Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #24)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George P, Apr 12, 2011.

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  1. Bronth

    Bronth Active Member

    Location:
    Riga, Latvia
    Then I'll simplify the task and invite you to play a midnight baroque game. Which of these period recordings of Water Music do you like the best, Stuart? Or is it another, unmentioned option? Other opinions are also welcomed. :wave: (So far, after listening to samples, I give a slight edge to more lively versions from AAC/Hogwood and Tafelmusik, although the incomplete Norrington also does have some nice points, as well as the fastest among them all, Aradia, which is still also available on DVD-A.) Below are the first 5 contenders.
     

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  2. Bronth

    Bronth Active Member

    Location:
    Riga, Latvia
    The last two.
     

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  3. Bronth

    Bronth Active Member

    Location:
    Riga, Latvia
    Thanks! :cheers: My tortured (but still alive) romantic may try them then.
     
  4. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I certainly like the versions by Pinnock and Hogwood, which have been in my baroque collection for years. I have also found the following 2 versions worthy contenders with better sound. I only added them to my collection in the past year ...

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  5. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    These 2 versions are in my collection as well ...
     
  6. Bronth

    Bronth Active Member

    Location:
    Riga, Latvia
    Cool, thanks, I'll check them too. :cheers:
     
  7. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    IMO, the versions by Pinnock and Hogwood, though with older sound, are still very hard to beat in terms of performance and virtuosity. Better sound is not automatically better performance ...
     
  8. Bronth

    Bronth Active Member

    Location:
    Riga, Latvia
    You're right, say, the Aradia version probably has the best sound but it's definitely a rushed performance (I found that many Naxos baroque productions, while being expertly recorded, offer such a breakneck speed as their main "virtue"; some of them are unbearable to these ears), while the Hogwood is brisk but still natural.
     
  9. mkolesa

    mkolesa Forum Resident

    Hanson wrote some great music and I've always been surprised that he's not more widely played... During his time he was considered a bit of a romantic throwback, but these days who cares about academic distinctions like that? Anyways, there's definitely lots to discover here and if the price were right I'd say go for it. But having said that, and stating upfront that I haven't hear all of the performances in the set, I do think that the music isn't as engaging in Schwartz's performances and others I've heard. If you were looking for a great introduction to Hanson I'd suggest the Mercury recording with Hanson conducting his symphonies 1 & 2. To me it's a disc that deserves to be in any collection.
     
  10. Bronth

    Bronth Active Member

    Location:
    Riga, Latvia
    Thanks for your input! :cheers: The Schwartz set currently goes for $14 (+ shipping).
     
  11. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    On the other classical-music-only forum of which a few of us at this corner are also members, there are some members who smear by Naxos. Hey, there are some who want to assemble a classical music library on a shoe-string budget. But just like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. For baroque works on Naxos, I find Helmut Müller-Brühl and the Cologne Chamber Orchestra to provide some of the best values in Bach. Naxos also offers some excellent values for its Historical series when you can find such artists like Backhaus, (Edwin) Fischer, Schnabel, Cortot and even Karajan where some of their original 78's were expertly transferred and remastered ...
     
  12. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Didn't Howard Hanson teach at the Eastman School of Music at some point?
     
  13. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Now playing CD1 - works by Elizabeth Jacquet de La Guerre from the following set for a first listen ...

    [​IMG]
     
  14. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Bingo! Just got back from a first date and it was great. She's a violinist. :love:

    Perfect weather for an afternoon in Central Park.
     
  15. John S

    John S Forum Resident

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    Re: Water Music

    The Pinnock on Archiv always puts a smile on my face ...
     

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  16. John S

    John S Forum Resident

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    There goes the record budget again....;)
     
  17. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Now playing CD2 - works by Elizabeth Jacquet de La Guerre from the following set for a first listen. CD1 has some excellent harpsichord performance ...

    [​IMG]
     
  18. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    :laugh:
     
  19. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I meant to say there are some members who swear by Naxos, not smear by Naxos. Guess that is what old age does to you - the mind and the fingers do not quite coordinate ... :sigh:
     
  20. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    No problems. Drag the date down to PRE ... :winkgrin:
     
  21. dale 88

    dale 88 Errand Boy for Rhythm

    Location:
    west of sun valley
    I have been playing the new James Ehnes/ Vladimir Ashkenazy/Philharmonia Orchestra/Seattle Chamber Music Society recording on ONYX. It is the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and the Octet. I like this live performance of the concerto although I haven't directly compared it to other versions yet.

    Ehnes surely has one of the sweetest violin sounds out there. Intonation seems to be right. I really enjoy his discs. He plays the Marsick Stradivarius of 1715.

    EhnesAshkenazy.jpg
     
  22. Bronth

    Bronth Active Member

    Location:
    Riga, Latvia
    Naxos also has a huge catalog (dating back to the late 80's, and the overall quality of their output has been constantly increasing since then) of very well recorded and performed symphonic pieces, including some Tchaikovsky, Bruckner, Respighi, Mahler, Stravinsky, Sibelius and R. Strauss, to name a few. And their more modern repertoire can be terrific as well (Penderecki is a fine example, although this music is an acquired taste).

    A great label it is.
     
  23. ron p

    ron p Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I did pay $15 in customs fees from a Presto order. I have always preferred to use Presto over the competition and have recommended them here. I have placed many large orders with them and other companies and have never paid customs. I didn't really care for the way they treated the customs charge. I requested a store credit, I would have placed another large order and everyone would be happy. Instead they said that this charge is listed as a possibility in "the fine print', nothing they could do.

    I'm not sure if I'm going to hold a grudge or not. I have always found them the easiest to shop with great prices and delivery. I tried the Grooves site that someone mentioned and I found it much harder to browse and look for things. Many seem to love MDT, I have ordered from them before. I find them easier to shop than Grooves but still not as easy as Presto. I find Presto's prices overall to be better but it depends on the item, sales etc. The flat rate shipping MDT charge would seem to encourage large orders.

    Yourmusic is currently running a 30% off sale. Their catalog has really diminished lately, especially Classical. Regular price for a single cd is $6.99. This is quite a deal if you can find anything that interests you. They do have Richter "The Master" 2-cd sets for under ten bucks each with this sale. I placed an order for all of them but haven't received a confirmation e-mail yet.
     
  24. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    Wound up spending $15.20 for a very clean used copy of:

    [​IMG]

    So far, have heard the Eroica, 7th & 8th. Was surprised at how much I enjoyed his version of the 8th, a very hard symphony to pull off properly. Vivid sound, more impact and focus in the playing than in Furtwängler's recordings but similar in tempos and tempo modifications.
     
  25. 5-String

    5-String μηδὲν ἄγαν

    Location:
    Sunshine State
    That an LP?
     
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