Richard Strauss, Sir John Barbirolli, "Metamorphisis"

On my way to make coffee I stopped to find some music to listen to while drinking my usual morning cup of coffee. Not sure of what I wanted to hear, i flipped through some stray CD's I hadn't listened to in a long while. This one popped out. Sir John Barbirolli conducting the New Philharmonia Orchestra on a double CD from EMI. Two works, the Richard Strauss Metemorphosis for 23 solo Strings and Gustav Mahler's sixth Symphony.

That's a bit rich for a morning coffee, but I put it on anyway. I was instantly reminded of why I like Sir John's conducting so much. He always gets to the heart and soul of the music and he never failed to inspire the lave and devotion of the musicians that played under him. One engagement with the Berlin Philharmonic resulted int he Orchestra's requesting him to conduct them in a recording of Mahler's momumental Ninth Symphony. That was quite an honour for and English Conductor to be asked to conduct one of Germany's premiere Orchestras.

Listening to this interpretation only confirmed what I thought. He finds the very soul of this music. This is probably the most intensely bitter sweet music ever written. Strauss wrote it as a memorial after the bombings of the Munich Opera House and the vicious bombing of Dresden in which the Royal Air force deliberately dropped incendiary devices intended to create a hollocost (a fire storm). Most of the old city of Dresden (said to be one of the most beautiful in Europe) was destroyed, priceless documents and art treasures incinerated. Dresden was a civilian target, and the city was unarmed.

It seems that there are no civilians in war, despite the spin put on it by press reports. Even stranger how none of the liner notes on the recordings of this music note the precise circumstances under which it was written. There seems to be a certain hesitation to talk about this holocaust.

What do you say when you see the Opera houses you worked in and where your Operas were performed reduced to ashes? The Metamorphosis is Strauss response. Some call it a dirge, but while the mood is certainly sombre, it, in reality a comemoration, celebration and good-bye to places that had made up the major portion of his life. I hear sorrow and sadness but not hopelessness. Strauss went on to create several more major operatic productions (Cappricio is my favourite), an oboe concerto for an American oboe player stationed near him, and of course his reall good-by, the Four Last Songs.

(a side note here; the biography I linked to does what so many articles about composers writing at the end of an era do; that is make some sort of comment about them being anachronistic or out of date. Most of the great composers were anachronisms. Bach certainly was not writing in the style of his time, he wrote in a style of an earlier period but still, his work sums up the byggone period. A final explosion of creativity, yes; anachrnism no. Struass was no anachronism, the popularity of his works proove that they speak to us even today.)


In the Metamorphosis you hear all the skills a acquired over a lifetime of composition. Manipulating 3 or 4 voices is difficult for most people but 23 voices.... well nigh impossible. Strauss weaves the seamless development of a few themes for more than 27 minutes. It is one of the great compositional tour de force ever written, and the music certainly attains the greatness and stature Strauss to which Strauss aspired.

This isn't background music, nor is it a trivial and sentimental journey into the past. Its subject was most certainly current then and remains so today. Despite commentator's loathing to talk about the exact reasons for its composition and why Strauss diverted it from its original purpose; a retrospective look at his life to be published after his death.

Certainly half a century after its composition, it has stood the test of time and takes its place amongst the great achievements of he twentieth century. The true extent the bitterness of the tragic bombing of Dresden is heard in the final few bars where Strauss quotes the funeral march from Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 (Eroica). The harmonies turn sarcastic and sour in the final few notes of the quote.

The New Philharmonia Orchestra plays its usual best under Barbirolli. The sad news is that this recording is no longer available. I looked for my other favourite performance, Vienna Philharmonic Strings under Andre Previn on Phillips, but that one is no longer available. The Simon Rattle on EMI, I am loathe to recommend because I have yet to hear a recording of his that captures my attention. Likely the Herbert von Karajan recording is available but it is so sickly and saccharine sweet, it sugar coats the pain and sounds ingenuous. Hunt through the classical music sections of used CD stores. Usualy they do not put a high value on this music and I have gotten rare deals at unbelievablly low prices. Here's that EMI number for you anyway:
CMZ 0777 7 67816 2


Don't you wish the music labels had a service where you could special order a one of recording produced from their archives? You know this is possible. It just has never been done.

