I'm fairly sure this is my first listen to anything by him. The current golden age of box sets has greatly facilitated my survey of modern composers.
First listen to CD 1 from "Quartetto Italiano - Complete Decca, Philips & DG Recordings" Beethoven - String Quartets 7 & 9
I saw a live performance of the Cello Concerto, Tout un monde lointain, and that hooked me. I bought the boxed set the next day. Before that, I only had the Cello Concerto in a 20th century box.
I broke down and bought that when someone posted an eBay deal last week on the mega box thread. I just received it. I have no idea when I'll get to it though. I keep vowing that I'm going to stop buying boxes and end up buying another one. It has slowed down. This is the only one I've bought this year. I only have 1 disc of theirs from the Decca Sound box.
I got mine from eBay seller Rare Waves, which I assume is the Amazon Market Place seller of similar name. I was going to pass on this box but I could not ignore @J.A.W. 's praise for QI, and not having much by them, it became an easy decision.
Same place I got it. I was going to pass too because I have every work on there, most multiple versions. The raves and the price sucked me in.
First listen to "Maureen Forrester - A Brahms-Schumann Recital" with John Newmark (piano), from "The Golden Era Of Living Stereo - The Remastered Collector's Edition " aka "RCA Living Stereo Vol. 3". Edit: This sounds like a poorly done needledrop.
Now listening to CDs 10 & 11 from "Mercury Living Presence Vol. 3". "Tchaikovsky - Symphonies 1, 2 & 3/Arensky - Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky*" performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia Hungarica* led by Antal Dorati.
First listen to CD 1 from "Alfred Brendel - Complete Recordings" on Decca. Bach: Italian Concerto In F Major, BWV 971 Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639 (Transcribed for piano by Ferruccio Busoni) Prelude (Fantasy) in A minor, BWV 922 Chromatic Fantasia And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 903 Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 (Transcribed for piano Ferruccio Busoni) Fantasia And Fugue In A Minor, BWV 904
Now listening to "O Cieco Mondo - The Italian Lauda C. 1400-1700" performed the Heulgas Ensemble on DHM. Very beautiful music and performances.
First listen to CD 3 from "Works of Igor Stravinsky" on Sony. The Wedding Renard The Fox The Soldier's Tale - Suite
First listen to CD 17 from from the "Leonard Bernstein - The Symphony Edition" set on Sony. Karl Goldmark - Rustic Wedding Symphony performed by the New York Philharmonic Paul Hindemith - Symphony in E-flat Major performed by the New York Philharmonic
Does anybody here know when Hilary Hahn's contract with DG is going to run out? The reason why I ask is that I'm trying to hold off on getting any individual DG titles of hers until they get around to issuing a box-set of her material with the label. I already have the Schoenberg/Sibelius title of hers as a result of recommendations from you here on the board. My copy of The Complete Sony Recordings box arrived today. I'll eventually get around to picking up the SACDs that have been done of her.
1986 MMG/Vox Prima CD issue of recordings made by Vox in (I think) the 70s. The pianist for the Concerto is Barry Snyder. The two-piano pieces are played by Rudolf Firkusny & Alan Weiss. Producer: Judith Sherman. Engineer: Ros Ritchey. The odd packaging was called a CD-Wallet, something that failed to become popular. The performances & sound are good.
First listen to CDs 2 & 3 from "Ferenc Fricsay - Complete Recordings On DG Vol.2 - Operas, Choral Works." Beethoven - Fidelio performed by the Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper and the Bayerisches Staatsorchester.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...I cannot thank you enough! I just got this recording (based on your recommendation) and I am nearly speechless. Wow! I am so impressed...where to begin...Stokowski...simply a very, very, very underrated genius! These transcriptions take my breath away! Serebrier,..what a loving, passionate, faith-keeping performance and captured in demonstration quality sound! I have never heard a Naxos recording sound this good and for that matter, I can't remember an SACD recording that so captured the qualities of live performance. I had the best seat in the house! I must thank everyone involved with this spectacular, moving, beautiful recording and thank you once again Ubertrout for recommending it to me in the first place!
Yeah man! I am on a roll! I ordered (and received) these three SACDs together: It has only taken (nearly) 20 years for Brahms First Piano Concerto to appear on SACD (in a recording with a modern piano). I have been perplexed for years why more pianists don't play or record this piece. It has been played by the the National Symphony exactly once in the ten years since I have been in DC. I have waited patiently for decades for this piece to appear in a modern recording on SACD. After all, seven complete cycles of Beethoven Piano Concerti have appeared in that time (not to mention innumerable SACD recordings of individual concerti), numerous recordings of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerti (as well as one complete set), two complete sets of Mozart Piano Concerti (and numerous recordings of individual concerti), nine complete sets of Chopin Piano Concerti (plus numerous recordings of individual concerti), twelve Schumann Piano Concerto recordings, seventeen recordings of Grieg's Piano Concerto, three recordings of Medtner's Piano Concerti, and 22 recordings of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 . Yet in all that time only one modern recording of Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 has appeared and no recordings of Brahm's Piano Concerto No. 1. I was beginning to despair that new SACD recordings of this piece would ever appear...and yet, now, finally, after all these years, it has finally arrived with absolutely no fanfare, notice or press. If I am not mistaken this recording appeared late in 2016 or early in 2017. I was unaware of it, until I stumbled across it while researching RCO Live SACD recordings. I remember rubbing my eyes and wondering if this was a mistake...if it was actually a CD, mislabeled (by Amazon) as an SACD. Well I have it in my hand and it's definitely an SACD and what a fine performance as well! This is a boatload of music (two-SACDs worth) for the twenty bucks that Amazon is asking for it...Brahms Violin Concerto, Schumann's Piano Quartet and Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1. So far I have just had time to listen to the piano concerto, perhaps my favorite piano concerto of them all. From the opening fanfare, I was pinned to my seat...I was fearful for my speaker drive units and fearful that my neighbors might call the cops! This is Brahms the Rock Star! You don't often hear Brahms played this way. Artistically this recording reminds me a great deal of Haitink's 1982 recording of the piece with Ashkenazy and the same orchestra. Yet the dynamic range captured here is far beyond that of the earlier recording. SACD really proves its mettle here. I have never heard the piece sound this good, even live! Haitink really brings out the fire, passion and zest in the orchestral parts (reminding me of Fritz Reiner in his recording with Rubinstein), while Emanuel Ax really brings out the poetry in Brahm's piano writing. It's a dynamic combination. When the audience jump to their feet at the conclusion with an eruption of thunderous, wild applause, you are reminded that this was recorded live. Needless to say this recording was worth the wait!
