Listenin' to Classical Music and Conversation

Funny you should mention him, because he’s the one that popped into my head as a counterexample.

If I’m honest with myself, what I consider “top of the heap” Karajan recordings outnumber those of Kleiber, in terms of sheer quantity, and they are at least equal in terms of overall quality. Yet there is also Karajan’s other (I’m guessing) 97% of recordings that are mediocre to good to “just” great. This shouldn’t happen, but they do bog down on the overall perception just because they’re there. I guess it’s how human psychology works. And of course, those exceptional recordings might not even have existed were it not for the mediocre ones, so no point in doing that thought exercise. Although I do enjoy engaging in these pointless exercises from time to time.

 

Karajan is the most recorded conductor and Marriner is the runner up ...

 

I'm not sure about that, you may be right about Karajan but Marriner? Toscanini also recorded an awful lot and there are others who were quite prolific. Do you have any comparative numbers?

 

Neville Marriner - Wikipedia

 

Thanks. Wiki refers to this Guardian obit: Conductor Sir Neville Marriner dies aged 92

I wonder if Universal will release a comprehensive Marriner/ASMF box with the complete recordings for all the labels they now own, like they recently did for Karajan; the Argo set is only an anthology.

 

...But my first priority is now with the upcoming complete Arrau Philips box

 

Marriner's Argo set left me wanting more.

 

Just like Karajan, Marriner made a bunch of recordings with EMI. I believe the bulk of his recordings were with Philips ...

 

For those interested (I'm not), Warner Classics recently released a 13CD-box with Christian Ferras' Complete HMV and Telefunken Recordings.

https://www.amazon.de/Icon-Christia...d=1513386963&sr=8-1&keywords=christian+ferras

 

Correct, and they were his best in my opinion, along with the Argo stuff, though not everything is my cup of tea.

 

First listen to "A Choral Christmas" performed by the Rodolfus Choir directed by Ralph Allwood on BBC Music.

 

I was just at Amazon a few minutes ago and I saw the DG has now put a listing up for the upcoming new Hilary Hahn release. It's the personal picks package of hers which includes fan art. It's called Retrospective and will be 2-CDs. There was mention at one point that there may be some new live tracks included in the package in order to entice people to pick it up since the other material is all previously released. At least, that was my understanding. It's due out on January 19th.

 

Now listening to "Byrd - Consort Songs" performed by (the lovely and talented) Emma Kirkby and Fretwork on Harmonia Mundi.

 

I picked up Kempff’s complete recordings set of the Beethoven sonatas five or six years ago, I like it a good deal.

 

@Scopitone, You are probably ready for the one-click Amazon checkout!

 

Ha! Nice. I'll look into it.

Thx, too, @shepherdfan

 

Hilary Hahn Retrospective - Deutsche Grammophon

 

Now on the turntable, "Bruckner - Symphonie Nr. 1" performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker led by Eugen Jochum on DG.

 

Resuming my listen to Cortot, now playing CD13 - all works by Chopin from the following box for a first listen ...

 

This recording may be included in the following box, which I bought a few years ago ...

 

I'm backed up on my box sets by over 1000 CDs but am quite content to go through them at a leisurely pace. Always new discoveries to look forward to.

 

I am only on CD13 for this 40-CD box, this geezer is running quite behind as I still have hundreds of CD's that have yet to be listened to for the first time ...

 

I was in Lübeck once & went to an organ recital. Could have been in that church.