Classical Corner Classical Music Corner

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

  1. Buzzman3535

    Buzzman3535 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    Hello-

    posed this question and was directed to ask it in this thread. Any recommendations would be appreciated:

    I am basically a novice in the classical genre.

    Could you recommend your favorite piece of music and tell me why its good.

    I would like to spend some time with a few of the recommendations, but would like to understand in layman terms why its appreciated over and above other pieces.

    I can't read music and I don't know more than the basics on the major composers. I am sure that enthusiasts have like 100 pet recommendations, but if you don't mind I don't want to suffer information overload.

    Please pick on of your favorites. If I end up liking these I intend to buy on vinyl so if you want to include a pressing recommendation too that would be appreciated.
     
    George P likes this.
  2. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Beethoven's sonatas were my first love in classical music and remain my favorite. Why is it good? It had great tension, excitement, beauty and drama.

    A good start would be this CD:

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. HiResGeek

    HiResGeek Seer of visions

    Location:
    Boston
    I will essentially reiterate what I posted in the OP's thread:

    Since I don't know anything about your musical tastes, and classical music has so many different genres, there is a high degree of probability that what I suggest won't resonate with you. At the risk of skirting the rules, I will recommend a recording which is one of my favorites that I think also has broad appeal to a classical neophyte.

    Bach: 6 Brandenburg Concertos
    Munich Bach Orchestra & Karl Richter
    Arkiv-DG

    These are recommendable performances of some of the best-known pieces by arguably the greatest composer in Western history. I don't have a specific pressing to recommend to you, but I can provide a link to the discogs page which lists out various editions.

    bach karl richter brandenburg music | Discogs

    As @George P noted, the Beethoven "name" sonatas are another good place to start. There are many recommendable recordings of these - hundreds, in fact - but the Moravec disc he posted above is a solid recommendation.
     
  4. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all.....

    I will throw out this as a favorite piece of music: Tchaikovsky 6th symphony, the Pathetique. One well known great performance would be the Leningrad Symphony conducted by Evgeny Mravinsky ( stereo). You can find it on CD or as LP-issued by DG. Why is it great? Well for me it is a commanding piece of symphonic music exploring a wide range of human emotion. It is the antithesis of cold heartless type of music.
     
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  5. Ron Jones

    Ron Jones Happiness is a Warm Gun

    Location:
    AR, U.S.A.
    Janos Starker - Bach: Suites For Unaccompanied Cello Complete
    (45 RPM 200 Gram 6 LP Box Set) Ships Friday, anybody else pumped about this one? I know it is $180 bucks but I can't wait to get a copy of this version to see if it is improved from the SC
     
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  6. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I don't do vinyl, but my shelves are already well stocked of performances I enjoy of these works; Casals, Fournier, Bylsma and Wispelwey.
     
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  7. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    That is such a great work. I wrote a paper on it in college.

    My favorite performance is the Bernstein on DG.
     
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  8. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all.....

    Are these triple A?
     
  9. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    The performance is, but I guess you mean analogue recording/mixing/transfer :)
     
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  10. Ron Jones

    Ron Jones Happiness is a Warm Gun

    Location:
    AR, U.S.A.
    Here is the information on how they cut these:

    Cut directly from the original 3-track, first-generation master tapes at 45 RPM by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound using an AMPEX ATR-100 tape machine customized with 3-track flux magnetic heads!

    These newly remastered Mercury Living Presence reissue LPs represent the state of the art of all-analog technology and production. Led by remastering supervisor Thomas Fine, son of high-fidelity recording pioneers C. Robert Fine and Wilma Cozart Fine of Fine Recording Inc. in New York City, these reissues were cut at 45 RPM directly from first-generation 3-track master tapes. A 3-2 channel mix was made directly to the cutting lathe, no "cutting master" tape stage, digital source or digital delay was used.

    Thomas Fine made the 3-2 mixes with mastering engineer Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound's new facility in Nashville, Tennesee. Smith manually controlled groove margin and depth on his Neumann VMS-80 lathe, working with no preview signal and bypassing the lathe's margin-control computer. In doing so, he cut these sides the same way the original LP was cut by George Piros, who was Fine Recording Inc's VP and head of mastering. As with the original LP, no "sweetening" equalization or dynamic range control was used.

    The definitive recording and perrformance of these works by JS Bach was originally released as a 3LP Mercury Living Presence Stereo SR3-9016, original mint copies of which command hundreds of dollars on the preowned LP market. Hungarian-American cellist János Starker epitomized refined elegance and superbly subtle bow work. Starker, who died in April 2013, was one of the 20th century's most renowned cellists.

    Starker's recording of the Suites from 1965 makes a lasting impression on the listener, and even record producers who are well used to recorded excellence have been highly impressed. Starker's full-bodied sound and technical brilliance are complemented by his finely chiseled interpretation that lends immense expression to Bach's thrilling harmony and verve to the strict rhythmic construction of the movements.

