Classical Corner Classical Music Corner

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George P, May 29, 2015.

  1. Octave

    Octave Shake Appeal

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    Michael Tippett: ORCHESTRAL & CHAMBER WORKS + VOCAL MUSIC BOXES (Decca)

    Ongoing this week. Also supplementing the one disc of string quartets (#1-3) in the box above with the second disc of the Lindsays' quartets cycle on ASV (whose disc 1 is the same as the disc in the Decca box). My first time to listen to many of these pieces.
     
  2. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    I need to listen to this symphony soon. My go to copy is Solti and the Chicago Symphony recorded live from 1991 on Decca. Powerful performance and good sound. I also have a copy of Levine and the Philadelphia Orchestra on RCA from the 70s but I prefer the Solti.
     
  3. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    The Partitas today. Great playing and sound.

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  4. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    No.32. Excellent playing and good sound. (It varies from decent to excellent since all are live performances in different venues.)

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  5. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I found this set and the Beethoven one on Spotify. After some sampling, I think I will probably pass on the Beethoven but may get the Chopin and other composers solo 2 Disc set.
     
  6. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    The Beethoven seems like an easier pass to me as well. I don't need yet another set of concertos, particularly in poor sound quality. As much as I adore Moonlight and Pathetique (lesser extent Op. 111) they would have to be pretty different from the mono box to be of interest to me.

    I was on the fence about the other one since Backhaus didn't strike me as a Chopin-ista and the only other pieces I really like from it were Schumann Fantasie and Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody 2. I will sample them as well, if the Chopin is good then that will push me over.
     
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  7. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    No.2 today. Well played and recorded, but the slow tempos rob it of any forward momentum.

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  8. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    Completely agree on Wasowski's Mazurkas. Listened to it once through with some more plays for my favorites and I think it's truly superb. I've been looking to upgrade many of my favorite piano pieces to modern sound with exceptional performance and this fits the bill.

    Do you mind posting the cover art for the Luisada you have and recordings dates in case DGG reissued it on another CD?

    Besides continuing to make my way through the Szell box and continuing my perusal through my favorite JS Bach cantata cycle by Gardiner this is an another CD I have played many times. This is the second version I have of Richter's Preludes and fortunately in much better sound quality but as usual incomplete! I am coming around to really liking these sort of romantic approaches (still not a fan of Gieseking's EMI recording). Same with JS Bach's keyboard works, I may not be such a fuddy duddy after all :laugh:

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    The Chopin Ballade No. 3 was interesting, Richter plays them only like he would with some interesting choices in tempi and what sections to highlight. The rest of the Chopin wasn't to my taste. And I haven't made it through to the other parts of the discs.
     
  9. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    Just listened to audio samples of Wasowski playing Chopin's Mazurkas. I liked what I heard, but unfortunately the recording was way too spatial for my taste. Pity.
     
  10. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    As long as you get the Luisada on a DG CD set (or a Newton Classics CD set), it will be the one i have. The only other complete set he did is for RCA. I haven't heard it.
     
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  11. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    I always thought that Pollini's Stravinsky Petrouchka was one of the greatest solo piano performances on record.
     
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  12. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    I thought I should have a HIP recording of these works. so I downloaded a 24/96 FLAC version today. He plays very well and the sound is great, but I prefer the more robust Romantic playing of Szeryng or Milstein.

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  13. Åke Bergvall

    Åke Bergvall Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mariestad, Sweden
    My favourite HIP version by a wide margin is the one by Rachel Podger on Channel Classics: https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Complet...bach&qid=1540707887&s=Music&sr=1-1&ref=sr_1_1. I should hasten to add that I have not heard Carmignola's recording.
     
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  14. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    A nice set and it sounds like they left Ward Marston's transfers alone just like on the superb Fritz Kreisler RCA box he remastered. Finished hearing disc 7 and Rachmaninoff's Preludes from disc 10 as well as Isle of the Dead. Moiseiwitsch's tale of him and Rachmaninoff discussing his Prelude in B Minor on The Art of Piano doc was my favorite segment from it.

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  15. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    I have Carmignolas recording of the Bach Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord, and feel exactly the same way. Good sound and playing but I wish the violin was a little more robust. For the Bach solo violin works I have on CD the 50s mono Sonatas by Nathan Milstein, and for the Partitas Viktoria Mullova from 1994 . Both of these discs are near perfect for my tastes!
     
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  16. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    A user review for that Carmignola album makes it sound very intriguing. Now hearing him along with Amandine Beyer play Vivaldi's Concerti for Two Violins

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  17. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    Have you heard Mullova's newer recording of both the Sonatas and Partitias? Apparently she uses a period bow and gut strings, but violin is a modern setup and she plays with her customary muscular style. Might be just the ticket!

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  18. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    No I have not heard this recording. Her Partitas disc from 1994 on Philips I am a huge fan of, however.
     
  19. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    This certainly lives up to the praised heaped upon it. Masterful playing and superb sound (24/192 FLAC).

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  20. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    Now revisiting Yves Nat playing several of the Beethoven sonatas (Op. 90, Op. 101, Op. 2/3 and Op. 31/2). One thing Nat makes it impossible to do is play them without getting your attention to hear what he is doing. Elastic tempos, unusual phrasing, etc. Currently on the last movement of Op. 31/2 highly unusual how he plays this, almost as eccentric as Gieseking. All these factors probably kept me from liking it in the past but these last few days I've been enjoying it!

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    I also listening to Schnabel play Op. 101, quite a beautiful performance. I was a bit harder on MOT than I should have been a few pages ago, these transfers do sound really good. I think it was hearing those raw Youtube clips that made think MOT's remasters were much more "veiled" than they actually were.
     
  21. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    @drh @George P

    I asked about Levy a while back, I managed to find downloads to listen to the first two volumes. I was hesitant to talk them up then since I was looking for the CDs :laugh: (finally found all 4 volumes at a package price, factory pressed discs not CD-Rs) I've listened to them quite a bit and will say his unique, deeply intense performances of Op. 106 and Liszt Piano Sonata are simply superb. I've enjoyed his own compositions as well.

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  22. Bubbamike

    Bubbamike Forum Resident

    When I was in New York a number of years ago when the first volume came out, I went to a talk by Garrick Olson on Liszt. He made a point of talking about Levy as a Lisztian, and how much he enjoyed the CD and was impressed by his playing.
     
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  23. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    I am looking for some opera advice. I am going to purchase my first copy of Verdi La Traviata. I have narrowed down my choices to either the Sutherland from 1962 with Pritchard conducting on Decca, or the Cotrubas with Carlos Kleiber conducting from 1977 on DG. Which would you choose, taking into consideration both performance and sound quality?
     
  24. drh

    drh Talking Machine

    Don't know either in person, but a general comment that may or may not be helpful: Sutherland did spectacular coloratura, but her diction was not good. If that matters to you, the other set may be a better bet. If historically minded (and not too picky about up-to-date sound), you might also want to sample Toscanini, who as a young man actually played in the orchestra under Verdi in--was it the premiere of Otello? In all events, he had a personal connection with the composer that makes his recordings worth knowing.
     
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  25. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    Thanks. I actually know a professional opera singer/teacher, and she told me the same exact thing about Sutherland. She said she is not really a fan, that her coloratura is great but that she is a lousy actress and has poor diction. I would prefer something with decent sound quality. I have a famous live Callas recording from the 50s and I can't get past the crappy sound. On the other hand, today I listened to the La Boheme conducted by Beecham on EMI from 1956. I actually learned about it on this thread. It is in mono sound but sounds pretty decent and is a great performance.
     

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