Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #67)

On the turntable…

 

I just realized recently that I have this recording on both CD and LP ...

 

She was a real beauty IMO ...

 

I am actually a bit confused over this box. If this box has the same materials as the original Philips multi-volumes, I think it should have more than 12 CD's ...

 

Concerto recorded 5/6/69, Brent Town Hall, London. Side two is a recording of Beethoven's Sonata No. 30, Op. 109 from 5/27/78, location unknown. A very good sounding tape.

 

You are the Mr Cassette at CMC ...

 

Recorded 9/1/76, Grosser-Saal, Musikverein, Vienna. Original LP release on 2530 869, 1977. This cassette is from 1985.

 

While I do have a bunch of pre-recorded classical music csssette tapes, I got most of them from my wife's mother. I prefer the SQ of open-reels a bit more. OTOH, cassette tapes also sound cleaner than LP's. I like the SQ of my cassette tapes recorded off my Nakamichi decks ...

 

In the 90s I sometimes paid as much as $3 for tapes I came across, which now strikes me as dumb. The 'Hammerklavier' I bought a couple of weeks ago for 50 cents. I have no expierence with open-reel tapes.

 

It has all 27 solo Piano Concertos plus a few others. I'm not sure what all the original set contained, but this seems complete enough to me! Maybe they found more ergonomic ways to arrange them? Amazon's MP3 version lists all the works:

http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Academ.../ref=tmm_msc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

 

(CD Deutsche Grammophon UCCG-4983 SHM-CD)

 

I have 2 Brendel boxes with his Mozart concertos with Marriner and they both contain 10 CDs with concertos 5-27 (they don't have the very early ones which Brendel never recorded), the contents are identical; one is the early West German CD box (Philips 412 856-2) from the mid-1980s, the other the German reissue (Decca 480 2599) from 2009.

The 12CD-box Bachtoven mentioned does have performances by Brendel as well as other artists with different accompaniment (Ingrid Haebler, Ton Koopman, Katia and Marielle Labèque).

 

Perahia's Brahms, a somewhat unusual morning choice for me. I still haven't heard his entire box.

 

My 4th or 5th time through this recent arrival, my first time with Richter's Schubert:



Considering the many posts on Richter's Schubert in these many CMC threads, I was prepared for some glacial tempos. Turns out not to be the case, although the first movements of these two sonatas are slower than I'm used to. Lends gravitas to the music you don't hear elsewhere. I still like Perahia's more lighthearted playing a lot, but this one's growing on me. Plus, we have Richter in a studio....

 

Now: C.P.E. Bach: Sinfonias 1-6, Wq 182 - Christopher Hogwood/Academy of Ancient Music - Christopher Hogwood - The Bach Recordings - 20 CDs, l'Oiseau Lyre; disc 15. This set contains the complete recordings of Bach family works by Christopher Hogwood.

 

Richter typically drew out the first movement of the B-flat sonata (no. 21) to 25 minutes or more -- the slowest of almost anyone on record -- and then played the following Andante almost at a crawl. Is that not the case here?

BTW I'm not criticizing his tempos or performances. Richter's recordings of that particular sonata are some of the greatest and most profound ever. But he definitely emphasized the desolation of the piece.

 

Open-reel tapes can sound as good as the best CD's out there, though the format is not the most convenient ...

 

Is this a new box?

 

These two LPs were on the turntable last night:



I am a guitar player myself, so it goes without saying that I absolutely adore Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez.
I must have heard almost every recording of this work that exists out there, but, these two albums have always been among my favorites.

Renata Tarragó is unfortunately not very well known but she was an exceptional guitarist and the first female ever to record the Concierto back in 1958 for Hispavox. The LP above is the american Columbia release in 1959.
Tarragó's style is very unique since she plays without nails and amazingly she manages to create a very nice soft and warm tone. It might sound a bit unusual at first especially since we are all used to a different type of playing but the more you listen to her the more you get to appreciate what she does.

Everybody knows Julian Bream, right? Well, this is his first recording of this work done for RCA in 63. Bream has recorded the Concierto four times but more well known is his recording with the Monteverdi Orchestra/John Elliot Gardiner in 1974.
However, and I am a minority in this, If I had to choose between the four, I would choose his early attempt with the Melos Orchestra.
Bream here sounds more fresh than ever. What I like in this version is that he emphasizes the technical aspects of the work and not as much its sentimentality. This is especially obvious in his playing during the second movement, and I understand that for some listeners this might sound kind of bland.
To me, though, he sounds magical.

 

§1 But they sound great. None of them is my favourite, but then the record is playing, I'm just enjoying the orchestral sound.

§2 I appreciate learning almost always.

 

Yes, it was released in Europe in January. I got my copy from Amazon Italy today: http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00Q2MK9II?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 (scroll down for content)

It does include a few recordings by your favourite singer, Emma Kirkby

 

Yeah, the tempos are not always slow in his Schubert. His D960 is one case where he's slow. Another one is my personal favorite, the D894. I later found out it was his favorite Schubert sonata as well. His best performance (in great live sound) of it can be found in "The Master" series.

 

From this box: J.S. Bach: Trio Sonata in G, BWV 1039 - Stephen Preston, Nicholas McGegan, Jane Ryan and Christopher Hogwood; A Musical Offering, BWV 1079 - Christopher Hogwood/Academy of Ancient Music; Concertos for Harpsichord, Strings and Continuo 1, BWV 1052; 3, BWV 1054; 5, BWV 1056 - Christophe Rousset with Christopher Hogwood/Academy of Ancient Music

 

Thanks for the tip on Renata; I'm going to check her out.

 

And she is the favorite soprano for bluemooze as well ...