Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #23)

So do I. At a certain point, I just gotta stop. Of course, with an 11 SACD 'complete' Piano Concertos set at the shop staring at me for $20 out the door, I couldn't refuse. Recorded 1992-1993 at Henry Wood Hall (one of my favorite piano acoustics) in multi-channel by Mike Hatch (Floating Earth, Ltd.) and produced by the great Judith Sherman, this is definitely the best-sounding complete set around. Can't really comment yet on the playing or conducting, need to sit with this for a while. Twenty bucks!!?! SACD editino seems to be OOP, of course (released 2005 via Brilliant Classics).

 

i saw Peter Serkin play one of the Mozart PCs (one of the late ones,can't remember which) with the Nashville Symphony back in Jan. '97.it was
excellent.the program also featured the premiere of a David Amram piece
for flute & orchestra,Kokopelli,conducted by Amram.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano-...=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1299827176&sr=1-4

Almost $130 shipped!
How the hell ya find it for $20???
There any more?

 

I picked it up on Monday; it was probably mismarked.

 

I'm kind of new here but love Beethoven's music too having the Kempff sonata recordings.

 

Welcome Fellow Classical Lover!

What all ya like.....what's in your collection?
Share away.....jump right in!

 

This just in via the last post to support my current Bruckner binge. Can't wait to delve deeply!

 

Jan Lisiecki

Continuing my March marathon with a concert this Sunday at Santa Monica High School. Born in Calgary to Polish immigrant parents, Jan Lisiecki first came to my attention via a disc of the Piano Concertos on the in-house label of Warsaw-based Fryderyk Chopin Institute, which oversees the official (aka National) Editions of the composer's works. I thought it was really quite good, if nothing singularly impressive in any particular technical area. He nailed the poetry of the work, though. And at 14 years-old at time of recording, that is something. Win/place/show at a future Chopin Competition?? He is still just 15. Watch this CBC documentary, The Reluctant Prodigy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMMSLYZ0mXQ

http://www.janlisiecki.com/

Sunday, March 13, 2011
New West Symphony
Boris Brott, conductor
Jan Lisiecki, piano

Beethoven Overture to Fidelio, Op. 72
Mozart Concerto No. 21 in C Major for Piano & Orchestra, K. 467
Chopin Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11
Chopin Grand Polonaise brillante in E-flat Major, Op. 22

 

I was listening to Berlioz's Harold In Italy as performed by the Phiharmonia Orchestra conducted by Colin Davis on an EMI cd.

 

Those are the two I have (plus Bilson on fortepiano, which I just cannot adjust to). I agree with George's assessment.

George how would you compare the Casedesus recordings (incomplete) which Sony is about to release as a box?

 

Haven't done a side by side, but I do enjoy Casadesus. I enjoy so many pianists in Mozart concertos, though. I don't think I have heard one that I didn't like or that reallstood out above the others.

 

I never understood the high praise that this particular recording has received.

I have the SACD and the sound is mediocre to say the least.

 

I couldn't agree more (about the Kleiber Beethoven 5 & 7). I love the 7th, especially the second movement, but Kleiber just doesn't do it for me. IIRC, I found the sound on the Originals' CD to be extremely gray (I associate colors with music sometimes).

Do you like Bohm's Beethoven? (I do.)

 

I feel the same way. I've liked practically every Mozart PC recording I've ever heard (I didn't take to Bilson or Staier on HIP instruments). Is this music particularly easy to play, George?

 

Absolutely, Bohm is a colossus of a conductor

 

Yes and No. I recall Richter (or was it Horowitz?) saying that Mozart was one of the hardest piano composers to play. Not from a technical standpoint, but from an artistic standpoint.

I don't know how that applies to the concertos, though, as it seems to contradict our experience of them. Perhaps Mozart's music is loved so much that people put a lot of time and effort into their recordings.

 

Thirded.

 

Now playing...

Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 20 KV466
Piano Concerto No. 21 KV467
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
English Chamber Orchestra
Jeffrey Tate
1985



Love the above, but I also enjoy the Brendel/Marriner/ASMF 2-fer from Philips. It's the only disc I own with my two faves (19&20) back-to-back. Plus, as a change of pace from most recordings, Brendel plays his own cadenzas in 20.

It does split 23 between the two discs, which I don't like.

 

Eddie, while I was deciding on the need to recommend this set after the monsters mentioned before, you did it. I have the same set as a part of the complete Mozart set (red-book-only, of course). Listened to it pretty thoroughly - it's a good set, even very good considering the price.

I strongly prefer Han's playing on Nos. 20 & 21 to the so called "reference" recording by Schiff which I almost can't stand because of its mechanistic coldness.

But my imprint/go-to recording of the 20/21 coupling is by a pretty unknown pianist - Helene Gal (on uber-cheap Bella Musica CD). The Han is a close second.

 

I have questions....

If one were to buy only one Bruckner box, is the Wand a worthy compromise?

Could somebody please tell me what's wrong with Gilels' "Waldstein"?

I borrowed this from my library the other day. Has anybody heard this?

 

I love the 5th; the 7th - not so much.

I like his Schubert Unfinished

 

I just finished working through the set and can say that it did little for me. The sound is good, but the performance seemed too tame, too refined for me. I also had little or no emotional response to his interpretations. Celibidache's Bruckner on EMI, on the other hand, left me deeply moved. This is obviously very subjective, so I suggest finding a way to sample if you can before buying. I know Jay benefitted from this recently.

I recall (and I could be wrong about this, as my memory isn't the greatest) that it was slow and unexciting.

Not yet.

 

My first Bruckner/Wand purchase was the 8th. It's on RCA but is with the Berlin Philharmonic. I absolutely love this performance. I then bought the box set "Wand Edition" RCA and I just haven't taken to it yet. Anybody else have any experience with the various Wand recordings?

I guess I'm not the only one who has found something interesting in every Mozart P.C. I take this as more evidence that these are just some of the most well composed and accessible compositions ever.

No opinions on that monster Heifitz box?? Are there many treasures hidden within or do you just stick with the basic releases out there?

 

One thread participant already has this as mentioned in a previous post. Then two of us said we have it on order with an Amazon release date of March 22 for mine. I am buying it on the basis of the recordings I have.

 

I must have missed the previous mention of the box. Thanks for posting, good to hear that some have decided to order it. I have the half dozen most popular Heifitz releases but I am not very familiar with his entire body of work. Looking forward to reading any impressions of it. Maybe I can show some sort of self control and not order it, but probably not.