Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #49)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by George P, Aug 7, 2013.

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  1. John S

    John S Forum Resident

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    Literally pedal to the metal in the first movement. Even speed demon Gulda doesn't take it that fast.
     
  2. mkolesa

    mkolesa Forum Resident

    her rachmaninov concert cycle was discussed some time back... if you google it, you can find some interesting copy on the recording. i heard some of it via youtube and was quite impressed, but never got around to buying the set. no idea how she is with other material though!
     
  3. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Ironically, Gulda takes the first movement of the Moonlight very slow (in the Amadeo/Brilliant set anyway.)

    But yeah, I know what you mean.
     
  4. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
  5. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Anyone interested in why should listen to his lecture.
     
  6. jukes

    jukes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern Finland
    A question: what are your "accidental favourites"? And: what noteworthy there is with them, or what funny (or somesuch) accident is related to them?

    By "accidental favourites" I mean such recordings you got in a sense by accident: picked up from a bargain bins or found at the clearance sale, or your decided to test a record a critic has praised. The point is that the record haven't been on your wish-list (the records that you more or less systematically try to get for whatever reasons): you rather just have stumbled upon them.

    My "accidental favourites" include (few examples):

    Anne-Sophie Mutter playing violin concerto of P. I. Tchaikovsky: I've dismissed the concerto as all-too romantic, as hopelessly syrupy. But I bought the record because it was a SACD and because she's a first-class player. The band was also acceptable. ;) And the rendition was sooo romantic (and lush and mellow) that it was just impossible to dismiss it... :)

    L. van Beethoven's complete string quartets played by Gewandhaus-Quartett: I didn't knew much about the GQ but I got such an affordable offer (ca. 20 or 30 bucks or so, even though the box had just hitted the stores) that it was just impossible to pass it by. After all: it's all Beethoven quartets, though in a difficult box (wrong long shape to me). And it was astounding: for a moment (actually, for a one year or so) I dismissed all other Beethoven quartet recordings (except the LaSalle SQ's Late Quartets Box).

    Recently I heard from radio an excerpt from Julia Fischer's then new CD, Poème (another case of romantic stuff! I must be sick!! dammit!!!), in a New Records show. I had several of her records but thought that Poème must be too sweet to me. But once again, I bought it because I just got a good deal - and because a critic, whose opinions I've learned to valuate, said it's a great record.
     
  7. jukes

    jukes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern Finland
    Impossible to guarantee the quality, but Bernard Haitink with London Philh. Orch. is quite a safe bet when you're looking for a slightly newer recordings. An affordable box consisting with symphonies and other orchestral works is available (I believe).
     
  8. Bob M

    Bob M Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Canada
    thanks - I'll check that out
     
  9. john greenwood

    john greenwood Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Coincidently I heard the Pulcinella Suite (entitled "Suite Italienne from Pulcinella" in the program) in a recital last evening by Gil Morgenstern and J.Y. Song. The theme of the program was Bach's influence on composers of different generations, and it included music by Brahms, Bartok, Villa-Lobos, George Crumb, Gyorgy Kurtag and others. Oddly enough the only piece where I really did not hear the influence of Bach was the Stravinsky.
     
  10. sgb

    sgb Senior Member

    Location:
    Baton Rouge
    After looking at this one for a long time, I went ahead and bought it. I am pleased with it to some extent, but there are some who consider the newest Rattle/Berlin to be the way to go — with that finalized fourth movement and all.

    Of course, this Harnoncourt has a whole second CD devoted to that fourth movement, there's lots of discussion in German (if you didn't know it), but although I lived in Germany for almost 3 years, my facility with the language is gone. I would have preferred the Rattle CD approach to this, and may well buy a copy of it after all. In the mean time, I find this performance mesmerizing.

    [​IMG]
     
  11. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    One of my favorite reading of Bruckner's final symphony.
     
  12. George P

    George P Notable Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    NYC
    Great news for Chopin fans from Marston Records:

    (begin quote)

    The Complete Raoul von Koczalski, Vol. 2 (3 CDs); while not listed on the website or in our last newsletter, should have been! Raoul von Koczalski was born in 1885 and at the age of seven began studying with Chopin-student Karol Mikuli. The first impression of Koczalski's playing is often one of the fluency and grace of his execution, coupled with his subtlety of phrasing and smooth legato, but what one is often left with is his use of rubato. This aspect of his playing has given rise to debate about Chopin's musical intentions and has sparked both criticism and admiration of Koczalski's playing; it will delight many and dissuade some, while asking all to consider if this is the definitive interpretation of Chopin.

    This three-CD set is the second and final volume of the complete pre-war recordings of this controversial pianist. It is almost entirely devoted to Chopin, including recordings of the complete Etudes, Preludes, and Ballades. We have received many requests for this issue and we are pleased that this will be our next piano release. We also want to take this opportunity to thank Donald Manildi and the International Piano Archives at Maryland for sponsoring this series.

    (end quote)
     
  13. scompton

    scompton Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arlington, VA
    I can think of two off the top of my head.

    The first is Paul Jacob's Debussy: Images and Estampes. I owned a few classical LPs at the time but nothing really grabbed me. I was leafing through the classical section at a record store and liked the cover so I bought it. It's the first classical album that really wowed me.

    The second was David Zinman's Beethoven's symphonies. A 60 disc boxed set called Beethoven: Complete Masterpieces was released in 2007 by Sony Germany. For a week after it came out, it was available on Amazon.com for $25. I couldn't resist for that prices. I wasn't expecting much but was amazed by Zinman's symphonies. It's one of my favorite cycles.
     
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  14. alankin1

    alankin1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philly
    Johannes Brahms – Symphony No.1 Op.68, Serenade No.2 Op.16
    — NBC Symphony Orchestra — Arturo Toscanini (RCA Red Seal)


    [​IMG]
     
  15. drh

    drh Talking Machine

    The one that springs immediately to mind was quite literally an accident: I ordered some 78s from a dealer in England, and he included two or three extra discs by artists I didn't know. And so it was that I made the acquaintance of a favorite pianist, Marie Novello; I'd add Gil Marchex, who was represented by perhaps the only successful record of Couperin on the piano that I've ever heard, but I've been utterly unable to find any more recordings of the artist, and I've managed to chase down only the sketchiest of information about him (evidently was a "modern" composer of the Milhaud generation).

    A couple of others: Cleaning out a closet one day, I stumbled across some 78s that came from I-know-not-where. I have no memory of taking them in or of storing them there. See what happens when you let records cohabit in a dark space out of sight? ;) Anyhow, among them was a record by soprano Arminda Correia of two songs by Ruy Coelho, and beautiful things they proved to be. They've kindled an interest in the composer that I've pursued as best I can in other recordings (of which there are, shall we say, not many). Again, I've uncovered no other recordings and little info about the performer. And then there were two test pressings by soprano Amy Evans; turns out they were unissued material from masters thought lost in a truck accident, her sole electric recordings. Again, spurred an interest in the artist and somewhat desultory pursuit of what few recordings of her are out there.
     
  16. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I have this twofer as well. Disc 2 is incomprehensible to me as well. I have a small handful of recordings by Rattle but he has yet to do something for me ...
     
  17. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Now playing CD1 for a first listen from the following twofer, which has been re-issued from a long OOP Philips recording ...

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  18. sgb

    sgb Senior Member

    Location:
    Baton Rouge
    Try Rattle's Brahms symphonies box (I don't think the syms are available separately any longer). The First is electrifying in the opening movement, his Second is almost a revelation.
     
  19. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Just completed listening to CD2 from this twofer. Of the 19 versions I have in the CD format, the soprano and the mezzo in this version are the weakest, though the orchestral playing and the choir are quite good. The choir in particular, considering English is not even its native tongue ...
     
  20. heman__

    heman__ Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    It is mostly solo piano recordings with a few concertos. Almost entirely Chopin, Ravel and Debussy but other similar artists feature too.

    I've listened to 3 discs so far...I must say, this is wild playing. Pure, uninhibited playing. I was drawn to the box after reading up on Samson Francois and so far I have been very impressed.

    It is like he has never heard these pieces played before, so everything is left entirely to his imagination. I was very excited to hear his Gaspard de le nuit and I must say that I have never heard it played like that.
     
  21. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Now playing the following CD, which arrived a few days ago for a first listen ...

    [​IMG]
     
  22. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    Is that the Mid-Seventies recording? One of the Generalmusickdirector's more wayward readings. The production might as well be Sandy Pearlman's for Blue Oyster Cult.
     
  23. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Symphonie fantastique 1975
    La Damnation de Faust 1972

    I think this may be the only recording of Symphonie fantastique HvK ever recorded.
     
  24. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    He has an earlier recording with Berlin from the 60's on DGG, another for EMI with the Philharmonia from the fifties.
     
  25. coopmv

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

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Is this the earlier DG recording from the 60's? Can't realy tell from the Amazon listing ...

    [​IMG]
     
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