WAYLT August
Alain DAGHER
What Are You Listening To?
I've bought a lot of CDs from online stores:
1. Curzon: Brahms sonata 3 / Schubert D960 (London: The Classical Sound)
2. Curzon: Liszt Sonata in B minor (same)
Both incredible. The Liszt sonata is one of the best I have heard.
3. Mozart Don Giovanni, Mitropoulos (Sony)
Heaven. (Simoneau is sublime - everyone is great on this CD - decent
sound too)
4. Yves Nat: Schumann Piano Works (EMI)
Disappointing. The search continues. Anyone have opinions on Kempff's
complete set?
--
Regards,
"De la musique avant toute chose"
Alain Dagher, M.D.
Montreal Neurological Institute -Paul Verlaine
Matthew B. Tepper
In article <5strhn$c...@sifon.cc.mcgill.ca>, al...@bic.mni.mcgill.ca was
heard to remark...
>
>What Are You Listening To?
>
>I've bought a lot of CDs from online stores:
>
>1. Curzon: Brahms sonata 3 / Schubert D960 (London: The Classical
Sound)
>
>2. Curzon: Liszt Sonata in B minor (same)
>
>Both incredible. The Liszt sonata is one of the best I have heard.
Heard some bits of both of these in record stores. I would not be
inclined to disagree. And currently, at Tower Records (at least here
in Los Angeles), $7.99 per CD for the next two weeks!
On my CD player at the moment: Karl Böhm's glorious DGG remake of _Die
Zauberflöte_, with Fritz Wunderlich, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Evelyn
Lear, Hans Hotter, and who cares who else (though the rest of the cast
is almost uniformly fine, down to James King and Martti Talvela as the
two Men in Armour!). This is the recording which "imprinted" me, but I
still think it would probably be one of the choice ones on merit alone.
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://www.deltanet.com/~ducky/index.htm
My main music page --- http://www.deltanet.com/~ducky/berlioz.htm
And my science fiction club's home page --- http://www.lasfs.org/
Ian Bell
Avery Earle wrote:
>
> >What Are You Listening To?
>
HM France released half of their 2-cd Biber sonata set by Romanesca (aka
Andrew Manze) for $10, correctly figuring that now I'm going to want to
buy the whole thing for $45. Biber is my surprise discovery of the year.
Brahms 2, Rubinstein/Krips. Interesting after the long discussion on
r.m.c.r. of the relative merits of this, Richter/Leinsdorf and
Gilels/Jochum. Certainly very different and the faster tempos ensure that
(unlike G./J.) it's never given to dragging; but I'm not in any hurry to
get rid of my G./J.--
Beethoven Late Quartets, opp. 127/130/133/135, Quartetto Italiano. I've
always liked this qt. and they haven't disappointed me yet.
Ian Bell
Paul Kintzele
--Schubert, Piano Sonatas D 958 & D 959; Pollini (DG). I liked Pollini's
performances of Beethoven's Opp. 109-111, and these are similarly fine,
although I can imagine some more emotive rubato-ish playing that might be
more effective. But rhythmic intensity is what I expect from Pollini,
and it's certainly here.
--Schnittke, Concerto Grosso No. 1, Quasi una sonata, etc.; Kremer/
Grindenko/H. Schiff (DG Masters). Bizarre--and completely mesmerizing,
especially the Concerto Grosso No. 1 (I loved that weird Tango, appearing
in the midst of so much strangeness). Kremer's playing is incredible.
--Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No. 2. Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1;
Richter, Wislocki (Rachmaninov), Karajan (Tchaikovsky) (DG The
Originals). Got this mainly for the Rachmaninov, and it's very
compelling--Richter really bangs the bass notes in those rolling opening
chords... Very muscular, yet with a very tender slow movement.
--Berg, Stravinsky: Violin Concertos. Perlman/Ozawa (DG The
Originals). Difficult music that I haven't figured out yet, but so far I
haven't given it my full attention.
Paul K.
