Search found 36 matches

by hollowman
Sat Aug 13, 2016 8:36 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Dissonance (?) technique in 20th century--What's it called?!
Replies: 6
Views: 5386

Re: Dissonance (?) technique in 20th century--What's it call

When I saw the word Dissonance I was bracing myself for the worst, something Bartokian. But those pieces are actually quite pleasant! Speaking of BB, I was just listening to his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celestia, and at one chord was that non-tonal note ... amidst all that atonality. About...
by hollowman
Fri Aug 12, 2016 10:54 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Dissonance (?) technique in 20th century--What's it called?!
Replies: 6
Views: 5386

Re: Dissonance (?) technique in 20th century--What's it call

If I had to guess, I think you're just picking up on "non-chord tones." Examples are suspensions, anticipations, appoggiaturas, etc. I found this quickly: http://openmusictheory.com/embellishingTones.html Thx! Hmm... too bad I don't have music-theory background to read that stuff on the link you pr...
by hollowman
Fri Aug 12, 2016 4:51 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Dissonance (?) technique in 20th century--What's it called?!
Replies: 6
Views: 5386

Dissonance (?) technique in 20th century--What's it called?!

I don't know what the "technique" is or what it may be formally called/described. Thank goodness for YouTube time cued URLs, so you just cut to the chase... Here in Alwyn's Symph. #1, mvt. 3 (Adagio), you can hear the technique in question as the strings become slighly "strained" (or uneasy, atonal,...
by hollowman
Fri Apr 15, 2016 1:46 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Lost posts/threads
Replies: 2
Views: 2164

Lost posts/threads

Did CMG have database crash in the last 4 years? Reason I ask is that I can't find certain threads I created (4-5 years back). One specifically was on the best Mahler 5 recording/performance.
Thx for any info you can provide.
by hollowman
Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:09 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Tasmin Little's violin
Replies: 6
Views: 8699

Re: Tasmin Little's violin

the body length of that violin is 35.5 cm, just like the Vieuxtemps strad (35.7), the Messiah strad (35.5), and the Cannon Guarneri (35.4). Hmmm ... not a violinist here so I don't know if that's "big" or not. About the comment re: the violin looking big ... well, maybe, it's the other way around: ...
by hollowman
Mon Oct 12, 2015 12:58 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: What are YOU listening to today?
Replies: 16255
Views: 5359700

Re: What are YOU listening to today?

Just posted on Tasmin Little in another CMG thread. While Googling that topic, I came across an extraordinary claim: "Tasmin Little plays the most difficult violin concerto ever written. " http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalmusic/3601408/Little-goes-a-long-way.html [youtube]https://ww...
by hollowman
Mon Oct 12, 2015 12:40 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Tasmin Little's violin
Replies: 6
Views: 8699

Tasmin Little's violin

In the BBC Proms/ Elgar Violin Conc. video .... [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbeLqE1Pabk[/youtube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbeLqE1Pabk .... someone noted in the comments section: "Is it just me, or does her violin seem significantly bigger than average? I thought it was a viola a...
by hollowman
Sat Mar 01, 2014 12:07 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

I had the Aulos Kondrashin set and passed it onto a friend when I picked up the latest Melodiya remastering. Although I had read that the later was a superior remastering I couldn't really detect a lot of difference. The Melodiya 'Pizza ' Box is however much easier to get hold of at a decent price ...
by hollowman
Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:59 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

In all the videos of Haitink I've seen, he walks to the podium, "goes through the motions", seeming well-rehearsed (but quite disconnected w/orch.)**, take his bow and exits. He's doesn't seem very "interactive" with the orchestra, like (e.g.) Bernstein or Barenboim. Barenboim is, IMO, and under-per...
by hollowman
Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:21 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

What about Haitink? Serious classical aficionados (like this forum) don't seem to mention this conductor's cycle too much. Performance-wise, is he (his cycle) spotty, or just ordinary? (IMO, decent and consistent (throughout cycle) but does not excel at any point) That said ... seems to be one of th...
by hollowman
Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:09 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

shostakovich.org/symphony.htm ranks as follows: Symphony No. 1: Bernstein (DG 27632) Symphony No. 4: Kondrashin (BMG-Melodiya 19840 -- Europe only) Symphony No. 5: Maxim Shostakovich (BMG-RCA 32041) Symphony No. 6: Mravinsky (BMG-Melodiya 25198) Symphony No. 7: Bernstein (DG 27632) Symphony No. 8: ...
by hollowman
Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:59 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

This release set of the 15 symps by Kondrashin/Moscow Phil Orch. was mastered in 2003 -2007 (Melodiya and Korea's AULOS CLASSICS ) using DSD (this is not an SACD, tho' .... I think): (be sure to read the extensive review on the musicweb-international page, link above. It seems that Aulos is the vers...
by hollowman
Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:42 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

