Sunday 23 August 2009

Sunday 23rd August 2009

Oh dear, another terribly sparse day for the ears. Another day sleeping a lot, watching TV (the Grand Prix, detectives and so on), and listening to very little music.

I did however manage to listen to:
Mozart - ALL the horn concertos today. Perennial favourites of mine, all of them. Used to have them on tape when I was little, then when the tape wore out and CDs were invented I bought a CD. Same recording, Gerd Seifert and the Berlin Phil.

On video, while catching up on a few old "Culture Shows", snippets of:
Elbow (with the Halle), Arctic Monkeys, Dead Weather.

In the bath this evening I revived my inner rock chick with:
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Nirvana - Nirvana (beginning of)

In my further defence, when I wasn't asleep, bathing, eating, watching TV, or listening to the meagre offerings listed above, I was playing my viola. There's no way I can keep a practice diary as well as a listening diary, but you may be interested to know that I worked on Bach Cello Suite No.2, the Rebecca Clarke Sonata First Movement, and one bar of Morton Feldman (which comes 3 times), as well as playing through Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata and hammering out rather a lot of diminished sevenths! I stress that this does not hail the start of "A year with my fingers" or some such, but is simply to console those of you who are disappointed by the terribly poor showing on the listening this weekend!

2 comments:

  1. Love the horn concerti.

    I wonder if you've come across either of my favourite recordings. I have a lot of a time for the Alan Civil/Klemperer/Philharmonia (I'm always surprised by how light Klemperer feels).

    Eric Ruske (previously principle horn in Cleveland) with Mackerras the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is really rather special, not least as it finishes with them joined by Richard Stuart for a rendition of Flanders and Swann's Ill Wind.

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  2. Haven't heard either of them, but will look out for both - I like both Klemperer and Mackerras. Thanks! :) And, what fun to end the Ruske recording with Ill Wind. Still makes me smile every time I think of it!! Time to dig out the Flanders & Swann again - my Dad's a big fan so I grew up with them!

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