jmc's classics
This was the last coffee concert for this season it featured two unrelated works: Bruckner's fourth Symphony and Jorg Widmann's Violin Concerto. I have spoken of Bruckner before. Widmann (1973- ) is a German composer. he is trained as a clarinetist and as a composer. he has studied at both the Acadaemy of Music in Munich and at the Julliard School in New York. he has written five string quartets to date.
David Robertson conducted with Christan Tetzlaff on the violin. Tetzlaff is a German violinst. Bruckner's fourth named the "Romantic' is one of his more famous symphonies. My favorite of his it the Third. I have a recording of Kurt Masur conducting the New York Philharmonic on the Teldec Label. Mazur recorded a cycle with the Bruckner Symphonies. Like most other of his symphonies the Fourth lasts over an hour. It dates from 1874 when he started working on it and it was first performed in 1881. One anecdote of this work is that Bruckner liked one for the performances at a rehearsal that he gave the conductor a tip. This symphony was one of his first successes. David Robertson said that the concerto is a "page turner". It lasts about 27 minutes it dates from 2007 and this was the first performance by the SLSO. it is contemporary sounding. David Robertson has conducted it in Australia and said before the concert that when he conducted it in Australia the St. Louisans need to here this work. I liked this piece.
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The 2017-28 season of the SLSO ends May sixth. It will be David Robinson's last as music director. I wish him good luck!
Many of the independent CD and Book stores are closing. Arkiv Music
I have purchased two new CDs. I do not buy as many as I used to. Beethoven's Piano Trios (Opuses 11 and 38) (Ib Hausmann clarinet, Maria Kliegel, cello and Nina Tichman piano) on the Naxos label and of Carlos Chavez's Chamber works on the Cambrian lable with the Southwest chamber society.
Beethoven wrote several Piano Trios. the Piano Trios is normally piano, violin and cello. However these two Trios were for piano, cello and clarinet. Brahms also wrote a similar piece. These are not as popular as Beethoven's other pieces. Both of these works date from The late 1790s' to the early 1800's The Opus 11 trio is nicknamed "Gassenuare" from because it uses themes from Joseph Weigle's opera Il Corsaro. Weigle was an obscure Austrian composer. Carlos Chavez (1899-1978) was a Mexican composer and conductor who I have only recently found out about. He wrote chamber music and symphonies. his most famous work was his Second Symphony "Sifonia India" which only lasts about 12 minutes. He was one of the most famous Mexican composers of Classical Music. I have seen some of his music on YouTube. I have taken classes on Mexican and Latin American History in college a long time ago. I do not know that much about Mexican Music. Mexico has produced some famous artisans etc. Unfortunately, there are not many CDs of his works available. |
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