Have a break, have a Brendel. Alfred Brendel in Joseph Haydn.

Sometimes you get a brief break during which you can listen to some music. On your headphones, in the kitchen, in bed even. And a short playlist can be very fitted for that. Years ago I made a quick Debussy fix playlist, now it are the 1985 Haydn recordings by now retired pianist Alfred Brendel, who always excelled in this repertoire. Starting with the most well known piano sonata (also a piece many people played when they had five of six years of piano lessons), the D major Hoboken 37 sonata. Then a set of moving variations in f minor, allegedly composed by Haydn as a reflection of Mozart’s death, and his masterpiece, the E flat sonata Hoboken 52. 

I hope you will enjoy this Brendel-break!

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Tracks 01-03 Piano sonata in D major Hob. XVI: 37 (before 1780)

Track 04 Andante Con Variazioni In F Minor Hob. XVII: 6 (1793)

Tracks 05-07 Piano sonata in E flat  major Hob. XVI: 52 (1794)

Alfred Brendel, piano

Recorded in 1985

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6bDR7942uv7AbxOayYz3fv?si=a899f9672e024278(47 minutes of a Brendel-break through a Spotify weblink)

Father and son Kantorow in Saint-Saens

Having watched the semi-finals of the Queen Elisabeth violin competition in Brussels, I noticed that the conductor there was Jean-Jacques Kantorow. As he was a solo-violinist for many years, he was a perfect accompanist for all the candidates in that contest. Almost at the same time someone attended me to a new CD by his piano playing son Alexandre Kantorow, who performed three of the five piano concerto’s bij Saint-Saens. Very fine performances and the not so often recorded third receives the best and most convincing performance I have ever heard! I thought it would be a nice idea to combine Jean-Jacques Kantorow’s recording of violin works by Saint-Saens with the new recording of him and his son.

Track 01-03 Piano Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 29 (1869)

Track 04-06 Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61 (1880)

Track 07-08 Piano Concerto No.4 in C minor, Op. 44 (1875)

Track 09 Caprice d’après l’Étude en forme de Valse, Op.52 (for violin and orchestra, 1872)

Track 10 Caprice andalous, Op.122 (for violin and orchestra, 1904)

Track 11 Prélude from ‘Le déluge’, Op.45 (1875)

Track 12-14 Piano Concerto No.5 in F major, Op. 103, ‘L’Égyptien’ (1896)

Tapiola Sinfonietta

Alexandre Kantorow, piano (Tracks 01-03, 07-08 and12-14)

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin (Tracks 04-06, 09,10 and 11)

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, conductor (Tracks 01-03, 07-08 and 12-14)

Kees Bakels, conductor (Tracks 04-06, 09,10 and 11)

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/0Bjw0wmeA0ZiA1YAlr85xZ?si=Pr-D2kAPSsqNUSu7gMrasw (Spotify Webplayer link)

Young, snobbish classical loiterers

Found this cartoon and had a good laugh…

(Click for larger image)

Well, it is horrible to hear Beethoven over a pair of crappy Tanoy speakers outside, but what do young snobbish classical loiterers listen to? To op 101, the sophisticated A-Major sonate by Richard Goode? The highlight of his complete sonatas set! 

Or the ultimate vintage vinyl of the 1944 Furtwangler Eroica on Urania? One of the holy grails for classical collectors. Issued in 1953, but drawn from the market when Furtwangler found out this radio recording was issued without his consent. One of the most intense Eroica’s ever produced. 

Maybe they go for one of the finest recent Beethoven 4th piano concerto recordings, Pierre-Laurent Aimard with “the father of all Hipsters” Nikolaus Harnoncourt? 

You tell me! :-)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1828)

Tracks 01-03 Piano sonata no 28 in A-Major op 101. 