Deryk Barker
JKrauss (jkr...@aol.com) wrote:
: 1.) Brahms violin concerto recordings!! I don't know why, but I've been
: listening to this piece a lot. I like Milstein and early Kreisler the
: best, I think. My favorite Milstein is on Music and Arts and Tahra with
: Monteux and the Concertgebouw. Honorable mention goes to his version with
: Jochum/VPO. I listened to two Szigeti's as well, one with Ormandy, and
: the one on Pearl with Harty(?) My favorite part of the first movement,
: the slow wistful music right after the cadenza, is played the best by
: Szigeti, I think. Szeryng/Monteux are very enjoyable as well.
You remind me that the Szigeti is now also reissued on EMI, c/w the
3rd violin sonata and Paganini variations (both w. Egon Petri).
I've also been listening to the Lener Quartets Brahms quartets and
clarinet quintet w. Charles Draper also on EMI and the piano concertos
(to be honest not got past #1 yet): Backhaus with Boult and Bo"hm. EMI
again.
: 2.) Beethoven's 5th with CSO and Carlos Kleiber on Enterprise. This very
: famous bootleg lives up to its reputation. White-hot drama, but also a
: remarkably beautiful 2nd movement. Excellent sound, BTW.
Care to email me where you got this?
--
|Deryk Barker, Computer Science Dept. | Across the pale parabola of Joy |
|Camosun College, Victoria, BC, Canada | |
|email: dba...@camosun.bc.ca | Ralston McTodd |
|phone: +1 250 370 4452 | (Songs of Squalor). |
Deryk Barker
In article <5strhn$c...@sifon.cc.mcgill.ca>, al...@bic.mni.mcgill.ca (Alain
DAGHER) writes:
> What Are You Listening To?
Beethoven: Opp. 127, 131, 132, 135. Budapest Quartet 1940s recording
recently issued on Sony's Masterworks Heritage.
Ginastera's String Quartets, the cuarteto latinoamericano on Elan.
String Quartets by Rutland Boughton played by the Razumovsky Quartet
on Hyperion.
Pearl's issue of Stravinsky's 1940s US recordings, including the Rite,
Petrouchka, the Symphony in 3 mvts, Firebird, Ebony Concerto etc.
Robert Silverman's (hope you're reading) "Parlour Grand" volume 2;
another wonderful disc of pieces you recognise by composer's you've
never heard of.
A S Graham
>
>What Are You Listening To?
>
>
Raymond Lewenthal plays Alkan & Liszt on Elan #82276.
This is a great disc containing the Alkan Symphonie from Op 39, 2nd
movement from the Grande Sonate Op 33, the Liszt Hexameron, etc... My only
previous experience with the Hexameron was by Leslie Howard on Hyperion.
Lewenthal is in a completely different class. The symphonie is also a
terrific performance, far outclassing performances on Marco Polo & ASV.
Ljuba Welitsch Complete Columbia Recordings
Sony Masterworks Heritage MH2K 62866
I got this one mainly because it had Fritz Reiner conducting parts of
it. It features the final scene from Salome, among much else. The first
disc contains opera excerpts & the Strauss Vier letze Lieder (with piano
accompaniment, i.e. disappointing) and the 2nd is a lieder collection.
Most of the songs need a mezzo but Welitsch's beautiful voice almost made
overlook that distraction. I've purchased 3 of the Sony Masterworks discs
so far and appreciate them more & more. It's a beautiful presentation with
excellent notes.
Liszt: Sacred Choral Music, Naxos 8.553786
The September Grammophone has a glowing review of this disc that I
refer you to. Suffice to say, I agree with them.
And of course, Richter Richter & more Richter. The day after he died I
went out and bought the BMG/Melodiya 10-disc set, a recital on M&A (CD945)
and a recital on RCA Red Seal (09026-60859-2).
Scott Graham
Minneapolis, MN
Avery Earle
In article <5strhn$c...@sifon.cc.mcgill.ca>, al...@bic.mni.mcgill.ca (Alain
DAGHER) writes:
>What Are You Listening To?
Poulenc, Piano Works, Gabriel Tacchino, EMI. (2-fer) Like this a lot--
have surprised myself.
