Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #58)

I have the entire box in my collection. It is a pretty nice set ...

 

In my home, it'd be a big insult...to Schubert.

 

You just inspired me - I'm going to put on the Bremen Concert.

 

Anaquired taste. I do have cause to state that I have heard the Köln Concert enough times, thank you.

Someone on this forum mentioned that Keith Jarrett's rendition of Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues was worthwhile. I'd say both Brendel's and Jarrett's tone is on the lean side.

 

Didn't have many Jarrett albums and sold them all. Enough said, I think

 

Getting back to classical music...

Now enjoying the 3rd SQ from the above 2CD set.

 

No worries. I'll go over and discuss Monteverdi on the jazz thread.

 

Rachmaninov's Symphony #3 is my favorite of his symphonies. Mackerras conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is my favorite recording. He has them play portamento strings, an ultra-romantic gesture that fits this ultra-romantic composer at his ultra-romantic peak. I really like the vibraphone part. I've heard Stokowski, whose last recording get plaudits all 'round, but I prefer this one, and that's high praise.

 

Now playing the following CD, which just arrived today for a first listen. The CD is used but in ULN condition ...

 

Enjoyed the Jarrett. Then went on to Ashkenazy playing Schubert's D 894.

 

This recording was made in 62 and the remastering for this Philips Silverline Classics was great ...

 

"Somebody" here. I've heard Brendel in recital more than once, and his Philips recordings don't do him tonal justice. Certainly not opulent, mind, but his tone was much rounder than came across from the records.

 

Really? I thought Philips usually made the best recordings among all the UniversalMusic labels ...

 

I can only say what I heard. By comparison to what he sounded like in the Kennedy Center, his tone on the records I've heard is drier and harder.

 

I've always thought of Philips as having good quality control (thinking of vinyl in particular) but definitely dryer than Decca/London. I heard Brendel in recital several times and didn't find him particularly dry (except for his wit).

 

Have you heard this recording? It's quite reverberant.

 

No. By any chance was Linn involved with that recording? I have several Mozart/Linn/Mackerras SACDs.

 

This has to be a pre-2005 release, as 2005 was the last year UniversalMusic released any SACD's ...

 

The copyright on mine is 2002. No, I don't think Linn was involved.

 

I'd expect that to be different in kind than the earlier, purely stereo ones, because the miking must be entirely different. Haven't heard it, though, so I can't comment on the sound beyond that. In general, I suspect that a lot of the "hard" character I often hear in modern piano recordings can be traced to the close miking that seems to be standard practice. But, again, that's largely guesswork, as I'm certainly no expert in modern microphone placement technique.

 

To our cat-loving members: I already posted this in the felines "off topic" thread, but it's germane here, too. I got a big laugh out of it.

http://www.classicfm.com/discover/music/music-cats-gifs/

 

Do you prefer his earlier non-Philips recordings? The Vox budget discs made earlier in his career are often more exciting to these ears. Of course, I'm not comparing him to live, so you have a point of comparison many of us do not. I admit I'm totally hypnotized by his Mozart; how Brendel tosses off the most difficult passages like they're Chopsticks.