Any of the Galway or Rampal versions are also worth a listen. I have all of Galway's, haven't decided which of them I prefer.
Now playing: Nikolai Roslavets - Complete Works for Cello and Piano - Alexander Ivashkin, Tatyana Lazareva - recorded 2000
Columbia M 32737, issued 1974. Sonata recorded 1/16-17/68, 30th Street Studio. I couldn't find information on the other two pieces, but I did find a picture of Copland & Shaffer with a caption that read "Preparing to record his Duo, September, 1971". Producers: Richard Killough (Sonata & Duo) & John McClure (Nonet). All this music is new to me & I enjoyed it.
This Speakers Corner remastered LP set arrived today (one week late--thanks a lot, FedEx!)--sounds great--certainly better than the brittle CD! Of course, the performances are sheer perfection.
This set arrived a few days ago, so I'd like to share some thoughts. Despite that they are the earliest, the 7th and the Fidelio Overture were the best recordings in this group, recorded in glorious sounding 2 track stereo. The 1st and 9th were solidly recorded but never considered top-tier Living Stereos sonically. I'd pretty much given up on the 5th and the Coriolan Overture (bloated messes), not to mention the Dyna-disaster Pastoral. Therefore, I am happy to report that Andreas K. Meyers and his team at Swan Studios have done it again. Not only does the 1st, 7th, Fidelio and 9th sound better than ever, the 5th, Coriolan and even the Pastoral reveal orchestral colors and details not found on any previous issues. Finally, you can listen to this 5th without the shrillness that made listening a sonic ordeal. I cannot recommend this set too highly. I only wish that they had included the mono recording of the 3rd in this box which is terrific.
I never heard these (Reiner Beethoven) recordings in earlier releases either on vinyl or on CD, but I am happy to know that Andreas K. Meyer and his team at Swan Studios New York have wrought yet another sonic miracle! I know they have access to the masters and they carefully remaster (and restore) in DSD. They have been doing so on a consistent basis with this remaster series from Sony Japan. All the SACDs that I have come across (that they have remastered) have sounded spectacular! They also remastered the contents of the George Szell and Bruno Walter big boxes and those recordings have also never sounded better. I think Andreas K. Meyer and Swan Studios New York were also responsible for the Ormandy big box as well. They are on a roll!
Philips 6500 119, issued 1971. Recorded 9/1-5/70, Wembley Town Hall, London. The orchestra is the New Philharmonia. In Bach's BWV 1043 Toyoda (heir to an automaker fortune) is the 2nd violinist. Holliger is the oboist in BWV 1060. This sold for $7.99 at J&R Music.
Now playing: Johann Sebastian Bach - Trauerode BWV 198, Cantate BWV 78 - La Chapelle Royale, Collegium Vocale, Philippe Herreweghe - recorded 1988
Now playing: Gabriel Fauré - Orchestral Works, Vol. II - Orch. Nat. du capitole de Toulouse, Michel Plasson - recorded 1980
Spinning now, CD 2 from the Living Stereo Vol 2 box, recorded in 1956: I'm not entirely sure why I'm listening to these concertos in reverse order Anyway, number one later today or over breakfast tomorrow.
Continuing from yesterday, now playing: Karl Amadeus Hartmann - Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6 - Netherlands Radio PO & Chamber Philh. - recorded 2012, 2013 CD 2 from this set:
Now playing: Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartets 8, 9 & 10 - Borodin Quartet - recorded 1978, 1981 CD 4 of this set:
Spinning now, CD 1 from the Living Stereo Vol 2 box, recorded 1956: That's all five listened to, excellent cycle with great sound quality.
Well, all five of course excludes the early WoO work and the Violin Concerto transcription. So seven for completists. I quite like the latter, not as much as the violin version, but in isolation find it excellent. The 'Concerto zero' not so much.
Columbia M 32686, issued 1974. The Epitafios were arranged for guitar by Stanley Myers. The others were arranged for voice & guitar by Stephen Dodgson. Although Theodorakis had classical training & wrote classical pieces, I think any blindfold listener would identify this as a folk album, and a good one at that. The Greek texts all relate to the dire Greek political situation in the 60s that led to imprisonment for both composer & singer. This is true even though most of the texts are translations into Greek from earlier works by Federico Garcia Lorca & Brendan Behan. Producer: Paul Myers. Engineer: Robert Auger. Bob Auger was a freelance engineer of many classical recordings, but early in his career also was behind the board at Pye Studios for The Kinks first sessions.
Been listening to this great recording by Suzuki/ Bach collegium Japan... Such an amazing sound quality and performance...
I have the following SMP DVD's ... BTW, this is a small world, as the daughter of Nikolaus Harnoncourt actually recorded some of the Bach Cantatas with Koopman though I do not know if she recorded any with her father ...
Spotify Premium. Leevi Madetoja: Tragic episode and Rapids shooting from opera Juha op. 74 Ostrobothnian Suite op. 52 2nd Symphony op. 35
Pulled this out today... La Boheme / Teatro alla Scala / Maria Callas Puccini/Stefano/Callas/Votto / La Boheme 2 lps Columbia My vintage two record set is so minty it is amazing...looks and sounds like it was never played. Found both records at a Goodwill shop 20 years ago for a buck. Record jackets are on solid cardboard, not the flimsy UK jackets. 1956? 1958? There are so many of these in reissues and alt covers it's hard to date it. I have the blue and gold Columbia label. Pretty sweet to hear, and handle that heavy vinyl in NM++ condition. Not even a spindle mark on the like new pristine record label to be seen. Maria at La Scala UK view of back
