New Sibelius Symphony Cycle Coming This Month...

[Jonathan Ben Schragadove]

https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/klaus-makela/news/klaus-maekelae-announces-debut-album-265377

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9310044--sibelius-complete-symphonies

[Néstor Castiglione]

On Monday, March 7, 2022 at 12:36:10 PM UTC-8, Jonathan Ben Schragadove wrote:
> https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/klaus-makela/news/klaus-maekelae-announces-debut-album-265377
>
> https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9310044--sibelius-complete-symphonies


It's a set that proves Klaus Mäkelä is more than just the considerable hype that has been building for him in Europe. The Tapiola was especially really boldly played, thanks to the pleasingly beefy sound of the Oslo Philharmonic. Wasn't expecting much, hadn't heard any of Mäkelä's recordings before, but these recordings make me hopeful that with care and time his talents will continue to grow. I can tell you that acquaintance with these recordings already demonstrates Mäkelä to be a far more charismatic and interesting interpreter than YNS, MGT, the Dude, and many others currently riding high on podiums around the world.

[mswd...@gmail.com]

Where are you listening?

[Néstor Castiglione]

A copy of Mäkelä's Sibelius cycle was in a press kit that was sent to me last month.

[Kerrison]

On Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at 12:43:23 AM UTC, Néstor Castiglione wrote:

There are several visual examples of Klaus on YouTube ... Here he is energetically conducting three minutes of Sibelius 6 with the Swedish Radio SO in 2020 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMKVpRn2rk0

[Jonathan Ben Schragadove]

On Monday, March 7, 2022 at 12:36:10 PM UTC-8, Jonathan Ben Schragadove wrote:
> https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/klaus-makela/news/klaus-maekelae-announces-debut-album-265377
>
> https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9310044--sibelius-complete-symphonies

Reviews are starting to appear:
https://limelightmagazine.com.au/reviews/sibelius-complete-symphonies-oslo-philharmonic-orchestra-klaus-makela/

[Jonathan Ben Schragadove]

Another review:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/24/sibelius-the-symphonies-and-tapiola-review-klaus-makela-oslo-philharmonic

[Frank Berger]

What is the significance of Mäkelä being only the 3rd conductor in the history of Decca to sign an exclusive contract? Does Decca not like to have exclusive conductors? Do conductors not like to be tied to a single label? What gives?

[Frank Berger]

Seems the initial release is sold out. Amazon and Importcds say release date isJune 3.

[Andrew Clarke]

Forget the stereotyped image of the laconic Australian with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, insouciant of the bushflies crawling up one nostril and down the other. We can do purple prose as well as anybody on the planet.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Frank Berger]

Multiple reviewers have hyped him being only the third conductor to sign an exclusive contract with Decca. It must be in the press release. Why that's a big deal must be self-evident (and I must be stupid) since
nobody bothers to explain it and I don't get it.

Can't wait to delve into the "unique musical universe."

[Andrew Clarke]

On Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at 7:36:10 AM UTC+11, Jonathan Ben Schragadove wrote:
> https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/klaus-makela/news/klaus-maekelae-announces-debut-album-265377
>
> https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9310044--sibelius-complete-symphonies

It must be frustrating being in a Scandinavian orchestra: all you ever get to record is Sibelius and Neilsen, plus a bit of Crusell if you're lucky. Unless you're the Swedish Chamber Orchestra or, even more so, the excellent Concerto Copenhagen.

Desperate Dan and Mots de Miel will be delighted to discover that the URL for the Concerto Copenhagen's website is:

<https://coco.dk>

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Andrew Clarke]

He's 25 and has rock star looks. Decca can see him being a big seller and have jumped in fast.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Alex Brown]

Listened to #1. Very well played and recorded, but I have to say it made
me think David Hurwitz has a point about "young conductors" and romantic
music, since to my ears it lacked any sense of narrative sweep but
seemed instead to be a sequence of discrete musical tableaux, some of
which had me audibly exclaiming "whaaaat?" (the accelerating timpani and
woodwind bit in the first movement).