Bach, English Suites, Gustav Leonhardt, Sony/Seon. Have had doubts
about these pieces on the harpsichord, and had come to the feeling
that I liked them better on the piano. Leonhardt plays this faster
than Colin Tilney (Music & Arts) and that helps.
Joseph Rizzo
>: What Are You Listening To?
Beethoven:
Symphonies 5 and 7: C Kleiber: DG Originals
Symphonies 2 and 8: Norrington: Virgin
The virtues of the above recordings are well known
Piano Concertos 1 & 2: Levin & Gardiner: Archiv
I just picked these up and have not fully explored them yet. To
date, I have liked what I have heard.
String Trios: Grumiaux, Janzer and Czako: Phillips Duo
Same with the Gardiner CD
Haydn:
Symphonies: Weil: Sony
I really like Weil's Haydn symphonies. My favorite are the
"Bear" and the "Hen". Although, some of the more recent purchases I
have not fully listened to. Looking forward to the listening though.
:)
Smetana:
Ma Vlast: Kubelik: Supraphon
A great performance, well worth the money.
Puccini:
Tosca: Callas: EMI
A great opera, one of the first I have ever seen live.
Verdi:
La Traviata: Callas and Giulini: EMI
A fine performance. Although I am curious about the Covenent
Garden performance....
Schubert:
Symphonies 3, 5 and 6: Beecham: EMI
Symphonies 3 and 8: Kleiber: DG Originals
Symphony 9: Furtwangler: DG Originals
I really enjoyed the Kleiber cds immensely. Well worth the money that
I spent on it (not to mention it was on sale!). The Beecham was hard
to adjust to after Kleiber's interpretation of the 3rd. Although,
through repeated listening I am enjoying much more. The Furtwangler I
did not like at first hearing. I was busy comparing it to the live
M&A that I own. Once I stopped that and listened to it, I greatly
appreciated the performance. Now, I have to track down his wartime
ninth...
Halvard Johnson
Milhaud, Piano Works, Vol. 2 by Francoise Choveaux on Koch Discover
Martinu, Sym. 4 Czech Phil/Turnovsky on Urania
Glazunov, Sym. 7 Moscow SO/Anissimov on Naxos
Beethoven, Sym. 3 Czech Phil/Matacic
Brahms, Conc. 2 Richter, CSO/Leinsdorf
Hal
Halvard Johnson <hjoh...@umbc2.umbc.edu>{
Werner Sun
From my endless pile of new unlistened-to CDs:
* Bach Partitas, etc / Glenn Gould (CBS) from the cutout bin at Tower.
I usually approach Gould with some degree of ambivalence, but this
recording seems to be among the best he made -- an abundance of insight
in every phrase. For once his gimmicky style pays off.
* Haydn: 27 quartets / Pro Arte String Quartet (Testament). Imagine my
surprise when I found this 7CD set for USD50 in a used CD shop. I
grabbed hold of it and refused to let go. I'm slowly working my way
through this set, but there are some real gems in here, like the Op. 77
quartets and Op. 33/2. The Pro Arte play with a finesse and flair for
this repertoire that is rare nowadays. They sound like they're having
the time of their lives in this recording, especially in the earlier
quartets. Some allowance must be made for the sound, however. The
transfers are a bit muffled with the balance tilted toward the first
violin (which is not entirely inappropriate, however).
* Bartok String Quartets / Tatrai Quartet (Hungaroton). I found this
set at the same used CD store! I had been searching for these
unsuccessfully for quite some time, having originally heard the 5th on
LP a few years ago. I already own the Emerson and Vegh recordings, but
always felt there was something missing. The Tatrai have filled in the
gap for me; they showed me aspects of the music that I had never heard
before. Their approach is more fierce yet more idiomatic than the above
two ensembles'; there is an indescribable "rightness" about these
performances. Warmly recommended!
* Spirits of England and France, vols 4 & 5 / Gothic Voices (Hyperion).
Gothic Voices have reached a new high with this pair of recordings of
anonymous English masses from around 1440. The masses are among the
most influential works of their time and rightly so; this is
high-quality writing. As for the performance, I think it is exemplary.
