hich artists do I like?
Directors
Justine Triet, Celine Sciamma, Eric Rohmer (although I may have outgrown it, a favorite at the age of 21), early Sofia Coppola, Ryusuke Hamaguchi (an attachment that is inexplicable, perhaps has to do with who I had watched his films with rather than he himself), Stanley Kubrick, Spielberg (primarily for Munich). Complicated relationship with Haneke and Bergman. I had wished I enjoyed Joachim Trier’s works, alas my sensibilities had prohibited me.
Writers
Marcel Proust, Van Gogh (letters), Milan Kundera, Stefan Zweig (his memoir on fin-de-siecle Vienna propelled to stay in Vienna for an entire summer, and I had almost ventured to visit his home in Salzburg), Pascal, Montaigne, David Hume, Tony Judt, Vassily Grossman, Jonathan Littell.
Composers
Shostakovich (No.5 Symphony, No.8 Quartet), Rachmaninov (Rach3 by Yunchan Lim), Mahler (Mahler 2, 5, and 9, easing my way into 10th Abbado and Bernstein are exceptional). Every Brahms symphonies under the sun and his late Piano works (various Intermezzi). Concerning Bach, it is always too difficult and multi-faceted with him, but his choral and organ works (St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion are amongst my favorites.) Then there are various composers who had arranged his works (Bach-Busoni on the Piano, Bach-Rachamaninov), it is endless list of surprises! What is even more exotic is that there is contrebass conscription of Bach Chaconne out there. Find them all on Youtubte!
Schmidt’s No.4 Symphony, who had composed the heartbreaking piece after the death of his daughter during childbirth. Chopin’s 4th Ballade, then 1st, and I do think his Piano concertos are among his weaker works. Liszt (Transcendental Etudes, Argerich is exceptional here as always), Schumann, Schubert (Standchen, and many many of his other lieder!), Tchaikovsky 6 (I have heard Nezet-Seguin’s live conducting and it had moved me to tears), Sibelius (Hilary Hahn’s interpretation of violin concertos), Edward Elgar (Jacquline du Pre’s interpretation of Cello Concerto, variations so on).
Poets
Paul Celan, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Anna Akhmatova, Catullus, Ovid (maybe … ) I am rather under-developed in this area.
Who do I not like?
Jeff Koons (plagued by kitsch in an ironic manner). Jacques Audiard (for his consistency in producing and directing the most extreme form of mediocrity).
