What Are You Listening to this Weekend?

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Fridays are coming up faster than I can find cute photos of animals wearing headphones, and yet the music I want to listen to keeps on stacking up.

This weekend I'll be listening to Bejamin Britten's Serenade Opus 31 / Les Illuminations Opus 18 / Nocturne Opus 60 with tenor Peter Pears. I've been on a Britten kick lately if you can't tell.

I'll also be giving some careful time to the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall concert as I've only given it a perfunctory listen up until now.

I'll also be spending a solid block of time at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles to satisfy the rocker in me. I never know what I might find perusing the used bins.

So, what are you listening to this weekend?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks for bringing attention to the works of Britten. Here are two works I adore: The Turn of the Screw (a perfectly eerie ghost story), and his church parable, Curlew River. Edward, this might be up your alley (if you don't already know the piece) -- something of a medieval morality play based on a Japanese Noh play.
September 4, 2008 at 9:28 AM
San Diego Opera said…
Sonette,

The Turn of the Screw was my first introduction to Britten and I believe the reason I'm so curious about his work. Truly excellent. Curlew River is new to me however and thank you for sharing it with me (I've added it to my pending Amazon order which will also include some John Adams). Seems Curlew River has some similar themes to "outsider protagonists" that seem common to Britten's work. What does this say about Britten? Maybe I should have Dr. Nic discuss this in a post for the blog... Dr. Nic? Thanks for sharing Sonette and for reading the blog!

-Edward
September 4, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Anonymous said…
I think Britten was attracted to the "outsider" problem because he and Pears were, themselves, outsiders: both gay and conscientious objectors in the late '30s and thru the '40s, and this at a time when "their country needed them" in the war effort. They had their hands slapped after returning from the States (almost got jailed), and I think the experience went deep with the composer. By the way, one of my most memorable experiences living in New York was seeing "Curlew River" at a church in Manhattan with Andrea Velis, Met character tenor, in the role of the woman. His performance touched me deeply and I count that opera as one of the truly great one-acts.
September 4, 2008 at 11:16 AM
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