tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13609842.post1077872451518397777..comments2023-10-30T09:26:32.732+00:00Comments on Now's the time: Conversation, orchestra and X-rayAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06972049290586377462noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13609842.post-89072450491631498812014-01-22T08:29:16.338+00:002014-01-22T08:29:16.338+00:00Stella: I should have mentioned - the trio lasts o...Stella: I should have mentioned - the trio lasts only 2 min 46 seconds.Roderick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16828395545197001637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13609842.post-55093170323376345432014-01-22T08:19:06.039+00:002014-01-22T08:19:06.039+00:00Stella: Lucy echoes a point I raised earlier; igno...Stella: Lucy echoes a point I raised earlier; ignore pieces of music that are thought to tell stories. Words are a far better medium for this; music does other things.<br /><br />The Young Person's Guide is a good tune and it introduces you to the sound of the various orchestral instruments. Note in particular the section devoted to percussion instruments. Despite their limited musical range they are able to spell out the tune simply by duplicating its rhythms.<br /><br />Given your busy life, operas are a long way off; you need time for those. However here is an example of what can happen in an opera. No need to know what the words mean: just listen to the way one woman singer starts a sentence and the other finishes it off, how they blend exquisitely, and how the man's voice makes the women sound even better. I won't identify the song (it's called a trio for obvious reasons) or the opera; there's no greater put-off than being showered with lots of words in a foreign language you may not be able to speak. Copy this into the Google search box<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wi7UsXW1As&feature=player_detailpageRoderick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16828395545197001637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13609842.post-53357327297766460992014-01-22T08:15:05.286+00:002014-01-22T08:15:05.286+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Roderick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16828395545197001637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13609842.post-20926260826517262302014-01-21T23:07:40.354+00:002014-01-21T23:07:40.354+00:00Ah! Beethoven!
There is a special place in my hea...Ah! Beethoven!<br /><br />There is a special place in my heart for Humperdinck's <i>Hänsel und Gretel</i> opera. I know, I know, many say it isn't really opera. But I find it very exciting, especially when Christa Ludwig sings the Witch. I recently discovered on YouTube <i>The Evening Prayer</i> sung by Kathleen Battle, Frederica von Stade, and I can't get through it without a hankie.Rouchswalwehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01393987883437907945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13609842.post-27732312615723376782014-01-21T20:08:36.168+00:002014-01-21T20:08:36.168+00:00I reckon the YPGTTO has one of the most off-puttin...I reckon the YPGTTO has one of the most off-putting titles for what is really a rather nice piece of music. I was thinking a bit about the kind of rather patronising and tiresome introduction-to-classical-music things that are presented to children and youngsters: Peter and the Wolf, Tubby the Tuba, etc and how when I was about 10 we were taken off from school to a kids' concert at the Albert Hall. The programme was interesting, I think; Borodin's Polovtsian Dances, which I gather more mature critical minds wince at somewhat, and Vaughan Williams' Tallis Theme, which I still wouldn't hear a word against. Neither of them were exactly standard classical baby food, and I know we found the whole evening magical and intoxicating; I remember coming back to school at midnight wide-eyed with wonder and sleeping till midday the next day.<br /><br />The x-ray machine sounds like relatively good value; I hope they can help.Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09764296105901909328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13609842.post-28812097309563162612014-01-21T19:39:09.465+00:002014-01-21T19:39:09.465+00:00A friend has joined me in the quest! Since my Cho...A friend has joined me in the quest! Since my Chopin will arrive anon, we settled on Beethoven for today. As it has worked out so far, I go off on some household mission and return to find the cd finished. Must sit down! Will check out the YouTube Orchestra. Many thanks, I am energized!Stellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10789646495307544390noreply@blogger.com