I will have to check this out, I only discovered Dukas Piano Sonata this year. IMHO I've found Leibowitz to be sort of a bland conductor, surprising given he was a serial/atonal composer. I relistened to some of the symphonies from his Beethoven cycle reissued by Chesky to see if I changed my mind on the performances since the recording quality/mastering is so nice, but once again a no. The other thing I relistened to from him are this AP SACD, now this one is a fantastic performance and the mastering is great.
I really like the AP "Power of the Orchestra" recording too! Have you heard Leibowitz recording of the "Rite of Spring?" I would love to get that one remastered for SACD.
I haven't heard Leibowitz in Rite of Spring, I will have to check it out, that is a great piece! I bought this complete ballet of Firebird by Dohnanyi recently after Dave Hurwitz called it his best overall pick and it's been the one I've been listening to most often, mostly because it is new to me and sounds fresh because of that combined with it being a great performance. Something like $12 for 2 CDs and both Bartok works were exceptionally well performed as well, a bargain set. Today I revisited the old favorite Dorati for the complete ballet, great sound as well.
I adore that Dorati SACD release of the (complete) Firebird! In addition to the Dorati, there are a couple of other really great recordings of the Firebird on SACD: 1. For the complete (1910 version) ballet there is Boulez Quad recording (matched with a great Quad recording of the Rite by Mehta) that was recently released on (Quad) SACD by Dutton-Vocalion: I also like performances of the Firebird Suite by: 2. Stravinsky (on Sony): 3. Robert Shaw (on Telarc): 4. Robert Craft (on Naxos):
Given Robert Craft's relationship with Stravinsky I have been curious to hear his Firebird and Petrushka. I've had his Schoenberg recordings in my heavy rotation and these are really good.
Enjoying this excellent BIS SACD. I find the performances exciting, well played and overall excellent. The filler piece, Czech Suite, is a very nice, catchy, melodic little set of numbers. I also find the sound quality of this SACD to be great, and one of the better BIS recordings I have heard. I find some of their discs to sound a little bit too lean and lacking in warmth, but this one sounds great to me. Warm and full bodied yet still with excellent detail. I highly recommend this SACD.
I listened to this SACD earlier. The Dvorak is a great work and this a great performance. The dynamic range is very wide, so the orchestral climaxes are quite loud and powerful, while the solo cello is not mixed very loudly and spotlit as in many recordings. I have listened to the Walton Concerto here a few times in the past couple weeks, and still do not 'get it'. I enjoy the Walton Violin Concerto, but am finding his Cello Concerto harder to enjoy.
6th or 7th Listen, Liszt transcription of Schubert's "Swansong" for solo piano, Can Cakmur, BIS SACD: I have been listening to this disc almost every evening since I purchased it from my local Record Store about a week ago. The music and execution fascinate and enthrall me...to the point that I hear the music in my mind all day long and then must listen again once I return home from work. Where to begin? The first piece from Schubert's "Swansong" cycle (as transcribed for solo piano by Franz Liszt) is called "Liebesbotschaft." I love to hear tenors like Ian Bostridge or Mark Padmore sing this gorgeous piece and I feel that the transcription for solo piano really captures what I like about the song. The performance by Turkish pianist Can Cakmur on this disc captures the qualities of warmth, dreams and yearning that I hear in the song. The second piece called "Kriegers Ahnung" explores darker, more turbulent emotions. Mr. Cakmur's interpretation draws me in. I find myself hanging on every (crystal-clear) note. I love Schubert's hair-pin turns of mood. It's like being on an (emotional) roller coaster. I feel such a thrill keeping up with these sudden shifts and changes. The third piece is called "Ihr Bild." It's a short piece. I find this piece particularly haunting. I hear Mr. Cakmur's interpretation in my dreams at night. I wake up humming it and I find myself hearing the music in my mind all day long...then I come home and listen to the recording again. Listening now I find myself deeply moved. I hear so many changes and shifts of mood in such a short stretch of piano playing. I find this thrilling! In the fourth piece called "Frühlingssehnsucht" I hear the same thrilling mood shifts and the same dazzling interpretation. I could swear that I still hear the presence of the singer somehow. The fifth piece called "Abschied" starts off in a playful mood. I am reminded of a child's game or entertainment. I hear a spirit of innocence and delight in the music. I love the mood shift that marks the beginning of the sixth piece, called "In der Ferne." Mr. Cakmur brings out such an intense sense of