Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #36)

Listening last night.
On LP, the other Oistrakh - Igor.
Wieniawski Violin Concerto #2 , with Franz Konwitschny/ Leipzig Gewandhaus Chamber Orchestra. (coupled with Mendelssohn VC)
I have a pretty dinged up copy, but lovely playing shines through.

 

I appreciate the suggestions john greenwood. The searching is half the fun! I have a very good contact in Toronto (I live in Winnipeg) who has been collecting classical music for over 25 years. He is extremely helpful in helping me locate specific recordings.

Good listening,

cat9

 

If you use MOG, you might want to check this thread out as well.

http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=273777&highlight=intro

By the way, in my original post I made an assumption when I said, "you are a lucky man." If you are a woman, my apologies.

 

The classical artist blind comparison #9 with Scarlatti K 141 ends Monday. Please check it out and if you have the time participate.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=285993&page=2

 

I picked up a vinyl of GG playing some Beethoven Sonatas and was surprised at what the liner notes said. I was not aware that he was that critical at times.

There are not many musicians or conductors or anyone that is critical of Beethoven....at least that I know of.

 

The problem with Gould's comments is that you can never be quite sure whether he was being serious or not. He had a mischievous school boy sense of humour. He seems to have liked poking the establishment with a stick.

 

According to Joe Green

Verdi said that Beethoven's 'Ninth' was practically ruined by the awful vocal writing in the finale.

 

Gould was born on the Virgo/libra cusp. Criticism is their middle name.

 

Admittedly Beethoven stone deaf by that time made for some difficulties for the Beethoven Ninth's soprano part.
On the other hand, some tenors have come to grief attempting the score writing in Verdi's Otello and no one would claim that Verdi was suffering hearing problems.
And that is something which was certainly, not Beethoven's fault.....
Who remembers Glenn Gould's utter recorded travesty of Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto?
And that vile performance was on a equal par with Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto ...surviving David Helfgott -a performance - which one accurate critic deliciously wrote "There are 39 Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto recordings in the catalogue at the moment, and rest assured it is easily the worst"

I can remember being busy in a record shop once, persuading another customer to buy the Racmaninioff Argerich /Kondrashin version and not buy the atrocious Helfgott version (the customer apparently had recently been besotted with that silly Helfgott biog film 'Shine!)

 

Insanely great. Must be a dedicated mono mix, too. Would love to hear that. Sony's Masterworks Heritage CD has great sound, in stereo.

 

Gould belongs back in the 60's discovery era of hip/ chic/cool/ swing straight after the Beatnik period of metronomic finger clicking. When being 'into way -out Baroque with young Harancourt ' was considered as belonging to the new 'way-in cool', Bach was also for smart jazz trios, the Swingle Singers was 'cross-over' and Gould was seen as the musical equivalent of a Andy Wahol. The then common inquiring phrase was "Do you dig it?"

While Blossom Dearie sent the whole lot up with her 'Pro Musica Antiqua' song

 

That nut is a genius!

The one with Stoky?

One of my faves.

 

Funnily you should post that, I had that very article in mind that drh quoted - forgotten it was so long ago (time really flies when you've officially become a SH forum addict) - thanks for digging it out!

Also, I posted something similar back then about my ambivalent feelings towards Brahms, quoting from B.H. Haggin's piece - starting second paragraph from here.

And Sean, I don't really dislike the B Flat Concerto, just that I have similar reservations about that as regards to the Violin Concerto, ie some moments of beauty mixed with others of turgidness, with the best saved for the finale. I'd still say for me Brahms' hits easily outweigh his "misses" (in a relative sense, of course) whereas Tchaikovsky (who I listed in my classical favourites) is closer to 50/50 but there are more works of his that rank amongst or close to my favourite pieces, although nothing in his output reaches the heights of the German Requiem (which is only beaten by Schubert's String Quintet and Bartok's Music for Strings etc).

