Rachmaninoff - The Miserly Knight, Op. 24 Classical Music11 2015-05-25 | Russian State Symphony Orchestra Bass: Mikhail GuzhovTenor: Vsevolod GrivnovBaritone: Andrei BaturkinTenor: Borislav MolchanovBass: Vitaly EfanovConductor: Valery PolyanskyDate: 2003Venue: Grand Hall, Moscow ConservatoryThe Miserly Knight, also The Covetous Knight, (Russian: Скупой рыцарь, Skupój rýtsar’) is a Russian opera in one act with music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, with the libretto based on Alexander Pushkin's drama of the same name. It contains roles for five male singers, but no females. The composer decided essentially to set the Pushkin text as written, and had Feodor Chaliapin in mind for the role of the Baron, however, Chaliapin withdrew from the production over artistic differences. The first performance was on 24 January (11 January OS) 1906 at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, with the composer himself conducting, in a double-bill performance with another Rachmaninoff opera written contemporaneously, Francesca da Rimini. The director was Vasiliy Shkafer.Synopsis:Place: EnglandThe Middle AgesScene 1:Albert is a young knight who devotes himself to jousting and courtly pleasures, but is now deeply in debt as a result. His father, a very wealthy but equally frugal baron, refuses to support his son's lifestyle. Albert's ability to maneuver in society is now limited, and he tries to obtain a loan from outside his family. A money-lender denies Albert a loan, but instead offers Albert poison, to allow Albert to murder his father. Albert is appalled at such a suggestion. He resolves then to go to the Duke to make his appeal. Scene 2:The Baron descends to his cellars, exultant now because he has accumulated enough gold to fill his sixth and final storage chest, and gloats before them. However, he realizes that if he died soon, his son Albert could then claim the fortune and fritter it away on his sensual pleasures.Scene 3:Albert has appealed to the Duke for help in obtaining money from his father. Albert hides, as the Duke summons the Baron to a meeting. The Duke asks the Baron to support his son, but the Baron accuses Albert of wanting to steal from him. Albert then angrily reveals his presence and accuses his own father of lying. The Baron challenges Albert to a duel, and Albert accepts. The duke rebukes the father, and banishes the son from his court. However, stressed by this confrontation, the baron collapses fatally. As the Baron dies, his last request is not for his son, but the keys to his chests of gold.0:00 I. Prelude7:44 II. Scene 1, In the Tower25:17 III. Scene 2, In the Cellar48:14 IV. Scene 3, At the Palace
Lili Boulanger - Psaume 130: Du fond de labîme Classical Music11 2018-06-14 | Conductor: Igor Markevitch Elisabeth Brasseur ChoirLamoureux OrchestraYear of recording: 1960The Psalm 130: From the bottom of the abyss or Psalm CXXX is a work for alto, tenor, mixed choir and orchestra by Lili Boulanger. It was composed in 1910, and revised in 1917. This work is the third psalm set to music by Lili Boulanger, after her Psalm 24 and Psalm 129.
Beethoven - Serenade for flute, violin & viola in D major, Op. 25 Classical Music11 2018-03-03 | Flute: Karlheinz ZöllerViolin: Thomas BrandisViola: Siegbert UeberschaerSerenade for flute, violin & viola in D major, Op. 25 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Composed somewhere between 1797 to 1801. 0:00 I. Entrata, Allegro3:14 II. Tempo ordinario d'un Menuetto8:10 III. Allegro molto10:13 IV. Andante con Variazioni - Allegro scherzando e vivace15:51 V. Adagio17:40 VI. Allegro vivace e dis in volta
Carols and Hymns for Christmas Classical Music11 2017-12-13 | 0:00 Ode To Joy (Angelic Voices)1:37 Silent Night, Holy Night (Blossom Street Singers)4:14 O Holy Night (Regency College Choir)8:06 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Blossom Street Singers)10:57 Little Drummer Boy (Regency College Choir)13:39 O Christmas Tree (Regency College Choir)15:28 Joy To The World (Regency College Choir)18:41 Deck The Halls (Blossom Street Singers)20:00 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Blossom Street Singers)21:50 O Come, All Ye Faithful (Blossom Street Singers)25:28 Away In A Manger (Blossom Street Singers)27:42 O Little Town Of Bethlehem (Blossom Street Singers)31:03 Jolly Old St. Nicholas (St. Peter's Choir)
Holst - St Pauls Suite, Op. 29, No. 2 Classical Music11 2017-11-20 | Royal Philharmonic OrchestraMalcolm SargentRonald Kinloch AndersonPaul's Suite (Op. 29, No. 2), originally titled Suite in C, is a composition for string orchestra by the English composer Gustav Holst. It was written in 1912, but owing to revisions was not published until 1922. It is named after the St Paul's Girls' School in the United Kingdom, where Holst was Director of Music from 1905 to 1934. It was written in gratitude to the school, which had built a soundproof studio for him. This suite is the most famous of the many pieces he wrote for students at St. Paul's.The suite has four movements:0:00 I. Jig: Vivace (alternating between 6/8 and 9/8 time)3:18 II. Ostinato: Presto5:05 III. Intermezzo: Andante con moto (labeled "Dance" in the manuscript)9:08 IV. Finale (The Dargason): Allegro (arranged from the "Fantasia on the Dargason" from his Second Suite in F for Military Band)
Schoenberg - Drei Klavierstücke, Op. 11 Classical Music11 2017-09-27 | Pianist: Maurizio PolliniDrei Klavierstücke, Op. 11 (or Three Piano Pieces) is a set of pieces for solo piano written by the Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg in 1909. They represent an early example of atonality in the composer’s work. The tempo markings of the three pieces are:0:00 Mässig (at a moderate speed)3:54 Sehr langsam (very slowly)11:07 Bewegt (with motion)
Elgar - Sospiri for string orchestra and harp, Op. 70 Classical Music11 2017-08-02 | Sir John BarbirolliNew Philharmonia Orchestra Sospiri, Op. 70, is an adagio for string orchestra, harp (or piano), and organ (or harmonium) composed by Edward Elgar just before the beginning of World War I.Elgar originally intended it for violin and piano, as a companion piece to Salut d'Amour and had in mind the title Soupir d'Amour (French for "Sigh of Love"). While composing it, however, he realised that he was writing something more intense, and so chose an Italian word, sospiri, meaning "sighs".The work, with a performance time of approximately five minutes, was first performed on 15 August 1914 in Queen's Hall in London, conducted by Sir Henry Wood.Sospiri was dedicated to Elgar's long-time friend, the violinist W. H. "Billy" Reed.
