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18th June 2020 - MacMillan

James MacMillan (b.1959)

When You See the Millions of the Mouthless Dead (dunno) https://open.spotify.com/album/5LlIlf9RNATdRGTwUvLvbN?si=RFaaKebrSASiAZdTNi71qQ Track 7

So I lied yesterday. I have had no more time tonight. I love MacMillan. One of the most terrifying experiences I’ve ever had was depping in a concert for the Royal College of Music Wind Orchestra playing Sowetan Spring by MacMillan. I did alright actually. Nepotism at its finest. I was nowhere near good enough, but one of my friends was the conductor.

Above - Supes gay

What a weird set of lyrics. I almost never listen to lyrics in music. This is wholly my fault, but still, I rarely care. Music does’nt need lyrics to be amazing. I like this so far. Harmony’s nice. Crunchy occasionally. Still music though. The bass note at 1:44 is the best note. The chord at 1:56 is so tasty, especially with that one note sticking out like a sore thumb. Ironically I rarely know what to do with sore thumbs, medically. Don’t come to me with a sore thumb. I just remembered that I love unaccompanied choral music. Even the waily sopranos at 3:15  are lovely. Give me more of this please. Alex, my fiancé asked me to find something nice to play tonight. I put on the Ruckert lieder. This isn’t as good as that. It’s still good though.

 Overall – 7/10. I can’t give it any more because I already can’t remember it. I do remember liking it though. I promise I’ll get back to some major works and composers soon. I’m very tired and worried.

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17th July 2020 - Lutosławski

Witold Lutosławski (1913-1994)

Pocałunek Roksany (cba to look it up) https://open.spotify.com/album/2VlAwC93OlorFOvIEKwLdu?si=4MyI88ZcRWuzBqoVLkRQOA Track 13

Lalo was a big mistake for ‘L’ I think. Lutosławski is a much better choice. I was going to do his concerto for orchestra, but I’ve had an absolute howler of a day at work with difficult patients, and lots of them. So here’s the shortest piece of Lutosławski I could find. Back on some proper pieces tomorrow. It’s a solo piano piece. Called Roxana’s Kiss. Roxana Panufnik I wonder…I’ll do his CforO next time. Promise.

Above - Red wine? Blood? Who knows

Starts off lovely, folky. Harmony at 0:11 is great, and luckily something we get to hear again. The second theme is very ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. Ends very abruptly with lots of dead space at the end.

Overall – 7/10. Short but sweet. What more can I say about a piece that’s not even a minute and a half long. I like it a lot. Join me tomorrow when I will thankfully not be seeing patients and will instead be resisting the urge to just review some Mahler again.

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16th June 2020 - Korngold

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)

Theme and Variations (1953) https://open.spotify.com/album/0FYwXIp0xbtVqCV4ziRxvI?si=nMET10jcQ5W7QX-IpkP4Gg Disc 3, Tracks 15-22

‘K’ is a surprisingly rich letter in terms of composers. I love the Korngold Violin Concerto, but I don’t know a single other thing composed by him. This is a nice orchestral piece with a theme and lots of short variations. I’m a huge fan of the idea of Theme and Variations (see Elgar’s Enigma, Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Liszt’s Totentanz). This interest in Theme and Variations even led me to ‘compose’ a Theme and Variations on a Teddy Bear’s Picnic for Tuba Quartet for my GCSE music coursework. I think the less said about that, the better. The recording is safely stowed in my iPhone though.

Above - the view the elderly lady sees as I hurry by denying all knowledge that I am a medical professional. 

1.     Theme. Starts off sounding pretty American actually. Very smooth, and a lovely flute melody, then taken on and embellished by the violins. There’s little accents from the clarinets and horns too.

2.     Haha. I think the golden rule of theme and variations, is that one of them must include basically the same material but with subdivision. This is that movement. It’s not bad, but it’s exactly what I would have predicted. Maybe not this early on though. 0:30 is a little unexpected with the exposed wind. Clean overall.

3.     This is like the dog one from Enigma. Not quite as good though, and certainly not as developed. It’s very short. I suppose that’s fine, but actually I wouldn’t have minded a repeat of this. There’s a lot going on and only one chance to hear it.

4.     The staccato variation. Again, not unexpected, but also nice. I feel like this is a movement that the players probably aren’t crazy about.

5.     Ok so the opening of this is the slow movement of Dvorak 9. I’m dying for some longer phrases. Up until now the phrases have been about 2 bars long, maximum. And still throughout this movement, even though it’s more lyrical and the timbre is richer, the phrases are still a bit curtailed. The reason that’s a problem is because it sounds manufactured, which I always think is a risk of Theme and Variations stuff. 

Above - Yet more butchering of the same piece of Dvorak. This is ghastly.

6.     Another fast little number. This is quite cool and the upwards sequence through 0:12 is nice. I do like the little flute entries which play on their own (in this and other variations), as it harkens back to the theme. Great end to this movement,

7.     Finally, a long phrase. The harmony in this movement is really lovely as well. The theme is still recognisable, but this is a great manipulation of it. Clarinet at 0:46 is great. I also like the baroque ornamentations in the wind throughout. This is the best variation by miles. The end is very clean.

8.     This is a bit like the theme on steroids at the start. Interesting trombone – clarinet – piano showcase around 0:30ish. Again the phrases are a bit short though, longer than the very start but it still feels boxy. The climax into 1:20 is great, and so is what follows. Although it is still a poor man’s Dvorak 9. This could easily be a film score. It’s fantastically orchestrated. Balance between first and second trumpet is awful at 2:13 (or maybe first trumpet and first trombone…difficult to tell because the latter is so quiet). Great, rousing end.

Overall - 8.5/10. I really like this piece. The early variations are a bit predictable, and are certainly hampered by curtailing the phrases so much, but it really warms up in the second half. I seldom say that a piece could be longer, but in this case, it really could. The last two variations are a triumph though. Move over Dvorak? Not quite.

Above - me in relation to the capitalisation and accents that should be on Dvorak in this post. 

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15th June 2020 - Joplin

Scott Joplin (1868-1917)

Elite Syncopations (1902) https://open.spotify.com/album/1AB1y9BelpfNZp0CXt5v2b?si=uvZjrXE6SG-RGJfPyKGevg Track 18

So with Canat de Chizy, I described how under-represented women were in the world of classical composition. A vastly more under-represented group are Black composers. In fact, off the top of my head, I can only think of Joplin and Samuel Coleridge Taylor (not the Taylor Coleridge of A level English fame). The reasons for this are multifactorial, but with the current state of racial inequality in the US, and indeed Europe, it’s no jump to assume that the ongoing underrepresentation of Black composers is based in deep rooted social, economic and associated educational disadvantages that Black people face today. I am, of course, fully in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and have been taking time to educate myself on race over the last weeks. It’s a shame I hadn’t sooner, especially as someone from a marginalised group myself. We owe a lot to composers like Joplin. You may not have heard of him, but you’ve heard of his work. He wrote ‘The Entertainer’. Dubbed the father of ragtime, I am not familiar with much of Joplin’s output, but we owe exceptions like Joplin a great deal, to highlight how talented, influential and important Black voices in art are.

Above - No jokes today. An important contributor to Black art.

Well there’s lots of syncopation, that’s for sure. And there’s certainly some Entertainer-y vibes going on. It’s something that would sounds perfect in a silent film comedy. At 1:00, the quieter and more contemplative section is a nice contrast form what we’ve heard before. This isn’t gaudy, over the top ragtime that’s often portrayed in modern (white) media. It’s cleverly composed, and enjoyable to listen to. I am perpetually amazed that people like Joplin who have lived tumultuous lives in poverty (which he was in much of his life), and had various disadvantages to deal with can still put out such cheerful music. There’s no doubt that I feel happy listening to this. It’s not something I would ever normally listen to, but it’s encouraging, it’s fresh, it’s a bridge between classical music and modern music and it’s heart-warming to know that there is some excellent output that remains from the Black people of history.