Richard Goode, piano

Tracks 04-07 Symphony No.3 E-flat major

Wilhelm Furtwängler and Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra

December 1944, Musikverin Saal, Vienna

Tracks 08-10 Concerto for Piano no 4 in G major, Op. 58 

Pierre-Laurent Aimard 

Chamber Orchestra of Europe,

Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/1negIwqm45IBAbIfR5mwhz?si=fVW7q3y0QYWTik_hkihcfQ (Webplayer link)

The first Youtube prodigy has grown up. Aimi Kobayashi plays Chopin and Liszt.

In 2006, youtube was a novelty, and one of the early viral video’s was Mozart’s 26th piano concerto, played by the then 11 year old Aimi Kobayashi. The original video has been deleted (after millions of views), but a copy was uploaded later on. 

And now, 12 years later, Aimi has her first CD for Warner classics. The Chopin might be just a bit too Rachmaninovesque, but I urge you to listen to tracks 8 and 9, Liszt. 

The big Après une lecture du Dante is refined and well balanced and the overplayed Liebesträume receives on of the best performances I know. 

Nice to hear the first Youtube prodigy grown up now…! 

Frédéric Chopin: 

Tracks 01-04 Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35 

Franz Liszt:

Années de pèlerinage, 2ème année, Italie S. 161

Track 05  No. 4, Sonetto 47 del Petrarca 
Track 06  No. 5, Sonetto 104 del Petrarca 
Track 07  No. 6, Sonetto 123 del Petrarca 
Track 08  No. 7, Après une lecture du Dante (Fantasia quai sonata)

Track 09  Liebesträume S. 541: No. 3 in A-Flat Major, "O lieb so lang' du lieben kannst”

Aimi Kobayashi, Piano

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/1BXu6utOGyliIbUd7PBK3f?si=nxbUpICaSTayjP6bAIH34A (Webplayer link)

Aimi and fans...

Lifelong friend of van Beethoven, Antonin Reicha (1770-1836)

Recently I have heard two CD’s from the “little” composer Antonín Rejcha (also known als Anton Reicha of Antoine Reicha 1770-1836, “lifelong friend of van Beethoven”) that took me by surprise. One with chamber music and one with piano works, that I found browsing through the BBC Music Magazine. Fine and original music, reminding me of Carl Philip Emanuel Bach in the keyboard works. The Quintet and quartet are part of a 3 CD box, with different performers, of which the first CD with Quartor Girard stands out. Coupled them together and *just listen*, I would say.

The music and performances gave me much pleasure :-)  

Antonín Rejcha (1770-1836)

-Tracks 01-04 String Quintet (with two violas) in F Major, Op. 92 No. 1 (c 1819)

Quatuor Girard

Hugues Girard : Violin

Agathe Girard : Violin

Odon Girard : Viola

Lucie Girard : Cello 

Tanguy Parisot (viola)

Antonín Rejcha (1770-1836)

-Track 05 Harmonie No.20 from Practische Beispiele (1803)

(Adagio Fantaisie 1. Un poco allegretto - Fantaisie 2. Allegro - Fantaisie 3. Allegretto - Fantaisie 4. Allegro vivace - Fantaisie 5. Adagio di molto - Fantaisie 6. Allegro)

-Tracks 06-08 Grande Sonate (c.1805) in C major

-Track 09 Capriccio No.7 from Practische Beispiele (1803) 

(Allegro assai - Un poco più lento - Tempo I - Un poco più lento - Tempo I)

-Track 10-12 Sonata on a Theme of Mozart (c.1805) in F major 

(Variations sur la 'Marche des Prêtres' du Second Acte de La Flûte enchantée de Mozart)

-Track 13 Fantaisie sur un seul accord

No.4 from Practische Beispiele (1803) Allegro - Presto - Tempo I - Tempo II

-Track 14 Étude, Op.97 No.1 in E minor 

(from Étude dans le genre fugué pour le piano-forte [...] à l'usage des jeunes compositeurs (?1815-17))

Ivan Ilic piano

Antonín Rejcha (1770-1836)

-Tracks 15-18 String Quartet in E Major, Op. 95 No. 1 (1824)

Quatuor Girard

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/4yXXEqfdAkUhVX3XgryBwy?si=jtdFjmbfT-GVRPbnBLC_kQ

(Webplayer link)

Beethoven Between the Boobs, the infamous Daniel Barenboim Westminister gold series LP

Dutch NPR radio 4 initiated a “vinylweek” november 25th till december 1st 2017. Classical music recordings, not yet on Spotify or CD, bargain finds for an euro and of course the cover art of classical LP’s. 