On a somewhat lighter note, here's how Strauss explains the Origin of Music using Also Sprach Zarathustra. While it may seem somewhat amusing, Strauss correctly illustrates the harmonic series which is present in each note we hear even though we don't percieve it as such. Now this is an interesing way to learn about the phsysics of sound! No one taught it to me like that in any phsysics class I was in.

The Road Goes Ever On, Down From the Door where ...

I've spent the last few days doing one of the things I do best. I started to look for a specific recording by Sviatoslav Richter, and got an arm full of CD's. They're all Richter recordings I had forgotten I had. Apparently, I am quite a collector of Richter recordings.

I did find the recording, the Schubert Piano Sonata in B flat D. 960, but just not the one I intended. Listening to it (and the recording I had intended to as well) I decided to use that one instead. Of course when I actually put my opinions in print, I at least try to make sure my facts are correct. That means checking even things you are use you know already and being able to confirm them by a reputable source.

After starting to write the review, I was drawn into the structure of the Sonata. Musical analysis is to say the least a digression from commenting on a recording. However, I am running with it and finding some fascinating details. I have had more than a few Ah HAH! moments which I will eventually write about as well.

When you check dates and biographical details, encyclopedias and Dictionaries are the first source. For me those were Groves On Line where you are met by a log in form. You can subscribe OR likely your local library subscribes to it and you have access through your library to it for free (well, the subscription still comes out of your taxes). The second place to look for biographical details online is the Wikipedia. This is where the next fork in the road comes.

The page for Franz Schubert. Glancing down the table of Contents I see the listing for Media. Well, curiosity got the best of me and I clicked on it. I found a page with some examples of Schuberts writing. The tuning of some of the choral music with orchestra was highly suspect to say the least. The piano works were another matter. Several examples from Leonard Hokanson's Schubert cycle. Those were a minute and a half segments, but a minute and a half beats the usual 30 seconds by a long shot! You actually get a feel for the performance and the music! The other pianist on the page didn't fare so well. The performance is fine except that someone challenged the edition used in the recorded performance. That lead me to.....

Now where was I? What was I looking for? and why? Well, I had to think about it. But you see how and where I got by taking all these forks in the road. Distractibility its known as, however, in my case, the distractibility became an asset. Following all those forks in the road lead me to many strange and totally unexpected place. I heard music I didn't know existed. The writing, if not accurate in all respects hooked my curiosity and I at least poked my head in the door of those new strange rooms

Thats how The Record Jacket Historian became one... Curiosity, love of music and a thirst for knowledge. And that, dear reader, is the fine art of digression, almost taken to the nth degree!

There is a piece I'm writing about Richter's performance of the big Schubert B flat Sonata. I promise it will be interesting and perhaps controversial

Favourite Haydn Symphonies and some old favourite re-issues

I do not really know what Haydn had in mind when he penned the opening bars of this Symphony, but to me it has always sounded like that first long stretch in the morning -- I mean the first one that feels good. Haydn's Symphony No. 84 "Oxford" was written for an event at Oxford University on the occasion of his recieving an honorary Doctor of Music Degree. And what a way to remember it. The name was not given by Haydn of course, but it is apropos considering the circumstance. Often these nicknames don't actually say anything important about the music or the events they were written for but in this case it does.

On this CD are two other "named" Symphonies "Surprise" and"Miracle". Of course everyone knows by now the story of the "Surprise". Haydn was upset by the audiences inatentiveness at certain points int he concerts. Hisbeautifulslow movements were frequently disrupted by the sound of audience members snoring. Haydn's surprise for them is the unexpected very loud chord struck by the full orchestra just at he point when the audience members were about ta falll asleep. Still today when I hear this worrk, at a distance of some 200 years -- and no! I was not there -- I'm still surprised when it happens along even though I know to expect it. This is Haydn's skill as a composer of the Symphony that he can craft a work such as this.