    This 6LP set, cut at 45 RPM, allows for the full dynamics present on the master tapes to shine through masterfully, as the wider-spaced grooves across the six sides, instead of three, let your stereo cartridge track more accurately. Housed in a glossy lid-style box reproducing the original artwork. Plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs.
     
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  11. Ron Jones

    Ron Jones Happiness is a Warm Gun

    Location:
    AR, U.S.A.
    If you had to just pick one of Casals, Fournier, Bylsma, and Wispelwey which one would you take George? I'm still a novice on the Classical Music side and just wondered who was your favorite of these works.

    Thanks,
     
  12. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Hi Ron,

    I would surely pick this Wispelwey set:

    [​IMG]
     
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  13. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all.....

    Get the additional box set of the Taneyev string quartets performed by the Taneyev Quartet issued by the same label. Also excellent.
     
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  14. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all.....

    This morning: CD 75 from the big DG 120 box. There are many excellent recording in this box.[​IMG]
     
  15. Someone In A Tree

    Someone In A Tree Crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples

    Location:
    Pennsylvania, USA
    [​IMG]
    Listened to this last night for the first time. And on top of the fingerwork, I was impressed with the sound. Some DG piano discs are disappointing in this department. And this is recorded live, to boot! Brahms/Rachmaninov/Schubert/Ravel.
     
  16. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all.....

  17. Daedalus

    Daedalus I haven't heard it all.....

    This morning I am listening to this vinyl box set recently acquired at a shop in Boston. I have the CD set which is part of the Bruno Walter new box set. I have the old fancy woven cloth blue label Columbia set as well. The vinyl set is very alive and immediate. This is Columbia 6 eye.[​IMG]
     
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  18. Olias of Sunhill

    Olias of Sunhill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jim Creek, CO, USA
    I recently noticed that Karajan's 1963 Beethoven cycle is soon to appear on import SHM-SACD. Does anyone have any observations on recent DG SHM-SACD releases versus their non-SHM counterparts? The Blu-Ray version of this recording is available at an attractive price. (Sorry if this question is old hat. I've done multiple searched and found little discussion of the high-res releases of the 1963 Karajan Beethoven).
     
  19. Olias of Sunhill

    Olias of Sunhill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jim Creek, CO, USA
    Well, I'm going to answer half of my own question in a few weeks. I picked up the Blu-Ray version of the 1963 Karajan recordings from a UK seller to compare with my somewhat dodgy LP set. While I hope this scratches my Karajan itch, I'm still interested in impressions of the recent DG SHM-SACD releases if anyone cares to share. Thanks.
     
  20. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    The SHM SACD that I heard, in comparison to a non audiophile mastering of a CD was quite different. At first, I didn't like the sound very much at all. It seemed thinner, distant, kind of like an X-ray of the sound I was used to hearing. Over time, it grew on me, though, and now I like it a bit more than the original. This is the SHM SACD (left) and 2 CD set (right) I am referring to:

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  21. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Today I saw this set of Beethoven sonatas (all recorded live) in a local store:

    [​IMG]

    Having never heard of this pianist (or this set) before I did some Googling and found this interesting interview with the pianist:



    I listened to much of the video walking around the record store and, after listening to some samples on Presto (just listen to unique take on the opening to the Les Adieux sonata), decided to pick up the set. In the interview, he talks about researching different editions, likening the process to that of a private investigator who is seeking out the hidden truths in the music. He also talks about focusing a bit more on bringing out the emotion in the music. And he gives praise to Annie Fischer's set. These three things really made me want to hear his interpretations.

    Tonight I listened to his Op. 2 sonatas and really enjoyed them. His playing is confident, clear and unique without being eccentric. The slow movements have great emotional depth and drama, while his outer movements (with one exception) are powerfully strong, while remaining classical in style. His performances are a joy to listen to, as one gets the impression that the pianist really is inside this music and he is playing it in a way that is distinctly unique to him. Still, I hear elements of Backhaus, Annie Fischer and Schnabel in his playing, though he certainly sounds younger than Backhaus and more grounded than Annie Fischer and Schnabel.
     
  22. Eigenvector

    Eigenvector Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southeast PA
    This set is on my “investigate” list. Thanks for this write up! Now I’m even more curious to check it out.
     
    George P likes this.
  23. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    No problem!

    It's reasonably priced right now at amazon. $49.99 shipped free with Prime.
     
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  24. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Marston Records | Home

    Just got this in an email from Marston records (Below I have pasted the tracklisting):

    Happy belated New Year from Marston Records!

    We are excited to announce a surprise piano release to begin the new decade which will be shipped beginning next week: Landmarks of Recorded Pianism, Volume 2. In this second volume of the series, producers Ward Marston and Gregor Benko once again select piano recordings of great historical significance. There are several broadcast items presented: “live” performances by Rosenthal of Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, as well as Mark Hambourg playing Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 and short selections from a Japanese broadcast by Ignaz Friedman, all of which expand our understanding of these pianists’ artistic contributions. Additional broadcast performances by Etelka Freund, Percy Grainger and Reah Sadowsky, plus a unique broadcast of Grace Castagnetta improvising, are joined by commercial recordings of composer Federico Mompou and pianists Rosita Renard and Frank La Forge that have never been reissued before, as well as what is probably the earliest fortepiano recording, Arnold Dolmetsch playing the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata. The volumes of this ongoing series will likely prove to be cornerstones of any library of historical piano recordings.