Overall – 7/10. It’s a short one today in terms of the review. The more important thing is for us white people, from our position of undeniable privilege, to educate ourselves on the plight of the BAME population. I hope to find and review some more modern Black composers as this project continues.

Below are some links to educational resources that I’ve found enlightening.

https://sph.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/Harris_Whiteness%20as%20Property_106HarvLRev-1.pdf

https://www.eis.org.uk/Anti-Racism/NewAnti-RacistEducationResources

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14th June 2020

Jacques Ibert (1890-1962)

Flute Concerto (1934) https://open.spotify.com/album/3fzHgLv43YIUwRvVpIxpyA?si=_wqp1DmFTRCIquRZ5dNUjw Tracks 5-7

From oboe yesterday, to Flute today. I know even less flute repertoire than oboe repertoire, but I have heard of the Ibert flute concerto. I always wonder how a flute is going to survive amongst the full forces of an orchestra, and really the only other flute concert I actually know is the Mozart flute and harp, which uses (presumably) a much small, quieter orchestra than this more modern composition. I hope this chap’s got a good FEV1/FVC ratio…just to keep all you (hundreds of) medics interested.

Above - Pahud was the flautist for Eiffel65.

1.     Allegro. The opening’s already so loud. It’s only a short introduction though, before the flute takes over. It’s fast, and deftly done. The playing is very clear as well. The writing so far is so clever. That fast-moving flute passage, which then is taken over almost identically by the cello section at 0:52 is great! So clever to pass it to such a different section. 0:54 is the definition of the word breathy. Do flautists see that as an insult? I think it’s a good sound in the right place. 1:17 is again clever, interest being held in the accompaniment with short, fast moving parts, and the flute line very lyrical and cantabile over the top. The jumps in the flute part at 1:49 are seamless. Again at 1:58 Ibert uses the technique of giving the same tune that the flute has played to a bass instrument; this time the bassoon. It’s a clever tactic, because it makes the flute seem more agile and versatile I think. From 2:05 I love it when they use the same instrument in the orchestra as the solo instrument. This little flute duet is brief but perfect. 2:28 more clever writing, leaving you wanting more by not quite getting to the top of the scale in the flute line. The tuttis are good too. 2:56, even with the clarinet joining, the flute still stands out. This must be so difficult to do. The string unison bit at 3:20 is amazing. I’m really enjoying this so far. It is a little bit sad when the sounds is thinned again after that big orchestral tutti so we can hear the flute again. Although, actually, the playing’s great. Nice succinct end. Brilliant.

 2.     Andante. Right from the start we’re in a different sound world completely. Very Ravel, Debussy, even Sibelius. This is a beautiful lyrical flute line, and the piano dynamic particularly through 1:15 ish is really well done. Everything is quiet and delicate, including the soloist, but the sound quality remains. 2:20 briefly sounds like we’re in a sleazy 1920s jazz bar, but only very subtly. The upper strings around 3:00 are a bit distracting, and so far the only thing I haven’t liked about this piece. The flute is a beautiful sound, and it’s so rarely appreciated in orchestral music I think. The warm lower notes of the register at 3:43 are deep and thick. 4:00 sounds like the climax. The flute’s a little screechy, but not awful in context. 4:22 is a lovely chord. 4:40 we get a bit more movement from the flute, as it acts as an accompaniment for the solo violin. It’s a great section. The orchestra in the background providing the perfect grounding. I tend to fine middle movements boring. This one’s beautiful. The odd uncomfortable moment like 6:16 harmonically are very welcome. I’m actually hoping for more when the end comes.

Above - I just couldn’t not. Sorry. Really, I am. 

3.     Allegro Scherzando. Ok, Copland. This is literally straight out of Rodeo. 0:30, the flute part has so many notes, and so much switching between registers. When does he breathe? Trills at 0:56 a little unnecessary but I’m splitting hairs. I hoped 1:30 was going to be a cadenza, but alas. Maybe there’ll be one later. I like the idea of orchestral tuttis with just brash, high, held notes from the flute over the top. We wouldn’t want to forget who the star was. Here’s my cadenza at 2:30. Hmm, not quite what I was after though; I wanted fireworks. I like the chromatic sequences at 3:08. The runs around 4:00 are so well articulated. Every note is so clear. 4:18, this is more like the cadenza I wanted. Short though. 5:15 is needed, started dragging a bit but this à tempo is great. I sort of forget how clever the orchestration is to allow the flautist to be the soloist throughout, but it’s so well written. 6:48 another cadenza. This one’s a bit crazy, flutter tonguing, and some sort of overblowing, and then what sounds like harmonics. I mean, it’s probably not crazy but it’s just stuff I’m not used to. It’s cool, but the start of it is less clear than the rest of the part. The end is 100%, last note perfectly in tune.

Overall – 9/10. Perhaps controversial, but usually I hate concerti, because unless for a big, loud instrument (or a violin), the balance is never right, the solo part can be frustrating and the orchestral parts boring. This has none of those things. It’s exciting, I’m keen to listen to the flute the whole way through, it shows the range of the instrument perfectly and the accompaniment is masterfully orchestrated. Great.

Below, another great flute solo in orchestral music, skip to 15:18

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13th June 2020 - Haas

Pavel Haas (1899-1944)

Suite for Oboe and Piano (1939) https://open.spotify.com/album/1gpyPMPl7JMblAd9A6qagW?si=QgHw8OD6Tna_Kc6cv4QMFA Tracks 12-14

Never heard of Haas before, recommended by a good friend and oboist as I was struggling with the letter ‘H’. A Czech composer who’s not that well known but wrote a reasonable amount of music. Some of his output (although potentially not this if written in 1939 was written in concentration camps. He studied with Janáček whom I love, so let’s see if he’s anything to write home about.

Above - 50 shades of Oboe?

1.     Furioso. Doesn’t start off particularly furious. 0:20 is quite calm, and really delicate actually, with interesting harmony. The piano’s a bit too loud at 0:40. It’s also quite a dissonant part at times. 1:10 is really cool, I love the piano melody. Then the oboe joins, and it fits much better that what’s come previously I think. You can hear the keys clicking on this recording at times, maybe they’re just good headphones. 2:43 we start charming snakes for about 3 seconds. The piano is the star in this movement really. It sounds like a duet rather than a sonata though. The end is great.

 2.     Con Fuoco. That pretty much means the same things as furioso doesn’t it. The piano opening is great, as is the rubato oboe melody which follows. When the two play together, they fit together quite intricately, which must require quite a lot of musicianship to keep balance and phrasing. Impressive. I’ve noticed that there’s lots of repeated notes in the oboe part. Sort of 3-6 at a time, and often separated a little between each note. It’s an interesting choice for an instrument like the oboe I think, but it’s not bad. 2:20 the music just stops for a bit. The obo re-entry at 2:37 is a lovely little melody, and the piano part behind is very detailed, but it doesn’t dwarf the oboe on this occasion. It’s a really blended and balanced sound. I like the low piano before 3:30. Having the contrast with the oboe which even when playing low, is undeniably a thinner texture, is a great feature. The piano part towards the ends sounds like it could be some sort of arrangement of something out of Carmen.

 3.     Moderato. Ugh the chord at 0:24 is satisfying. And again at 0:39. The oboe is the soloist again when it comes in, but actually there’s quite a long passage of just piano afterwards. 2:00 is a nice point where things get more interesting. I’m not sure about that vibrato at 2:10, it’s so wide and slow. I’m not an oboist though. 2:48 rounds of that section nicely, and then a new section completely ensues on the piano at 3:00. The oboe that joins is unexpected. The piano is quite traditional and melancholic, and then the oboe is throwing in some really wacky notes at 3:17. It then settles into something all the more pleasant. All through until 4:00 and beyond the low piano accompanying the oboe is really nice and resonant. From about 4:20 it actually sounds a bit more modern than it is I think. Not in an avant garde sense, just edging towards some more mainstream modern composers…although I can’t think which. The end is very grand and very cool. That oboe note crescendoing towards the vert last beat is definitely satisfying.

