HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: edgar@function.mps.ohio-state.edu (Gerald Edgar)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: What is that music in [insert TV show/movie here] ?
Date: 30 Dec 92 15:11:32 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: The Ohio State University, Dept. of Math.
NNTP-Posting-Host: function.mps.ohio-state.edu

I asked:
>What is that music in the commercials for Maxwell House coffee?
>There are mountain scenes in Colombia with choral music...

Richard Urena (urena@titan.ucc.umass.edu) replies:

That's from the soundtrack to the movie "The Mission" (a great
movie, btw.)   It's original music, written for the film by
Ennio Morricone.

-- 
  Gerald A. Edgar                Internet:  edgar@mps.ohio-state.edu
  Department of Mathematics      Bitnet:    EDGAR@OHSTPY
  The Ohio State University      telephone: 614-292-0395 (Office)
  Columbus, OH 43210             -292-4975 (Math. Dept.) -292-1479 (Dept. Fax)
From: DeadHead@cup.portal.com (Bruce M Ong)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: SURVEY: FAVORITE PIANO CONCERTO
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 92 16:03:52 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Distribution: na

>
>I must admit I'm starting to enjoy these "Greatest All-Time" and "Favorite" 
>threads, so I'm starting another one.  :-)   The question is, What is your
>favorite piano concerto?
>

	Rachmaninoff, #2. Kissin's recording on RCA. I love it for emotional
reasons that I cannot articulate. I discovered the second piano concerto
(and rachmaninoff's personal story) after coming out of a rather trying period
in my life. And every note in that concerto speaks to me...

	As I am writing this msg, I am listening to Rachmaninoff's third
piano concerto... I like it a lot, too. I have the Ashkenazy/Haitink recording
which isnt as crisp as I would like in places.

>And a very important sub-question: What's your favorite *Beethoven* piano 
>concerto?
>
	Hmmm. I will have to say  #5. I love the slow, pondering  
second movement -- that always brings me back to my childhood, sitting by
the window, hands propping up my head, elbows on the windowsill, at night, 
looking out at the night sky counting the stars and wandering... I also love 
the connection between the second and third movement (and of course, 
the Rondo. All of it!). My favorite recording is Stephen Bishop Kovacevich/
Sir Colin Davis on Philips classics.

>Inquiring minds want to know...
>
>
>John
>zorro@picasso.ocis.temple.edu
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I am surprised that nobody mentioned Scriabin piano concerto... It's been
recommended to me ("If you like rachmaninoff's, you'll like that
Scriabin concerto.")  Should I get it, all?

----
/bruce
From: conrad@brahms.udel.edu (Jon Conrad)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: Hildegard Behrens vocal collapse?
Date: 30 Dec 92 22:44:27 GMT
Organization: University of Delaware

In article <1992Dec25.032007.21019@timessqr.gc.cuny.edu> kos@cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu writes:

[in response to my attempt at a balanced description of Gwyneth Jones]

>Jon, this must the be first time I'm totally disagreeing with you.  I saw
>the Walkuere of Dec. 21 -- and she was atrocious!!!  Ok, she has the
>stamina to dance around the stage and last the whole night through, but
>she is close to unlistenable!!  

We don't really disagree.  Myself, I would stay a mile away from any
performance Dame Gwyn was scheduled for.  I can't stand her.  But I was
just pointing out that she is NOT the bottom of the barrel; she does
give the audience something.  For the real dregs, see who some of the
provincial US or German houses schedule for their Bruennhildes.

Jon Alan Conrad
From: hal@radio.wkar.msu.edu (Hal Prentice)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: Havergal Brian Symphony
Date: 22 Dec 92 14:38:43 GMT
Organization: Broadcasting Services, Michigan State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: prentice.wkar.msu.edu