Beethoven - Adagio-Andante quasi Allegro Classical Music11 2017-07-31 | Orpheus Chamber OrchestraAdagio-Andante quasi Allegro from The Creatures of Prometheus ballet.
The Music of Bernard Herrmann Classical Music11 2017-07-21 | Segments from the original motion picture scores of Bernard Herrmann (1911 - 1975)0:00 Citizen Kane (1941) - Overture2:46 The Snows Of Kilimanjaro (1952) - Romance11:04 The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) - Prelude13:21 Vertigo (1958) - Prelude & Nightmare18:20 The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (1958) - Main Title20:22 North By Northwest (1959) - Prelude23:27 Psycho (1960) - Suite30:46 Cape Fear (1962) - Suite 36:26 Taxi Driver (1976) - Night Piece For Saxophone and Orchestra
Messiaen - Turangalîla-Symphonie Classical Music11 2017-07-17 | Conductor: Kent NaganoSoloist: Pierre-Laurent AimardBPOThe Turangalîla-Symphonie is a large-scale piece of orchestral music by Olivier Messiaen (1908–92). It was written from 1946 to 1948 on a commission by Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The premiere was in Boston on 2 December 1949, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. The commission did not specify the duration, orchestral requirements or style of the piece, leaving the decisions to the composer. Koussevitzky was billed to conduct the premiere, but fell ill, and the task fell to the young Bernstein. Bernstein has been described as "the ideal conductor for it, and it made Messiaen's name more widely known". Yvonne Loriod, who later became Messiaen's second wife, was the piano soloist, and Ginette Martenot played the ondes Martenot for the first and several subsequent performances. From 1953, Yvonne's sister Jeanne Loriod was the ondes Martenot player in many performances and recordings.0:00 I. Introduction: After a frenetic opening, the first (“statue”) theme sounds on trombones and tuba, punctuated by swooping notes on ondes Martenot. The second (“flower”) theme, comprised of gentle notes on a pair of clarinets, provides the first of many contrasting juxtapositions in the piece. After a virtuosic turn on piano, a calculated cacophony of sound takes over, with the “statue” theme reintroduced near the movement’s close.6:11 II. Chant d’amour 1: The movement begins in strident dissonance before breaking out into contrasting passages of ebullience and lyricism. Dissonance stalks lyricism throughout; hopes of resolution are set up repeatedly only to be dashed.14:11 III. Turangalîla 1: The movement juxtaposes plaintive notes on winds and ondes Martenot with sonorous passages on trombones and in the orchestra’s lower register. The disparate soundscapes twine together, interspersed with percussive clucking as the movement progresses.19:16 IV. Chant d’amour 2: A syncopated dance advances and retreats, giving way to a spiraling of sounds incorporating fragments of the “statue” and “flower” themes. A piano cadenza drifts off on gentle notes and chords.29:38 V. Joie du sang des étoiles (Joy of the blood of the stars): An exuberant bacchanal supplants the fourth movement’s quiet close, with a piano cadenza hurtling toward a triumphant restatement of the “statue” theme as the movement ends.36:00 VI. Jardin du sommeil d’amour (“Garden of love’s sleep”): In another dramatic shift, the sixth movement offers a return to tranquility. Accompanied by evocation of bird song from the piano, the movement realizes the “love” theme’s full lyricism.46:38 VII. Turangalîla 2: The dissonant, percussive seventh movement evokes sheer terror. Messiaen, who had in mind Edgar Allen Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum, magnifies the terror of Poe’s fiction exponentially in sound.50:40 VIII. Développement de l’amour: The movement’s belated “development” of the cyclic “statue,” “flower,” and “love” themes is as fractured as it is dense. Messiaen also introduces a fourth cyclic theme he described as “a simple chain of chords.” Buoyant joy and threatening darkness are bound inextricably, in music as in life.1:02:14 IX. Turangalîla 3: The third of the Turangalîlas employs a traditional symphonic movement structure, theme and variations. Through inventive orchestration and use of percussion, Messiaen creates a modern soundscape that is elegant and strange at once.1:06:28 X. Finale: The tenth is the only movement that uses sonata form, with its clear and unequivocal beginning, middle, and end, closing on an extended, resounding tonic chord.