These last 12 Symphonies of Haydn, they are called the "London" Symphonies. Two sets of 6 works written on commmssion from the Impressario Salomonn. One name only, he did have a full name, but wished to be known by only this designation. His "daytime" job was as a vioilinist in London, but he also produced events such as the series of concerts these symphonies were comossioned for.

The first set of 6 Symphonies, and the last 6 London Symphonies, written for a return engagement in London, were the last Symphonies he wrote. And one day, int he middle of writing I string quartet, he layed down his pen and simply said he'd written his last notes. He kept his word. But what a life-time acheivement. During his lifetime the symphony rose to its greatest pinnacle and was on its way down. He'd written music for the Court of Esterhazy every night for a major portion of his life.

At the time Sallomon had been trying to arrange for Mozart to come to London armed with 12 of his own Symphonic works. Sadly, Mozart's untimely death prevented t his. One cannot help but wonder what those would have been like in light of the utter genius of his last Symphony. That work has been nicknamed the "Jupiter". after Roman God. In this case the name aptly describes the grandure and sheer genius of the work.

The particular recordings I ma listening to are no longer available, however the complete Haydn Symphonies played by The Philharmonia Hungarica under Antal Dorati in a monumental undertading to record all the Haydn Symphonies and Operas. All of them from a new edition of the works of Haydn editied by noted schollar H.C.Robbins Landon. These recordings appeared in the mid-seventies in boxed sets which included orchestral scores and comentary by H.C.Robbins Landon. The playing is out standing and I wished I could have afforded to purchase them as they appeared. They are re-released in a 33 CD Boxed Set from Decca/London catalogue 00289 448 5312. The sound is originally the much preferred analogue type recordings rematered for CD.

I do not really know what Haydn had in mind when he penned the opening bars of this Symphony, but to me it has always sounded like that first long stretch in the morning -- I mean the first one that feels good. Haydn's Symphony No. 84 "Oxford" was written for an event at Oxford University on the occasion of his recieving an honorary Doctor of Music Degree. And what a way to remember it. The name was not given by Haydn of course, but it is apropos considering the circumstance. Often these nicknames don't actually say anything important about the music or the events they were written for but in this case it does.

On this CD are two other "named" Symphonies "Surprise" and "Miricle". Of course everyone knows by now the story of the "Surprise". Haydn was upset by the audiences inatentiveness at certain points int he concerts. His beautiful slow movements were frequently disrupted by the sound of audience members snoring. Haydn's surprise for them is the unexpected very loud chord struck by the full orchestra just at he point when the audience members were about ta falll asleep. Still today when I hear this worrk, at a distance of some 200 years -- and no! I was not there -- I'm still surprised when it happens along even though I know to expect it. This is Haydn's skill as a composer of the Symphony that he can craft a work such as this.


These last 12 Symphonies of Haydn, they are called the "London" Symphonies. Two sets of 6 works written on commmssion from the Impressario Salomonn. One name only, he did have a full name, but wished to be known by only this designation. His "daytime" job was as a vioilinist in London, but he also produced events such as the series of concerts these symphonies were comossioned for.

The first set of 6 Symphonies, and the last 6 London Symphonies, written for a return engagement in London, were the last Symphonies he wrote. And one day, int he middle of writing I string quartet, he layed down his pen and simply said he'd written his last notes. He kept his word. But what a life-time acheivement. During his lifetime the symphony rose to its greatest pinnacle and was on its way down. He'd written music for the Court of Esterhazy every night for a major portion of his life.

At the time Sallomon had been trying to arrange for Mozart to come to London armed with 12 of his own Symphonic works. Sadly, Mozart's untimely death prevented t his. One cannot help but wonder what those would have been like in light of the utter genius of his last Symphony. That work has been nicknamed the "Jupiter". after Roman God. In this case the name aptly describes the grandure and sheer genius of the work.

