Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born 250 years ago Friday. While musicologists might debate the power and importance of Mozart's music and his contribution to the history, growth, and popularity of music , I just plain like it [see here for some discussion; it was at Tyler Cowen's suggestion there that I decided to post this piece].
Over the past nearly 60 years, I have played French horn off and on. [My motto: I'm not good, but I make up for that by being loud.] Not surprisingly, Mozart's four horn concertos have always been among my favourite pieces of music. The recording by Dennis Brain was by far the best when I first started listening to horn concerti, and it is still regarded by many as the best.
For awhile, many people raved about the recording by Barry Tuckwell, but I always found it just a bit overwhelming — maybe too powerful? — and not as lyrical as others.
Nowadays, I tend to prefer the recording by Canadian Jamie Sommerville:
More on Mozart:
For several years recently, I conducted The Blyth Festival Orchestra, a small community orchestra with some really excellent musicians. The orchestra had mostly strings, along with two of the best flautists in the universe. I think we played something by Mozart in every concert I conducted, including his rarely performed Symphony #1. His music is nice, not outrageously challenging, and pleasing for the audiences, all of which help explain why it has stood the test of time. One of the first pieces I conducted was an arrangement of one of Mozart's Divertimenti [the first three tracks on this CD are a good recording of the piece].
This year is also the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dmitri Shostakovitch, whose music I also absolutely love [I'm frosty over Shosty]. The Blyth Orchestra tried one of his pieces [Opus 110, arranged for string orchestra], but it didn't work out for us.
One of the last pieces I conducted was an arrangement I did of "Louie, Louie" for two flutes and string orchestra [for a pretty bad synthesizer midi version of the arrangement, click here].
For more on my musical tastes and experiences, including a SkyDome performance (!, well....), click here.
Here are some links to the albums mentioned above:
....
Tyler Cowen has several links about Mozart and economics; e.g. here, here, and here. For his favourites, see here.
Over the past nearly 60 years, I have played French horn off and on. [My motto: I'm not good, but I make up for that by being loud.] Not surprisingly, Mozart's four horn concertos have always been among my favourite pieces of music. The recording by Dennis Brain was by far the best when I first started listening to horn concerti, and it is still regarded by many as the best.
For awhile, many people raved about the recording by Barry Tuckwell, but I always found it just a bit overwhelming — maybe too powerful? — and not as lyrical as others.
Nowadays, I tend to prefer the recording by Canadian Jamie Sommerville:
More on Mozart:
For several years recently, I conducted The Blyth Festival Orchestra, a small community orchestra with some really excellent musicians. The orchestra had mostly strings, along with two of the best flautists in the universe. I think we played something by Mozart in every concert I conducted, including his rarely performed Symphony #1. His music is nice, not outrageously challenging, and pleasing for the audiences, all of which help explain why it has stood the test of time. One of the first pieces I conducted was an arrangement of one of Mozart's Divertimenti [the first three tracks on this CD are a good recording of the piece].
This year is also the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dmitri Shostakovitch, whose music I also absolutely love [I'm frosty over Shosty]. The Blyth Orchestra tried one of his pieces [Opus 110, arranged for string orchestra], but it didn't work out for us.
One of the last pieces I conducted was an arrangement I did of "Louie, Louie" for two flutes and string orchestra [for a pretty bad synthesizer midi version of the arrangement, click here].
For more on my musical tastes and experiences, including a SkyDome performance (!, well....), click here.
....
Tyler Cowen has several links about Mozart and economics; e.g. here, here, and here. For his favourites, see here.
Category: Music Posted on
Thursday, January 26, 2006 at 9:02am
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(My mother just leaned over my shoulder to inform me she has the Dennis Brain recording. She seems pleased with herself, plus she approves of your choice.)
I guess we all favor the instruments we know... I like his arias, &wish he had written more for contraltos, but I do occasionally try to ruin my voice while butchering "Alleluiah Alleluiah" (just about my favorite piece ever), from "Exultate Jubilate". I resent mezzos.