What remarkable clarity of texture! And their intonation is, as usual,
almost spotless.
* Prokofiev Piano Concerto 5 & Piano Sonata 8 / Richter, Rowicki. I had
been planning this purchase for a while, but Richter's death was the
impetus. Very moving account of the 8th Sonata. Not sure I quite
understand the PC yet, though.
--
Werner Sun | s...@cithe502.cithep.caltech.edu
Gayane K Merguerian
I also am listening to the 2-CD Biber sonata set. It's available for $32
(plus shipping) from BMG. I'm enjoying it very much.
I first became interested in Biber when I heard his "Battalia" at a
concert--it's a piece about war, and he deliberately made it sound like a
lot of din. At times, the different voices in the orchestra play
simultaneously in different keys and meters. It is hard to believe it
was written in 1673 or indeed any time before the 20th century.
My recording is something I bought at the concert, and I don't know if
there are others, but I do recommend it if you can find it. It's by the
Brno Chamber Orchestra, with Michiko Otaki on piano (also on the CD is
a nice Mozart Piano Concerto No. 13). The label says "Moravska Umelecka
Agentura" (sorry I can't do diacritics) but there's no catalog number to
be found anywhere on the disk or package.
On Fri, 15 Aug 1997, Ian Bell wrote:
> Avery Earle wrote:
> >
>
> > >What Are You Listening To?
> >
>
> HM France released half of their 2-cd Biber sonata set by Romanesca (aka
> Andrew Manze) for $10, correctly figuring that now I'm going to want to
> buy the whole thing for $45. Biber is my surprise discovery of the year.
>
Karen Merguerian
Northeastern University
Adam Dubin
In article <5strhn$c...@sifon.cc.mcgill.ca>,
An abundance of keyboard music:
1. Mompou piano music, Alicia de la Roccha (BMG): delightful!
2. Franck and 3. York Bowen, piano music, Stephen Hough (Hyperion):
wonderful performances, recording, and liner notes. Bowen is a great
discovery (anyone who loves Medtner and Rachmaninoff will appreciate
this).
4. Schubert, Piano Sonata in A Major, D. 959, Schnabel (a deleted reissue
on Arabesque): just pulled this one out during a bout of insomnia last
night.
5. "In Real Time...", Peter Serkin (BMG): haven't listened to it all yet,
but the Lieberson bagatelles are interesting.
Adam
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Ramon Khalona
On CD:
* Suk's "Ripening" & Kabelac's Symphony No. 5, Ancerl/CPO (Panton)
* Dvorak's Violin concerto/Suk's Fantasy, Suk/CPO/Neumann (Supraphon)
* Liszt Piano Concertos, Lazar Berman/Giulini/VSO (DG)
* Mozart's Symphonies 38, 39, 40 & 41, Peter Maag/Padova Orch. (ARTS)
* Gliere's "Ilya Murometz," Stokowski/Philadelphia Orch. (Biddulph)
* Haydn's Symphonies 44, 95, 98, 48, 100 & 101, Fricsay/RIAS Orch. (DG)
* The Young Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Teldec)
* Mozart's Violin Concerti 3 & 5, Bell/Maag/ECO (Decca)
* Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerti, Victor Yeresko/USSR Symph. (Melodiya)
* Bach's Keyboard concerti, Edwin Fischer (EMI)
On Video:
* Bruckner's symphonies 6, 7 & 8, Celibidache/Munich Phil. (Sony)
(courtesy of David Griegel)
--
"Un torturador no se redime suicidandose... pero algo es algo"
- Mario Benedetti
Ramon Khalona
Carlsbad, California
JKrauss
1.) Brahms violin concerto recordings!! I don't know why, but I've been
listening to this piece a lot. I like Milstein and early Kreisler the
best, I think. My favorite Milstein is on Music and Arts and Tahra with
Monteux and the Concertgebouw. Honorable mention goes to his version with
Jochum/VPO. I listened to two Szigeti's as well, one with Ormandy, and
the one on Pearl with Harty(?) My favorite part of the first movement,
the slow wistful music right after the cadenza, is played the best by
Szigeti, I think. Szeryng/Monteux are very enjoyable as well.
