Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #19)

I have the six CD Box Set of Holmboe's Symphonies on BIS, O.R. Hughes conducting as well, great stuff worth exploring, interesting label as well.

 

Now playing:

• R. Strauss: Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24 + Metamorphosen, study for 23 solo strings + Four Last Songs* - Gundula Janowitz (s)*; Herbert von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic [DG 1971 (Metamorphosen) & 1974, remastered in 1995 in the first of the 'Originals' series -- I can't understand how anyone could dislike these performances, HvK was a master Straussian -- one of the best classical CD reissues ever, IMHO, hopefully Esoteric will remaster soon on SACD]

Btw, here are the four new releases in the DG Originals series (not shown: Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle's Spiritual duets album), going into its 16th year (first series released in US on January 23, 1996). Release schedule has slowed considerably, fewer titles per cycle, too, and no longer released in USA. Still some good nuggets dreged up, such as Kempff's Liszt. Release date: January 10, 2011, EU only.

 

Now playing this rarity......can't believe how the price has soared on this.
Bought it early Summer for $21 LN.....now goes for around $60 LN!!
Has a high user review rating as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-R...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1293514845&sr=1-1

 

YES.....I was surprised to find it on MHS!!

 

Long time TAS "Superdisc" List favorite finally gets a spin over the Holiday break.

Britten THE PRINCE OF THE PAGODAS - Benjamin Britten conducting Covent Garden Orchestra, DECCA Ace of Diamonds GOS 558-9 2LP Box Set
includes the 4 page folded insert, original Decca UK liners.

One of the great audiophile orchestral recordings, a very natural soundstage, this LP is often used as demo record when it can be found. Originals Dutch/UK issues are the Ace of Diamonds brand Decca pressings, there is no earlier issue of the LP in the UK. It's always nice when a composer conducts their own works, and it sounds as good as this one sounds.

 

Were these out earlier on CD issues in the late 80s/early 90s on West German silver-hubs, or on the Galleria series. And if you know, do these Image bit-processed versions sound better?

 

The first to couple Metamorphosen with Four Last Songs was a Galleria release. Add Death and Transfiguration and some remastering and it's a perfect reissue, as far as I'm concerned: all major works by a pre-eminent conductor in total sympathy with Strauss, topped off by Janowitz's creamy soprano voice and the unassailable playing of the Berlin Philharmonic in these works.

 

This past year I have been on a bit of a Varèse kick, exploring each of the works as done by each conductor that tackled them. One of the attractions is that there are not that many compositions by the composer, it's a pretty easy task, yet with a difficult composer. Early stuff on Vox/Candide, a touch of Decca, DG, RCA or EMI here and there and you are done.

This LP jumped out at me because it looks like it might have been pictures from the pages of a Pink Floyd reissue CD, Music from "La Valley" "Obscured by Clouds", "More" or something.

Edgard Varèse - Konstantin Simonovitch, Paris Instrumental Ensemble For Contemporary Music Music Of Varèse, Angel Records S-36786

 

I thought I might have this also. However it was another compilation, Volume 58 of the series Great Pianists of the 20th Century: Evgeny Kissin. Using his great technique, Kissin plays it fairly fast.



If you are interested in a different approach, it shows up in the series Complete Piano Music of Liszt on Naxos, volume 5, played by Oxana Yablonskaya. Her interpretation is very lyrical and a half minute longer. Recorded in 1994, released in 1997, Oxana was at that time a member of the piano faculty of The Juilliard School of Music. Other sellers on Amazon have it around 4.50.



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Another Naxos volume continues the Schubert song transcriptions, this time with the pianist Valerie Tryon on volume 17.

 

I was in Chicago in late February 2009 and saw the best concert I've yet seen: Pierre Boulez conducting CSO in Stravinsky (Symphony in Three Movements, 1942 - 1945 and Four Studies for Orchestra, 1914 - 1948), Carter (Reflexions, dedicated to Boulez on his 80th birthday in 2004), Varese (the mammoth Amériques, 1918 - 1921 and the percussion-only Ionisation, 1929 - 1931). No recording can capture what I heard that night. Amazing, awe-inspiring.

 

Fwiw, I have heard Hyperion will be gathering all of Leslie Howard's Liszt discs from the last 20 years and will be assembling a Liszt Piano Works megabox in time for the Franz Liszt's double-centennial in 2011. A reference to end all references, even if there are better interpretations out there. The Mahler anniversary continues as well (150th birthday in 2010), with the 100th anniversary of the death of Gustav Mahler on May 18, 2011.

 

Yes, Boulez conducting those works sounds very fine for those inclined to enjoy these works. These is only one of him, best caught live while you can. He's been through these works many time over the decades, I can't think of any other conductor who has a background in 20th Century works and especially the Avant-Garde as Pierre Boulez has. "Ionisation" talk about heavy metal!

 

Guy musta had a sense of humor!

 

Many thanks! ...I see another vote for the Runnicles here..Amazon.uk sells the Stokowski too..I have to check some samples

 

Is that LP also a stereo recording? If so, how does the sound compare?

 

Now playing...

 

Good morning!

Haydn
String Quartets Op. 76
No.1 in G
No.2 in D "Fifths"
No.3 in C "Emporer"
Kodály Quartet

Nice playing and sound. No 3's famous second movement theme and variations nicely done.

 

"The modern-day composer refuses to die"

It's a great record. Zappa's King Kong from Uncle Meat is some kind of serious composing. It's good to remember just how the weird humor of Satie became a big part of the Avant-Garde musical landscape.

 

Thanks for the heads up. It seems that none of the famous heavy hitters in piano have tackled this piece on record besides Kissin. How strange for such a beautiful piece of music.

 

I used to have a wonderful CD by Jorge Bolet of Schubert song transcriptions:




http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=56490

 

why don't you have it anymore?

 

Yes, he does well in that repertoire. I have the Ensayo edition of those works, not sure if they are the same performances.

 

There was the earlier mono 2 disc set in the UK (Decca LXT) which was recorded by Kenneth Wilkinson, while the stereo tape was by Cyril Windbank.

 

The SACD may be better, but I haven't listened to it. I have the vinyl version.

The Stokowski disc is also one of the greatest rendition of Carmina.