One of the most (in)famous classical music covers -and therefore very much sought after!!- is the 1970 re-issue of Daniel Barenboim’s performance of Beethoven’s 3rd piano concerto. The cover is known as the “Beethoven between the boobs” cover (see below the Spotify widget on this page)

The cover was designed by Christopher Whorf for the Westminister Gold series. Originally, the cover of the 1965 Lp was quite traditional, as can be seen here. Whorf managed to make it one of the most whimsical and silly coves ever to be produced on the classical market…

Interesting to know that Christopher Whorf actually did make magnificent record covers, as he has been nominated four times for a Grammy award for best sleeve design, and won the Grammy in 1974, for his design of Mason Proffit’s “Come and gone”. 

But, most interestingly, almost no one seem to know the music on this LP, a 22 year old Daniel Barenboim on the brink of an international break-trough. So, here is the chance, thanks to a fine transfer by Deutsche Grammophon (who bought te tapes of the Westminister label), to hear the performance on of the most infamous LP’s in classical music history. 

Enjoy! 

Ludwig van Beethoven 

Track 01-03 Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In no 3 C Minor, Op. 37

Track 04 Fantasia For Piano, Chorus And Orchestra, Op. 80

Daniel Barenboim, Piano

Vienna State opera orchestra

Laszlo Somogyi, conductor

Vienna Academy Chamber Choir

Recorded in Mozart Hall, Vienna, May 1964

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/62j3Y1NQGGSm0RhApHdsrW

(Spotify Webplayer link)

The Christoper Whorf design...

Another Milstein on the violin… Maria Milstein

This recital stupefied me. I started with the Saint-Saens sonata (track 5, try it yourself!) and immediately I wondered if this was an underrated masterpiece or that I witnessed a miraculous performance. After hearing the complete CD, I think it is the latter. Glorious tone, spectacular accuracy and thoughtful, electrifying performances. And no, she is NOT related to Nathan Milstein, but the granddaughter of Yakov (Yaakov) Milstein, musicologist, professor at the Moscow conservatory and lecturer of oa Bella Davidovich and Elisabeth Leonskaja…

The “theme” of recital CD seems to be music that is attached to Marcel Proust’s recherche du temps perdu, although it’s hard to find how and why that has been established. Nevermind, the playing is awesome, the program original. She is accompanied by her sister, Nathalia Milstein. 

As an extra, an older recording by Maria Milstein and cellist Noelle Weidmann in rarely performed 1910 work by Saint-Saens. 

Tracks 01-03 Gabriel Pierné - Sonate pour violon et piano en ré mineur opus 36 (1900)
Tracks 04 Reynaldo Hahn - À Chloris (1916)
Tracks 05-08 Camille Saint-Saëns - Sonate pour violon et piano n°1 en ré mineur opus 75 (1885)

Track 09 Reynaldo Hahn - 7 Chansons grises, no 5,  L’Heure Exquise (1887-90)
Tracks 10-12 Claude Debussy - Sonate pour violon et piano (1916-7)
Maria Milstein, violin

Nathalia Milstein, piano

Rec 2017 

Track 13 Camille Saint-Saëns: La muse et le poète violon, cello e Orchestre in mi minor, Op. 132 (1910)

Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège

Christian Arming

Noelle Weidmann (cello), Maria Milstein (violin)

Rec 2013

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/2Hrgs5MYMT25vQudRM558W (Webplayer link)

Nathalia and Maria Milstein

Nils Gade by Christopher Hogwood and Ronald Brautigam

How joyful it is to rediscover a splendid cd… In a Dutch Facebook group someone posted a link to the 5th symphony by the Danish composer Niels Gade, in the 19th century a prominent composer.  I liked the work, but remembered that I heard an even more splashing performance, years ago. A quick search through the review sites revealed the Chandos recording. And yes, Christopher Hogwood and pianist Ronald Brautigam really shine in this “symphony with piano obbligato”. Recommended! 

