What are you listening to right now?

[dizzyfingers]

Combining the two posts above I've been listening to Szymanowski's Mythes with Zimerman on piano!

i=tTPOVfryx4q8hOCM
And as for his sonatas, the 3rd is the best- Richter's live recording is on youtube.

That's quite a photograph!  For one thing, Zimerman, whose photos are around today (showing a much  older gentleman), is so young!  And I do believe I detect some intriguing chemistry between the two young musicians.

What do you think of Szymanowski's Mythes?

I listened to some of the 3rd sonata, again I sense a lack of inner inspiration, which creates a laboriousness.

[thorn]

That's quite a photograph!  For one thing, Zimerman, whose photos are around today (showing a much  older gentleman), is so young!  And I do believe I detect some intriguing chemistry between the two young musicians.

What do you think of Szymanowski's Mythes?

I listened to some of the 3rd sonata, again I sense a lack of inner inspiration, which creates a laboriousness.

Yes, he's very young there! And who knows.

And it took me a while to understand the 3rd movement but I liked the other two right away. I read in several program notes that it's an important work in the context of violin repertoire, but as I'm not a string player I can't comment on that. As far as piano writing goes the mid-period work that Szymanowski himself was most proud of was Masques, which Zimerman recently recorded.

What do you mean by 'a lack of inner inspiration'? I'm curious because I think I get what you mean in terms of early Szymanowski (and early/mid Scriabin for that matter), but to me he then grew out of that.

[dizzyfingers]

I'm listening to this sonata from 1940 by Irish composer Howard Ferguson, played by Myra Hess.
Because - - it's the only composer on pianolibrary.org I'm not familiar with.
There's probably some connection to the admins of that site and this composer ... there's a dozen other obscure composers they could have the music for, but do not, it's mainstream - so why him?

Anyone else familiar with this work?

[liszt-and-the-galops]

I'm listening to this sonata from 1940 by Irish composer Howard Ferguson, played by Myra Hess.
Because - it's the only composer on pianolibrary.org I'm not familiar with.
There's probably some connection to the admins of that site and this composer ... there's a dozen other obscure composers they could have the music for - why him?

Anyone else familiar with this work?

My understanding is that that site relies on contributions by readers (or viewers, or whatever they would be called), so odds are that the reason they have stuff on Ferguson is because someone who knows about the site sent them a ton of stuff about/by him.

[essence]

Howard Ferguson?

True story. He was living in Cambridge during the 1970's. I gave an amateur performance one Sunday afternoon at the graduate centre of my college (Corpus Christi). I was playing several of the op 39 Rachmaninoff Etudes Tableaux. I was meant to be studying quantum field theory.

By chance he was in the audience. He sent me a note afterwards saying how much he had enjoyed it, and said the etudes were new to him, apart from the last one. I think the etudes were much less well-known in those days.

I also remember the wife of the warden was excited by Red riding hood and the wolf, she nearly jumped out of her skin when i played the last ff chord.

Been downhill since then.

[dizzyfingers]

Howard Ferguson?  ... He sent me a note afterwards saying how much he had enjoyed it,...

Clearly a kind man.

Been downhill since then.

.. well there's something to be said for surviving ... you must be about 75 now
Perhaps tell us your story in Introductions - - -

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=122.0

[frodo10]

1

[essence]

I listened to this, I sight read the first movement some time ago, the sonata has many attractions, but is it too long and rambling? It seems to have many familiar Rachmaninoff motifs.

Overall, would you say it is technically a bit less difficult than the second sonata?

[thorn]

Also some Rachmaninoff. I never listened to the entire set before, I only knew 2,5,6. I think my new favourite is 8.

i=Yu-dCf0fny032GM8

[frodo10]

1

1

1

[liszt-and-the-galops]

The coda of Medtner's Third Concerto "Ballade," played by Tatiana Nikolaeva. The rest of the concerto is great, but the final few minutes are something else.

Coda starts at 33:16 in the above video.

[frodo10]

Combining the two posts above I've been listening to Szymanowski's Mythes with Zimerman on piano!

i=tTPOVfryx4q8hOCM

And as for his sonatas, the 3rd is the best- Richter's live recording is on youtube.

