Emre Araci and the Prague Symphony Chamber Orchestra - The Bosphorus by Moonlight APE

Sultan Portreleri

Review by Ates Orga in Cornucopia Issue 31

Music by Guatelli, Pisani, Selim III, Mahmud II and S­ehzade Burhaneddin Efendi.

Emre Araci: Violin Concerto. Bosphorus by Moonlight (Sultan Portreleri)

Prague Symphony Chamber Orchestra with Cihat As­kin, violin (director, Emre Araci)

Kalan Müzik CD 303

Bosphorus by Moonlight (Bogazici Mehtaplarinda Sultan Portreleri) is Emre Araci's third Euro-Ottoman CD and takes its title from his 1997 Violin Concerto, which was inspired by Abdülhak Sinasi Hisar's wartime novel of the same name.

Moonlight, memory and dream suffuse many of the numbers, nine of which are musical cameos of the Ottoman royal household published in the mid-1850s by the Sultan's Italian music director, Guatelli Pasha.

As producer of this album, I chose Prague as a location: I wanted somewhere that would release the romantic within us. How could we fail, wandering the narrow streets of the Old Town under a full moon, touched by the medieval aura of the Charles Bridge and the Jewish cemetery across the river from the floodlit castle? The neo-Renaissance Rudolfinum hall did the rest.

Portrait or military quickstep, exotic refrain or Sibelian solitude every minute in that room was special. Cihat Askin's violin lent a manly tone to the Balkan Adagio of the Concerto. Pisani's fateful, forgotten Funeral March for the death of Abdülmecid all but stopped time as the Prague Symphony strings imbued it with a gravity to match the thunder of the night beyond.

I highly recommend this one. One of my favorite classical cds.
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Ebook - Michael Fath - Paganini Caprice 24

hi folks, some education time for guitar players !

I find playing classical music on guitar very entertaining and very useful for the process of getting more and more prolific. besides, it is always interesting to see the genius of other people.

i believe this last caprice of 24 caprices is the most difficult solo violin piece ever written. It is composed in A minor and includes rapid changes of scales, which need to be played very fast. On guitar, this aspect makes the sweeping exercise very very hard yet entertaining.

and if you look for more information, please check out Paganini and 24th caprice articles of wikipedia. There is a nice amount of information.

paganini's caprice no.24 is a very famous piece and i strongly recommend any electric guitar player to play this. I mean, at least try :) learning is a nonstop process, and challenge makes forthcoming challenges easier. Remember: what does not kill you, makes you stronger.

Audio tracks are also included.

Note: I believe I got this from some other blog a long time ago, but i do not remember it.. so thanks to the original generous person which i am sorry not to credit..


link in comments

Hagen Quartet - Ligeti, Lutoslawski & Schnittke - String Quartett; Kannon in Memoriam APE

Hi Folks! Here we are with a string quartet kannon: Ligeti, Lutoslawski & Schnittke - String Quartet; Kannon in Memoriam performed by Hagen Quartett


Performer: Hagen Quartett
DG 431686: 1992 Caecilia Prize (Belgium), CD Compact Award

“The Hagens seem to take nothing for granted, thinking afresh about each tempo and, in almost every bar, what style of expression, what tone colour to adopt.."

Gramophone Awards Issue, London, October 2005 (CD review Beethoven String Quartets)

Lukas Hagen , Violin I
Rainer Schmidt , Violin II
Veronika Hagen , Viola
Clemens Hagen , Violoncello


Track01. Gyorgy Ligeti (*1923) : String Quartet No.1 «Métamorphoses nocturnes» (1953–1954)
Track02. Witold Lutoslawski (*1913) : String Quartet Introductory Movement (1964)
Track03. Witold Lutoslawski (*1913) : String Quartet Main Movement (1964)
Track04. Alfred Schnittke (*1934) : Kannon in Memoriam Igor Strawinsky for string quartet (1971)

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Hilary Hahn - Mendelssohn & Shostakovich Violin Concertos (2002)

# Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Hilary Hahn
Conducted by Hugh Wolff

# Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 (revised as Op. 99)
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
with Hilary Hahn
Conducted by Marek Janowski

