Today's show
My show for the autumn is, in fact, on Wednesday afternoon from 1:30 to 3:00. At the inspiration of aliste, I named my show "The Ill-Tempered Clavier." I thought that was quite clever. When I arrived at the station today, though, the previous DJ informed me that it's also the name of a composition by "P. D. Q. Bach." I loathe P. D. Q. Bach. So I'll either have to grit my teeth and stick to my (independently-imagined) title, or come up with some alternative.
Anyway, here's the playlist from this afternoon:
Pachelbel, Chaconne in F minor. With the possible exception of a few things by Bach, this is my favorite composition for the organ. The recording I played (a Harmonia Mundi release) was made by John Butt at Berkeley's Hertz Hall. I think I used a bathroom in Hertz Hall last May, but I don't remember seeing any pipe organs.
Ignaz Moscheles, Piano Concerto no. 7. This is perhaps the least-known of classical works nicknamed "Pathétique." Like most people nowadays, I haven't heard much Moscheles -- he isn't exactly in the standard repertoire -- but this turned out to be a rather interesting piece (dedicated to the composer's friend Meyerbeer, by the way).
Brahms/Busoni, Six Chorale Preludes. This is from a superb Paul Jacobs recording of all sorts of Busoni pieces. I played Busoni's transcription of six of the eleven preludes for organ from Brahms's Op. 122. Really, really good.
Scarlatti, Sonatas. I found a live recording of a recital Emil Gilels gave in Italy in 1984. It began with seven Scarlatti sonatas; I played the first four. Gilels is always worth listening to, but Scarlatti isn't really his strong suit (or else this recording, which I think was made shortly before his death, doesn't catch him at his best).
Couperin, Suite in C major. In an attempt to break the piano hegemony, I played Gustav Leonhardt's recording of this suite for harpsichord. What can I say? It's good, but it sounds like everything else by Couperin.
Germaine Tailleferre, Music for Two Pianos. I found a great CD devoted to Tailleferre's music for two pianos (who knew there'd be enough to fill up an entire disc?). I really wanted to play the piano version of her score for a Diaghilev ballet about 18th-century Tahiti (entitled The New Cythera, and based on the Voyages of Bougainville!). Unfortunately, it would have run over my time slot. Instead, I played a miscellany of shorter stuff: a toccata, the "Suite Burlesque," and two waltzes. Very listenable.
Chopin, Scherzo no. 1 in B minor. I hadn't played any Chopin yet, so I remedied the situation. A solid Maurizio Pollini version of the piece.
Anyway, here's the playlist from this afternoon:
Pachelbel, Chaconne in F minor. With the possible exception of a few things by Bach, this is my favorite composition for the organ. The recording I played (a Harmonia Mundi release) was made by John Butt at Berkeley's Hertz Hall. I think I used a bathroom in Hertz Hall last May, but I don't remember seeing any pipe organs.
Ignaz Moscheles, Piano Concerto no. 7. This is perhaps the least-known of classical works nicknamed "Pathétique." Like most people nowadays, I haven't heard much Moscheles -- he isn't exactly in the standard repertoire -- but this turned out to be a rather interesting piece (dedicated to the composer's friend Meyerbeer, by the way).
Brahms/Busoni, Six Chorale Preludes. This is from a superb Paul Jacobs recording of all sorts of Busoni pieces. I played Busoni's transcription of six of the eleven preludes for organ from Brahms's Op. 122. Really, really good.
Scarlatti, Sonatas. I found a live recording of a recital Emil Gilels gave in Italy in 1984. It began with seven Scarlatti sonatas; I played the first four. Gilels is always worth listening to, but Scarlatti isn't really his strong suit (or else this recording, which I think was made shortly before his death, doesn't catch him at his best).
Couperin, Suite in C major. In an attempt to break the piano hegemony, I played Gustav Leonhardt's recording of this suite for harpsichord. What can I say? It's good, but it sounds like everything else by Couperin.
Germaine Tailleferre, Music for Two Pianos. I found a great CD devoted to Tailleferre's music for two pianos (who knew there'd be enough to fill up an entire disc?). I really wanted to play the piano version of her score for a Diaghilev ballet about 18th-century Tahiti (entitled The New Cythera, and based on the Voyages of Bougainville!). Unfortunately, it would have run over my time slot. Instead, I played a miscellany of shorter stuff: a toccata, the "Suite Burlesque," and two waltzes. Very listenable.
Chopin, Scherzo no. 1 in B minor. I hadn't played any Chopin yet, so I remedied the situation. A solid Maurizio Pollini version of the piece.