Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #13)

I listened to lots of Mahler yesterday, including on the radio, because yesterday would have been his 150th birthday. Here are a couple of interesting links. I haven't gotten around to creating my "Dream Mahler" yet.

http://www.mahler150.com/en_GB/home

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/DG_Decca_Celebrate_Mahlers_Birthday_20100707

 

I am completely new to classical music. The recent RCA Living Stereo SACD sale got me interested somewhat, and I decided to order some of the titles.

One thing I know (at least for now) is, that I don't really care for any opera or any classical music with vocalists (like masses also). Maybe sometime down the road, but not at the moment. I want to explore "instrumental" classical music first.

Which of the titles in the RCA Living Stereo series actually do feature choirs or voices?

Catalog No. Title
CRCA 04603 SA Schubert: Symphony No. 9 "Great"/Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished"/Charles Munch
CRCA 04604 SA Strauss: Don Quixote, Don Juan/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 04605 SA Bach & Brahms: Concertos/Jascha Heifetz
CRCA 04606 SA Popular Classics For Spanish Guitar/Julian Bream
CRCA 04607 SA Albeniz, Iberia, Falla, Granadas: Intermezzo/Leontyne Price
CRCA 08279 SA Saint-Saens: Concerto No. 2/Arthur Rubinstein
CRCA 08280 SA Berlioz: Harold in Italy/Charles Munch
CRCA 08281 SA Mahler: The Song of the Earth/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 08282 SA Strauss: Symphonia Domestica/Reiner/Chicago Symphony Orchestra
CRCA 08283 SA Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor/Van Cliburn
CRCA 61387 SA Saint Saens: Symphony No.3 'Organ'/Charles Munch'
CRCA 61388 SA Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloe/Charles Munch
CRCA 61389 SA R. Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 61390 SA Bartok: Concerto For Orchestra/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 61391 SA Beethoven: Violin Concerto In D/ Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor/Jascha Heifetz,violin/Charles Munch
CRCA 61392 SA Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1/ Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 61393 SA Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue/Concerto In F/American in Paris/Arthur Fiedler & the Boston Pops Orchestra
CRCA 61394 SA Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition & Other Russian Showpieces/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 61395 SA Verdi & Puccini Arias/Leontyne Price
CRCA 61396 SA Chopin: Ballades/Arthur Rubinstein
CRCA 61397 SA Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 'Pathetique'/Pierre Monteux
CRCA 66371 SA Morton Gould & His Orchestra - Brass & Percussion
CRCA 66372 SA Sibelius/Prokofiev/Glazunov Violin Concertos/Jascha Heifetz
CRCA 66373 SA Berlioz: Requiem/Charles Munch/BSO (two discs)
CRCA 66374 SA Ravel: Bolero/La Valse/Rapsodie Espagnole/Debussy: Images/Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony
CRCA 66375 SA Dvorak: & Walton/Cello Concertos/Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony
CRCA 66376 SA Dvorak: New World Symphony/Carnival Overture/Smetana/Bartered Bride Overture/Fritz Reiner/CSO
CRCA 66377 SA Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade/Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale/Fritz Reiner/CSO
CRCA 66378 SA Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1/Arthur Rubinstein/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 66419 SA Offenbach: Orch. Rosenthal/Gaite Parisienne/Rossini-Respighi: La Boutique Fantastique/Arthur Fiedler & the Boston Pops Orchestra
CRCA 67894 SA Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3/ Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3/Van Cliburn
CRCA 67895 SA Hi-Fi Fiedler/Arthur Fiedler/The Boston Pops Orchestra
CRCA 67896 SA Brahms " Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos/Jascha Heifetz
CRCA 67897 SA Franck: Symphony in D minor/ Stravinsky: Petrouchka/Pierre Monteux
CRCA 67898 SA Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 " 6/Charles Munch
CRCA 67899 SA Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique/Charles Munch
CRCA 67900 SA Strauss: Scenes from Elektra " Salome/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 67901 SA Mahler: Symphony No. 4/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 67902 SA Chopin: Piano Concertos/Arthur Rubinstein
CRCA 67903 SA Rhapsodies/Leopold Stokowski
CRCA 67904 SA Copland: Billy The Kid/Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite/Morton Gould & His Orchestra
CRCA 67905 SA Anna Moffo - Opera Arias
CRCA 71614 SA Debussy: La Mer/Respighi: Fountain & Pines of Rome/Debussy: La Mer/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 71615 SA Vienna/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 71616 SA Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos 4 & 5/Octet: Scherzo/Charles Munch
CRCA 71618 SA Pops Caviar/Arthur Fiedler/BPO
CRCA 71619 SA Beethoven: Sonatas (Moonlight; Pathetique; Appassionata; Les Adieux)/Arthur Rubinstein
CRCA 71622 SA Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1; Scottish Fantasy/Jascha Heifetz
CRCA 71625 SA Mario! Lanza At His Best
CRCA 71626 SA Virgil Fox Encores
CRCA 82621 SA Puccini: La Boheme/Erich Leinsdorf
CRCA 82622 SA Puccini: Madama Butterfly/Erich Leinsdorf
CRCA 82623 SA Verdi: La Traviata/Anna Moffo
CRCA 82624 SA Puccini: Turandot/Erich Leinsdorf

 

P.S.: Although I am pretty new to classical music, I recognize at least some of the titles as famous operas:

Catalog No. Title
CRCA 04607 SA Albeniz, Iberia, Falla, Granadas: Intermezzo/Leontyne Price
CRCA 08281 SA Mahler: The Song of the Earth/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 61395 SA Verdi & Puccini Arias/Leontyne Price
CRCA 66373 SA Berlioz: Requiem/Charles Munch/BSO (two discs)
CRCA 67900 SA Strauss: Scenes from Elektra " Salome/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 67905 SA Anna Moffo - Opera Arias
CRCA 71625 SA Mario! Lanza At His Best
CRCA 71626 SA Virgil Fox Encores
CRCA 82621 SA Puccini: La Boheme/Erich Leinsdorf
CRCA 82622 SA Puccini: Madama Butterfly/Erich Leinsdorf
CRCA 82623 SA Verdi: La Traviata/Anna Moffo
CRCA 82624 SA Puccini: Turandot/Erich Leinsdorf[/QUOTE]

Is my assumption correct that these above titles feature choirs/voices (opera etc.)? Are there any others in the series with choirs/voices?