    If you are an All-Preferred or Piano-Preferred customer, you will receive this set automatically, but please contact us if your credit card details have changed recently. Otherwise, click the image below to view this set on our website or to place an order.

    Best regards,

    The folks at Marston


    CD 1 (78:58)
    Moritz Rosenthal (1862–1946)
    1. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp Minor (Liszt-Rosenthal) 10:44
    11 February 1929; New York City; Edison Hour Broadcast; unpublished
    2. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp Minor (Liszt-Rosenthal) 7:47
    16 April 1930; Berlin; (30473/4) Ultraphon F 486
    Percy Grainger (1882–1961)
    3. Introductory Remarks by Grainger 1:02
    4. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 (Bach-Tausig) 8:44
    5. Scotch Strathspey and Reel (Grainger) 3:48
    6. Irish Tune from County Derry (Traditional, arranged Grainger) 3:31
    22 July 1953; Midwestern Music Camp recital at University of Kansas; unpublished
    Federico Mompou (1893–1987)
    7. Canción y Danza No. 1 (Mompou) 2:52
    13 December 1929; Barcelona; (BJ 2830-2) Spanish HMV AA 172
    8. Canción y Danza No. 2 (Mompou) 3:01
    13 December 1929; Barcelona; (BJ 2831-2) Spanish HMV AA 172
    9. Canción y Danza No. 3 (Mompou) 3:05
    20 December 1929; Barcelona; (BJ 2863-4) Spanish HMV AA 175
    10. Valse in A Minor, Op. 34, No. 2 (Chopin-Mompou) 2:38
    20 December 1929; Barcelona; (BJ 2864-1) Spanish HMV AA 177
    11. Secreto (Mompou) 2:23
    20 December 1929; Barcelona; (BJ 2865-2) Spanish HMV AA 177
    12. Canción y Danza No. 4 (Mompou) 2:29
    29 January 1930; Barcelona; (BJ 3027-1) Spanish HMV AA 175
    13. Canción y Danza No. 6 (Mompou) 3:15
    Late June 1944; Barcelona; (T6917-2) Spanish HMV private issue
    14. Paisajes No. 1: La fuente y la campana (Mompou) 3:34
    Late June 1944; Barcelona; (T6918-1) Spanish HMV private issue
    Ignaz Friedman (1882–1948)
    15. Polonaise in A-flat, Op. 53 (Chopin) 6:37
    28 February 1933; London; (CAX 6733-1/6734-3) Argentinian Columbia 264968
    16. Mazurka in B-flat, Op. 7, No. 1 (Chopin) 2:11
    17. Polonaise in B-flat, Op. Posthumous (Chopin) 4:23
    18. Song Without Words, Op. 67, No. 4, “Spinning Song” (Mendelssohn) 1:50
    19. Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28, No. 15, “Raindrop” (Chopin) 5:03
    8 October 1933; Tokyo; Studio Broadcast; unpublished

    CD 2 (79:54)
    Frank La Forge (1879–1953)
    1. Pasquinade (Caprice), Op. 59 (Gottschalk) 3:14
    1 October 1912; Camden, New Jersey; (B-12420-4) Victor 45050
    Rosita Renard (1894–1949)
    2. Madrigal (Monteverdi-Alderighi) 3:09
    17 December 1929; New York City; (E31524) Brunswick 41257
    3. Feuxd’artifice, No. 12 from Préludes Book II (Debussy) 3:07
    28 February 1930; New York City; (E32021) Brunswick 41257
    Reah Sadowsky (1915–2012)
    4. Transcendental Etude in B Minor, Op. 11, No. 10, “Lezghinka” (Lyapunov) 7:33
    17 September 1944; New York City; WNYC Studio Broadcast; unpublished
    Mark Hambourg (1879–1960)
    Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23 (Tchaikovsky)
    5. I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso—Allegro con spirito 17:52
    6. II. Andantino semplice—Prestissimo—Tempo I 6:31
    7. III. Allegro con fuoco—Molto meno mosso—Allegro vivo 6:54
    25 February 1955; London; BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent; unpublished
    Arnold Dolmetsch (1858–1940)
    Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2, “Moonlight” (Beethoven)
    9. I: Adagio sostenuto 5:07
    ca. 1933; location unknown; (19/18) Dolmetsch Recording No. 8
    Etelka Freund (1879–1977)
    Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata” (Beethoven)
    9. I. Allegro assai 9:11
    10. II. Andante con moto 5:36
    11. III. Allegro, ma non troppo—Presto 7:52
    29 September 1951; New York City; WNYC Studio Broadcast; unpublished
    Grace Castagnetta (1912–1998)
    12. Improvisation on four notes (Castagnetta) 3:47
    20 July 1944; New York City; Concert Broadcast; unpublished
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2020
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  25. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    In case you haven't seen this:

     
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