Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #30)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George P, Oct 17, 2011.

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  1. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Continued from here

    Welcome! :wave:

    This thread (and the 29 that have preceded it) is for all things that relate to Classical Music. Feel free to post what you're listening to, recordings you recommend, recent classical purchases, classical concerts, discuss classical works, classical composers, classical performers, etc.

    Beginners are especially welcome. Feel free to post any questions that you may have about classical music and/or classical recordings. This includes requests for recommendations for recordings of particular works/composers, etc. We have lots of friendly and knowledgeable members who will be glad to help you out.

    And as always, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to all of the regulars (you know who you are) that have made this such and enjoyable and informative experience thus far! You guys are still the best!
     
  2. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I am goping to try to come up with some discussion questions this time around and would encouarge others to do the same.

    In the last thread, the topic of Grieg and Schumann's Piano Concertos came up, so I thought I would ask people:

    1. What recordings of these works do you own?
    2. What are your favorite(s)?
    3. Why?

    I need to rehear some of mine before replying.
     
  3. *Zod*

    *Zod* Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    http://www.amazon.com/Decca-Sound-V...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1318864827&sr=1-1

    is this correct? 50 CD's for $114? Pretty good deal. Wonder how many of them I already have.

    Limited-Edition 50-CD set of legendary classical recordings celebrating the world-renowned Decca sound. 55 years of the greatest Decca classical artists in some of the best sound quality ever committed to disc. Includes Pavarotti, Solti, Ashkenazy, Tebaldi, Karajan, Ansermet, Sutherland, Bartoli, Schiff, Jansen, Fleming, Bohm, Maazel, Marriner and more. Each CD presented in its own sleeve with original cover art. 200-page multilingual booklet tells the fascinating story of Decca sound from ffrr to digital. Over 60 archival photographs, many previously unseen, of artists, venues and recording techniques. Full recording information including dates and locations.
     
  4. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    Yes it's true, got mine last week. Fortunately I only had a couple of things already.

    Vinyl fans should also be aware there is a vinyl 'version', it's a six LP set with six whole complete albums from the cd box.
     
  5. *Zod*

    *Zod* Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    kind like an "instant" classical collection for those new to the form/interested in taking the plunge
     
  6. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    I'm not sure if you are aware of this in the US but the Grieg Piano Concerto is burnt into most UK folks minds from the Morecambe and Wise 1971 Christmas show.

    Morecambe and Wise were by some way the UK's top comedy duo at that time. They got Andre Previn on and (I presume) the LSO to perform it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7GeKLE0x3s

    Very funny. I love the old musicians in the background cracking up.
     
  7. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    No, I didn't know that. I will have to check out that link when I get home from work.
     
  8. wolfram

    wolfram Slave to the rhythm

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Oooh, new thread.

    In before the lock!

















    :laugh:

    #30! Congrats guys. :cheers:

    The only Grieg on piano I have is this one from Naxos.

    [​IMG]

    But I've been thinking about changing that lately, so I'm very interested in what people will come up with.
     
  9. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Janis, Van Cliburn and Richter (EMI) for the Schumann. I like Janis' passion (although I may like the coupled Tchaikovsky even more). I have only listened to the Richter once.

    I think Richter is the only recording I have of the Grieg. I had Rubinstein on LP many, many years ago - one of my earliest classical purchases. A two disc set including the Tchaikovsky 1st and the Rachmaninov 2nd.

    I recall that when I was just getting into classical in the early 70's, I read that the Grieg was the most popular piano concerto in the repertoire. Now, I rarely see it programmed.
     
  10. SBurke

    SBurke Nostalgia Junkie

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Hello George, at the end of the last thread you asked about the sound quality on this disc.

    [​IMG]

    I have the mp3 download from Amazon. (Less than 5 bucks!) It's pretty good -- the live Paganini Rhapsody is very good for a mid-50's live recording. The Concerto is mid-50's mono, not super but not at all bad.
     
  11. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Thanks, Sean! :wave:
     
  12. OE3

    OE3 Senior Member

    Guild does excellent transferring and remasters. Most is by Peter Reynolds in the UK, some by Richard Canniel (Toscanini, opera) at the Immortal Performances Recorded Music Society in British Columbia. Canniel worked for RCA in the late 40's/early 50's and has access to original tape broadcasts and acetates that were given by Toscanini to his favorite engineer, Richard Gardner, before the Maestro died.

    http://www.reynoldsmastering.com/
    http://immortalperformances.org/documents.php?d=3

     
  13. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Thanks, Eddie! I knew you'd have the details. :wave:
     
  14. apileocole

    apileocole Lush Life Gort

    Hi George. I'm very fond of Edvard Grieg's music but I can't claim to having an extensive collection of multiple performances.

