Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #55)

Now enjoying the above CD.

 

In my very late journey in the world of classical music (which I still promise to write about!!) I found out I like Schubert a lot. I purchased Schubert's Symph. Nos. 2 & 8 by Barenboim and the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Are there more very great performances of Schubert's music at cd or SACD which I REALLY have to purchase? (symphs or chamber music)

Thanks for your help!

 

Great set (sound and performance) of the late quartets and Quintet by Lindsay Qt (or it's earlier incarnation) - Lindsay Quartet (Original Issue)

and

Easily the best, most energetic set of the symphonies

and

Lovely 2 CD set of the works for violin and piano

(And I hope at some point you have room on your shelves for his beautiful piano music.)

 

I'm allready wondering for years if I've enough room for all my musical purchases

By selling (and moving at a sneaky way some cds of my girlfriend out of the shelves) I'm still succeeding in storing my cds and SACDs. But for how long after purchasing 30 classical music cds in one week of time...

I promised myself to stop for a while. Well, 'till the coming holidays... I hope...But first some extra Schuberts!

 

I understand.

When you are ready, this 2CD set is a superb place to start with Schubert's piano music.

 

I hate you!

I found all your suggestions are easy to get at the French Amazon, the best (and most cheap) Amazon for purchasing classical music. So that's great for preventing the high shipping costs of Amazon.com

I'm postponing my story of my discoveries for later, but I found (at a tough way)out it's better not to purchase too many albums in a too short time. I purchased p.e. two Jacqueline Du Pre's Dvorak and Haydn cello concertos by making a mistake at Amazon (I thought I had cancelled the first order which was far more expensive than the second order which was a used one) and two Rachel Podger's Bach violin concerto's by ordering one cd at French Amazon and the other at a national (=Dutch) selling site (marktplaats.nl which is a real goldmine to get rare cds) of used cds not knowing I ordered this one allready before... Stupid! Stupid! (someone eager to get one of my doubles? ;-) )

 

I'm glad you found that Lindsay set. It seems to be OOP here.

 

Ha, I found here even the original issue of Lindsay Quartet which is indeed tough to get! (is there, by the way, a real difference - sonics or performance - with the 4cd boxset of the later Lindsay reincarnation, different than the looks?)

 

I don't know, but they are digital recordings and sound great in their original set.

 

That's part of my cheapo Sony box set. Thankfully they use the much improved remastered versions (as opposed to the cheapo Beethoven set, which I returned).

 

You have to get a recording of Symphony No. 9. I would recommend Munch, although it is paired with the 8th (a very common pairing).

Chamber music - You need the late quartets. I like the Alban Berg Quartet for 13 and 14 and the Quartetto Italiano for 15. You also need the piano quintet (known as the Trout). In many ways my favorite recording of that is the live DVD featuring an all star cast of DuPre, Barenboim, Perlman, Zuckerman and Mehta when they were all quite young. This is not the world's best performance technically, but the joy of making music is so evident that it trumps any shortcomings. I often recommend this to friends who ask where to begin with chamber music.

You should check out the octet for winds and strings. I have the 50's vintage recording by the Vienna Octet as well as a DVD-A from Camerata Freden which really used surround sound - the problem is - I have a two speaker set-up.

MOST OF ALL - you need the string quintet. As regulars on this forum know, I think it is the most beautiful piece of music ever written. I like the Alban Berg Quartet and the older but legendary performance from Pablo Casals on Sony.

Also you should check out Schubert's lieder. That is a genre where he has no equal. If you like the female voice, try one of the discs by Janet Baker.

 

As well Nigel Kennedy's mother was Joan Dargarvel. A noted opera singer and then later sunsequently a classical singing teacher. I can remember as a kid, the Australian Boadcasting Commission (ABC) broadcasting her performance in Ravel's The Spanish Hour.I also have a friend that received singing tuition from her, here in Melbourne. The last I know, she returned to England.

 

Hey - Collector Man. I'm finding it hard to resist the Decca Box of 5 Janacek operas conducted by Mackerras (for less than $30 at MDT). Should I pull the trigger?

 

Mackerras is certainly one of the best conductors of Janacek's operas. His performances of Katya Kabanova and Makropoulous Affair with Soderstrom are generally considered to be the all time best. The others range from very good to excellent. Also the sonics are excellent at least with the original LPs. (I can't vouch for the remastering.) I would stick to Mackerras or the Czech conductors in this repertoire.

 

I'm a fan of his recording of Jenufa, too.

 

I have allready purchased a cd of that performance. Is on my way!

I'm sorry, I love female voices (Liz Frazer, Kate Bush, Lisa Gerrard!), but can't stand voices in classical music. Has always sounded to me as somehow unnatural. In a boxset of Willem Mengelberg I found the recordings of Schubert's 'Claudine von Villa Bella' by the sporano Betty van den Bosch out of 1940, but I got the shivers from that... So thanks, but...

Your Symphony no. 9 is, however, being put on my list!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Murray-Perahi...1400775482&sr=1-1&keywords=murray+perahia+box
this seems like a crazy deal - 78 CD's for $55 - all Murray Perahia too!

 

Thanks - it's really more Janacek opera than I was looking for but the price is what I might expect to pay for a single opera. The biggest problem - no librettos (not surprisingly). But I'll go for it.

 

I have always wondered why I was, and still am irritated by Bartoli's 'seemingly indivualistic interpretative qualities' at times. The penny dropped.....the voice is small and she compensates with that 'incredulous wide eyed act' when seen and witnesssed on video, performing.. Also, as she rises up the line through her vocal scale , there is that noticeable 'spread in the middle voice'. It is easy to see why as a mezzo, she will never make a Bizet's Carmen. And moreover why,,,,,, she comes up with her 'own editions of operatic roles' to sing.
P>S to be blunt... "Tangling at times, in material, she should well leave alone"

 

I have that box - paid a lot more for it, and considered it money well spent.

 

If you prefer male voices, there's Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (and many others).

 

Just ordered it (together with Pascal Roge playing Poulenc). If anyone has access to a scanner and is willing to scan in any of the libretti, I would be happy to return the favor with any libretti in my collection. I am told these are not easy to find on the web.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Andre-Cluytens-L-V-Beethoven/dp/B00004S667/
http://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Symphony-No-Rosamunde-excerpts/dp/B000002A84/
http://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Symphony-No-Haydn-88/dp/B000001GQR/
http://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Quintet-Arpeggione-Sonata-Fantasia/dp/B000024230/
http://www.amazon.com/Music-Violin-Piano-F-Schubert/dp/B00004TTIL/
http://www.amazon.com/Evening-Harnoy-Orford-String-Quartet/dp/B00008FLY5/

 

http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Barbra-Streisand/dp/B00766CLPI/

 

Yes, yes. yes! That entire Mackerras -conducted set of 5 different Janecek operas over the years, have individually won various top awards . They represent the undisputed benchmark for Janecek performances..

I have just been a a naughty boy .....again!. Coming in the next few weeks........... something like 31 Decca Duo sets from Prestoclassical at half price, at around $9 each.