The particular recordings I ma listening to are no longer available, however the complete Haydn Symphonies played by The Philharmonia Hungarica under Antal Dorati in a monumental undertading to record all the Haydn Symphonies and Operas. All of them from a new edition of the works of Haydn editied by noted schollar H.C.Robbins Landon. These recordings appeared in the mid-seventies in boxed sets which included orchestral scores and comentary by H.C.Robbins Landon. The playing is out standing and I wished I could have afforded to purchase them as they appeared.

They are re-released in a 33 CD Boxed Set from Decca/London catalogue 00289 448 5312. The sound is originally the much preferred analogue type recordings rematered for CD.

I do not really know what Haydn had in mind when he penned the opening bars of this Symphony, but to me it has always sounded like that first long stretch in the morning -- I mean the first one that feels good. Haydn's Symphony No. 84 "Oxford" was written for an event at Oxford University on the occasion of his recieving an honorary Doctor of Music Degree. And what a way to remember it. The name was not given by Haydn of course, but it is apropos considering the circumstance. Often these nicknames don't actually say anything important about the music or the events they were written for but in this case it does.

On this CD are two other "named" Symphonies "Surprise" and "Miricle". Of course everyone knows by now the story of the "Surprise". Haydn was upset by the audiences inatentiveness at certain points int he concerts. His beautiful slow movements were frequently disrupted by the sound of audience members snoring. Haydn's surprise for them is the unexpected very loud chord struck by the full orchestra just at he point when the audience members were about ta falll asleep. Still today when I hear this worrk, at a distance of some 200 years -- and no! I was not there -- I'm still surprised when it happens along even though I know to expect it. This is Haydn's skill as a composer of the Symphony that he can craft a work such as this.

These last 12 Symphonies of Haydn, they are called the "London" Symphonies. Two sets of 6 works written on commmssion from the Impressario Salomonn. One name only, he did have a full name, but wished to be known by only this designation. His "daytime" job was as a vioilinist in London, but he also produced events such as the series of concerts these symphonies were comossioned for.


The first set of 6 Symphonies, and the last 6 London Symphonies, written for a return engagement in London, were the last Symphonies he wrote. And one day, int he middle of writing I string quartet, he layed down his pen and simply said he'd written his last notes. He kept his word. But what a life-time acheivement. During his lifetime the symphony rose to its greatest pinnacle and was on its way down. He'd written music for the Court of Esterhazy every night for a major portion of his life.

At the time Sallomon had been trying to arrange for Mozart to come to London armed with 12 of his own Symphonic works. Sadly, Mozart's untimely death prevented t his. One cannot help but wonder what those would have been like in light of the utter genius of his last Symphony. That work has been nicknamed the "Jupiter". after Roman God. In this case the name aptly describes the grandure and sheer genius of the work.


The particular recordings I ma listening to are no longer available, however the complete Haydn Symphonies played by The Philharmonia Hungarica under Antal Dorati in a monumental undertading to record all the Haydn Symphonies and Operas. All of them from a new edition of the works of Haydn editied by noted schollar H.C.Robbins Landon. These recordings appeared in the mid-seventies in boxed sets which included orchestral scores and comentary by H.C.Robbins Landon. The playing is out standing and I wished I could have afforded to purchase them as they appeared.


They are re-released in a 33 CD Boxed Set from Decca/London catalogue 00289 448 5312. The sound is originally the much preferred analogue type recordings rematered for CD. As well the Paris Symphonies catalogue number 00289 473 8012 are avilable as a 2 CD set.

As you may have gathered I am not a fan of "authentic" or "original" insturmental ensembles for a number of reasons, to detailed to go into here. With aan eminant scholar like H.C.Robbins Landon supervising the recordings these were superb recordings.

I'm Back Online!

It didn't happen until this morning, at 8 AM PST I called Internet Billing and they confirmed that y account had been unblocked. Well, only 5 days without any Internet save a small amount of dialup. We'll see if the payment deduction from my account goes as smoothly as it should.

I really do want to like my ISP, Telus, even more since they are a local comapany merged with another local company from a neighbouring Canadian Province. However, with incidents like this it is really difficult. Here's hoping all this improves!

