Classical Music & Opera Forums

maestrob · by **maestrob** on 18 Jul 2009, 10:27

It's Mozart time today: Geza Anda in Concerti 14, 15 & 16, just right for a summers day. Then cooling Debussy, played by Ivan Moravec, in one of my favorite Debussy recordings of all time.

New Handel operas coming soon on the playing list.....

pczipott · by **pczipott** on 18 Jul 2009, 11:17

The genre of melodrama -- that is, spoken recitation accompanied by music -- has long fallen out of favor (I can think only of A Lincoln Portrait for a reasonably well-known 20th century example). It had its heyday in the Victorian age, and at the end of that period, perhaps its epitome in Richard Strauss' setting of Tennyson's Enoch Arden. Recently I picked up the version with Patrick Stewart reciting (marvelously) and Emanuel Ax accompanying. The music is well done, but I wish for more of it; there are plenty of passages that could have done with musical accompaniment, that Strauss allowed to go without. What there is of it, Ax plays superbly (of course). The disc is completed with three of Strauss' Five Piano Pieces, Op. 3 -- not even a glimmer of the mature Strauss there, but recycled Schumann and Mendelssohn; nevertheless, highly accomplished pieces that were deserving of their publication.

As for the poem: it's much better than I remembered; even if it suits Victorian tastes perfectly, it remains an affecting work today.

karlhenning · by **karlhenning** on 18 Jul 2009, 21:43

pczipott wrote:The genre of melodrama -- that is, spoken recitation accompanied by music -- has long fallen out of favor (I can think only of A Lincoln Portrait for a reasonably well-known 20th century example).

Probably does not materially alter your point, Péter, to mention Perséphone (is it well-known?)

And one which did almost entirely fall into obscurity is Prokofiev's Eugene Onegin; to which I warmed very quickly.

Cheers,
~Karl

eddobbins2 · by **eddobbins2** on 19 Jul 2009, 10:16

MaestroB & Gang!

MaestroB, I agree with all your comments regarding WQXR save the signal! Perhaps, living in the city your signal is clouded, but here on Long Island, WQXR comes in clear as a bell! In any case, I had no use for Sirius prior to the announced demise of WQXR, perhaps now I'll investigate this service. BTW, when was the last time you heard a Bruckner's 8th on WQXR, especially during the daytime? A true classical station is simply not economically viable nowadays, sorry to say. I have light & regular classical on cable which I find to be "easy listening" classical in both instances IMHO. I'll not complain, however, as I'm happy to have it. There was a decent opera station on cable but, it was deleted a few months ago! I can't believe that it was deleted because it was GOOD, but ... there you have it! :cry:

-Ed

lulu · by **lulu** on 19 Jul 2009, 14:07

Some of us e-mailed both Comcast and Music Choice complaining about the drop of the opera channel (and me also about Americana channel).

Thought seriously of writing to CEO of amazon complaining and explaining why my purchases at amazon will be greatly reduced by the dropping of these two channels. :lol:

A.C. Douglas · by **A.C. Douglas** on 19 Jul 2009, 14:58

The Arts Critic's Prime Directive

Link

ACD

pczipott · by **pczipott** on 19 Jul 2009, 22:50

Karl, Persephone completely slipped my mind (it just didn't make a deep impression when I listened to it; I need to pull it off the shelf again), and I had no idea of the existence of Prokofiev's rendering of Onegin.

Come to think of it, isn't Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bucher a melodrama, too?

karlhenning · by **karlhenning** on 20 Jul 2009, 07:38

pczipott wrote:Karl, Persephone completely slipped my mind (it just didn't make a deep impression when I listened to it; I need to pull it off the shelf again), and I had no idea of the existence of Prokofiev's rendering of Onegin.

Come to think of it, isn't Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bucher a melodrama, too?

The Honegger I know as yet only by name : (

Perséphone falls in with a group of pieces including Orpheus, and maybe Apollo and the Cantata, a special category of 'understated Stravinsky'. All of which tend to be overshadowed by his (excellent) flash pieces . . . and after all, the man made his name with music which is the very reverse of understated ; )

I should revisit the background of Prokofiev's Eugene Onegin; he wound up plundering it and redistributing some of its wealth to Cinderella and the Seventh Symphony. It's a very pleasant listen, and really a lovely way to spend time with Pushkin's verse-drama. The premiere complete recording (on Chandos) is in English translation, too.

Cheers,
~Karl

calvert · by **calvert** on 20 Jul 2009, 11:43

Here is an excellent interview of Lorin Maazel by music critic Jay Nordlinger.

