Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #19)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George P, Dec 7, 2010.

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  1. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    My pleasure! I am so glad that you and Graphyfotoz enjoyed the CD so much. :wave:
     
  2. Graphyfotoz

    Graphyfotoz Forum Classaholic

    Location:
    South-Central NY
    +1 couldna said it any better!! :cheers:
     
  3. What a great thread this is. Thanks for sharing all the priceless info, and establishing such an easy going yet erudite corner to the Forum. I've learned a good deal, and only read Part 19 so far. I plan on digging back for more.

    In recent months, I experienced a surge of interest in classical music, spurred by a few pieces really moving me, and then the pleasure in being able to connect with my Dad (he's a choral conductor) in discussing the experience.

    Previously, it was 'his music'. Since joining the Forum, I mainly listened from an audiophile perspective to labels: Living Stereo, Mercury, Decca, HMV, surround sound SACDs. I paid more attention to the sonics than the material or performance.

    Case in point, I ended up with maybe 100 mono RCA and Mercury LPs since they were an inexpensive way to hear the with the Living Stereo / Living Presence material, or crackly stereo originals bought on the cheap. As much as there are wonderful RCA and Mercury records to hear, this blinkered process, only buying classical with 'audiophile credentials' resulted in a not always pleasurable experience. I've since got round to listening to it all critically, with an eye to culling, and feeling non-plussed sold off most of the RCA material, and opened up the field (and shelf space) to a wide range of labels.

    The exercise I've found most informative has been conducting shoot outs of a single piece by half a dozen performers. This helps define my preferences for particular performers and compositions, and exacerbates an intolerance for less than perfect vinyl.

    The recordings that stirred my classical passion:

    • Ravel / Budapest Quartet - Quartet in F Major [Columbia mono]
    • Stravinsky / Bernstein - The Rite of Spring [Columbia mono]
    • Mozart / Alan Civil - Horn Concertos [Philips]
    • Bach / Munchinger - A Musical Offering [London]
     
  4. Here's the batch of classical vinyl I just picked up in New York at Academy Records on 18th Street. Many were selected by label (London, Argo, DG, and Philips fast becoming safe bets, along with Nonesuch mastered by Bob Ludwig, Columbia 360 Sound, Mercury Golden Imports) meaning that regardless of the performance the sonics should be satisfactory. As far as performers go, its early days, but one that seems clear for me is Bernstein on anything when you want passion [Sony's huge Symphony box on CD may be a future purchase].

    This list represents a branching out to try composers I hadn't considered, inspired by folks on this thread and the enthusiasm for early/baroque music, Mahler, Bach, Ives, Wagner, and others. And also reading a stack of old Gramaphone magazines and the Penguin guide.

    Rather than post classical finds on the 'vinyl finds' thread as I've been doing in the past, it seems to make more sense to post on this thread.

