tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post6772946434139585743..comments2024-03-27T23:06:03.736-05:00Comments on The Music Salon: Concerto Guide:Bryan Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-33336130201579460282019-08-16T07:29:23.885-05:002019-08-16T07:29:23.885-05:00I find that I like the Classical concertos a lot, ...I find that I like the Classical concertos a lot, followed by the 20th century ones, followed by the Baroque ones. The big Romantic ones are my least favorite. Thanks for the suggestion of the songs by Rachmaninoff as I don't know them at all!Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-7655077604132151812019-08-16T00:58:17.185-05:002019-08-16T00:58:17.185-05:00I'm not a really big fan of Piano Concertos in...I'm not a really big fan of Piano Concertos in general. I only regularly listen to the Beethoven 4 and 5, a few by Mozart and the two by Chopin. Once in awhile I do play either the First or Fourth by Rach as they seem less saccharine or kitschy as you say. What I do really like about Rach are his songs. I think they are some of the best of the Romantic era and I usually don't like voice with Piano. I found them interesting enough to buy the scores. The other group of songs I like are from Rach's opposite Mussorgsky.Maurynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-34443420976489769842015-07-22T07:32:14.613-05:002015-07-22T07:32:14.613-05:00This post, relating why I didn't want to do Ra...This post, relating why I didn't want to do Rachmaninoff, I expected would get a LOT of complaining comments. But it didn't. Both you and David seem to almost agree with me.Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-14775588723626149092015-07-22T03:44:56.070-05:002015-07-22T03:44:56.070-05:00Well, I'm not sure that I agree with everythin...Well, I'm not sure that I agree with everything you said here. I've listened to all of Rachmaninoff's concertos a few months ago. I didn't find any of them particularly noteworthy in the sense that they didn't stand out, at least to me. It might be compared to Handel's concertos, there are many of them but they don't stand out usually. Instead of typical baroque cliches you get typical romantic cliches in the case of Rachmaninoff. Sure, this specific concerto has some good moments such as the melody at around 7:15, the general feel of the 2nd movement when it's not put into an overcrowded (full of notes) context or the introduction in the 3rd movement. However I think it drowns in a lack of melodic/thematic material, filler stuff including massive arpeggios and overly virtuosic (but substance lacking) passages & romantic sentiments/cliches. It simply lacks clarity. Say what you want about Bruckner but his music has a sort of great clarity even in the context of massive thick textures. Bruckner's 9th Symphony is one of my favorite pieces of music.<br /><br />One thing I've noted is that certain amateur composers I've come across like to delve into the romantic type of music but usually they end up with something that sounds pretty generic. Instead of bringing out a good melody, interesting harmonies etc. they end up with simply put romantic sentiment.Rickardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08084578675339015204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-17889809309819063252015-05-30T08:21:40.026-05:002015-05-30T08:21:40.026-05:00Perhaps the ones who might have written were suffe...Perhaps the ones who might have written were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder over the Bruckner comments!<br /><br />Welcome to the Music Salon, David and congratulations for getting into the Spirit of Things here. Funnily enough, even though the Tchaikovsky piano and violin concertos are indisputably warhorses as well, in the sense that they are perennial audience favorites, I don't get the same sense from them of kitsch. This is a delicate judgment, of course, but once you start hearing a piece of music as contrived cliché, it is hard to go back. I will, of course, give Mr. Richter a listen on your recommendation.<br /><br />How could I have missed those soaring eagles!Bryan Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482696991279345516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827040061563065922.post-3356792710457171532015-05-29T12:29:30.020-05:002015-05-29T12:29:30.020-05:00Bryan, I can't believe this post didn't g...Bryan, I can't believe this post didn't generate a rush of comments from the "Rach Reactionary Army of Sentiment". Is it possible that your RRAS readers joined the Brucknerites for Better Symphonic Bridges and retreated after your "Malicious Review" posting?<br /><br />My comment is prompted by my feeling that you go too far in comparing Rachmaninoff's Op. 18 to the Kitsch of Kinkaid. Is the indisputable "warhorse" status of the piano concerto in question evidence of its highly sentimental nature?<br /><br />I recognize the whole battle here takes place in the minefield of aesthetics. Add to this the aspect that one performer may "lard on" the sentiment more than another. To my ear, Ms. Wang succeeds at doing just that. If you can stand it, try Richter's interpretation with the Warsaw Philharmonic under Wislocki (1959). You might agree with me that they present the music in a closer facsimile to the composer's conception.<br /><br />Of course some truths remain immutable: de gusitbus non est disputandum.<br /><br />David<br /><br />ps: You didn't mention the icing on the Kinkaid Kake of Kitsch: the soaring eagles.<br /><br />dDavidnoreply@blogger.com