Now playing CD2 from the following twofer, which just arrived yesterday for a first listen ... I have another version of the Beethoven Violin Sonatas by Martha Argerich and Gidon Kremer ...
Now listening to "Schumann - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2" from the "Karajan - Symphony Edition" with the Berliner Philharmoniker on DG.
@crispi, Are you familiar with this ZYX Classics record label? It is supposed to be a German company. I picked up this CD twofer years ago from somewhere ...
I still have a good number of his LP's and a more limited number of CD's ... Sony released a box for Ormandy a number of years ago. The box only has about 10 CD's and is now impossibly expensive. Not sure why we have not seen a 30 or 40-CD box yet ...
Before the Fantasy group of (non-classical) labels was sold to Concord, ZYX was its licensee for Germany; they remastered several jazz recordings and made a real mess of it, their 20-bit jazz remasters are a disaster. I don't know how their other releases sound. ZYX Music - Wikipedia
Thanks for the link. Looks like the classical music released by ZYX may be a few rungs below Naxos ...
I have a lot of Ormandy on CD and I listened to this 3-disc set today, a Japanese release. A pity Sony didn't include the terrific sixth from 1951.
While I am not @crispi, only for works by Aaron Copland would I automatically turn to an American conductor/orchestra. My classical music collection is heavily Euro-centric. Most of my Bernstein's recordings were by the VPO, not the NYPO ...
I wouldn't be surprised if we'd see a huge Ormandy box in the not-too-distant future, like the big Szell box that will be released by Sony in August - though hopefully not too huge, I'd be happy with a box with Ormandy's orchestral and concert recordings only.
I read Karajan adored Szell, and despised Ormandy. He said it was on artistic grounds, but I believe I remember there was some personal thing involved there. I personally was never attracted to Ormandy’s recordings.
I wouldn't say it was my favourite US orchestra when Ormandy was its principal conductor, but the combination grew on me over the years - not top-tier, but not bad either. Not as good as Szell/Cleveland, for instance, I far prefer that combination.
I only have a limited number of Szell/Cleveland recordings. But the Beethoven Symphonies by Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony have become one of my favorites ...
According to the biography Karajan - A life in Music by Richard Osborne, Karajan had a lot of admiration for Toscanini as well. I only have the Beethoven Symphonies on RCA by Toscanini and a Wagner recording, his only stereo recording in my collection ...
Many of Walter's orchestral recordings are fine, but he belonged to an older generation of conductors (born 1876, died 1962), with a more romantic style of conducting. Szell (1897-1970) was a more modern conductor in that respect.
I remember the news on the radio that Toscanini had died, in 1957. He was a monument so to speak and, even though he rarely conducted in Europe anymore, people respected him greatly. Later that year Sibelius died, I also remember that news… You never forget some events, even at a young age; I was 9-10 at the time.
great topic, as most are literally throwing classical out the door. Virtually anything with Rachmaninoff or Nathan Milstein gets playtime in my collection. Yesterday I was listening to The Light Brigade ( Felix Slatkin conducting) and then Bugler's Dream came on. I said wow that's the Olympic's theme now.
How do you like this Beethoven box? I zipped through the box but maybe more critical listening is needed ...
Szell was a good conductor apparently but I never got overly excited by his conducting. He just doesn't do it for me. I guess, If I had to choose some of his recordings that I found mildly interesting I would choose his Schumann with Cleveland and his Haydn.
It's been a while since I last listened to any of his Beethoven, but as far as non-HIP performances go it's right up my alley. I must add that Beethoven's 9th Symphony is not really a favourite of mine, regardless of who is conducting.
Oh sure, and Ode an die Freude - Alle Menschen werden Brüder is the unofficial EU anthem of course, but still...