    [ general comments ] The Piano Concerto has a formal protracted grandeur which makes it at once among his most known and least characteristic. It conforms to what became the traditional conception of a concert hall staple perhaps better than anything else he wrote (though the more idiosyncratic Peer Gynt Suites have hung in there to become even more ubiquitous). [ / general comments ]

    At any rate, I've heard quite a few recordings of the Piano Concerto and still have several, but for whatever reason I've never analyzed them in terms of which I find best or why. It's pretty much worked the same every time. A good question though as it'll inspire me to take a new look at it. Perhaps I'll do some comparing. :)
     
  15. OE3

    OE3 Senior Member

    My current favorite of Grieg's PC is Freire with Kempe / Munich Philharmonic, recorded 1968. Of course, it was issued on CD just one time 20-some years ago and quickly disappeared. I like it better than the famous Lupu recording, there's lots of good recordings of this piece. I don't like sentimentalism much, and not in this piece, and Freire does a good job of avoiding a saccharine Adagio while still giving a heartfelt performance. Well worth searching out.
     

    Attached Files:

  16. apileocole

    apileocole Lush Life Gort

    Boy that is one ugly cover. Had that CD! A positive memory. Yes the PC, and much else of his music, can be overly sentimentalized and in doing so obscure some of the underlying feelings.
     
  17. OE3

    OE3 Senior Member

    If by 'obscure' you mean 'drown in a vat of Ranch dressing', I concur! :thumbsup:
     
  18. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    I probably own around ten recordings of each. My favorite Grieg/Schumann is Kovachevich/Davis. Brilliant playing all around from player and orchestra. He gets the rhythms right and the cadenzas are amazing.

    I will list the others I have soon but off the top of my head..

    Perahia, Lupu, ABM, Martha, Richter, Vogt.........
     
  19. OE3

    OE3 Senior Member

    First release outside Japan

    Now playing:
    • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor 'Choral', Op. 125 - Irmgard Seefried (soprano), Rosette Anday (mezzo-soprano), Anton Dermota (tenor), Paul Schöffler (bass-baritone); Wilhelm Furtwängler / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Singing Academy [ICA Classics 2011, 'first release outside Japan', Recorded in the Großer Saal, Musikverein, Vienna on May 30, 1953, Remastering: Paul Baily (Re: Sound) using Ambient Stereo Processing]
    From liner notes:
    [​IMG]
     
  20. Edgard Varese

    Edgard Varese Royale with Cheese

    Location:
    Te Wai Pounamu
    I can't participate in your questions I'm afraid George. I can however interject with an alternative topic of conversation. :laugh:

    I've spent the past two days working through this set:

    [​IMG]

    The sound, as you might imagine, is generally excellent throughout thus far (I'm up to M5 as I type this). The opening "Trauermarsch" from M5 is an absolute revelation to me, both sound and performance, and I can see (if it keeps up in the same manner) that this could easily end up being my favorite M5.

    The M1, M3, and M4 from the set are also excellent, though the finale in M3 is not quite (to my ears) as poignant as Bernstein's (DG). M2 was a bit disappointing in the first movements but improved toward the end.
     
  21. Jay F

    Jay F New Member

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    None. I'm not familiar with Grieg except for Peer Gynt, and I have never heard anything by Schumann I wanted to play a second time. He reminds me of (much of) Brahms that way.
     
  22. dale 88

    dale 88 Errand Boy for Rhythm

    Location:
    west of sun valley
    George, for the Grieg concerto, I have Cziffra, Radu Lupu, Michelangeli, Richter, Lipatti, and Solomon. I am drawn to the Michelangeli and Lupu but haven't done a comparison.

    I need to check my list for the Schumann piano concerto versions.
     
  23. OE3

    OE3 Senior Member

    Dale, is that Michelangeli on BBC Legends? That's a stunning version.

    [​IMG]
     
  24. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    I got that one recently but haven't spun it yet. I plan to listen to my Grieg's soon.
     
  25. dale 88

    dale 88 Errand Boy for Rhythm

    Location:
    west of sun valley
    Yes it is the BBC Legends and I agree it is stunning.:agree:

    I will have to search for the Nelson Freire version since I like several of his discs.
     
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