Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #62)

I have this CD in my Wagner collection and the original 2 EMI LP's where some of the tracks were remastered into this CD ...

 

I have the Furtwangler's Tristan on an EMI Electrola LP set. I believe the opera is in that massive LEGO bloc as well ...

 

Ordered the following set on Amazon early this morning ...

 

I have those recordings on two Japanese SHM's that have the Parsifal tracks which weren't included on the original CD. I suppose that the vinyls also have them?

 

Now playing CD2 - B3 & B8 from the following box for a first listen ...

 

The following box is supposed to include all the recordings Furtwangler had ever made. I have listened through no more than a half dozen CD's so far ...

 

I meant the Karajan CD.

 

Yep, and the SHM's also replicate these covers.

How is the CD sound compared to the LP's?

 

The CD sounds decent. I have not listened to the LP's in over 20 years so I cannot compare ...

 

Hastings was great,for a few months,in the latter part of 2013,and first part of 2014.Dozens and dozens of those big drawers filled with hundreds of LPs,all 99 cents or $1.99.Occasionally some very collectible record would be $4.99.I would hit the three Hastings stores that sold used LPs once a week,often spending $25-40 at a clip at each store.About half of what I bought was classical,and about half everything else.The classical spanned the whole period of classical LPs,from late 40s to late 80s.I even found an original UK Johanna Martzy LP,and some Ida Haendel.One time I would hit on a big stash of minty country LPs from the 1950s.The next time it might be some very choice original rock LPs from the early 70s.Then a few minty original early 60s R&B LPs.It was the last gasp of choice,cheap vinyl here in Albuquerque.

Well I wasn't the only one buying.There were a few record store owners,and people I knew to be online flippers,who would buy literally hundreds of records at a clip from Hastings like this.In a matter of months,the stock was almost depleted,leaving little besides Mitch Miller,and Andy Williams Christmas records,and lots of empty drawer space.

Oh well,it was great while it lasted.

 

Actually, one of these Karajan Wagner LP's says Quadraphonic on the LP jacket, as I just checked. At any rate, at the time when I bought these LP's from an EMI distributor in the early 80's (most of these EMI LP's for some reasons were not available at J&R Classical, then the leading records shop in NYC), I had already mothballed my Pioneer quad receiver and therefore never had the chance to experience the quad sound. I also did not know EMI made some quadraphonic recordings ...

 

Now playing CD3 - B4 & B7 from the following box for a first listen. Really enjoyed CD2 even when I was listening to it on my desktop computer, which has some decent Logitech 2.1 speaker setup ...

 

If I recall correctly, it is one of the most impressive of all the Living Presence CDs in terms of sonics--some of the holographic stereo effects are pretty stunning.

 

That stinks. It hasn't happened here yet.

 

In addition to being a fine composer, Shchedrin is/was an amazing pianist. He plays the Sonata with almost frightening intensity. The Sonata was recorded in 1964, the rest of the pieces in 1983, so the sound is not wonderful for the Sonata, but it's perfectly listenable, and the others sound pretty good.

 

Now playing CD4 - B2 & B5 from the following box for a first listen. Continue listening on my desktop and enjoy the pretty decent sound but will leave the last CD, B9 and Overture to Fidelio to be played on my big rig ...

 

Anybody got any of these recent mega boxes? I think I might snag one as a little Christmas present to myself

Phase 4 box set:


Karajan 1980s 78CD:


Weiner Philharmoniker Decca recordings 65 CD


DG The Originals 50CD box

 

I have the Vorspiele & Zwischenspiele LP by Furtwängler & Berlin Philh., and that would be neither my first nor the second nor the third option... Stokowski & LSO would be fine but I've destroyed the B-side as a yougster. Perhaps I should buy the same Klemperer CD Wolfram is about to buy?

A gem: Lohengrin Vorspiele to 1st & 3rd Acts by Eugen Jochum & Berlin Philh. On the CD there's also Vorspiel & Karfreitagszauber of Parsifal and Sibelius' the Tempest Ouverture, the Oceaniden & the 'Night Ride'.



Actually, I think I'm going to listen some of that next...

 

I would accept any of them as a xmas present but I won't buy them due to the difficult sizes of the boxes. And I certainly won't get the Karajan in the Eighties box. On the other hand, the Wiener Philharmoniker Decca Box could be quite interesting. Though I bet it costs as much as any two of the others. ;(

 

Actually, with the earphones the weaker quality of the early fifties recordings is clear. But Jochum squeezes some tumultuous playing from his still developing postwar orchestra.

 

I was watching the video of his Ring Cycle at the Met last night.

Edit - I am of course referring to Levine's cycle (as per the link in the quote).

 

Would you feel differently about this?

http://www.mdt.co.uk/karajan-herbert-von-1960s-the-complete-dg-recordings-82cds.html

 

I strongly second not getting the 80s Karajan box. I also strongly second getting the 60s Karajan box.

 

Posted elsewhere:

Here is the direct link to the podcast of Jorge Bolet: A Centenary Celebration over WWFM.

http://64.234.215.170/bolet2014.mp3