 Overall - 7.5/10. It’s a great little piece. I wouldn’t mind going to a recital if this was programmed. It’s got some excellent moments. It’s not going to go down in history as one of the absolute ‘must plays’ in the oboe repertoire, I don’t think. Although who knows? Maybe it already is and I’m just ignorant.

Below is something that should be in the oboe repertoire.

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12th June 2020 - Górecki

Henryk Górecki (1933-2010)

String Quartet no.3 ‘…Songs are Sung’ (1995-2005) https://open.spotify.com/album/5FvQStsE67xa0jazNGv6pO?si=SjDDBEY9SYq88RPIT1wIHw

I am 100% certain I have listened to a piece by Górecki, but I can’t for the life of me think of what it is. Safe to say, I’m not familiar with most of his repertoire however. It’s been a while (if at all) since I’ve done a string quartet, so I decided to review one today. I’m quite excited. Anything’s better than Fux surely. Ha.

Above -  B*witched’s lesser known 4th album 

1.       Adagio – Molto Andante – Cantabile. Starts quiet with cello and viola being joined by one of the violins over the top with a more melodic line. The first violin echoes the second’s playing, but higher and more expressively. It’s harmonically interesting and as the chords change through 1:08 and beyond, there’s more interest coming from the harmony than the little melody that the upper parts are playing in octaves. There’s a crescendo which just stops just prior to 2:00 which is exciting. Then more of the same. That’s not a criticism, I love it so far. It’s not predictable in terms of where the harmony’s going. Another crescendo up to 2:50 and then a sudden silence before a new section. This new section is driving and building in intensity through dynamics, tempo and pitch. It’s comforting, oddly to return back to the opening themes at 3:12 though. Its familiarity is welcome. I can picture members of my family saying this is quite the dirge. I suppose it is. I like it though. 4:15 another build up with repeating notes but increasing dynamic. Around 5:00 is really clever, I’m urging it to go up another tone, but it keeps reverting back to the tone below. It finally does go up. and then at 5:24 there’s another climax before a break. 5:52 is again, the familiar first section, but only for one phrase before completely restarting the movement again. I still think repeats are lazy, sorry. This playing so far has all been long, reflective and intense in tone. Lyrical isn’t the right word to use. It’s quite bleak. 8:11 is a really satisfying change of pitch down, just one tone but it makes the piece feel different for a bit. 8:56 is an interesting sound, and I don’t now what’s happening actually. I guess cello and then the three upper parts playing in very close harmony in their low registers. It’s cool. The repeated chord that ends it leaves the piece feeling very unfinished. Not accidentally either.

 2.       Largo – Cantabile. Górecki really makes the most of the low registers of these instruments. It’s great to hear because usually modern composers are like “screech as much as you possibly can”. The chord at 0:50 is very tasty. The melody played by the two violins is fragmented, but starts to build into longer and this time, more lyrical phrases. This isn’t a piece to listen to if you want to relax, nor if you want to be wowed (so far): the harmony is challenging, and the pace is so far dreary – but that makes it wonderfully atmospheric. All though 3:45 etc, the higher parts are so in tune you can forget there’s two instruments playing, and the second violin really does play the perfect accompanying part to the more lyrical melody (even though the rhythm is exactly the same). It’s good, thoughtful playing. The crescendo into 5:11 is subtle, but welcome, and stops it feeling monotonous. Going on through 6:00, 6:40 is more of the same material but I’m not bored, because it’s sensitive playing. 6:44 we get a really, really welcome, and beautiful passage of traditional major playing, it’s heartwarming, and encouraging, and really very beautifully orchestrated. It does end at 7:20 when we’re thrown back into more worrying harmonic language. Luckily it returns again after. There’s nothing wrong with having some traditional, and beautiful musical features in a piece which is modern; it can give it such a lift. The cello must be bored in this movement. There’s not a whole lot to do. 10:10 sounds very much like it’s going to be the end. This movement’s been very quiet, and the playing has been so full of tone, despite the quiet dynamic. Really impressive. I can hear my mother particularly screaming “this is so boring” at me. I would have to disagree. I suppose actually 10:10 is the beginning of the end, and it continues until the end. Gosh, that’s the worst constructed sentence so far; moving on.

Above - apparently Dirge is also the name of a transformer. This piece is dedicated to him.

3.       Allegro – Sempre ben Marcato. This is something new. It’s not slow. Nice crescendo and subito piano into 0:23. The piece is still quite minimalist, that is there’s not a whole lot going on, but it doesn’t detract from it I don’t think. This movement has a sense of urgency about it. But at 1:13 the lyrical melody is nice. 1:50 becomes more intense and the tempo might even be pushing a little here. It’s certainly ben marcato in the upper parts. 2:25 – wow. That’s exactly what I want. Wow all through to 2:48. So delicious. I think the repetition in this movement is less welcome than in the previous two. In the last movement particularly it contributed to a sense of eternity, but in this movement it gives me a sense of he couldn’t be bothered to write new music. Again I feel sorry for the cellist. He doesn’t even repeat the best bit of the whole movement from 2:25. The end is quite whimsical.

Above - the cellist in this piece...probably

4.       Deciso - Espressivo ma ben Tenuto. The opening few bars have nothing modern about them. This is straight-up romantic writing. Even the slightly dodgy harmony at 0:13. Through 1:15 this is similar style to the second movement, and maybe even some of the same material. I’m not sure the respite of the 3rd movement was quite enough. This one doesn’t seem as good as its predecessors. The chords repeated through 2:16 are lovely, and then 2:20 starts to sounds like the eponymous ‘songs’ for the first time in the movement, it quickly becomes not-quite-right though. The melody, again shared by the two upper voices, doesn’t fit with the accompanying baseline harmonically which makes it feel quite jarring at times. I would actually change something about this writing: I would subdivide the cello less. I think it would make it sound less dirgey. 3:46 is brand new for this piece. Strings playing in the upper register. It’s the most uncomfortable I’ve been so far because there’s a huge gap between the pitch of the two upper and two lower parts. This is clever writing, because it could sound like a lovely song so easily, were it only different harmonically. As it continues it becomes more dissonant. It then increases in dynamic towards 5:47. The diminuendo to 6:03 is skilfully done. 6:52, the nice lyrical song tries to come through again which we’ve heard before, and it arguably lasts a little longer this time, sounding song like right up until 7:24, maybe even 7:37. In fact this section is mostly song like, but with odd bars of dissonance thrown in. 8:26 now makes the top parts even more unrelated the bottom by shifting the rhythm slightly. Only for a while though. 9:27 is a new idea. Which I like. It verges on needing to be a bit livelier now, but judging by the name of the next movement; lively isn’t the theme of this piece. That’s fine. The end is drawn out again. With a glimmer of hope from 10:23. The chord at 10:41 introduces I think the minor sixth (a note that shouldn’t be in that chord anyway) but this resolves quickly and helps keep us in the sound world of everything that’s come before. Beautiful ending.

 5.       Largo – Tranquillo. Finally the cello gets to do something melodic. It’s nice actually, the opening lyrical line from the cello. Quite a lot of vibrato. Not long however before we’re back to the two upper parts versus low parts keeping the rhythm going. It gets dirgier by the minute actually. This boring, repeated 3 note phrase culminates in a great, rich section at 1:40. 2:07 another brief moment of absolutely perfectly constructed harmony. All through 2:45 is boring and repetitive and then the chord at 2:54 is so welcome again. Górecki seems quite good at making you wait for the cathartic moments, but they are there. I can completely see why someone would think this piece is boring to listen to. The last movement particularly has a lot of repetitious passages which add nothing when played over and over again. But subconsciously they do add something, and it’s a feeling of yearning for something else, which when it comes it fantastic. 4:38 for example, what a powerful sound. The notes aren’t even that different but the tone and dynamic have changed the sound completely. At 5:43ish the cello not only sounds dissonant, but also out of tune (maybe quarter tones of something) which again makes the catharsis of chords like 6:30 so much more satisfying. The repetition of the chord here is not boring, or monotonous, it’s great. Even the silence at 7:52 is considered. I do 8:26 ish sounds like it could be the end again. Will this be drawn out for a full 2.5 minutes. Nope, we’re back to the cello melody again at 8:50. Hmm, not sure how I feel about that. All through 9:40 etc, the parts seem a bit more independent of each other somehow. 10:03 seems like this must be the final catharsis. It’s very in tune, very delicately played (although not quite together on the third iteration) and the perfect end to this piece.