 

a seminal record in the development of my musical appreciation

 

F I V E S T R I N G

Can you please explain why you are getting "frustrated" with vinyl. What issues do you have regarding "vinyl". Can you list them. I have zero issues with vinyl or compact discs. I have records in my collection that I purchased in 1957, that sound great: no pops, no scratches, etc. In any case, one has to manage to keep the groove clean and clear of debris. One had to keep the stylus clean at all times. I also manage to find many a LP at local thrift stores, in brand new condition. I never shop on-line or LPs or CDs. I have to see the record surface and examine the groove, before I purchase it.

Thanks for sharing....

Cheers, Long Play Fan

 

For flute and harp music, one of my favorite pieces is Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp. It's available as a used LP on Amazon.

 

No need to apologize john greenwood. Lucky man would be correct.

I'll look forward to researching your suggestions - thanks again.

cat9

 

Due to the Memorial Weekend Holiday in the USA, I got into my "Pop" LP library. I purchased both of these LPs from a local thrift stores for .50¢ each. Both LPs groove condition brand new. No pops, no scratches. Groove sparkles and glistens! I compared the DECCA PFS 4032 with the Mercury Records SR 60000 in regards to the recorded "sound".

I easily found the Mercury Records LP superior in regards to superior sound stage and "stereophonic" sound engineering. I turned up the volume and enjoyed.

By the way, Mercury Records SR 60000 is the 1st Pop Series LP recorded for Mercury in 1957.

Does anyone have any Pop LPs from DDG, Philips, or Angel Records?

Cheers,

Quote, "The Mercury Records LP was recorded in a New York City Studio with the following type of microphones in 1957. (3) RCA 44BX, (2) RCA 77-D, (1) RCA 44BX, (1) Telefunken U47, and (2) Telefunken U-47 set about 15 feet high and 12 inches apart in exact center of studio for cutting of the stereophonic version. The entire session was taped at 15 IPS on a Ampex 300 tape recorder. Quote, Bob Shad, Mercury Recording Director.

 

my first exposure to Locatelli (1695-1764).these three-movement violin
concertos (Nos. 7-12) reminded me of Vivaldi,but with this difference:the
first & third movements contain extended 'Capriccio',cadenza-like extended
solo violin passages that probably influenced Paganini.the middle movement
of each is a beautiful 'Largo'.another bargain:$3.95 for this set.

 

Picked up this LP from a local thrift store today!

Organ Masterpieces

Robert Munns (b. 1933)

Recorded at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, London, England

Console Records, a subsidiary of Supreme Recording, Inc., Glendale, California, USA CS-6002 Stereo

Recording Engineer: John Male

Review: Outstanding organ music, performance and recording. Full Range Recording full of delicate and powerful sound.

The Three Manual Organ, built entirely by Kingsgate Davidson Ltd., for the residence of Lawrence Lde, Esql, of Cobham, Surrey, in 1929-30. This organ was installed, with additions, in Holy Trinity Church in 1945 by the same firm on the advise of Noel Bonavia-Hunt. The instrument was re-wired and toned alterations were made in conjunction with the Director of Music, Robert E. Munns, in the early 1960.

Selections:

Nikolaus Bruhns (1665-1697): Prelude and Fugue in E Minor

Nicolas Le Begue (1630-1702): Two Noels (a) Une Vierge Pucelle, (b) Les Cloches

J.S. Bach (1685-1750): Prelude and Fugue in A Minor & Chorale Prelude "Ich Ruf Zu Dir"

Hendrik Anderessen (b. 1892): Theme and Variations

Herbert Howells (b. 1892): Psalm Prelude (Ps. 34, v.6.)

Herbert Murrill (1909-1952): Carillon

 

WOW these threads go by FAST!!
Don't seem that long ago we were on thread #30.

 

This set has been in my collection for years. I now have a few other sets with more polished performance ...

 

Is George around this weekend to start a new thread or is he too worn out from the hot date?

 

I wish...

Let's continue this here, folks.