Music. What are you listening to right now?

Talk about talent! This is as good as it gets. Absolutely stunning.

 
That is Johan Halvorsen's Passacaglia in G minor on a Theme by George Frideric Handel (from Harpsichord Suite in G minor, HWV 432) for violin and viola (1897); Halvorsen wrote it for a church concert. It is hellishly demanding on the [two] performers]; they have to simulate the sonority of an entire string quartet. My favourite version is by Heifetz & Piatigorsky (a bit more "roughly" played than "your" Fischer & Muller-Schott have done it);


Halvorsen is too little known... here are two small pieces:

Veslemøys sang (Veslemøy's Song) from Suite Mosaïque for violin and piano


Bojarenes inntogsmarsj is the result of an article in an encyclopaedia which Halvorsen read after being offered a teaching job in Bucharest. Here's how he describes the origins of this popular work:

“Got hold of an encyclopaedia to find out what Bucharest was like. There I read about the art-loving Queen Carmen Sylva and the descendants of the rich, distinguished Boyars who invaded Bucharest so and so many years ago. ‘This would look good in the newspapers,’ I thought. And then there was the Queen! She would immediately summon me to the palace with my quartet. I had to find release, so I wrote a march and called it “The March of the Boyars”, and just when I had finished it, the same afternoon, Edvard Grieg came in. ‘Now, hove are you doing? Already in full swing I see.’ He saw the manuscript on the piano, looked at it carefully and said: ‘That's really good!’.”

 
Quadophile said:
Talk about talent! This is as good as it gets. Absolutely stunning.
Click to expand...

I almost forgot... Julia Fischer (the violinist) is also a... passable, yup, that was the word I was looking for... a passable pianist.

:bow:

Grieg's piano concerto, 3rd movement:

 
There not many classical musicians like Julia Fischer who are virtuoso in two entirely different instruments and she is good looking as well:lol:
 
Celebrating the new year and could not think of a better song than this :D

 
Had a bout of nostalgia early this evening and found a couple of songs that probably aren't very good really but they sure as hell trigger a few memories with this temporary antiquarian. Now I've been wondering what this song was for about 50 years, it's been buzzing about in my head all that time and I never could find out what it was.

I could hum it to people and some would say 'I know that' so I'd say 'What is it?' to which they'd reply 'I dunno but I recognise the tune'. Doh. So I started Googling starting in 1957 which was quite close actually, cos it turned out to be from 1960. I had an idea it may have been called 'Jennifer Jones' but no, she was an actress, apparently.

I was close though, so here is one of three versions made which I think is the one I remember. Please note I don't think as a song it's that great, it's just a personal memory for me.


And this next one came out when I was five years old and I remember this very well, my family was living with my maternal grandmother at the time and my uncle bought this radiogram that played 78's. The front hinged down and I'd look inside at the turntable going round. Fascinating. Purple Capitol label, brilliant. And I don't think this one is too bad, actually. Talking memories, when I first heard this there was a barrage balloon still tied up about 200 yards away from our house.

 
Oh where did those years go and the girls when we were then young teenagers, oh the memories have come flooding back.Do you know I had completely forgotten Johnny Ferguson and his song Angela Jones I had the hots for a young lady called Angela Aylewin at the time, I wonder what happened to her. Oh happy memories, where has the time gone..
 
Where has the time gone? Dunno, but most of it was a lotta fun.

And on that theme, I may have posted this one before but what the hell. I do have a problem with this one however, it has been known to reduce me to tears, lol

Still sounds as fresh to me now as it did when I saw Sandy sing this on stage at Bromley College in 1969. Beautiful.

 
Flops,

Your last entry was absolutely beautiful. I can see why it moves you to tears. I am in the same boat as you are.
 
Me, im listening to After All by Cher. When i hear this song i just feel comfortable and remember my past.
 
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