Sunday 19 February 2017

Classical Music - November 2016

Alberg - Tú alfagra land mítt (Faroese national anthem)
Bach, J.S.
  • Jesu, nun sei gepreiset (Jesus, now be praised)
  • Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn (I have in God's heart and mind)
  • Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir (Lord God, we all praise you)
  • English Suites 3 and 4
Bæk - Nú rennur sólin frið
Barber
  • Symphonies 1 and 2
  • Violin Concerto
  • Essay for Orchestra
  • Overture to The School For Scandal 
Bartok - String Quartet No.1
Beethoven
  • Piano Concerto No.4
  • Violin Concerto
  • String Quartets 7 and 8
  • String Quartet in F, after piano sonata op.14/1
  • Serenade for flute, violin and viola
  • Piano Sonatas 12, 15 and 21 
Brahms
  • Piano Concerto No.1
  • Serenade No.1
  • String Quartet No.2 
Bridge
  • The Sea
  • String Quartet No.1
  • Phantasie Piano Trio
Chopin - Piano Concerto No.1
Chopin - Ballade No.1 
Debussy - La Mer
Debussy - Preludes, Book 1 
Dvorak
  • Nature, Life and Love (In Nature's Realm, Carnival and Othello overtures)
  • Silhouettes
  • Theme and Variations
  • Two Minuets
  • Polka in E 
Enescu - Romanian Rhapsody No.1
Haydn - Symphonies 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 18
Haydn - 6 String Quartets, op.64 
Højgaard - [7 hymns]
Holmboe
  • String Quartets 11 to 13
  • Sextet
  • Triade
  • Hevjið í homrum 
  • Sól og Kavi (Sun and Snow - Faroese version) [partial]
  • Eydna
  • Brúgvar (Bridges)
  • Arrangements of Sigmund's Ballad, Ólavur Riddararós and Rura, rura barnið
Jøkladal - Sum hjørtur hyggur tráandi (Psalm 42)
Mahler - Das klagende Lied
Medtner - Stimmungsbilder (Mood Pictures)
Medtner - Three Improvisations
Mozart - String Quintets 1 and 2
Nielsen
  • Symphony No.1
  • Snefrid Suite
  • Saul and David: prelude to Act 2 
Nørgård - Symphonies 1, 3 and 7
Olsen - [6 hymns]
Ørvad - Rura, rura barnið (arrangement)
Petersen - Nú firnast sól
Prokofiev
  • Piano Sonata No.1
  • Toccata in D minor
  • Etudes, op.2
Rachmaninov
  • Symphony No.2
  • Piano Concerto No.2
  • 12 songs, op.21
Rohwer - I mai er so stuttligt
Schubert - Moments Musicaux
Schubert - German Dances, D.783 and 790 
Schulz - [3 hymns]
Schumann - Symphony No.1
Schumann - 'Zwickau' Symphony 
Sibelius
  • Symphonies 1 and 2
  • En Saga
  • Finlandia
Smetana - Piano Trio
Villa-Lobos
  • Choros 2 and 3
  • Two Choros (Bis)
  • Introduction to the Choros
  • Bachianas Brasileiras No.5
Vine - String Quartets 4 and 5
Waagstein - Tá ið skýming leggur
Whitwell - In the Deep Heart's Core

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And now, perhaps, you can see part of the reason why my popular music listening had died down.

The sheer explosion in the size of this list is due to a couple of factors. There are quite a few obscure names here as a result of a single disc of Faroese choral music. Not all of the composers represented are Faroese, but in those cases their work can be found in Faroese renditions, including in hymns.

But the other, bigger factor is that I made the biggest bulk purchase of music I'd ever made, and the majority of it arrived during November. A favourable exchange rate meant I seized an opportunity to make a serious dent in my long-term shopping list.

And so here we have a wealth of new recordings - Barber's orchestral works, Bartok's string quartets, Brahms' orchestral works, chamber music by Bridge, piano music by Dvorak, Haydn symphonies and quartets, Mahler, Medtner, Mozart quintets, Nielsen, Nørgård symphonies, Prokofiev piano, new Schubert, Schumann, Smetana and Villa-Lobos.

Phew. And these are just the first fruits.

Of the material that I listened to in November, the Brahms was a real highlight. The 1st Piano Concerto turned out to be a big, powerful work that satisfied me a lot more than most concertos do. The Barber and Schumann symphonies were also both very interesting, as was my most concentrated listening yet to Nørgård, almost certainly the most 'modern' composer in my collection.

It was of course all a bit much to take in and remember in detail, but I was generally pretty happy with my purchases. Now, if I can just make these posts a little closer to the actual listening...

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