musical news

[calimac]

Czech Nonet at le petit Trianon Sunday evening. This group has been around since 1923. I think the members are all newer than that, though. Not-quite-a-regular-string-quartet (vn, va, vc, db) + standard wind quintet = nonet. Played arranged works (there aren't that many original nonets) by Mozart, Brahms, and Robert Ward. Vivid playing. Great sound; reminded me a lot of the Philharmonia Hungarica, beloved to me for their complete Haydn symphony set.

Concert introducer thanked us all for attending despite the fact that the Super Bowl was still on when we started. I don't mind that other people have an interest in the Super Bowl; what I mind is the cultural assumption that everybody does.

Other musical news:

1) Gian-Carlo Menotti, the opera composer, died a few days ago. I'm afraid I always found his music rather menottinous.

2) BBC Music sent a recording of Messiaen's Turangalila this month. Oh good; I didn't have a recording of that and wanted one. This is the work for which Leela on Futurama is named, I'll have you know.

3) The perils of music as an international language: darkly humorous news story about how Grenada (yes, that Grenada) wanted to honor the Chinese ambassador but the band played the national anthem of Taiwan by mistake. Oops.

Comments

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

Menotti kept busy and wrote a lot, but he'll probably always be a one-hit wonder. I've enjoyed "Amahl," though the music didn't stay in my head -- chances are I enjoyed the words more than the music.

But I meant to say something about it when I heard he was gone. Ah, well. I just don't have that much to say. (Maybe I'll take another stab at the piano/vocal score for you-know-what.)