Piano Quartet, Op. 47, by Robert Schumann:
Performed by the Juilliard Quartet with Glenn Gould at the piano. The contrast between the brooding, somewhat affected opening and the following allegro ma non troppo is wonderfully done.
Classical Music
Music For The Day
More Brahms, and more Maurizio Pollini at the keyboard. Stick with it, there are rewards to be had. An older recording today, this time of Brahms’ somewhat underrated Second Piano Concerto.
Featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the late Claudio Abbado.
There is some truly fine Brahms playing going on here. Very fine indeed.
Share this:
The Storm Cone
A supplemental Music For The Day suggestion: “Look, The Storm Cone” from Act I of Benjamin Britten’s 1945 masterpiece, the opera Peter Grimes.
This music seems particularly apt given the severe weather which continues to batter much of the United Kingdom this week, leading to the first “red warning” of the winter from the Met Office.
As the villagers proclaim at the climax: O tide that waits for no man – spare our coasts!
All Now the flood tide And the sea-horses Will gallop over The eroded coast Flooding, flooding Our seasonal fears. Look! The storm cone The wind veers. A high tide coming Will eat the land A tide no breakwaters can withstand. Fasten your boats. The springtide’s here With a gale behind. Chorus Is there much to fear? Ned Only for the goods you’re rich in: It won’t drown your conscience, it might flood your kitchen. Boles God has his ways which are not ours: His high tide swallows up the shores. Repent! Ned And keep your wife upstairs. Omnes O Tide that waits for no man Spare our coasts!
Those within traveling distance of London may want to check out the English National Opera’s production of Peter Grimes, running until the 27th February.
Share this:
Music For The Day
More Maurizio Pollini today. This time a complete, recent recording of Brahm’s First Piano Concerto, accompanied by the Staatskapelle Dresden under the baton of Christian Thielemann.
A fine recording by a great pianist – though I favour the Emil Gilels recording and (perhaps predictably) the bootleg Carnegie Hall recording of Gould/Bernstein, this one holds up quite well in comparison.
Share this:
Music For The Day
The first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier, by J. S. Bach.
As interpreted by pianist Maurizio Pollini.
Glenn Gould would no doubt have spat out his milk and arrowroot biscuits in distaste at being made to listen to this particular recording, but for those with a broader aesthetic taste there is much to admire here.
Semi-Partisan Politics 