Classical bLog Cabin
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One of the most famous uses of the bassoon in an orchestral setting is J. Haydn using it to make a surprise loud fart sound in his Symphony No. 93. As Wikipedia puts it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._93_(Haydn)
Some have referred to this symphony as 'Le Fart'. xD Some performances try to make the fart subtle, but not all obviously.
In addition to the works posted by Klassik previously, another classical era composer worth checking out for bassoon music, and music for winds generally, is Franz Danzi. Danzi may not be a well-known name, but Klassik is quite a fan of his works. He's known as a specialist composer for the winds which probably limits his popularity, but these things aren't always quite just. Anyway, here is one of Danzi's bassoon concertos (G minor):
Bassoon concerti by Aho and Fagerlund should not be dismissed.
I totally agree with Klassik on this. Bassoon is one of my favourite instruments. I've spoken about it before with Klassik. When the neoclassicists came around one of the things they did best was revive that sort of woodwind music in their own idiom. Jean Francaix's works for bassoon are among my favourites. They and others also successfully revived the wind quintet which has bassoon as bass. Composers like Schmitt, Tournier, Roussel, Milhaud, Pierne, Ibert all wrote excellent music for trios featuring bassoon and oboe.
Right, so as it's been a long while since I heard the Eroica, I thought I'd try a few versions recommended by @JANDL100:
Bohm/VPO, Goodman/Hanover, Karajan 1960s, Karajan 1970s (both Karajan versions as I have the '60s recording but know that the '70s is meant to be his best).
So firstly, having spent the previous few days listening to Shostakovich symphonies and SQs, this Romantic symphony was a welcome relief! I very much enjoyed the first outing with Bohm, it was clear, articulate and powerful in the 1st movement and emotional in the funeral march slow movement, and good sound quality.
Then Goodman. I found the difference between him and Bohm fairly subtle, and I think the recording may play a part in it, but he seems a little more plush and leisurely. I like them both in their different ways - Goodman perhaps a slightly more relaxing listen, Bohm a more energetic one. I could see room for both in my collection.
Then Karajan. In short, and frustratingly for me as I own the '60s set already, I much preferred the '70s recording. I found his funeral march second movement perhaps the most emotive of all the sets above, and like his finale the most too. With the '70s cycle, I also really enjoyed the Overtures that came with it (Egemont, Leonore 3, Fidelio, Coriolan, Creatures of Prometheus, Ruins of Athens). I think I'm going to have to get this as well if I find it inexpensively.
Can't believe I'm going to have to buy another 3 versions of this symphony - but they all had something different in them. :roll:
I then re-visted the 2nd symphony having not heard that for a long time as well, and really liked how you can start to hear the transition from 'classical' to 'romantic' in there. I only heard Karajan's '70s recording but liked it a lot.
Finally I heard the 9th on Karajan '70s. Now this is probably going to attract a lot of flack but I have to say I don't love this piece. I don't know why as it's probably the first symphony people recommend newbies hear, and generally considered one of the most significant ones, but it's just never really clicked with me. Maybe I just hear it with a weight of expectation behind me. Anyway, interestingly, I found it didn't really seem to differ so much from the 3rd - it sounded generally quite similar. Maybe that's rubbish I don't know, but just my thoughts.
Bohm/VPO, Goodman/Hanover, Karajan 1960s, Karajan 1970s (both Karajan versions as I have the '60s recording but know that the '70s is meant to be his best).
So firstly, having spent the previous few days listening to Shostakovich symphonies and SQs, this Romantic symphony was a welcome relief! I very much enjoyed the first outing with Bohm, it was clear, articulate and powerful in the 1st movement and emotional in the funeral march slow movement, and good sound quality.
Then Goodman. I found the difference between him and Bohm fairly subtle, and I think the recording may play a part in it, but he seems a little more plush and leisurely. I like them both in their different ways - Goodman perhaps a slightly more relaxing listen, Bohm a more energetic one. I could see room for both in my collection.