2.) Beethoven's 5th with CSO and Carlos Kleiber on Enterprise. This very
famous bootleg lives up to its reputation. White-hot drama, but also a
remarkably beautiful 2nd movement. Excellent sound, BTW.
3.) Bartok string quartets--Vegh. Wow! The Vegh really go at this music
full throttle, but also with a warmth and intimacy missing from other
quartets.
Finally, I've been spending a lot of time with my old LPs after reading
comments in this newsgroup and assorted magazine articles. I went out and
bought a new record player last weekend, and it's been a revelation to
relisten to all my old, forgotten recordings. Among the highlights have
been:
*Schumann 4/Klemperer--this recording is amazing, I don't think I've ever
heard this intensity in the piece, even on Furtwaengler's famous reading.
There's no pause for relaxation in this rendition! Magnificent, full,
weighty sound, I'm sure it's better than EMI's rather disappointing
Klemperer remasterings.
*Brahms symphonies and Bruckner 7th with Haitink/Concertgebouw. What
happened to Haitink? He used to be such a wonderful conductor, perhaps in
the Monteux class. Nowadays, he's gotten a little too boring, though he
still gives reliable and professional readings of the standard repertoire.
Also, in Dvorak's cello concerto with Maurice Genedron, Haitink
conducting is so beautiful, but also alive and exciting. I hope he
regains some of his former spirit soon.
*Beethoven "Pastoral" sonata-Ivan Moravec/Connosieur soc. I have my
doubts about some of Moravec's playing, particularly his Chopin and
Mozart, but his Beethoven is always delightful. His live recording of the
"Pastoral" is clearly articulated, fleet, and heavenly. The sound on this
recording is *fantastic*.
Well, that's it for now. But I urge those with LPs collecting dust, to
drag them out and play them. I haven't had such an enjoyable musical
experience in a while.
James Krauss
jkr...@aol.com
Edwin
This month:
1) Ronald Smith plays Alkan on APR. In a word, wow! This is gonna
convince me to shell out import prices for that Hamelin import! I
though Alkan was some weirdo who wrote ridiculously difficult music
that was not so interesting musically. Boy am I proved wrong.
2) Richter/Oistrakh do the Franck sonata on Vox and that Khachaturian
Violin concerto, also on Vox. I think I don't have to comment on the
Khachaturian, which is new to me. Probably the most convincing version
on disc, showcasing Oistrakh's incredible technique and tone. The Franck
is also a marvel of passion and exuberance. I'm gonna be spoilt by
these recordings!
3) Lipatti on EMI. I haven't heard a lot of it. I love the Schubert
impromptus and the first disc of
Bach and company. Got this really cheap, 5 disc volume for about US$17.
And it was new!!
4) Gilels plays Petrushka on MK. Really confined sound, but great
playing.
5) And of course tons of Richter!!!!!
"If we claim that man is too slight
to deserve communion with God,
we must indeed be great to be able
to judge" (Pascal)
Edwin
tertu...@post1.com
Jon Bell
In article <5strhn$c...@sifon.cc.mcgill.ca>,
Lately I've been on a Howard Hanson kick. Not as composer, but as
conductor, on a bunch of "Mercury Living Presence" CD's that feature
music by various American composers, recorded in the late 1950s and
early 1960s. For example:
434 307: Barber: Capricorn Concerto
Piston: The Incredible Flutist
Bergsma: Gold and the Senor Commandante
etc.
434 319: Moore: Pageant of P. T. Barnum
Carpenter: Adventures in a Perambulator
Rogers: Once Upon a Time
Phillips: Selections from McGuffey's Reader
434 310: McPhee: Tabuh-Tabuhan
Sessions: The Black Maskers
Thomson: Symphony on a Hymn Tune; The Feast of Love
There are several others, including three or four discs of Hanson's
own music (Symphonies 1,2,3; the piano concerto, etc.). Some of this
stuff is less memorable than others, but overall, I've enjoyed this
series greatly. The sound is very good, as one expects from Mercury,
although a bit on the bright side.