I have this CD.  Szymanowski's Mythes is a fine work.  But to me the gem is the Franck violin sonata written at his age 64!  I have come to view Franck as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic period.  But he wrote all of his great masterpieces at age 64 or later (except for the piano quintet written at age 57).  I understand why AI does not put him on the list of top 20 romantic composers.  But I feel many of his late works are at least as great as works that Brahms wrote.  He is consistently on my top 10 favorite composers list - a personal list for me.

[frodo10]

.

[dizzyfingers]

This came up on the YT algorithm.
Very interesting and lovely music.
How to describe it?  English Impressionism?
I think it's more for the salon than the concert stage, if not an even more intimate setting.

[essence]

Thank you. I didn';t know this piece by Frank Bridge.

Frank Bridge is well known in the UK, but possibly his reputation does not travel. He taught Benjamin Britten, and was himself taught by Stanford.

https://www.musicweb-international.com/bridge/chapt1.htm

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Bach/Busoni - Chaconne in D Minor (Kissin), since that's the username of someone else on this forum and I hadn't listened to it previously. Only about 9 minutes in, though I have to say that it seems like Busoni just threw in a ton of unnecessary difficulties that detract from the music. Though I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised; this is the person who wrote Fantasia Contrappuntistica, after all lol. Some of the quieter sections are nice, at least, but not fantastic.

Don't think I'll be listening to this very often, and honestly don't really feel the need to link to the video; this isn't the "incredible piano videos on Youtube" thread.

Also, this seemingly unheard-of Alkan Impromptu. IMO better than those of Chopin.

[dizzyfingers]

Also, this seemingly unheard-of Alkan Impromptu. IMO better than those of Chopin.

Alkan clearly wasn't concerned with hiding which composer was the model for his impromptu ...

Why do you think it's better than Chopin's 4 impromptus?

It may be the pianist, a bit heavy handed perhaps, but it may be the writing ..  just doesn't lift off the ground the way Chopin's do.

There was a post on Impromptus not too long ago.  Maybe by me, or someone like me, it's a blur.

[dizzyfingers]

Listening to a living composer/pianist new work:  Fazil Say:  Piano Concerto for 4 hands.
Fun lively piece.

1

[dizzyfingers]

Lucas and Arthur Jussen, brothers from the Netherlands:   This is the best version of the Poulenc Concerto for 2 pianos I've ever heard!

Great filming too.

[thorn]

Thought it was appropriate, given the time of year

i=Ff0yqMy_0g0iDf7c

[essence]

Thank you. May play some of these myself for my family later while dinner is cooking?

There are some gorgeous melodies inside. e.g. at 17:50.

I think Messiaen's reputation is increasing with the ages?

Maybe I should have a project to put one a month into the audition room?

[lelle]

Thank you. May play some of these myself for my family later while dinner is cooking?

There are some gorgeous melodies inside. e.g. at 17:50.

I think Messiaen's reputation is increasing with the ages?

Maybe I should have a project to put one a month into the audition room?

Sounds like a good idea. I have wanted to play these for ages but some of them are pretty unapproachable both for listener and pianist not gonna lie

[thorn]

Maybe I should have a project to put one a month into the audition room?

You talked about having performed a selection in another thread, do you actually play them all?

Sounds like a good idea. I have wanted to play these for ages but some of them are pretty unapproachable both for listener and pianist not gonna lie

I've heard no.4 programmed a lot in amateur settings and it always goes down well.

[Bob]

[essence]

You talked about having performed a selection in another thread, do you actually play them all?

 I've played about 6 in a public amateur concert. Over 50 years ago. Yes, IV is good and not too difficult. XIX has a particular appeal to me, for romantic reasons, and XX is a challenging workout. XV is gorgeous, but I can't play the fast pp passages as smoothly as I would like.

Need to get some kind of decent microphone before I start my monthly project. Maybe Behringer C-2 or a Rode.

[thorn]

I've played about 6 in a public amateur concert. Over 50 years ago. Yes, IV is good and not too difficult. XIX has a particular appeal to me, for romantic reasons, and XX is a challenging workout. XV is gorgeous, but I can't play the fast pp passages as smoothly as I would like.