--
- Alex Brown

[Andrew Clarke]

Alex, isn't that why we have young conductors? So that we can hear new ways of doing things?

I was watching a performance of Rameau on YouTube the other day, and as usual the performers were young men and women. The audience was, as usual, an ocean of white heads. The venue was, as usual, a church. This discrepancy worries me.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Dan Koren]

On Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at 9:13:16 PM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> I was watching a performance of Rameau
> on YouTube the other day, and as usual the
> performers were young men and women.
> The audience was, as usual, an ocean of
> white heads. The venue was, as usual, a
> church. This discrepancy worries me.
>

Get rid of the church. Move
the whole show to an IMAX
movie theatre.

dk

[David Hurwitz]

> >
> Alex, isn't that why we have young conductors? So that we can hear new ways of doing things?
>
> I was watching a performance of Rameau on YouTube the other day, and as usual the performers were young men and women. The audience was, as usual, an ocean of white heads. The venue was, as usual, a church. This discrepancy worries me.
>
> Andrew Clarke
> Canberra

Doesn't worry me a bit. The old folks were young once. There will never be a shortage of old folks with the time and resources, financial and otherwise, to enjoy classical music. If that is its audience, then so be it. This prejudice about audiences being old strikes me as ridiculous, as are the rather pathetic and inept attempts to cater to the young and the perpetual hand-wringing over their lack of interest.

I also think you miss Alex's (and my) point. Sure, on theoretical reason we have young conductors is to hear new ways of doing things, but newness for its own sake is worthless. We need new, smart, idiomatic, sympathetic--however you choose to describe it--I want to hear something new and wonderful, not new and stupid. The difference, as often as not, isn't all hard to figure out.
Dave

[Frank Berger]

I would say the purpose of having young conductors is that so some of them can become mature conductors.

[David Hurwitz]

Yep.

[Andy Evans]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrpA5oR-0Kk

La Mer. Gave up some way into the first movement - it's a very literal reading with minimal shaping of the phrases. After Boulez and Van Beinum it's just dull, though well played.

[Andrew Clarke]

I'm a great fan of Les Siecles, Dave. Let me assure you that in my case, ignorance is bliss.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Andrew Clarke]

On Friday, April 8, 2022 at 6:07:48 AM UTC+10, Andy Evans wrote:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrpA5oR-0Kk
>
> La Mer. Gave up some way into the first movement - it's a very literal reading with minimal shaping of the phrases. After Boulez and Van Beinum it's just dull, though well played.

You really do wonder why the Concertgebouw invited him to conduct, don't you? It'll be John Wilson next, closely followed by the end of civilisation as we know it.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[raymond....@gmail.com]

Like many very young conductors he has learned all the podium techniques, but it will be another couple of decades before he really knows this piece. If he were a dog, he'd still be chasing balls to fetch.
I fail to see the hoo-hah.

Ray Hall, Taree

[Oscar]

Enquiring minds want to know: How does the new Mäkelä integrale fare vis-à-vis Rouvali on alpha? The latter has better hair (although hardly 'fluffy').

[David Hurwitz]

> > Dave
> I'm a great fan of Les Siecles, Dave. Let me assure you that in my case, ignorance is bliss.
>
> Andrew Clarke
> Canberra

You don't say? I never would have guessed.

Dave

[Andrew Clarke]

Well, Dave, in thirty years time, I'll be in the market for an F-X Roth boxed set. I will then be 105 years old, and unable to hear all that much of it, but I will have the satisfaction of knowing that it's so much better than the Knappertsbuch ones.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Andrew Clarke]

It's called marketing, Ray. It's what agents and record companies do if they - and their clients - are to stay in business. Think of him as a sort of Scandinavian Michael Bubl'e.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Oscar]

On Friday, April 8, 2022 at 2:25:26 AM, Andrew Clarke wrote:
>
> Think of him as a sort of Scandinavian Michael Bubl'e.

Now now . . . you take a time-out.

