Michael Houstoun: Brahms Complete Intermezzi (Rattle/digital outlets)

 |   |  1 min read

Intermezzi Op. 119, No. 1 in B minor, Adagio
Michael Houstoun: Brahms Complete Intermezzi (Rattle/digital outlets)

Elsewhere freely concedes it doesn't know a lot about the music of Johann Sebastian Brahms, the man who wrote the opera Fanny's Cosy Tutu (it's in Italian so don't worry, no one else understands it either), that monumental “da-da-da-DUM” thing played on radio in the Second World War which defeated the Nazis and the Sugar Plum Fairy ballet, most commonly known as Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Sweet.

We do know that Brahms – sometimes known as Mozart for some reason – was a genius, much like Kayne West, except he couldn't sing so just stayed inside and wrote a bunch of stuff for piano.

Or maybe orchestras. We forget which.

Anyway all this is to say, no. We don't know much about Brahms, but we do know what we like.

Seriously though, we draw attention to this wonderful solo piano recording by the extraordinary Michael Houstoun which has been sent to us by Rattle, just for own listening pleasure.

Well, on a filthy wet weekend in Auckland this was repeatedly our go-to album for its series of shifting moods (gloriously romantic to sorrow-filled) and the way the collection evolves.

It is the pensive miniatures among the 18 pieces which are truly beautiful.

So forgive our weak wit, but we wanted to get your attention for an album which has won us but might not be an obvious entry at Elsewhere.

Do yourself a favour when you have some serious downtime.

.

You can buy and hear this album at bandcamp here



Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Cultural Elsewhere articles index

MARK CROSS PROFILED (2013): The outsider looking outward

MARK CROSS PROFILED (2013): The outsider looking outward

Odds are Mark Cross was among the oldest in the audience at the recent concert by American nail-hard metal rockers Tool. And probably the only artist. More than a decade ago he heard Tool's... > Read more

HELLO KITTY, WANT MY MONEY?: The rise of Japanese pop culture

HELLO KITTY, WANT MY MONEY?: The rise of Japanese pop culture

If you took the idea to the marketing department it would go nowhere. Imagine the pitch: “Hey guys, here’s an idea, just run with me on it for a minute. We create this little blue... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Kingfish: Kingfish (Alligator/Southbound)

Kingfish: Kingfish (Alligator/Southbound)

From the scouring and driving opening track on this debut album by 20-year old Christone Ingram – aka Kingfish – you might feel you are in for a pretty familiar electric blues ride out... > Read more

BLIND BOY TRUMAN REDISCOVERED: Blues from the underground

BLIND BOY TRUMAN REDISCOVERED: Blues from the underground

Until recently, so little was known about the bluesman known as Blind Boy Truman that it was widely believed he only existed in the world of myth, if he existed at all. There was only one known... > Read more