Arthur La Porta
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arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Arthur La Porta
@arthurlaporta.bsky.social
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arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Joachim Mendelsohn, Symphony No 2, one of five surviving works by this composer who was murdered by the Gestapo during the Warsaw uprising. Droll yet modern, imaginative use of the orchestra. Makes me wonder what his symphony No 1 would have sounded like. #classicalmusic.
April 4, 2025 at 2:51 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
The Chandos release containing unpublished Bacewicz String Quartets exposed me to Joachim Mendelsohn, a Polish composer murdered by the Gestapo during the Warsaw uprising, for whom only five works survived. The String Quartet and Chamber Symphony are congenial yet modern #classicalmusic #Mendelson
April 3, 2025 at 7:57 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Bacewicz, early string quartet and Joachim Mendelson Oboe Quintet, Silesian Quartet and friends. The Bacewicz is a brief work, but I found it very engaging. The Mendelson also appealed to me, style not as thorny as Bacewicz, distinctly modern. #Bacewicz #classicalmusic
March 31, 2025 at 6:19 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Krenek, String Quartet No 8, Sonare Quartet. A single stretch of music lasting about 26 minutes. A texture, combining bowed playing with pizzicato notes, is very engaging to me. I don't know what it "means," but I like it. #Krenek #classicalmusic
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March 30, 2025 at 4:07 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Krenek, Concerto Grosso No 2, conducted by Alun Francis. The Neo-baroque aspect of the music is most obvious to me in the fast movements. The slow movements contain compelling dissonant climaxes. Good performance, the audio lacks presence. #classicalmusic #Krenek
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March 26, 2025 at 3:42 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Krenek, String Quartet No 6, Sonare Quartet. I work in five succinct movements, thorny but melodic and sensuous. I enjoy the intensity of this movement (which the record label, MDG, refuses to sell). #Krenek #classicalmusic
March 25, 2025 at 4:25 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Krenek, Symphony No 4, Alun Francis. The symphonies strike me as less focused than the string quartets, but the forth symphony rewards attention, particularly in the final movement. Too much bass drum, though. #Krenek #classicalmusic
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March 24, 2025 at 4:31 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Krenek String Quartet No 5, Sonare Quartet. An impressive, expressive quartet in three movements. Superb performance. It is a shame that MDG has effectively abandoned these recordings, which are not to be found in electronic or physical form. #Krenek #classicalmusic media.s-bol.com/gJ5WDmLzOynr...
March 23, 2025 at 5:02 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Martinu, Etudes and Polkas (Book I), Koukl. Enchanting short pieces, and it seems to me that only Martinu would think to combine these two genres in a suite. Koukl gives a satisfying account. #Martinu #classicalmusic m.media-amazon.com/images/I/615...
March 21, 2025 at 5:40 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Finished reading "Unsheltered" by Barbara Kingsolver. Like all Kingsolver books, a progressive fever dream. Interleaves two stories 100 years apart about families trying to find their way in a house that is (metaphorically and literally) collapsing on itself. #Kingsolver
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March 18, 2025 at 4:53 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
March 18, 2025 at 4:42 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Listening to Martinu's Fantasia and Toccata for solo Piano. A brilliant piece. Koukl's recording more intense, Leichner more nuanced and poetic. #classicalmusic #Martinu
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March 16, 2025 at 5:18 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Haydn, Piano Sonata No 56, Brautigam. (Yesterday was Pienaar.) The fortepiano sounds lovely in this music. #classicalmusic #Haydn #Brautigam
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March 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Bach, Cantata BWV6, Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Wien. Another work by Bach which is richly expressive and well crafted. Harnoncourt is compelling. #classicalmusic #Bach #Harnoncourt
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March 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
My interest in Jazz has been mostly 1950's horn led ensembles (Sonny Rollins, etc). But I've discovered the Horace Silver Quintet, a group led by a pianist with elaborate horn arrangements, in addition to improvised solos. Wonderful #HoraceSilver #Jazz. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...
March 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Haydn, Piano Sonata No 56, Pienaar. A slow, extended opening movement, a brief, lithe finale. Performed with Panache. #Haydn #classicalmusic
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March 14, 2025 at 2:52 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Krenek, String Quartet No 1, Sonare Quartet. An uncompromising work in 8 short movements. Atonal in structure, with a pervasive contrapuntal texture. MDG's audio is honest, if not voluptuous. #Krenek #classicalmusic
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March 13, 2025 at 3:45 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Ruth Crawford Seeger, Music for Small Orchestra, Knussen. Probably atonal, melodic and sensuous, just a beautiful listening experience. #classicalmusic #RuthCrawfordSeeger
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March 12, 2025 at 5:41 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Rubbra Piano Concerto, Denis Matthews, Malcolm Sargent. More robust than the more recent Hyperion recording. Satisfying, but the Rubbra magic seems more dilute than in the string quartets. #Rubbra, #classicalmusic
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March 11, 2025 at 6:11 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Ruth Gipps, Symphony No 2. Gamba/BBC. Late romanticism. Recording very unsatisfactory to me, audio is very "clinical" (what does that mean) lacking presence and a convincing soundstage (for me). A disappointing experience. #classicalmusic #Gipps
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March 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Edmund Rubbra, Piano Concerto in G (his second). Lane, Botstein. A three movement work, a fantasia, a somber movement and a lively finale. Engaging, but the dissonances not as raw as in the string quartets I recently listened to. #Rubbra #classicalmusic

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March 9, 2025 at 4:15 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Rubbra, Sonata for cello and Piano. Just what I might have expected. Music with a spiritual atmosphere, and generous use of functional dissonance. #classicalmusic #Rubbra

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March 6, 2025 at 4:21 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Schoenberg, Suite Op 29, Atherton, London Sinfonietta. Quirky music for a small ensemble in a lively performance. #classicalmusic #Schoenberg

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March 5, 2025 at 3:49 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Martinu Oboe Quartet, two versions, Schubert Quartet and Jahren et. al. A brief work in three movements. Perhaps the striking dissonances in the central movement are most dramatic feature. Jahren made a bigger impression. #classicalmusic #martinu
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March 4, 2025 at 4:18 PM
arthurlaporta.bsky.social
Krenek String Quartet No 8, Thouvenel quartet. A work in a single movement of about 25 minutes. It seems pretty free in its form. I'm sure there are hidden thematic relationships to be discovered. I found it weird and engaging. #classicalmusic #Krenek

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March 3, 2025 at 6:07 PM