What do you do if someone goes to sleep during your performance of your latest work? That’s what happened to Brahms while Liszt was introducing his brand-new Sonata in B minor. Clearly he wasn’t impressed, Nor was Clara Schumann to whose husband, Robert, the work was dedicated. “Blind noise”. “Just awful”, were two of her comments. Yet it became in some other’s eyes, a masterpiece - an essential part of any aspiring concert pianist’s repertoire.
I didn’t notice if any of our group “did a Brahms” as it was played during one of our October sessions, but if it wasn’t to everyone’s musical taste, the rendition we saw at the hands of an upcoming Russian pianist in a winning performance at this year’s Tchaikovsky competition was something else indeed.
Brahms also featured earlier in the month in a chamber version of his Serenade for Orchestra – a work that helped bring the composer to the attention of the musical world and served also as an introduction for him to the art of symphonic writing.
But it was Steven Isserlis’ performance of Haydn’s 1st cello concerto that had our group talking the most.
Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro composed for the purpose of a harp manufacturer to show off their latest instrument (and stave off competition from a rival manufacturer) introduced the month’s music programme, while Mozart’s 39th (but not his last) symphony brought down the curtain on the second of our gatherings.
Click on the relevant link below to access notes and recordings.
Bill Squire
I didn’t notice if any of our group “did a Brahms” as it was played during one of our October sessions, but if it wasn’t to everyone’s musical taste, the rendition we saw at the hands of an upcoming Russian pianist in a winning performance at this year’s Tchaikovsky competition was something else indeed.
Brahms also featured earlier in the month in a chamber version of his Serenade for Orchestra – a work that helped bring the composer to the attention of the musical world and served also as an introduction for him to the art of symphonic writing.
But it was Steven Isserlis’ performance of Haydn’s 1st cello concerto that had our group talking the most.
Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro composed for the purpose of a harp manufacturer to show off their latest instrument (and stave off competition from a rival manufacturer) introduced the month’s music programme, while Mozart’s 39th (but not his last) symphony brought down the curtain on the second of our gatherings.
Click on the relevant link below to access notes and recordings.
Bill Squire
13th October:
Session Notes
Ravel - Introduction and Allegro
Brahms - Serenade for Orchestra
Haydn - Cello Concerto No.1
27th October:
Session Notes
Ramaeu - Pieces de Clavacin No.5
Liszt - Sonata in B minor
Mozart - Symphony No. 39
Session Notes
Ravel - Introduction and Allegro
Brahms - Serenade for Orchestra
Haydn - Cello Concerto No.1
27th October:
Session Notes
Ramaeu - Pieces de Clavacin No.5
Liszt - Sonata in B minor
Mozart - Symphony No. 39
