2373
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Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Peteris Vasks(1946-)
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on: January 19, 2013, 02:24:33 am
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In the last two days I have acquired virtually all Vasks' orchestral/string music ;D I had the Second and Third Symphonies, the Violin and the Cello Concertos on cd already.
Missing still are the Cantata(1978), Adagio for string orchestra(1995-96), Musica appassionata(2002), Missa(2005), "Sala"(2006), "Epifani"(2010) and "Prayer"(2011). So...if you have any of these then I, at least, would be most grateful :)
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2375
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ARCHIVED TOPICS / Performance and technique / Why are German orchestras so magnificent?
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on: January 18, 2013, 08:15:35 pm
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I write as a Scot and a citizen of the United Kingdom :)
I have been watching quite a few You Tube videos recently featuring famous German orchestras and that has led me to reflect-for the umpteenth time over the years-on just how glorious so many German orchestras actually are.
This is by no means-obviously-an original observation ;D but when one reflects on the magnificence of the sound quality produced by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Berlin Staatskapelle, the Deutsches Symphonie Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the other radio orchestras in Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg, not to mention the various other German orchestras it all amounts to an incredible quantity of absolutely first-rate orchestras. Extremely disciplined...yes, but so too are the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Maybe I am just a Germanophile....but when I hear a German orchestra with its rich string tone and such glorious brass-playing in music by the great 19th century composers I am invariably lost for words ;D
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2376
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Assorted items / General musical discussion / Re: Composers away from the main musical capitals
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on: January 18, 2013, 06:01:16 pm
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The Russian-language version of Wikipedia gives more details Thanks, Neil, for the additional information. Kyjo, I agree with your assessment of Lokshin's music. While I have a few downloads in my collection, I find I rarely listen to any of them, as there are other so many other composers who capture my attention more readily. However, I'll keep the works, and perhaps one day will sit down and make a serious attempt at coming to terms with the music. I made four Lokshin symphonies available here a few days ago-Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 8.
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2379
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Assorted items / Individual composers / Re: Peteris Vasks(1946-)
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on: January 18, 2013, 02:40:08 am
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Well....on the one hand I am glad to hear that you quite like Vasks :)
On the other hand........"despise" is a dreadfully strong word to use about any composer's music. You know that I don't like either Rachmaninov or Delius..........but I certainly don't despise their music. It just doesn't appeal to my particular musical sensibilities :(
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2380
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Assorted items / Individual composers / William Bolcom(1938-)
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on: January 18, 2013, 02:34:21 am
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Question for our American friends :)
When we talk about prominent living American composers (like Corigliano or Rouse or Harbison) why do we seem always to forget about William Bolcom: 75 this year and composer of eight symphonies, three of them on cd (although, I admit, I haven't listened to them for ages) ???
I ask because I have just listened to a download of his Piano Concerto...........completely forgetting that it is sitting on my cd shelves ::)
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2381
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Assorted items / Individual composers / Peteris Vasks(1946-)
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on: January 18, 2013, 01:57:32 am
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I know that to some this will be anathema......but, having listen today to a very considerable amount of the music of the Latvian Peteris Vasks (courtesy of You Tube) I do have to say that, despite my usual preference for somewhat hard-edged and grim music, the beauty of Vasks' writing for strings has quite bowled me over!
I realise that he is sometimes grouped with composers like Part and Gorecki and that there are those here who dislike this kind of music but I have definitely succumbed :)
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2383
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Assorted items / Commercial recordings (vintage, new and forthcoming) / Re: New from BIS
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on: January 17, 2013, 08:09:48 pm
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Finally, BIS is releasing some items of interest! The Pickard and Aho (two of my favorite contemporary composers) discs shall be eagerly looked forward to, and the In the Shadow of War disc should also be a treat. Along with two masterpieces, Bloch's Schelomo and Bridge's Oration, it should be very interesting to hear pianist Steven's Hough's Elegy The Loneliest Wilderness :) I love deep, soulful pieces for cello and orchestra like these, which the British are so very adept at writing ;D
......oh, and it looks like the Refractions disc of 20th-century choral music by Valen, Webern, Berg and Messiaen has orchestral accompaniment on some of the tracks :)
We are such "deep, soulful" people, you know ;D
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