Overall – 8/10. This isn’t a piece which is feel-good, or one you’ll be singing the melody to but it’s a really emotional journey. Most of the emotions are misery, despair, sadness etc. but we all need a bit of that sometimes. Great piece. Will be listening to more Górecki.

Below is some more Górecki , apparently he likes intensity.

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11th June 2020 - Fux

Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741)

Intrada for trumpet, two oboes, bassoon and basso continuo in C Major (your guess is as good as mine) https://open.spotify.com/album/3uysg8yvuwrigNCi4U3Bqg?si=SGXVpIs8TUmQw_VOBmqNzA Track 8

It’s time we went back in time again, and what better way to do it than to continue with 3 letter Germanic names that sound funny. Fux it is. I’m pretty sure this is the guy that did all the counterpoint. I never bothered to learn about it because (luckily) there weren’t enough people that wanted to take music as part of the international baccalaureate that I did at college. I’m trying not to be prejudiced, but I’m fully expecting this to be boring. ‘G’ had better be an absolute stonker, we’re due one.

Above - Fux and Wiener in the same sentence. You couldn’t write this. 

The opening is exactly as expected. Quite a long silence at 0:19, and then it moves onto a slow movement. That bit’s quite dreary. Back to the start. There’s definitely a trumpet, but I’m yet to hear any oboes or bassoon. Maybe they get a turn later. Ooh, dark and mysterious from 1:14. The harpsichord is rarely a sound I like, but it’s alright here. The string entry at 1:57 very much sounds like the player doesn’t know if they’re supposed to be playing or not. 2:19 I can hear the oboes now. It’s definitely not like a ‘concerto’ though. I means, it’s not a concerto to be fair. The passing of the melody around 2:55 is quite cool. It may be (probably is) my ear, but I haven’t heard a single note from the bassoon until 3:47, and it’s in unison with the basso continuo so what’s the point?

I spent the next two minutes worrying that my car had been flooded because I forgot I parked it near the river yesterday. I hope not. I’m going to check as soon as this is finished. 6:08, the trumpet goes a bit off piste. It’s quite funny, the articulation is awful. I wonder if it’s a natural trumpet. The end is actually quite pretty, and the harmony is rich.

Overall – 4/10. As I suspected, perfectly constructed, but very boring. I’m just going to check my car now. Keep your fingers crossed for G.

Below, a video which makes me very grateful indeed that I didn’t pursue music as a study option.

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10th June 2020 - Egk

Werner Egk (1901-1983)

Französische Suite (After Rameau) (1949) https://open.spotify.com/album/7dvxQBrOvFiTqLFGSBZblp?si=ZNXFF23pQVuctSlM_WoKmQ Tracks 4-8

I couldn’t legitimately to Elgar for a 3rd time in a row, but who else is there that begins with ‘E’? That’s right, I hear you scream: Werner Egk. This guy was mates with Hindemith, Orff, Weill and Schoenberg but I’ve never heard of him apart from in the context of seals screaming at each other. I’ve chosen this because it means I don’t have to listen to another whole opera right not and it was vaguely easy to find on Spotify.

Above  - the definition of an unfortunate hairstyle

1.       Certainly doesn’t sounds like Rameau thankfully. This is clearly an old recording as well, as the quality’s not great. By 0:46 we’re done with intro and into the meat of the movement already. It’s sounds a bit like Shostakovich in places. Bit of a lazy repeat at 1:21. There’s only been a minute of music so far. 1:58 I like the staccato strings alongside some players doing pizzicato, that’s good. I also like the pattern at 2:20. Loudest harp every at 2:30. I mean that in a good way. 2:40 that trumpet is so punchy, very Russian, again like Shostakovich or Prokofiev. 3:35 probably has some really interesting stuff in, but the definition is lost because of the age of the recording I think. There’s a lot of repetition in this piece. I think there’s seldom a reason to repeat large chunks of music, and this isn’t one of them. 4:25 is quite intense, and the high strings sound pretty in tune even on this recording. That’s more than can be said for the flute at the end. Oops.

2.       Well this is different. Still sounds like a poor man’s Shostakovich though. This is more march-y. Unfortunately the recording makes it sound like a block of sound rather than the nuances composition I’m sure it is. Nobody’s fault. Unpredictable stabs around 1:30 are quite Stravinskian. Attacas into the next movement

3.       A more restrained start. The bad thing about having good headphones is that you can hear the old hiss of the recording. A little distracting, again, nobody’s fault. The texture here feels nice for a quiet movement. It’s thoughtful, the oboe solo’s lovely. Then when the cellos take over the melody at about 1:10 as a section rather than a solo instrument, the sounds is pretty powerful, yet still quiet enough. 1:48 is thick, rich and satisfying. I then feel like 2:05 etc is a repeat again. I don’t know if it’s a direct repeat or not, but it sounds very familiar. Tam tam is an interesting addition. 3:15ish some really traditional melody and orchestration, it’s unexpected, but actually really welcome. We’re suddenly in a pastoral symphony from Britain, rather than a Russian bunker. I like the hint of ornamentation on lots of the passages, which I assume is homage to Rameau who used so many ornaments he was actually the muse for the BBC when they designed Antiques Roadshow.

Above - even Rameau doesn’t understand why this piece is names after him.

4.       Bloody hell. I jumped a lot when this started. It’s good; punchy, interesting, detailed. Reminds me of some Bartok. I think you can tell this composer took a lot of inspiration from other composers. It’s interesting that this movement’s so short, and literally just ends as well.

5.       This movement sounds American at the start. Like something out of ‘Elf’. The least Rameau thing I have ever heard. 0:50 is a nice, twee little pizzicato passage. 1:47 gets suddenly very intense, but only for 10-15 seconds then we’re back on the toy production line. Again the end is abrupt. He could do with working on his endings.

Overall – 6/10. Middling pieces seem to be the theme at the moment, sorry. This is a nice opening piece for a concert, it’s harmless and again has sections which are really well constructed. It lacks the finesse of Egk’s counterparts I mentioned in the introduction though. The recording doesn’t help either.

Below is an instructional video about how to say this composer’s name:

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9th June 2020 - Debussy

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

En Blanc et Noir (1915) https://open.spotify.com/album/5p1aXPYl1l3k1rfPTMwxw5?si=HPJSvsTbR4-mLD6TS-7xTA Tracks 13-15

What do you get if you combine Beethoven from 2 days ago, with Canat de Chizy yesterday? That’s right French solo piano music. That’s what Debussy was famous for. Interestingly, my favourite piece of Debussy by far is his Martyre de Saint Sébasiten which is not particularly well known and is full of thick orchestral texture with amazing choral singing; not a piano in sight (I don’t think). I’ll link it below. My partner has mentioned having some Debussy playing during our wedding, but I’m yet to decide. Let’s see if this piece is up to par.

Above - Name: Maurizio Pollini, Specialist Subject: Gettin’ all up in this Debussy.

1.       Avec emportement. With Temper. It’s Debussy right from the start. I’ve never heard anyone else write the essence of ‘shimmering’ like Debussy, and it’s lovely to listen to. 0:38 is less fluid, and quite a different sound, but then we’re right back into the opening section and it’s really encouraging music. It can’t help but lift the mood. There’s definitely a preference to the right hand side of the piano, but actually there’s no ridiculous highs and lows, and the simple bass parts sounds great on this recording. 1:54 it sounds like there’s two pianos playing the same note, but slightly out of time. Oh the penny has dropped…it’s not solo piano music. This is piano music for two players. Oops. Wow, this does show how great the playing’s been so far that I didn’t even notice there was two of them. 2:56 is a bit of a change in mood, and sounds quite sinister. Now that I know there’s two pianos, it seems obvious. The end of this movement is so satisfying.

