Comments on: Playing Penderecki http://classicalconvert.com/2008/10/playing-penderecki/ A beginners guide to classical music, by someone who switched at 23 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:29:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Ben http://classicalconvert.com/2008/10/playing-penderecki/comment-page-1/#comment-33427 Ben Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:36:47 +0000 http://classicalconvert.com/?p=443#comment-33427 Stainforth, Whoah, that's a lot of composer right there. At the moment I'm sort of trying to work out how much of Penderecki is excessively avant-garde (or not, as it now seems) and how much is, errrr, regular music? Oh dear, that's a horrible description. Anyway, I am significantly more interested in the latter. Haha Zoltan, Yeah, nice try with Rach :) Although.... this one time I heard a piece I was kinda getting into on NPR, and it turned out to be the symphonic dances. Hmmm. I think it'll take a while to get over my biases. Mahler 10 sounds interesting, and I wish eMusic had some of those Vasks pieces. Stainforth,

Whoah, that’s a lot of composer right there. At the moment I’m sort of trying to work out how much of Penderecki is excessively avant-garde (or not, as it now seems) and how much is, errrr, regular music? Oh dear, that’s a horrible description. Anyway, I am significantly more interested in the latter.

Haha Zoltan,

Yeah, nice try with Rach :) Although…. this one time I heard a piece I was kinda getting into on NPR, and it turned out to be the symphonic dances. Hmmm. I think it’ll take a while to get over my biases.

Mahler 10 sounds interesting, and I wish eMusic had some of those Vasks pieces.

]]> By: Zoltan http://classicalconvert.com/2008/10/playing-penderecki/comment-page-1/#comment-30159 Zoltan Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:51:58 +0000 http://classicalconvert.com/?p=443#comment-30159 Here's an idea: Mahler's 10th in Barshai's edition (And before the other in the room have the chance to speak: I know, I know, not finished; only Cooke is good, bla, bla). About his version I read numerous times how it sounds more like Shostakovich's 16th, because of the orchestration. Don't want to say more: Exploring music is half the fun. For the other half, we'll talk when you listened to it. :) Another vote for Vasks! In most reviews one can find the description of his faster movements as "sounding like Shostakovich". Depending on whether you like more the big orchestra sound or a string quartet you might try (apart from in places truly beautiful in others really sarcastic "Cello Concerto") the Symphonies 2 and 3, or the String Quartet No. 4 (played by the Kronos Quartet). On the other hand, perhaps the next big composer for you will be someone totally different to Shosty (or how could I explain liking Shosty and Rachmaninoff, Mahler and Vivaldi?). How about Rach? ;) Ever tried the "Symphonic Dances"? Man, I love that contrabasoon pedal note, the crazy sforzati on the G string of the violins, with the whacks on the timpani and the bass drum (Jansons with the St. Petersburgers)! Here’s an idea: Mahler’s 10th in Barshai’s edition (And before the other in the room have the chance to speak: I know, I know, not finished; only Cooke is good, bla, bla).

About his version I read numerous times how it sounds more like Shostakovich’s 16th, because of the orchestration. Don’t want to say more: Exploring music is half the fun. For the other half, we’ll talk when you listened to it. :)

Another vote for Vasks! In most reviews one can find the description of his faster movements as “sounding like Shostakovich”. Depending on whether you like more the big orchestra sound or a string quartet you might try (apart from in places truly beautiful in others really sarcastic “Cello Concerto”) the Symphonies 2 and 3, or the String Quartet No. 4 (played by the Kronos Quartet).

On the other hand, perhaps the next big composer for you will be someone totally different to Shosty (or how could I explain liking Shosty and Rachmaninoff, Mahler and Vivaldi?). How about Rach? ;) Ever tried the “Symphonic Dances”? Man, I love that contrabasoon pedal note, the crazy sforzati on the G string of the violins, with the whacks on the timpani and the bass drum (Jansons with the St. Petersburgers)!