Another series I've been listening to lately is Danacord's "Historic
Carl Nielsen Collection." This is in six three-disc volumes, but I've
listened to only two so far: Vol. 2 (Concertos and Orchestral Music)
and Vol. 4 (Chamber Music). These are all early recordings, although
not necessarily the very earliest recordings of Nielsen's music.
Included are items such as:
the Wind Quintet, recorded in 1936 by the quintet for whom Nielsen
wrote it;
the Violin Concerto, recorded in 1947 by Emil Telmanyi, Nielsen's
son-in-law;
the two Violin Sonatas, recorded in 1936 and 1954 by Telmanyi;
various songs sung by Aksel Schiotz, with orchestral accompaniment,
recorded in the 1940s.
I also have Vol. 1 (Symphonies), but haven't started on it yet. I also
*had* Vol. 3 (Operas), but had to return it because it was missing a
disc, and the replacement hasn't arrived yet. I haven't yet seen Vol. 5
(Keyboard Music) and Vol. 6 (Vocal Music, I think).
So far I've been very impressed with the sound on these recordings.
Most of them are from 1950s Danish Radio broadcasts, but some are from
78-rpm records going back to the 1930s. Although the sound isn't
state-of-the-art, it seldom interfered with my enjoyment of the music.
--
Jon Bell <jtb...@presby.edu> Presbyterian College
Dept. of Physics and Computer Science Clinton, South Carolina USA
R. W. Miller
Richter. 1958 Sofia recital on Philips (the Legendary Classics
version); Scriabin etudes and sixth sonata on BMG/Melodiya; Liszt
concerti on Philips; Liszt and Ravel on Praga; Shostakovich preludes
and fugues on Philips; Schubert sonatas on Olympia, BMG/Melodiya and
Philips.
I've never been one to proclaim any musical work, composer or
performer as "the best" or "the greatest", but ever since I had enough
experience to form an opinion on the matter, I've considered Richter
the greatest living pianist. So who's next in line for that title?
R. W. Miller
On 15 Aug 1997 04:17:42 GMT, asgr...@aol.com (A S Graham) wrote:
>In article <5strhn$c...@sifon.cc.mcgill.ca>, al...@bic.mni.mcgill.ca (Alain
>DAGHER) writes:
>
>>
>>What Are You Listening To?
>>
>>
>
(snip)
>Ljuba Welitsch Complete Columbia Recordings
>Sony Masterworks Heritage MH2K 62866
> I got this one mainly because it had Fritz Reiner conducting parts of
>it. It features the final scene from Salome, among much else. The first
>disc contains opera excerpts & the Strauss Vier letze Lieder (with piano
>accompaniment, i.e. disappointing) and the 2nd is a lieder collection.
>Most of the songs need a mezzo but Welitsch's beautiful voice almost made
>overlook that distraction. I've purchased 3 of the Sony Masterworks discs
>so far and appreciate them more & more. It's a beautiful presentation with
>excellent notes.
Agreed, with two reservations. One is that while these Masterworks
Heritage reissues are great, we shouldn't let them off the hook for
failing to provide texts and translations. The other is that the
Salome with Reiner is not the equal of the version on EMI's Welitsch
disc, which is (IIRC, the disc is not to hand) a 1944 broadcast
conducted by Lovro von Matacic. Of course EMI have no texts or
translations either, their disc is needlessly short (but what there is
of it is glorious), and it's NLA for all I know.