2.       Lent. Sombre. That’s how I feel during any Lent when I’ve given up something nice: sombre. This opening is pretty sombre too. 0:35 onwards is very sparsely orchestrated. A bit bored and then 1:34 sounds great. Strong, but not overpowering chords in one part and then a melodic higher part in I assume the other part. This isn’t like other Debussy I’ve heard. Usually it’s all about flowing and shimmering. This is quite different. Not bad, just different. 3:10 is great. The lower part doesn’t fit with the tune any more, but it’s still really tasty. 3:55 is more like the usual tetxture of the Debussy I know, but not the melodic material I’m used to. It’s also a complete lie to say it’s Lent. Maybe he means Lent in the context of me asking French people to speak plus lente s’il vous plait. 5:16 again, when the pianos are playing in unison it doesn’t quite work. Sounds a bit echoey. There’s not loooads to say about the rest of the movement. End is very disjointed. Very not Debussy.

Above - look at all that shimmer

3.       Scherzando. This is more Debussy. The brief opening and then the little passages of shimmer again. I’m going to use shimmer as much as possible in my everyday vocabulary now. I can’t say I’m captivated by this movement. It’s fine. There’s passages like 2:30 which are great, and really enjoyable. Then there’s bits like 2:55 which are super boring. 3:11 is some more button bashing à la Tekken. The end is absolute trash. Sorry.

Overall – 5/10. It’s fine. Middling though. There’s loads of better Debussy out there.  

Below - not the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian I meant, but too good not to share.

Below - the actual Martyr de Saint Sebastien which is tastier? You decide:

[dailymusingsofamedic]

8th June 2020 - Canat de Chizy

Edith Canat de Chizy (b1950)

Canciones (1992) https://open.spotify.com/album/3rIjvbC9AQ2IIgjabvJ1N6?si=kbNqVI-tTf-gdP-7N576FQ Tracks 1-6

‘C’ is definitely a good letter for new discoveries. This composer is alive, and also the first female composer on the list. I realise that’s pretty bad, but this is a journey where I want to discover some great music, and female composers (shamefully on society) have only really come to the fore in the last 100 years, so in order to ensure I’m taking things from a variety of periods and locations it will mostly be men. Any suggestions welcome though, and hopefully, if this blog is repeated by someone in 100 years’ time, things will be different. I had never heard of Canat de Chizy, but with a name like that, how could I resist? This is a vocal work for 12 unaccompanied soloists written the year after I was born, so music younger than me! Canciones means ‘songs’ in Spanish.

Above - does that say ‘Jesse’ at the bottom of the stained glass window? Is that Jesus’ lesser known sister?

1.       Clamando. ‘Crying out’ says google translate. That bodes well. Oh wow. It’s immediately horrible. Dissonant, screechy. 0:28 is interesting, and then becomes quite plainsong like, but in a distinctly modern way. The basses sound like they are right out of some Pärt but the accompaniment sounds very different. The dynamic contrast is impressive in this piece. The high female voices are very grating, and I have no doubt that’s intentional. Crying out indeed. The chord at 2:07 is beautiful though, briefly. At 2:11 either someone comes in early, or that’s some very precise writing of just the sound ‘s’. 2:37 is delightfully dissonant.

Above - one of the sopranos at 2:11.

2.       Herida. Apparently this is some sort of word for wound or injury. Hmm. The harmony is more conventional at the start of this, albeit still with some notes that stick out like a sore thumb. Maybe that’s the wound. The homophonic structure makes it feel much more like a chant than the previous movement. Very reminiscent of Pärt and Panuknik. The vocal glissandi at 1:20 et al are a technique I’ve always hated, especially this high, it sounds so wail-y. Good in this context maybe?

3.       Buscando. ‘Searching’. The start of this movement is some nice (albeit weird) low female voices. Then joined by the rest of the singers. It’s more of the stuff I like. 0:31 things get weirder. Are these sort of vocal trills? It sounds like there’s an earthquake and they’re all on the phone to different people in the same city. 1:11 lelelelele. 1:30 the bass is weird and tasty. Oh they actually say Buscando. Are they singing completely in Spanish? So difficult to tell. 2:13 goes mental. Like a load of fleas. 2:23 I absolutely despite that weird upwards gliss. Horrible. The bell-like next section is interesting though. As is 2:50, nice, thick bass (not overpowering) with dissonant chanting by the females over the top. 3:19 there’s a lot of silence. The basses struggling to stay in tune at the end. Almost managing it.

4.       Esposo. ‘Spouse’. Let’s see if this represents my spouse to be…The opening is more of the textures we’ve heard. Bass drone with high female dissonance over the top. There’s one alto who really sticks out. She’s great. I’m grateful for the lack of screechy wailing now, but it does mean the music’s getting ever-so-slightly samey. From 1:45 things are much more traditional and it sounds really nice. The tenors and female voices are probably quite close in terms of pitch but their voices sound so different it works well.

5.       Lamaparas de Fuego. Fire lamps. What do these titles have to do with anything?? So confusing. The start’s very wibbly-wobbly. It doesn’t make me think of anything fire-related. Chord through 0:37 is juicy. More wibbles and wobbles after 1:00. The last chord is brilliant. Ouch.

Above - Canat de Chizy deciding on titles for these songs.

6.       Paz. This means peace I think, and I didn’t even look that up. I feel like this whole piece could have come from the God’s Gardeners from Oryx and Crake. (It’s a good book, read it.) The final movement’s certainly more peaceful than the others, but it’s still not peaceful. I’m on edge the whole time listening to it. The end is quite anti-climactic as well.

Overall – 5/10. It’s one of those things I describe frequently as an ‘uncomfortable listen’, but I feel like some of it is just too gimmicky. Real works of art don’t require gimmicks in order to be interesting. There is some great writing tucked away in here, but not enough of it to make me want to listen again. It’s refreshing to hear a new composer I’ve never heard of though, and I’m glad to finally have a, clearly very talented, female composer on the list.

 Below is Canat de Chizy laughing about the apolcalypse...I think

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7th June 2020 - Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Piano Sonata no. 16 in G Major (1802) https://open.spotify.com/album/014wV6KWcsn01SiYIYVJeg?si=jx9MZeHoQiaFtXqrcpA1tA Disc 5, Tracks 1-3

For someone who usually gets bored to tears by solo piano music, and indeed Beethoven generally, I have actually listened to and enjoyed many of Beethoven’s piano sonatas. My late Grandfather, really the only other member of my family to have been interested in classical music was a huge Beethoven fan, and I’ve inherited all of his CDs, which when I was a teenager I would religiously burn onto my iPhones and even iPods (remember those?). My personal faves, if you’re interested are: 8, 14, 23, 14 (sorry), 21 and 17. I’ve chosen 16. I don’t know why. Let’s dive in.

Above - if you could let me know where you got your jumper from Mr Levit, it would be much appreciated.

1.       Allegro vivace. The opening’s pretty powerful, with lots of dynamic contrast. Indeed, probably much more dynamic contrast that would have been possible from the pianos at the time. Blood hell, the whole passage from 0:27-0:37 is amazing. So precise, each note speaks individually and the sound overall is brilliant. At 1:15 there honestly sounds like there’s a cello in the background. Possibly I am going mad. Or a very in-tune motorcycle went passed the window. There are predictable repeats here, as in most of his sonatas, but the material repeated is interesting enough that I want to hear it again. The bass is so clear in these new headphones too. 2:21 is an alteration to a theme we’ve heard before. I like the tune being taken over by the left hand at 2:37. 3:30 also very cool. There are so many notes. Never will I be able to understand how people get that good at the piano…I suppose it is just pressing the right buttons in the right order though. Not like difficult instruments like the tuba. When I’ve said piece are directionless in this blog before, this piece is the exact opposite of what I mean. The sections are joined up properly, it’s always moving forward, there’s no wasted notes at all and the transitions are so slick. In fact they don’t even seem like transitions. The end is fine, I think the penultimate phrase is a little loud to be honest.

