Julia Fischer's Bach (repost)

A re-post of Feb 2006's entry.

Lunch Time

I can't imagine this happened to me: I went home for lunch, just because I wanted to see my son and put him to sleep. In the past, I would enjoy myself by shopping for CDs, books, etc.

It is indeed a different me now!

Best shot

Buying CDs and listening to them with a baby at home

Yuen Yuen asked me whether I have time to listen to the new CDs I bought. Indeed, with a newborn baby at home, listening to music becomes a luxury for me. I will usually squeeze some time after I buy them and listen to them one by one. It remains a constant struggle that I don't have the time to listen to all the CDs I got and I still buy them, and the reasons are:

1) you never know when a particular CD will be deleted from the catalogue.

2) sometimes you see a CD that you have been looking for in the past few years;

3) sometimes the CD is on sale

4) sometimes you need to buy CDs just because you feel like it

5) sometimes you see the CD just introduced in a magazine with a very good recommendation

6) sometimes your favourite conductor/violinist/pianist made a new recording

7) sometimes you see a CD with a composer or player you have never listened to but have heard very good comments from various books and magazines

8) sometimes you see a new version of your favourite symphony

So I guess I can never stop buying CDs!

New CDs (again!!)

I went to Pro-Sound today and bought some new CDs (again!). Can't help buying the 60-CD set of Beethoven by BMG. Only HKD456 (after 5% off from the boss of Pro-Sound), i.e. less than HKD8 per CD. I haven't got David Zinman's Beethoven Symphonies, so that is a bonus for me. I don't like Zukerman, so the violin sonatas are not my cup of tea. But overall, this is a real bargain. If you haven't got many Beethoven, this is the ultimate set to buy. Who can resist the price?
This Milstein set is a real bargain. 4 CDs only cost HKD102.6! It included a CD of Vivaldi concertos, which is the first CD release. Although I have got the previous EMI set of "The Art of Nathan Milstein", this is complementary to that and Milstein fans should not miss it.

This Mahler 9 is the second one I got after last week's Berstein/BPO version. I have always like Klemperer's Mahler. This recording was made in 1967 and in my opinion better than the 1968 VPO recording. Mahler fans should not miss it.
Julia Fischer is a young violinist I find inspiring after Vengerov. Her Bach makes her stand among the 1st class violinist, even compared with Gil Shaham, Joshua Bell, et al. Now I buy every recording she makes. The Brahms is well presented with the lyrical lines "sung" throughout the piece. The Tchaikovsky is a catch-up for me. Critics have been divided towards this recording of Fischer. My verdict is: Tchaikovsky is not a piece that suits her temperament and character. The tempo she took was way too slow and there was not enough sparks in her playing. Anyway, I much more prefer her Mozart recordings last year.

Wang Jian has continued to mature. Although I don't like his Bach recording made some years ago, he has proved to be a much more refined and seasoned cellist since then. This recording shows that he could produce some very sweet sound with his bow hold improved. I hope he will continue to improve and mature in the years to come.

HKPO 2008 season

I have just browsed through the website of HKPO and here are the concerts I am interested in for 2008 season:

8 & 9-9-2007 Sat & Sun 3PM Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall Available from 22/06/2007

Saturday Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 Beethoven Piano Concerto No.2 Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3 Sunday Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4 Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5

Edo de Waart conductor Aristo Sham piano(Sat) Wai-yin Wong piano(Sat) Rachel Cheung piano(Sat) Chen Sa piano(Sun) Yingdi Sun piano(Sun)

16 & 17-11-2007 Fri & Sat 8PM Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall Available from 01/10/2007

R Strauss Four last songs Mahler Symphony No.6

Edo de Waart conductor Soile Isokoski soprano

7 & 8-12-2007 Fri & Sat 8PM Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall Available from 01/11/2007

Sibelius Karelia: suite Sibelius Violin Concerto Sibelius Symphony No.6 Sibelius Finlandia

David Atherton conductor Viviane Hagner violin

11 & 12-1-2008 Fri & Sat 8PM Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall Available from 01/12/2008

Chen Qigang The Five Elements Dvorak Cello Concerto Schumann Symphony No.3 Rhenish

Edo de Waart conductor Jian Wang cello

18 & 19-1-2008 Fri & Sat 8PM Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall Available from 01/12/2008

MacMillan Britannia! Bruch Scottish Fantasy Elgar Symphony No.1

Edo de Waart conductor Mengla Huang violin

25 & 26-4-2008 Fri & Sat 8PM Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall Available from 01/03/2008

Glinka Russlan and Ludmilla: overture Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel) Pictures at an Exhibition Tchaikovsky Overture 1812

Jakub Hrusa conductor Barry Douglas piano

16 & 17-5-2008 Fri & Sat 8PM Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall Available from 01/04/2008

Nielsen Maskarade: overture Nielsen Flute Concerto Wagner arr. Henk de Vlieger The Ring – an orchestral adventure

Edo de Waart conductor Emmanuel Pahud flute

23 & 24-5-2008 Fri & Sat 8PM Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall Available from 01/04/2008

Haydn Symphony No.43 Mercury Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Mozart Masonic Funeral Music Mozart Symphony No.38 Prague

Edo de Waart conductor Leila Josefowicz violin

30 & 31-5-2008 Fri & Sat 8PM Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall Available from 01/04/2008

Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream: suite Walton Henry V

Edo de Waart conductor Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus

4 & 5-7-2008 Fri & Sat 8PM Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall Available from 01/06/2008

Hummel Trumpet Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No.7 Leningrad

David Atherton conductor Alison Balsom trumpet

Clouds

Flied back from Guangxi Nanning today. When I was on the plane, I saw clouds outside the plane and was amazed by its beauty. It was certainly not the first time I saw it, but this time I was in awe. I wondered why the clouds would be in a certain shape, as if it was an art put there for the appreciation of all. It stayed in the middle of the air, like cotton buds (the ones I use to wipe my baby's eyes). Our Lord is truly praiseworthy for being the creator!

