Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #11)

"True Humility"

This is pretty much a textbook example of the curate's egg:



The music is Bruckner's very first [1874] version of the Fourth symphony. The orchestra is the Bayerisches Staatsorchester, who probably play this stuff in their sleep. The conductor, Kent Nagano, sounds like he's doing everything in his power to focus on the lyrical aspects of this music. The earliest version of Bruckner's Fourth symphony has more pauses and start 'n' stops than the final version of the Fifth symphony, all the workings out of the material and harmonization and placement of voices within the symphony are different—it's like hearing Bruckner's Fourth in a dream, where everything—except the scherzo, which fortunately was scrapped and later replaced with something really great—seems upside-down or only half-remembered. Oh yeah—the recorded sound quality is predictably fantastic. Glad I got this SACD but really want a SACD with the final version of the piece. I'd love to see Harnoncourt continue his SACD series with the Vienna Philharmonic, but as he's already recorded a redbook CD of Bruckner's Fourth with the VPO for Teldec I'm not holding my breath. There's also a Japanese SACD of a live recording of Bruckner's Fourth featuring Gunter Wand and Berlin—that'll set you back $34 for a single SACD. That's a lot, but I'm tempted.

 

Good morning all.

Now playing CD5 from this set - the Partitas ...

 

I read about this version of the Fourth and I must say I have zero interest to hear it. I'll take my stop-start fits during Friday afternoon rush-hour on the 405, thanks! But you did get me itching for some Celi...

Now playing:

• Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major - Sergiu Celibidache/Munich Philharmonic [Altus 2008 2CD, Japan-only release, recorded October 1986 in Osaka, 89:45 TRT: 23:32/24:37/14:23/26:43, second-longest among extant Celi B5 recordings (which of course means second-most 'spiritual' )]

 

"Push a button, turn a dial—your work is done for miles and miles

After absorbing the Bruckner Fourth as weird fever-dream of a symphony, I looked online at you-know-what tube, finding a Munich video of Celibidache directing Bruckner's amazing Sixth symphony. Tempos seemed normal enough and the balances were on the mark. Might eventually pick up the matching CD, sounds like one of the more inspired performances of the Sixth

Speaking of inspired, my friend Allen picked up:



Transfer work is excellent. The sound quality on the recording of the Fourth is as good as Furtwängler ever got. Only listened to the finale from the Sixth symphony from this set but it makes one long for the maestro's recording of the first movement. Don't these Nazi engineers know when to press record?

 

Harmonic balancing

What do you make of that harmonic balancing technique? What is it exactly? Is it widespread now like 24/96 or still the domain of the Aaron Z. Snyders and Andrew Roses of the remastering clique?

EDIT: just found some info on Music Web re HB:

 

I have no idea what the harmonic balancing technique is. The transfers in the M & A box sound like they have more agreeable EQ than most transfers of material this old. There's little that can be done to make the wartime recordings of Furtwängler sound modern, but surfaces of the sources used for these transfers have their crackle 'n' spit tamed & there's a sense of mass and weight to the sound.

 

Now playing (first time):



CHOPIN: The Complete Polonaises - Pollini / Argerich / Ugorski (Deutsche Grammophon CD, 00289 477 5431)

 

Now playing CD6 from this set - the Partitas ...

 

Now playing CD11 from this set for a first listen ...

 

Got that Chopin Twofer, it is really okay, but not among my top 20 Chopin reitals. Anyway still very enjoyable ...
Glad I found a new Beethoven cycle yesterday and what a good one that is - Bruno Walter ! Just listened to the 9th so far - love it. A very unique reading. Man how these symphonies differ from a great conductor to a less inspired. Sound quality is also very good, esp. since the recordings took place more than 50 years ago. Fine remastering.
Another box set by HvK was also on my list - Tchaikski Karajan Edition 8 CD set. Haven't heard that one yet.
The rest of my classsical listening time was reserved for my godfather Kalle Böhm and his lovely readings of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik & Haffner with the Vienna PO .... added a bit of Sshumann - Rhenania and some of this and that for a very rewarding classical weekend experience....

 

I have his 1964/5 Symphonies 4 thru 6 on a DG twofer and I like them.

 

Barber: Violin Concerto, Souvenirs (ballet suite) & Serenade for Strings Op.1
James Buswell (Vln) Royal Scottish National Orchestra Cond Marin Alsop
Naxos 8.559044
One of several excellent discs in the "American Classics" series, the music is hard to fault if perhaps not heard as much as it deserves and may I be permitted to say American classical music is better than many would like to admit.
Ives, Piston, Bernstein and Copland are much respected by me.

 

And Gershwin! I have a thing for Leroy Anderson, too.

 

Now playing CD12 and the last CD from this set for a first listen. Finally, after owning the set for 18 months, I am done and can move on to the Koopman's and Weinberger's sets ...

 

You are nothing if not hardy!

 

Last night live at Orchestra Hall in Detroit, Sir Roger Norrington and the DSO playing Schubert's Unfinished Symphony and Bruckner's Symphony 7. Exquisite performances of 2 beautiful pieces.

 

Norrington is an aquired taste for some. But what a program!!

 

I have to agree with you there. I have no more than a small handful of CD's by him.

 

Now playing CD1 from this set ...

 

Weinberger

Curious to know what you think of this player and how the set stacks up against the competition.

 

I'm a newbie to Chopin at this point, so I wouldn't even know how these particular performances rank among others. For me, they're enjoyable and I doubt I'd seek out another set based just on that. Definitely worth the $10 I paid for it (including the shipping)!

Now, the recording quality might be a different story. Disc 2 sounded fine to me, but I thought the first disc (the one with Pollini) sounded a bit brittle in spots. I found this occasionally distracting. Hopefully I'll get used to it with further listenings...?

 

So far, I am not as impressed with Weinberger as I was with Walcha. That may be just because CD1 in this compilation does not have materials I am particularly familiar with. A few European members of the GMG forum seem to think highly of him ...

 

Now playing CD3 from this set - it is SMP again ...

 

Now playing CD4 from this set - continuing with SMP ...

 

Now playing CD5 from this set - the last CD from SMP ...