GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

Musical Discussions
Topic: Pipe Smoke and Music

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Posted by Romy the Cat on 07-31-2012

A few weeks back I bought Bruckner 8 by Australian conductors Simone Young leading Hamburg State Philharmonic. I need to admit that I got it only because Simone Young is woman and I would like to see some kind of special female touch of Bruckner. Call me a sexist, I do not care but it is what I wanted to hear. I am not spoiled with witnessing a lot of women go crazy over Bruckner (my Amy the Kitten is one of those seldom exceptions that justifies the rule). So as much Bruckner was deprived by women attention in his life the women conductors do not welcome Bruckner as well. So, I thought Simone Young might be a different.

I was listening the Ms. Young take on Bruckner, perhaps a dose time as now and I still can’t not “get” if I like what I hear. I certainly do not like the whole interpretation but Simone Young played very rarely played 1887 version that has a lot of what we love in 8^th reduced. Under Young’s button the 8^thsound like it is a light, concert version of the symphony, some kind of almost operetta-style phrasing. Then I presume that this style is not Ms. Young version but Bruckner own original vision. So, I’m kind of “getting” into the 1887 version and into what Simone Young is going. I am not there yet and I do not know if I ever will be…

The Cat

Posted by steverino on 11-25-2012

"Under Young’s button the 8th sound like it is a light, concert version of the symphony, some kind of almost operetta-style phrasing. Then I presume that this style is not Ms. Young version but Bruckner own original vision."

I don't think Bruckner ever went to see operettas although I could be mistaken in that. The original 1887 version actually is longer and probably slightly more "difficult" than the 1890 version. There are a few cuts and rewrites here and there in the 1890 version, such as the coda to I and some instrumentation changes in the woodwinds etc. Remember that Levi criticized it as "too difficult" which is why Bruckner revised it after a nervous breakdown or two. Actually the Haas edition used a conflation of the two versions. I don't think Bruckner should be included in as a partner with Ms Young. He is not able to object to her interpretation not that he would have in life I'm sure. However it is intriguing that Ms Young can turn Bruckner into Johann Strauss Jr or Lehar. Maybe she should redirect her talents to those?

Posted by Romy the Cat on 12-13-2012

The former subject of Bruckner and women got some new perspective recently.

Amy and I met a few days before last year’s Valentine primary as two Bruckner mamzies. We did not develop the “sparkling chemical reaction” right the way since the day #1. I kind of felt defensive as I have experienced in my past that woman fake own interests to cultural and metaphorical aspects of life in order to get a guy and then strangle him with their dull tedious boredom.

With Amy it was different. In a few days after we meant there was trip to Nahant Island. It was 50 miles per hour wind, it was cliff and it was ocean. Amy’s patient died, she felt very sad, she shared with me her feeling and I decided to take a new girl out one more time to entertain her. Being me, I took her to Nahant’s cliffs, packing up Wand’s Bruckner 8. In there I wrapped Amy’s into warm blanket, put on her head large headphone and played to her the Adagio from the Edith. It is long, it is VERY slow and of you are not in that magnificent music then you will not be “there”. I fully expected that in 5 minutes she will re-appear from under the blanket and will ask the continuation of events in different format. Amy stayed with Bruckner for the duration of the whole Adagio and I suddenly felt that she might be real and that she very different type of any other women I ever came across.

There was many events over the last 10 month between Amy and me and it only re-affirm my feeling that she is extremely special and unique girl. The most unique and incredible in that whole story is that I am at my 44, being very cynical and very contemptuous person have found love, the feeling that I did not experienced for many years and the feeling that Amy’s managed to format into something absolutely spectacular. In one way or another Bruckner always was between Amy and myself and up so far we never “missed” Bruckner 8 and as soon we hear it we became incredibly “practically passionate”.

So, we did not miss Bruckner 8 today. Amy the Kitten and Romy the Cat got married today 12-12-2012 during a private ceremony under the tunes of the Bruckner 8’s Adagio, on the island Kauai, Hawaii, USA.

The Cat

Posted by steverino on 12-13-2012
fiogf49gjkf0d Best of luck to you both. Enjoy your honeymoon and the holidays on the islands. Maybe that was poor Anton's problem. He could never play any of his music on the IPOD to his prospective lady friends,

Posted by mats on 12-13-2012
fiogf49gjkf0d Congratulations on this happy occasion. Through music the gods do appear, and it seems to have happened to you. Funny, I just mailed you an audience recording of the 8th with Jarvi in Tokyo. Take in the blessings of Hawaii! Mats

Posted by clarkjohnsen on 12-13-2012
fiogf49gjkf0d What a great story! And great setting. Congratulations, old man! "Maybe that was poor Anton's problem. He could never play any of his music on the IPOD to his prospective lady friends." Very funny, mats! clark

Posted by Romy the Cat on 12-13-2012
fiogf49gjkf0d

Posted by clarkjohnsen on 12-13-2012
fiogf49gjkf0d The wondrous Na Pali coast. So you were up in a helicopter during the Eighth to catch the view?... clark

Posted by Paul S on 12-13-2012
fiogf49gjkf0d Congratulations, Romy, and Long and Happy Life Together, Romy and Amy! Although my wife and I have been married for over 44 years, and she is a good travel companion, still I could hold her head under water as easily as I could ply her with Bruckner via headphones! Be sure to appreciate and enjoy your differences, as well. Best regards, Paul S

Posted by Bud on 12-14-2012

A woman of singular courage and compassion. To allow an almost unknown man of good heart to help remove the pain from her sorrow.
May I offer two slight wedding gifts, two scraps of poetry?