Amazon.com
Though at first glance these two concertos seem an odd coupling, Hilary Hahn offers convincing reasons for pairing them in her scholarly but rather chatty program notes. For the listener, the most important one is her avowed love and affinity for the music, which speak through every note of her performance. At 22, Hahn has developed from an arresting teenage prodigy into a formidable violinist. Her technique is equal to all challenges and so effortless that one forgets about it. Her tone has the directness and intensity of a laser beam and the unblemished purity of fine-spun crystal. This carries over into her style: clear and straightforward, without fuss, external effects, or exaggeration--there is hardly a slide on the whole record. If her playing is rather cool, it's also noble and emotionally so genuine that she can make a popular warhorse like the Mendelssohn sound fresh and new. She takes few rhythmic liberties, but freely changes tempo for mood and expression: the second theme of the first movement is much slower than the rest. The Shostakovich, too, sounds new and different. A repertory staple of all great Russian violinists, it is usually played with a lush tone and unbridled emotionality. Hahn captures the work's bleak, lamentatious despair, the obsessiveness and sardonic irony, but her playing has the sort of fire that burns ice-blue rather than red-hot. It projects a sense of restraint, of pent-up tension and excitement that finally burst out in the cadenza. It is a riveting performance. The orchestra is very good, but often too loud in the Mendelssohn. --Edith Eisler

Helene Grimaud - Chopin & Rachmaninov Piano Sonatas APE

Composer: Frederic Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer: Helene Grimaud
Audio CD (March 8, 2005)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon

Tracks:
01. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op.35 - I. Grave - Doppio Movimento - Hélène Grimaud (Chopin)
02. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op.35 - II. Scherzo - Più lento - Tempo I - Hélène Grimaud (Chopin)
03. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op.35 - III. Marche Funèbre (Lento) - Hélène Grimaud (Chopin)
04. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor Op.35 - IV. Finale (Presto) - Hélène Grimaud (Chopin)
05. Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor Op. 36 - I. Allegro agitato - Hélène Grimaud (Rachmaninov)
06. Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor Op. 36 - II. Non allegro - Lento - Hélène Grimaud (Rachmaninov)
07. Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor Op. 36 - III. Allegro molto - Hélène Grimaud (Rachmaninov)
08. Berceuse In D Flat Major Op. 57 - Andante - Hélène Grimaud (Chopin)
09. Barcarolle In F Sharp Major Op. 60 - Allegretto - Hélène Grimaud (Chopin)

Amazon.com:
Hélène Grimaud's releases on DG have each been built around a "concept." Here, it's death and transcendence. The philosophically bent can get Grimaud's explanation in the booklet notes, while the musical among us can just listen to a stimulating program of standard repertory freshened by one of today's outstanding younger pianists. In the Chopin Sonata, Grimaud's volatile first movement and delicately colorful finale provide the tone and resolution required by both composer and her own philosophical outlook. The latter, though, means a dry-eyed Funeral March shorn of any trace of sentimentality yet not lacking power, more a contemplation of mourning rather than the thing itself. The Rachmaninov Sonata is his 1931 revision with Grimaud's restoration of sections of the 1913 original. As in the Chopin, Grimaud's gorgeous tone and the clarity of her articulation help make this an outstanding performance. The program closes with a pair of Chopin's most affecting works, the Berceuse and the Barcarolle, both beautifully played.
Dan Davis

Hilary Hahn - Paganini and Spohr Violin Concertos FLAC

Composer: Niccolo Paganini, Louis Spohr
Conductor: Eiji Oue
Performer: Hilary Hahn
Orchestra: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Audio CD (October 10, 2006)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon

