Meme Too

Picking up on a current meme:

Total volume of music on my computer. Laptop: 9.44 GB in 1,940 “songs.” Desktop: 7.13 GB in 1,593 files.

Last CD I bought. Esa-Pekka Salonen, Wing on Wing. Sadly my finances this year have kept me out of the CD store (PS – Houston has a classical-dedicated CD store. It’s true! Joel’s Classical Shop at the corner of Bissonnet & Wesleyan.)

Fortunately, I’ve been able to continue exploring music lists* thanks to Rice University’s Music Library. Currently out on loan: Michael Finnissy, Etched Bright with Sunlight; Mangus Lindberg, Kraft & Piano Concerto; Juilliard Orchestra playing Druckman, Schwantner & Stephen Albert.

Song(Piece) currently playing. Brahms Piano Sonata No. 3 in f minor - streaming the first recital of final round at the Van Cliburn Competition. Roberto Plano is playing. He’s a convincing musician with a great sound – an audience favorite, too. But after watching him play Liszt’s Venezia e Napoli in the semifinals, EKB (who is working the piece up for competition herself) noticed a lot of tension in his playing that affected the Tarantella section at the end. The first movement of this Brahms Sonata had some audible cracks, too. I’m beginning to wonder if he won’t injure himself before he manages to finish all three performances (a 50-minute recital and two concerti) in the finals.

Five songs(pieces/albums) I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me. Liszt Sonata in b minor. Discovering the Liszt Sonata (and some of the named Beethoven sonatas) in high school was what got me back to playing the piano. Everything I’ve done since has its roots in those first CD’s I borrowed from the public library. Schnittke Piano Sonata No. 2 – one of the most moving and shattering concert experiences I’ve had. Recent frequent spins: The Bad Plus’s cover of “Flim.” Stephen Hartke The King of the Sun, Cibo Matto “Flowers.”

Argh! It’s hard to keep this from turning into a “favorites” list – one things reminds me of another and all of a sudden how can I keep from listing Talking Heads, Medeski Martin + Wood, Janáček? (or Little Walter, Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite, the Barber Cello Concerto, Beethoven 3, Guy Davis, Mikel Rouse’s Dennis Cleveland, Etta James’ gospel-tinged cover of “Take it to the Limit,” CCR, The Lounge Lizards, Souvenir of Florence, The People United!, Ligeti Etudes, etc. etc.)

Five people to whom I’m passing the baton. I usually don’t like to subject my friends to forwarded memes, jokes, or stories. (Though I guess it doesn’t specify friends … ) If you're interested in carrying on, feel free - and let me know when you post yours.

* Sequenza 21 composer/blogger Lawrence Dillon’s list of 111 (or so) Influential Works since 1970 is my latest exploration guide.