I recently purchased this. I had never heard any of this music before and I rather like it. Andsnes plays with his usual sensitivity. The recording which was made in Berlin is a bit reverberant, as is common in European piano recordings, but not excessively so. The clarity of the recording is very good without sounding like the microphones were placed right inside the piano.
Congratulations! Beethoven's 9th is indeed a very appropriate piece of music to celebrate. Have a nice valentine's day!
I bought the first symphony from this cycle a few days ago. It will no doubt end up in this thread somewhere in the next few days. Too busy with my Mozart set right now.
First listen to CD 3 from "The Choir Of King's College Cambridge - The Complete Argo Recordings" directed by David Willcocks on Decca. Byrd: Mass for Five Voices Great Service - Magnificat & Nunc dimittis Ave verum Corpus
Now streaming on Amazon, "Sing With the Voice of Melody" performed by Stile Antico on Harmonia Mundi.
Now streaming on Amazon, "Annibale Padovano - Mass for 24 Voices" performed by the Huelgas-Ensemble led by Paul Van Nevel on Harmonia Mundi France.
(CD Deutsche Grammophon Universal Japan UCCG-4983 SHM-CD) 2014 .... recorded February-March 1969 .... Rafael Kubelik was a masterful Mahlerian and this Symphony 2 bears witness to the fact ....
DG obviously chose a Klimt theme for the covers of that series. Very appropriate. This one is part of The Kiss.
Did Kubelik do a good 3rd as well? I'm not a Mahler fan but was in the choir for a performance of this as a boy which was a great experience for me, and I've not heard it since which I should rectify!
You should go for this one .... : (CD Audite 24.403) 2001 .... Kubelik`s well paced conducting and the Symphonie Orchester des Bayrischen Rundfunks at their very best makes this a memorable performance (which I slightly prefer to the DG studio recording) .... excellent live recording sound courtesy of Bavarian Radio BR ....
Fabulous, thanks! The vinyl of this on Audite is rather pricey so I will pick up an earlier edition on DG for sure ...
Wasn’t entirely convinced by Kubelik‘s 3rd. My favourite one is Abbado‘s studio recording from the early 80s. That one is just amazing and the one you should get. It can be had for very cheap on CD as part of the Originals series (identical to the 80s CD in terms of sound)—the vinyl (which I also have) will be more expensive, but not impossible to find. The detail Abbado brings out in the score is lovely, while still keeping the whole in mind. Ever since I’ve heard that, I can’t unhear some of the phrasing and balancing—I am spoiled for other recordings. Also good is an earlier recording by Jascha Horenstein. But I still like Abbado‘s more.
I never thought about sewing. Maybe if I could sew it might be an option. But I agree that it is going to be difficult--or impossible--to repair one of these invisibly. I was thinking about gluing... perhaps using some super glue (fast drying, strong hold) made for paper/cloth. If all else fails, I suppose one could just tape the seam from the inside.