Schubert - Piano Sonatas: D. 958, 959 and 960 Classical Music11 2017-06-06 | Pianist: Andreas StaierFranz Schubert's last three piano sonatas, D 958, 959 and 960, are the composer's last major compositions for the piano. They were written during the last months of his life, between the spring and autumn of 1828, but were not published until about ten years after his death, in 1838–39. Like the rest of Schubert's piano sonatas, they were mostly neglected in the 19th century. By the late 20th century, however, public and critical opinion had changed, and these sonatas are now considered among the most important of the composer's mature masterpieces. They are part of the core piano repertoire, appearing regularly on concert programs and recordings.Piano Sonata No. 19 in C minor, D. 9580:00 I. Allegro.11:08 II. Adagio.19:51 III. Menuetto: Allegro – Trio.22:49 IV. Allegro.Piano Sonata No. 20 in A major, D. 95932:32 I. Allegro48:51 II. Andantino57:09 III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace – Trio: Un poco più lento.1:01:41 IV. Rondo: Allegretto – PrestoPiano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, D. 9601:14:25 I. Molto moderato. 1:36:24 II. Andante sostenuto. 1:46:12 III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace con delicatezza – Trio.1:50:30 IV. Allegro ma non troppo – Presto.
Ravel - Le tombeau de Couperin | orchestrated version Classical Music11 2017-05-02 | Claudio AbbadoLondon Symphony Orchestra Le tombeau de Couperin is a suite for solo piano by Maurice Ravel, composed between 1914 and 1917, in six movements based on those of a traditional Baroque suite. Each movement is dedicated to the memory of a friend of the composer (or in one case, two brothers) who had died fighting in World War I. Ravel also produced an orchestral version of the work in 1919, although this omitted two of the original movements.0:00 I. Prélude3:01 II. Forlane8:36 III. Menuet 13:15 IV. Rigaudon
Mahler - Symphony No. 4 in G major Classical Music11 2017-04-28 | Conductor: Pierre BoulezThe Cleveland OrchestraSoprano: Juliane BanseSymphony No. 4 in G major by Gustav Mahler was written in 1899 and 1900, though it incorporates a song originally written in 1892. The song, "Das himmlische Leben", presents a child's vision of Heaven. It is sung by a soprano in the work's fourth and last movement. Although typically described as being in the key of G major, the symphony employs a progressive tonal scheme ('(b)/G—E').0:00 I: Bedächtig, nicht eilen (Moderately, not rushed) – sonata form15:17 II: In gemächlicher Bewegung, ohne Hast (Leisurely moving, without haste) – scherzo and trio24:46 III: Ruhevoll, poco adagio (Peacefully, somewhat slowly) – theme and variations44:47 IV: Sehr behaglich (Very comfortably) – strophic
Beethoven - Piano Sonatas No[s]. 30, 31 and 32 Classical Music11 2017-04-14 | Pianist: Rudolf BuchbinderPiano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 1090:00 I. Vivace ma non troppo — Adagio espressivo, E major, 24:26 II. Prestissimo, E minor, 66:58 III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo, E major, 3Piano Sonata No. 31 in A♭ major, Op. 11020:39 I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo27:37 II. Allegro molto29:48 III. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro ma non troppoPiano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 11142:36 I.Maestoso – Allegro con brio ed appassionato51:54 II. Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major, Op. 78 Classical Music11 2017-03-06 | Pianist: Rudolf BuchbinderPiano Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp major, Op. 78, nicknamed "à Thérèse" (because it was written for Countess Thérèse von Brunswick) was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1809. A typical performance takes 10 minutes. It consists of two movements:0:00 Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo6:34 Allegro vivace
Tchaikovsky - Manfred Symphony in B minor, Op. 58 Classical Music11 2017-01-18 | Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.Bernard HaitinkManfred Symphony in B minor, Op. 58, is a programmatic symphony composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky between May and September 1885. It is based on the poem "Manfred" written by Lord Byron in 1817. It is the only one of Tchaikovsky's symphonies he completed that is not numbered (the Symphony in E flat is a conjectural work left unfinished by the composer) and was written between the Fourth and Fifth Symphonies.0:00 Lento lugubre (B minor)16:13 Vivace con spirito (B minor)25:37 Andante con moto (G major)38:00 Allegro con fuoco (B minor - D flat major - B major)
Bartók - Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Sz 95, BB. 101 Classical Music11 2016-12-13 | Conductor: György LehelPianist: Zoltán KocsisBudapest Symphony OrchestraBéla Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Sz. 95, BB 101 (1930–31) is the second of three piano concerti, and is notorious for being one of the most difficult pieces in the repertoire.In approaching the composition, Bartók wanted the music to be more contrapuntal. He also wanted to simplify his music (like many of his contemporaries), but his use of counterpoint in this piece makes for an extremely complicated piece of music. This aspect had proven particularly troublesome in the First Concerto, so much so, in fact, that the New York Philharmonic, which was to have given the premiere, could not master it in time, and Bartók's Rhapsody had to be substituted into the program. The composer himself acknowledged that the piano part was arduous and later said that the concerto "is a bit difficult—one might even say very difficult!