For Your Listening Pleasure

"Brahms: Symphony no. 4" Our look at the Brahms symphonies comes to an end with Eugen Jochum and the Fourth symphony. To complete the listener guide, the First serenade. Details on our archives page @ https://archive.org/details/BrahmsFestivalPart4

"Brahms: Symphony no. 3" Our look at the Brahms symphonies continues with Istvan Kertesz and the Third symphony. As filler, some orchestrations of Brahms works by Schoenberg and Parlow. Details on our archives page @ https://archive.org/details/BrahmsFestivalPart3

[Quarterly Tuesday Podcast] Our ongoing survey of the Beethoven sonatas resumes with the sonatas nos. 5 and 16 played by Daniel Barenboim, who is also featured soloist on the concerto op. 61a after the violin concerto. Read our commentary on October 15 @ https://itywltmt.blogspot.com/, details @ https://archive.org/details/pcast324-Playlist

"Brahms: Symphony no. 2" Our look at the Brahms symphonies continues with Leonard Bernstein and the Second symphony. In addition to the Academic Festival Overture, some vocal works fill out this listener guide. Details on our archives page @ https://archive.org/details/BrahmsFestivalPart2

"Brahms: Symphony no. 1" Our look at the Brahms symphonies begins with Carlo Maria Giulini and the First symphony. Filling out the program, some works for piano duet. Details on our archives page @ https://archive.org/details/BrahmsFestivalPart1

"Symphonies in C" Three Symphonies in the key of C Major by Haydn, Schubert and Bizet. Schubert’s “little” C Major is a transitional symphony, moving from Haydn’s formulaic classical style (as exemplified by his 97th) to the more romantic-sounding latter Schubert symphonies. As for the symphony by a 17 tear-old Bizet, it is composed in the French vein, clearly influenced by Gounod’s “little symphony” in D and nowhere as ominous as the ones that will be written by the likes of Saint-Saens and Franck in the latter part of the 1800s. Details on our archives page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast159

[Project 366 Listener Guide #30] This montage features two symphonies and two overtures by Beethoven. The symphonies have a common thread: Count Franz von Oppersdorff, a relative of Beethoven's patron, Prince Lichnowsky. The Count met Beethoven when he traveled to Lichnowsky's summer home where Beethoven was staying. Von Oppersdorff listened to Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D Major, and liked it so much that he offered a great amount of money for Beethoven to compose a new symphony for him, which became his fourth. October 11 @ http://itywltmt.blogspot.com, details @ https://archive.org/details/Pcast043Playlist ((ITYWLTMT Podcast #43 - 17 Feb, 2012)

"Bruckner: Symphony no. 5" Anton Bruckner’s Symphony no. 5 was written at a time of much trouble and disillusionment un the composer's life - it is not outwardly a work of storm and stress, yet is one of his most contrapuntally intricate works. The symphony is sometimes referred to as "Tragic", or "Church of Faith". Details on our archives page @ https://archive.org/details/04SymphonyNo.5InBFlatMajorT [First Time on our Podcasting Channel]

"HB Camille Saint-Saëns [*1835]" Camille Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony is probably the most played of his symphonies, and certainly the most famous work in its genre. The London Philharmonic Society commissioned the Symphony No. 3 from Saint-Saëns, who conducted its first performance in London on May 19, 1886. Although he lived until 1921, Saint-Saëns would not compose another symphony. He later explained: "With it I have given all I could give. What I did I could not achieve again." More details at our archives page @ https://archive.org/details/OrganAndOrchestra

"Mozart: Symphonies nos. 40 & 41" Mozart composed his final three symphonies (nos. 39, 40 and 41) during the summer of 1788, in the space of about two months. Mozart wasn’t known to compose merely as an outlet for spontaneous inspiration, but rather for financial reasons – scholarly research shows that these symphonies were intended for so-called “Concerts in the Casino" in a new casino in the Spiegelgasse owned by Philipp Otto. Mozart even sent a pair of tickets for this series to his fellow mason Michael Puchberg, which probably never took place. Some suggest Mozart took the three symphonies on the tour he made to Germany the following year, which would further undermine the long-held notion that the composer never heard three of the greatest works in the symphonic literature performed. Details at our archove pagr @ https://archive.org/details/pcast227

"Curtain Raisers" I make the distraction between concert overtures – short pieces of music that launch orchestral concerts.- and overtures to stage works – mainly operas – that are often played in concert. My aim was to try and showcase works that are intended for the concert stage, and not to accompany a stage performance. A wide range of selections are proposed, including a few Slavic/Russian favourites. More info in our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast226

"Schubert: Great C Major Symphony" Both Beethoven’s and Schubert’s Ninth symphonies are indicative of how forward-looking these two geniuses were; these are mammoth works, double the length (and breadth) of what their teachers and contemporaries dared to put to paper. In fact, for many years, Schubert’s Ninth was deemed “too difficult” and “unplayable”. Ten years after Schubert's death, and under the able direction of Felix Mendelssohn and his Leipzig orchestra, the “Great C Major” symphony was finally premiered. To this day, it is considered a major piece of the symphonic repertoire – whether we view it as late Classical or early Romantic. Detail at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/JeffreyTateStaatskapelleDresden1986SchubertSymphonyNo.9 [First time on our podcasting channel]

"Nothing But Strings" String orchestras can be of chamber orchestra size ranging from between 12 (4.3.2.2.1 = 12) and 21 musicians (6.5.4.4.2 = 21) or consist of the entire string section of a large symphony orchestra which could have 60 musicians (16.14.12.10.8 = 60). The repertoire for string orchestra goes from the baroque to the modern. Sometimes works originally written for string quartet, quintet, sextet etc. are arranged for string orchestra. Featuring works by Mendelssohn, Richard Strauss and Talivaldis Kenins. Detail at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast225

[Project 366 Listener Guide #25] Without getting too technical an orchestra is made up of strings, wind instruments and percussions. A wind band is made up exclusively of wind (that is, woodwind and brass) instruments, and is often augmented with some percussion – especially in the case of the military band. Music for winds by Mozart, Vaughan-Williams, Sousa, and Beethoven. Read our fresh take on October 4 @ http://itywltmt.blogspot.com, details @ https://archive.org/details/pcast224-Playlist (ITYWLTMT Podcast #224 - 24 June, 2016)

"Dvořák & Tchaikovsky Serenades For Strings" Isn't there a desire in each of us to lead a more sacred life? To shed materiality and concupiscence, leaving one's face "close to the points of a star"? The string serenades of Dvorak and Tchaikovsky give voice to this aspiration. There is a purity to both works which refreshes the spirit. Transfiguration looms. Detail at our archive page @ https://archive.org/details/06TchaikovskySerenadeForString [First time on our podcasting channel]