With all due respect to Misters Copland, Gershwin, and Ives, I think this is the single most American piece of music I've ever heard.
(And I mean that in the best possible way)
My introduction to Haydn quartets came by way of Op. 76 and those will always be fast favorites. The Op. 76 is also a full set of six quartets, all with distinct personalities but well suited as a group. Those bits in mind, it's easy to see why I might have neglected the Op. 77. But the think is, there is so much joy, beauty, and Haydnesque wit and charm in these two Op. 77 quartets, they definitely deserve equal time. The #1 positively dances, and I'm not just talking about the minuetto. The whole thing has this gloriously flowing quality which makes it such a delightful listen. The #2 is an even more mature and beautifully constructed piece, with every movement carrying the fruit of Haydn's fully mature compositional skill, but while the whole thing is brilliant, I can't help myself getting a little extra giddy at the wonderful counterpoint in the andante. Truly captivating. My Smithson Quartet CD with the performance on period instruments is impressive, but this performance by the Alban Berg Quartet really brings out the zing in these pieces. Nailed it!
This $1 CD was part of my big haul from a local fundraiser. May well be the best single dollar I've ever spent. This symphony, which is really a collection of four tone poems, is full of grand musical ideas and vivid imagery. This is my first (as far as I can recall) exposure to Gliere. Conductor JoAnn Falletta, who wrote some excellent insight in the liner notes, really seems to draw the absolute best out of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in bringing these orchestral songs to life.
I had a preconceived notion of what Diamond would sound like. I don't know how I came by that notion, but it was there. Well, this wasn't what I expected. This is a far more dire and challenging listen than what I anticipated. This is not a complaint though; this is a solid and seriously forward leaning 20th Century American string quartet. This isn't the delicate balance of Mozart or the lighthearted wit of Haydn, but more the deep pathos of Beethoven translated into modern musical linguistics. The counterpoint employed is exemplary; the way each member plays off the others is always interesting, and that intrigue keeps this from being too dire. Well crafted and appropriately aggressive when it needs to be, this is a good listen for fans of modern quartet music.
François-Joseph Gossec - in D Major Year: 1776
London Mozart Players/Matthias Bamert
Rating: 3.75 Stars
I love the I love the idea of Chandos's "Contemporaries of Mozart" series. The late 1700s were more than just Mozart and Haydn and its definitely time other composers from the era get some love. That said, none of Mozart's contemporaries are Mozart, so don't expect that exquisitely inspired balance and perfection. Nevertheless, these pieces all make fore a very nice listen, and there's good artistic variety across them, with the earlier pieces apparently composed for the sheer joy of the beauty of music and the latter ones gaining a little more depth and challenge, for an even more satisfying listen. Each is brief for a symphony, sitting at or under 15 minutes for all movements combined, so it's easy to take this in digestible chunks.
This fan favorite was also one of my gateways into the classical world, as well as one of a few pieces that set me on a path of becoming a raging Czechophile (yeah, I made that word up, but if we can have Francophiles, why not Czechofile's). This recording with the baton of Leonard Slatkin leading the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra may just be my favorite of the five recordings I own in physical format as well as any I've streamed. I love the way Slatkin gently invites the listener in before delivering the first wake up call, and then proceeds to brilliantly enhance all those ravishing melodies Dvorak packed into that incredible first movement. The second movement, a powerfully reflective largo is no less brilliant in its delivery. Once again, the main melody is gorgeously enhanced, this time by coaxing out its charms gradually and then gently lifting them up to a soft illuminating musical light. That sets us op perfectly for one of the most amazing scherzos in the repertoire being at once full of both drama and exuberance. And is there any more heroic and triumphant tune in the world than the main theme of the grand finale Allegro con fuoco? Nah. Horns blow, strings swirl, the timpani pounds away and anyone not ready for the morgue is stirred! This is such an incredible symphony not just because it's full of great melodies well constructed, but even more so because each all four movements are so perfectly balanced; every one has it's captivating melodies and passages, but none stands out above the rest. On top of all that, all four fit together so perfectly; while each has it's own melodies, they all belong with each other, so you always know and feel you're in the same 44 minute piece of music, but you're never bored but rather always joyfully marching forward to the next passage right there alongside the conductor and orchestra, and even the wonderful Dvorak himself!
This is a love that will never fade.
The third symphony is not as individual as his big 3 (nos. 7 - 9), but is still surprisingly full of brand Romantic sweep in solid construction. A better listen than it's relative obscurity would indicate.
Franz Joseph Haydn - Violin Sonata #2 Year: 1769
Hanns Martin Zimmermann/Violin
Istvan Horvath -Thomas/Piano
Rating: 3.75 Stars!
All most folks hear of Haydn are his symphonies and string quartets, maybe the trumpet concerto. This is understandable as he was such a master of classical symphony and quartet, but this fame often leaves his other works behind. It's worth seeking out Haydn's other musical contributions as he brought quality, and that patented Haydn wit and exuberance, to every thing he put his pen to. Here we have a very nice performance of his delightful 2nd violin sonata.
Martinu always seems to have a hint of mystery in his work. About the 6th symphony, the BBC said "For some it's an elusive and often gloomy work, which never seems to get going. For others it reveals the heartrending hankerings of exile, Martinu's Czech homeland made tragically unattainable, first by war and then the Iron Curtain. And although Martinu confessed to a programme behind the music, he teasingly wouldn't tell anyone what it was." The composer himself had this to say: ‟[It is] a work without form. And yet something holds it together, I don't know what, but it has a single line, and I have expressed something in it." These are both fine hints to the content and meaning of this very interesting 20th century symphony. I stumbled upon this live performance, which turns out to be brighter and more illuminating than my BIS CD, conducted by Neeme Järvi whose interpretations I normally love, especially in eastern European music.
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