—as much for orchestra as for audience." Bartók himself claimed in a 1939 article to have composed this concerto as a direct contrast to the First.Nonetheless, the concerto is notorious for its difficulty. András Schiff said, "For the piano player, it's a finger-breaking piece. It is probably the single most difficult piece that I have ever played, and I usually end up with a keyboard covered by blood." Stephen Kovacevich also declared that it was the most technically demanding piece he had ever played and that he nearly paralyzed his hands while preparing the piece.The concerto was dated 1930/1931, but not premiered until January 23, 1933 in Frankfurt. The Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Hans Rosbaud with Bartók as the soloist.The first performance in Hungary was later that same year, conducted by Otto Klemperer with Louis Kentner playing the piano at Bartók's request.Bartók himself played the work at the Proms in London under Sir Henry Wood as early as January 7, 1936, an initiative of the BBC music producer Edward Clark. (Whether this was the UK premiere has not been confirmed; it was in any case three years before the United States premiere.)The first performance in the United States was given in Chicago on March 2, 1939, with Storm Bull as soloist and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Frederick Stock. The French premiere was given in 1945 by Yvonne Loriod, who had learnt it in only eight days.0:00 Allegro9:45 Adagio—Presto—Adagio22:36 Allegro molto - Più allegro
Dvořák - Symphony No. 9 in E minor, From the New World, Op. 95 Classical Music11 2016-11-28 | Rafael Kubelík Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178, popularly known as the New World Symphony, was composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1893 while he was the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America from 1892 to 1895. It is by far his most popular symphony, and one of the most popular of all symphonies. In older literature and recordings, this symphony was often numbered as Symphony No. 5. Neil Armstrong took a recording of the New World Symphony to the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission, the first Moon landing, in 19690:00 Adagio, 4/8 – Allegro molto, 2/4, E minor9:28 Largo, common time, D-flat major, then later C-sharp minor22:32 Scherzo: Molto vivace – Poco sostenuto, 3/4, E minor30:37 Allegro con fuoco, common time, E minor, ends in E major
Rossini - Five Overtures Classical Music11 2016-11-26 | Neville Marriner Acadeny of St. Martin in the Fields0:00 La Gazza Ladra10:01 Guglielmo Tell (18:06 Guglielmo Tell finale) 21:16 La Cenerentola29:09 Tancredi35:05 Il Turco in Italia
Robert Schumann - Träumerei (string version) Classical Music11 2016-11-25 | Budapest StringsTräumerei, is one of Schumann's best known pieces; it was the title of a 1944 German biographical film on Robert Schumann. Träumerei is also the opening and closing musical theme in the 1947 Hollywood film Song of Love, starring Katharine Hepburn as Clara Wieck Schumann
Borodin - Symphony No. 2 in B minor Classical Music11 2016-11-23 | Loris TjeknavorianNational Philharmonic OrchestraSymphony No. 2 in B minor by Alexander Borodin was composed intermittently between 1869 and 1876. It consists of four movements and is considered the most important large-scale work completed by the composer himself. It has many melodic resemblances to both Prince Igor and Mlada, two theatre works that diverted Borodin's attention on and off during the six years of composition0:00 I. Allegro moderato7:05 II. Scherzo. Molto vivo11:38 III. Andante20:13 IV. Finale. Allegro
Brahms - Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 Classical Music11 2016-11-22 | Wolfgang SawallischLondon Philharmonic Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. Brahms spent at least fourteen years completing this work, whose sketches date from 1854. Brahms himself declared that the symphony, from sketches to finishing touches, took 21 years, from 1855 to 1876. The premiere of this symphony, conducted by the composer's friend Felix Otto Dessoff, occurred on 4 November 1876, in Karlsruhe, then in the Grand Duchy of Baden0:00 I. Un poco sostenuto – Allegro – Meno allegro (C minor, ending in C major)13:51 II. Andante sostenuto (E major)22:49 III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso (A-flat major)27:39 IV. Adagio – Più andante – Allegro non troppo, ma con brio – Più allegro (C minor – C major)
Ravel - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major Classical Music11 2016-11-21 | Claudio AbbadoMichel BeroffLondon Symphony OrchestraPiano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major was composed by Maurice Ravel between 1929 and 1930, concurrently with his Piano Concerto in G. It was commissioned by the Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm during World War I.Wittgenstein gave the premiere with Robert Heger and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on 5 January 1932 (it had been offered to Arturo Toscanini, who declined). Before writing the concerto, Ravel enthusiastically studied the left-hand études of Camille Saint-Saëns. The first French pianist to perform the work was Jacques Février, chosen by the composer himself. The work consists ofone movement.
