alone
One-word review: Wow!
Pierre-Laurent Aimard (1957-, piano) plays Etudes by Debussy, Ligeti, Chopin, Bartok, Scriabin; live, England (Aldeburgh), 2014*
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
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*Program (courtesy of YouTube): 0:00-, Debussy: Étude 1 pour les cinq doigts d’après Monsieur Czerny L. 136; 03:42-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 3: White on white (1995–2001); 07:56-, Debussy: Étude 9 pour les notes répétées L. 136; 11:16-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: Der Zauberlehrling (1988–1994); 13:40-, Debussy: Étude 3 pour les quartes L. 136; 18:57-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: Fém (1988–1994); 22:08-, Chopin: Trois nouvelles études: I. in F minor (1839); 24:29-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: En Suspens (1988–1994); 26:35-, Chopin: Trois nouvelles études: III. in A major (1839); 28:50-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Arc-en-ciel (1985); 32:20-, Chopin: 12 etudes: II. in F minor (Op. 25); 34:03-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Touches bloquées (1985); 36:14-, Bartók: 3 etudes: I. Allegro molto Sz. 72; 38:45-, Bartók: 3 etudes: II. Andante sostenuto Sz. 72; 42:17-, Bartók: 3 etudes: III. Rubato-Molto sostenuto Sz. 72; 44:25-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: Entrelacs (1988–1994); 47:20-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Fanfares (1985); 50:56-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Automne à Varsovie (1985); 55:39-, Scriabin: 3 etudes: I. Allegro fantastico Op. 65; 59:25-, Scriabin: 3 etudes: II. Allegretto Op. 65; 01:01:44-, Scriabin: 3 etudes: III. Molto vivace Op. 65; 01:03:30-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: Galamb Borong (1988–1994); 01:06:30, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Cordes à vide (1985); 01:10:03-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: L’escalier du diable (1988–1994).
His sound-world, full of foreboding, I return to, gratefully, in dark times.
Bela Bartok (1881-1945), String Quartet No. 4 (1928); Quatuor Ebène, live, France (Wissembourg), 2013
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
never enough
Bela Bartok (1881-1945), String Quartet No. 4 in C major (1928); Quatuor Ebène, live, France (Wissembourg), 2013
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
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reading table
Domestic as
an empty shopping cart
parked on a ledge
above a freeway.—Rae Armantrout (1947-), from “Hang On” (New Yorker, 10/21/19)
Maybe, in these dark times, someone is creating something wonderful, somewhere.
Bela Bartok (1881-1945), Concerto for Orchestra (1943, rev. 1945); Orchestra of the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar (Nicolás Pasquet, cond.), live, Germany (Weimar), 2011
never enough
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor; Hidemi Suzuki (cello), live, Netherlands (Amsterdam), 2017
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lagniappe
radio
One of my favorite musical events begins today: the annual Bach Festival on WKCR-FM (Columbia University), where it’ll be all Bach, all the time, until midnight New Year’s Eve.
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musical thoughts
It may well be that some composers do not believe in God. All of them, however, believe in Bach.
—Bela Bartok (1881-1945)
string quartets
day one
Bela Bartok (1881-1945), String Quartet No. 3 (1927); Arditti Quartet, live (studio), Tokyo, 2017
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Monhegan Island, Maine
string quartet festival (day three)
Bela Bartok (1881-1945), String Quartet No. 6, 1939; Alban Berg Quartet, live
1st movt.
2nd movt.
3rd movt./part 1
3rd movt./part 2
4th movt.
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lagniappe
reading table
Everything always reminds one of its opposite.
—Robert Walser (1878-1956), “Snowdrops” (translated from German by Tom Whalen and Trudi Anderegg)
Bela Bartok (1881-1945), Piano Concerto No. 1 (1926); Orchestre de Paris (Pierre Boulez, cond.) with Maurizio Pollini (piano), live, Paris, 2001
1st movt.
2nd movt.
3rd movt.
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lagniappe
musical thoughts
In this city there is no segregation: Bela Bartok lives down the block from R. H. Harris, Morton Feldman around the corner from D’Angelo.
Need a jolt?
Bela Bartok (1881-1945), String Quartet No. 5, excerpt (first mvt.)
FLUX quartet, live, 2013
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lagniappe
art beat: yesterday at the Art Institute of Chicago
Susan Charlesworth (1947-2013), Unidentified Man, Ontani Hotel, Los Angeles, 1980 (printed 2012), Stills (through January 4th)