fragility, romance and yearning in this particular piece. I also hear the presence and genius of Franz Liszt in the way the transcription captures the emotions in the song. This is another of the pieces from the song-cycle that haunts my mind and my sub-conscious. I hear the music on a very deep level. The seventh piece on the disc is the famous "Ständchen." I don't know how many times I have swooned to this song while listening to the lieder version...it must be countless times. Once again I can "hear" the presence of a singer in this piano transcription. These are all poems set to music. I don't know which poet Schubert has set here (both Relstabb & Heine contributed poems for this song cycle) but I can "hear" the poetry in Mr. Cakmur's interpretation. The eighth piece, "Der Atlas" once again showcases a very dramatic mood shift. I can hear the singer and the poetry in Mr. Cakmur's playing. I find the performance thrilling! The ninth piece, "Das Fischermädchen" sounds altogether warmer and gentler. I hear one of those Schubertian melodies, that once heard, lingers for a very long time in the mind, the memory and the subconscious. I hear such a sense of joy and delight in Mr. Cakmur's interpretation. The tenth piece, "Am Meer" delves stormier (emotional) waters. This piece moves me intensely when I hear it sung and Mr. Cakmur's interpretation moves me with the same intensity. I often find myself tearing up listening to this piece. I have never read the English translation of the lyrics but the emotion in the interpretation tugs at my heart strings. When I listen, I feel a bond with the composer, a window unto his inner world. I hear such grief and longing in this music. I can't help crying sometimes (while listening). The 11th piece on the disc "Aufenthalt" sounds so heartfelt. I hear the presence of Liszt once again in the construction of the transcription. I hear so many layers of art in this performance (more layers than an onion). Listening feels like I am peeling back those layers and marveling at the harmony of mind and expression that exists between the original poet, Schubert, Liszt and Mr. Cakmur. The twelfth piece called "Die Stadt" haunts me. It has always haunted me. It sounds...almost supernatural...redolent with emotion. I feel the music transports me to another world. I feel deeply moved by Mr. Cakmur's interpretation. I hear power, fury and exquisite delicacy in his playing. It's just marvelous. I want to leap to my feet in ovation (I certainly would in a live performance and hope to have the pleasure of hearing Can Cakmur live one day)! The 13th piece on the disc is called "Der Doppelgänger." I love the German concept of the Doppelgänger. I see this (cultural artifact) in German movies (especially from the German "Expressionist" period), literature and (especially) music. This piece (by Schubert) sounds solemn and thoughtful. Mr. Cakmur really captures these qualities in his playing. I hear a heart-rending emotion in the lieder version and I hear it here in the piano transcription as well. If you want to hear the piano bleed with emotion, this is your piece. Schubert (and Cakmur) does not hold anything back. I find the emotions in the music to be raw and authentic. The final (14th) piece in the "Swansong" song-cycle called "Die Taubenpost" returns to a mood of introspective joy and radiant delight, a mood that I often encounter with Schubert (think of the sunshine that permeates the "Trout" quintet). Mr. Cakmur's finger work sounds absolutely dazzling. I am once again reminded of that harmony of mind and expression that exists between the original poet, Schubert, Liszt and Mr. Cakmur. It's like some miraculous alignment of heavenly bodies. The disc concludes with Schubert's four Valses oubliees, delightful pieces that inspire my feet to tap and my mind to whirl! I feel a sense of joy and delight every time I listen to this disc and I know that I will return to it again and again and again. I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone involved in the production.
1st Listen Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit, Sonatine et Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, Martha Argerich, Universal Japan SHM-SACD: I have been listening to Martha play the romantics so much lately that I find it refreshing listening to her interpretation of a modern composer. The recording dates from November of 1974 and was remastered to DSD 3/2021 by Emil Berliner Studios. Listening to "Gaspard de la Nuit" I hear faint tape hiss (indicating an analog original recording) and crystalline piano tone that seems to suit the piece. I appreciate the searching quality in the interpretation. The "Sonatine" seems to explore some of the same (Greek) mythology that I hear in "Daphnis et Chloe." Once again I hear an inquisitive, almost improvisational approach (to this music) from Ms. Argerich. I like the way Martha brings out the dance rhythms in "Valse Nobles et Sentimentales." She sounds very at home in this piece.