2.       Adagio grazioso. Oof this is long. It had better be worth it. The ostinato (I don’t think that’s what I mean, but the notes on every beat) are very curtailed here. I think that’s stylistic, but I don’t like it. I feel like this movement is aiming to be ‘light’. I bet there’s legere marked above every note. This movement is still full of direction, despite its lighter timbre though. 1:50 is really beautiful, with some unusual harmony for Beethoven. If Beethoven were alive today, he wouldn’t have broken lockdown a single time. He’s that kind of guy. I hate the trill at 2:50. That’s probably not what you call it on a piano, but it sounds rubbish, and again every other time it comes up. The lead in to 3:38 is great, and again the bass in this recording sounds so rich. It still somehow sounds light though. I like this because the go-to is that light=high and I don’t think that has to be the case. Towards 5:00 things have been getting more intense. There’s no denying this movement isn’t as interesting as the first, but it’s still a great listen. At 5:33, that accented bass passing note it played so aggressively; another stylistic choice but this one works. The use of repeated notes to denote a sense of rhythm is interesting, and I guess quite common in Beethoven but something I’d not really noticed before. By 7:30 I am getting a bit bored I’m afraid. I always feel bad for getting bored, and I have a reasonable attention spam but there’s nothing grabbing my attention. It’s still nice, and I wouldn’t turn it off, but I’m not captivated. The candenza-like passage at around 8:30 is more interesting briefly though! As is the syncopation at 9:16. Too many trills through 9:30 etc. I bet Beethoven pianists are so good at Wii classic: ‘Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games’.

Above - Igor Levit likes to play at Dr Robotnik

3.       Rondo. Allegretto. The opening 7-8 notes sound like that Boccherini piece that everyone knows. Clever and difficult interplay between the hands from 0:30 onwards really. Sounds like two instruments (or four hands at least). At 1:29, when the tune’s in the right hand, the accompanying left hand sounds fiendish and adds so much without drawing too much attention. Starts to sound fugal just before 2:00 which is another nice touch. Again so much driving movement in one, lovely direction. I am a simple creature to please it turns out. I actually like the odd breaths that you can hear on this recording. It adds to the music I think. One thing I miss on purely audio recordings is the connection to the performer(s) and the odd breath through the music adds that in again a little. 4:44 is a bit weird for a while. Maybe getting ready for the grand finale? 5:34 sounds almost like a chorale. 5:50, here we go, because we haven’t had enough trills. The end is genuinely exhilarating, really effortless sounding playing. I love it.

Overall – 7.5/10. Like I’ve said, solo piano music isn’t usually my bad, but the Beethoven sonatas so far haven’t been able to disappoint. The second movement’s a bit long, but it’s still fine. The surrounding movements are both brilliant. Cool.

Below is a good example of why sometimes that visual connection matters.

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6th June 2020 - Adams

John Adams (b1947)

The Wound-Dresser (1989) https://open.spotify.com/album/7mGjgmyAjtKc8Sc3A7IQzs?si=c8NDUk19TomDQQBYK-1m8Q Track 2

Here we go with round 2. Will I make it through the alphabet again without missing a day? We shall see. Even in the last round, when I thought I’d trawled my brain for composers beginning with ‘A’, I had forgotten about Adams. I don’t have a huge amount of experience with Adams, but there’s a story which relates to him which sort of makes me think about how the planets sometimes align and great coincidences happen. When I arrived at university, I hadn’t thought about continuing to play the tuba, in fact, I didn’t even own my own instrument. The first amazing coincidence was that I lived on the same corridor in halls as a clarinettist who is now a pro, and one of my very best friends. She dragged me along to an audition for the orchestra. The tuba player at the time was the assistant conductor of the orchestra, and is now one of my other very best friends. Obviously, the orchestra needed a tuba player for when he was conducting and as the only one that auditioned, I got the job. Nothing to do with Adams so far, but to coincidence doesn’t end there. I wasn’t actually very good at the tuba when I started university, and the orchestra was a really high standard, more so that I’d ever experienced before. I turned up to the first rehearsal, about to soil myself with fear that people would discover I was a fraud. What was the piece I had to play? Short Ride in a Fast Machine by John Adams. This piece (which I’ll link below) is quite complicated rhythmically, and is absolutely a difficult sight-read (one of my weakest areas). It’s also got a very exposed tuba part. The reason that stars had aligned is that I’d already played this before, in my Youth Wind Orchestra, so I was prepared, I did a good job, and people – rightly or wrongly – assumed I could play the tuba.

Above - me and my favourite clarinettist c.2010 - probably after rehearsal

This was a huge turning point in my musical ‘career’ because I absolutely loved those concerts. I knew that I needed to stay in the orchestra for as long as possible, I worked hard at pre-listening to the pieces and ended up a pretty good amateur tuba player by the time I left. So there’s my origin story…all thanks to Adams. I’ve chosen this piece because it’s what I am now. A glorified wound-dresser. Let’s see how this goes.

Above - the gold corners really add to the bleakness of this image.

The opening is pretty standard, albeit very different to Short Ride. A low rumble which sounds percussive, actually a bit like a helicopter. And some ethereal strings over the top. Nice cough at 0:43, let’s us know we’re listening to a live recording. Maybe covid started in this very concert hall. 1:19 the (I’m gonna say...) Baritone starts. It’s odd to be able to understand singing. The English helps, as does his diction, it’s very clear. Even in operas like Peter Grimes I struggle to keep up, but this is very clear indeed. It’s an interesting choice of instrumentation: some background which is nothing more than that, and a very lyrical violin solo, which happens alongside the seemingly unrelated baritone line. It’s really cool, and sounds like a story is being told. Which makes sense I guess. The singing is also quite restrained for now at least, which is nice. I don’t think a big operatic belt would be right here. The descending bassline into 4:06 is perfectly drawn out, and the section after is really quite nice; the orchestral texture has become more complex. ‘The pangs are sharp yet unavoidable’ that’s certainly true for wound-dressing, I don’t think they had apeel in whatever war this is.

Above - a wound-dresser’s best friend

5:14 is very poignant lyrically, and the music reflects this. The strings around 5:45 are rich, and sound quite like Vaughan Williams. It’s really pleasant to listen to, not happy or even encouraging but still nice. From 6:14, the strings cleverly end up in a passage which is similar texturally, but much more dissonant. I like the way this is done. 6:52, that horn entry is perfectly in tune, and the melody it continues to play is impressively done. I always think it’s hard to make simple things sounds good.

7:48 sounds great. ‘The crushed head, I dress’. I’ve done this lots too…but usually from drunk people on a Friday night in Guildford town centre rather than from a war. Puts things into perspective a bit; we’re very lucky. The articulation of ‘Come, sweet death’ at 8:59 is excellent. And the accompaniment to this section about death being beautiful is really fantastically constructed. The way the singer diminuendos right down at the end of ‘in mercy’ accompanied by the uncomfortable (contra?)bassoon note is very cool.

Above - World War 3 hits Guildford

The next vocal entry is quite graphic, which seems odd in this context. Matter-of-fact rather than poetic. It works though. 11:09 takes a brand new turn, and I no longer know what the instruments playing the accompaniment are for the start of the bars. The baritone and violin duet from the start has been changed to a baritone, trumpet, and trombone trio. It’s a great way to highlight the vulgarity of what the lyrics are describing. Then with the introduction of the string rhythm at about 12:15, I think clearly representing a heartbeat takes us into it. High trumpet note at 12:29 is, again, perfectly in tune, and very deftly done.

