davidjohnson

manny:

do you perform 'russian easter overture' very often? i believe there is a 4/1 meter section in it. run across that in other stuff?
how about recommeding a recording of it you are on...i'd like to pick it up.

happy easter season
cadbury eggs are tastey!
dj

Manny Laureano

David,

Yes! I love that piece, it seems to have everything in it as so many Russian pieces do: tremendous color, great range of dynamics, good tunes.

Playing with the whole note getting the beat happens frequently enough in the literature to make sure one is acquainted with it. It shows up in the "Organ Symphony" of Saint Saens and also Borodin's 2nd symphony, to name two more.

When listening to recordings my rule is this: listen to an American recording of it to hear how we do it here and then try to get your hands on an old Soviet recording to hear how the natives played their own own music.

I only own one recording of the Planets and that's the old London Symphony with what's-his-name conducting. I've had that record since school and haven't seen the need to replace it.

I have a fabulous old recording of Boulez and the Orchestre de Paris playing the Rite of Spring. My recordings of the NY Philharmonic (from the '60s) of Copland are part of my memory forever.

I think it's fun to learn music through recordings from three perspectives: the two I mentioned plus brass jock recordings where it's all about the brass and how loud it gets, how many high notes you can hear, etc. That kind of puerile narcissism is just plain fun and serves to get you excited about playing. I used to engage in that sort of stuff through school and for quite a time after. Your tastes change and I get more of a charge hearing that kind of playing with a great jazz band than in orchestra. That's why I get as much of a charge playing Mahler 8th as I do playing a big band chart with Doc.

But balance those recordings with others that teach you music in a slightly more organic way.

ML