June 2014 - Classical Music

Bach, J.S.

• Sie werden euch in den Bann tun (I) (They will put you out of the synagogues)
• Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten (I) (If a man loves me, he will keep my words)
• Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut (Elevated flesh and blood)

Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra
Berwald - Piano Trio No.1 (2nd movement)
Brahms - Piano Trio No.2
Faure

• Violin Sonatas 1 and 2
• Cello Sonatas 1 and 2
• Piano Quartets 1 and 2
• Piano Quintets 1 and 2
• Piano Trio
• String Quartet
• Elegie for cello and piano
• Romance for cello and piano
• Papillon for cello and piano
• Sicilienne for cello and piano
• Serenade for cello and piano

Holmboe - Liber Canticorum, Book IV
Poulenc - Sonata for 2 pianos
Scarlatti, D. - Keyboard sonatas, K.11, 268, 386 and 387
Schumann - Piano Concerto
Schumann - Piano Trio No.1
Sibelius - The Swan of Tuonela
Strauss, R. - Don Quixote
Strauss, R. - Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life)
Tchaikovsky - Music from The Sleeping Beauty (two separate arrangements)
Vine - String Quartets 2 and 3

Yes, all the Faure kept coming out to play. At the start of the month it was still complete works. Later on it became movements on their own, and after that it ended up just being the 'slow' movements (some Adagios, but many of them Andantes) on their own.

And it was bliss.

But as well as that some normal service was resumed. There were some existing favourites, such as Poulenc's sonata (which was a highlight of my first run-through the box of Poulenc recordings I own), and Schumann's piano concerto which was one of the first concertos I took an immediate shine to.

There were also some new potential favourites. I've heard The Swan of Tuonela before, but I was paying a lot more attention this time and was very impressed. Sibelius is a master orchestrator. Every bit his equal, but in a different way, is Richard Strauss. Again, I'd heard both Don Quixote and Ein Heldenleben before, but this time I read a bit more programmatic information and was astounded at how vivid some parts of each of these works is.  In Don Quixote the episode with the sheep is brilliant and the use of a wind machine astounding. And the part of Ein Heldenleben that takes a swipe at music critics is downright funny.