Aug 11, 2011 -- 5:04AM, steven_guy wrote:

Good evening, or morning.

I was curious about what people are listening to lately? A dear from of mine told me that he is likely to be involved in a production of Georg Philipp Telemann's opera "Orpheus" in New York next year, so I've been listening to recording made by maestro Jacobs in the 1990s again. A wonderful work! Telemann was a true internationalist and his opera is in three languages, French, German and Italian. Italian when the music is in the Italian style, French when appropriate and German for other parts. Apparently, this was common enough in Germany in the 18th century. Handel's opera, "Almira", was similarly multi-lingual.

When I first played the work some years ago I was somewhat skeptical, but I've come to appreciate the wisdom of this approach and how is accentuates the colours of the languages with music composed to support them.

So what are you listening to? I'll wager that it probably isn't the music of Telemann, only lunatics like me do that!

 

Hi Stephen,

              Being aware that you are a Messiaen fan, I thought you might appreciate this.  Lately, I've been revisiting his "Quartet For The End Of Time" recorded by the ensemble Tashi on RCA. When I was a undergraduate jazz student, this recording came out and was getting passed around by everyone I knew. Our composer in residence, Michael Gibbs, was a student of Messiaen and I was already dealing with his compositional concepts. Recently, I had the chance to meet the great Richard Stolzman, who was the clarinetist in the ensemble and he considers the recording one of his most prized artistic achievements. He is also one of the pleasant classical guys I've ever met, and he happily took a turn performing with his son's jazz trio, playing some rather wicked jazz clarinet.

              I've sat and listened several times and it is a highly emotional experience. When I think that the piece was written in a concentration camp under the direst of circumstances, I am even more amazed at its power, scope, passion and expression of ultimate hope. I do play a couple of his solo piano pieces and played one for the girlfriend one evening and she told me that it sounded like starlight twinkling, which I thought a rather lovely image.When I mentioned the fact that the composer was inspired by bird songs, she totally got it.

                Hope you are healing nicely

Cab Calloway at his finest.

Nov 29, 2011 -- 6:20PM, steven_guy wrote:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=x52-VKWI9hg&feat...

Ken will probably enjoy this. Nice to see excellent use of Renaissance (cylindrical bore) recorders  used so well at 8' pitch.

Not only Ken, anyone interested in original instrument music will find this fascinating. 

Mar 14, 2012 -- 2:06AM, sadiaali wrote:

Feb 12, 2008 -- 9:43PM, Ken wrote:

steven_guy wrote:

I hope some of you enjoy this music, composed in a time when music for the church was actually good and free of nuns with guitars!

Hmmph. I'm not sure that I care for this newfangled church music with instruments. Dear old Josquin managed quite nicely without all that banging, tootling, and scraping of cat's guts, and if it was good enough for Josquin, it's good enough for me. Of course, I'm really enjoying it. For almost two weeks now I've been listening to nothing but Baroque opera and my ears need a good cleaning out.

me like some rock music nd music is food of life whihc providing the fresh energy,

I am not quite sure what you are saying?