13:40 is the first time I’ve really noticed the winds properly. I think it’s clever orchestration so far. 14:10 sounds like Holst. 14:22: the wound in the what? Abdomin? What’s that? 14:43 is delightfully uncomfortable harmonically. 15:15 is nice. I love a flute solo, we don’t get enough of them. 15:34 we’re transplanted straight into Daphnis et Chloe for about 8 bars. Nice. Also another great flute solo in that. I digress. 16:33 ‘I thread my way through the hospitals’ been there mate, usually to avoid being found by my horrible surgical registrar.  I think Adams is right to make the Baritone the main focus from 17:15, the lyrics convey some powerful meaning. In war, the young always suffer so much. There’s a big orchestral tutti which uses a lot of the ideas we’ve already heard towards the end. Wow, ‘many a soldier’s kiss dwells on these bearded lips’.  That is such a poignant line to end on.

Overall – 8.5/10. Fantastic, I really like this. It’s really nice to listen to a song which I can understand. That’s such a first-world problems thing to say, but in this the lyrics are king. The music’s beautiful as well, but it’s a different object entirely to the Ruckert Lieder I reviewed last month. Would definitely recommend.

Below, the very different feel of Short Ride in a Fast Machine:

[dailymusingsofamedic]

5th June 2020 - Zemlinsky

5th June 2020 – Zemlinsky

Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871-1942)

Sinfonietta (1934) https://open.spotify.com/album/077eYUzHH0XySNunW9FEYr?si=DKHuW3tkQjCS-FXLsimqQA Tracks 1-3

I’ve done it!!! I’ve managed to get through the whole alphabet, and there’s a surprising amount of composers to choose from in the ‘Z’ category. I’m in a good mood today, so resisted the urge to lambaste some awful Zimmer plagiarism, and instead have gone with Zemlinsky, another one from the end of the alphabet who I’ve heard of but not heard. I’ve chosen the Sinfonietta, something orchestral to finish off this round of the alphabet. No tuba sadly, but everything else. Let’s see if it’s worth it.

Above - Zemlinsky was heavily influenced by Game of Thrones.

1.       Sehr Lebhaft. I always have to look up German instructions. ‘Very Active’ apparently. Is this Gershwin? Or Bernstein? Sounds quite American 0:55 is really cool, and leads to the first meaty section of the piece. It’s great, thick rich sounds, very reminiscent of the composers mentioned earlier. Or are they reminiscent of this? I don’t know. 2:30 is interesting, very delicate, yet the tune in the few string players keeps things going in the right direction. The additions from the woodwind, and occasionally brass in the next section add interest, certainly. There’s quite a lot of passing the tune around like at 3:36 which always makes me think of ‘Tubby the Tuba’. A masterpiece if ever there was one. 4:14 is pretty tense, but not excessively so. There’s definitely tension building, but not too early, the tremolo starting quietly at 4:19 and then continuing on to match the pitch of the rest of the forces who have quietened is really clever. 5:19 then begins to sound a bit like Hindemith. 5:49 is cool as well: the tune being passed around low winds, and then back into a more lyrical section before a change of mood with the dissonant chord at 6:22. Really atmospheric stuff. The build-up from 6:50 sounds like it’s going to be a climax but then the climax ends up being the last note of the 20th Century Fox theme tune.

Above - Zemlinsky’s Magnum Opus

2.       Ballade. Sehr Gemessen. This means very measured. How German. Although Zemlinsky was actually Hungarian/Slovak/Austrian apparently. Oooh, the instruments with the tune right at the start sound very interesting. I think it’s flute, cor and muted trumpet, but I couldn’t be sure. Sounds great anyway. We then begin to slip into something that wouldn’t be out of place in a Hercule Poirot adaptation. The gliss into the bassoon feature, and indeed the feature itself at 1:00 are great stuff. Back to Mr Poirot. We definitely have moved back to Central Europe rather than America in the first movement. 1:52 sounds positively Mahlerian. 2:18 hints at another ominous theme, and then we have the nice textural effect of strings underneath minimally moving wind. Clarinet’s a bit out of tune. 3:05 could do with a tuba really. Bass trombone and bass drum doing a great job though to be fair. Love the harp at 3:31, hadn’t heard that before. This is a good example of a piece where it could sounds disjointed, but there’s enough going on in individual parts to make it much more cohesive. 4:19 etc is all quite intense and the climax at 4:29 is worth the wait I think. The oboe at 5:21 is really direct, and the horn accompanying; very in tune. 5:45, is the clarinet again, very exposed, pretty scary stuff; the rest of the texture’s been quite thick. 6:13 I love that resonant low pizzicato in cellos and basses, it really does sound deep. I hope the harp’s joining in. Zemlinsky likes us to know we’re at the end of a movement I feel.

Above - Zemlinsky’s Muse

3.       Rondo. Sehr Lebhaft. Didn’t have to look it up this time. Oh, right, we’re straight back in New York. Half expect a loud whistle in the first few seconds. 0:22 is really lovely, hope there’s more of that. The American feel was short lived. 1:07 is a beautiful, lyrical passage, but goes onto a more tentative section before opening up again. 1:39 solo violin is great, well balanced. 2:08 is some loud pizzicato. I wonder if that hurts your fingers? 2:28, again is a glimmer of brilliance. I don’t know how to describe them but there’s the odd 2-3 bar phrase in this piece which just sounds amazing. There is a bit more ‘filler’ in this movement I think, but still it’s an enjoyable listen. 3:16 is all systems go, but again only for about 8 bars. 3:40 onwards does sounds like Poirot rushing through the streets of Berlin trying to look for clues. 4:50 we get a couple of bars of Rite of Spring. Oh my god, 5:05 we’re back into a brass band test piece. This piece is taking me on a journey. The end is cool. Shame they didn’t all come off together.

Overall – 7.5/10. Nothing wrong with it per se. There’s moments of music that I really, really like and then also quite large passages that are forgettable. First movement’s probably the highlight. Will listen to some more Zemlinsky though I think.

And I’m done. 22096 words since the start of the alphabet and I’m raring to go with the next round. Phew.

Below is a video of me right now. Who said it was just classical music that I’d discover on this journey?

[dailymusingsofamedic]

4th June 2020 - Ysaÿe

Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931)

Sonata no.1 for solo violin in G minor “Joseph Szigeti” (1923) https://open.spotify.com/album/51TiG9IW0Wc8c30J7K0WPY?si=YuqEBv71QTqa0Z694TPung Tracks 1-4

I thought ‘Y’ was going to be really hard, and then luckily I remembered Ysaÿe. The best audition for the orchestra I used to run, absolutely hands down was of Ysaÿe’s 4th Violin sonata, but I’ve not really had the time to try and listen to any others. Apologies for another violin sonata, I’ll try and avoid that next time round. This should be great though, if the 4th is anything to go by. I was really mesmerised by that performance.  I also have some brand new headphones. So it will be good to give them a whirl as well.

Above - my new ‘Drag Name’: Shlomo Mintz

1.       Grave. Hmm, I actually don’t like the opening that much. It’s quite disjointed. I’m used to more joined-up and captivating things. From 1:09 things get weird. That double stopping must be so hard to do in tune, and it sounds uncomfortable, not sure if because of the way it’s written, or played. I have to say this isn’t what I was expecting. 1:56 introduces a new technique of sounding like two instruments are playing alongside each other my moving on one string whilst keeping on the same note on another. 2:27 sounds very Bach cello suites. After that though, it’s just lots more aggressive double stopping and not much direction. I say that a lot in this blog, but I really mean it this time. 3:11 is also horrible. I bet this whole movement is an absolute brain-fart to practice and learn, but in this case for no real benefit. It’s not a nice listen so far.

2.       Fugato. This fugue-like technique of having two tunes happening simultaneously but separated by a few notes sounds so difficult. 1:08 is the kind of thing you expect from a sonata like this, although I have to say I don’t like the way it’s phrased, it sounds quite mechanical and not very musical. I wonder if I’ve chosen a bad recording. There’s not much dynamic contrast really, although it does get a bit quieter at 2:50. All form 3:25 again sounds very hard, but not very good. It’s a bit like someone’s playing a book of technical exercises but all at the same time. 4:05 is quite clever, and using some tricky techniques for good effect this time. I’m not sure what’s causing the difference in sounds between the repeated notes at 4:30, but it’s quite cool. 4:55, is much better, building intensity, and sounding more like a cohesive musical idea. In fact, all the way to the end of the movement it suddenly has become enjoyable to listen to, rather than mind-bogglingly uncomfortable.

