Ludwig van Beethoven’s Greatest Hits
These are: movements from Symphonies 3, 5, 7 and 9 and from a violin concerto; Turkish March; ‘Moonlight’ Sonata; Fur Elise. How do you reduce Beethoven to one CD?
Harry Belafonte’s Calypso Hits
I like ‘Island in the Sun’, ‘Banana Boat Song’, ‘Man Smart (Woman Smarter’, ‘Mama Look a Boo-Boo’, ‘Jamaica Farewell.’ Fun songs—calypso has a light, playful beat and many of these songs have words to match. Originally recorded 1956-1967, this compilation 2006.
Ray Conniff Singers’ Sixteen Most Requested Songs
Not my most requested. I do like ‘I’d Like To Teach the World to Sing’, ‘Way We Were’, ‘Just the Way You Are’ and ‘Emotion/How Deep Is Your Love’, but not their sound-effect-without-words-songs or their versions of ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ (Carpenters are better), ‘I Write the Songs’ (Toni Tennille is better), or ‘You Light Up My Life’ (Debby Boone is better).
Anne-Sophie Mutter’s Mendelssohn/Brahms Violin Concertos
Outstanding violin concertos of the 19th century German repertoire are four: Ludwig van Beethoven’s (1806), Felix Mendelssohn’s (1844), Max Bruch’s (1866) and Johanns Brahms’ (1878). This CD has two of the four. Bruch’s and Mendelssohn’s are easier to play.
After studying for a while, Mendelssohn wrote his concerto for Leipzig virtuoso Ferdinand David. The work is very original—for instance, instead of the traditional orchestra opening the themes, the soloist does it.
In Portschach, an Austrian village, Brahms in 1877 completed his lyric Second Symphony. That same year, he also arranged Bach’s Chaconne from the D minor Partita for the piano left hand.
In 1878 summer, Brahms evolved from Bach, Viotti and Beethoven’s styles a violin concerto in E minor. He’d written a piano concerto twenty years before, and was again combining virtuoso instrumental writing and symphonic utterance. Again, brilliant violinist Joseph Joachim was present to advise (as W.H. Reed would Elgar, and as Jascha Heifetz would Walton). Result: a work of fierce technical challenge—difficult leaps and challenging double-stops—used strictly for musical purpose. The orchestral parts respond richly. The Beethoven Concerto requires the conductor to care for rhythm and tuning, while the Brahms Concert is ‘soft clay to be molded in performance’, says Yehudi Menuhin. First comes the oboe, then the violas, violins, bassoon, with a happy ending.
In 1879, Brahms wrote another violin concerto, in G major, there.
Played with Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan, born in 1908 in Salzburg. He started studying at the Mozartium when still a boy. At age 21, he became principal conductor to the Stadttheater in Ulm. In 1934-1941 he worked in Achen as general music director. He was appointed to succeed Wilhelm Furtwangler as principal conductor to the Berlin Philharmonic. For many years he also served as artistic director for the Vienna State Opera and Salzburg Festival. He recorded his first album in 1939. In 1967, he founded the Easter Festival at Salzburg. In 1973, he started the Whitsun Concerts. He founded the Herbert von Karajan foundation and the Orchestral Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic. He pioneered stereo sound, music on video. He was a perfectionist. He died in 1989.
Anne was born in Rheinfelden, Baden. She asked for piano lessons for her fifth birthday present, then switched to violin a few lessons later. After her first teacher, Erna Honigberger, died, Anne switched to the Winterthurr Conservatory, attending master classes taught by Aida Stucki, pupil of Carl Flesch. Her success, especially at Lucerne Festival. At age 13, she was invited by Karajan to play for him. In 1977, her solo career began. She also works in chamber music combos. Made in 1981.