Berg - Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6 Classical Music11 2016-11-20 | Claudio AbbadoVienna PhilharmonicAlban Berg composed his Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6 between 1913 and 1915. It is dedicated to his teacher and friend Arnold Schoenberg. A revised version of the score was published in 1929 by Universal Edition.0:00 Präludium (Prelude)4:44 Reigen (Round Dance)10:17 Marsch (March)
Shostakovich - Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147 Classical Music11 2016-11-14 | Viola: Isabelle van KeulenPiano: Ronald BrautigamSonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147 is the last composition by Dmitri Shostakovich. Completed in July 1975, just weeks before his death, it is dedicated to Fyodor Druzhinin, violist in the Beethoven Quartet. The work received its official premiere in October 1975 with the performing forces of violist Fyodor Druzhinin and pianist Mikhail Muntyan. Appearing at the end of the composer's compositional output, the Sonata for Viola and Piano effectively represents the bleak, mortality-obsessed late style composition of Shostakovich.The work unfolds in three movements, following a relatively straightforward tempo scheme of slow-fast-slow. The first movement, Andante, begins with a sparse pizzicato figure in the viola, accompanied by an equally stark piano line, followed by an explosive and wrenching middle section, and closing with a remembrance of the movement’s opening. The second movement, Allegretto, is characterized by sharp contrasting of dry, pointed figures with smooth, connected passages; the primary material of the movement was borrowed directly from Shostakovich’s unfinished opera The Gamblers (1942), granting the movement a vocal and dramatic quality.0:00 I. Moderato8:27 II. Allegretto15:24 III. Adagio
Rachmaninoff - Piano Playlist Classical Music11 2016-11-11 | 0:00 E. Gilels - Vocalise Op.34 No.145:53 E. Gilels - Daisies Op.38 No.38:16 E. Gilels - Prelude in C#m Op.3 No.212:07 E. Gilels - Prelude in Gm Op.23 No.515:55 E. Gilels - Prelude in Gb Op.23 No.1019:14 S. Richter - Prelude in Bb Op.32 No.222:13 S. Richter - Prelude in G#m Op.32 No.1224:30 V. Sofronitzky - Etude-tableau in C Op.33 No.226:56 V. Sofronitzky - Etude-tableau in Gm Op.33 No.830:33 M. Ponti - Morceaux de Salon Op.10 - No.1 in Am - Nocturne36:30 M. Ponti - Morceaux de Salon Op.10 - No.7 in Db - Mazurka42:15 R. Groslot - Polka de V.R.
Bartók - Rhapsody, Op. 1, Sz. 26, BB 36a Classical Music11 2016-11-10 | Pianist: Gábor GabosRhapsody, Op. 1, Sz. 26, BB 36, was written for solo piano by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók in 1904. A year later, he wrote a version for piano and orchestra. The catalogue number of this composition is Op. 1, Sz. 26. The initial full-length composition for piano eventually received a catalogue number BB 36a, whereas the second version, with piano and orchestra, received a catalogue number BB 36b.The compositions is in one movement and takes 21 minutes to perform, even though the shortened version takes only half of the total duration. Critics have frequently stated that the loose structure calls for two contrasting sections; however, it is not marked as such in the score. According to some critics, Bartók used a Lisztian style, with very elaborate and vast chords and long and vastly ornamented scales and arpeggios. The composition starts with a fourteen-minute adagio molto, which goes on to a second section, marked Poco allegretto.
Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre and Other Works Classical Music11 2016-11-08 | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Charles DutoitSoloist: Kyung-Wha Chung0:00 Danse Macabre, Op. 407:03 Phaeton, Op. 3916:07 Das Spinnrad Der Omphale, Op. 3123:56 Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 2833:08 Havanaise, Op. 8342:09 La Jeunesse D'hercule, Op. 5059:13 Marche Heroique, Op. 34
Schubert - Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 (Unfinished) Classical Music11 2016-11-07 | Wolfgang SawallischStaatskapelle DresdenFranz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D.759 (sometimes renumbered as Symphony No. 7, in accordance with the revised Deutsch catalogue and the Neue Schubert-Ausgabe, commonly known as the "Unfinished Symphony" (German: Unvollendete), is a musical composition that Schubert started in 1822 but left with only two movements—though he lived for another six years. A scherzo, nearly completed in piano score but with only two pages orchestrated, also survives.Many have theorized that Schubert may have sketched a finale that instead became the big B minor entr'acte from his incidental music to Rosamunde, but all evidence for this is circumstantial. One possible reason for Schubert's leaving the symphony