your head, they are there because you've heard them.
You can only ever create combinations of the relations and microphrases that you've experienced before.

Same with performance, pianists are only able to control the exact timing and dynamics of the notes they play, and these ideas come about from combinations of prior stimulus, from listening to others, or listening to what your body incidentally produces.


Also, as I've stated before, musical genre and style isn't define by what it's played on, or how it's played, or who plays it, it's defined by how it's listened to.

If a certain music doesn't satisfy your ear, and it does others, that just means you are listening in different ways, and one person's mode of stimulus will be met, and yours may not be.

This is my own definition of 'classical'/art/serious/whatever music. I define it as music that is listened to with a level of intensity that isn't required of other music, it is music that cannot really be appreciated passively.

Anyway, I'd like to say that for years, I've viewed time spend listening to music as time well spent, it's like piano practice, stimulating your musical brain.

[rc]

Agreed, I've had to ditch the habit of passive listening with classical.  It's a waste, to have the music on and only notice it when a passage happens to catch your attention.

Though I still like going for walks with classical in the headphones, it fits so well with nature!

My best playing feels like I'm 'listening' the notes rather than playing them.  After some practice like this, I'll often put in a recording and have the same feeling as if I'm hearing each phrase into existance.

[amelialw]

I agree...I always listen to music everyday before I practise and it really makes a difference

[pianistimo]

my best listening is in the car.  the newer one has XM radio - but the problem is that they never identify the performer.  it was only because i had heard richter play the moonlight sonata that i knew who was playing that.  but, i feel like hurting myself when i ahve to figure out who's playing the chopin.  why should we care who is playing.  but, it's important to have these three questions answered fairly quickly.

composer
name of piece
performer

then, you can get into form of piece and analyze the harmonies, etc.  but, after a while this all becomes a great chore and you just want to have some gospel music.

[counterpoint]

It's interesting to listen to other musicians - but playing yourself is different. You can't take comfort in a feeling like "let's wait how it will sound" -  you have to steer the course of the development in one direction or another direction. It's like driving a car yourself or just sit in a car and look at the landscape. I think it's like driving a car - in reality I never did 

[m]

it was only because i had heard richter play the moonlight sonata that i knew who was playing that. 

I am afraid to disappoint you, but Richter never recorded the Moonlight. In fact, I highly doubt he even ever bothered to learn it.

[thalbergmad]

Because i cannot be arsed to practice, listening is very important to me.

Listening in the car is not good, as it often diverts my attention from the speedo. The Dreyschock Concerto, cost me a £60 fine.

Thal

[pianistimo]

spam

[pianistimo]

btw, marik - i realize you listen to more than u-tube.  just giving you a hard time as you seem to be liking to give me one.  actually, i think it is good to challenge ideas to make sure what you are hearing is true.  i believe that richter did not like record as much as play live performances.  perhaps this is the difficulty.  as well as not playing the moonlight very  much. 

[thalbergmad]

I am afraid to disappoint you, but Richter never recorded the Moonlight. In fact, I highly doubt he even ever bothered to learn it.

She is now bombarding you with pages of drivel on this thread.

You must know there is no escape and that she is always right.

Even if you knew Richter personally and he told you he never even played it, she would still argue for eternity

Thal

[pianistimo]

thal, i suppose you do not believe wikipedia's statement?  suppose that everyone does not hear what they hear.  that we did not land on the moon.  and that richter could not play the moonlight sonata. 

i shall doubt everything you say about thalberg now.  you have arisen the 'glockenspiel of hell' and it shall ring until you acknowledge that richter played the moonlight sonata as well as thalberg played whatever he did - and btw, you lost my wonderment when you said liszt won the contest between liszt and thalberg.  do you always chose losers?  i thought thalberg won.

[thalbergmad]

thal, i suppose you do not believe wikipedia's statement? 

When it comes to matters of piano, i prefer to believe Marik's statement.

You believe wikipedia's statement, becuase you have a history of belief in books of unknown authorship.

Can we please go back to the original topic without further pages of spam.

Thal

[counterpoint]

Wow, "glockenspiel of hell" what a wonderful title for a new piece  



Assuming that I understand the wikipedia article right, Richter did not play Moonlight and Waldstein Sonata.

Perhaps you mix it up with Gilels' recording of the Moonlight Sonata, which is marvellous!  

[thalbergmad]

Richter's repertoire ranged from Handel and Bach to Karol Szymanowski, Alban Berg, Anton Webern, Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok, Paul Hindemith, Benjamin Britten, and George Gershwin, although with many omissions (e.g., Bach's Goldberg Variations, Beethoven's Waldstein and Moonlight sonatas and Fourth and Fifth piano concertos, Schubert's A-major sonata D. 959, Prokofiev's Third piano concerto, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3).[27]

HAHA Counterpoint, you are correct.

Doughnut brain has actually posted a link which refutes what she said. She obviously does not understand the word omissions.

Now let us see if she has the nuts to admit that she was wrong, or if she will serve up some considerable spam to carry on the arguement.

This is rather funny.

Thal

[m]

i am sure that i heard it - whether it was over the radio or elsewhere.  his tempo had this magnetic pull that noone else has been able to imitate.  i have often thought of him when i play the moonlight because i relate to magnetism of the moon...

he may not have recorded it to sell - but it was recorded live.  i remember hearing it.  it was transforming to the way i thought about the moonlight. 