]]> By: R.A.D. Stainforth http://classicalconvert.com/2008/10/playing-penderecki/comment-page-1/#comment-30136 R.A.D. Stainforth Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:19:53 +0000 http://classicalconvert.com/?p=443#comment-30136 Striking though many of Penderecki's works are (or should I say were), a great deal of his music is quite derivative - the string clusters and glissandi he first became famous for in 1959-60 were suggested by the music of Xenakis and in particular his Metastaseis of 1954; passages in Penderecki's Canticum Canticorum Salomonis derive fairly directly from Stockhausen's Momente (which uses the same text), Penderecki's Partita for harpsichord and ensemble leans very heavily on Ligeti's Continuum, apart from which many aspects of Penderecki's music are clear descendants of ideas originated by his slightly older Polish contemporaries such as Lutoslawski and Tadeusz Baird. So I've always thought that his standing as an innovator (which is now long in the past, in any case) is somewhat unjustified. Penderecki's Threnody (dedicated to the victims of Hiroshima): I remember playing this to a group of schoolkids 20 years ago. Didn't take long for one of them to come out with the words "radioactive desert". Good luck with your quest. Striking though many of Penderecki’s works are (or should I say were), a great deal of his music is quite derivative - the string clusters and glissandi he first became famous for in 1959-60 were suggested by the music of Xenakis and in particular his Metastaseis of 1954; passages in Penderecki’s Canticum Canticorum Salomonis derive fairly directly from Stockhausen’s Momente (which uses the same text), Penderecki’s Partita for harpsichord and ensemble leans very heavily on Ligeti’s Continuum, apart from which many aspects of Penderecki’s music are clear descendants of ideas originated by his slightly older Polish contemporaries such as Lutoslawski and Tadeusz Baird. So I’ve always thought that his standing as an innovator (which is now long in the past, in any case) is somewhat unjustified.

Penderecki’s Threnody (dedicated to the victims of Hiroshima): I remember playing this to a group of schoolkids 20 years ago. Didn’t take long for one of them to come out with the words “radioactive desert”.

Good luck with your quest.

]]> By: Ben http://classicalconvert.com/2008/10/playing-penderecki/comment-page-1/#comment-29123 Ben Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:30:25 +0000 http://classicalconvert.com/?p=443#comment-29123 Yo miss M! Thanks for the welcoming welcome back. For the next 41:52 minutes I shall be listening to that WNYC link you provided. If Popcorn Superhet Receiver plays as well as its title does, I'll be adequately satisfied. Actually, I was just about to eMail you to ask a question. I'm gonna go do that... ben Yo miss M!

Thanks for the welcoming welcome back.

For the next 41:52 minutes I shall be listening to that WNYC link you provided. If Popcorn Superhet Receiver plays as well as its title does, I’ll be adequately satisfied.

Actually, I was just about to eMail you to ask a question. I’m gonna go do that…

ben

]]> By: Miss Mussel http://classicalconvert.com/2008/10/playing-penderecki/comment-page-1/#comment-29120 Miss Mussel Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:24:37 +0000 http://classicalconvert.com/?p=443#comment-29120 Hello there. Glad you are back! Therenody is indeed 10 mins of screaming strings. I've only heard it a few times but it is terrifying, which I suppose is the point, given the title. Popcorn Superhet Receiver by Jonny Greenwood is heavily influenced by Therenody. It's more gently undulating texture than the cold hand of death on your shoulder but well worth a listen. http://www.wnyc.org/shows/wordlessmusic/episodes/2008/01/16 Hello there. Glad you are back!

Therenody is indeed 10 mins of screaming strings. I’ve only heard it a few times but it is terrifying, which I suppose is the point, given the title.

Popcorn Superhet Receiver by Jonny Greenwood is heavily influenced by Therenody. It’s more gently undulating texture than the cold hand of death on your shoulder but well worth a listen.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/wordlessmusic/episodes/2008/01/16

]]> By: Ben http://classicalconvert.com/2008/10/playing-penderecki/comment-page-1/#comment-29074 Ben Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:54:16 +0000 http://classicalconvert.com/?p=443#comment-29074 No... I haven't listened to anything by him so far. I just downloaded <a href="http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=BIS-CD-1150" rel="nofollow">this</a> CD from eMusic (unfortunately they had neither of the particular pieces you mentioned). Your recommendation and the brief wikipedia description of his music are both sound good. Thanks for the hint! No… I haven’t listened to anything by him so far. I just downloaded this CD from eMusic (unfortunately they had neither of the particular pieces you mentioned). Your recommendation and the brief wikipedia description of his music are both sound good. Thanks for the hint!

]]> By: Yvonne http://classicalconvert.com/2008/10/playing-penderecki/comment-page-1/#comment-29058 Yvonne Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:48:16 +0000 http://classicalconvert.com/?p=443#comment-29058 Have you tried Peteris Vasks yet? I suspect you'd really like his Cello Concerto, written for David Geringas. There's also a crazily beautiful piece for unaccomp. cello and voice (one performer) called, I think, "Book". Have you tried Peteris Vasks yet? I suspect you’d really like his Cello Concerto, written for David Geringas. There’s also a crazily beautiful piece for unaccomp. cello and voice (one performer) called, I think, “Book”.

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