incomplete is the predominance of the same meter (triple meter). The first movement is in 3/4, the second in 3/8 and the third (an incomplete scherzo) also in 3/4. Three consecutive movements in basically the same meter rarely occur in symphonies, sonatas, or chamber works of the most important Viennese composers.Schubert, Symphony No. 8, third movement, first page, facsimile, 1885, in J. R. von Herbeck's biographySchubert's eighth symphony is sometimes called the first Romantic symphony due to its emphasis on the lyrical impulse within the dramatic structure of Classical sonata form. Furthermore, its orchestration is not solely tailored for functionality, but specific combinations of instrumental timbre that are prophetic of the later Romantic movement, with astonishing vertical spacing occurring for example at the beginning of the development.To this day, musicologists still disagree as to why Schubert failed to complete the symphony. Some have speculated that he stopped work in the middle of the scherzo in the fall of 1822 because he associated it with his initial outbreak of syphilis—or that he was distracted by the inspiration for his Wanderer Fantasy for solo piano, which occupied his time and energy immediately afterward. It could have been a combination of both factors.0:00 I. Allegro moderato in B minor14:52 II. Andante con moto in E major
Mozart - Piano Sonata No. 17 in B-flat major, K. 570 Classical Music11 2016-11-06 | Pianist: Daniel BarenboimWolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 17 in B-flat major, K. 570 was written in February 1789. The sonata has three movements:0:00 Allegro6:31 Adagio16:30 Allegretto
Beethoven - Violin Sonata No.10, Op. 96 Classical Music11 2016-11-05 | Pianist: Martha ArgerichViolinist: Gidon KremerViolin Sonata No. 10 "The Cockcrow" of Ludwig van Beethoven in G major, his Opus 96, was written in 1812, published in 1816, and dedicated to Beethoven's pupil Archduke Rudolph Johannes Joseph Rainier of Austria, who gave its first performance, together with the violinist Pierre Rode.0:00 Allegro moderato (in G major)10:36 Adagio espressivo (in E-flat major)17:03 Scherzo: Allegro - Trio (in G minor, Trio in E-flat major, ends in G major)18:58 Poco allegretto (in G major)
Edward Elgar - Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 Classical Music11 2016-11-02 | Conductor: John BarbirolliCellist: Jacqueline du Pre Apollo Symphony Orchestra Date: 1965Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, his last notable work, is a cornerstone of the solo cello repertoire. Elgar composed it in the aftermath of the First World War, when his music had already gone out of fashion with the concert-going public. In contrast with Elgar's earlier Violin Concerto, which is lyrical and passionate, the Cello Concerto is for the most part contemplative and elegiac.The first performance was a debacle because Elgar and the performers had been deprived of adequate rehearsal time. The work did not achieve wide popularity until the 1960s, when a recording by Jacqueline du Pré caught the public imagination and became a classical best-seller. Elgar made two recordings of the work with Beatrice Harrison as soloist. Since then, leading cellists from Pablo Casals onward have performed the work in concert and in the studio.0:00 Adagio — Moderato 8:02 Lento — Allegro molto 12:36 Adagio 17:50 Allegro — Moderato — Allegro, ma non-troppo — Poco più lento — Adagio.
Fanny Mendelssohn - Piano Sonata in C minor Classical Music11 2016-10-27 | Fanny Mendelssohn - Piano Sonata in C minorPianist: Heather Schmidt0:00 I. Allegro moderato e con espressione5:40 II. Andante con moto10:15 III. Finale: Presto
Joachim Raff - Symphony No. 11 in A minor The Winter, Op. 214 Classical Music11 2016-10-25 | Conductor: Urs SchneiderSlovak PhilharmonicYear: 1993Symphony No. 11 in A minor "Der Winter" (The Winter) (1876), Op. 214 was the last symphony by German-Swiss composer Joachim Raff. It concluded his series of symphonies (No. 8 through to No. 11) which each marked the four seasons of the year. Though work on this symphony began in 1876, it remained incomplete at the time of Raff's death in 1882. There is evidence in Raff's sketches of dissatisfaction, which might explain why the piece remained incomplete. Nonetheless, the symphony was completed by Max Erdmannsdörfer shortly after Raff's death. 0:00 I. Allegro - Die erste Schnee10:32 II. Allegretto16:43 III. Larghetto - Am Kamin26:41 IV. Allegro - Carneval