Amazon.com
The Paganini concerto, with its combination of wild virtuosity and fatty, gushy melody, is a favorite of audiences and violinists; fiddlers love to strut their stuff and the public can't resist anything so juicy. Hilary Hahn here throws her violinist hat into the ring with Perlman, Kogan, and Gil Shaham and comes out looking just fine. She handles the incredibly showy outer movements with flair, poise, and startling precision, and spins out the long, Italian melodies in the middle movement beautifully. Similarly, she handles the Spohr almost as if it were composed for the voice--it's an enchanting performance. Simply stunning and highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Tracks: 6
Total time: 57:47
Disc-ID: classical / 440d8b06
1. Paganini Violin Concerto no.1 in D major, op.6 1.Allegro maestoso 21:38
2. Paganini Violin Concerto no.1 in D major, op.6 2.Adagio 5:40
3. Paganini Violin Concerto no.1 in D major, op.6 3.Rondo. Allegro spirituoso 10:36
4. Spohr Violin Concerto no.8 in A minor, op.47 1.Allegro molto 4:05
5. Spohr Violin Concerto no.8 in A minor, op.47 2.Adagio 7:44
6. Spohr Violin Concerto no.8 in A minor, op.47 3.Allegro moderato 8:04

Note: Above picture is not the cd cover. All artworks are with the music.
Just have a taste and go buy her album. Its amazing !

Bypass Megaupload If You Are Sick of Country Restrictions

Hey ! i was wandering around my Google RSS reader and i came across Leb I Sol album. It was on Megaupload.com and its too frustrating (actually i hate it) for me to read country limit messages.

So here is my beautiful solution ( available here) :

you download the tool, input the megaupload adress, and get the download link.
I hate catches and spam and i'm so cautious about it, and this one looks trustworthy. I am happy i discovered it :)

you can also download it directly here, but i recommend you visit the site to be sure you get the latest version.

Dotcom companies should be aware of the fact that the more they restrict, the more they lose. I bet this country bullshit is a marketing decision.

Take Care !

Adelphi Saxophone Quartet - Simply Four Saxophones (1998)

Hey look what i've found ! A funky( :) ) piece of classical music performed by four prolific saxophone virtuosos (or virtuosi?, whatever..). This album is a feature of E^M^I classics series, and I believe it was also featured before under "Debut" series.

And here we go with an interesting playlist:

1. Rigaudon de Dardanus (3.19) - Jean-Philippe Rameau

Petit Quatuor pour Saxophones
2. 1. Gaguenardise (2.32)
3. 2. Cantilene (2.11)
4. 3. Serenade comique (1.57)

5. Petites Litanies de Jesus (2.08) - Gabriel Grovlez

Histoire du Tango
6. 1. Bordel 1900 (3.45)
7. 2. Cafe 1930 (6.58)
8. 3. Night Club 1960 (5.55)
9. 4. Concert d'aujourd'hui (3.09)

10. The Poacher (1.59) - Trad.

Six Rumanian Folk Dances
11. 1. Jocul cu Bata (1.01)
12. 2. Braul (0.30)
13. 3. Pe Loc (0.48)
14. 4. Buciumeana (1.25)
15. 5. Poarga "Romaneasca" (0.31)
16. 6. Manuntelul (0.53)

17. Grave et Presto (8.00) - Jean Rivier
18. The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (2.50) - Frideric George Handel
19. Air (from Suite No.3 in D, BWV 1068) (2.58) - Johann Sebastian Bach

Old Hungarian Dances
20. 1. Intrada (2.07)
21. 2. (Lassu) (1.57)
22. 3. (Lapockas Tanc) (1.36)
23. 4. (Urgos) (1.21)

24. The Agincourt Song (1.43) - Trad.
25. "Fascinatin' Rhythm" / "I Got Rhythm" (1.51) - George Gershwin


As you see, tracklist is quite diverse. Some like this in an album, some not. I usually like albums with a certain theme throughout, but this album is quite special, as I try and hear good moves on saxophone, harmony and its groovy feeling. What can I say, it is in the nature of the Saxophone...

i hear voices that this is also in rapidshare, in APE format as usual, and as it always will be. Wow i started to like c^d rippers :)

Any Book Recommendations On Chinese Poetry?

My father is reading Chinese poetry nowadays. I think he has a good taste and he really likes it. He gave me a book by Ezra Pound called "Cathay", which I started and finished in two hours without taking a breath.

I did a little research on Chinese poetry on the web and I came across some useful sites one of which is Classical Chinese Poetry but I have a weird feeling like there was something omitted. Maybe somebody fond of Chinese poetry could recommend something to grab & read.

