Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Sibelius: The Legends of Lemminkainen, Op. 22

I. Lemminkäinen und die Mädchen auf der Insel  00:00
II. Lemminkäinen in Tuonela  16:02
III. Der Schwan von Tuonela  30:50
IV. Lemminkäinen zieht heimwärts  39:05

Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Dir. Jukka-Pekka Saraste

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony, Op. 58

I. Lento lugubre – Moderato con moto – Andante
II. Vivace con spirito
III. Andante con moto
IV. Allegro con fuoco

Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Dir. Vasily Petrenko

A masterpiece of orchestral writing, with evident influences from Franz Liszt's "Faust Symphony". Notice the subtle relation of the main theme of the fourth movement with the main theme of the first movement, which relation is made clear only toward the end of the symphony. (Regrettably, this thematically important part of the finale has been occasionally cut off by many conductors, including Svetlanov and the "perfectionist" Toscanini!)

Yevgeny Mravinsky: Soviet Conductor, Russian Aristocrat

Tchaikovsky: Hamlet Overture | Evgeny Svetlanov

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

"Unfaithfully Yours" is a 1948 black-comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, and starring Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell, Rudy Vallée and Barbara Lawrence. I thank Mr. Robert E. Nylund for bringing this film to my attention!