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 Classical Music11 2016-10-24 | Pianist: Wilhelm KempffYear of recording: 1965Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111, is the last of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas. Along with his 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120 (1823) and the two collections of bagatelles—Opus 119 (1822) and Opus 126 (1824)—this was one of Beethoven's last compositions for piano. The work was written between 1821 and 1822. Like other "late period" sonatas, it contains fugal elements. It was dedicated to his friend, pupil, and patron, Archduke Rudolf.The work is in two highly contrasting movements:0:00 Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato8:58 Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile
Rachmaninoff - Prelude No. 5 in G, Op. 32 Classical Music11 2016-10-17 | Pianist: Santiago RodriguezYear of recording: 2008Year of composition: 1910
J. S. Bach - The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 (Organ) Classical Music11 2016-10-12 | Performer: Herbert TacheziYear: 1977The Art of the Fugue; BWV 1080 (Organ)The Art of Fugue (or The Art of the Fugue; German: Die Kunst der Fuge), BWV 1080, is an incomplete work of unspecified instrumentation by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). Written in the last decade of his life, The Art of Fugue is the culmination of Bach's experimentation with monothematic instrumental works.This work consists of 14 fugues and 4 canons in D minor, each using some variation of a single principal subject, and generally ordered to increase in complexity. "The governing idea of the work", as put by Bach specialist Christoph Wolff, "was an exploration in depth of the contrapuntal possibilities inherent in a single musical subject." The word "contrapunctus" is often used for each fugue.Simple fugues:0:00 Contrapunctus I3:11 Contrapunctus II6:22 Contrapunctus III9:18 Contrapunctus IVCounter-fugues:14:36 Contrapunctus V17:51 Contrapunctus VI22:00 Contrapunctus VIIDouble and triple fugues:26:00 Contrapunctus VIII32:01 Contrapunctus IX35:00 Contrapunctus X39:23 Contrapunctus XICanons:46:33 Canon per Augmentationem in Contrario Motu49:27 Canon alla Ottava: Canon in imitation at the octave51:43 Canon alla Decima in Contrapunto alla Terza56:26 Canon alla Duodecima in Contrapunto alla QuintaMirror fugues:1:00:57 Contrapunctus [à 3-rectus]1:03:48 Contrapunctus [à 3-inversus]1:06:46 Contrapunctus [à 4-rectus]1:09:38 Contrapunctus [à 4-inversus]
Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 22 Classical Music11 2016-10-10 | English Chamber Orchestra Soloist and Conductor: Murray Perahia Piano Concerto No. 22 in E flat major, K. 482 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was composed in December of 1785.This is the first piano concerto of Mozart's to include clarinets in its scoring, and is scored for solo piano, flute, two clarinets (in B-flat), two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani (in E-flat and B-flat), and strings. It has the following 3 movements:0:00 Allegro13:01 Andante23:21 Allegro
Arvo Pärt - Fratres For Strings And Percussion Classical Music11 2016-10-04 | Tapiola Sinfonietta and Jean-Jacques KantorowArvo Pärt - Fratres For Strings And Percussion
Shostakovitch - Symphony No. 15 Classical Music11 2016-09-17 | WDR Sinfonieorchester KölnRudolf BarshaiSymphony No. 15 in A major (Opus 141) is Dmitri Shostakovich's final symphony. It was written in a little over a month during the summer of 1971 in Repino. It was first performed in Moscow on 8 January 1972 by the All-Union Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra under Maxim Shostakovich.0:00 Allegretto8:20 Adagio – Largo – Adagio – Largo20:03 Allegretto23:57 Adagio – Allegretto – Adagio – Allegretto
Mahler - Symphony No. 3 Classical Music11 2016-09-15 | Bernard HaitinkRoyal Concertgebouw OrchestraMaureen ForresterSymphony No. 3 by Gustav Mahler was written between 1893 and 1896. It is his longest piece and is the longest symphony in the standard repertoire, with a typical performance lasting around 90 to 105 minutes.0:00 Kräftig. Entschieden (Strong and decisive) [D minor to F major]32:18 Tempo di Menuetto (In the tempo of a minuet) [A major]42:41 Comodo (Scherzando) (Comfortably, like a scherzo) [C minor to C major]59:34 Sehr langsam—Misterioso (Very slowly, mysteriously) [D Major]1:08:17 Lustig im Tempo und keck im Ausdruck (Cheerful in tempo and cheeky in expression) [F major]1:12:21 Langsam—Ruhevoll—Empfunden (Slowly, tranquil, deeply felt) [D major]
Schubert - Symphony No. 5 Classical Music11 2016-09-12 | Wolfgang SawallischStaatskapelle DresdenFranz Schubert's Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, D. 485, was written mainly in September 1816 and completed on October 3, 1816. It was finished six months after the completion of his previous symphony.0:00 Allegro in B♭, in cut (2/2) time.6:42 Andante con moto in E♭, in 6/8 time.18:28 Menuetto. Allegro molto in G minor, in 3/4 time, with a Trio in G major.23:29 Allegro vivace in B♭, in 2/4 time.