I was just listening to samples (on Presto Music's site) of the new SACD disc of Weber Piano Concerti (played on the fortepiano by Ronald Brautigam) on BIS and was thoroughly delighted by what I heard. I must get this disc. Weber: Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra
Bach Cantatas for the Liturgical Year. Kuijken, Petite Bande with soloists. Accent hybrid SACD This series is a lesson in hoist by one's own petard. The theory advanced by Joshua Rifkin is that the soloists in Bach cantatas functioned also as the chorus. That's fine but then you have the issue of soloists trying to be choristers. In one case it worked well, in another it was disastrously bad. So sadly I issue a caution on anyone thinking of purchasing the set. The blame resides with Kuijken not the soloists I might add. Two of the soloists are common to both SACDs. It is purely a result of incompetent casting by Kuijken who apparently couldn't hear that the voices didn't blend well. The sonics are very fine, 4.5 out of 5. The SACD that worked well was the one with Cantatas 55, 56, 98, 180 with Karthauser, Noskalova, Genz, Worner. The unacceptable SACD has Cantatas 93, 135, 177 . The two different soloists are Thornhill for Karthauser and van der Crabben for Werner.
1st Listen, Schumann Piano Concerto and Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2, Martha Argerich, Rostropovich and the National Symphony Orchestra, Tower Records Japan SACD: Schumann's Piano Concerto used to mystify me but is now one of my favorite pieces. I once heard it performed live with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center (as in this recording). I complimented some of the players on the playing and they said, "thank you but have you heard Martha Argerich's recording?" I had not at the time but I am listening to it now. I love the drama in the opening of the First Movement, Allegro Affettuoso. I love the warm, incandescent tone of Ms. Argerich's piano. I like the contribution of the woodwind players. I like Argerich's fire and attack. She makes me imagine what it must have been like to hear Clara Schumann perform the piece. The playing engrosses me to the point that the computer keeps wanting to shut off (because I am not typing). I just want to savor every note. I love the fire and poetry from Mr. Rostropovich and the National Symphony too. They match Ms. Argerich note for note. I like the sense of charm in the 2nd Movement, Intermezzo. Once again, Argerich seems to be channeling Clara Schumann who I feel would have expressed the same delight in her playing. I love the dialogue between Ms. Argerich and the Orchestra. I love the warmth and the sense of whimsy in Martha's interpretation. The joy in the 3rd Movement, Allegro Vivace sounds infectious! The playing sounds inspired. I love the way the players bring out the humor, the sparkle and effervescense in the piece. I find myself completely engrossed and savoring every note. The players (that I talked to) were right! I love the drama in the long orchestral introduction of the 1st Movement, Maestoso of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2. The woodwinds continue to delight. I hear drama (and passion) in Argerich's introduction too. I find myself drawn deeply into the performance and engrossed in the same way that I was by the Schumann Concerto. The computer keeps threatening to shut itself off. Yet it's hard to type when I am being so thoroughly entertained! I love they way that Rostropovich seems to revel in the orchestral parts. He (and his Orchestra) really bring out the Slavonic qualities in the music. Martha Argerich brings out the poetry in Chopin's piano writing. It's a wonderful pairing of soloist and orchestra. In the 2nd Movement, Larghetto, Argerich, Rostropovich and the National Symphony create a mood of dreamy introspection. I love the poetry and romance in Argerich's playing. I love the way that all the players bring out the Slavonic character of the music. I love the contribution of the woodwinds. They sound unusually engaged and vibrant. I like the way that Rostropovich brings out the woodwind parts (they don't sound like they are hidden in the background). I hear poetry from Argerich in the opening of the 3rd Movement Allegro Vivace and drama and passion from Rostropovich and his National Symphony players. I love the unusual pizzicato effects from the string players. I love the dialogue that develops between Argerich and the woodwind players. I am hearing so many details of the composition that I don't normally hear. I love Rostropovich's ear for line, color and detail. The "hunting" horns sound delightful and Argerich seems to answer them with the same sense of delight. I love the giddiness and charm in her interpretation. Just spectacular! Chopin's Piano Concerti are often tossed off as compositionally "inferior" works and are rarely given the kind of attention to detail and passion that I hear from Rostropovich, the National Symphony Orchestra and Martha Argerich. I am so impressed! This ranks as one the most beautiful recordings (sonically) that Ms. Argerich has ever been given. The original (DG) recording team had a fine day (or series of days) in the recording venue capturing these performances. According to the liner notes these recordings were made in 1978 and remastered to DSD by Emil Berliner Studios 6/2019.
