Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #70)

Now playing CD9, the last CD - Bruckner 9th from the following box for a first listen ...

 

It's funny, I only had one album of Boulez compositions and liked it enough that I bought the DG box of his complete works. I loved every minute of it.

 

I have been trying for two or three years to find a copy of Kitajenko's Prokofiev symphonies. It was just reissued by Capriccio. The earlier set was by Phoenix in 2008.

I listened to the first disc, and in my view, Dmitrij Kitajenko may be a contender in the Prokofiev stakes.
Dmitrij Kitajenko
Gurzenich-Orchester Koln
Prokofiev: The Symphonies
Capriccio, 2015
Recorded 2005-2007

 

Great box. I never got around to buying it because I have all four of them on vinyl.

 

Now listening to "Lux Feminae 900-1600" by Montserrat Figueras on Alia Vox Spain.

This has become one of my favorite early music recordings.

 

Now listening to "Songs Of The Troubadours (c. 1200)" performed by Jordi Savall and Hesperion XX from the "Espana Antigua" box set on Virgin.



original cover...

 

Virgin has packaged Savall's recordings several ways. I have a five disc set. But I don't believe it includes that disc.

 

Via Spotify

 

Now, from the box that just arrived: Beethoven: Symphonies 3, Op.55; 8, Op.93 - Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - Beethoven: The Symphonies, The Piano Concertos, The Violin Concerto, 3 Overtures - 8 CDs, Decca; disc 5

 

Congrats on finding that box! I have only heard the Backhaus concerto recordings inside, but they are incredible, even better than his sets of the sonatas.

 

Mornin', George! Just had a look at it on Amazon--ouch! $$$$$$$! I don't have any of those Backhaus recordings of the cti., but I do have him in the 5th with the Royal Albert Hall Or. under Landon Ronald (78 RPM, Victor set 21) and in the 4th with the VPO under Clemens Kraus (LP, Richmond B 19017) and the NYPO under Guido Cantelli (March 1955, CD, Andromeda ANDRCD 5092). Do you know any of those and how they stack up against the ones in the set?

 

Don't you just hate that? After a long day looking forward to spending some quality time with your records, you're so wiped you can't enjoy them--or worse. I tried to push it last night, as my long (well, not that long, to be honest, but it seemed like it) awaited Georgescu CD of Schubert's 8th and 9th syms. finally arrived from Taiwan, as did my new (to me) amp from southern Virginia. Thought I could at least audition the "Unfinished," and the first mvt. really was lovely, with some very interesting, presumably Eastern European sounds coming from the orchestra, and my new toy really sings--but I actually dozed off before it was over. Sigh...

 

No, I don't. I'd love to hear them, though.

 

The disc I was listening to - or rather, trying to listen to - skips like mad. The booklet is also missing. This set, which cost me quite a lot and was graded "very good" with no caveat, turns out to be a bad buy. I've contacted the Amazon U.K. seller; let's wait and see what they have to say.

 

Oh, no! I hate that! Good luck!

For sure, amazon can get you all your money back via the AtoZ guarantee. I had to use that a number of times. Works like a charm.

 

Now playing the following LP from my Dvorak collection ...

 

I purchased the set to get the CD version of la resurrezione ...

 

Now listening to "Schubert - The Late Piano Sonatas D 958, 959 & 960/Three Piano Pieces D 946/Allegretto D 915" performed by Maurizio Pollini on DG.

 

Now playing CD4 - Chopin Scherzos, Nocturnes, Fantaisie and Ballades from the following box for a first listen ...

 

I am not familiar with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt but Wilhelm Backhaus and Henryk Szeryng are well represented in my collection ...

 

Is Spotify more popular than iTunes these days? I don't use either of them so I have no clue ...

 

They are different. Spotify is essentially a huge digital music library. I can select the recording I want to listen to and stream it. With my premium account, it streams at near CD quality. But I never "buy" the music from Spotify. iTunes offers a library-like service, but for the moment its principal mode of operation is to sell downloads.

This may change; iTunes purchased a Spotify competitor, Beats (which in turn had bought MOG), recently. Also there's a new kid in town, Tidal, which offers CD quality streaming. I keep telling myself, I should try it out, But the earliest reports made Tidal classical music selection sound questionable, and for a while Tidal would not work on Squeezeboxes. That latter issue has been resolved, and the former issue may have been. One of these days I will take advantage of their free trial period.

 

Looks like Spotify should be able to compete with iTunes over the long haul. I listen to internet radio via my internet tuner over my WiFi. I should connect my internet tuner to my audio system in my study one of these days.

 

Now playing CD54 - Continuation of Telemann Paris Quartets by the Kuijken clan and Gustav Leonhardt from the following box for a first listen. These quartets are among the gems of this box IMO ...

 

Some of the performances in this box are really smoking, no pun intended ...