Comments on: Post-concert Prokofian thoughts and great composer rivalries http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2009/03/30/post-concert-prokofian-thoughts-and-great-composer-rivalries/ Music, opinion, life as a performing musician Thu, 24 May 2012 07:43:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kenneth Woods http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2009/03/30/post-concert-prokofian-thoughts-and-great-composer-rivalries/comment-page-1/#comment-75203 Kenneth Woods Fri, 08 May 2009 22:16:04 +0000 http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2009/03/30/post-concert-prokofian-thoughts-and-great-composer-rivalries/#comment-75203 Robert- you call to my attention the writings of a musicologist for whom the sweetest music is the sound of his own voice. When I hear that voice, music to the ears of the author, I find myself reminded of Beethoven "Oh friends, NOT these sounds...." Robert- you call to my attention the writings of a musicologist for whom the sweetest music is the sound of his own voice. When I hear that voice, music to the ears of the author, I find myself reminded of Beethoven “Oh friends, NOT these sounds….”

]]> By: rbonotto http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2009/03/30/post-concert-prokofian-thoughts-and-great-composer-rivalries/comment-page-1/#comment-75195 rbonotto Fri, 08 May 2009 17:58:36 +0000 http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2009/03/30/post-concert-prokofian-thoughts-and-great-composer-rivalries/#comment-75195 i'm afraid the a**holes may be elsewhere: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/12/arts/l-prokofiev-shill-for-stalin-580591.html Robert B. i’m afraid the a**holes may be elsewhere:

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/12/arts/l-prokofiev-shill-for-stalin-580591.html

Robert B.

]]> By: Nicholas Lawson http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2009/03/30/post-concert-prokofian-thoughts-and-great-composer-rivalries/comment-page-1/#comment-74986 Nicholas Lawson Sat, 02 May 2009 20:54:56 +0000 http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2009/03/30/post-concert-prokofian-thoughts-and-great-composer-rivalries/#comment-74986 I certainly agree with what you say about Prokofiev's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2, Op. 16. It's one the three great masterpieces written in the last century, along with The Rite of Spring (Stravinsky) and Duke Bluebeard's Castle (Bartok). The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5, Op. 55, is another total masterpiece, and it's absurd that this kind of music gets so little attention. There are some Stravinsky works (i.e. Persephone, Cantata, Concerto for 2 Pianos, Concerto in D) that may not get enough play, but the Prokofiev masterpieces that are never heard (i.e. Chout, Fiery Angel, Sarcasms, Quintet, Symphonic Song, Ninth Piano Sonata, Ivan the Terrible, Four Etudes, Le Pas d'Acier, On the Dnieper, October Cantata, Choses en Sol, Sonatinas, Fifth Piano Concerto, Second Symphony, Sinfonietta, Thoughts, etc.) just goes on and on and on and on. The only conclusion I draw from this is that most of the cold war programmer fossils are fucking assholes. I certainly agree with what you say about Prokofiev’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2, Op. 16. It’s one the three great masterpieces written in the last century, along with The Rite of Spring (Stravinsky) and Duke Bluebeard’s Castle (Bartok).

The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5, Op. 55, is another total masterpiece, and it’s absurd that this kind of music gets so little attention.

There are some Stravinsky works (i.e. Persephone, Cantata, Concerto for 2 Pianos, Concerto in D) that may not get enough play, but the Prokofiev masterpieces that are never heard (i.e. Chout, Fiery Angel, Sarcasms, Quintet, Symphonic Song, Ninth Piano Sonata, Ivan the Terrible, Four Etudes, Le Pas d’Acier, On the Dnieper, October Cantata, Choses en Sol, Sonatinas, Fifth Piano Concerto, Second Symphony, Sinfonietta, Thoughts, etc.) just goes on and on and on and on.

The only conclusion I draw from this is that most of the cold war programmer fossils are fucking assholes.

]]> By: Erik K http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2009/03/30/post-concert-prokofian-thoughts-and-great-composer-rivalries/comment-page-1/#comment-73801 Erik K Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:04:25 +0000 http://kennethwoods.net/blog1/2009/03/30/post-concert-prokofian-thoughts-and-great-composer-rivalries/#comment-73801 I quite literally know the Prokofiev 5th concerto zero...never heard it in my life. Gaping holes in your personal repertoire (even if only a listening repertoire) is one of the great interesting things about being a musician...I could go on and on about comparative rarities...for example: Glazunov's Oriental Rhapsody is better than Scheherazade. Or: the Swedish Rhapsody no. 3 by Alfven is the most criminally neglected piece of music that I know. And yet, I'm not entirely sure I remember what La Mer sounds like anymore. I will certainly give this Prokofiev a listen...I agree with your thoughts on the 2nd concerto...it leaves careers in its wake. I wonder how much that sentiment exists regarding Mahler vs. Bruckner, because it is exactly mine as well...it's been a good while since I've listened to Mahler (apart from the 5th, of course). I'll go months listening to his complete output for the 1000th time, and then he'll disappear for the better part of a year. I have to disagree with the symphony by symphony showdown, though...as unbelievable as Bruckner 9 is, Mahler 9 is quite possibly the best music that exists. And for all the problems people seem to have with the structure of Mahler 7, I say that I can't fully appreciate the top-heavy structure of the Bruckner 7...and Mahler 7 will kick you apart. Finally, as someone who enjoys describing music in as plain a set of terms as I can muster, I fully appreciate your "fucking insane" description...it only furthers my desire to learn the concerto. I quite literally know the Prokofiev 5th concerto zero…never heard it in my life. Gaping holes in your personal repertoire (even if only a listening repertoire) is one of the great interesting things about being a musician…I could go on and on about comparative rarities…for example: Glazunov’s Oriental Rhapsody is better than Scheherazade. Or: the Swedish Rhapsody no. 3 by Alfven is the most criminally neglected piece of music that I know. And yet, I’m not entirely sure I remember what La Mer sounds like anymore. I will certainly give this Prokofiev a listen…I agree with your thoughts on the 2nd concerto…it leaves careers in its wake.

I wonder how much that sentiment exists regarding Mahler vs. Bruckner, because it is exactly mine as well…it’s been a good while since I’ve listened to Mahler (apart from the 5th, of course). I’ll go months listening to his complete output for the 1000th time, and then he’ll disappear for the better part of a year. I have to disagree with the symphony by symphony showdown, though…as unbelievable as Bruckner 9 is, Mahler 9 is quite possibly the best music that exists. And for all the problems people seem to have with the structure of Mahler 7, I say that I can’t fully appreciate the top-heavy structure of the Bruckner 7…and Mahler 7 will kick you apart.

Finally, as someone who enjoys describing music in as plain a set of terms as I can muster, I fully appreciate your “fucking insane” description…it only furthers my desire to learn the concerto.

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