[Andrew Clarke]

Well my Hurwitz-baiting purchase for this month was going to be the Rattle Sibelius recordings but I changed my mind and bought the ones under discussion. They are beautifully played and recorded, and I haven't heard any stupid yet. I believe he's also the music director of the Orchestre de Paris, so he must have something going for him. When he's about 80 he might even get a job in America, if he's mature enough ...

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Andrew Clarke]

On Friday, April 8, 2022 at 6:10:13 PM UTC+10, Oscar wrote:

Even worse, this new Sibelius has received favouurable mention in that source of all musical evil The Gramophone, although it is not the Recording of the Month. That honour goes to the St Matthew Passion performed by the fabulous ensemble Pygmalion, conducted by the Harry Connick Junior of French music, the young and handsome Raphael Pichon: his wife, the sensational Sabine Devielhe is one of the singers. Only one of the Recordings of the Month is from a British ensemble.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Fymido Lenito]

No wonder that SMP recording is the current classical chart-topper at JPC.

[Oscar]

On Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 6:12:10 AM, Andrew Clarke wrote:
>
> Even worse, this new Sibelius has received favouurable mention in that source of all musical evil The Gramophone,
> although it is not the Recording of the Month. That honour goes to the St Matthew Passion performed by the
> fabulous ensemble Pygmalion, conducted by the Harry Connick Junior of French music, the young and handsome
> Raphael Pichon: his wife, the sensational Sabine Devielhe is one of the singers. Only one of the Recordings of the
> Month is from a British ensemble.

A phenomenal recording!! One of the best Saint Matthew Passions in recent memory. Extraordinary. And Devielhe is magnificent throughout.

[Andrew Clarke]

I accidently misspelt Mme Devieilhe's name, although I tried very hard to get it right. I remember buying her extraordinary debut album - Mozart and the Weber Sisters - for my wife. Je suis vieilhard depuis longtemps.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Invocation]

Review from Hurwitz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMZgqJZclJA

[Frank Berger]

On 4/10/2022 6:35 PM, Invocation wrote:
> Review from Hurwitz:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMZgqJZclJA

There are two types of errors. I should buy it and don't, or I shouldn't and do. Right or wrong, I just canceled my order based on Dave's review.

[Jonathan Ben Schragadove]

On Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 3:35:43 PM UTC-7, Invocation wrote:
> Review from Hurwitz:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMZgqJZclJA

Thanks for posting this!

[Ricardo Jimenez]

You could also have listened on Spotify and made your decision on your
own evaluation.

[Gerard]

Op 2022-04-11 om 01:22 schreef Frank Berger:

I've seen a lot of reviews. No one is really negative. Most are quite
positive, some are very positive.
Only Hurwitz is so negative. I think he is very strongly exaggerating.
In an any-stick-will-do-to-beat-a-dog mode.

[Frank Berger]

Could have. My time is dear. The review convinced me not to even listen. As I said, that could be wrong.

[Frank Berger]

If I had no Sibelius sets, it seems it would hardly be a first choice. I have all the classic sets and many individual recordings, but I am not a completist. Hence, it's out for now. The advantage of not buying is that you can always change your mind later. Well, almost always. There is the occasional release that goes OOP and you never see it sold used. Some of the Connoisseur Society disks with Wilkmoriska, for example, or a particular Sofronitizky Chopin disk on the Classound label (the one with the Polonaise, op.26 no. 1), or Timofeyeva's complete Haydn sonatas set on Venezia.

[Gerard]

Op 2022-04-11 om 17:25 schreef Frank Berger:

I suppose I have "enough" complete sets too, but I was curious what a
widely praised newcomer conductor has to offer. What I heard on radio
(including a "review" by forum of musicians) sounded good, interesting.
Nevertheless I wanted to wait for more positive reviews - I suppose
MusicwebInternational will be very positive in a review that will cost
you an hour to read. So I did not order this one when it was really cheap.
The review by Hurwitz is no encouragement of course. Well, I can wait
until Mäkelä's next cycle ;-)

[Andrew Clarke]

On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 4:09:57 AM UTC+10, Gerard wrote:

> I suppose I have "enough" complete sets too, but I was curious what a
> widely praised newcomer conductor has to offer. What I heard on radio
> (including a "review" by forum of musicians) sounded good, interesting.
> Nevertheless I wanted to wait for more positive reviews - I suppose
> MusicwebInternational will be very positive in a review that will cost
> you an hour to read. So I did not order this one when it was really cheap.
> The review by Hurwitz is no encouragement of course. Well, I can wait
> until Mäkelä's next cycle ;-)

Presto Music sell the FLAC download for AUD$50.50 which is US$37.46. Dave's review, as usual, was a great incentive for me to to buy the set.