Beethoven - Mass in C major, Op. 86 Classical Music11 2016-09-09 | Soprano: Charlotte MargionoMezzo-soprano: Catherine Robbin Tenor: William KendallBass tenor: Alastair MilesMonteverdi ChoirOrchestre Révolutionnaire et RomantiqueJohn Eliot GardinerLudwig van Beethoven composed the Mass in C major, Op. 86, to a commission from Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II in 1807. The mass, scored for four vocal soloists, choir and orchestra was premiered the same year by the Prince's musical forces in Eisenstadt. Beethoven performed parts of it in his 1808 concert featuring the premieres of four major works including his Fifth Symphony. The mass was published in 1812 by Breitkopf & Härtel.While the Prince who commissioned the mass was not pleased, contemporary critic E. T. A. Hoffmann appreciates the "expression of a childlike serene mind", while Michael Moore notes the music's "directness and an emotional content".Beethoven's Mass in C is in five movements:0:00 I: Kyrie5:35 II: Gloria14:26 III: Credo24:56 IV: Sanctus35:43 V: Agnus Dei
Bartók - Viola Concerto Classical Music11 2016-07-29 | Conductor: András KórodiSoloist: Géza Németh Budapest Symphony OrchestraViola Concerto, Sz. 120, BB 128 was one of the last pieces written by Béla Bartók. He began composing the work while living in Saranac Lake, New York, in July 1945. The piece was commissioned by William Primrose, a respected violist who knew that Bartók could provide a challenging piece for him to perform. He said that Bartók should not "feel in any way proscribed by the apparent technical limitations of the instrument"; Bartók, though, was suffering from the terminal stages of leukemia when he began writing the viola concerto and left only sketches at the time of his death.0:00 I. Moderato [BB 128]11:32 II. Adagio religioso [BB 128]15:46 III. Allegro vivace [BB 128]
Classical Music: Overtures Classical Music11 2016-07-13 | 0:00 Vivaldi - L'Olimpiade, RV 725 - RV 7255:45 Purcell - Overture - Dido and Aeneas9:01 Beethoven - Overture (Die Weihe des Hauses) Op.12419:51 J.S. Bach - Suite No.1 in C major BWV 1066 - Overture26:24 Borodin - Prince Igor Overture37:18 Barber - Overture to The School for Scandal46:17 Mozart - Die Zauberflöte, K. 620: Overture 52:38 Rimsky-Korsakov - Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op.361:06:58 Weber - Der Freischutz Overture, Op. 771:17:06 Wagner - The Flying Dutchman Overture 1:26:37 Verdi - Nabucco Overture1:34:30 Gershwin - Cuban Overture
Beethoven - Leonore Prohaska, WoO 96 Classical Music11 2016-06-04 | Claudio AbbadoBerlin PhilharmonicEleonore Prochaska (11 March 1785, Potsdam - 5 October 1813, Dannenberg) was a German woman soldier who fought in the Prussian army against Napoleon during the War of the Sixth Coalition.In retrospect, she was strongly idealized as a chaste heroine and honoured as "Potsdam's Joan of Arc" ("die Potsdamer Jeanne d'Arc"). Various plays and poems were written on her life (including those by Friedrich Rückert and Emil Taubert), whilst Ludwig van Beethoven began a "Bühnenmusik" (WoO 96) on her, with a libretto entitled "Eleonore Prochaska" written by the Prussian royal private-secretary Friedrich Duncker.0:00 I: Kriegerchor 'Wir bauen und sterben'1:20 II: Romanze 'Es blüht eine Blume im Garten mein'3:55 III: Meolodram 'Du, dem sie gewunden'5:40 IV: Trauermarsch
Prokofiev - Piano Sonata No. 8 in B♭ major, Op. 84 Classical Music11 2016-05-28 | Performed by Boris BermanPiano Sonata No. 8 is the third of the Three War Sonatas. The sonata was first performed on 30 December 1944 in Moscow by Emil Gilels.0:00 I. Andante dolce (in B-flat major)16:33 II. Andante sognando (in D-flat major)21:14 III. Vivace (in B-flat major)
Fernando Sor - Five pieces for classical guitar Classical Music11 2016-04-12 | Composer: Fernando Sor (1778 - 1839)Performed by Jonathan Adams0:00 Minuet In C4:03 Estudio In B Minor6:14 Estudio In D7:37 Estudio In C9:43 Estudio In A
Beethoven - Mass in D major, Op.123 Missa solemnis Classical Music11 2016-03-18 | Soprano: Cheryl StuderSoprano: Jessye Norman Tenor: Plácido DomingoBass: Kurt MollVienna PhilharmonicSwedish Radio Chorus Rundfunkchor LeipzigConductor: James LevineYear: 1997 Mass in D major, Op. 123 "Missa solemnis", was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819 to 1823. It was first performed on 7 April 1824 in St. Petersburg, Russia, under the auspices of Beethoven's patron Prince Nikolai Galitzin; an incomplete performance was given in Vienna on 7 May 1824, when the Kyrie, Credo, and Agnus Dei were conducted by the composer. It is generally considered one of the composer's supreme achievements and, along with Bach's Mass in B minor, one of the most significant Mass settings of the common practice period.Despite critical recognition as one of Beethoven's great works from the height of his composing career, Missa solemnis has not achieved the same level of popular attention that many of his symphonies and sonatas have enjoyed.Written around the same time as his Ninth Symphony, it is Beethoven's second setting of the Mass, after his Mass in C, Op. 86.The Mass is scored for 2 flutes; 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in A, C, and B♭); 2 bassoons; contrabassoon; 4 horns (in D, E♭, B♭ basso, E, and G); 2 trumpets (D, B♭, and C); alto, tenor, and bass trombone; timpani; organ continuo; strings (violins I and II, violas, cellos, and basses); soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; and mixed choir.Like most Masses, Beethoven's Missa solemnis is in five movements:0:00 Kyrie11:28 Gloria29:02 Credo47:53 Sanctus1:06:27 Agnus Dei
Rheinberger - Symphony No. 2 in F major, Op. 87 Classical Music11 2016-02-24 | Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (17 March 1839 — 25 November 1901)Nordwestdeutsche PhilharmonieAlun FrancisDate: 198900:00 I. Allegro Con Fuoco 13:56 II. Adagio 32:19 III. Menuetto Pastorale 42:09 IV. Finale