New CDs

Went to HK Records yesterday. Couldn't help but bought some CDs. These are the ones I bought. The Sibelius set is quite rare (I didn't see it anywhere else). And it costs only HKD538. The 2-CD of Sibelius was a set including all the slow movements and pieces Sibelius wrote. And I found it very inspiring to listen to. The Bernstein Mahler 9 with BPO was recommended by Tungpo and I think I will give it a try, despite the relatively high price. The Strass Alpine Symphony by Wit is a long overdue item - I have been looking for it since 6 months ago. So it was a very fruitful morning at HK Records at Kowloon Tong.

Britain's got talents

These clips are just terrific. Can't help crying when I watched them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0dzZTPWrSM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En0A8KGMgq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXI0xIb6cSw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHYYz_mGP1U

Mozart M22 Project

Bought this set in Golden Mall the other day (I guess it was illegal copies). 33 DVDs, cost only HKD450 or so. Crazy!! Don't know when I will finish watching them!

Business Trips

I have been having lots of business trips lately - Xiamen last week, just back from Manila, Guangxi Nanning next week, and Macau offsite next week. And then might be going to Harbin the week after. These business trips are quite tiring, because after the day's meetings, we still have to work in our own room, writing summaries and also prepare for the next day's meeting. Plus, I will miss my wife and son in Hong Kong. The hotel room is of course very comfortable, but I usually woke up in the middle of the night, wondering where I was.

Hopefully as I settle down better, these trips will become less frequent.

Classical Music

Met WK yesterday for happy hour. He gave me 7 magazines ("Muzik") from Taiwan as a gift! Thank you WK!

I was surprised by his enthusiasm in classical music, given that he just started it not long ago. It is indeed very happy to be able to find somebody to share the joy of listening to music. We also shared where to buy CDs and I think I will definitely pay a visit to the shops he recommended.

I went home with joy yesterday, and when I saw my son smiling to me when I got home, it was the climax of the day!

死纏

想問死纏爛打追女仔有用嗎? Have you seen successful cases?

Late Salary Payment!!!!!!!!!!!

How could that be? I never expect my salary payment to be late!!!! I have been with my previous company for 12.5 years, and every single payment was on time, if not paid early.

I start to get very worried about this firm...

(I was told the US HR has missed my payment, and it will only happen this month)

福佳始終有你

福佳始終有你
歌詞：

黑字（陳少琪原本官方版本）
藍字（林忌路遙知馬力版本）

點點燈火彷彿流螢 照亮百家姓　
鋪鋪膠都彷彿泥濘 撻到你好應
成全這小島變巨星
成全這朦董變巨星
東方跟西方的文明 邂逅了衝勁　
ＩＱ唐開騷都爆笑 免費派飛了
繁榮這裡　遇上安定　
盈餘計錯　就愛亂 Fing!
明艷紫荊風中爭勝　找對了路徑　
期望坦克碌豬取勝　得到了絕症
花瓣開得繁盛
金紫荊章填命
人人能力大小也力拼
無能人士亂嗡也力拼
任誰留下血汗　就是個精英
是誰埋沒馬力　做賣國精英
香港始終有你　(香港始終有你)
福佳始終有你！（福佳始終有你！）
讓萬眾掌聲響一世紀
拍馬屁聲響足一世紀
香港始終有你　(香港始終有你)
普選偏偏冇我？ (普選偏偏冇我？)
十萬個驚喜多一世紀
八萬五驚喜慘於去死
感謝你 小天地 創天地
當底褲 當絲襪 當胸圍
盛夏冷冬各種天氣 不捨不棄　
傲慢冷嘲各種冤氣 不捨不棄
才會了不起 香港始終有你
陪笑了不起 福佳始終有你！

獅子山觸得到長城　血脈裡感應　
天星鐘追憶起暴動 同志勿有感應
和諧靠你　賦予生命
和諧靠你　亂掟菠蘿
明艷紫荊風中爭勝　找對了路徑　
期望坦克碌豬取勝　得到了絕症
花瓣開得繁盛
金紫荊章填命
人人能力大小也力拼
無能人士亂嗡也力拼
任誰留下血汗　就是個精英
是誰埋沒馬力　做賣國精英
香港始終有你　(香港始終有你)
坦克碌豬靠你！（福佳始終有你！）
讓萬眾掌聲響一世紀
拍馬屁聲響足一世紀
香港始終有你　(香港始終有你)
普選偏偏冇我？ (普選偏偏冇我？)
十萬個驚喜多一世紀
八百張飛選多一世紀
感謝你 小天地 創天地
玩謝你 送酒席 送主席
盛夏冷冬各種天氣 不捨不棄　
傲慢冷嘲各種冤氣 不捨不棄
才會了不起 香港始終有你
陪笑了不起 坦克碌豬靠你！
(國︰因為你在這裡)
(國︰毛主席在這裡)
讓萬眾掌聲響一世紀
拍馬屁聲響足一世紀
香港始終有我
普選偏偏冇我？
（感謝你～Yeah ）
（玩謝你～Yeah )
(國︰因為我在這裡)
(國︰Anson Chan 在哪裡？)
十萬個驚喜多一世紀
八百個選委選一世紀
感謝你 小天地 創天地
三謝禮 拜天地 葬天地
盛夏冷冬各種天氣 不捨不棄　
傲慢冷嘲各種冤氣 不捨不棄
才會了不起 香港始終有你
陪笑了不起 福佳始終有你！

詞：林忌
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