Scriabin: Symphony 1 / The Poem of Ecstasy. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Symphony. Pentatone Hybrid SACD This youthful work by Scriabin is a bit more traditional sounding than much of his work but one can still hear some fervid passages in it. The symphony 1 has six movements with two vocalists and small choir in the long final movement. The sonics are exceptional like a great Decca analog recording. The complex scoring sounds clearly with concert hall realism in the stereo spread and depth. The performance is outstanding as well if lacking the extra intensity of Svetlanov's Scriabin cycle. Of course the Melodiya sonics for that were fairly murky. But orchestras these days don't play that way and perhaps the increased technical virtuosity contributes to that. The musicians simply don't have to struggle to play these scores anymore. The Poem of Ecstasy (aka Symphony 4) benefits from the clear SACD sonics as the solo trumpet does not sound overbearing or too spotlit. The performance style of Pletnev and the orchestra also suits this piece more exactly. I'm surprised I couldn't find a prior posting of this 2015 SACD here but maybe I didn't use the right search terms. Sonics 5.0 Performance 4.5
Thank you for that review! I have a blind spot (and possibly a phobia) when it comes to Scriabin and currently have just a single disc of Scriabin piano works (performed by Yegeny Sudbin on BIS) in my SACD collection. I would like to explore more Scriabin.
Spinning this. I like the original Night on Bare Mountain but I think I enjoy Rimsky a little more. Awesome bass from this disc but some of it sounds a little indistinct. The performances are good but sound stiff at times.
That Sudbin disc is great. I have many Scriabin discs but this one is not too expensive and is great. Edit-It is not SACD though.
I'm not sure from your post what your issue is with Scriabin's music. I view him as part of the proto Hollywoods as Korngold later made that type of music the Hollywood soundtracks of the Golden Age. The other proto Hollywoods to me were Szymanowski, Schreker and Zemlinsky and of course Korngold. Szymanowski seems closer to Scriabin as the other three were primarily opera composers while Szymanowski and Scriabin wrote mostly orchestral music and concertos. Scriabin was a follower of Chopin and I think the last great composer of piano music. Do you have music by Szymanowski?
No Szymanowski but I discovered another Scriabin (SACD) disc in my collection (that I have not listened to yet). It's Symphony No. 3 on the Waterlily Label.
Finished hearing Szell playing Sibelius second, this is an early Japan SACD. The performance is stunning! I'll need to spend more time with it, prior to this my overall favorite is Barbirolli/Royal Philharmonic.
Funny. As some members, including myself, recommend Dorati's Firebird SACD here, it looks like very common. But it is a hard to find item and fetiches higher price in the market.
It's been out of print for about 10 years now. I see used copies pop up from time to time in my local record shop. For those having a hard time finding Dorati's Firebird SACD though, I recommend getting the (new) Dutton-Vocalion SACD of the Boulez recording (of the 1910 version) which I find equally enjoyable and a sonic spectacular!
1st Listen, Orchestral Dances, Kazuki Yamada & the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Pentatone SACD: Speaking of my local record shop...I stopped by Friday after work and found this disc of Orchestral Dances. I am sitting down now for a first listen. I love the drum fanfare that opens Richard Strauss "Dance of the Seven Veils." The exotic percussion really lends a lot of atmosphere and authenticity to the piece. This version makes me yearn to see a ballet set to this music. I hear so much drama and movement in this evocative interpretation. I like the way that Yamada captures the element of madness in the piece. I love all the crashing and banging in the Finale, which sounds absolutely nutty! I love Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 1 in it's piano version and I find that the orchestrated version heard here captures many of the qualities that I like about the (piano) piece. I like the way that Yamada and his orchestra capture the diabolical aspects of the music. The music seems to cast a spell. I love the addition of the harps which add a great deal of atmosphere. The woodwinds sound like beguiling (but sinister) voices. I hear a kinetic quality in the interpretation, which allows me to hear how well this piece would work for dancers. I would love to see this set for the ballet. I love the way that the opening of Korngold's "Straussiana" seems to animate a room full of toys. The piece reminds me of the "Nutcracker." The atmosphere of merriment and delight, creates visions of children dancing and playing. Feruccio Busoni's Tanz-Walzer sounds like a modern take on a traditional Viennese Waltz. I like the dark shades and vivid colors with which Busoni paints the music. I like the exploration of the psychological. Freud would approve. I love the contribution of the woodwind instruments. The solo violin sounds beguiling as well. I can imagine dancers interpreting this piece. Franz Schreker's Ein Tanzspiel sounds like the soundtrack to a Disney film. The music sounds evocative and lush. Richard Strauss "First series of Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier" sounds very evocative as well. I adore the opera and I think the series of Waltzes presented here by Yamada and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande captures the fin de siecle atmosphere of the piece. The caption on the back of the liner notes says, "sit back and enjoy" and I hear much to enjoy in this 2014 Pentatone multi-channel hybrid SACD release.