Above - my beautiful new headphones, test driven across this desolate hellscape of double stopping. 

3.       Allegretto Poco Scherzoso. This seems like it’s trying a bit too hard to be a duet. There’s no denying it’s clever, but it would sound better on two violins. The pattern at 1:18 is cool though. I can’t help but wonder if Szigeti really played like this, and if so, whether people enjoyed it. The pattern of a few figures, and then a firm down-bow on the g-string followed by more twiddly bits is really draining after a while. The last figure is not even remotely in tune, difficulty notwithstanding, it’s pretty crap.

4.       Finale con Brio. This is more like it. The opening is exciting, and sounds like it’s going to go somewhere. Pretty much the whole sonata is double stopped which I do usually love, but I think in the context of it standing out as a feature in a piece with otherwise normal technique. 1:05 is really cool, and interesting the range of sound that’s being produced. 2:10 again quite exciting, but I do wish the double stopping would stop now. The end is quite powerful but I’m yearning for just one more of those notes.

Overall – 3/10. I didn’t enjoy this, which is a shame because I was expecting to. The track skipped to the first movement of the second sonata which seems to be a sort of theme and variations on a Bach sonata. I immediately liked that more. Maybe next time. Too much double stopping, and all mouth and no trousers I’m afraid.

Below is some proof that Ysaÿe could write some bangin’ tunes:

[dailymusingsofamedic]

3rd June 2020 - Xenakis

Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001)

Metastaseis (1954) https://open.spotify.com/album/30mGtnoWzLDEhZXuoTyY5d?si=rhBGIcFXSwaT4BOu8e9ltA Track 1

Well, we’re going to be learning a lot about Xenakis on this journey, thanks ‘X’! Xenakis is a composer I’ve heard of but never heard. I think a serialist maybe. Certainly some modern and freaky stuff. He was probably actually a post-modern absurdist or something, but suffice to say, his music is probably weird, not that nice to listen to, and his pieces probably have explanations explaining their composition which drone on into pages. Not that I ever pre-judge. I had to choose this piece because of its title, who knew medicine and music would have so many shared words! Of course, Xenakis deemed the title to mean the directionless travel in a state of stillness…but to the more medically minded of us, it’s when horrible cancer, spreads and becomes more horrible cancer. I wonder if the music will invoke feelings of that type of metastasis too. There are some links at the bottom to donate to some wonderful charities supporting cancer research and support.

Above - X Gon’ give it to ya

The start is quiet, and ominous. Strings with varying glissandi, and an occasional woodblock or something. Around 0:43 it sounds like it’s about to be that horrible THX thing you hear before DVDs. Do people still watch DVDs? A bit frenetic and then some quiet at 1:00. Oh dear, the next bit’s not very nice. Lots of string tremolos with just about every note you can play happening at the same time with some very aggressive brass over the top. The descending glissandi from 1:35 are really scary. Especially at 23:10 sat by a dark window. From 2:00 the forces are really thinned out. Odd, unrelated string interjections, from violin to double bass. 2:49 is straight out of a horror movie about spiders. As is the new section at 3:15, only the spiders are doing their webs now I think. Interesting that the pizzicato parts are sounding louder than the harmonics in the upper strings. 4:00 is again quite scary. 4:19 is just a standard trombone pissing about. Nothing new or avant-garde there. The next section all through until 5:00 is quite fragmented, obviously deliberately. Then there’s a bit more shape from 5:00, although still lots of weird brass, now flutter-tonguing. Why so many extended techniques in music like this. The silence at 5:47 makes the glissandi immediately following it really terrifying. End with a slightly unsatisfying tremolando, which is followed by 10 seconds of silence. I listen through this intently worrying that there’s going to be a big jump-scare but there isn’t.

Overall – 7/10. I actually quite like this. It’s composition is interesting,  and although there are moments which sound horrible, it’s short enough, and varied enough that I don’t just want it to stop all the way through. Take note Penderecki et al. Would not recommend listening alone and/or in bed though. Apologies for spelling errors and brevity, it’s late and I’ve caught up with myself so it’s going to be a tense few days!

As promised below, let’s make this the only definition of metastasis again:

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/donate?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GDA2020&utm_term=marie%20curie%20cancer%20care&utm_content=429187200657&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlN32BRCCARIsADZ-J4umwUkWQqYu-2fkDPhIU5AlUp1Vbgsy5ErTZU4VuPDW2Sln5-Ro2I4aAng0EALw_wcB

[dailymusingsofamedic]

2nd June 2020 - Wagner

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Faust Overture (1840, r1855) https://open.spotify.com/album/07jqNRQFNrdkLumKiX8kGM?si=GXeYJqjhTU2ujvGcgxiTnA Track 24

I’m a complete Wagner Wirgin to be perfectly honest. I’ve never been that into opera, as I’ve mentioned before, and apart from the Ride of the Valkyries I don’t think I could confidently recognise any of his other works. Well known for writing huge operas that last for hours, Wagner did write a few pieces which were intended for concert halls rather than opera houses. Reading the legend of Faust (I mean the summarised version obviously) I can’t help but wonder why Wagner didn’t call this the “Boris Johnson Overture”, but there we go.

Above - Wagner was a big fan of badminton

The opening is already great. Double basses and tuba open the piece, which is points from me right off the bat. The cellos do come in with some hints of a melody which is quite nondescript to start with, and curtailed into sections by the lower parts. At 1:10, the texture begins to thicken, with a theme being passed around cellos, violins, wind. This theme starts getting repeated with increasing frequency and intensity from 1:45ish. 2:03 is an unexpected change to the major key, and a great overall sound. It is still interrupted by some menacing low string playing though. From 2:30 to 3:20ish, there’s not a whole lot going in, but then that stabs from the percussion and then strings take us into a new section.

The strings here are the stars, and the theme that we’ve heard before becomes more developed and intense. 4:04 is brilliantly satisfying, it’s just what we want. The section after feels like the meat of the piece has really begun as well, with Beethovian string playing (or at least writing) at the fore. 5:18 sounds very much like opera. This sounds like writing for characters without a doubt. Sadly I don’t know who the characters are in Faust because I’m frightfully uncultured.

Above - This took me a really long time. I have an AS level in ICT.

At 6:03 it feels quite lethargic, but almost drunk, with hints of tunes again from oboe and clarinet, and then the strings take over again, without me even noticing really. It’s quite slick writing I think. There’s lots going on, but it feels like there isn’t. By 7:40 we’re in the same textural world, but now back in a minor key, and it’s immediately more scary, but actually a bit less energising. Trumpets sounds like they’re working hard at 8:20. This section after the trumpet bit is a bit odd as well and then just stops at 8:39.

The subsequent section is really cool. The long, held chords with the lyrical flutes over the top is a nice sound. The piece is very stop, start. This is a shame because the tutti sections, and indeed the more stripped back sections are nice when they’re allowed to go somewhere. Often they’re not though. The buildup through 09:50 is exciting. The string playing here’s great as well, very fierce. Nice trombone split at 10:26. 10:35 is great, but the timps are a bit much I think. Ouch 12:00 isn’t in tune all that well. But then the oboe chord just after is a really nice sound. I bet all the bassoonists that have to play that long note on their own at 12:44 shit themselves every time. Nice and exposed, and so simple, it’d be sacrilegious if you got it wrong. That’s the most scary part of playing. The end is pretty twee. Very opera.

Overall – 7/10. I like a lot of the writing in this piece. It’s a nice overture, would open a concert well. It’s a bit stoppy-starty, and the playing in the recording’s a bit dodge in places which is why I’ve docked marks, but there’s some real meat in this piece. Nice.

Below is a nice summary of Wagner’s ring cycle by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra