Another "never knew that existed" moment tonight. Efrem Zimbalist, of all people, wrote a suite of Spanish dances for viola called Sarasateana. Which is to say, they take as their launching point four short pieces by Pablo de Sarasate. The were commissioned, and here are played, by William Primrose, who was probably the most publicly celebrated violist of the mid-20th c. At the time, Zimbalist was head of Curtis, and Primrose taught there, doubtless the reason behind the commission. Be that as it may, they are fun pieces--if you know Sarasate's "Zapateado," try imagining it somewhat souped up and transferred from violin to viola. A hoot. That's the closing mvt.; the other three are, in order, Tango, Polo, and Malaguena. I see that two modern recordings are available on CD, one on Centaur and one on Naxos. I can't speak to either, but I can say that Primrose did disappoint. [Edit: Oops! Forgot to mention, Primrose's accomplished accompanist is pianist David Stimer, about whom I know only that he played on this record set. I should further add that the pressing is one of those late RCA Victor 78 RPM issues that don't fall much short of LP quietness of surface.]
Haydn String Quartets, op. 20 Auryn Quartet Tacet, 2010 2 CDs Fine interpretations, but one niggle about the venue acoustics.
Right... or perhaps a touch too much reverberation from the church where it was recorded. Of course it could be that my audio system is at fault. ??
Listening to these quartets a couple more times, I am struck by the fine performances and the clarity of the recorded sound. Turning up the volume does minimize the venue acoustics influence.
Dipping into this box set again, I like many of the 21 discs. Haydn The Complete String Quartets The Angeles String Quartet Philips, 2000 21 CDs recorded between 1994 and 1999 by Joanna Nickrenz and Marc Aubort
Lp. Tchaikovsky. Francesca da Rimini and Hamlet. Svetlanov conducting. 1978. USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra.
Igor Zhukov playing Tchaikovsky’s, The Seasons. Excellent performances of these pieces for solo piano. Very good recording quality. Melodiya( non-export).
A wonderful recording! 1958. Reissue of the famous Everest recording. An audiophile classic and very entertaining performances.
A similar issue, not on Music and Arts but on Berlin Classics, preserves Abendroth with Friedrich Wuhrer in Schumann's pno. cto., a work Wuhrer didn't record commercially. Abendroth actually did a commercial recording of the Brahms 4th, with the LSO, quite early on in the electric 78 era; Victor released it in the United States as set M 31.
If that’s the one (Schumann) I’m thinking of, I’ve only seen the Eterna LP and didn’t know that it also appeared on CD. As I’m just about finished tracking down all of the ‘Art of Hermann Abendroth’ Arlecchino titles, I’ll have launch a new search.
It's this one, coupled with the Schumann cello cto. (Tortellier). Always glad to help somebody else spend money--er, find something they want! I don't know if it's still in print; I took the photos from an eBay listing. Good luck!
My own copy is inbound... as soon as the UK mail troubles are over! They lost one of my packages from Prestomusic in December, which contained my would-be gift for my mother, and I fear they may have lost another package, this time from Europadisc...
Can't wait to hear it. I doubt it will beat Argerich/Chailly as my favorite (she's hellbent on that record!), but I have high hopes for 1-2-4 and the Rhapsody.
Oh, you got the whole set! Wise move. IMO, Rudy does not beat the Argerich/Chially for excitement or speed, but he does beat her in detail, beauty and articulation. I prefer Janis/Dorati over both of them in this work, though.
I bought another Takacs Quartet disc of Haydn string quartets. And I am sorry I did. You would think I wouldn't be that gullible, because 10 years ago, I reviewed another Takacs Quartet disc of Haydn and said I didn't like it. Here is part of my post from 2012. "I purchased three of the recordings on the New Yorker list of the best recordings of 2011. So far, I not excited by two of them. Next year, Alex Ross, will not be a favorite critic for me. I don't care for the lead violinist's technique and mannerisms on the Haydn: String Quartets Op. 74 - Takacs Quartet (Hyperion)..." The new disc receives the same criticism from me. I think the lead violin playing is weak-kneed. Haydn String Quartets Op, 42, 77 & 103 Takacs Qt Hyperion, 2022