Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #61)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George P, Oct 3, 2014.

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  1. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    All in the family! :righton::winkgrin:
     
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  2. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I bought the Harnoncourt's Schubert box a few years ago. It is the best cycle out there IMO ...
     
  3. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    Now: Sibelius: Symphony 2, Op.43 - George Szell/Concertgebouw Orchestra - 5 CDs, Decca, Decca and Philips Recordings 1951-1969; disc 3

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Scott Wheeler

    Scott Wheeler Forum Resident

    Location:
    ---------------
    For some reason Harnoncourt is an artist that has never worked for me. Of course my introduction to his work was by Jim Svejda who dd an entire show devoted to how bad he thinks Harnoncourt is. Here is a quote from that volume of his show "The Record Shelf"

    "The music of conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt "is one of the great emperor's-new-clothes stories of classical music, along with the cocktail-piano Puccini of John Bayless, and [soprano] Lesley Garrett, who can't sing but who spreads herself all over album covers in various stages of sexual arousal. [Harnoncourt] is just incompetent. He likes to make ugly sounds. And he's very good at it."

    http://articles.latimes.com/1999/nov/28/magazine/tm-38166

    My opinion of Harnoncourt is not nearly as severe as Svejda's but I do find him to be consistently heavy handed in his phrasing and use of marcato. His work tends to feel very stilted to me. I will say this for him though, he does bring a very distinctive voice to his work. He is one of the easiest conductors to recognize by his style.
     
  5. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    I find I enjoy his work in Bruckner best of all. I dislike a lot of his eccentric, amusical Bach.
     
  6. Soulpope

    Soulpope Common one

    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    just the opening of movement 1 ist worth the "entry ticket" (IMO)....
     
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  7. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    Count Nikolaus de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt will not be amused ;)
     
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  8. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I purchased and disposed of his Beethoven cycle.
     
  9. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    Harnoncourt's interpretations are an acquired taste. I don't have problems with many of his instrumental performances, despite the quirkiness (is that a word?) that creeps in here and there.
     
  10. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    Used to have the CD with the great combo of this Sibelius 2 and Beethoven 5.
     
  11. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    I have that one too; unfortunately it suffers from the no-noise treatment. It's now in my sale pile; the box I posted above sounds much better.
     
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  12. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    Also used to have the two in their respective LPs. The Beethoven was coupled with Mozart's 34th symphony, one of Szell's best Mozart performances.
     
  13. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Ok, we are once again out of space. Let's continue here.
     
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