CMXLII. SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri: Ballet Suite #3

CMXLII. SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri (1906-1975)

Ballet Suite #3 (1953)
1. Waltz
2. Gavotte
3. Dance
4. Elegy
5. Waltz
6. Galop
Scottish National Orchestra
Neeme Järvi, cond.
(16:05)

Culled from The Human Comedy and The Limpid Stream, both from 1934-35.

CMXLI. MOSZUMAŃSKA-NAZAR, Krystyna: Konstelacje

CMXLI. MOSZUMAŃSKA-NAZAR, Krystyna (1924-2009)

Konstelacje (1972)
Michał Babiarz, piano
(7:41)

CMXL. BARRETT, Natasha: Little Animals

CMXL. BARRETT, Natasha (1972-       )

Little Animals (1997)

CMXXXIX. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus: Missa Solemnis in C Major, K. 337

CMXXXIX. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)

Missa Solemnis in C Major, K. 337 (1780)
1. Kyrie (2:54)
2. Gloria (3:29)
3. Credo (5:24)
4. Sanctus (1:44)
5. Benedictus (2:41)
6. Agnus Dei (5:29)
Kölner Kammerchor
Collegium Cartusianum
Peter Neumann, cond.

CMXXXVIII. NORMAN, Ludvig: Seven Songs for Mixed Choir

CMXXXVIII. NORMAN, Ludvig (1831-1885)

Seven Songs for Mixed Choir, Op. 15
1. Da drüben (1:08)
2. Vom Berge (1:58)
3. Im Lenze (1:50)
4. Lied (1:08)
5. Köhlerglaube (2:09)
6. Der Nussbaum (2:17)
7. Gebet (2:06)
Junges Vokalensemble Hannover
Klaus-Jürgen Etzold, cond.

CMXXXVII. HAYDN, Franz Joseph: Baryton Trio #26 in G Major

CMXXXVII. HAYDN, Franz Joseph (1732-1809)

Baryton Trio #26 in G Major
1. Presto assai
2. Andante
3. Minuetto
Esterhazy Ensemble
(9:29)

CMXXXVI. HAYDN, Franz Joseph: Concerto #5 for two Lira Organizzata in F Major

CMXXXVI. HAYDN, Franz Joseph (1732-1809)

Concerto #5 for two Lira Organizzata in F Major (1786)
1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Finale
Hugo Ruf, lira organizzata
Susanne Lautenbacher, violin
Ruth Nielen, violin
Franz Beyer, viola
Heinz Berndt, viola
Oswald Uhl, cello
Johannes Koch, viola da gamba
Wolfgang Hoffmann, French horn
Helmuth Irmscher, French horn
(12:25)

The last two movements were adapted for Symphony #89.

CMXXXV. STOCKHAUSEN, Karlheinz: Inori

CMXXXV. STOCKHAUSEN, Karlheinz (1928-2007)

Inori (1973-74)

CMXXXIV. YANNAY, Yehuda: The Exquisite Viola

CMXXXIV. YANNAY, Yehuda (1937-       )

The Exquisite Viola (2013)
Yossi Gutmann, viola
[scrolling score]
(17:38)

CMXXXIII. SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri: String Quartet #14 in F-Sharp Major, Op. 142

CMXXXIII. SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri (1906-1975)

String Quartet #14 in F-Sharp Major, Op. 142 (1973)
1. Allegretto
2. Adagio (attacca)
3. Allegretto
Jerusalem Quartet
(26:22)

His intention had always been to write a set of 24 quartets in all the major and minor keys. He dispensed with six majors immediately (C, A, F, D, B-Flat and G) before finally diving into a minor-keyed Seventh in F-Sharp Minor, followed by the terrifying Eighth in C Minor.

Returning to major for the Ninth (E-Flat) and Tenth (A-Flat), he then alternated between major and minor for the remaining five.

A pattern can be discerned from 12-15 -- a major key followed by its relative minor -- (12th: D-Flat Major, 13th: B-Flat Minor, 14th: F-Sharp Major, 15th: E-Flat Minor) ...

The last of the four dedications to the members of the Beethoven Quartet -- the cellist, Sergei Shirinsky.

1. Allegretto

The dedicatee kicks things off. When the first violin finally enters (bar 18), Shostakovich very simply creates the harmony with static f-sharp in the viola and the cello descending by the steps ...

Cranks up the intensity ...

And ending:

2. Adagio (attacca)

D Minor-ish! Very sparse texture:

The cello gets another nice solo to pizzicato accompaniment:

3. Allegretto

The attacca is pretty clever -- from G/Gm to F-Sharp Major ...

The three-note motif (rest-1/8th-1/8th-1/8th) is set up for a lovely, shifting solo in the first ...

Reminiscent of parts of the Fourth Symphony ...

The 3-note motif gives way to a gentle movement to the final F-Sharp Major 

chord -- spaced so elegantly with the cello on top with the high fifth!

CMXXXII. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van: Sonata #3 in E-Flat Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 12, No. 3

CMXXXII. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827)

Sonata #3 in E-Flat Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 12, No. 3 (1798)
1. Allegro con spirito
2. Adagio con molto espressione
3. Rondo: Allegro molto
Leonidas Kavakos, violin
Enrico Pace, piano
(19:56)

These three sonatas dedicated to Salieri are all wonderfully "classical," yet here and there hints of the future seem to pop out of the music!

The violin is still more or less "accompanying" the very active piano -- but there is constant gorgeous interplay between the two instruments -- especially in the slow movement ...

