I found my copy on E-bay. I see it still available from a couple of E-bay sellers in Japan: Karel Ancerl Stravinsky Rite of Spring Petrushka SACD Hybrid TOWER RECORDS JAPAN 4549767061405 | eBay Karel Ancerl Stravinsky Rite of Spring Petrushka SACD Hybrid TOWER RECORDS JAPAN 4549767061405 | eBay
Good news! CD Japan have Rosel's SACD of Mozart's Piano Concerti Nos. 22 & 23 back in stock (for a very modest cost)! Mozart: Piano Concertos [SACD Hybrid] Peter Rosel CD Album
Thanks again. I got through about half of Bilson/Gardiner cycle this week, as far as HIP goes these are fantastic performances. I do prefer them to Immerseel and Viviana Sofronitsy (her playing/interpretations are fine, the orchestra playing is below average) but I've noticed the balances between orchestra and piano really stand out, Bilson is recorded lower than the orchestra. I can bring up the levels of the solo piano parts with a DAW but the balances still sound off when both piano and orchestra are playing. A real shame given how good their interpretations are.
Franz Schreker: Der Ferne Klang (The Distant Sound). Dirk Kaftan, Sally duRandt, Mathias Schulz, Augsburg Philh. SACD ARS Prod. Schreker believe it or not was the most popular living opera composer in Germany in the early decades of the 20th C except for Richard Strauss. He is now enjoying a bit of a revival. Der Ferne Klang was his first major success. Only issued on some private labels in the LP era ( I have a LP box from the French Radio Orchestra), this is the first on SACD. The other CD issues on Naxos and Capriccio are not very good IMO. Excellent sonics so you can clearly hear the complex orchestration, sort of a beautiful mashup of Debussy and Parsifal scoring.
I just discovered Franz Schreker! His "Ein Tanzspiel" was included in a recent Pentatone SACD of Dance Music that I reviewed upthread. I really enjoyed the piece!
1st Listen Elgar, Civic Fanfare (1927 version), Spanish Lady Suite, Civic Fanfare (version 1) Organ Sonata, Civic Fanfare( 1933 version) & Severn Suite, Dutton-Vocalion SACD: I like the horns in the opening Civic Fanfare (1927 Version). The Spanish Lady Suite (from an unfinished Elgar opera) has that "tongue in cheek" sense of humor that I love about Elgar. It's quite subversive. The use of castenets paints the music with "Spanish" color. I hear some really gorgeous melodies. Yet, overall this sounds like a very modern piece that puts me in mind of (a lyric) Sibelius. The Adagio (from the Spanish Lady Suite) reminds me of Elgar's "Enigma Variations." I hear more sly subversiveness (and an elegiac quality) in the Scherzo and Aria. The Finale also seems infused with Elgar's (winking) sense of humor. The recording sounds sumptuous. ...and now the Civic Fanfare again (undated version). The (orchestrated) Organ Sonata opens with some luscious melodies. I am really enjoying the playing of the Scottish National Orchestra under Martin Yates. I love the Elgarian lyricism that I hear in the Andate espressivo of the Organ Sonata. The piece ends in a rousing Presto. I am enjoying the Civic Fanfare interludes (as in this 1933 version). The disc continues with Elgar's Severn Suite, which seems as much a travelogue in music as does Smetana's Ma Vlast. I really enjoyed this SACD of (little-known) Elgar pieces. The liner notes say that this was recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee on September 18 & 25, 2018, so this is a new Dutton-Vocalion (SACD) recording not a remastering of older (Quadrophonic) material.
I've been holding off on getting the Fricsay Tchaikovsky 6 (his 1959 release) and not sure I need it. I do have the regular CD of it. Anyone want to make the case for buying it?
I hope Dutton would (re)issue the Readers Digest recordings on SACD that Cheeky did on CD in the future.
The case: 1st Listen Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6, Ferenc Fricsay & the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Universal Japan SHM-SACD: This was one of David Hurwitz's top choices but due to the (previous) difficulty of getting many of Fricsay's recordings, this was one that escaped me (until now). I am liking the recorded sound. It sounds very transparent (to my ear). I like the way this clarifies the intonation of instruments (especially the woodwinds). I hear a lot of emotion in the opening Adagio. I can't help but sense a certain affinity in this interpretation with that of Mravinsky. This was taped (by DG) in 1959. Both Fricsay and Mravinsky play this music with an emotional rawness that does not come across so well in many western interpretations. It's searing and heart-rending. Karajan in constrast seems only to touch these surfaces (rarely diving too deeply into the emotional abyss below). The recorded clarity also works well in the 2nd movement, Allegro con grazia. I am loving Mr. Fricsay's interpretation of the waltz theme. It's giving me chills. I appreciate the emotional intensity. I also appreciate the beautiful recorded sound. I like the way Mr. Fricsay brings out the (high spirited) rhythms in the 3rd movement, Allegro molto vivace. I hear beautiful balance from the orchestral choirs...balance that allows a myriad of orchestral voices and strands to shine out. This is also striking me as a very polished reading (perhaps slightly more so than Mravinsky). I love the crisp cymbal crashes in the conclusion. The movement ends in a burst of exuberance and excitement! Fricsay brings out every drop of emotion in the music. The exuberance in the conclusion of the 3rd movement creates great contrast with the doleful, mournful opening of the Finale, Adagio lamentoso. I love the way that Fricsay connects with the music's hysteria. The finale (when played well like it is here) always sounds like a house on fire. The movement concludes with smoke, ash and glowing embers. This is a spectacular, moving, soul stirring interpretation! The recording quality is equally fine. I have actually never heard better. This was remastered to DSD by Emil Berliner Studios in 6/2016.
It is getting harder to find now as it's been deleted. Have to admit that if it came out via high resolution download, I'd probably get that. I did see Hurwitz's review.
