Listenin' to Classical Music and Conversation

I suspect he was suggesting that we rarely see pictures of Paganini in a low-cut dress

 

While I do not have any CD or LP singles by Fleisher, I am sure there are quite a few in my yet-to-be-opened big Szell box ...

 

So I heard there is a serious lockdown in Melbourne ...

Australia coronavirus: Victoria declares 'state of disaster,' locking down millions in Melbourne - CNN

 

Ah yes, exposure. I see.

 

Yes, Covid has been getting a bit out of control down there. Still not as bad as some countries I could name, but we're hoping to avoid the number of deaths some of them have had.

Working from home here still, which gives me the opportunity for listening to some nice lunchtime music.

 

Heck! If you work from home, you can listen to nice music anytime.

 

Slow day
Symphony #5

 

...and slow music

 

Trying Celibidache's Bruckner again; never got used to his generally very slow tempi. I'm now listening to his interpretation of Symphony 7 on Spotify:

 

Don't have a single recording by him as I have heard about his unusually slow tempos, which I do not like ...

 

Although Celibidache is famous for his Bruckner, I could not get myself to like him. He is too painfully slow for my taste.
However, that being said, I always find interesting things to savor in all his recordings, not just in his Bruckner but also in his Tchaikovsky, Berlioz and Beethoven.
His idiosyncrasies are often more interesting than the merits of many contemporary mainstream conductors.

 

Two movements were more than enough for me; the Adagio is one of the slowest I've heard. Celibidache's Bruckner is definitely not for me.

 

On the turntable. Love the performance, but I have not listened to the rehearsal portion of this set yet.

 

I can't say that i paid much attention to him until years ago when I picked up this by chance

And it was listening to Ravel's Bolero when i suddenly stopped and realised that just by slowing the tempo he had made it far far more interesting sounding than usual - almost like a different piece of music altogether.
I don't carry a particular version of 'how Bruckner should sound' in my head so i don't tend to find the slow tempos intrusive; I like faster ones as well.

 

Celibidache's interpretations are certainly unique. While I admit that his approach can sometimes unveil new aspects and insights - probably the reason why I keep trying - more often than not it turns me off so to speak. I guess the old adage "people either love him or hate him" is applicable here.

 

On the turntable - Mozart and Mathis

 

Interersting, a chemical company released an LP ...

I have a few open-reel tapes made by BASF.

 

I'm not sure I'd start with Henze's Violin Concerto No.2! Try his 7th Symphony first. This is a good version (Ignore the Rattle-haters on this site!(

 

Eight.

 

Powerful stuff.

 

Or 7% of the box ...

 

I always reflexively think of them as a (casette) tape company, because that's how I knew of them as a child.
The few BASF records that I have are all very high quality affairs - very good recordings and very good, silent vinyl. I don't think they were around for long as a label tho.

 

Thanks. I am not a Rattle hater. I like his Mahler very much.

 

Szigeti's playing here moves me. I've heard praise for the struggle and humanness of his playing and criticism for an inappropriate vibrato and less than perfect technique.

 

Once again, my daily constitutional is the best time for music listening ...