    Bach / de Klerk - Acht Kleine Praludien und Fugen [Telefunken, Das Alte Werk mono]
    Bach / Dupre - The Six Schuber Chorale Preludes [Mercury Golden Imports]
    Bach / Zabaleta - Partita 2 [DG 1973]
    Beethoven / Beaux Arts Trio and Haitink - Triple Concerto Op 56 [Philips]
    Beethoven / Brendel -Diabeli Variations [Philips 1976]
    Beethoven / Hirsch - 12 German Dances [Telefunken 1976]
    Beethoven / Weller Quartet - Quartet 10 /11 [London 1976 / 1965]
    Brahms / Bernstein - Symphony 4 [Columbia 360 Sound stereo]
    Britten / Guest - Rejoice in the Lamb [Argo 1965]
    Carissimi / Parkai - Jonas, Baltazar [Hungaroton 1984]
    Carpenter / Hanson - Adventures in a Perambulator [Mercury Golden Imports]
    Copland / Copland and Earl Wild - Piano Concerto [Vanguard stereo]
    CPE Bach / Ledger -Magnificat [Argo 1977]
    CPE Bach / Fischer-Dieskau -Oden Psalmen und Lieder [Archiv 1969]
    Handel / Lehman - Water Music [Archive, Deutsche Grammophon, 1951] Based on the bland covers, I'd avoided the Archive series, and am now just learning that it was dedicated to new recordings of music pre-1800, and not a DG reissue label as I had assumed. I'm unclear why this series always show up for $0.50, since its what appears to be a high end German product from DG's heyday.
    Haydn / Ferencsik - The Seven Last Words of Christ [Hungaraton 1980]
    Ives / Bernstein - Symphony 3 [Columbia 360 Sound stereo]
    Lejeune / Kreder - Chants dl la Renaissance [Nonesuch stereo]
    Mahler / Haitink - Lieder Eines Fahrended Gesellen [Philips]
    Mahler / Stokowski - Symphony 2 [RCA 1975]
    Monteverdi / Saltzman - Madrigals [MHS stereo]
    Mozart / Ristenpart - Symphonie Concertante in E Flat Major [Musical Heritage Society] I've avoided MHS to date since the plain covers looked sketchy, and I hadn't heard of the performers. Now that I've read a little, I experimented with a couple of titles.
    Mozart / Boskovsky - Complete Dances and Marches [London]
    Mozart / Davis - Wind Concertos [Philips]
    Mozart / Solti -Symphony 38 / 25 [London 1977]
    Mozart / Solti and Alicia de Larrocha - Piano Concerto No. 25/27 [London 1978]
    Mozart / Tuckwell and Maag - Horn Concertos 1-4 [London]
    Nielsen / Bernstein - Symphony 3 [Columbia 360 Sound stereo]
    Nielsen / Garaguly - Symphony No. 2 [Turnabout stereo]
    Offenbach / Solti - Gaite Parisienne [London]
    Poulenc / Brown - Concert Champetre [Argo 1979]
    Prokofiev / Mravinsky - Symphony 6 [Artia mono 1960]
    Ravel / Sequoia String Quartet - Quartet in F Major [Delos digital 1979]
    Respighi / Dorati - Ancient Airs and Dances [Mercury Golden Imports]
    Schumann / Arrau - Kreisleriana, Sonata No. 2 [Philips]
    Sibelius / Jalas - Tempest Suites One and Two [London 1975]
    Telemann / Koopman - Fantasien, Ouverture [Philips 1978]
    Tippett / Davis - A Child of Our Time [Philips 1975]
    Various / Alicia de Larrocha - Ravel's Concerto for Left Hand etc. [London 1975]
    Various / Caruso - The Voice of the Century [RCA 1962]
    Various / Mathieu - Virtuoso Harp [Eurodisc 1981]
    Various / Storck - The Harp and the French Impressionists [Turnabout Vox]
    Wagner / Solti - Tristan und Isolde [London stereo boxed set]
    Wilbye / Deller - The English Madrigal School [Vanguard stereo]
    Williams / Robert Tear - Songs of Travel [Argo 1973]
     
  5. Graphyfotoz

    Graphyfotoz Forum Classaholic

    Location:
    South-Central NY
    I hear ya....I have learned a ton about classical here.
    Whats good and what's not.....composers I never knew about.
    Just a wealth of Classical info from the Veterans here!

    I know what ya mean!
    My Father-In-Law was a High School Music Teacher for many years.
    I get to share with him now and then (He is 90).
    He seems to like Copland the most and is mostly a wood wind person.
    Likes to play His Sax and Recorder most.

    Looks like your well on your way to a nice Collection.
    Mine has grown vastly over the past year....raided some collections up for sale here and there.
    Couple on Ebay and one locally has netted me some great deals!
    A recent Box Set sale we were made aware of netted me 2 17 disc sets NEW for less than $20!!
    Hope you continue to share your finds!! :righton:
     
  6. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Late last night, I placed an order on the following CD sets ...

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    The Beethoven SQ is only my third version ...
     
  7. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Jim, So you are the proud owner of this OOP CD by Natan Brand as well? It may be too late for me ... :sigh:
     
  8. John S

    John S Forum Resident

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    Good morning!

    Schubert
    Impromptus
    Op. 90 D.899 (1-4)
    Op. 142 D.935 (1-4)

    Alfred Brendel, piano

    I picked this one up cheap thinking at the very least it would be pleasant background. It has instead become one of my most treasured CDs.

    Op. 90 No. 1 is on my list as most beautiful music. Very LvB-ian with a less sturm, to these ears. The problem with playing it in the morning is that it will be ringing in my head all day long.:agree:
     

    Attached Files:

  9. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I love the Impromptus, John. Is that Brendel's Analog or Digital recoridng of them?
     
  10. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I have Perahia and Schiff and treasure both.
     
