“Ave Verum Corpus” by Wolfang Amadeus Mozart, performed here by the choir of King’s College, Cambridge.
Ave, verum corpus
natum de Maria Virgine,
Vere passum immolatum
in Cruce pro homine,
Cujus latus perforatum
unda fluxit et sanguine,
Esto nobis praegustatum
in mortis examine.
It’s Friday, it has been a long week, so I think that something melodic and uplifting is in order today.
The final movement of Dvořák’s Symphony no. 8, performed here by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Zubin Mehta.
My favourite performance of this piece was at a London Symphony Orchestra concert conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas several years ago, and of course the LSO’s famous brass section played the blazing fanfare sections exceedingly well.
Wishing all my readers a good weekend, whatever your plans may be.
Variation XV of “The Goldberg Variations” by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), performed here by Rosalyn Tureck, one of my very favourite Bach interpreters aside from the peerless Glenn Gould:
This recording dates from 1957, which is just after Gould made his historic 1955 recording for Colombia Records. However, you will find no influence of Gould in Rosalyn Tureck’s interpretation here. Very classical, with a smoky, melancholy, romantic, almost Victorian hue. And, of course, played much slower and with all of the repeats.
One of my very favourite pieces of music, Piano Concerto no. 3 by Béla Bartok (1881-1945), performed here by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Simon Rattle, with Andras Schiff as the soloist:
The mini fugue section starting at 0’50, introduced by the piano and then picked up by strings, is sublime.
In fact, I love all three movements of this piece. The second movement is so serene and still (the piece was a gift from Bartok to his wife, written in his final days, and in many ways can be seen as a farewell letter to her, or to life), and makes a marvellous contrast with the explosive start to the final movement, given here.
Piano Concerto in G by Maurice Ravel, first movement, performed here by Leonard Bernstein conducting from the piano.
Not my favourite interpretation of the piece, but any chance to see Lenny performing is always good.
Semi-Partisan Politics 