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Norman, are you listening?


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17,

I have been spoiled by spending a lot of time in two cathedral cities, first Winchester and now St Albans. I asked if anybody else here liked organ music, but got no response.

I don't care for much of Britten, but the story about him being commissioned by the Japanese to write a requiem, or was it mass, for the Emporer was interesting.

I like my music to be loud. Why write for a huge choir, orchestra, band, or organ and piddle around. That's why I liked the Berlioz. A huge section of French horns and lots of kettle drums.

David

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I asked if anybody else here liked organ music, but got no response

I played the organ for many years and had lessons with Peter Hurford who was organist at St Albans at the time.

I find organ music a bit mechanical, but love the chorale preludes of Bach.

I also learned the 'Cat' fugue, and the great Fantasia and Fugue in G minor and the Toccata Adagio and Fugue

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Norman,

Peter Hurford is on the Cathedral prayer list and hasn't been well for some time. I'd love to be able to play the organ. The closest I get is sponsoring a new 8 foot pipe in the recent refit. The organ also now has some 32 foot pipes and will have some pipes placed halfway down the nave.

There are other youtubes of the gigue fugue by Virgil Fox, but this is the recording I have. (assuming the right thing appeared...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-y5leAJm6I

I heard Carlo Curley, unfortunately no longer with us, three or four times in St Albans. Not to everybodys taste, I know, but this is how I remember Curley.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaKiSnqyLU8

David

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I see I have a lot of catching up to do on this thread![:D][:D][:D]

I, too, am not a tremendous fan of the organ except the VERY notable exceptions listed by Norman.  Too many hours of enforced church attendances, perhaps.

Oh, but Albinoni. he's an exception too!

There was a longish programme last night about Britten and there was some good discussion of his music (amongst other aspects of his life).  I didn't watch it all because I was out for the early part of the programme.

I know that the Britten Sinfonia is touring and playing some of the music that was discussed.  If interested, just google their programme.

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17,

I listened to as much as I could stand, a couple of minutes, of Billy Budd on BBC4 the other night. It was like listening to a random group of people reading any Shakespeare play while 'singing' any notes that jumped out of their mouths. It was about the worst thing I have ever heard. How could anybody write anything so tuneless? Did you watch the whole thing and actually enjoy it?

David

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In that case, Mr McDollar, you will certainly not enjoy Curlew River [:)]

Last week, there was a performance in the Barbican and, were we still in the UK, we would almost certainly have made the trip from darkest Wales to London.  Not only do we know some of the orchestra (though only a few members of the Britten Sinfonia were involved on this occasion), we have also met two of the singers.  Plus, we would have had complimentary tickets.

Here is a review of that concert (one of three or four that I have read and which are all very positive):

http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=14410

But, like you, I also like "tuneful" music but that could be because I am not what you would call an informed listener.  Much of modern music is way over my head.  However, if I do go to a concert, I usually manage to enjoy it.

There is nothing like an orchestra tuning up to make me perk up and the sheer anticipation, a frisson of excitement, is enough to make me very glad to be there [:D]

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Thanks Norman - I don't know why my links aren't clickable on here, the same procedure works elsewhere.

The Mozart - heard on good old ClassicFM, then looked on youtube and found that recording, from ?1938! Amazing how they can reproduce old recordings.

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Pat,

Among other Goodman records, 33 1/3 rpm, I have him playing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. I saw him perform in Cleveland several years before he died. I also saw Carlo Curley perform in St Albans about six months before he died. No cause and effect, I don't think.

David 

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Norman,

A lot of my Cleveland Orchestra records are conducted by Szell, including a set of Beethoven's symphonies and his five piano concertos.

I was a friends house in St Albans some years ago and was trying to convince him that the Cleveland Orchestra was one of the best in the world and had been the guest orchestra at the Salzburg Festival. He said he had never heard of the Cleveland Orchestra and didn't believe me about the Festival. At the time, he was playing a CD of one of Beethoven's piano concertos. I looked at the sleeve and informed him that it was by the Cleveland Orchestra and Ashkenazy (sp).

David

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David - you were so lucky to go to a Benny Goodman concert!

My claim to fame in hearing historic concerts was when my Dad took me to hear Beniamino Gigli in the 1950s. He did a concert in Newcastle City Hall (I think) on his final tour before his death.

I'm not a lover of solo singers (sorry SW17 and Norman) but he was exceptional.

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Right I've tried Claire's/John's method, I think I've tried it in the past and it must be something to do with my browser. But it still doesn't work for me [:(]

Here's a singer with a beautiful voice who died too soon. Not classical, but she  deserves to be remembered imo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-spVFS1ips

Hoping the rest of you appreciate her singing.

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In that vein I have a couple of singers I enjoy who are less well known than the famous jazz singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn

Madeleine Peyroux

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRR5YrpbBe4&list=RDh4stmQUlNhQ

Then this unashamedly sentimental song about the experience of a child leaving home for adult life

Isabelle Boulay (who has a magnifent voice also)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYB8ZDcPM9Q&html5=1

Then there is Ute Lemper...what a voice, what a performer, and in three languages!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYrNfjn3pgY&list=PLAC1718F66385FECAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxWpYd9CcIU&list=PLAC1718F66385FECA&html5=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxWpYd9CcIU&html5=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzvgV4lILSc

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Hello all

Apologies, not now able to listen to all the clips.  Not long back from gym, played with dog, eaten, showered and now bed pretty soon as French class is in the morning and we all know that lack of sleep does not help  the learning process, n'est-ce pas?

Ute Lemper I do like.

BTW, when I went to google something today, I learned from the google-doodle that it is Maria Callas' 90th birthday.  Yeah, I know she didn't live to 90, but it was what the doodle said!

Edit:  I went to google MC and her Visi d'arte.  This is an aria that I could never tire of hearing.  Her version is perfection, IMHO, of course!

 

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Pat, as you know, anything technological is more or less beyond me.

However, if I described to you the simple method that I use, it might be of help?

You go to the clip you want to post.  You right click on the "subject bar" at the top of the screen.  That will highlight the whole bit of text.  You then go to "Edit" and you click "Copy".

Then, you come back on the Forum, you click on wherever you want the clip to go.  You return to "Edit" and you click "Paste".

If you already do it this way, then please excuse me.  I just want to help [:)]

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