 

Catalog No. Title
CRCA 08281 SA Mahler: The Song of the Earth/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 61395 SA Verdi & Puccini Arias/Leontyne Price
CRCA 66373 SA Berlioz: Requiem/Charles Munch/BSO (two discs)
CRCA 67901 SA Mahler: Symphony No. 4/Fritz Reiner
CRCA 67905 SA Anna Moffo - Opera Arias
CRCA 71625 SA Mario! Lanza At His Best
CRCA 82621 SA Puccini: La Boheme/Erich Leinsdorf
CRCA 82622 SA Puccini: Madama Butterfly/Erich Leinsdorf
CRCA 82623 SA Verdi: La Traviata/Anna Moffo
CRCA 82624 SA Puccini: Turandot/Erich Leinsdorf

I've never heard Berlioz' Requiem, so I'm only assuming it's a vocal/choral work. I'm certain about the others, though. You might like Mahler's 4th Symphony, though. It's only got one movement that's sung.

 

Thanks a lot for the info. I have read somewhere that the performance of Mahler's 4th Symphony in this series is only average. I didn't expect it to have voices, but if it does, I think I will stay away from it for the moment.

 

Daphne et Chloe has a wordless chorus.

 

Brilliant licensed the Arkiv Produktion recording by Pinnock and rereleased it in a poorly designed packaging.
Unfortunately for my wallet, I stumbled upon it and I bought it because it was cheap.
I'm hooked on Purcell.

Isn't music the best thing since sex was invented?

 

I myself dislike many if not most operatic voices and a big part of the modern performance style.

But in Mahler's symphonies, at least in the right hands (such as the Resurrection Symphony conducted by Solti for Decca which I dearly love) the human voice becomes something wonderful, moving AND unobtrusive.

 

Actually, the vocals on M4 are much closer to a real (folk) song than to cantatas or operas. And this song is beautifully done on recent recordings by Fischer and Haitink. If you like ethereal female singing, I highly recommend M4.

 

Are these versions of Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra any good? Is any of these versions well regarded? Is one considered clearly superior to the other, performance or recording wise?

 

IIRC a couple of days ago we were talking John Field and some guy (George or Jim, I think) came up with the Nocturnes, or vice versa.
The version of choice seemed to be John O'Conor's for Telarc.
Are there any other good (and, if possible, cheaper and still in print) recordings?
Meni dengs!

 

The Solti is quite good. It's interesting to compare it with the Reiner as they are conducting the same orchestra.

 

Recordings of Field's Nocturnes or Nocturnes in general (like Chopin's, Faure's, Satie's, etc)?

 

Field.
I'm quite happy with my Arrau/Chopin and I've already decided that I will sooner or later own any Satie recording ever cut

Speaking of Fauré... I don't know, I've listened to some of his compositions, incl. Nocturnes on teh interwebs and I was all but unmoved.
Could it be that I don't like Fauré much?

 

OK,

For the Field, I say go with O'Conor. He's not complete, but I think he has a few on another CD, maybe with the concertos.

You may wish to sample Grieg's Lyric pieces as well. The Naxos issues sound great and are very cheap.

Signed,
Your Drug Dealer

 

They are much more complex so they do require repeated listenings. Could be you don't like Faure, though.

Have you tried Debussy by Michelangeli?

Or Brahms late piano works by Lupu - Op. 117-119?

Or Schumann Kinderszenen?

 

I have the Solti pictured, though on London (same thing) and absolutely love it. Have had no pull to try another at this time. Giving it a spin right now due to your post and enjoying it!

Just looked at the other available. The Dohnányi is intriguing as is the Szell.!

 

Dat were me!
One of my very Fav Piano CD's I own.
I wanna investigate other John O'connor works for my Collection.

 

You Guys need to experiment with some Composers you've never heard!
I went on this venture and found some really nice pieces I never knew of.
Lot more out there than we realize...samples at Amazon help a lot making choices.
Few examples from my adventure....

....

 

Another batch from my out side the box adventure...

....

 

Now listening to this newest OOP arrival.

 

Have and love Debussy and Kinderszenen, the Brendel on Philips.
But, speaking of Debussy, have you heard his orchestrations of Satie?
I think they are amazing.

 

Okay.
I love De Leeuw/Satie so much that all I really want is MORE of it.
So I'm getting rid of the Eloquence 1CD and getting the Philips CE 3CD pack with those same pieces plus 2 additional discs worth of Satie delights.

Unfortunately, Play.com went down while I was attempting to order it.
Now I know how a heroin addict feels like.

 

I am listening to many versions of Mahler I've never heard before, Sinopoli in particular, on DG/Decca's Mahler's birthday website. I think I may be listening to this until they either want to charge me or it goes away.

 

I've been finding that out myself!
Ordering CD's....buying off evil bay....watching all over the place for used like new deals.
I'm on my way out the door shortly to a bunch Garage Sales.
NEVER know what you'll find at them.