As a bonus, the first symphony by Gade is added, a symphony that Felix Mendelssohn adored… 

Reviews of this CD can be read on the websites of Classical Net, The Gramophone and Musicweb International.

Hope you wil enjoy it as much as I did…! 

Niels Gade (1817-1890) 

Track 01-04 Symphony No. 5 in D minor Op.25 (1852)

Ronald Brautigam, piano

Danish National Symphony Orchestra

Christopher Hogwood, conductor

Track 05-05 Symphony No. 1 in C minor Op.5 (1842) 

Danish National Symphony Orchestra

Christopher Hogwood, conductor

Rec: Danish Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen, November 2001 

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/4DDXAOcmG0XGJyD6zqbg9g (Spotify web player link)

Saint-Saens is a good and inventive composer!

Recently, a Dutch politician wrote on Twitter:

“Tonight I am listening to the piano concerts of Saint Saëns.

A 2nd rate composer, but in everything you feel: his time was better than ours.”

For several reasons I disagree with him. At that time one could *only* hear music composed until that period (including the long forgotten kitsch composed in that period). 

Only if you were very wealthy (not much people then) you were able to hear it and of course you had to survive wars, typhoid, cholera and other inconveniences of that period…

But, what shocked me most, was the disdain for Saint-Saens very original piano concerto’s…!!!

In form and orchestration especially the 2nd, 4th and 5th concertos are highly original and in hearing upon hearing you still will be marveled by the inventiveness of Camille. 

I have made a playlist of these three concerto’s, which are very dear to me. 

First a 1904 “instruction manual” played by Camille Saint-Sains himself of his 2nd piano concerto. Note the left hand playing. Not many pianists play it that way anymore.  

Then, a surprise; a Danish pianist called Victor Schiøler who in 1953 delivered one of the most electrifying performances of the 2nd pianoconcerto. The Danish radio orchestra is incited by the Russian conductor Nicolai Malko. 

One of the first “cheap” CD’s I bought as a student was the concerto box by Aldo Ciccolini recorded in 1970. With the fourth concerto in this performance, my love for the Saint-sains concertos started. Highly original two movement form. 

The fifth piano concerto was inspired by the travels Saint-Saens undertaken to north Africa. The orchestration of this concerto is marvelous and I was pleasantly surprised Dutch pianist Hannes Minnaar played it at the 2010 Queen Elisabeth piano competition. A very fine performance, free and in nothing in his playing you hear he was competing for something. He obviously had fun…

Hope you will enjoy these performances! 

Camille Saint-Saëns:

Track 01 Camille Saint-Saëns plays parts of the first movement of his second concerto

recorded 1904

Tracks 02-04 Concerto No.2 in G minor op. 22 for piano and orchestra (1868)

Victor Schiøler, piano 

Danish State Radio Symphony Orchestra ·

Nicolai Malko, conductor

recorded 1953

Tracks 05-06 Concerto No 4 In C Minor, Op. 44 for piano and orchestra (1875)

Aldo Ciccolini, piano

Orchestre de Paris

Serge Baudo, conductor

recorded 1970

Tracks 07-09 Concerto No 5 In F Major, Op. 103 for piano and orchestra (1896)

Hannes Minnaar, piano

National orchestra of Belgium,

Marin Aslop, conductor

recorded 2010

https://open.spotify.com/user/otterhouse/playlist/7xclTjEFOMqFAI3sh59Bjj

(Spotify Web Player Link)