In article <1992Dec22.074818.103966@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> jde0@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (JON DAVID EISENBERG) writes:
>From: jde0@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (JON DAVID EISENBERG)
>Subject: Havergal Brian Symphony
>Date: 22 Dec 92 07:48:18 GMT
>A couple years ago I read a posting about a synphony by British composer
>Havergal Brian (sp?).  The name of the piece was symphony #1 "the GOTHIC".  I
>have looked at every store I could find, but there was no knowledge of such a
>composer, let alone the piece itself.  I would appreciate any information
>about recordings/performances that are available.
>
>                    Thanx (in advance),
>                    Jon Eisenberg
>                    Lehigh University
>
Havergal Brian (1876-1972).  Fascinating composer, extremely prolific 
symphonist; he composed at least 32 symphonies including no less than 21 of 
them after he had passed the age of 80.  The "Gothic" Symphony (1918-1926) 
is considered (according to Guinness) the longest symphony ever written with 
a running time of around 1:55:00.  It is available on Marco Polo 8223280.  
Marco Polo has just embarked on a project to record all symphonies by 
Brian.  Marco Polo is distributed in the US by Harmonia Mundi, 3364 S. 
Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034 (310) 559-0802. Most of his 
symphonies have not been heard outside of Britain, if even there.  Among the 
symphonies I've heard that I really like are the "Gothic", Symphonies 8 & 
9.  I least like Nos. 10 & 21.
                    
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hal Prentice, FM Program Manager      Michigan State University
WKAR-FM, 283 Communication Arts Bldg  East Lansing, MI 48824-1212 USA
Internet: hal@radio.wkar.msu.edu      Bitnet: hal@radio.wkar.bitnet
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: chem91@Elroy.UH.EDU ("Bill Harrison (713)-743-2789")
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: Pachelbel, Beethoven, and Mel Gibson
Date: 21 Dec 1992 21:27:30 GMT
Organization: University of Houston
Reply-To: chem91@Elroy.UH.EDU
NNTP-Posting-Host: elroy.uh.edu

[...]
>}>What's the best music to romance a woman at the piano?
>}
>}
>}Debussy's "Clair de Lune". Then, when she says "That was 
>}wonderful," you can reply "But you didn't even swoon!"
>

Well, this is getting to be my universal answer, but what else but...

4' 33'' by John Cage.  

* anybody can play it...

* she hopefully wont get bored...

* if she does swoon, you can catch her, and the performance won't be 
spoiled...   ;=)

Seasonal greetings and happy listening to all...   :=)

Bill

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\               /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+
| Bill Harrison,            \             /       "Be as radical as... |
| University of Houston, TX  >-----------<         reality itself"     |
| CHEM91@JETSON.BITNET      /             \                V. I. Lenin |
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/               \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
From: elltankw@nuscc.nus.sg (Tan Kok Wan Peter (Dr))
Subject: Request for Music Retailers' Addresses
Organisation: National University of Singapore
Organization: National University of Singapore
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 04:23:59 GMT


                                 Singapore,
                                 4.i.93
I was wondering if I could ask for a bit of help.  I am keen on getting
hold of some musical scores, and out here in Singapore these are not
always easy to come by.  If you know of reliable classical music retailers
that you wouldn't mind recommending, I'd be grateful if you could let me
have their names and addresses.  These would have to be willing to deal
with overseas mail order, obviously.  So far, I've tried out two British
ones: Blackwell's Music Shop in Oxford, and William Elkin & Co. in
Sevenoaks, Kent.
     Many thanks.
                                 Peter Tan
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
From: kos@cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu (Bob Kosovsky)
Subject: More on Abell
Reply-To: kos@cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu
Organization: Computer Center, CUNY Graduate School, New York NY 10036
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 13:24:19 GMT

In response to my previous posting, I've received mail concerning Arthur
Abell's book "Talks with Great Composers."  I mentioned how Abell,  had
a stenographer record a 3-way conversation with Brahms, Joachim and 
himself over a 4-day period, and I considered the results "phantasmagorical."
One respondent expressed wonder at what I meant.  Here's an excerpt (p. 5):

	"How Brahms Contacted God  [excerpt]"

"I immediately feel vibrations that thrill my whole being."  Brahms continued.
"These are the Spirit illuminating the soul-power within, and in this
exalted state, I see clearly what is obscure in my ordinary moods; then I feel
capable of drawing inspiration from above, as Beethven did.   Above all, I
realize at such moments the tremendous significance of Jesus[' supreme
revelation, 'I and my Father are one.'  Those vibrations assume the forms
of distinct mental images, after I have formulated my desire and resolve
in regard to what I want--namely, to be inspired so that I can compose
something that will uplift and benefit humanity--something of permanent value."