Tomorrow one of the stories I had prepared for the last few days.

Telus Customer Service Woes!

I'm back! Only barely... I started this blog because I wanted to talk about two things dear to my heart. I do love both music and the Internet, bitching and complaining was not the purpose but sometimes you are pushed to the limit and you use your blog to document some of the worst ways in which consumers and customers are treated. Here is my account of the saga of changing the bank from which your ISP deducts its monthly payment.

Notice my logo is missing, that is because it is hosted on my own webserver which is currently down due to the trouble with Telus Internet billing!

End of October early November : login into my account page at Telus.net and change my bank information. I'm careful to not confuse the numbers. F.Y.I. On the bottom of every check there are four numbers.

1. Check number, You know its the check number because you can see the same number at the upper right hand corner of the cheque. It changes on each check


2. Your bank's institusion number, this identifies the specific branch of your bank. It is unique and this number is on every cheque.


3. Your account number.


4. ABA Transit Number which
   
   The FreeDictionary defines a tranit number this way:
   
   ABA transit number
   

   "ABA transit number - an identification number consisting of a two-part code assigned to banks and savings associations; the first part shows the location and the second identifies the bank itself."

All these numbers are standard throughout North America. After all, no one wants to loose money somewhere out there in packet land where no one can use it. Simple and easy, when I started this account way back when I was one of the few people with ADSL service it was the only way to pay for it.

The following Monday I called Telus to see if the change had gone through and was informed that they did not have up to date information on their systems yet. That would take several more days. I waited, probably to long, and assumed that thing were OK because I had no notification othwise.

The beginning of November i revieved and email sayint that they had trouble deducting money from my account. I called and gave them what I knenw to be correct information. I got nothing but arguments from the Telus representative I talked to. I was told that every bank was differrent and they didn't know how to do it. They tried to get me to fhange method of payment because they said they could not guarantee things would be done correctlly. I told them that I would call my bank and get exactly the right information.

After calling the bank and confirming that everything was indeed ok. I called Telus back and gave them the information. They confimed that it was the information I had already given them.
Wednesday December 6th my Internet connection died, I called Telus tech support and was informed that there was a technical problem from billing. It wasn't an unpaid bil, just a problem. I immediatelly called billing, when I got a who i believed to be a supervisor on the line he appoolgized profusely for their mistake and guaranteed that my service would be up and running within 24 hours.

Thursday December 7: a no Internet service and I call Tech support againg and taken through a round of everthing that could possibly go wrong. I was told that everything was Ok from their end and that some thing was wrong at my end.

By now I am tearing my network apart looking for the weak link. I reconfigured a 10 year old network that was in good working order before and put things in place so I could easily reach them during a technical call. When I call back to Telus, the tehcn now tells me that it if fact was Telus that blocked me again for the same reasons. Yet another call to billling where I get the same song and dance, and am again guaranteed my service would be up and running in 24 hours.

Friday December 9th; You got it... no ADSL service! Same reasons and to late to call billiing.

December 10th 9AM. Call billing and get things straightened out for the god knows how many times! This time some one from billing and someone forom the support are on the line at the same time both guaranteeing me service back.

Saturday December 10th. Call and confirm tht things are on the go and am informed that my ticket is in the cue to be set up.

Sunday December 11th Another call to Tech support and a extremely polite tech gave me all the help he could and kindly put a note about this incident on my file so the next tech would be aware of the problems and where to look for problems on Telus' end.

I wait for Monday morning when will solve the problem manually, likely by going to my bank and getting htem to fax the information Telus needs to them directly. Lots of work for me but peace of mind in the end.

Read more about what others are saying about Telus on the
Telus Forum at
Broadband Reports

Sony's Root Kit CD List Different in Canada --other countries?

The List of affected CD's is here. Notice Number 22 on the Canadian list is the recording of the Canadian Idol winning Contstants. While I basically do not like the kind of degrading cattle call that is programs lke Canadian and American Idol, I still and one Hundred percent behind the artists that go for the gold!