Need to get some kind of decent microphone before I start my monthly project. Maybe Behringer C-2 or a Rode.

XIX is growing on me the more I listen to it, it didn't originally grab me. There are others like that too- originally VI sounded a bit 'noisy' but I 'get it' now. My favourite is still X but I agree XV is wonderful.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Alkan's Concerti (not the famous one for solo piano).

Also, his Esquisses (Sketches).

Both some of the most incredible sets of pieces I've ever listened to.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Lots of Spanish rep.
Granados - Op. 11 Goyescas

Albéniz - Iberia nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12.

Falla - Fantasia Baetica.

[essence]

i was at that 1980 concert.

[transitional]

I know most of the people on this form don't usually do non-classical stuff, but that Super Bowl halftime show made me so happy. The set was so good and the flags, the salsa Lady Gaga, the Grammy, the DTMF at the very end, all of it. It hit in all the right places. Listening to so much Bad Bunny right now. Give it a try if you haven't, even if you don't typically listen to this kind of stuff. "Modern music" does not suck.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I know most of the people on this form don't usually do non-classical stuff, but that Super Bowl halftime show made me so happy. The set was so good and the flags, the salsa Lady Gaga, the Grammy, the DTMF at the very end, all of it. It hit in all the right places. Listening to so much Bad Bunny right now. Give it a try if you haven't, even if you don't typically listen to this kind of stuff. "Modern music" does not suck.

I thought it was fantastic from top to bottom.  Maybe my favorite half time show yet.

[dizzyfingers]

I know most of the people on this form don't usually do non-classical stuff, but that Super Bowl halftime show made me so happy. The set was so good and the flags, the salsa Lady Gaga, the Grammy, the DTMF at the very end, all of it. It hit in all the right places. Listening to so much Bad Bunny right now. Give it a try if you haven't, even if you don't typically listen to this kind of stuff. "Modern music" does not suck.

It was fun, good half time show, good messaging, awesome it was mostly in spanish, so many hispanics in USA, their time will come.

Didn't expect to see a post about it here in piano forum, but I guess first it's a forum.

[dizzyfingers]

The contemporary (living) composer Salvatore Sciarrino has been mentioned here a couple times (I think by  Mr. Thorn), thought I would check out some of his music.
Still checking but - -
His 3rd sonata deserves to be heard.  Intense, imaginative and cool harmonies.
I sensed though that it was squarely lodged in the emotional-expression world of Scriabin's 5th sonata.
He blatantly re-wrote Ravel's jeu d'eau, maybe that's more than a one-off, maybe it's the way he composes, thinking about another composer's work that inspires him ...

1

[liszt-and-the-galops]

A ton of Concerti right now.

Alkan - Op. 10 Trois Concerti da Camera (nos. 2 and 3 especially are fantastic)

Szymanowski - Op. 60 Symphony no. 4

Saint-Saëns - Op. 44 Piano Concerto no. 4

Saint-Saëns - Op. 22 Piano Concerto no. 2

Ravel - Left Hand Concerto

[the_franzliszt]

The contemporary (living) composer Salvatore Sciarrino has been mentioned here a couple times

I'm practicing his Anamorfosi right now, really really wonderful piece. Would love to meet him some day,
I'm listening too Gyorgy Cziffra's interpretation of Liszt's Valse de "Faust"

1

[thorn]

The contemporary (living) composer Salvatore Sciarrino has been mentioned here a couple times (I think by  Mr. Thorn), thought I would check out some of his music.
Still checking but - -
His 3rd sonata deserves to be heard.  Intense, imaginative and cool harmonies.
I sensed though that it was squarely lodged in the emotional-expression world of Scriabin's 5th sonata.
He blatantly re-wrote Ravel's jeu d'eau, maybe that's more than a one-off, maybe it's the way he composes, thinking about another composer's work that inspires him ...