"Straightway the ideas flow in upon me, directly from God, and not only
do I see distint themes in my mind's eye, but they are clothed in the right
forms, harmonies and orchestration.  Measure by measure, the finished 
product is revealed to me when I am in those rare, inspired moods, as they
were to Tartini when he composed his greatest work--the Devil's Trill
Sonata.  I have to be in a sem-trance condition to get such results--a
condition  when the conscious mind is in temporary abeyance and the
subconscious is in control, for it is through the subsconscious mind, which
is a part of Omnipotence, that the inspiration comes.  I have to be careful,
however, not to lose consciousness, otherwise the ideas fade away."
[end of quote]

(At first it may seem odd that Brahms mentioned Tartini (of all things), but
he was aware that Abell was an aspiring violinist.)  I'm not saying this
is all trash (though I suspect many would), but there are many passages
where the discussion touches upon the supernatural.  I suppose that's
what happens when the beer flows late at night.


Bob Kosovsky
Graduate Center -- Ph.D. Program in Music(student)/ City University of New York
New York Public Library -- Music Division
bitnet:   kos@cunyvms1.bitnet        internet: kos@cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu
Disclaimer:  My opinions do not necessarily represent those of my institutions.
From: hsmoliar+@cs.cmu.edu (Harold Smoliar)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: Carnival of the Animals
Date: 30 Dec 92 17:01:26 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.C030MF.GC5.1
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon

In article <92364.121702LAURA@UCF1VM.BITNET> LAURA@UCF1VM.BITNET (Laura Kittleson) writes:
>A long time ago, in a town far far away, I used to listen to
>a radio station that would occasionally play a recording of
>Saint Saens' Carnival of the Animals, in which Noel Coward
>read verses written by Ogden Nash, relevant to the work.  I
>cannot find this recording in any music store, catalog, in
>Penguin or Schwann.  Asking music store employees has not been
>at all helpful.  Does anyone know where I could find (for
>purchase) a CD recording of this work?  How about the ones
>I've heard OF in which Hermione Gingold and Grace Kelly (two
>separate recordings) read Nash's verse?

[I tried e-mail but it bounced]

I have not seen any of these--I have an old LP of Bernstein with children
soloists at a New York Phil Children's Concert which I loved and I also have
our recording with Previn on CD from early 80's but this has no narration.

>Also, I'd like to find the piano scores for the two-piano-and-
>orchestra version of this work.  No luck in any of the places
>I've known to look.

I know of a two piano version [no orchestra] and the orchestration that
Saint-Saens did which includes two pianos, clarinet, flute and strings.
Both of these I would wager could be found at Patelson's in New York and
if they are not in stock could probably be ordered.

J. Patelson Music House
160 W. 56th St.
NY NY   10019
212-582-5840


Harold Smoliar
English horn, Pittsburgh Symphony
Piano, Symphony Jazz Quartet
hsmoliar@db1.speech.cs.cmu.edu
From: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu (Mark Basinski)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: NEW New Grove?
Date: 21 Dec 92 22:39:43 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.classical
Organization: Univ. of Arizona

In article <1992Dec20.062000.7076@news.columbia.edu>,
gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) wrote:
> 
> An article in the Dec. 13 Washington Post apparently intimated that there
> might be a new edition of the New Grove before the end of the decade.  
> Not having procured a copy of the article yet (one is on its way to me), 
> I'm not sure what was said, but I'm curious if anyone knows what the
> official word here is.
> 
> As I understand it, the last revision took a decade.  I know they've been
> spending much time on the new Opera dictionary, so I'm wondering what might
> be the earliest we'd see a New New Grove?  Is 7 years really enough time
> for another revision?  Or was the Post being optimistic?
> 
   The Opera dictionary is in preparation, and I think I heard that the
main work going on at the moment on the NGDMM was getting it all in 
electronic format, with an eye to a CD release perhaps?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Basinski      Internet: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
From: jacob@max.cc.brandeis.edu ( )
Subject: male alti, counter-tenors, castrati, and so on
Organization: Brandeis University Math Department
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 01:21:24 GMT

1. is a so called "male alto" the same thing as a "countertenor"?
   if not, what is the difference?
   (there was a post from russia about 3 months ago mentioning
   an exceptional "male alto" from over there -- i was wondering,
   a bit late maybe,if it's the same thing as a counter-tenor)

2. is falsetto always used to some extent by countertenors?
   (as opposed to only using full head voice, which if i'm not
   mistaken rarelly goes as high)

3. how (to what purpose?) did castrati start to become "available"
   in italy around 1600? clearly the answer cannot be "to sing opera"
   as opera was just begining. for example the role of nero in monteverdi's
   "incoronazione," one of the first operas, was to be sung by a castrato
   (unless it was sung by a woman which i believe was not the case,) so
   for monteverdi to write such a part, singers able to sing that part must
   have been *already* available. on the other hand neither madrigals nor
   masses require castrati, so?