I read elsewhere that Nehemiah Persoff has just died at the age of 102. What a shame: as 'Little Napoleon' he showed considerable promise, not diminished by his need for a hearing aid onstage.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Mr. Mike]

On Mon, 11 Apr 2022 13:23:23 -0700 (PDT), Andrew Clarke
<andrewc...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Presto Music sell the FLAC download for AUD$50.50 which is US$37.46. Dave's review, as usual, was a great incentive for me to to buy the set.

If you have access to the Naxos Music Library through the local
library, you can listen to it for nothing, like I did.

>I read elsewhere that Nehemiah Persoff has just died at the age of 102. What a shame: as 'Little Napoleon' he showed considerable promise, not diminished by his need for a hearing aid onstage.

https://hawaiifiveo.org/forum/showthread.php?5841-Nehemiah-Persoff-has-passed-away-age-102

[vhorowitz]

I had a listen a day or two before Dave Hurwitz' review, and I thought it was lousy as well, in my more limited exposure to it, more or less along the same lines. I'm not inclined to listen to much more of it, but I will just to be fair. By all means, listen if you've got it on a streaming service, and make up your own mind. As far as plunking down good cash for a cd copy, I think there are MANY choices which are fine ones.....this one is NOT one of those. He's not ready for this repertory yet. IMHO, any critics who claim otherwise don't know the music well enough, or they are part of the media puffery brigade. Gramophone's effusive review is a head scratcher as far as I'm concerned....I don't get it at all, it's as if they reviewed some set from an alternate universe.

[Frank Berger]

My most recent Sibelius symphony cycle is around 20 years old (Segerstam/Helsinki). Have there been any good ones since, especially conducted by whippersnappers?

[raymond....@gmail.com]

It is because they ARE the media puffery brigade.

My most recent Sibelius set is Blomstedt SFSO, which I think is extremely fine. Added to Davis/Boston, Barbirolli/Halle, Maazel/VPO, Berglund/Bournemouth I simply don't don't see why some mega-rated-Finnish-whippersnapper's Sibelius set should attract me. If I was going to buy another set it would be Bernstein, exaggerations and all. Maybe someone will remaster the NY set, but I doubt it. Maybe it doesn't need remastering?

In addition, I am still catching up on the 60s pop. My most recent purchase is the Red and Blue Beatle's albums and I am loving it. They provide good relief to the DSCH/Janacek opera phase I am in.

Ray Hall, Taree

[Andrew Clarke]

On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 6:51:27 AM UTC+10, Mr. Mike wrote:
> On Mon, 11 Apr 2022 13:23:23 -0700 (PDT), Andrew Clarke
> <andrewc...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Presto Music sell the FLAC download for AUD$50.50 which is US$37.46. Dave's review, as usual, was a great incentive for me to to buy the set.
> If you have access to the Naxos Music Library through the local
> library, you can listen to it for nothing, like I did.

