Beautiful and great it's still there. Much of the city where I live, Groningen, was destroyed during the final stages of WWII, and there's not much left of the old centre.
I do not have the Dorati box, as the price was much more than I was willing to pay when I last checked. I have the Hogwood box and am happy with having the "Unfinished" (Haydn) Symphonies since I do not like a box with three different conductors ...
Now streaming on Amazon, "Chopin / Liszt - Piano Recital" performed by Nikolay Khozyainov on CD Accord.
Some great suggestions here! You could spring for a box of all 100+ symphonies, but I'd recommend you start with Haydn's "London" (Nos. 93-104) symphonies if you don't already have them. Even among that group, they are so varied in character that is challenging to find one set from a single conductor that is completely satisfying in every movement, every symphony (much as with a Beethoven cycle), but several come close. That said, if I could only take one set of the "London" twelve to a desert island, it would be--without hesitation-- the Philips recordings of Colin Davis with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam. As you can see, I was buying these on LP in the late '70s - early '80s. Cost a bundle back then, but I kept picking them up and was never disappointed. You can buy the "London" set now in a 4-CD set for (on Amazon US) $15 or less... which is about what I paid for 2 of the LPs back in the day. There's nothing plodding or routine about any of these from Davis. He chooses brisk (but not over-rushed) tempos. Davis also understands Haydn's humor and, most importantly, the joy Haydn built into these works. He conducts the cream of the brilliant Concertgebouw Orchestra, which play their heart out with great vigor and polish. All of this would be for naught if it was recorded by any company less than Philips, then at the height of their technical mastery. The sound is well-balanced, full, transparent, and makes no apologies. Even as the series extended into the early '80s digital era, Philips maintained warmth and clarity. As if it's not obvious, I highly recommend Sir Colin.
Most of Rotterdam was also destroyed in WWII, but I think they've rebuild the city centre very nicely there. Especially compared to other cities that were heavily bombed in WWII, like Le Havre in France.
Done with the chores! Yaaay! While I get ready to go out - we have a wonderful, quite warm and sunny day today- on the TT...
Well, they've also rebuilt Groningen, of course, but turned parts of its centre into an ugly, faceless place. They've been demolishing and re-rebuilding it again since the 1980s, without much success in my view.
Haven't listened to this in a while. Good stuff. He certainly likes to keep the pianist busy, and Hobson seems to cope well with the prodigious demands.
Listened through Brandenburg Concertos Nos 1 - 4 9f the following twofer on the just completed 1-hour walk at just below freezing temperature ...
I did grad school in Chicago and loved it, although the temperatures aren't for everyone. The Chicago Symphony sold anyone with a student ID good seats for $10 a pop, so I was there every 2-3 weeks. Not a bad life at all.
Without naming the country, lest I tread in politics. Compared with some country where 2500 year old ancient tomb = backwardness and skyscraper = modern progress where bulldozers will repeatedly demolish the ancient tombs to make room for the skyscrapers, actions taken in the Netherlands are quite forgivable. I have to give the Italians credit for proceeding very slowly in their quest for extending their subway system in Rome. 2000 years of history (and much of western civilization) just lie below their streets in Rome ...
After reading an article on him in the new issue of International Piano, I thought I'd give his complete Ravel set a shot, and I'm glad I did! I started with "Gaspard de la nuit," and it's a marvel of clarity and power. The sound (via a 96Khz/24 bit FLAC) is wonderful. This young man seems very promising.
@Wes H, you have a very impressive collection of Philips recordings by Sir Colin. Have you ever attended any of his concerts? I have attended two, maybe three of his concerts when he conducted the NYPO, which I normally would not have bothered if it had not been for him ...
This set is high up on my watchlist... I can't seem to get enough of Archiv vinyl at the moment - great recordings and lovely packaging.
You should be able to find some used Archive vinyl at good prices ... I have Pinnock Brandenburg Concertos on both LP and CD. IMO, this is the best version of these works out there.
