Happy Birthday

[Despina41]

It's May 7, Brahms's Birthday. (And Tchaikovsky's too)


Ohhh let's have some waltzes, Op. 39.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wo7SCR7xEY&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632CCC25A&ind ex=0&playnext=1"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wo7SCR7xEY&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632CCC25A&ind ex=0&playnext=1[/ame]

[Despina41]

No. 2, little less grand, but cute.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeYFZslEB0k&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632C CC25A&index=1&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeYFZslEB0k&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632C CC25A&index=1&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL[/ame]


No. 3 sounds like something to be used in a Geico commercial
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3fkq1OV2Bo&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632C CC25A&index=2"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3fkq1OV2Bo&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632C CC25A&index=2[/ame]

No. 6, C# Major, my favorite.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kq2coMD-fY&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632CCC25A&index=5"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kq2coMD-fY&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632CCC25A&index=5[/ame]

No. 14 sounds like it accidently got published with the waltzes instead of the Hungarian Dances!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWS8Xyv88Bg&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632C CC25A&index=13"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWS8Xyv88Bg&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632C CC25A&index=13[/ame]


No. 15 -- awwww:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klif2IM_uk&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632C CC25A&index=14"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5klif2IM_uk&feature=PlayList&p=7011533632C CC25A&index=14[/ame]

[Herzeleide]

Happy Birthday Brahms!

That beard will never hide your innate tenderness.

[micrologus]

No comment, just enjoy



[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNCeYKfAOZI&feature=PlayList&p=5976B26B3B7 64EF5&index=0"]YouTube - David Oistrakh plays Tchaikovsky Concerto (1st Mov.) Part 1[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc9gRZliWgA&feature=PlayList&p=5976B26B3B7 64EF5&index=1"]YouTube - David Oistrakh plays Tchaikovsky Concerto (1st Mov.) Part 2[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgrUb2IS9sI&feature=PlayList&p=5976B26B3B7 64EF5&index=2"]YouTube - David Oistrakh plays Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (2nd Mov.)[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77DgEqwRnrA&feature=PlayList&p=5976B26B3B7 64EF5&index=3"]YouTube - David Oistrakh plays Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (3rd Mov.)[/ame]

[Florestan]

Originally Posted by Herzeleide

Happy Birthday Brahms!

That beard will never hide your innate tenderness.

It hid his weak chin quite well, though.

[Despina41]

Oh man, Oistrakh is so great. The only thing better than Oistrakh is Oistrakh AND Richter:


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZreUOwXSKm0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZreUOwXSKm0[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97TBCOZ76J8&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97TBCOZ76J8&feature=related[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-6RkKX8frk&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-6RkKX8frk&feature=related[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLEAMPblMkY&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLEAMPblMkY&feature=related[/ame]

[Despina41]

I just heard a great concert by the Capuçon Trio: all three Brahms piano trios. Only on May 7th, right?



which they have recorded.
In this order 2, 3, and 1 -- the revised version from 1890, of course. Great warmth, romantic breadth of sound - eh, could have used a leeetttle more bass here and there in the piano at the climactic moments -- color, contrast, TIME! In short, it was great.

and, unlike the Quasthoff Winterreise disaster at the Phil last time, the audience (about 600 of us) was comprised of other chamber music fans. About 7 coughs in the entire 2 hours of music, and reverent silence between movements. Yes, we were all into it, no moving, no shifting about in boredom - everyone was listening! how nice!!

So, maybe it's good that Brahms is (apparently!) so inaccessible. The people who bother to go hear all three Piano Trios in one concert REALLY want to be there!

[haydnguy]

What a way to celebrate! Glad everyone was so into it. That makes it so much better.

I, on the other hand, listened to Julia Fischers' Double Concerto CD.

[BrahmsGuides]

I wonder if there are any recordings of the original version of Op. 8 besides the Arte Nova one (appropriately, performed by the "Trio Opus 8"). Brahms never wished the original to be so suppressed as it has become. It is a shame, as it is a completely different work, and passing the revision off as "Op. 8" was disingenuous of Brahms. Anyway, if the Arte Nova recording is still available, it really is very good, and they do their best to do the original version justice. Compared to the revision, it IS very discursive. The soft pizzicato ending to the scherzo just doesn't work very well. I do like the "Allegro" episode in the slow movement quite a bit, and the original second theme in the finale is quite beautiful (the replacement with the hammering bass D octaves is about as different as it can be). The first movement is not very successful, including a lot of rather dry fugal passages and going on for quite a while longer than it should. Brahms really was successful with the revision of that movement.

[Despina41]

Originally Posted by BrahmsGuides

I wonder if there are any recordings of the original version of Op. 8 besides the Arte Nova one (appropriately, performed by the "Trio Opus 8"). Brahms never wished the original to be so suppressed as it has become. It is a shame, as it is a completely different work, and passing the revision off as "Op. 8" was disingenuous of Brahms. Anyway, if the Arte Nova recording is still available, it really is very good, and they do their best to do the original version justice. Compared to the revision, it IS very discursive. The soft pizzicato ending to the scherzo just doesn't work very well. I do like the "Allegro" episode in the slow movement quite a bit, and the original second theme in the finale is quite beautiful (the replacement with the hammering bass D octaves is about as different as it can be). The first movement is not very successful, including a lot of rather dry fugal passages and going on for quite a while longer than it should. Brahms really was successful with the revision of that movement.

Ahhh, yes, the original Opus 8 -- first time I heard it I laughed out loud several times during the course of the first movement. I refer to it lovingly as "18th century greatest hits." I love the fugue concept - give you the subject alone in the exposition, then try to develop it in the recap -- totally wild! Had anyone done that before in a sonata form?