I just dug into my boxed-up CD collection -- thought I'd ripped the better ones onto my HDD ;) -- and found some DS... Perhaps the mother lode was: National Symp Orch & Mstislav Rostropovich - Shostakovich Sy. 8 (TELDEC, 1992) --- an Oct. 1991 recording done at JFK Center, Wash. D.C. TELDEC digital ...
by hollowman
Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:34 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

Of course Kondrashin is also excellent, but with a few weaknesses and also not the best sound (this is partly Melodiya's fault, as I already heard Japanese releases of a couple symphonies from this same cycle, and they sounded really better, incredible). Japanese releases of the Kondrashin/Melodiya...
by hollowman
Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:43 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

Shostakovich wrote a lot of film scores, and that's a "recorded medium," isn't it? But he composed nothing on commission from Mk/Melodiya or any other record company or for any radio or television network, as far as I can tell. And in the Soviet Union it would have been pointless to compose for tho...
by hollowman
Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:29 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

From Sept, 2013: hr-Sinfonieorchesters / Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra! Schostakowitsch: 10. Sinfonie ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Stanisław Skrowaczewski Not bad, you get the whole thing in HD (with the modern recording goodness I noted earlier) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2Rtd4tnFwU [youtube]...
by hollowman
Sat Feb 22, 2014 2:29 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

Being a "modern" composer, I wonder if (or how much) Shostakovich composed for recorded media (as opposed to live performance)? Speaking of recordings ... I know that the scale of some of his works -- like Mahler -- needs a good/powerful recording. Wimpy recordings, like some of those from USSR days...
by hollowman
Fri Feb 21, 2014 12:08 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

Stokowski with #11 It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fML3OXHudcw (Wow! Even with YouTube's limited audio, that recording sounds super!) Didn't know about this. I know Stokowski style (=interpretation, re-interpretation) doesn't appeal to many hard-core classical fans but I find he adds laye...
by hollowman
Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:35 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Re: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collectio

The NAC Podcast from a few weeks ago explored the 10th: http://nac-cna.ca/en/podcasts/explore-the-symphony/episode-32-shostakovich-and-his-10th-symphony NAC has covered Shostakovich a few times and a common comment is that Russian orchestras perform "crazy fast". I found this with Kondrashin/Moscow ...
by hollowman
Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:23 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)
Replies: 64
Views: 31548

Shostakovich: Symps. 1-15 (your favorite cycle collection)

PrestoClassical has a pretty complete list here: http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/w/81084 I have the complete Melodiya/Kondrashin collection, and much of Haitink. Until I found this list, I didn't know the cycle had been represented THIS MANY TIMES on recorded media. I think the Kondrashin is genera...
by hollowman
Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:55 am
Forum: Films & Movies & Their Music
Topic: Best Walton "Battle in the Air" - BBC Proms 2007
Replies: 0
Views: 4365

Best Walton "Battle in the Air" - BBC Proms 2007

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feJsR1Kgibc feJsR1Kgibc From "The Battle of Britain" (1969) I think I've heard almost all versions, including ... orig. 1969 M. Arnold-conducted score (2nd best, but see comments below); Chandos (Neville Marriner, AoSMitF, 1990; So-so perf.); EMI (Carl Da...
by hollowman
Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:41 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Best "First" symphonies
Replies: 69
Views: 49496

Re: Best "First" symphonies

Which Beethoven 1 is best? Of the ones I've heard, Jonathan Del Mar versions by Zinman/Tonhalle seems to be v. good. ( I may in fact prefer the Del Mar/Zinmans for all LVB they've done)
by hollowman
Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:16 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Best "First" symphonies
Replies: 69
Views: 49496

Re: Best "First" symphonies

Barber (my #1 no.1, by a long shot): Zinman/Baltimore SO, 1991 Argo
Walton: Colin Davis, LSO, 2005

Ives (a "tribute" to A Dvorak so not too orig. & def, not in same "league" as Barber/Walton as well as the heavyweights you folks note above, but I really like cor anglais!):
by hollowman
Sat Dec 25, 2010 3:35 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Instrument / technique identification needed
Replies: 14
Views: 6137

It's a muted tumpet!

