The late sonatas from this wonderful set. Among recent releases, it's my favorite--tremendous playing and very good sound.
I don't know for sure, but my guess is this was Sony's decision in order to promote Currentzis. How many artists even see or hear their own recordings, let alone design the covers?
Perhaps you are right...perhaps it was Sony's decision (and also Sony's decision with regard to the Bernstein cover) but have you read (about) any of the recent pronouncements from the mouth of Mr. Currentzis (who acts like he and he alone knows anything about Beethoven)? He has a big ego...I would not put it past him to have had a say in the cover choice.
1st Listen Schubert Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, D.960, Alain Planes, Harmonia Mundi CD: I found this at my local Record Shop two nights ago. I hear a warmth and luminosity in these performances that makes me want to listen to this (recording) again.
I've read parts of his interviews but haven't listened to any of his recordings. He certainly doesn't lack confidence. The world may need more Beethoven, but I don't at this point in my life, which is not a knock against him or Sony. I'd rather see a young conductor champion lesser-known music, but I suppose that's not how they get recording contracts with outfits like Sony. The conductors who do record lesser-known works end up with Naxos or CPO (two labels that I love) and probably make less money.
Spinning in the CD player: For many, many years, the only Glenn Gould recording I owned. Glenn Gould - Schoenberg – Piano Works Sony Classical – SM2K 52664
You are absolutely right about that! I am friends with an opera star, who has sung all over the world. He trained under Leonard Bernstein but he had the misfortune to be about ten years too young and he missed out (by a hair) on the Era when the major labels were signing artists like him left and right. He has a few recordings on Naxos though.
Inspired by a post in here recently, some Schoenberg played wonderfully by Karajan and Berlin. Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht, Op. 4 (arr. for String Orchestra (second vers. 1943)) Schoenberg: Pelléas und Mélisande, Op. 5 Schoenberg: Variations, Op. 31 Herbert von Karajan Berliner Philharmoniker 1973-74
Columbia M 31841, issued 1973. Reissue of MS 7011, from 1967. The Petrushka Suite was recorded 2/12, 15 & 17/60 at the same time as the complete recording of Petrushka that appeared as MS 6188, 1960. Apparently the Firebird Suite was not taken from the complete 1961 recording issued as MS 6328 in 1962, but was newly recorded 1/18/67. All the recordings were made in the American Legion Hall, Hollywood and produced by John McClure.
Spinning now from the Brilliant Classics 25 CD Baroque box: My goto disc if another version comes along in a box (which happens quite a bit - this is about my 18th version ). Sprightly HIP playing, an interesting and entertaining interpretation with excellent sound. The box only cost AUD $30 delivered from JPC.DE - and has about a dozen discs of new repertoire for me.
Listening to "Lassus - Requiem for four voices" performed by Pro Cantione Antiqua directed by Mark Brown on Hyperion.
This morning I am listening to another CD from this box. It includes “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Sheherazade”. The former was recorded in 1952, the latter 1947. The Moscow Radio Symphony and Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, respectively. The sound is dated, of course, but the performances are very good. Golovanov was an excellent conductor who knew how to bring the color.
I bought this box a good twenty years ago but that was also the last time I listened to it. I have the Vivaldi box by Hogwood/AAM, Scimone/I Solisti Veneti and I Musici so I am very well covered there and there is not another box that is worth getting for me ...
I was just looking at the box on JPC. Only EU39.99 for 34 CDs, quite a bargain. How does it sound? https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/complete-sony-box-set/hnum/8824036
Being cut off from my CDs has inspired me to poke around YouTube, where I've discovered that Brilliant Classics upload the lion's share of their releases for free streaming, at least here in the UK. There's some interesting stuff up there - asides from the usual suspects, I found myself listening to classical guitar arrangements of Yann Tiersen pieces yesterday. Accomplished, and it would be fascinating to witness live, but I prefer the original works in a recorded setting. This afternoon's entertainment, inspired by @bluemooze 's recent listening of the similar-on-paper Alain Planes Chopin recordings: John Field & Frederic Chopin - Complete Nocturnes - Bart van Oort, piano The Field is played on an 1823 Broadwood, the Chopin on a 1842 Pleyel and an 1837 Erard. I've enjoyed van Oort's classical fortepiano work (although I think he's at his best in a chamber ensemble), but this is the first time I've heard him on more modern pianos, relatively speaking.
I have not progressed that far in my sequential listening of the 70s section of the Karajan Complete DG/Decca box. But I will get there eventually!
I just heard several Piazzolla Tangos (played by a piano duet) here at work on Sirius XM Radio (on the Classical music station) and it raised an interesting question (or series of questions) in my mind. First of all, I found these Tangos incredibly moving, soulful, passionate and beautiful. I can listen to Piazzolla Tangos (played this way) all day long. Piazzolla's music seems to have garnered some measure of respect and acceptability in the Classical world. This was not always the case. Tango music was once considered low-brow and/or "Latin" music. Astor Piazzolla dreamed of being a Classical composer and went to Paris to study under Nadia Boulanger, but she told him to play Tangos instead...that the Tango was his calling. At that time, Piazzolla was ashamed of his Tango music, which he considered to be low-brow (music of the bordello) and he dreamed of acceptance and respectability in the Classical World. Piazzolla's story reminds me of that of Nina Simone, who also dreamed of a career as a Classical performer, but was told by Vladimir Sokolov at the Curtis Institute to "just play jazz." Anyway, the posthumous embrace of Astor Piazzolla by the Classical world has got me thinking and wondering. What do you all think? Were Piazzolla's compositions classical all along? Do you welcome his music into the Classical canon?
Columbia KM 31919, issued 1974. I was wrong in my earlier speculation about the K added before the M, which was the standard Masterworks prefix letter. The K actually indicates a list price $1 higher than the standard Masterworks price. "This album is comprised of portions of live performances...that took place in the Frederick Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 17, 18 and 20, 1972." Producer: John McClure. Engineers: Rolf Schroeder & John Guerriere. Schroeder was a German engineer who worked for Deutsche Grammophon. Guerriere was with Columbia out of NYC.
I was just thinking about this record — I love Bernstein’s Columbia Mahler Symphonies but I’ve never heard this Das Lied von der Erde. Time to remedy that.
Now playing: Franz Liszt - Sonata in B Minor; Nuages Gris; La Notte; La Lugubre Gondola II; Funérailles - Krystian Zimerman - recorded 1990, 1991
I have the following album in my Classical Music collection under 20th Century, so the answer to your question is "yes".