I have three of the Chesky discs, and the mastering and sound quality is excellent on them. Based on my experience with Dutton discs, I do not believe they would improve on the Chesky masterings.
I think of all music I’ve heard in high resolution classical, and particularly symphonic, benefits the most from it. Although I have nice sets of Beethoven and Shostakovich symphonies plus several Mahler and some others my listening tends to be more toward contemporary and chamber music as well as music in surround that was designed for it, such as Collegno’s compilation of classic electro acoustic music. The Neos and Caro Mitis labels are very strong in that regard. Neos has several Nono recordings and also series that cover contemporary festivals. Caro Mitis has a disk of Schnittke piano sonatas that are mind expanding.
I listened Zoltan Kocsis playing Annees de Pelerinage Book 3 (very good performance). This put me in the mood to hear more of it and I listened to Muza Rubackyte's recording of year 1 and 2, this has been my reference version for many years, replacing even Lazar Berman's in terms of performance.
It's amazing, I love how it never drags or sounds heavy/sludge-y in places which is my sole complaint with Lazar Berman's. Muza never sacrifices any brio but she still revels in the romantic nature of the work. Otherwise I really enjoy Berman as well for complete years. Bertrand Chamayou is another good one (I put it behind Cziffra and Berman) for a complete recording in fine sound. More pianists should record this! IMHO I find this work is much more interesting than Liszt's short virtuoso concert pieces. Hearing Annees makes me think Liszt could have wrote a really good fantasy for solo keyboard. edit: actually it wouldn't surprise me if Liszt did write one or more, there is that monster sized Liszt box on Hyperion which I skipped, Leslie Howard didn't strike me as the most interesting pianist when I was sampling that box.
I also think that the Annees de Pelerinage is a masterpiece and I am grateful that two superb recordings have appeared on SACD. That of Muza Rubackyte and also that of Yoram Ish-Hurwitz (though both are Out-of-Print, they occasionally turn up on the used market). I see that Amazon still have a few copies of Premier Annee et Troisieme Annee available: Franz Liszt, Yoram Ish-Hurwitz - Liszt: Annees de Pelerinage, Premiere Annee (Suisse) - Amazon.com Music Franz Liszt, Yoram Ish-Hurwitz - Liszt: Annees de Pelerinage, Troisieme Annee - Amazon.com Music
1st Listen La Musique Russe, Cluytens & the Philharmonia & l'Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire, Tower Records Japan SACD: I love the sense of animation in the opening of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol. I like the way that Cluytens (and his Philharmonia players) bring out the lilt in the music and the way they understand this Russian interpretation of a Spanish Dance. This remastering sound very clear and realistic and preserves orchestral timbre and texture very well. The playing sound very evocative. The interpretation sounds exuberant and fun! I like the woodwind figures that open Borodin's "In the Steppes of Central Asia." The evocative piece puts me in mind of camel caravans crossing a central asian desert. I like the energy that I hear in the opening of Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" (in Rimsky-Korsakov's arrangement). Cluytens and his Philharmonia players bring out an infernal, spooky quality in the interpretation. I like the way that Cluytens and his Paris Conservatory players bring out the rhythms in Borodin's Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens. I love the oboe and harp melody that opens Borodin's Polovtsian Dances. I love the way that Cluytens and his Paris players get into the rhythms of the piece. The kettle drum parts sound spectacular! The interpretation sounds so evocative. I am imagining the exotic land of Polovtsy in my mind. I love the solemn opening of Rimsky-Korsakov's Russian Easter Festival Overture. I like the way that Cluytens and his Paris players bring out the beauties of the piece. I love the excitement and the Russianness (for lack of a better word) in the interpretation. I love the amazing woodwind playing in the Flight of the Bumblebee from Rimsky-Korsakov's Tale of the Tsar Saltan. What a fun (and great sounding) album! I want more Cluytens on SACD!
Steve Reich, Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble – Steve Reich: Music For 18 Musicians (2007, SACD) Ludwig van Beethoven / Amadeus-Quartett – Quartette Op. 59 Nr.1, Op. 131 (2017, SHM-SACD, SACD) The Reich is fantastic but the Beethoven 131 is really doing the trick for me lately…both extraordinary.
Other Steve Reich on SACD: HRAudio.net - KUNIKO plays Reich HRAudio.net - Precipice: Modern Marimba - Bartlett HRAudio.net - Reich: Sextet, Clapping Music, Music for Pieces of Wood - Percy HRAudio.net - Salzburg Biennale - Festival for New Music 2009 The LSO is very good.
I've been following this thread since its inception and finally I got around to add my most cherished and maybe lesser known classical Sacds. The first one would be Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra. I know that pretty much everyone recommends the Reiner Living Stereo version but I honestly find the Zoltán Kocsis rendition leaps and bounds better. Even more so if you have a surround system. Recorded at the Italian Institute in Budapest, it was a blind buy for me as I'm a big fan of Hungaroton classical cds dating back as early as 1983 as they exude quality. When I found out that Hungaroton releases classical Sacds, I jumped on it. No regrets here, to say the least. The other one would be a church organ recording that is the benchmark to Yours Truly as it dethroned the famous E. Power Biggs SACD. Now the contents of these two Sacds are not identical so I'm referring exclusively to the recording quality and overall realism. Most experts will say that solo piano or maybe violin is the hardest to reproduce through speakers but I think it's the organ. Anyhow, this album (both vol1 & vol2) will get you as close as possible to the real thing, at least I have yet to hear a better organ recording. MDG (the record label in Germany) employs their unique 2+2+2 recording system here and, while at first it might sound as a sales gimmick, it does indeed render these albums singular when it comes to the mighty and epic sound of the church organ. Thank you for this thread and happy listening everyone!