Well, Canberra's public library system does indeed subscribe to the Naxos Music Library, but as these places are largely staffed by people who have a rabid dislike of (a) books and (b) men, I prefer to spend a little money and buy downloads. Besides, as one of the few members of this group who is not, apparently, on welfare, I feel a moral duty to pay for recordings such as this one, as this may save Decca from bankrupcy and Mr Makela from having to live in a tent on Kensington Avenue, Philadelphia, or The Tenderloin, San Francisco, or wherever else young American conductors crawl away to die.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Dan Koren]

On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 1:23:15 AM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> Well, Canberra's public library system does
> indeed subscribe to the Naxos Music Library,
> but as these places are largely staffed by people
> who have a rabid dislike of (a) books and (b) men,

One can always change one's gender ;-)

> I prefer to spend a little money and buy downloads.
> Besides, as one of the few members of this group
> who is not, apparently, on welfare,

Melmoth and Oscar are definitely not on welfare. ;-)

> I feel a moral duty to pay for recordings such as this
> one, as this may save Decca from bankrupcy and Mr
> Makela from having to live in a tent on Kensington
> Avenue, Philadelphia, or The Tenderloin, San Francisco,
> or wherever else young American conductors crawl
> away to die.

Young American conductors don't die, they just grow
old and ever more boring. Just look at MTT! ;-)

dk

[Richard deRabelais]

A propos of David Hurwitz's review of the Sibelius set: 'To say that young Klaus Makela has no ability to conduct large-scale works is more than contentious. I would counter that view by recommending to your attention the Mahler 9th he gave with the Paris Orchestra last year. It is available gratis for a few more weeks (until May 2022) and I reckon that very, very few readings of the work do more justice to the work than this one: https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/100250-000-A/klaus-maekelae-conducts-symphony-n-9-by-mahler/ . I often find DH's reviews stimulating and humorous, but on the basis of this one I really am beginning to wonder. Readers, do please go and hear KM's glorious, deeply considered, Mahler 9th.'



On Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 4:46:21 PM UTC+1, David Hurwitz wrote:
> > >
> > Alex, isn't that why we have young conductors? So that we can hear new ways of doing things?
> >
> > I was watching a performance of Rameau on YouTube the other day, and as usual the performers were young men and women. The audience was, as usual, an ocean of white heads. The venue was, as usual, a church. This discrepancy worries me.
> >
> > Andrew Clarke
> > Canberra
> Doesn't worry me a bit. The old folks were young once. There will never be a shortage of old folks with the time and resources, financial and otherwise, to enjoy classical music. If that is its audience, then so be it. This prejudice about audiences being old strikes me as ridiculous, as are the rather pathetic and inept attempts to cater to the young and the perpetual hand-wringing over their lack of interest.
>
> I also think you miss Alex's (and my) point. Sure, on theoretical reason we have young conductors is to hear new ways of doing things, but newness for its own sake is worthless. We need new, smart, idiomatic, sympathetic--however you choose to describe it--I want to hear something new and wonderful, not new and stupid. The difference, as often as not, isn't all hard to figure out.
> Dave

[Richard deRabelais]

p.s. I omitted to mention that his Dvorak 9th (to be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXcU7h3uVlg&t=1530s ) is quite marvellous .... Really! .... go experience it!

On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 3:09:33 PM UTC+1, Richard deRabelais wrote:
'To say that young Klaus Makela has no ability to conduct large-scale works is more than contentious. .......

[Bob Harper]

The Bernstein/NYPO set WAS issued in a remastered version, and all the
reviews I saw indicated that the improvement was on the order of the
improvement in the Mahler cycle between the warlier versions and the
Carnegie Hall set. Here are John Fowler's comments in his Amazon review
of the Mahler now available:

"The CBS Bernstein/NYPO Mahler cycle on CD,
Four different remasterings:
-- 1) 1980s: Full-price CBS CDs = individual CDs, not in a box.
-- 2) 1992: "Royal Edition" = individual CDs, not in a box.
I don't know who did the remastering.
-- 3) 2001: "Bernstein Century Edition" = individual CDs, also released
in a box: Mahler: The Complete Symphonies ~ Bernstein ,
remastering engineers: Charles Harbutt, Ellen Fitton, Miguel Kertsman,
maybe others.
-- 4a) 2009: "Carnegie Hall Presents" - Mahler: Complete Symphonies
(Carnegie Hall Presents) ,
remastered by Andreas K. Meyer
-- 4b) 2012: The box under discussion,
this is an "original jacket" reissue of the 2009 remastering by Andreas
K. Meyer."

Unfortunately, Mr. Fowler did not review the remastered Sibelius set,
but other comments lead one to believe that the improvement is similar.
More unfortunately, this set was available for about five minutes, and
now sells for a small fortune (Amazon shows one used copy for $263.42.
Sony, are you listening?)

Bob Harper

[Al Eisner]

On Mon, 11 Apr 2022, Andrew Clarke wrote:

> On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 4:09:57 AM UTC+10, Gerard wrote:
>
>> I suppose I have "enough" complete sets too, but I was curious what a
>> widely praised newcomer conductor has to offer. What I heard on radio
>> (including a "review" by forum of musicians) sounded good, interesting.
>> Nevertheless I wanted to wait for more positive reviews - I suppose
>> MusicwebInternational will be very positive in a review that will cost
>> you an hour to read. So I did not order this one when it was really cheap.
>> The review by Hurwitz is no encouragement of course. Well, I can wait
>> until Mäkelä's next cycle ;-)
>
> Presto Music sell the FLAC download for AUD$50.50 which is US$37.46. Dave's review, as usual, was a great incentive for me to to buy the set.
>

> Andrew Clarke
> Canberra

Huh? When I look at Presto, the cost of the FLAC download is $13.00.
Or one could try a single symphony for about $5.
--
Al Eisner

[Andrew Clarke]

Al, I simply took the Australian price in AUD$ and used an online converter to get the equivalent in US$. The Australian price also includes Australian GST - our version of a Value Added Tax - which will also increase the price by a few points. I assume Presto and Decca are offering the complete set at a big discount in the USA. Otherwise, 7 x US$5 comes to US$35 which is close to the Australian price converted to US$.

I'd also suggest that buying one symphony as a sample may not work - reviewers suggest that some of Mr Makela's symphonies work better than others.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Andrew Clarke]

On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 10:06:50 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 1:23:15 AM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> > Well, Canberra's public library system does
> > indeed subscribe to the Naxos Music Library,
> > but as these places are largely staffed by people
> > who have a rabid dislike of (a) books and (b) men,
> One can always change one's gender ;-)
> > I prefer to spend a little money and buy downloads.
> > Besides, as one of the few members of this group
> > who is not, apparently, on welfare,
> Melmoth and Oscar are definitely not on welfare. ;-)
>

> dk

M. Melmoth est smicard - Systeme de Musique Incroyablement Cher.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Andrew Clarke]

On Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 12:05:17 AM UTC+10, richardd...@gmail.com wrote:
> A propos of David Hurwitz's review of the Sibelius set: 'To say that young Klaus Makela has no ability to conduct large-scale works is more than contentious. I would counter that view by recommending to your attention the Mahler 9th he gave with the Paris Orchestra last year. It is available gratis for a few more weeks (until May 2022) and I reckon that very, very few readings of the work do more justice to the work than this one: https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/100250-000-A/klaus-maekelae-conducts-symphony-n-9-by-mahler/ . I often find DH's reviews stimulating and humorous, but on the basis of this one I really am beginning to wonder. Readers, do please go and hear KM's glorious, deeply considered, Mahler 9th.'
>

Cf <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQemTSDdnqM>

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Al Eisner]

On Tue, 12 Apr 2022, Andrew Clarke wrote:

> On Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 6:36:55 AM UTC+10, Al Eisner wrote:
>> On Mon, 11 Apr 2022, Andrew Clarke wrote:
>>
>>> On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 4:09:57 AM UTC+10, Gerard wrote:
>>>
>>>> I suppose I have "enough" complete sets too, but I was curious what a
>>>> widely praised newcomer conductor has to offer. What I heard on radio
>>>> (including a "review" by forum of musicians) sounded good, interesting.
>>>> Nevertheless I wanted to wait for more positive reviews - I suppose
>>>> MusicwebInternational will be very positive in a review that will cost
>>>> you an hour to read. So I did not order this one when it was really cheap.
>>>> The review by Hurwitz is no encouragement of course. Well, I can wait
>>>> until Mäkelä's next cycle ;-)
>>>
>>> Presto Music sell the FLAC download for AUD$50.50 which is US$37.46. Dave's review, as usual, was a great incentive for me to to buy the set.
>>>
>>> Andrew Clarke
>>> Canberra
>>
>> Huh? When I look at Presto, the cost of the FLAC download is $13.00.
>> Or one could try a single symphony for about $5.
>> --
>> Al Eisner
>
> Al, I simply took the Australian price in AUD$ and used an online converter to get the equivalent in US$. The Australian price also includes Australian GST - our version of a Value Added Tax - which will also increase the price by a few points. I assume Presto and Decca are offering the complete set at a big discount in the USA.