"And does he still enjoy even very familiar music — say, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony? Is that still glorious and thrilling to him? 'It’s as glorious and thrilling as the day it was written,' he says, with complete confidence. 'If you become jaded because of overexposure, the problem is yours, not the composer’s.' "

karlhenning · by **karlhenning** on 20 Jul 2009, 12:01

calvert wrote:Here is an excellent interview of Lorin Maazel by music critic Jay Nordlinger.

"And does he still enjoy even very familiar music — say, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony? Is that still glorious and thrilling to him? 'It’s as glorious and thrilling as the day it was written,' he says, with complete confidence. 'If you become jaded because of overexposure, the problem is yours, not the composer’s.' "

Quite true; I find I suffer much less from this inconvenience, now that we tune in less frequently to WCRB ; )

Cheers,
~Karl

maestrob · by **maestrob** on 20 Jul 2009, 12:45

calvert wrote:Here is an excellent interview of Lorin Maazel by music critic Jay Nordlinger.

"And does he still enjoy even very familiar music — say, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony? Is that still glorious and thrilling to him? 'It’s as glorious and thrilling as the day it was written,' he says, with complete confidence. 'If you become jaded because of overexposure, the problem is yours, not the composer’s.' "

calvert:

Thanks for that.

I've never objected to Maazel as a person, but as for his generally willful and fussy music-making, I'm glad he's finally gone. He's been a caretaker, no more, and at least he's been respectful towards the musicians.

From what I've heard of Alan Gilbert, he's got potential, but so far he lacks confidence in a lot of what he does. When he really LEADS the orchestra, he does very well. My tendency is to give him some time to mature and feel confident, and just maybe we'll have a major talent on our hands. Gone are the days when great conductors made great music with our Big Five orchestras. (Except for Levine in Boston, that is.) All the excitement is in period performances now.

On a personal note, I can't imagine growing tired of great music, ever; over-exposure can lead one to a certain level of boredom. But put the piece away for a while, and come back to it fresh and the boredom just gets washed away.

jessica · by **jessica** on 20 Jul 2009, 13:19

pczippy / Karl

I suppose I never really considered the term "melodrama" outside the context of the adjective derived from it (i.e., something over the top). I'm glad to learn it has a more "real" application.

When I was in school, our university community orchestra performed Jeanne d'Arc au Bucher, featuring a famous actress in the speaking part (I forget who, that's how famous she was :oops:

). I do remember that it was an exciting concert (melodramatic, of course)!

ScottMorrison · by **ScottMorrison** on 20 Jul 2009, 13:30

karlhenning wrote:I should revisit the background of Prokofiev's Eugene Onegin; he wound up plundering it and redistributing some of its wealth to Cinderella and the Seventh Symphony. It's a very pleasant listen, and really a lovely way to spend time with Pushkin's verse-drama. The premiere complete recording (on Chandos) is in English translation, too.

Cheers,
~Karl[/color]

And from sketches for his incidental music for a stage production of Pushkin's The Queen of Spades (not Tchaikovsky's opera) that never took place (because of dictates by Stalin's arts apparatchiks) Prokofiev recycled some of the music to his Eighth Piano Sonata and his Fifth Symphony. Never one to let his music go to waste! Weirdly enough his sketches for the Queen of Spades music were assembled and orchestrated by Michael Berkeley and used for a Royal Ballet production based on Dostoevsky's The Idiot (!).

karlhenning · by **karlhenning** on 20 Jul 2009, 20:24

At the scene.

[ link ]

Cheers,
~Karl

karlhenning · by **karlhenning** on 21 Jul 2009, 20:48

The ’melon is a hit with my fellow performer.

[ link ]

Cheers,
~Karl

jessica · by **jessica** on 22 Jul 2009, 07:52

Enjoyed your last two above muchly, Karl -- especially the cool photo! Mazel tov ... and what fun you must be having! Perfect timing for watermelon, too.

(So come on now, out with it ... do you write for flute or flaut?

)

maestrob · by **maestrob** on 22 Jul 2009, 09:31

jessica wrote:Enjoyed your last two above muchly, Karl -- especially the cool photo! Mazel tov ... and what fun you must be having! Perfect timing for watermelon, too.

(So come on now, out with it ... do you write for flute or flaut? )

Oh my, certainly it is for flute, otherwise he would be flautulant....not our Karl! :lol:

maestrob · by **maestrob** on 22 Jul 2009, 10:40

Cap'n Ed:

YHM

karlhenning · by **karlhenning** on 22 Jul 2009, 12:29

@ jess & maestrob ; )

Cheers,
~Karl

pczipott · by **pczipott** on 22 Jul 2009, 15:22

Karl, I hope soon to take heed of your Water[melon] Music!

Speaking of clarinetist-composers, where has Mark been lately?

After all, things are much more lively when we're in Karl-Mark-Stadt here. (Oy. :roll:

)

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