That's not Sciarrino, its another Italian composer called Giacinto Sclesi who I've never heard of before now. I like it though! Sciarrino's sonatas are a bit much for me (even as a contemporary music fan), though I found no.5 intriguing

i=b2AbqtbDG-yUmJxR

I'm currently listening to George Crumb's Makrokosmos. I love all the extended technique stuff, it makes completely different music (sharing the solo piano volumes here, there's also another two for duet)
Volume I

i=oI0Wh5Sk6e2Nha3s

Volume II

i=HcBPTvjasl3CIb1E

[thorn]

A ton of Concerti right now.

Have you heard the Rautavaara Concerto no.1? My favourite post-war piano concerto hands down.

i=k_63DhQLg6aOow5o

[dizzyfingers]

Yes, I've listened to it a couple times.
Interesting harmonies.
Not sure his musical language warrants a full concerto form and length.  I think he should of considered what kind of forms would best serve his musical concepts, come up with something new.

I'd much rather listen to Schnittke's and Lutoslawski's concertos

I wouldn't mind listening to an in-depth analysis of Rautavaara's compositional techniques, like by David Bruce or someone like that. 

[thorn]

Yes, I've listened to it a couple times.
Interesting harmonies.
Not sure his musical language warrants a full concerto form and length.  I think he should of considered what kind of forms would best serve his musical concepts, come up with something new.

Personally I always think of Rautavaara as neo-Romantic, compared to say Saariaho. So it works for me.

But of course a concerto is not the only way to write for piano and orchestra. Messiaen did this really well and in various forms.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Have you heard the Rautavaara Concerto no.1? My favourite post-war piano concerto hands down.

i=k_63DhQLg6aOow5o

I'll give it a listen soon, though Rautavaara hasn't been my favorite in the past.

[dizzyfingers]

Personally I always think of Rautavaara as neo-Romantic, compared to say Saariaho. So it works for me.

But of course a concerto is not the only way to write for piano and orchestra. Messiaen did this really well and in various forms.

I listened to it again.  It works as a 3 mvmt work; something along the lines of Ravel's p.c. for the l.h. might have worked well, as well.

Neo-romantic sounds about right, though I guess that was his 3rd and last style.
Would love to hear this work live, or any of his late works.  I guess Cantus Arcticus, Symphony 7 are worthy listens...

[thorn]

I listened to it again.  It works as a 3 mvmt work; something along the lines of Ravel's p.c. for the l.h. might have worked well, as well.

Neo-romantic sounds about right, though I guess that was his 3rd and last style.
Would love to hear this work live, or any of his late works.  I guess Cantus Arcticus, Symphony 7 are worthy listens...

Yeah I think many of these pieces would sound better live.

I've been exploring contemporary piano concertos and really like this one by Dai Fujikura, for regular and toy piano (same soloist). He wrote another 3 which I'll listen to when I have time.

i=hHWZSB0_VjGEAIO3

[thorn]

This popped up in my suggested videos and I think it's one of my new favourites. It's like someone turned an anime soundtrack into a concerto (the composer actually wrote one of those too)

i=BP2otEEyxErGE0zi

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Apparently Tatiana Nikolaeva was also a composer.

(The first three of a set of 24, though I don't think she recorded the rest of them. No. 4 is below.)

ETA: apparently she also recorded no. 9.

[Bob]

Amusing.  This does sound like it's the start of some Broadway song.  It would be amusing start playing something like this in the background when someone starts ranting about something.

https://www.tiktok.com/@minadragonfruit/video/7607147036126825750

She's got other rants too with the same music in the background.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

One of the most interesting (and disturbing) pieces that I've ever seen.

[thorn]

I'd never heard of this but when I looked for more info it was apparently the first piece to use extended techniques, and 1925 is earlier than I expected! Every pianist should have a go at some extended technique stuff at some point in their life, it's a lot of fun! See also the Crumb I shared above

[yqxpiano]

Recently I have been listening to

Mainly: Nocturne op 27 no 2 because I'm performing it in the future!!!

Pop music (muahahaha): Natalie Jinju. A friend recommended her, she's like Laufey in a way. Cute vocals and definitely potential.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Apparently Busoni wrote some good music? No. 5 of this set (19:07) might be my favorite non-Bach fugue.