I had not realized that they would do that. (But at least you are not
claiming anti-Australian discrimination. I do wonder if there is any
connection to the relationship between Decca and Australian Eloquence.)

> Otherwise, 7 x US$5 comes to US$35 which is close to the Australian price converted to US$.
>
> I'd also suggest that buying one symphony as a sample may not work - reviewers suggest that some of Mr Makela's symphonies work better than others.

One could always pick a symphony which (a) one knows well and (b) DH
specifically condemns. (I am perhaps just being argumentative about
that....)

> Andrew Clarke
> Canberra

--
Al Eisner

[Andrew Clarke]

On Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 11:48:12 AM UTC+10, Al Eisner wrote:

> >> Huh? When I look at Presto, the cost of the FLAC download is $13.00.
> >> Or one could try a single symphony for about $5.
> >> --
> >> Al Eisner
> >
> > Al, I simply took the Australian price in AUD$ and used an online converter to get the equivalent in US$. The Australian price also includes Australian GST - our version of a Value Added Tax - which will also increase the price by a few points. I assume Presto and Decca are offering the complete set at a big discount in the USA.
> I had not realized that they would do that. (But at least you are not
> claiming anti-Australian discrimination. I do wonder if there is any
> connection to the relationship between Decca and Australian Eloquence.)
> > Otherwise, 7 x US$5 comes to US$35 which is close to the Australian price converted to US$.
> >
> > I'd also suggest that buying one symphony as a sample may not work - reviewers suggest that some of Mr Makela's symphonies work better than others.
> One could always pick a symphony which (a) one knows well and (b) DH
> specifically condemns. (I am perhaps just being argumentative about
> that....)

> Al Eisner

At least Big D's prejudices are sufficiently bulky for one to see them coming and take avoiding action (EMI, The British Critics, HIP ensembles, Sir Simon Rattle, etc.). Personally, I don't bother much with reviews at all these days.

As for the price, I'm used to paying Presto about AUD$17.00 per FLAC download: this includes Australian Goods and Services Tax at (I think) 10%. So AUD$50.00 for the equivalent of 4 CDs is fine by me. As we are a comparatively small market and import most manufactured goods, we're probably used to paying more than Americans do for the same product, and this doesn't worry us.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Oscar]

On Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 6:51:14 PM, Oscar wrote:
>
> Enquiring minds want to know: How does the new Mäkelä integrale fare vis-à-vis
> Rouvali on alpha? The latter has better hair (although hardly 'fluffy').

BUMP!! Someone have an opinion as the above? Hurwitz replied in direct succession to my post, but did not address it or compare. I am now listening via AppleMusic to the First Symphony by Mäkelä and the Osloians. So far so good. But certainly not better than the theatrical 2019 recording by the Gothenburgians under Rouvali, who is just 'extra', as the kids say.

[Oscar]

On Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at 7:46:13 PM, Alex Brown wrote:
>
> Listened to #1. Very well played and recorded, but I have to say it made
> me think David Hurwitz has a point about "young conductors" and romantic
> music, since to my ears it lacked any sense of narrative sweep but
> seemed instead to be a sequence of discrete musical tableaux, some of
> which had me audibly exclaiming "whaaaat?" (the accelerating timpani and
> woodwind bit in the first movement).

Brown nailed it. I concur re First Symphony. "A sequence of discrete musical tableaux" in search of architectural underpinnings. The recorded sound is some of the best you will ever hear, btw. Wow. Nailed it, Decca!