Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #43)

Yeah and most of it has just excerpts, with him talking in French in-between. I think only Op. 81a is offered as a complete, uninterrupted performance.

To me, the upgrade in sound over all prior EMI issues alone makes this set important. Add in the new material and it's essential, IMO.

As expected, the Naxos CDs (by Mark Obert-Thorn) sound better than most of the same material in the box. But that's only 5 or 6 CDs out of 40.

 

Here is the only Thomas Tallis I have and both are spectacular recordings!!

 

As for Tallis Scholars I have these.
I HIGHLY recommend them all as anything by them is amazing!!

 

I agree, an amazing group

 

Gimell is the label that specializes in early music ...

 

My favorite recording, by Tony Faulkner. If memory recalls he had the group stand in a circle to get the recording. Very, very nice on my system.

 

Now enjoying (transfer is excellent on this one):
Couperin
Huitième concert dans le goût théatral, for 2 instruments & continuo in G major (Les Goûts réunis)
Conducted by Alfred Cortot
1932

 

Now more from the above Cortot set (again, the transfers are superb):
Debussy
Various Songs
Maggie Teyte, Soprano
Alfred Cortot, piano
1936

 

If you like Maggie Teyte, who is among my absolute favorite sopranos, this is a good and interesting biography: http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Perfection-Life-Maggie-Teyte/dp/057502562X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354282066&sr=1-2&keywords=maggie teyte

Matter of fact, it's a good and interesting biography even if you don't particularly like Maggie Teyte. Of particular interest is its account of her time as a student of de Reszke and working with Debussy.

By the way, George, does your Cortot set include his traversals, as conductor of the Ecole Normale Chamber Or., of Bach's Brandenburgs? If so, I commend no. 2 to your attention; its presentation of the last mvt. is--well--different. That said, the (unnamed) trumpet soloist gives a good account of himself, as I recall things, particularly by the standards of the day when the part was considered well-nigh unplayable. The records don't turn up all that often; the competing series on Columbia by the Busch Chamber Players was the more successful and was hailed by the critics as the height of historic awareness, being the product of a reduced group of "stylistically aware" players. Today, of course, it sounds quite anachronistic to ears accustomed to modern HIP groups, but in its time I gather it was something of a sensation. I don't know which set came first, but my recollection is that the trumpter in the Busch account of no. 2, the much celebrated George Eskdale, comes off second best to his counterpart in Cortot's set.

 

So Goodman/Hanover are not exactly speed freaks in Schubert's Great C major and they start with the slow/fast first movement, like almost everyone else. Hearing it again I remember why I like this one so much. The brass sound dominates, but the generous hall acoustic blends the sounds so that thing make more harmonic sense. Tempos are animated without being rushed. Though there is a hiccup when switching gears in the first movement, this is very much a walking pace. And everyone sounds properly rehearsed, not always a given in this sometimes treacherous work.

 

Very good performance/recording, as I recall.

 

Yes, it's in there. I'll check it out.

 

Oops--had last mvt. on the brain because that's the big showdown between trumpeters. It's the first mvt. in the Cortot that has a pronounced quirk. In all events, enjoy!

 

I guess while I'm about this, I can note that last night in a brief window of opportunity (for me--happened to check my e-mail and saw the offer when I couldn't spend but a few minutes on line) I bought the Beethoven syms. by Bruno Walter with (mostly) the NY Phil., or, I suspect more properly, Phil.-Sym. Or. of NY on a new-to-me label called "United Archives" for the princely sum of just under $12, or 50% of Berkshire's regular price. Unfortunately, by the time I got a chance to give a "heads up" here, it had sold out. Walter fans may want to keep an eye on Berkshire in case the unexpected response leads to an unplanned repeat of the offer.

Here are the details:

SOLD OUT, AT THIS PRICE. TO OUR AMAZEMENT, ALL COPIES ALLOTED TO US AT THIS PRICE BY UNITED ARCHIVES SOLD OUT IN A MATTER OF HOURS. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIECE. Beethoven, The Nine Symphonies. (New York Philharmonic & Philadelphia Orchestra {in #6}/ Bruno Walter. Soloists in #9: Yeend, Lipton, Lloyd & Harrell w.Westminster Choir. Rec. 1942-53. Also includes alternative 1941 performances by Walter and the Philharmonic of Symphonies 3 & 5. Total time: 400'05'. PLEASE NOTE: United Archives double-shipped us this title by mistake. With their authorization, we are selling a limited number of copies of this set at half our usual price. Once the supply is exhausted it will revert to the previous price)

I also picked up (at not nearly so good a price, alas!) the Etelka Freund set on Pearl, which I think George quite a while back mentioned already having. Any word on the quality of the transfers? Nice and noisy, as usual for Pearl?

 

I need to pick the brains of you classical experts for a CD for my Dad this Christmas. He likes English, Russian and Scandinavian composers generally, orchestral music. Any CDs out in the last 6 months that you can recommend?

Thanks for the help, Tom

 

Congrats!
I never heard of "United Archives"before but I have these recordings on vinyl (as a matter of fact, I was listening to 7 the other day) and they are very nice and very well recorded.

 

Although I don't buy many recent recordings I still read the reviews, so my suggestion is based on that only. This recording was Gramophone Choice for Oct 2012.

It got good reviews on Amazon also.



http://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-Orango-Prologue-Symphony-No/dp/B007VLHPEU

 

I don't recall them being anything other than their usual quality work, so as far as I can recall, yes.

 

More proof that listening to Bach is good for you:

 

I actually have three of them (3, 5, and 6, I think) on 78s and at least used to have the 9th in that form as well (I think in a fit of space recovery I must have "de-accessioned" it along the line somewhere). The others, no, nor do I have the Columbia SO remakes of most. So I'm looking forward to this, assuming the transfers are at least passable. The label, if you believe Berkshire, is French, so no odds on whether that will be the case.

Thanks, George! The set wasn't in the "bargain basement" category as are most of my CD purchases, but on the other hand it didn't set me back nearly what one of the original Remington LPs would have.....

 

Beautiful!

 

Very nice, indeed!

 

That set is extremely rare, FWIW.

 

Looks like Thomas Tallis finally has a hit!

 

George, I received my Cortot box set from Germany a couple of days ago. Just starting with the first CD.