...
Men's fates are already set
There is no need of asking diviners.

By Rihaku

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Die Entführung aus dem Serail KV 384 1782

This wonderful piece is quite special for me. I remember watching the movie "Amadeus" and I was pretty impressed with a few minutes of this performance. I have heard the tunes before, but that was the time i needed to listen to whole.

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra plays under Sir Charles Mackerras who is known as a spectacular Mozart conductor.

Some guy did a nice favor and uploaded this Opera to Rapidshare. I do not blame him :) Besides apparently he did it in APE + CUE format. So, my comments are about the links :)

And I would like to do some copy&paste from wikipedia, as i liked the way it describes the story.

Die Entführung aus dem Serail (K. 384; in English The Abduction from the Seraglio; also known as Il Seraglio) is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto is by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner with adaptations by Gottlieb Stephanie. The plot concerns the attempt of the hero Belmonte, assisted by his servant Pedrillo, to rescue his beloved Konstanze from the seraglio of the Pasha Selim.

Synopsis

* Place: the country house of the Pasha (German "Bassa"), somewhere along the Mediterranean coast
* Time: the eighteenth century.

Act I

Belmonte seeks everywhere his betrothed, Konstanze, who with her English servant Blondchen has fallen into the hands of pirates who sold them to the Pasha Selim (Aria: "Here shall I see you, Konstanze, you my hope.") Osmin, the Pasha's servant, comes to pluck figs in the garden and completely ignores Belmonte's addresses (Aria: "Who a love has found.") Belmonte insists and tries to obtain news of his servant, Pedrillo. (Duet: "Confounded be you and your song.") Osmin is angry. ("Such ragamuffins.") Nevertheless, after the servant leaves, Belmonte meets Pedrillo and they resolve to abduct Konstanze. (Aria: "Konstanze, Konstanze, to see thee again").

Accompanied by a chorus of Janissaries ("Sing to the great Pasha") Selim appears with Konstanze, for whose love he strives in vain. (Aria of Konstanze: "O forgive! Oh, I loved") Upon the recommendation of Pedrillo, the Pasha engages Belmonte as builder, but Osmin refuses him access to the palace. (Terzett: "March! March! March!")

Act II

Blondchen repulses the rough lovemaking attempts of Osmin. (Aria: "By tenderness and flattery.") After a duet ("I go, but counsel thee to avoid the villain Pedrillo"), Osmin departs. Konstanze greets Blondchen in distress (Aria: "Sorrow has become my lot"), informing her that Selim demands her love and threatens to use force. (Aria: "This also will I bear.")

When she has gone, Pedrillo comes to Blondchen, who is his sweetheart, and informs her that Belmonte is near and that all is ready for flight. Blondchen is filled with joy. (Aria: "What happiness, what delight.") Pedrillo invites Osmin to drink, hoping that he will become intoxicated. (Aria: "On to the combat" and duet: "Vivat Bacchus!") He succeeds in this plan and gets Osmin out of the way so that Belmonte again sees his beloved Konstanze. (Quartet, Belmonte, Konstanze, Pedrillo, Blondchen: "Oh, Belmonte, oh my life.")

Act III

Belmonte and Pedrillo come to the garden with ladders. (Aria, Belmonte: "When the tears of joy do fall"; Romanze, Pedrillo: "Captive in the land of the Moors.") Belmonte succeeds in abducting Konstanze, but when Pedrillo is about to escape with Blondchen, they are caught by Osmin (Aria: "Ho, how I will triumph"), and Belmonte and Konstanze are also brought back by the guard. Selim Pasha, who recognises in Belmonte the son of an enemy, is about to order their death. (Duet: "Oh what a fate, oh soul's misery.") His heart, however, is touched by their sorrow; he forgives, and all are set at liberty - much to the dismay of Osmin, who would prefer to see them all brutally executed. (Finale: "Never will I thy kindness forget.")

First post, so hello world...

This is my little space in vast storage capacity of google servers. Anyways, i am a small-space person (like a cat person dog person or Llama person) and I like it, to begin with.

This is my first post, and i am not sure who is going to read this first, but i am hopeful that i can have some regular readers & contributors maybe.

lets get started!