1. Allegro con spirito

2. Adagio con molto espressione

3. Rondo: Allegro molto

CMXXXI. BOULEZ, Pierre: Structures II

CMXXXI. BOULEZ, Pierre (1925-2016)

Structures II (1961)
Chapter 1 (8:59)
Chapter 2 (13:05)
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano
Florent Boffard, piano

"I wanted to eradicate from my vocabulary absolutely every trace of the conventional, whether it concerned figures and phrases, or development and form; I then wanted gradually, element after element, to win back the various stages of the compositional process, in such a manner that a perfectly new synthesis might arise, a synthesis that would not be corrupted from the very outset by foreign bodies -- stylistic reminiscences in particular. -- PB

PB, piano
Florent Boffard, piano
[scrolling score]
(22:02)

CMXXXI. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus: Symphony #35 in D Major ("Haffner"), K. 385

CMXXXI. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)

Symphony #35 in D Major ("Haffner"), K. 385 (1782)
1. Allegro con spirito
2. Andante
3. Menuetto
4. Presto
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bernard Haitink, cond.
(23:20)

It's all very confusing.

The Haffners were some of the earliest patrons of Mozart. When a Haffner daughter was getting married, Wolfy was expected to provide something new.

He did -- an eight-movement serenade, K. 250 -- the "Haffner" Serenade ... in 1776. Now -- six years later -- Leopold (in Salzburg) asked his son to write something new for the ennoblement of Sigmund Haffner Junior.

Although he was busy with other projects, he mailed the new serenade to his father, section by section. It is unknown whether or not he met the deadline, but when Leopold returned the score, Mozart -- amazed by his own vitality -- scooped out the serenade and turned it into this symphony.

The musical materials are ridiculously simple and in form and shape completely divine.

1. Allegro con spirito

2. Andante

3. Menuetto

4. Presto

CMXXX. ROCHBERG, George: Sonata for Viola and Piano

CMXXX. ROCHBERG, George (1918-2005)

Sonata for Viola and Piano (1979)
1. Allegro moderato (8:26)
2. Adagio lamentoso (5:49)
3. Fantasia: Epilogue, allegro moderato, ma un poco parlando (2:56)
Lawrence Wheeler, viola
Ruth Tomfohrde, piano

CMXXIX. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van: Sextet in E-Flat Major, Op. 81b

CMXXIX. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827)

Sextet in E-Flat Major, Op. 81b (1795)
1. Allegro con brio
2. Adagio
3. Rondo. Allegro
Laurent Weibel, violin
Alexandra Raab, violin
Kerstin Hüllemann, viola
Christiane Steppan, cello
Marc Gruber, French horn
Gerda Sperlich, French horn
(17:40)

An early work (not published until 1810) -- a bit standard -- but filled with little surprise glimpses into his future, and two virtuoso horn parts.

1. Allegro con brio

2. Adagio

3. Rondo. Allegro

CMXXVIII. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus: Six Variations in G Minor on "Hélas, j'ai perdu mon amant," K. 360

CMXXVIII. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)

Six Variations in G Minor on "Hélas, j'ai perdu mon amant," K. 360 (1781)
Michael Barenboim, violin
Daniel Barenboim, piano
1. Andantino
2. Variation 1
3. Variation 2
4. Variation 3
5. Variation 4
6. Variation 5
7. Variation 6
(12:09)

Antoine Albanèse (1729-1800) wrote the melody Mozart uses, but he got the title wrong ("Alas, I have lost my lover"). The actual title was "Au bord d'une fontaine" ("By the edge of a fountain").

The Barenboims acquit themselves nicely here.

CMXXVII. BACH, J.S.: Trio Sonata #1 in E-Flat Major, BWV 525

CMXXVII. BACH, J.S. (1685-1750)

Trio Sonata #1 in E-Flat Major, BWV 525 (>1720)
1. [Allegro] (3:13)
2. Adagio (5:38)
3. Allegro (4:21)
Helmut Walcha, organ

One might be forgiven for assuming the title hinted at a trio (three-person) composition of some sort (actually, the original "trio sonata" required four people!) ...

Bach -- in some of his most demanding writing for organ -- reduced all three parts to the one keyboard instrument with three separate manuals: two keyboards and the pedals ...

CMXXVI. HANDEL, George Frideric: Solomon, Act 3

CMXXVI. HANDEL, George Frideric (1685-1759)

Solomon (1748)

The Queen of Sheba pays a visit. Solomon's wisdom is praised.

ACT 3

Symfony

Recitative (Queen of Sheba, Solomon): From Arabia's spicy shores

Air (Queen of Sheba): Ev'ry sight these eyes behold

Recitative (Solomon): Sweep, sweep the string

Air (Solomon) and Chorus: Music, spread thy voice around

Air (Solomon) and Chorus: Now a diff'rent measure try

Recitative (Solomon): Then at once from rage remove

Chorus: Draw the tear from hopeless love

Recitative (Solomon): Next the tortur'd soul release

Air (Solomon) and Chorus: Thus rolling surges rise

Recitative (Queen of Sheba): Thy harmony's divine

Air (Levite): Pious king

Recitative (Zadok): Thrice happy king

Air (Zadok): Golden columns

Chorus: Praise the Lord

Recitative (Solomon): Gold now is common

Air (Solomon): How green our fertile pastures look!

Recitative (Queen of Sheba): May peace in Salem

Air (Queen of Sheba): Will the sun forget to streak

Recitative (Solomon): Adieu, fair queen

Duet (Queen of Sheba, Solomon): Ev'ry joy that wisdom knows

Grand Chorus: The name of the wicked