Tuesday 1 September 2009

Tuesday 1st September 2009

Hello there! Here are today's ears.

On the way to work in the car:
Pendulum - In Silico

At work on the computer:
Ben Folds - Not the Same (from This Reality Podcast)

Then, irresistibly drawn back to:
Radiohead - Reading coverage from BBC3 on iPlayer (twice)

Walk music, on phone:
Radiohead - In Rainbows

Then more from Reading:
Kaiser Chiefs
Little Boots

On the way home in the car:
Radiohead - Best of

At home:
Beethoven - Piano Sonatas No.2, 26, 32 (Garrick Ohlsson, recommended by James Rhodes - an excellent choice I might say, especially Op.111 which is fantastic & very moving).

Then a bit later, more from Reading:
Arctic Monkeys

And, prompted by tweets from @5357311 and @PianoGeek
Webern - Variations for Piano

Comments:
1. I had decided that after Reading I would stop constantly listening to Radiohead (you may have noticed that I've been working through their albums for a little while), and have a break. However, they've got inside my head and I can't get rid. I also have a load of really happy smiling memories from Sunday night, so they've become even better now! Hmmm! Might be another day or so before I can move on.
2. First met Webern in 2nd year at College. Couldn't make head nor tail of him. However, he's like olives. When I had my first olive I thought it was revolting, but after a couple of years of eating the little black & green things I decided I didn't mind them too much. 10 years later & I actually seek them out and enjoy them. Webern's a bit like that. Gone from WTF is that noise? to not unpleasant, and now, many years later, finally reached the stage where I actually listen & enjoy. He'll never be like Beethoven to me, but then olives will never be fillet steak either!

4 comments:

  1. See for me it's the other way round - Beethoven will never be like Webern to me!

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  2. Hello Pak? Do I know you?

    Stuart - why doesn't that surprise me? From such a Feldman lover as yourself I should expect no less! I had a friend at college who adored Birtwistle but could make no sense of Handel. It turned out that until he came to college he'd hardly listened to any music pre-1900. I had heard hardly anything post-1900 at that stage. I'd be interested to hear some day how you came to love Webern (and of course Feldman) so much! Thanks for commenting too BTW :)

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  3. I might make that into a blog post, then - it all stems from my first encounter with the Webern Variations as an impressionable 16-year-old. I had no idea what was going on, and so bought the score and learnt to play it - that process of getting inside it really turned my musical world upside-down...

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  4. That would be a fascinating blog post. I'm even more convinced now about the "getting to know it young" thing. I didn't encounter Webern until I was at college and in my 20s. Very interesting.

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