Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #7)

I have his Chopin Complete Etudes on CD for many years, released by Chesky Record, which at the time (probably the early 90's) had some of the best sounds.

 

I have his re-recording of those works, made in 2005.

 

Now Playing:

Debussy
Children's Corner
Cortot
Biddulph
1928
Mastered by Ward Marston

 

On Ivory Classics?

 

yep.

 

How do you rank Earl Wild as a pianist?

 

He's not to my taste, but he is revered by those who enjoy his playing.

 

Among the American pianists, I only listen to Van Cliburn, Earl Wild and Murray Perahia. My collection of piano works is extremely Euro-centric ...

 

Now this

 

Now this

 

Now playing CD5 from this set - B6 and Leonore Overture

 

Now playing CD14 from this set - 19 Polish Songs

 

Vol. 9, CD 7, Mitridate re di Ponto, an opera seria from this set (Musica Ad Rhenum/Jed Wentz).

 

She's a lovely girl, isn't she?

 

Now Playing...



Release Date: 07/06/1993
Label: Dorian Recordings Catalog #: 90172 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms
Performer: Ivan Moravec
Conductor: Eduardo Mata
Orchestra/Ensemble: Dallas Symphony Orchestra

 

You meant Anna Haase

 

Now this

 

Does anyone have a set of LPs of Beethoven's piano sonatas they recommend? Or maybe even want to sell (if they play silently).

 

I've got one, and I intend to keep it. Kempff's mono set from the early fifties manages to have better sound than the stereo remakes. The old Arrau set on Philips is worth tracking down.

 

Missed this earlier. Yes, I believe Marston did restorations for Biddulph. The label, as I understand things, is associated with a highly respected dealer in violins, which explains its concentration (obviously not exclusive) on string recordings. As far as I know, it is exclusively devoted to reissuing historic material. The issues that I've heard have maintained a consistently high standard.

A belated further observation: around this time, Stokowski recorded quite a lot of "central" literature for Victor, including a complete Brahms sym. cycle. The performances are in general very good and even fairly traditional, not wildly eccentric as the stereotype would have us believe.

Oh, for the Chopinists among us, just today I got the Feb. 2010 BBC Music Magazine. It's a 200th anniversary issue with an 11-page feature on Chopin. The accompanying CD is, of course, a Chopin disc--but about half of it is orchestrated!

 

As Charlie Brown would say - Ugh!!!

Me, I am enjoying Luisada's Chopin Waltzes on DG CD. He's not well known, but I love his Chopin. His Mazurkas are my favorite!

 

Anyone else checked out Jeremy Denk's blog?

Here's a comment on Brahms:

"Brahms has many virtues; but certainly his greatest contribution to the history of culture is his demonstration that obesity can be musically satisfying. How many times have you been at a master class on Brahms and heard the coacher say to the coachee, “play it fatter, bigger, rounder …”? Bazillions of times. Brahms is the culmination of a giant all-you-can-eat buffet of wholesome harmony. (Wagner the culmination of a giant all-you-can-eat orgy? Ahem.) It is true: you will be playing a phrase of Brahms, and towards the middle you will start to feel the phrase fill up with … yummy goodness. With tasty filling. It is terrible to hear such phrases played without the artist tasting the custard in the middle, even just a little; it becomes Brahms with Nutrasweet. Don’t even get me started on those fat, delicious, dripping chords, yearning to be played with sausage fingers."

 

More early music. Now playing this CD, which arrived 2 days ago ...

 

Jay, the stereo set by Wilhelm Kempff is quite good and relatively inexpensive compared with the previous release. I have both stereo sets and the mono set.