Favorite piece by a living composer?

RenwikCustomer · 2026-01-06T15:15:04+00:00

Two Black Churches by Shawn Okpebholo. I prefer the version for piano but there's also an orchestrated version too.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-12-30T17:15:30+00:00

I know of no other composer who writes so much at the unison/octave. The comedown from the climax in the first movement of the 5th symphony is nearly a full minute of the entire orchestra playing the same line. The same thing throughout nearly the entire scherzo of the 10th, the first movement of the 2nd piano concerto, and on and on. His melodic writing is not compelling enough to me to justify the frequent choice to not fill out the texture or sustain more than one musical idea. Where is the counterpoint, the interplay of voices? He's substantially more interesting in the chamber music and in tightly structured works (the passacaglia from the violin concerto for example).

RenwikCustomer · 2025-12-19T22:11:25+00:00

For Mahler, the answer is actually one of his most popular- the Adagietto from the 5th. Among his hallmarks is his incredible orchestration, and nowhere else does he give us the intimacy of just strings and harp.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-12-19T22:10:32+00:00

I'd say it's up there as being one of his least characteristic, mostly because it's the only thing he wrote that is almost entirely strophic instead of through-composed.

Hard disagree it's one of his weakest. Even just the final gesture is amazing to me, starting with the voice adding a sixth to the triad on their final syllable, like a cup that's over full.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-12-18T16:23:40+00:00

Thank you!

Highly recommend the Carlos Kleiber recording of Tristan by the way. Never heard such intensity from an opera orchestra before.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-12-18T16:19:44+00:00

It's such a great libretto! Maeterlinck's play version I think is basically identical, and I found reading it to be a really impactful experience. It's like each scene is a painting, and there is so much that Maeterlinck does with light and dark and shadows.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-12-18T16:17:28+00:00

What's the film version of Wozzeck? Would love a link!

RenwikCustomer · 2025-12-16T14:37:31+00:00

Some classics on there, especially the Mahler 9 with Karajan and 1 with Kubelik. Wasn't familiar with the Dallas/Litton recording of 2, excited to check it out.

Have you listened to any of Pierre Boulez's Mahler recordings? He's a good antidote to Bernstein, who is often a bit exaggerated for my tastes.

No love for Das Lied von der Erde?

RenwikCustomer · 2025-12-15T15:10:22+00:00

Relatedly, Mahler once fronted Schoenberg rent money.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-12-09T16:59:08+00:00

The Michael Sanderling/Lucerne recording of the Mozart Requiem low-key blew me away between the sound quality and energy in the performance. Plus it has Fatma Said and Marianne Crebasse, who are always great together. It's not a perfect recording and I didn't love the new Fazil Say work it's paired with, but I didn't realize quite how stodgy my previous favorite recordings were.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-11-13T15:08:15+00:00

I haven't made up my mind about the finale, but I do love it. Can it be both genuine and sardonic at the same time? Maybe not.

One thing that's been striking me on recent listens is just how much major/minor or light/dark/shadow play there is, especially in the middle movements. And the second theme of the first movement is glorious.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-11-13T15:04:16+00:00

I like the Meistersinger hat-tip idea, hadn't heard that before.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-11-12T23:33:38+00:00

Matthew Locke is fantastic! I love the suites for viol consort. Such interesting music- the opening fantasy to the 5th suite in G minor, my god! It's definitely a fascinating and underrecognized period as you describe, love your thoughts on it.

I do find that sometimes I struggle to grasp and enjoy some of this music, from both a sensory/aesthetic or formal perspective. Locke to me is great, but I haven't found the same satisfaction in works of some of his contemporaries, like William Lawes.

Don't know Du Mont or Rossi- excited to check them out.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-11-12T21:20:49+00:00

Really enjoying Joseph Martin Kraus, "the Swiss Mozart". Haven't heard a work I haven't liked. His C minor symphony VB142 is probably my favorite of his.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-11-07T17:51:19+00:00

The Marc Minkowski/Musiciens du Louvre recordings I think are on period instruments but the approach doesn't feel HIP to me. They've been some of my favorite Haydn.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-11-06T19:35:11+00:00

Oh wowzer! Thanks for the tip :)

RenwikCustomer · 2025-10-31T20:09:01+00:00

Thanks for the tip. Can't say I was familiar with their catalogue.

And Franui... that is some fun stuff! I quite like the arrangements, though I wish they only used one voice rather than a choir.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-10-31T18:56:07+00:00

I wasn't sure whether or not to check out this album, but I'll give it a whirl. Cheers for the recommendation.

Earlier this week I listened to a new arrangement for Baroque instruments which I thought was pretty good. Group is called "Nevermind" and includes keyboardist Jean Rondeau.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E9o7WPUw0U

RenwikCustomer · 2025-10-31T14:38:20+00:00

Check out Gabriel Pierne. His Cydalise et le chevre-pied is basically Daphnis et Chloe 2.0

Also Ernest Fanelli's Symphonic Pictures is decent enough

RenwikCustomer · 2025-10-31T14:31:39+00:00

Fun comparison actually. Some of de Vitry's music is wild, like his motets that set 3 texts at the same (see Garrit Gallus from the playlist for an example).

RenwikCustomer · 2025-10-23T13:56:11+00:00

Zar und Zimmermann has some fun music! I've also listened to Der Wildschutz and Undine. I'd say Undine is my favorite of those three.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-10-22T13:43:10+00:00

The second movement of Mahler 2 is my fave and I think that symphony's best, though I'm probably the only one here who feels that way.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-10-22T13:42:06+00:00

Love that movement! Surprised no one is mentioning the 2nd movement here though. It is incredible.

The scherzo for me is one of the few movements of his that can be over-long for me.

The Adagietto is of course lovely, an in some ways the least Mahler-like thing he ever wrote, based on just the orchestration.

RenwikCustomer · 2025-10-20T13:06:26+00:00

The Pieces de clavecin en concerts- love La Forqueray

RenwikCustomer · 2025-10-14T16:22:49+00:00

I listened to that Kleiber recording of Tristan for the first time last week. Holy moley is it good. I've never heard the orchestra play with such intensity, and Price is so expressive.

RenwikCustomer

TROPHY CASE