Then Karajan. In short, and frustratingly for me as I own the '60s set already, I much preferred the '70s recording. I found his funeral march second movement perhaps the most emotive of all the sets above, and like his finale the most too. With the '70s cycle, I also really enjoyed the Overtures that came with it (Egemont, Leonore 3, Fidelio, Coriolan, Creatures of Prometheus, Ruins of Athens). I think I'm going to have to get this as well if I find it inexpensively.
Can't believe I'm going to have to buy another 3 versions of this symphony - but they all had something different in them. :roll:
I then re-visted the 2nd symphony having not heard that for a long time as well, and really liked how you can start to hear the transition from 'classical' to 'romantic' in there. I only heard Karajan's '70s recording but liked it a lot.
Finally I heard the 9th on Karajan '70s. Now this is probably going to attract a lot of flack but I have to say I don't love this piece. I don't know why as it's probably the first symphony people recommend newbies hear, and generally considered one of the most significant ones, but it's just never really clicked with me. Maybe I just hear it with a weight of expectation behind me. Anyway, interestingly, I found it didn't really seem to differ so much from the 3rd - it sounded generally quite similar. Maybe that's rubbish I don't know, but just my thoughts.
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I kind of agree about Beethoven's 9th.
It's decades since I've bothered with the finale, it's just pompous grandiosity to my mind, but I do like the first 3 movements still.
It's decades since I've bothered with the finale, it's just pompous grandiosity to my mind, but I do like the first 3 movements still.
Klassik does not listen to Beethoven symphonies all that often, but when Klassik does, Klassik prefers something 'historically informed'. Some HIP performances might be a bit too much out of the norm for one's liking, but something like John Eliot Gardiner's performances might be of interest. The DG/Archiv recordings from the early 1990s are a bit dull from a sound quality perspective as many of DG's early digital recordings were, but it's good enough in Klassik's opinion:
John Eliot Gardiner is supposedly a rather randy man. With that in mind, the verve of this performance might be right for rigorous air-conducting...or maybe even pelvic thrusts while listening. That's usually a Klassikal sign of approval. :shaggers:
As for Beethoven's Neinth Symphony, well, does Klassik need to say more?
The eighth symphony is a pretty good one if Klassik remembers correctly. It's been years since Klassik has heard any Beethoven symphony other than the Fifth and Sixth.
Actually, re: bassoons. I'd like to retract my statement that only Zelenka could write convincingly for them.
There are some beautiful bassoon passages in this Bach b minor mass. On 'original instruments' though, maybe that makes a difference, they have here a very nice mellow tone.
Hmmm. This recording also has some surprisingly (to me) pleasant sounding olde and ancient flutes. Maybe it's just modern wind instruments I can have a problem with? They don't make them like they used to.
There are some beautiful bassoon passages in this Bach b minor mass. On 'original instruments' though, maybe that makes a difference, they have here a very nice mellow tone.
Hmmm. This recording also has some surprisingly (to me) pleasant sounding olde and ancient flutes. Maybe it's just modern wind instruments I can have a problem with? They don't make them like they used to.
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Klassik does quite enjoy music for the dulcian, Baroque bassoon, and 'old' woodwinds in general. The modern ones are fine as well, but the older woodwinds sometimes have a bit more of a more pleasing sound to them which can be pleasing. Older brass instruments can have a bit more of a 'raw' sound.
It seems the flute and harpsichord are considered undesirable instruments around these parts. Well, at least @josh and @JANDL100 seem to think so, but perhaps josh does not mind the flute. Well, regardless, Il Klassiko listened to an interesting new CD of flute music today which Il Klassiko thinks is worth sharing. It's not a new CD, but rather one new to Il Klassiko. xD It's a Brilliant Classics CD of Vivaldi's Flute Sonatas performed on replicas of historical instruments including an Italian-style harpsichord (though a chest organ is also used for continuo) by the Ensemble ConSerto Musico. This is one of the CDs Il Klassiko picked up recently for a very small amount of money from the local new-used media store.