   (note that the "production" of castrati was *always* a fairly illegal
   affair in all of italy -- read the excerpt from burney in strunk's book --
   in other words opera 1600-1800 rested on a very illegal activity,
   punishable by death in some cases, a bit like if the major popular
   music stars of this era were, say, all children who'd been kidnapped and
   sold in slavely)
From: zorro@picasso.ocis.temple.edu (John Grabowski)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: Opinions sought: Beethoven's Late String Quartets
Date: 25 Dec 92 21:47:04 GMT
Organization: Temple University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

Steve Monroe (v035550@stortek.com) wrote:
: I am  interested  in opinions on
: recordings of Beethoven's "late"
: string quartets.

: Favourites? recordings to avoid,
: etc. 

: Please post or email response,
: your choice.

: Many thanks,

: sjm

Can't resist this one...  :-)

Possibly my favorite recording in my entire collection is of the Op. 131 
String Quartet transcribed for an entire string orchestra.  Conducted by
Bernstein, with the Vienna Phil., it's not the textbook way to do it, but
it is nonetheless, a stunning musical experience.  Oddly, I'm no Bernstein
fan (quite the opposite), so it's ironic that my favorite record would be one
of his.  But the original Op. 131-as-orchestra-piece ideas was not his but
Mitropoulos', so maybe that explains it.  (Mitropoulos made a recording in
the 1940s on 78s that Mr. Bernstein bought as a child and loved.)

As for recordings of the late quartets to avoid, I just bought the boxed set
on RCA by the Cleveland Quartet and it's a lemon!  No expressivity, and, to 
return to Op. 131, they take the scherzo so fast that many notes are missed
(many notes!).  Fortunately, I bought the set from a used record shop, and
only paid $11, so it's no great loss.

The set was produced by Thomas Z. Shepard, one of the better producers out
there, which makes the quality all the more puzzling.

A really underrated set of the entire SQ of Beethoven was done many years ago
by the Pro Arte Quartet.  Marvelous readings, incredible virtuosity.  Unfor-
tuately, the records were pressed by Murray Hill, and I think they used melted
wood shavings for vinyl.   

John
zorro@picasso.ocis.temple.edu
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: marcs@slc.com (Marc San Soucie)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: FYI: Lovely Music....
Date: 31 Dec 92 03:15:22 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Servio Corp, Beaverton Oregon, US

Michael A. Dritschel (mad@cs.wm.edu) writes:

> There are a few other older recordings featuring music of Robert Ashley
> that I am aware of.  One is a piece called _Purposeful Lady, Slow
> Afternoon_ that I believe came out on Everest and is supposedly part
> of a longer work called _The Wolfman Motor City Review_.  I am not
> aware of any recordings of this.  There was also an album which came
> out on the unfortunately now defunct 1750 Arch Records label called
> something like _10 + 2: Spoken Word Music_ that has an excerpt of a
> piece by Ashley called _In Sarah, Menken, and Christ There Were Men
> and Women_.

There is a complete recording of "In Sarah, Mencken, and Christ", on an 
Italian label, which I got from Wayside Music early this year. It's nice.


> I should mention that _Perfect Lives_ was performed live at the New Music
> America festival when it was held in Chicago in 1980(?).  It was broken
> into several parts that were performed on successive nights after the
> main concerts were over in a river boat docked to Navy Pier (which is
> where the festival took place).  The visuals consisted of Robert
> Ashley standing before a microphone in front of a bank of television
> screens with a lot of wonderful video work.

I saw portions of it in '80 or '81 in New York, performed live with about
six musicians and Ashley (including David Van Tieghem and Jill Kroesen). I
sat behind John Cage and Merce Cunningham. Ashley did "The Bar" and "The 
Backyard". I'd love to relive that experience with 12 years of hindsight!