  11. Casino

    Casino Senior Member

    Location:
    BossTown
    Is that by the President?

    :)
     
  12. SBurke

    SBurke Nostalgia Junkie

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Though I have them in a different release, I think that picture is from the original CD release of the analog recording. Preferred by the Penguin Guide. I love Brendel in Schubert (though to be frank I've never tried to do a detailed comparison of the analog & digital Impromptus).
     
  13. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I thought certain ex-prez only plays saxophone ... :confused:
     
  14. John S

    John S Forum Resident

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    They are the analogs from 1972 and 1975.

    I respect Perahia immensely, however I have none of his Schubert.

    BTW, I see that D. 899 and D. 935 are on CD9 of my Lupu box. Haven't heard it yet.
     
  15. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I own many sets of the Impromptus and though I enjoy aspects of all of them, I have yet to find a clear favorite. Well, except for maybe Pires's set. She dedicated to Richter, who happens to be my favorite Schubert pianist of all.

    My (complete) sets of Impromptus:

    Schnabel
    Edwin Fischer
    Curzon
    Kempff
    Brendel (analogue)
    Perahia
    Lupu
    Barenboim
    Pires
     
  16. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I do not have a single recording by Perahia. How do you like him as a pianist?
    How about you George?
     
  17. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Though I don't own tons by him, I have yet to hear a recording by him that I didn't enjoy. Having said that, I have yet to hear a recording by him that subsequently became my favorite for that particular work.

    I have read very good things about his Schubert for four hands with Lupu, but have yet to pick it up.
     
  18. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Any particular recommendation for a first recording by him? He has a 5-CD set on Bach keyboard works that I heard selections over my local classical FM that I enjoyed but Sony has not been keeping up with the supply ...
     
  19. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I'd say the 4 Chopin Ballades.
     
  20. SteelyTom

    SteelyTom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, Mass.
    Any of his early, analogue '70s recordings of Schumann, the albums that made his reputation. In addition, the Mozart/Schubert CD of music for piano four hands with Radu Lupu. I haven't heard his new Brahms record or his recent Bach, but both have been very well-received.

    I'm also a big fan of his Mozart concerto series with the English Chamber Orchestra, which are some of the most natural-sounding orchestral recordings of the early CD era that I own.
     
  21. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    One of the great recordings, along with Perahia and Schnabel.
     
  22. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    Do you like the Mozart Piano Concerti?

    [​IMG]

    My favorite set. I also like Brendel's, Anda's and the few that Peter Serkin recorded.
     
  23. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I have that set and the Anda. I had Peter Serkin on LP (Nos. 14-19).

    I also have Bilson on fortepiano. I keep trying to enjoy them, but the balance doesn't work for me (unlike his recording of the two "piano" quartets which I like).
     
  24. SBurke

    SBurke Nostalgia Junkie

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Hard to commit to a favorite, but I'd put Pires right at the top as well. My list looks like yours except I do not have Barenboim, but do have Brendel's digital. And I actually just got Fischer, on the EMI Icon set, and haven't heard it yet.

    Moving beyond the complete sets, there is Dinu Lipatti in D899 Nos. 3 and 2 from 1957. I don't think there's any other version of the latter I feel I need to hear. The G flat though holds seemingly infinite mystery and it will never be resolved in one recording.

    Brendel's G flat from his farewell concerts discs is beautiful as well. Sample here: http://www.alfredbrendel.com/recordings.php
     
  25. drh

    drh Talking Machine

    I nurse a fondness in my heart for the old set by Ingrid Haebler on Vox. Worth checking out, and should be inexpensive if you can find a copy. As far as I know, LP only.

    I'm no great lover of Perahia, but I've been quite taken with his recent Bach, at least what I've heard on the radio. So I'd second your idea of that as a starting point. I'd advise giving his recording of the Schubert F Minor Fantasy with Lupu a miss--a critical darling, but I found it as low voltage as a power outage.

    Welcome to classical explorations--you have a lot of enjoyment and excitement ahead! For what it's worth, I find that Bernstein's older recordings for Columbia with the New York Phil. are most like your description, and most enjoyable; when he made the newer stuff with European orchestras on DG, I have the impression that he started striving for "profundity" and in the process lost the edge that made him what he was during his American years. That said, you should certainly listen with your own ears and form your own opinion.
     
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