Recent Acquisitions
Simon Roberts
A few thoughts on a few recent purchases:
1. Although these are in no special order, vol 6 of Annie Fischer's
Beethoven cycle must have pride of place. My heart sank somewhat when I
saw that the Appassionata was on it -- I'm really rather sick of it -- but
from the first bar I know this would be something special: a thrilling,
incisive, "masculine" performance that impressed me more than any
performance I can remember off-hand; the sort of performance that's so
impressive that the usual urge to make comparisons just doesn't arise.
The Tempest and Pastoral fill it out in similar vein.
2. Schubert Schoene Muellerin. Hagegard/Ax/RCA. Superlatively sung,
interpreted and accompanied; I mention this in part for anyone with
access to a decent cut-out source (I got mine at Tower's in New York) as
it appears to have been deleted.
3. Mozart Zauberfloete. Suitner/Dresden/RCA. Another cut-out. Rather
well-conducted, slowish, old-fashioned performance with stunningly
beautiful, pure-toned singing from Helen Donath, an engagingly light
Papageno from Guenther Leib, an excellent Queen from Geszty and Tamino
from Schreier and a god-awful Sarastro from Theo Adam (I had forgotten how
long ago he became intolerably wobbly).
4. Asawa/RCA/"The Dark is my Delight". I'm rather a sucker for
recordings of Dowland songs, and rather like counter-tenors, but the cover
-- another of those damned bare-foot things -- should perhaps have been
warning. The songs are all interpreted to sound exactly the same
regardless of mood, and his diction isn't very good. Besides, he sounds a
lot like a mezzo; frankly, I see no point to countertenors unless they
sound different -- otherwise, one merely thinks "that's nice, but not as
good as Von Otter" (etc.); moreover, he has the same vibrato that plagues
so many young female singers and which to me sounds all wrong in this
music. No match for Alfred Deller.
5. Beethoven 5/6 Zinman/Tonhalle/Arte Nova. I've always thought Zinman a
bore, but something happened here to change that. This is one of the most
imaginatively interpreted 6ths I've ever heard (though the storm isn't
ferocious enough), with superlative rhythmic vitality and wonderful
phrasing. Much the same goes for the 5th. The orchestral playing is
magnificent -- stunning horns and a stellar cello/bass section. The
gimmick is the use of a new edition by Jonathan del Mar, some of which
involves quite noticeable differences, such as a mass of added trills in
the first movement of 6. First rate sound too. Can't wait for the rest
of the cycle.
6. Brahms symphonies Harnoncourt/Teldec. Can't decide whether I like
this. The highlight for me is the first movement of 2, which is extremely
imaginative without being mannered, at times quite thrilling (the
orchestral playing throughout is magnificent, with some superb horn work).
But the finale sounds oddly inhibited, and so does the rest of the cycle.
The first movement takes too long to catch fire (and the allegro section
starts out far too slowly) and all I can say in favor of the finale is
that he doesn't slow down for the return of the chorale at the end. 3
starts off with a horribly disjointed first movement in which phrases are
broken up into little fragments which never get joined back together; the
result is a complete lack of forward movement, and the storm-tossed
quality I seek here is absent. 4 is better, but again seems subdued.
Much interesting orchestral detail, but that's not enough for me. The
same applies to the fillers. The Tragic overture is too slow (far removed
from Reiner's stunning recording), the Academic Festival Ov. not festive
enough, the Haydn Variations too straight-laced (odd, given Harnoncourt's
sense of humor).
7. Bach Christmas Oratorio/Jacobs/Harmonia Mundi. A thrilling
performance, with superb orchestral playing (the opening timpani fanfare
is the best on discs), wonderfully shaped chorales, excellent soloists (I
might have preferred a different soprano) who -- unusual in Bach -- add
appoggiaturas in the recitatives, and a first rate choir. The soloists
sing much of the opening/closing chorus of the third cantata, which is a
nice touch. This is easily one of the two or three best performances out
there (of course you would have to like HIP to agree).
8. Tchaik 5/Schumann 4 Barbirolli/NYPO/Dutton. Breathtaking performance
of the Tchaikovsky, with the Schumann not far behind; intense, fast
(except Schumann's second movement), dramatic, wondefully phrased,
thrillingly played and, considering these are live (with coughing to
prove it, vintage 1939 and 1937 respectively), with extremely good sound.
On no counts to be missed if you care for the music and don't insist on
stereo.
9. Haydn 103/104 Kuijken/DHM. Kuijken finally wakes up for the final
symphony in his series, 104, and gives it a splendidly dramatic, stylish
performance, including a really fast minuet that doesn't slow down for the
trio, and, for the first time in this cycle, assertive brass and timpani.
Too bad he didn't do the rest like this.
10. Beethoven Missa Solemnis/Eroica/Koussevitzky/Pearl. Having finally
found it used and thus sensibly priced, I thought I would follow up on
others' recommendations. I was rather disappointed. In almost any given
stretch of either work (except the ludicrously slow orchestral presto
fugato in the Agnus Dei) one will encounter an intense, exciting
performance of great and compelling musicianship (and execution, for that
matter). The problem for me is that his many changes in tempo make no
sense, mainly because they seem merely to happen for no good reason and
bear no apparent relationship to the tempi that surround them.