Well, indeed it is impossible to beat this argument, esp. from someone who at 3 AM SAW on "Arts Channel" Dinu Lipatti  from a 1961 concert. 

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,20511.0.html

And it does not really matter that Lipatti never left video recordings, neither the fact that by 1961 he was dead for about 11 years.

Indeed, belief and spirituality make wonders!!!

One more for Pianistimo!

Best, M

[pianistimo]

believe what you wish. 

marik, you are really wanting to hear the glockenspiel aren't you?  i already admitted to fault on the dinu lippatti.  when i am wrong i admit it.  i am not wrong about richter.  even alfred brendel could not play it exactly as richter.  or wilhelm kempff.  although - i tend to like them, too.

he played it slowly.  he played it in fairly strict time - but with very minute pulls of 'magnetism.'  i'm sure that i heard it.  i don't remember when and where - but i heard it.  it has never been replicated by any other pianist.  and, i'm sure i heard this very same recording only a day or so ago on xm radio - but the thing is - they don't give the pianists.  that's why i was really kinda perturbed.  perhaps there are recordings that are played - but not necessarily ones that the pianist gave out with his blessing due to not wanting to outshine his teacher.  i'd like to hear neuhaus's interpretation - although i think that richter most likely was commemorating his playing by 'remembering it' as he played it.

[m]

Some more thoughts:

i relate to magnetism of the moon.

On this I am with you, Pianistimo, on this I am with you.

scroll down to repertoire:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sviatoslav_Richter

Yes I did, what's next?

it is true that he had said that his teacher (neuhaus) had played beethoven's fifth concerto so well that he didn't want to play it...

Yes, this is true, whether we want it or not.

but, i'm sure he could have equalled it. 

I think there is some truth in this statement

perhaps his teacher also played the moonlight very well. 

Perhaps

i am wondering if that is the reason he didn't want to record it for sale. 

In fact, I was wondering that too...

when he heard very very good and thought to be unequalled performances by someone - he didn't try to outdo it. 

Yes, indeed I hear that he heard very very good (maybe "very very well" grammatically would be more correct, but I understand what you mean).

but, imo, he played the moonlight very persuasively.

I completely agree!

i'm wondering if some of the 1961 performances rca victor performances (1961) BIB 6882068 were recorded on his recital II in hamburg, germany by deutsche grammophon (1966?) BIB 6880523.  mills music library had something in 2005 - and i also see on e-bay some collection of lp's that has this grammophon recording of richter's.  although i can't be sure it's on it.

It is funny, but I was wondering the same, and in fact, I am pretty much sure IT'S ON IT.

Best, M

[pianistimo]

ok.  marik.  you are on the A list again.  i love you.  wish i could say the same for thal.  well, i love him too.  but, in a sort of 10 mile radius kind of way.

[thalbergmad]

believe what you wish. 

marik, you are really wanting to hear the glockenspiel aren't you?  i already admitted to fault on the dinu lippatti.  when i am wrong i admit it.  i am not wrong about richter.  even alfred brendel could not play it exactly as richter.  or wilhelm kempff.  although - i tend to like them, too.

he played it slowly.  he played it in fairly strict time - but with very minute pulls of 'magnetism.'  i'm sure that i heard it.  i don't remember when and where - but i heard it.  it has never been replicated by any other pianist.  and, i'm sure i heard this very same recording only a day or so ago on xm radio - but the thing is - they don't give the pianists.  that's why i was really kinda perturbed.  perhaps there are recordings that are played - but not necessarily ones that the pianist gave out with his blessing due to not wanting to outshine his teacher.  i'd like to hear neuhaus's interpretation - although i think that richter most likely was commemorating his playing by 'remembering it' as he played it.

You changed your post.

You said you were going to post the wiki link that confirmed that richter recorded the moonlight.

Can i see it please.

Thal

[m]

i am not wrong about richter. 

You are not, dear... me and Wikipedia ARE.

even alfred brendel could not play it exactly as richter.  or wilhelm kempff.

True, even alfred brendel could not play it EXACTLY as richter.  or wilhelm kempff.  

he played it slowly.  he played it in fairly strict time - but with very minute pulls of 'magnetism.'  i'm sure that i heard it.  i don't remember when and where - but i heard it. 

I am sure you did, dear.

it has never been replicated by any other pianist. 

No, it hasn't.

and, i'm sure i heard this very same recording only a day or so ago on xm radio - but the thing is - they don't give the pianists.  that's why i was really kinda perturbed.  perhaps there are recordings that are played - but not necessarily ones that the pianist gave out with his blessing due to not wanting to outshine his teacher. 

Yep, I think that whole his life Richter was driven only by the idea just not to outshine his teacher.

i'd like to hear neuhaus's interpretation - although i think that richter most likely was commemorating his playing by 'remembering it' as he played it.

I think that, too.

Best, M

[thalbergmad]

Marik, the prophecy in your signature is being fulfilled.

Thal

[rc]

Listening in the car is not good, as it often diverts my attention from the speedo. The Dreyschock Concerto, cost me a £60 fine.

Thal

Drive a minivan, I haven't yet found a way to get pulled over in a minivan.  Cops can't see them.