It is utterly disgustring that Sony should put their scumware into this first release by them. This means that there CD will no longer be in stores for Christmas and not only that but they can't even play the CD for family and friends! What a nice present from Sony for those hard working up and coming names.

ZDavis UK has this article with information with new information about an additional vulnerabiility. This comes after SunCommm released its patch This is the link to the SONY/BMG MediaMaxx patch. Please report your success or failure to the Boycot Sony Blog.

Now, let me make see if I can scrape some of the scummm off from taht story and make some coffee!

Killing the Music

I just ran across this artile by Don Henley of the Eagles called Killing The Music. He seems to have hit the nail right on the head as far as the music business is concerned. This article was first published in The Washington Post

Christmans in music retail

Music retail is not the easiest of retail markets to work in. You are expected to know everything and you are paid next to nothing to know it. You work hard, and long hours. To many this looks like one of those glam jobs, one with lots of perks and something anyone can do. Not so. The perks are few and far between and not nearly what they were. The good years of perks were gone even before I worked in the industry. The pay is low (probably minumum wage or just above) and it is hard heavy and dirty work. You are carrying and filing CD's all day. You are polite to customers long after you can barely utter a polite word to you coworkers.

Most don't last long in the industry and the turnover rate is high. Those who do, have something on the side that makes it worth their while. I know several musicians who work in the music retail but the retail job is just their day job. Their real job is playing for a living. Tenuous as that may be, the work in retail makes ends meet sometimes.

Why the sob story? Well, at Christmas time, they work extra hard, they will work every day except Christmas day and then Boxing Day they will be in bright and early to set up for the Boxing Week sales.

The amount of product knowledge is higher in musisc retail that in any other retail trade. You can not buy a pair of shoes today and have the sales person be as knowledgable as many music retail clerks are.

If you are a regualar shopper at any retail outlet you probably return there because of one or two employees who always seem to know what you need to know. So at this time of year, why not say thank-you somehow. Perhaps a tip, or maybe just a card to let them know you appreaciate the work they do for you.

Pitting one musician against another is counter productive.

I was going to do a comparrson of Stephen Kovacevich's Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 agianst one of the truly great pianists, Sviatoslav Richter, but after listening to both performances I thought that perhaps the Richter recording had enough unique features that it shoulld be conisders by itself. By unique features I don't mean Richter's playing I mean the abysmall sound of many of his recording. Richter, unillike Glenn Gould, did not like recoridng studios and instead prefered live recorindg. For some that is risky but in Richter's case, it prooves fortunitous. We get to hear a great pianist as he plays day after day. You get to hear the consistant vision of each composer. Both of these musicians have added something unique to the musical univese. I am not sure the constant pitting of one performer against another and coming up with a winner is really useful.

So, today is at least in part (and until I get rid of this nasty cold/flu bug I've got) will be checking the water and replacing a few cups of water in my Betta Splendens home and nurse this nasty flu and cold bug that seems to be going around despite have a flue shot earlly.

Sony/BMG attacks its Paying Customers!

I had not wanted to begin this blog on such a discordant note, however, current events in the business I have followed and worked in for many years have forced this issue. Sony/BMG has effectively attacked its own customers. Not the ones downloading music the RIAA claim as their Intellectual Property, but the customers who enter a retail outlet and purchase the product.

I can do not believe for one second that this act prevents on track from appearing for download. Those tracks were likely there even before they hit the streets.

The thoughtless and reckless acts on the part of Sony/BMG and their contractors have put an unnecessary burden on their own front line employees as well as the over worked and largely underpaid staff working in retails outlets around the world.

Retailers will take care fo their customers and I don't know of any that will not exchange this defective product if it is returned. But at this time of the year retailers frequently will not do any returns or exchanges until after Christmas. Making an exception for Sony/BMG's massive blunder throws extra work on already stressed retail trade workers. As usual, it is the front line customer service people who will take the brunt of the problem. They should not have to be doing returns or refunds for the illegal acts of one of their suppliers

I could go on but there are really other things I'd like to talk about and Tim Jarrett is doing such a fabulous job at his blog Boycott Sony.