Song
what better
to cross that infinite void
you and I

Love is not what you think
Love is what you do
For, if love is not what you do
Then, love is not what you think

Should your return trip include a stopover in Seattle, let me know and Sue and I will come and give you both hugs for your future.

Bravo, Bellisimo my friend!

Bud

Posted by Jorge on 12-15-2012
fiogf49gjkf0d All my best whishes for the happy couple!

Posted by Antonio J. on 01-07-2013
fiogf49gjkf0d Truly wishing the couple all the best. It's amazing you found a lady wishing to share your love for music and your demanding audio requirements. She must be rather unique and be loving you deeply.

Posted by steverino on 01-07-2013

Antonio J said It's amazing you found a lady wishing to share your love for music and your demanding audio requirements.

I believe Romy mentioned something about the interest in music of Mrs Romy but I don't think he ever said that she "shared" his demanding audio requirements. In the very unlikely event she does, then I'm sure there are many audiophiles who want to know if she has any sisters.

Posted by Antonio J. on 01-25-2013
fiogf49gjkf0d I didn't imply she's sharing the same love for music and its reproduction, just that she's willing to share Romy's life which comes with those features in the package.

Posted by Romy the Cat on 02-06-2013

Amy the Kitten is amazing. Next week, on Feb 12 we have our anniversary. Amy informed me that I need to have the rest of the week after 12 off and that she booked a secret anniversary trip for us. I was guessing what it might be and a Vermont sky resort was at the top of my guess. This night I learned that her plans way more stimulating. The Bessnow family goes to NY City next week. We have on Wednesday booked Carnegie Hall where Mariss Jansons take Royal Concertgebouw on Cartók Second Violin Concerto and Mahler First. Next day we got Death and Transfiguration and … holy cow... the Nowak Version of Bruckner 7!!! In Friday she books us for MET’s Parsifal… To insult the injury we need to run home on Saturday as we have Revere tickets for MET’s Live in HD Rigoletto with Piotr Beczala. As MET will be over we have on 8MP Christoph von Dohnányi take BSO on Bruckner 4. That will be hell of a week and my tail is truly trembling.

What an amazing girl I fished out. I was expecting as she will celebrate the anniversary with some kind of glass crystal commemorative vase but Kitten, as uselessly turn out to be way more stimulating. Ok, I need to get off the computer now and I need to find some kind of gift for her. I am planning to buy for her a specially made for iPhone a liitle vacuum tube amplifier, I am sure it will make her VERY happy.

The Cat

Posted by clarkjohnsen on 02-06-2013
fiogf49gjkf0d A bit exhausting even reading about it. Bon voyage! clark

Posted by mats on 02-06-2013

Just as I am getting used to Romy being the cat's mew when it comes to tubes, tuners, horns and power,
along comes this woman who seems to be a music lover's dream in every way!
I mean, the thought that Romy was sitting there ALONE, in a cigar smoke filled room on a Friday night was comforting.
But this, this is almost too much to handle. I don't quite know what to do. I think I will have to choose disbelief.
Friday night WFMT will broadcast the opening night of Meistersinger. There is my consolation. Meanwhile, in NYC.......

Mats

Posted by JJ Triode on 02-09-2013
fiogf49gjkf0d Romy: I hope you and Amy are snug amid the storm and have good electricity (well, any electricity in a big blizzard is good electricity, I guess.) What music do you find appropriate to the weather this weekend? There should be something suitable in Bruckner, if not, there is certainly a lot of Russian "snow music." Cheers, JJ

Posted by clarkjohnsen on 02-09-2013
fiogf49gjkf0d ...especially when so well conducted by Schneevoight. clark

Posted by Romy the Cat on 02-09-2013

I forward you post to Amy and here is what she responsed:

“hmmm, bruckner is not the most snow-evocative composer. opening of 7? 4? personally, i like mahler 4 in a blizzard - something about the sleighbells. lieutenant kije suite, sibelius 3, and if no power, maybe end of shostakovich 15...”

In realist it was so far not so musical Blizzard. The last nigh what the fun was unfolding outside (3-4” per hour and 45m/h wind) I was playing Bruckner 1. It is unfortunately undervalued work but I enormously love it. I was trying to match the flying snow with the tempo of Scherzo but it was too gusty outside. We did not go anywhere further then Bruckner 1. Today is a first day of seclusion (~27” of snow) and I did not turn the playback on. My good neighbor is in Florida, so I have two large driveways to clean and 3 cars dig out from God know how much snow.

I hope tonight we will finish the second and their acts of Barcelona production of “Queen of Spades”. It is Blue Ray addition with Eve Podles – a very good production and the first act was top notch. Last night we saw film “Hysteria”. I love when women talk about equal rights and shared responsibility but then send you to shovel snow alone… So, I guess I will be playing today a different music…

http://www.thenation.com/blog/163003/top-ten-songs-about-womens-equality#

The Cat

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