Well, let me correct that as best I can: Farewell-Tchaikovsy Sym 6 Pathetique- Francesca Da Rimini- Gorenstein- RSO Scriabin- Sym #2- Gorenstein- Russian Symphony Orchestra Love For Love- Schnittke- Gogol Suite- Khrennikov- Gorenstein RSO Tikhon Khrennikov- Love For Love Gene Pope loved to go to Russia and record classical music, here are three good examples. Hope that is enough info for you.
This inspired me to listen to the recording of Beethoven's Concerto No. 5 for Piano and Orchestra, "Emperor," with Martinon leading the Chicago Symphony and Emil Gilels playing, in a live recording on the CSO's "From the Archives" series.
I posted this in the Classical Mega Box thread, but thought I'd get more response here. I'm considering getting the Radu Lupu Decca box Complete Recordings, but one of the problems is that I already have his Complete Decca Solo Recordings box that came out in 2010 (I thought it was more recent) and that one is completely duplicated in the newer box. I hate it when record companies do things like that; Decca pulled the same trick with Sviatoslav Richter's solo and complete boxes some time ago, although the Richter solo box turned out to be not complete, which was corrected in the newer box. Any opinions on the Complete Lupu Decca box, in particular the chamber and concerto recordings? I'd appreciate it
Here's a link, for those interested: POPE MUSIC at Music Direct » I don't know the conductor or the orchestra particularly well. Is it possible that the RSO is a recording name for the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation?
Not really your man for Lupu--I've never quite forgiven him for that over-hyped Schubert fantasia with Perahia--but here's a thought: might it be more economical to buy just the chamber/concerto recordings that you really want individually to supplement what you already have? I know it cuts against the grain of the collector in all of us, but there's really no objective reason to insist on "complete" if it simply means buying music that you'll never enjoy playing. (In other words, if you just don't like, say, Benjamin Britten, what's the point in buying his music just for the sake of having an artist "complete"? And, yes, I'm guilty of frequently ignoring my own advice--hence the extent of my Wagner and Liszt holdings, among others... )
Thanks for the advice and I was considering that, especially since I don't like the multi-piano works (3 discs) and the Schubert Lieder (2 discs) - I agree with what you said about the Schubert with Perahia; I'm not a fan of one of the conductors in the concertos either. That said, I'm not sure the chamber works are easy to find and for a reasonable price, but I haven't looked into that yet.
A second spin to refresh my memory today with regard to this pianist. Transfers by Ward Marston. Gregor Benko's notes reveal that Ervin studied with two students of Liszt.
Now listening to "Mussorgsky - Pictures At An Exhibition/A Night On Bald Mountain/And Other Russian Showpieces" performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by Fritz Reiner on RCA. Includes: Tchaikovsky - Marche miniature/Marche slave Borodin - Prince Igor: Polovtsian March Kabelevsky - Colos Breugnon, Op. 24: Overture Glinka - Russian and Ludmilla: Overture
Forgot to ask: how are Lupu's Mozart Violin Sonatas and the Schubert works for violin and piano with Szymon Goldberg? I'm not familiar with Goldberg.
Goldberg goes back quite a ways; he and Lili Kraus formed a celebrated partnership before WW II and recorded a good bit of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Don't know his work after that, but on that basis I'd say he was a fine player with more "refinement" but less force than Adolf Busch.
Now listening to "Schubert - Quintette A Deux Violoncelles" performed by Anne Gastinel and Quatuor Diotima on Naïve.
Now listening to "Faure - Pelleas et Melisande/Pavane Op. 50/Fantasie pour flute Op. 112/Masques et Bergamasques" performed by ASMF led by Neville Marriner on Argo.
I have that Heldenleben LP…fantastic stuff, right up there with their Symphonia Domestica in my opinion.
In honor of Schubert's birthday today, and the discussion of Klemperer a couple of days ago, listening to Schubert Symphony No. 5 in Bb major, Philharmonia/Klemperer from this set of educational LPs pressed by Angel. I picked up two or three more of these Time Life sets from my school library when they were putting their LPs out to pasture in favor of CDs, lucky for me they contain a boatload of Klemperer recordings! The pressing quality is unexpectedly good, and Klemperer's approaches it in a similar manner as he did to many a Mozart symphony, in my opinion…not too much sentimentality but there is authentic emotion and expression, attention for clarity of ensemble and texture, and a sense of ever unfolding melody.
Now playing CD5 - Mozart Horn Concertos 1 - 4 with Dennis Brain from the following box for a first listen ...
Some years ago, as I drove to work, I spied several boxes sitting by the roadside. It was garbage collection day in the neighborhood; next door, a couple were sitting on the porch. You can imagine their surprise when this guy in a suit slammed his car to a stop, jumped out, and quickly tossed their neighbor's trash into the trunk! You see, the boxes were full of LPs.... Among them were a number of Time-Life sets. They are not exactly hotly sought among collectors, of course, but I must say they contained a lot of really good reissues, and the pressing quality, as you observed, was not half bad. That was a good day.
I think I found a nice solution: Decca also released a Radu Lupu Complete Concerto Recordings which includes many of the chamber works but not the multi-piano and vocal stuff. The Mozart Violin Sonatas with Szymon Goldberg are also missing but those are available in a separate set, should I decide to get them after all - not really fan of Goldberg, having heard some stuff with Lili Kraus in the meantime.
Pulled this off the shelf today and thought of you, George. This is probably how you picture a harpsichord when you hear one!
Goldberg was a superb musician but by the time he recorded with Lupu he was past his best days as a player.