Found it ...
A muted trumpet (or several muted trumpets)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muted_trumpet#Brass

Extensively used throughout this William Walton Battle of Britain - 'Battle In The Air' piece, performed in the 2007 BBC Proms:
by hollowman
Sun Feb 07, 2010 7:27 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Instrument / technique identification needed
Replies: 14
Views: 6137

Re: Instrument / technique identification needed

Yes, it's just quick repeated notes, no special term for it. Really rapid repeated notes in the strings are called tremolando - cf. the opening of almost any Bruckner symphony - and the equivalent in wind instruments, much less common, which does sound kind of like buzzing, is called "flutter tongu...
by hollowman
Sun Feb 07, 2010 7:15 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Instrument / technique identification needed
Replies: 14
Views: 6137

Re: Instrument / technique identification needed

Thx for everyone's response thus far -- very enlightening! Yes, it's just quick repeated notes, no special term for it. Really rapid repeated notes in the strings are called tremolando - cf. the opening of almost any Bruckner symphony - and the equivalent in wind instruments, much less common, which...
by hollowman
Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:41 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Instrument / technique identification needed
Replies: 14
Views: 6137

Instrument / technique identification needed

I'm not very familiar with music terminology, so I don't know what to call what I hear (much less identify the instrument(s) constructing the sound). The sound/technique in question (examples via YouTube links below) very vaguely resembles low-pitched swarm of insect "buzzing" (sounds like instrumen...
by hollowman
Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:46 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Itay Talgam: Lead like the great conductors
Replies: 0
Views: 1354

Itay Talgam: Lead like the great conductors

A recent, succinct and informative (to the lay person) talk is here: http://www.ted.com/talks/itay_talgam_lead_like_the_great_conductors.html From the TEDs site: An orchestra conductor faces the ultimate leadership challenge: creating perfect harmony without saying a word. In this talk, Talgam demon...
by hollowman
Sun Aug 24, 2008 5:59 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: Barber - Sonata, 4th Mvt, Stephen Beus (What do you think?)
Replies: 1
Views: 1855

Barber - Sonata, 4th Mvt, Stephen Beus (What do you think?)

IMO, the Goldilocks-type effect (too fast, too slow, just right) doesn't apply here. NOT "too fast", if there is such a thing. IMO, if you can technically play well at a break-neck pace, as the Beus does when appropriate WITHIN the mvt., the piece only benefits. But I'm no expert. What do you think?...
by hollowman
Sun Aug 24, 2008 5:51 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: "Polymath" composers
Replies: 9
Views: 7213

Re: "Polymath" composers

I seem to read this question more effectively as which composers had the biggest transformations throughout their careers....Schoenberg would definitely fit that bill. Beethoven...not as dramatically as Schoenberg, but just as dramatic in another sense (Classicism to Romanticism, if you consider hi...
by hollowman
Sun Aug 24, 2008 5:05 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: "Polymath" composers
Replies: 9
Views: 7213

"Polymath" composers

I use the term "polymath" in quotes, because I'm recoining its definition -- i.e., limited to within the area of classical music. What composers were (or are) considered "masters" in multiple styles, periods or genres of classical music? For example, Samuel Barber, in additon to his popular romantic...
by hollowman
Wed Mar 19, 2008 1:06 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: What is "musical conservatism"?
Replies: 9
Views: 6234

Barber's

It can mean closer in spirit and technique to some semi-imagined notion of where music would be had Schoenberg been bypassed, but as such it is a chimera. Some of the best works of the "pretty tunes" school, if there is such a thing such as Barber, come to full terms with the state of composition i...
by hollowman
Wed Mar 19, 2008 1:07 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: What is "musical conservatism"?
Replies: 9
Views: 6234

What is "musical conservatism"?

"Musical conservatism" is another concept I'm having difficulty in grasping. For example, in the liner of Sony Classical's Bernstein/Barber CD, it is noted that Barber was musically conservative. What exactly -- or approximately -- does this mean? What other composers and/or specific scores, pieces ...
by hollowman
Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:14 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: What is "lyricism"
Replies: 25
Views: 34674

Re: What is "lyricism"

First: a huge thx to everyone who has chimed in on my inaugural query. I noted the lack of a finding a clear and concise definition of “lyrical”/”lyricism” in my Internet search. Perhaps, now, with this thread, the search engines have something to home-in on. Anyway... Hollowman, try this: take any...
by hollowman
Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:43 am
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: What is "lyricism"
Replies: 25
Views: 34674

Emotion = lyricism?

I always took 'lyricism' to mean the emotive quality of an artist or composer; that is, their ability to articulate their artistic creativity and sensitivity. This is why, for instance, I believe Schumann to be one of the most lyrical composers to have ever lived -- his creativity and sensitivity t...
by hollowman
Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:26 pm
Forum: Classical Music Chatterbox
Topic: What is "lyricism"
Replies: 25
Views: 34674

What is "lyricism"

Hi, I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I can't seem to find a good, concrete definition for "lyricism" in non-vocal classical music. What does it mean when a non-vocal composer or composition is described as being "lyrical"? For example, Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" is describe...