At the time that this album was released about a decade ago, there was some question about the authorship of some of the flute sonatas in Vivaldi's catalog. Perhaps in the years since, three works on the disc have been considered inauthentic (RV 49, RV 50, & RV 80). Still, that leaves three works which are considered to be authentic which are on the disc. There is also a bit of an oddball recording on the disc as well. It's an arrangement of Vivaldi's Spring from the Four Seasons for unaccompanied flute by none other than Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Yes, that Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau was an amateur musician, of course, so perhaps this should not be a big surprise.
Perhaps those skeptical of flute music ought to give this a listen. It shows some of the versatility that the flute can have and it also gives one a bit of a rare chance to listen to the flute (a historical transverse flute at that with this recording) just by itself. It's quite amazing how much a flute reduction of a chamber orchestra work can portray the music we are familiar with rather fully. If nothing else, this will be a good test of one's tweeters.
Here's the first movement, but the other two are on the album as well:
At the time that this album was released about a decade ago, there was some question about the authorship of some of the flute sonatas in Vivaldi's catalog. Perhaps in the years since, three works on the disc have been considered inauthentic (RV 49, RV 50, & RV 80). Still, that leaves three works which are considered to be authentic which are on the disc. There is also a bit of an oddball recording on the disc as well. It's an arrangement of Vivaldi's Spring from the Four Seasons for unaccompanied flute by none other than Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Yes, that Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Rousseau was an amateur musician, of course, so perhaps this should not be a big surprise.Perhaps those skeptical of flute music ought to give this a listen. It shows some of the versatility that the flute can have and it also gives one a bit of a rare chance to listen to the flute (a historical transverse flute at that with this recording) just by itself. It's quite amazing how much a flute reduction of a chamber orchestra work can portray the music we are familiar with rather fully. If nothing else, this will be a good test of one's tweeters.
Here's the first movement, but the other two are on the album as well:
Hmm, yes, I seem to have been impressed with the Benoit. I must try it again sometime soon!
Currently chilling out to some classical period string trios...
Currently chilling out to some classical period string trios...
That really is nice, especially #2 part I.
I have to say that I can't generally take too much solo violin, it begins to grate after a while! I recall finding Bach's S&Ps quite challenging to listen through (although frankly it's probably my fault for trying to go through them all at once and should really go back and choose one at a time). But this made it very easy to listen to the sonatas - very enjoyable and more to listen to with the quartet (who in fairness did allow the violin primacy and added minimal supporting touches I thought).
Some Christmas Concertos, album released in 1966 by the venerable Collegium Aureum. Very nicely performed and recorded.
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After giving Bartók's string quartets a listen a few days ago, Klassik decided to bring out the CDs of Zoltán Kodály's music that Klassik has in Klassik's CD collection. These CDs have rather unjustly not been heard in a while. Kodály and Bartók both researched Hungarian folk music together and were supposedly quite close friends. Kodály's use of folk themes in the works below is in more of a traditional form than what is in Bartók's string quartets so these should be much easier to listen to for most.
First up here is Kodály's Dances of Marosszék. These were initially composed as a piano work in 1927 and then orchestrated in 1929. This is obviously the orchestrated version. This is in rondo form so it should be a rousing listen:
First up here is Kodály's Dances of Marosszék. These were initially composed as a piano work in 1927 and then orchestrated in 1929. This is obviously the orchestrated version. This is in rondo form so it should be a rousing listen:
I’m grateful, Klassik, for the reminder of Bartok and Kodaly. I must listen again to the 2 string quartets by Kodaly (Kontra Quartet). Kodaly actually financially assisted Anton Kontra to continue his violin studies as well as being one of his tutors.
Bartok regularly inhabits my hifi.
Bartok regularly inhabits my hifi.
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