Now: Beethoven: Complete Music for Piano and Violoncello - András Schiff and Miklós Perényi - 2 CDs, ECM; disc 1. I still think this was recorded too spatially.
Now listening: Franz Schubert – Late String Quartets: CD 1 – String Quartet in A minor, D 804 (Op.29) "Rosamunde", String Quartet in D minor, D 810 "Death and the Maiden" — Emerson String Quartet (Deutsche Grammophon)
Best of times/worst of times. Yesterday's haul from Rasputin's consisted of 17 CDs that set me back $21. 10 of those CDs were sealed. Titles included la Spagna, BIS CD-163, Atrium Musicæ deMadrid, Gregorio Paniagua. This collection of variations on the tune la Spagna is 1980 analog, two Sennheiser MKH 105 microphones into a Revox A 77 running at 15 ips. Sounds easy as π, but the trick was in finding a room with the right acoustics for this sort of music, which producer/engineer/chief bottle washer Robert von Bahr managed to locate. Set me back all 0f 95¢. Demo grade sound: Other goodies included Sainte Colombe as performed by Hille Perl and company on a DHM recording from 1997, sealed, two Olivier Messiaen CDs, one with various keyboard works as played by Yvonne Loriod and company, Concert á Quatre featuring the Orchestre de l'Opera Bastille, Myung-Whun Chung, a 6-CD set of the Chamber Music of handle, L'Ecole d' Orphée [MHS copy of a CRD production], Steve Reich's Desert Music on Nonesuch, a BBC Music issue of Andrew Mantz in 4 Violin Sonatas of J.S. Bach + a transcription to fiddle of the Toccata and Fugue, BWV 565, Josquin Desprez—Missa L'Homme Armé as performed by Ensemblé Obsidienne on Phaia PH002, and four more titles. All in as new condition, or close to it. It's great to be able to scoop up so much great music for so little. But it also looks like a sell-off, which does not bode well for the future.
After listening to all my Mahler Second Symphony performances recently, here is my first place choice.
1. LOVE the cover! 2. Haven't heard it, but i have read it is similar to the live one. Only subtle differences.
Karajan in Mahler does not work for me. It's like he's singing with the wrong accent. Have heard both recordings of the Ninth, both made me want to listen to something else, anything else. The closest I got to enjoying Karajan's Mahler was with the Fifth Symphony, where the Berlin Philharmonic's virtuosity was on full display. Otherwise 'meh'. Can't say I'm overfond of the Ninth Symphony, but Bruno Walter works for me, either performance, 'live' in 1938 or barely alive some 20 years on.
On the turntable…I prefer this recording to the Menuhin I posted yesterday. It's better sonically, and Milstein's playing makes me less aware of the technical demands of the concerto. Again, super quiet vinyl on this Capitol.
I had to laugh…your "barely alive" comment reminded me of that SCTV skit from the 80's, "Perry Como…Still Alive!" I don't have a single Karajan/Mahler in my collection…I'm with you, I just never warmed up to his interpretations for some reason.
Now listening: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Violin Sonata No.32 K454 Ludwig van Beethoven – Violin Sonata No.3 Op.12/3 Johannes Brahms – Violin Sonata No.3 Op.108 — David Oistrakh, violin, Vladimir Yampolsky, piano (EMI Classics), CD 5 from:
I found this over the weekend--what wonderful music this is. I keep putting it back on the turntable to hear it again. PS No recording information as to date and location. The record is copyright 1984. Unlike the image, mine is a US "Mastered at Capitol" Angel Digital vinyl. Promotional copy. Sounds great. Dead-quiet.
So that I can better understand and learn by listening, can you recommend a Liszt recording in which the pianist doesn't do this? Thanks
One more example: Get the above, along with 4 more CDs worth of Arrau's amazing Liszt for under $18 here.
Yes, Philips no longer exists. It was absorbed by Decca, so now all of the old Philips recordings are being issued on the Decca label. Like the reissue of Arrau's Beethoven sonatas, for example:
