I haven’t warmed up to these performances, despite my love for Rostropovich’s playing. To me, they sound a bit cold.
I'm surprised - it's been many years since I last heard Rostropovich's Bach and I didn't like it at all, but for the opposite reason if I remember correctly; I often find Rostropovich's playing over-emotional, a bit like Bernstein when he goes over the top.
Messiaen Music For The End Of Time Trio Wanderer & Pascal Moraquès Direct, non reverential interpretation exquisitely played. Recommended.
IMO, Rosty's version is still way better than the version by Yo Yo Ma, which is ridiculously over-romanticized ...
I have owned this twofer for a while. The version by Anner Bylsma is superb ... I have the CD version.
Will be glad to report back once I get it. Do you have much other Mewton-Wood? Like Rostal, he's another artist that I put firmly in the "unjustly neglected" category, although I imagine as a local he gets more play in your neck of the woods than he does here. Having made his acquaintance through a number of his old 10" Musical Masterpiece Society LPs, I spent some pretty pennies to get 3-disc retrospective set put out by the Australian Broadcasting Co. (a very different "ABC" from the one we have over here!), and I have a couple of the sets that Dante issued as well. My impression is that the Dante issues are a bit better sounding than the ABC ones, but I've been happy with both series. I don't know if I could name just one favorite account of the Beethoven 4th Cto., but M.W.'s is certainly a contender, and I love the youthful panache with which he carries off the Shostakovich 1st (with appropriate kudos to the equally enthusiastic trumpet soloist). What a loss to us all that M.W. took his own life so young! Back to Rostal, you've spotted some noteworthy gaps in the 10-CD box. Thanks for pointing them out--I'll be on the lookout for those I'm missing elsewhere. I had just skimmed the contents and concluded it would add some things, like the Ravel, to my collection, a process not helped at all by the odd way it renders the names of pieces ("concert" for "sonata," for instance).
More on Bach Cello Suites. I bought the following twofer a few years ago but have had only one listen so far, too soon for me to make any intelligent comments ...
I had low expectations for the sound, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well his cello was captured. I guess it was state of the art in the late 1930s! Of course, his playing is wonderful. (Shamefully, this is the first time I have heard him play the Suites. Not sure why it took so long to investigate them.)
Thanks for sharing that. Of the three, I only own Fournier, whose set happened to be my first. I was disappointed that his recording was not more introspective. At the time, I had it in my head that these works should be meditative, introverted. So, Fournier was a poor match for that. However, I just put it on and find it to be expressive, full of life and joy. So, thanks for the prompting.
You pretty much described Starker (bolded part), at least his Merucry recording, I never heard the RCA since I liked the Mercury so much plus the recording quality was so good.
It’s the exact opposite for me. I find them full of raw life. I especially like his heavy attack approach to the pieces and find them quite ‘punk-esque’ in places. To my ears anyway.
I need to re-listen to Rosty's Bach Cello Suites and compare them to Fournier's, another old-fashioned guy. I like Rosty but have only listened to Fournier's recordings once to be able to make any intelligent comments ...
It must be quite a production to listen to one of these on 40+ sides! My only gripe is that Figaro has no recitatives. Even though they have restored the proper ordering of the musical numbers, it just isn’t the same. The back of the box mentions that Figaro (1934-35) and Cosi (1935) were each the first recording of these works, with Figaro being the first recording of any Mozart opera, but doesn’t mention Don Giovanni (1936). Was there another DG made in the interim? The Idomeneo here runs less than an hour so you may have the full extent of what was recorded. It was recorded at Abbey Road in 1951, and gives these catalog numbers: 2EA15751/58, 15761/64 - HMV DB21525/29.
Wonderfully dynamic and colorful playing--a throwback to Segovia and Bream but with better technique and sound.
Mahler S3 in surround, blistering hot here in NH at least it is cool in the basement HT though the projector brings up the temperature.
