Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #64)

Now on the turntable, sides 11 & 12 "Liszt - Sonata in B minor/Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude/2 Etudes de concert" performed by Claudio Arrau on Philips.

 

Love seeing all these Arrau posts lately!

 

Now on the turntable, "Beethoven - Piano Sonatas Nos. 21 & 26" performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy on London.

 

I only added this CD to my Liszt collection last year ...

 

I have this recording on CD ...

 

Now on the turntable, sides 19 & 20 from "Bach - Cembalowerke II" from the "Die Neue Bach-Edition" box sets on Archiv.

Performed by Ralph Kirkpatrick on harpsichord:

• Aria variata alla maneria italiana BWV 989
• 6 Kleine Praludien BWV 933-938
• 12 Kleine Praludien BWV 924-930, 939-942, 999
• Fantasie und Fuge BWV 904

 

Now playing, one of my absolute favorite Living Stereo LPs in my collection: LSC-2314 Heifetz playing the Mendelssohn and Prokofiev Violin Concertos, Boston Symphony/Munch. It's a 1s/1s, and the sound is just ungodly good.

 

I bet. I have those two works both on XRCD and on SACD. The Mendelssohn is one of the pieces I recommend to those just becoming acquainted with classical music. It grabs you from the opening bar and never lets you go.

 

Thoughts on this from informed listeners? New York Times Best Classical Recordings of 2014: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/19/a...ic-recordings-of-2014.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1

 

I didn't hear even the majority of the items on the list, but if you take the symphonic/concerto department (what I mostly listen to), then perhaps with the exception of Barenboim's Elgar 2nd (a really solid recording), there's nothing really noteworthy on that list- and unfortunately, there's nothing else truly memorable which comes to mind that I would add to the list.

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Sonatas No.9 K311, No.10 K330, No.11 K331 & Allegro in G minor K312 — Lili Kraus (Erato/Warner Classics—Les Discophiles Français)

 

Just enjoyed Carmignola playing Haydn Violin Concertos on Spotify. And the sound quality of the stream was excellent.

 

Hey, that recording sounds pretty good despite the period instruments.

 

Now I understand why I like it, it's actually the Orchestre des Champs-Elysees, which usually sound very decent in comparison to most other period ensembles.

 

Shostakovich
Chamber Symphonies
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Rudolf Barshai



The first of the two discs in this set contain Barshai’s arrangements of Shostakovich’s string quartets No. 8 (Op.110), No. 10 (Op.118) for string orchestra, and No. 4 (Op.83) for strings, woodwinds, two horns, trumpet and a wide range of percussion. The disc opens with Op.110, my favorite and probably the most popular of the quartets. These chamber works expanded to small orchestra obviously gain in sheer tonal weight and variety. Even though Barshai is faithful to the notes, the larger forces give him the opportunity to emphasize and articulate the contrapuntal writing at many points.

Disc 2 begins with Barshai’s arrangement of quartet No. 3 (Op.73), probably the first undisputed masterpiece in the genre. The arrangement, this time for strings and woodwinds, helped me to appreciate the work when I listen to the original. Until I heard this arrangement, I didn’t appreciate the double fugue that springs up in the middle of the first movement.

Alfred Schnittke’s Prelude in Memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich for solo violin (Gidon Kremer) and tape follows. At under 5 minutes, the work is mercifully short.

Disc 2 is concluded by a contraction of large to small rather than the opposite: Victor Derevianko’s arrangement of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15 (Op.141) for sextet. The work is played here by the “Kremerata Musica”: Gidon Kremer, violin, Clemens Hagen, cello, Vadim Sakharov, piano and celesta, Michael Gärtner, Edgar Guggeis, and Peter Sadlo, percussion. I’ve liked the Fifteenth from the first time I heard it back in 1977. The realization of this symphony is largely successful here with the exception of the last movement which suffers from the lack of tonal color a full orchestra gives this music of cold, lonely resignation.

The short third movement Allegretto can be heard here:

 

I own six in that list and have heard a couple of others. The real standouts for me are Calmus Ensemble Madigals of Madness and John Luther Adams Become Ocean.

There are a few more I'm interested in hearing.

 

The best versions in my opinion.

 

Now on the turntable, side 4 from "Bach - The Well-tempered Clavier, Book II" performed by Andras Schiff on London.

 

"Become Ocean" sounds fascinating.

 

I am drawn more and more to his Bach.

 

Now on the turntable, "Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli/Allegri - Miserere" performed by the Choir Of Westminster Abbey led by Simon Preston on Archiv.

 

It's on Spotify

 

Yesterday I found a DG lp (tulip label) of Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 by Herbert Von Karajan with Sviatoslav Richter. The cover states it is a direct import and it is slightly larger than most record covers and it is more robust in construction. This isn't the first time I've seen one, just the first time I've ever bought one. Is this thicker, more robust cover special to the export market or did the Europeans get these too? Was it for protection during shipping?