Classical Music

Music For The Day

Samuel HooperLeave a comment

“Dialogue du vent et de la mer”, the third movement of Debussy’s orchestral masterpiece, performed here by the peerless London Symphony Orchestra, of which (declaring all biases upfront) I am a longtime supporter and patron.

 

Gergiev, conducting, is in fine form here, as are the LSO brass and woodwind, who add so much colour and tone to this piece. I was present in the audience when this video recording was made.

If this is new to you and it doesn’t grab you right away, stick with it for the climax and finale (beginning at around 5’50), and then go and listen to the first and second movements as well. You won’t be disappointed.

Music For The Day

Samuel Hooper7 Comments

“Let All The World In Every Corner Sing”, part of Five Mystical Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams:

 

Performed here by the choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Music For The Day

Samuel HooperLeave a comment

Bach Keyboard Concerto in D Minor BWV 1052, performed by Glenn Gould and the Ottawa Philharmonic under the direction of Thomas Meyer:

 

I wish I could get hold of a complete version of the Gould/Bernstein/NYPO video recording, if it exists.

Music For The Day

Samuel HooperLeave a comment

A fine example of Brahms playing today from Stephen Hough and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. This is an extended excerpt from the second movement of Brahm’s first piano concerto.

 

The slow buildup beginning with the restatement of the first theme by the orchestra at 3’36, leading up to those great glacial piano chords at 5’20 is especially well done here.

I have always been most partial to the Glenn Gould (live at Carnegie Hall with the NYPO) and Emil Gilels (studio) recordings of this work, but judging from the second movement alone in this video, Hough’s performance is right up there with those greats.

Music For The Day

Samuel HooperLeave a comment

You can take your Alfred Brendel recordings and Daniel Barenboim discs and let them gather dust in a cellar as far as I’m concerned; Glenn Gould made Beethoven sound fresh, exciting and just plain fun to play in his quixotic romp through the piano sonatas (the ones he liked, at least).

No more so than in this recording of the opening movement of the Piano Sonata no. 6, Op. 10 no. 2:

 

Makes me want to stroll to the piano showroom down the road and pretend to be an interested buyer so I can abuse one of the lovely remodeled Steinways again for an hour or so.