Major Sorabji Broadcast; Coming Soon!

[ahinton]

The Sorabji Archive is delighted to relay a notice, as follows, that we have received about a broadcast of one of his most important piano works that is being given shortly in the Netherlands


Please note the dates 7 May and 14 May in your agendas, for on these dates Sequentia Cyclica super Dies Iræ, as performed by Jonathan Powell in Glasgow on 20 June 2010, will be broadcast!

You can find details at the site: http://www.concertzender.nl/programmagids . The broadcasts are mentioned under 6 May and 13 May in the calendar, because De Concertzender considers night-time broadcasts as belonging to the day before. Each broadcast will start at 00:00 (on the 7 May and 14 May), and last till 07:00 (Dutch times!).

PLEASE NOTE:

On the site the whole of Sequentia Cyclica super Dies Iræ is mentioned at the time of writing, but that is incorrect. Since the work is actually a bit longer than the program, cuts had to be made, and these have been decided and authorised by Jonathan Powell. What will be broadcast is the following:

Theme: Largo – Legatissimo sempre e nello stile medioevale detto ‘organum’
II. Moderato
III. Legato, soave e liscio
IV. Tranquillo e piano [Chorale prelude]
V. Ardito, focosamente
VIII. Tempo di Valzer con molta fantasia, disinvoltura e eleganza
IX. Capriccioso
X. Il tutto in una sonorità piena, dolce, morbida, calda e voluttuosa
XIII. Aria. Con fantasia e dolcezza
XVI. Punta d’organo
XV. Ispanica
XVI. Marcia funebre
XVII. Soave e dolce
XVIII. Duro, irato, energico
XIX. Quasi Debussy
XX. Spiccato, leggiero
XXI. Legatissimo, dolce e soave
XXII. Passacaglia [with 100 variations]
XXVI. Largamente pomposo e maestoso
XXVII. Fuga quintuplice a due, tre, quattro, cinque e sei voci ed a cinque soggetti.

There may be spoken ‘intervals’ at some points; we do not know the details for certain as yet.

Still, there will be some 6h 10mins of music!

The recording used is that made by David Carter - a private recording, i.e. not quite on the sound quality level of your top-level studio-produced SACD (for those for whom these things matter). Personally, it is the only recording of this stupendous work’s sole complete performance to date, as played equally stupendously by Jonathan Powell, so I would have been delighted by its recording even had it been made on a tin can. There will be a mention of the recording’s sound quality on the program, but really, it is quite good enough!

All that said, there remains to be said ample thanks to:
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, for writing it;
Alistair Hinton, for preserving it;
Alexander Abercrombie, for typesetting it;
Jonathan Powell, for performing it;
David Carter, for recording it;
De Concertzender, in the person of Gerard Meulenberg, for broadcasting it.
Without those, the program could not have been possible!

Sorabji is, sadly, beyond reach for thanksgivings; the remainder are still present.

Enjoy!

[jre58591]

Here is a direct link to the page:

http://www.concertzender.nl/programmagi ... tail=63373

[Timtin]

This link might also be useful, especially for fans of his gargantuan Organ Symphony No.2 KSS53.
http://www.concertzender.nl/zoeken.php?q=sorabji

[thalbergmad]

This link might also be useful.

http://www.comfyearplugs.com/

Thal

[jre58591]

This link might also be useful.

http://www.comfyearplugs.com/

Thal

Or you could just not click on the link to this thread, or to the streaming page. It would save you the money of buying said earplugs.

[caostotale]

Under no real authority, I'm declaring that no one's allowed to argue about Sorabji on this forum. Such petty squabbling only befits the catty, self-appointed-genius teenagers of Pianostreet.

[Timtin]

Under no real authority, I'm declaring that no one's allowed to argue about Sorabji on this forum. Such petty squabbling only befits the catty, self-appointed-genius teenagers of Pianostreet.

I can't resist disobeying your request, Caostotale.
I think that Sorabji wasn't in the first rank of 20th. century composers despite what his
advocates would have us believe. Those places are reserved for the other 'S' composers
Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Strauss, Stravinsky and a few others including Bartok, Ives,
Messiaen, and Prokofiev.
Music should hold the attention of the listener throughout its duration, but the sheer length
and complexity of Sorabji's music makes this an impossibility for mere laymen such as myself.

[HullandHellandHalifax]

Under no real authority, I'm declaring that no one's allowed to argue about Sorabji on this forum. Such petty squabbling only befits the catty, self-appointed-genius teenagers of Pianostreet.

I can't resist disobeying your request, Caostotale.
I think that Sorabji wasn't in the first rank of 20th. century composers despite what his
advocates would have us believe. Those places are reserved for the other 'S' composers
Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Strauss, Stravinsky and a few others including Bartok, Ives,
Messiaen, and Prokofiev.
Music should hold the attention of the listener throughout its duration, but the sheer length
and complexity of Sorabji's music makes this an impossibility for mere laymen such as myself.

Hi Timtin, you missed out Scriabin from your list, a composer who is a very good prelude to enjoying Sorabji. It is impossible to enjoy (appreciate is something else) Sorabji without multiple hearings, a criticism that could be levelled at some of the S composers and the other names you mention. As has been proved with both Stravinsky and Schoenberg, who were at one time regarded as deluded and dangerous madmen, continued exposure brings acceptance and often enjoyment. The same might well happen for Sorabji but obviously not yet it seems.
regards
Brian

[caostotale]

Under no real authority, I'm declaring that no one's allowed to argue about Sorabji on this forum. Such petty squabbling only befits the catty, self-appointed-genius teenagers of Pianostreet.

I can't resist disobeying your request, Caostotale.
I think that Sorabji wasn't in the first rank of 20th. century composers despite what his
advocates would have us believe. Those places are reserved for the other 'S' composers
Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Strauss, Stravinsky and a few others including Bartok, Ives,
Messiaen, and Prokofiev.
Music should hold the attention of the listener throughout its duration, but the sheer length
and complexity of Sorabji's music makes this an impossibility for mere laymen such as myself.

To be sure, I would put Sessions, Starer, Szymanowski, and plenty of other 'S' composers ahead of Sorabji as well. Your response is too humble and polite to even come close to the sorts of pie-fights that my post aimed to prevent!

[jre58591]

Heck, I agree with putting all those people ahead of Sorabji, but that won't stop me from listening to him! I can't take in an entire 4 hour work on all nights, surely, but that doesn't mean that I can enjoy it in small doses and save an entire go around for a long weekend. I honestly enjoy the shorter Sorabji quite a bit.