11. Haydn Harmoniemesse Hickox/Chandos. Progress is slowly being made:
better than the badly recorded performace on Hyperion and than Kuijken's
boring effort, this is almost as good as (but of course quite different
from) Bernstein's old recording. I wish he would learn to let rip
occasionally, though; too much British good taste here....
12. Schubert Mass in Eflat Leinsdorf/Testament. I bought this based on
many rave comments on this newsgroup. It's fine, but seems rather
ordinary compared to Harnoncourt and Haselboeck. What am I missing?
Now I guess I should go and listen to something....
Simon
The Melsons
On 5 Dec 1997 03:49:06 GMT, si...@dept.english.upenn.edu (Simon
Roberts) wrote:
I heard the Tonhalle Orchestra in its home a little over a year ago.
Part of the orchestra's sound - mellow, a little soft-grained to
American ears, but with good ensemble - may be due to their hall,
which is high, narrow and shallow but with the rare combination of
clarity and warmth. I look forward to hearing this disc.
I am partial to Barbirolli's Halle Tchaik 5 on EMI (I think recently
deleted), and I love the work Dutton labs has done freshening old
recordings (listen to their 1946 Malcolm Sargent "Messiah"), so this
disc sounds promising.
>9. Haydn 103/104 Kuijken/DHM. Kuijken finally wakes up for the final
>symphony in his series, 104, and gives it a splendidly dramatic, stylish
>performance, including a really fast minuet that doesn't slow down for the
>trio, and, for the first time in this cycle, assertive brass and timpani.
>Too bad he didn't do the rest like this.
>
>10. Beethoven Missa Solemnis/Eroica/Koussevitzky/Pearl. Having finally
>found it used and thus sensibly priced, I thought I would follow up on
>others' recommendations. I was rather disappointed. In almost any given
>stretch of either work (except the ludicrously slow orchestral presto
>fugato in the Agnus Dei) one will encounter an intense, exciting
>performance of great and compelling musicianship (and execution, for that
>matter). The problem for me is that his many changes in tempo make no
>sense, mainly because they seem merely to happen for no good reason and
>bear no apparent relationship to the tempi that surround them.
>
>11. Haydn Harmoniemesse Hickox/Chandos. Progress is slowly being made:
>better than the badly recorded performace on Hyperion and than Kuijken's
>boring effort, this is almost as good as (but of course quite different
>from) Bernstein's old recording. I wish he would learn to let rip
>occasionally, though; too much British good taste here....
>
>12. Schubert Mass in Eflat Leinsdorf/Testament. I bought this based on
>many rave comments on this newsgroup. It's fine, but seems rather
>ordinary compared to Harnoncourt and Haselboeck. What am I missing?
>
At the time of its initial release (early sixties?) this may have been
the only available recording of the E-flat Mass, so many of its fans
may remember it fondly for introducing them to this glorious work. The
shining moment of this disc is Wunderlich's contribution to the "Et
Incarnatus est."
>Now I guess I should go and listen to something....
>
>Simon
Thanks for the analysis.
Mark Melson
Ignacio Martinez-Ybor
Simon....is that the Leinsdorf Schubert Mass with Wunderlich and Lorengar.
and the St.Hedwige Cathedral Choir? (...I forgot who the other tenor was)? I
didn't know it was out!!! I used to love that recording when in
vinyl......and would sing-along to either of the tenor parts. I think all
the recent Bruno Weil Schubert Masses on Sony probably set the standards
now. I still would like to have the Leinsdorf. Please let me know if it is
what I'm thinking of.
Cheers,
Ignacio.
Ignacio Martinez-Ybor
Absolutely.......I agree. I should have read your posting before querying
Simon......Wunderlich was heaven. As I said, I used to sing with him....
Ignacio.
Ignacio Martinez-Ybor
1/ Hyperion Schubert Edition: Sarah Walker volume......total delight. This
might be easily overlooked by most since she is not a "big name."
Well......beautiful music, sensitively sung in a nice contraltoish mezzo
which holds up well. Certainly one of the most stirring female Erlkonigs
I've ever heard.....but does not surpass Fassbaender.
2/ An old record works its magic again, and its memory truly lives up to
present-day experience: Lizst's Benediction de Dieu dans la
Solitude.....Alfred Brendel on Philips. I got a friendly retailer to break
up the big box and sell me the Lizst component for a very reasonable price
(5cd's.....even if I didn't want everything in it, Brendel is always
interesting). I got the set exclusively for the Benediction......it remains
transcendental. Clear melodic lines and the most sustained impression of
ecstasy I've encountered in piano playing. The recording has been remastered
and the piano sound is up to Philips' standards.....perhaps the best in the
industry.
Cheers,
Ignacio.
Simon Roberts
Ignacio Martinez-Ybor (im...@icanect.net) wrote:
: Simon....is that the Leinsdorf Schubert Mass with Wunderlich and Lorengar.
Yep, that's it. It's Testament SBT 1111.
Simon