All of his Dvořák recordings are worth owning, IMHO. He’s recorded the last four symphonic poems (The Water Goblin through The Wild Dove), the Piano Concerto, Symphonies Nos. 7-9 and the Slavonic Dances.
Good to hear. As it happens, I’m listening to more of Svetik now — the Schubert D. 664 sonata. It’s part of my tryout of his EMI box set ...
By the way, I did a survey of Richter's recordings of Schubert sonatas and posted it here: Sviatoslav Richter plays Schubert's Piano Sonatas
I like the cover art itself very much. But what does Kong imply? An artistic impulse that attacked NYC? Or the times of the compositions?
Good question. Maybe it’s more just a silly design than anything that requires a deep analysis? I mean what does Jackson Pollock’s art imply on the front cover of an Elliott Carter recording mean for example? I haven’t the foggiest idea.
Below are a few of my LPs with music of Reicha. He's a difficult composer to pin down, as his style varied over his lifetime and really straddles the line between classical and romantic. (He was also a very close friend of Beethoven.) This one with Quintets is the first Reicha recording I acquired--way back in 1970. I would have walked right past it in the record shop, but the owner played it on the store sound system and I loved it. The cover has the typical Crossroads humor, but the music and sonics are both great. Originally it was released on the Supraphon label in 1965. I later bought another Crossroads LP with a Reicha Symphony on it: And this is a Philips recording from 1981 that has a Reicha Quintet. The performing ensemble bears a similar name to the first record above, but the members of the quintet are not the same. Very fine recording from Philips.
I’ve read your survey, in fact, and that’s what led me to buy at least one the recordings you mentioned — Richter’s 1978 live recording of D. 894. Thanks! (It’s taken up permanent residence on my iPhone so I can play it even when I have no signal and therefore no Spotify. And yes ... it’s made every other recording of the first movement seem way too fast ...)
I have Vorisek's Symphony but I don't have Reicha's. I need to hear it. Learning about some composers I am not familiar with.
I've not played that Guarneri set in a long time, so I can't recall exactly what it sounds like just now. But I fully agree that having alternate performances available is a good thing. Sometimes I might find just one Quartet--or maybe one movement from one Quartet--that is better on another recording and makes it special. I, too, like the Grumiaux set of the Quintets and have this Philips 3-LP box set: For the Mozart "Haydn" Quartets, my go-to set is usually this one from the Quartetto Italiano.
simply question Difficult answer... Verdi, opera's... What could be, on CD, recommended versions? Conductors, orchestras, audiophile editions? Thanks a lot.
Dvořák Biblical Songs, Op. 99 Jindřich Jindrák Prague Symphony Orchestra Prague Philharmonic Choir Václav Smetácek This very well could be a first-listen, although I might have heard the original version for voice/piano last year at some point, but, anyway, this is gorgeous. I’m afraid these vocal works are a part of Dvořák’s oeuvre that I don’t know well. I’m hoping to change this.
You want Verdi opera CDs with great sonic? Othello - Barbirolli EMI Falstaff - Karajan EMI Rigoletto - Bonynge Decca Traviata - Bonynge Decca Luisa Miller - Maag Decca Un Ballo - Bartoletti Decca Simon - Abbado DG Macbeth - Abbado DG Nabucco - Muti EMI Aida - Muti EMI La Forza - Pradelli Decca Trovatore - Erede Decca Don Carlo - Solti Decca Get the WG pressings for all.
I think his opening on the symphonic poem The Spinning Wheel is exciting, but perhaps that level is not maintained all the way through.
I wondered that also. The only connection I can think of is that the King Kong movie was made during the Gershwin years.
Listened to this duo’s performance of the Kreutzer Sonata on Spotify last night ... and ordered the full CD set this morning.
Great cover on the Grumiaux set! For the quartets in general, I really like the Talich set. I recall comparing them to the Italiano set a few years back, but I ended up liking the Talich a bit more, though I forget why.