    Marc San Soucie
    Portland, Oregon
    marcs@slc.com
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
From: cb@tamarack13.timbuk (Chris Brewster)
Subject: Re: Havergal Brian Symphony
In-reply-to: diarmuid@uniwa.uwa.edu.au's message of 28 Dec 1992 01:21:18 +0800
Organization: pubs
Date: 31 Dec 92 00:32:08 CST


A Unicorn recording from the 70s had Brian 6 and 16 (LSO, Myer Fredman).
16 is, by a hair, my favorite of his, though I tend to like the later
ones as a group.  Although Brian's formal development can be
bewilderingly abrupt, his music has an almost reckless intensity and
drive that hurtles me along like a good roller coaster.

Chris Brewster
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
From: lungtt@gus.ecn.purdue.edu (Terence T. Lung)
Subject: Re: Beginning a classical collection
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 18:32:42 GMT

In article <1i3287INN5g2@FUNCTOR.SYSTEMSZ.CS.YALE.EDU> loosemore-sandra@cs.yale.edu (Sandra Loosemore) writes:
>lungtt@gus.ecn.purdue.edu (Terence T. Lung) writes:
>
>   >But no one has yet mentioned one seemingly obvious thing to do: go to
>   >some concerts!
>   Wow!  I don't think so unless you know what you're doing.
>   Do you have $$$ to spare for this?
>
>Concerts don't have to be a costly experience, especially if you live
>in a college town... <$5 admission...

ok.  If you have this option, by all means, indulge!

But if you're in a metropolitan area like DC, every other concert
seems to run at least $20 a ticket.  Listening to the radio will
be a more practical way to *sample* a variety of music.

I'll put another plug in for the performances by your music majors.
I think they can shine brighter than their professional, name-brand
counterparts.  They tend to work a little harder at individual
works, have stiff competition and have picky judges to satisfy.
Yale, in particular, also happens to have a couple very tremendous
string players in its faculty.  <$5 is a STEAL to hear these guys.
The recording superstars tend to crank out one piece after another
and I sometimes wonder about their consistency.
Often, universities and conservatories will also have outstanding
resident quartets and so forth. (e.g. Audubon at VPI, Shanghai at
Richmond and so on...)

Terence
From: conrad@brahms.udel.edu (Jon Conrad)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: Hildegard Behrens vocal collapse?
Date: 21 Dec 92 19:40:25 GMT
Organization: University of Delaware

In article <1992Dec21.172249.13631@visual.com> rwh@visual.com (Rob Holzel) writes:

>A friend told me the following.  I wonder if it's true?

Kind of depressing to think that my (probably) last posting before
leaving for a week in Chicago will be to engage in vicious opera gossip
:-), but if that's how it is, then so be it!

>1. Hildegard Behrens has recently suffered a vocal collapse,
>   which to the horror of the MET management will prevent her from
>   singing Brunnhilde in upcoming "Ring" performances.

The Met hasn't got her scheduled to sing anything this season, I can
confirm that.  She opted out of all of last spring's Elektras after the
first night.

>2. Eva Marton will not sub for Behrens, since she swore never to
>   sing at the MET again when she was passed over for Brunnhilde (in
>   favor of Behrens) the first time around.

This is consistent with what I've heard, and with La Marton's behavior
in general.

>3. As a singer of last resort, 

Questionable -- plenty of places are happy to get her for their first
choice.  She never cancels, and always lasts to the end untired.

>the MET have enrolled Dame Gwenyth

Gwyneth.

>   Jones to sing the role.  

True.  She's scheduled for all 3 cycles.

>   This much disconcerted my friend, who
>   said Jones is so past her prime that by now he'd thought she
>   was dead. 

Your friend must be out of touch.  Jones sings regularly all over, and
though her voice is in, shall we say, variable shape and has been for
some time now, it's no more so than it was (say) 10 years ago.  She sang
one of the cycles the last time the Met did the RING (3 years ago).  Her
"prime," if one wants to use the word with her, ended around 1972,
whereupon she developed the wobble/straight-tone/unwieldy singing mode
that she retains still.  AND I should add, still so loud, sometimes with
laser-precise climactic high notes, personally radiant, dramatically
incisive, that she can still cast a spell over (some of) an audience and
make them buy what she does.  She may be excruciating to listen to 90%
of the time, but she's still a canny pro, and very active.  I wonder
where your friend's been hiding.  :-)

Jon Alan Conrad
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical