Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #56)

Got a number of treasures today. There was an early STS pressing of Grieg's Peer Gynt, Fjeldstad, LSO. Despite lack of inner sleeve, in very good condition. There was a copy of Dorati/LSO in Stravinsky's "Firebird", Mercury with a tiny cut-out mark on the sleeve. Probably a late pressing, pretty good sound. Finally, found a CD of Bruckner's 8th Symphony, Ricardo Chially/Concesrtgebouw Orchestra, Decca.

 

Nice haul! Those STS pressings sound very good.

 

In the CD player...

 

I promise, never again.

 

I would have gone with "any composer's works."

 

In the CD player this morning…I don't think I've ever heard a better Don Quixote than this one…

 

In my case, it's the only Don Quixote I've heard. Never really cottoned to Strauss's tone poems. I keep trying though.

 

Spent the morning with French Baroque. Marais and Rameau. Moving on to Couperin.

(I have a weird name block for Rameau and Couperin. My mind keeps substituting Racine and Corneille.)

 

Stravinsky: Songs. Craft, Stravinsky, Berberian, Gramm et at. CBS UK

Stravinsky was a surprisingly deft composer of songs although he did not often compose them. Most of these are based on Russian texts and actually are less fierce than most of Mussorgsky. In fact almost all are quite melodic and charming. This performance is far better than the later Boulez recording IMO.

 

I may have that Peer Gynt recording in my LP collection ...

 

How do you like the three volumes of Couperin on piano by Angela Hewitt?

 

I only have two. At first I didn't care for them, but they have grown on me somewhat. They still tend to become background music. Her Rameau disc is much better (as well as her Bach).

Although I didn't play anything by her today.

 

A discussion of stereo equipments would have been far more interesting ...

 

Most of my couperin recordings are harpsichord and Blandine Verlet is one of the best ...

 

If you like to be Gorted.

It is very hard to play Couperin on a piano. Even Rameau is easier. Couperin has all kinds of little figurations and embellishments that clutter the line on a piano. Also he was expecting different registers to be used on the harpsichord.

 

Recorded 4/6/62, Manhattan Center. Producer: Max Wilcox. Engineer: Anthony Salvatore. Released 1/63. I have this in the huge
Rubinstein complete recordings box.

 

Surprised to see Ravel in that list.

 

I like Walcha a lot on organ, so I was excited to find a series of German Odeon LPs with him playing Bach on "cembalo", priced at only 49 cents each. Imagine my dismay when every disk showed numerous "welts"; that's the only way to describe them, because that's what they looked like. Never saw such a thing before & hope never to see it again.

 

I have two sets of Complete Bach Organ Works by Walcha, one mono and one stereo ...

 

I have a 10 disc set on harpsichord by Olivier Baumont that I enjoy.

 

The following Sweelinck's CD arrived today and I will give it a listen tomorrow.



I am glad I bought the following set from jpc a few years ago at a great price. This set is now over $400.

 

This CD has Totentanz and Isle of the Dead, both fine Halloween choices. Only $3.69 new on amazon!

 

Aargh!…back in the day I paid $14.99!!

 

Convincing accounts of these two early Bernstein works that make me wish he had composed more. Recorded 8/77, Philharmonie, Berlin. Surprisingly good sound.