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Ian Pace
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« Reply #1095 on: 11:33:20, 06-05-2007 » |
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From what I recall, Britten was quite self-deprecating about his own pianistic skills, but watching him play reveals an extremely fine facility, everything very economical, well-judged, all of the energy going into the keys rather than the equipment fighting itself, to a greater extent than in some other more renowned players. At the same time, he does also seem to have been a characteristically reserved British player - hard to imagine vehemence, impulse, wrought passion, etc., emerging from his fingertips, especially if they might interfere with a consistent good quality of sound and aloof security. But I would be very interested to hear him in some solo repertoire - I don't think he played or recorded (or was filmed playing) much, was he? Can you enlighten on this, Mary?
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'These acts of keeping politics out of music, however, do not prevent musicology from being a political act . . .they assure that every apolitical act assumes a greater political immediacy' - Philip Bohlman, 'Musicology as a Political Act'
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martle
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« Reply #1096 on: 11:37:11, 06-05-2007 » |
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That was my reaction too. Exemplary accompanying in all respects, but the best aspects of his pianism are undoubtedly limited to this sort of role (and the 'limitation' isn't necessarily a negative thing). As you say, Mary, quite wonderful pianissimos! That's very hard to do without losing intensity.
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Green. Always green.
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #1097 on: 13:03:26, 06-05-2007 » |
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He made a lot of recordings as accompanist, mostly with Pears, but very few otherwise. There is at least one rare recording of a Mozart Piano Concerto (no.12), and some chamber music. He didn't even record his own piano concerto, though he did play it at the Proms when it was a very new piece, and he was very young. He said that he wasn't very interested in the piano as a solo instrument, because he thought it "limited in colour", and really liked it only as an accompaniment. He was also too shy and nervous really to be a soloist - even in his role as accompanist he was sick with nerves, especially as he grew older, and when Pears did a televised Winterreise in about 1970, he refused to be shown on camera. When he was at the RCM, his piano teacher Arthur Benjamin told him he was "not built to be a solo pianist"! Apparently he thought him too thin and light.
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time_is_now
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« Reply #1098 on: 13:06:09, 06-05-2007 » |
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I would be very interested to hear him in some solo repertoire - I don't think he played or recorded (or was filmed playing) much, was he? I don't know of any solo stuff, but there are wonderful duets with Richter (Schubert), which I have. I know he also recorded Mozart piano concertos, but as conductor (Curzon is the soloist) - did he not record anything as soloist? |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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time_is_now
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« Reply #1099 on: 13:11:06, 06-05-2007 » |
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Sorry Mary, just saw you'd already replied.
Did you watch the 'Tuba mirum' clip linked from the same page as that 'Schöne Müllerin' song you posted? What do you think of the War Requiem, actually? I hardly know it - always find the Dies irae quite gripping but have only once listened through the whole piece, a long time ago. I was slightly put off it by my teacher Robin Holloway who absolutely hates it - he fell out with Britten over an article he wrote criticising the thin-ness of much of the late music but has mellowed his opinion on much of it, but not the War Requiem which he takes any opportunity to criticise as melodramatic and emotionally manipulative.
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #1100 on: 13:26:55, 06-05-2007 » |
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Yes, I've heard Robin Holloway on Britten! War Requiem - I'm not really capable of an objective opinion, because I find it too overwhelming. I don't think it's consciously "manipulative", though he was certainly trying to make a point - it's genuinely passionately felt, surely? A piece for live performance, I feel, preferably in a reverberant acoustic, and with performers who really understand what they are doing. Routine performances don't work. The original recordings are wonderful, and were so successful that Britten was quite shocked - and of course some other composers were quite jealous  . I've sung in the choir for performances of the War Requiem. We were all left drained. And now, too late, I've worked out exactly (or rather inexactly) how to do the Pleni sunt Coeli. |
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time_is_now
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« Reply #1101 on: 13:28:59, 06-05-2007 » |
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Oh, this is wonderful, I've never really explored YouTube before. Here's Tippett rehearsing Ives with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra (and even singing along at 2'30"! ). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpOLZpHUDHA&mode=related&search=I can't believe this man is 64 in these clips ... |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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time_is_now
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« Reply #1102 on: 14:10:40, 06-05-2007 » |
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One more then I'd better stop and go and get something to eat. But here's one of my favourite songs, and sung beautifully: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-VXXZLh2a0&mode=related&search='This is a place where the lyric and the music aren't as - as apposite as they might be ... That's my fault, but you as a singer have to oversome that.'  |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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martle
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« Reply #1103 on: 14:51:00, 06-05-2007 » |
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Great clips, t_i_n, both of them! |
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Green. Always green.
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Ian Pace
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« Reply #1104 on: 14:54:06, 06-05-2007 » |
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One is concerned that the Grumpy Old Rant Room has a twenty-two page lead on the Happy Room at present, and wondered whether some more happy things might be posted here to redress the balance a little?  (including perhaps a post of any description by John W to bring his total to 1000?  ) |
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« Last Edit: 14:55:48, 06-05-2007 by Ian Pace »
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'These acts of keeping politics out of music, however, do not prevent musicology from being a political act . . .they assure that every apolitical act assumes a greater political immediacy' - Philip Bohlman, 'Musicology as a Political Act'
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martle
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« Reply #1106 on: 15:05:17, 06-05-2007 » |
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Just for you, Ian. (This pic could go on any of about 5 threads at the moment...!)   |
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Green. Always green.
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John W
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« Reply #1107 on: 15:06:46, 06-05-2007 » |
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(including perhaps a post of any description by John W to bring his total to 1000? ) Thanks Ian, I was so busy looking for other milestones I wasn't watching my own postings! So this IS a post of 'any description' just happy to post on the happy thread, also my team just won their last game of the season, so a happy 1000th post!  John W |
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Ian Pace
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« Reply #1109 on: 16:04:25, 06-05-2007 » |
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Many Congrats John. At the current rate, martle will be next across the line, but Richard is tailing him very closely - are we going to see a repeat of the Zola Budd/Mary Decker controversy? Wonderfully happy, Mort - bagsy I the rum? Here's a film that (ultimately) makes me happy, not least for its honesty:  |
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'These acts of keeping politics out of music, however, do not prevent musicology from being a political act . . .they assure that every apolitical act assumes a greater political immediacy' - Philip Bohlman, 'Musicology as a Political Act'
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