Now for part two of today’s symphony double-header. Again, I find myself listening to conductor Jaap van Zweden and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. This time, it’s Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 to which I’m listening. I can tell you right off the bat that the first movement is ridiculously good. It’s … [Read more…]
This morning’s CD is a double-header: Symphony No. 3 in F and Symphony No. 4 in E minor are both on one CD, which means I have to listen to both today or else my count is wrong; it would take more than 58 days to get through the Brahms’ Complete box set. I’m not … [Read more…]
Today, I’m listening to Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in D Op. 73. The conductor is, once again, Jaap van Zweden. This time, the orchestra is Radio Filharmonisch Orkest Holland (1945 – ). I was immediately hooked by this piece of music, noting that in Movement I there are strains of the melody to Brahms’ Lullaby … [Read more…]
And so it begins. I haven’t undertaken one of my exhaustive music projects in quite awhile. The last one was in 2018 and it required that I listen to all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies as interpreted by 17 different conductors from 18 different CD box sets (Herbert von Karajan was represented twice). You can find … [Read more…]