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Stravinsky was right: there was still a lot of good music to be written in "C major."

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jdaniel@jps.net

In Reply to: RE: I think that Elmar's slow movement of the Vln Cto is one of the most beautiful violin recordings... posted by John Marks on August 23, 2014 at 17:42:59

You get my point.
In any case, the slow mov't to his Piano Concerto ain't bad either.
The guy knew how to write a melody. Y'all know his Nocturne for Solo Piano?
Nocturne (Open in New Window)

Edits: 08/24/14 08/24/14

Follow Ups:

I think it was Sch�nberg who said that. . . - Chris from Lafayette 11:22:27 08/25/14 (1)
. . . although once these quotes become famous, they get attributed to everybody! ;-)

(In the link below, expand the story and check out the fourth paragraph from the bottom for the BBC Music Magazine attribution.)
- http://www.classical-music.com/topic/arnold-schoenberg (Open in New Window)
- D'oh! Thanks. nt - jdaniel@jps.net 18:39:53 08/25/14 (0)
  .
And for some really off-the-beaten-track gorgeous, melodic Barber - jdaniel@jps.net 17:53:41 08/24/14 (11)
Three of his songs, orchestrated, and sung by Roberta Alexander.

Of the three, "Nocturne" and (of course) "Sure on this Shining Night" are miniature gems.

I'd still go with Nonesuch's Dawn Upshaw for "Knoxville Summer of 1915" though, Alexander's voice is too "operatic" for me.
- http://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Barber-Roberta-Alexander-Sings/ (Open in New Window)
- Roberta Alexander - pbarach 03:53:47 08/25/14 (9)
  She has two discs of Barber songs on the Etcetera label, both of which are well-sung. But IMO Dawn Upshaw is not a winner in Knoxville. I'd go for Leontyne Price or Eleanor Steber any day...
  - In my humblest of opinions, you really want Brunhilde singing on a porch in Tennessee?? nt - jdaniel@jps.net 08:00:35 08/25/14 (8)
    .
    - To be fair, I doubt either Leontyne Price or Eleanor Steber did much Wagner... - Ivan303 08:19:28 08/25/14 (5)
      OK, maybe Steber MIGHT have done a Lohengrin or some such, but certainly not a Ring Cycle and certainly NOT Brunhilde.
      
      Mozart and Strause?
      
      Yep.
      
      Listening to Steber in 'Knoxville' right now, and she certainly does NOT sound like Brunhilde on a porch in TN. ;-)
      - RE: To be fair, I doubt either Leontyne Price or Eleanor Steber did much Wagner... - rbolaw 08:54:52 08/25/14 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: To be fair, I doubt either Leontyne Price or Eleanor Steber did much Wagner... posted by Ivan303 on August 25, 2014 at 08:19:28
        
        That's a great Knoxville: Summer of 1915, one of the greatest (imo) 20th century American pieces, and a work that she commissioned and premiered. Steber had a luscious voice, but apparently alcoholism and personal problems took a toll, and her vocal prime did not last long. Otherwise, I suspect she would have been very successful with Wagner. You are right about her Lohengrin at Bayreuth, which I don't own.
      - I was joking. : ) That said, their stylized singing doesn't do it for me, esp since the poem is about - jdaniel@jps.net 08:31:06 08/25/14 (3)
        
        In Reply to: RE: To be fair, I doubt either Leontyne Price or Eleanor Steber did much Wagner... posted by Ivan303 on August 25, 2014 at 08:19:28
        
        memories of home life through the eyes of a less than sophisticated young girl, replete with Malapropisms, or mis-used words.
        
        I'm aware, however, that Barber loved Steber's voice.
        
        Do keep in mind.... - Ivan303 08:50:02 08/25/14 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: I was joking. : ) That said, their stylized singing doesn't do it for me, esp since the poem is about posted by jdaniel@jps.net on August 25, 2014 at 08:31:06
        
        "Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24, is a 1947 work for voice and orchestra by Samuel Barber, with text from a 1938 short prose piece by James Agee. The work was commissioned by soprano Eleanor Steber, who premiered it in 1948 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Serge Koussevitzky."
        
        Link below:
        
        Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (Open in New Window)
        
        I'm aware, but IMHO Steber's highly-stylized singing doesn't mix well with Agee's lower-middle class imagery. nt - jdaniel@jps.net 08:58:29 08/25/14 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Do keep in mind.... posted by Ivan303 on August 25, 2014 at 08:50:02
        
        .
        
        Agree that applies on some level... - Ivan303 09:39:26 08/25/14 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: I'm aware, but IMHO Steber's highly-stylized singing doesn't mix well with Agee's lower-middle class imagery. nt posted by jdaniel@jps.net on August 25, 2014 at 08:58:29
        
        The CD above is one where Operatic Voices just don't seem to fit.
        
        Love all of the singers on this CD but CAN NOT LISTEN TO IT!
    - RE: In my humblest of opinions, you really want Brunhilde singing on a porch in Tennessee?? nt - pbarach 08:16:39 08/25/14 (1)
      No, but neither Steber not Price ever sang Brunnhilde. And Barber wrote this pice for Steber-- he knew what he was doing.
      - Can't argue with that, but.... - jdaniel@jps.net 08:53:33 08/25/14 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: In my humblest of opinions, you really want Brunhilde singing on a porch in Tennessee?? nt posted by pbarach on August 25, 2014 at 08:16:39
        
        "Now is the night one blue dew, my father has drained, he has coiled the hose...." --James Agee, from Knoxville, Summer of 1915.
- Yep, streaming it on Spotify... - Ivan303 18:32:16 08/24/14 (0)
  Thanks.

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