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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Murakami's knowledge of classical music is masterly, and he brings a nerdy scholarliness as well as a fanboy's enthusiasm. This was fascinating, reading a conversation between two passionate professionals who just so happen to love music.
Part interview, Part biography. This conversation between Murakami and Ozawa is a must for any classical music fan.
The conversations offer an interesting insight into the technicalities of playing classical that could only come from someone as experienced as Ozawa.
I'd recommend listening to a playlist whilst reading this of the pieces discussed throughout.
The conversations offer an interesting insight into the technicalities of playing classical that could only come from someone as experienced as Ozawa.
I'd recommend listening to a playlist whilst reading this of the pieces discussed throughout.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
There is a pre-made playlist on Spotify with recordings that is very helpful - especially Glen Gould playing the Brahms Piano Concerto #1 with the introduction by Bernstein. I never knew that story. I enjoyed the parts discussing specific performances. The discussions in abstract about different orchestras was less interesting. I'm guessing this book has every niche audience.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced
The best interviews contain a delicate balance between the obscure and the obvious, between the interviewer’s selfish curiosity and the audience’s naive interest. Murakami is completely self-indulgent in this book, the topics discussed require a knowledge and interest in classical music close to his own. But the reward, if you have these, is an irreplaceable look at the artistic perspectives of two people at the top of their respective crafts.
I expected a fantastic book where I get a glimpse into the secret of music by listening in to a conversation similar to HM's interwiew with prof Kawai.
And the book fell sort of flat. They talked about certain symphonies and there were some interesting lines but altogether it isn't as interesting as I expected. The last block, where HM describes the Swiss camp and they talk about that, is what I was expecting. That part is fantastic!
I collected the music they talk about, as I went on in the book.
HM Gould and Karajan, Beethoven PC 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wi6RRd5MXw
Serkin and Bernstein, the same (page 24)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmBGMybuRJI
Berlioz requiem, Ozawa, page 37
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmJWxWYTFbg
Mahler 9th symphony, Bernstein, page 39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoNEeKJ2x44
Beethoven 9th, Ozawa, page 42
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS6TEQ_z2wc
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Rudolf Serkin/Ozawa/Boston Symphony, page 52
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMrc_OALg70
MITSUKO UCHIDA ~ Beethoven Piano Concerto # 3, page 61
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlCGX4_3C3M
Brahms: Symphony No.1 / Ozawa Saito kinen, page 80
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm2zq5odpY0&t=385s
(The Carnegie Hall version from page 73 is not on YT)
The horn and flute solos start at 33:59!!!
Bartók concerto no. 1, Ozawa/Serkin/Chicago Symphony, page 119
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgqwgJ-BqSc
Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, Browning/Ozawa/London Symphony, page 121
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BEur_Tus8w
page 124:
Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring, 1958 recording, NYPO, Bernstein may be the original as the dynamic is not so even:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP42C-4zL3w
And this one may be revised, it flows to a much simpler rhythm, Sir Simon Rattle conducts the London Symphony Orchestra, 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkwqPJZe8ms
Mahler symphony 5, Ozawa/Boston, 1991, page 176
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdCnSEsoM8o
Mahler symphony 1, Titan, page 187 (funeral march and then folksong, 3rd movement starts with double-bass solo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QRAS4PnwhE
The same with the Boston, page 225 (steady, leisure)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVjUFjLUcj4
War requiem, Benjamin Britten (the Saito Kinen, Carnegie Hall, with chorus is not on YT), page 229 (Seiji had pneumonia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwBEtfXXsvU
Das Lied von der Erde, Ben Heppner, page 231
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ2ox9LTOaw
Das Lied von der Erde, Jessye Norman, page 231
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbgOcO1wFs
Ginastera op8 (Argentinian), page 252
The students' string quartets, page277
Haydn SQ n75, op76, n1
Smetana SQ n1, From My lIfe
Ravel, SQ in Fmajor
(Ravel Couperin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkt8T38aaMw)
Janacek, SQ n13, Rosamunde
Beethoven SQ 6 & 13
page 290
Bartók's Divertimento for String Orchestra
Schönberg, Verklarte Nacht
Grieg, Holberg Suite
And the book fell sort of flat. They talked about certain symphonies and there were some interesting lines but altogether it isn't as interesting as I expected. The last block, where HM describes the Swiss camp and they talk about that, is what I was expecting. That part is fantastic!
I collected the music they talk about, as I went on in the book.
HM Gould and Karajan, Beethoven PC 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wi6RRd5MXw
Serkin and Bernstein, the same (page 24)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmBGMybuRJI
Berlioz requiem, Ozawa, page 37
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmJWxWYTFbg
Mahler 9th symphony, Bernstein, page 39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoNEeKJ2x44
Beethoven 9th, Ozawa, page 42
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS6TEQ_z2wc
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Rudolf Serkin/Ozawa/Boston Symphony, page 52
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMrc_OALg70
MITSUKO UCHIDA ~ Beethoven Piano Concerto # 3, page 61
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlCGX4_3C3M
Brahms: Symphony No.1 / Ozawa Saito kinen, page 80
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm2zq5odpY0&t=385s
(The Carnegie Hall version from page 73 is not on YT)
The horn and flute solos start at 33:59!!!
Bartók concerto no. 1, Ozawa/Serkin/Chicago Symphony, page 119
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgqwgJ-BqSc
Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, Browning/Ozawa/London Symphony, page 121
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BEur_Tus8w
page 124:
Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring, 1958 recording, NYPO, Bernstein may be the original as the dynamic is not so even:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP42C-4zL3w
And this one may be revised, it flows to a much simpler rhythm, Sir Simon Rattle conducts the London Symphony Orchestra, 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkwqPJZe8ms
Mahler symphony 5, Ozawa/Boston, 1991, page 176
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdCnSEsoM8o
Mahler symphony 1, Titan, page 187 (funeral march and then folksong, 3rd movement starts with double-bass solo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QRAS4PnwhE
The same with the Boston, page 225 (steady, leisure)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVjUFjLUcj4
War requiem, Benjamin Britten (the Saito Kinen, Carnegie Hall, with chorus is not on YT), page 229 (Seiji had pneumonia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwBEtfXXsvU
Das Lied von der Erde, Ben Heppner, page 231
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ2ox9LTOaw
Das Lied von der Erde, Jessye Norman, page 231
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbgOcO1wFs
Ginastera op8 (Argentinian), page 252
The students' string quartets, page277
Haydn SQ n75, op76, n1
Smetana SQ n1, From My lIfe
Ravel, SQ in Fmajor
(Ravel Couperin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkt8T38aaMw)
Janacek, SQ n13, Rosamunde
Beethoven SQ 6 & 13
page 290
Bartók's Divertimento for String Orchestra
Schönberg, Verklarte Nacht
Grieg, Holberg Suite