orp...@erols.com
Delius: Orchestral Works: Barbirolli/Halle/EMI 65119 2 7
Ruatavaara: VC, Angel and Vistations: Oliveira,Segerstam/HPO/ODE 881-2
Britten: Cello Suites: Hugh/Naxos 8.553663
Vaughan Williams: S#5: Barbirolli/Philharmonia/EMI 65110 2
Mahler: S#8: Bernstein/VPO/DGG 435102-2 (Salzburg '75)
Krenek: S#1,5: Ukigaya/Hanover-NDR/cpo 999 359-2
Mennin: S#3, 7, PC: Ogden, Martinon, Mitropoulos/CRI cd 741
Rubbra: S#9: Hickox/Wales/Chandos 9441
Elgar: Dream of Gerontius(+Delius, Holst): Britten, Pears,
et al/LSO/London 448 170-2
I enjoy most of the basic symphonic/choral/chamber repertoire, save
baroque and opera. I am mostly forraging these days, a la Fanfare and
ARG, among new composers and classic reissues. I am one of those whose
mind takes a set from hearing a first (well reviewed) performance of a
work; it usually becomes my calibration on it, given that I find it
utterly honest in composition and can agree with the emotional viewpoint
portrayed, and I have little interest in evaluating other views
thereafter, preferring to move on to other works. I think music should
show both the light and the dark side of life; pain is OK, although such
music often drives many I would listen with away.
I am a hi-tech manager, with a technical education. I don't know why
this stuff has meant so much to me for 40 years. I think it is some form
of therapy, allowing me to touch feelings I cannot reach otherwise. When
I try to explain to my kids how profoundly spiritual it can be, I am a
bit lost for words.
Tom
Annapolis, MD
Neil Tingley
On Sun, 17 Aug 1997 03:27:06 GMT, r...@miller.mv.com (R. W. Miller) wrote:
>I've never been one to proclaim any musical work, composer or
>performer as "the best" or "the greatest", but ever since I had enough
>experience to form an opinion on the matter, I've considered Richter
>the greatest living pianist. So who's next in line for that title?
>
Sokolov is the most compelling pianist alive now. Certainly no-one play Chopin,
Bach or Rachmaninov as well as he does.
I'd rate Berman and Cliburn & Janis for the title. The Pletnev's etc. are too
coifured for my liking.
------------------------------------------------------------
Neil Tingley (at home) |http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/music
mu...@netlink.co.uk |Furtwaengler, Sokolov, GH Gould, links
"mozart died too late rather than too soon." !! G Gould
Neil Tingley
On 14 Aug 1997 02:46:15 GMT, al...@bic.mni.mcgill.ca (Alain DAGHER) wrote:
>What Are You Listening To?
...not a huge amount of new stuff but
Sokolov playing Chopin Etudes op 25 & 2nd sonata - this is my favourite Chopin
disc. The etudes are so teaming in detail and insight, and played with poetry
and blinding power. And moreover this really feels like a cycle. Sonata is
hugely compelling very personal account..
Horenstein conducting Strass and Hindemith - excellent. Mathis der Maler
fittingly epic. LSO sound on superb form and JH in total command.
also bought Steinberg's Mathis on a whim in a shop. And very good it is too.
Glenn 'Gould plays CPE Bach, Bach, Scarlatti etc. The opening of this disc is
Bach's concerto after marcello. Easily one of the best things GG ever did - the
rhythm, afrticulation, ornamentation and acheing slow movement ...utterly
ravishing. My flatmate has now nicked the CD for himself and it seems to be on
all the time.
Bruckner 5 on Naxos with G. Tintner/RSNO. This is Bruckner the way i like it.
Grand, spacious but with attention to woodwind details, phrasing and
articulation. At time the orchestra sounds a little hesitant and a sharp trumpet
in the 1st movement is annoying. Otherwise excellent.
Gould playing Schoenberg concerto. This work used to fighten me but its a pussy
cat now. I'm not sure if its a good work or not though. The 1st "movement" and
finale are excellent but the inspiration pales in between times.
More Ivry Gitlis. That Bartok 2nd is one of my favourite performances of any
concerto., Its so rich and virile - just take the passage after the cadenza
where Gitlis plays his heart out. rest of the VOX set has many gems not least
one of the great Sibelius's. Horenstein adds something to the mixture too.
** The Strad said that Gitlis' Stravinsky concerto is about to be released.
And finally, Oistrakh and Klemp in the Brahms concerto. I find Oistrakh
terminally boring in the solo part - not enough attack, no colour, little light
and shade. Klemp is on peak form - I've heard so much new detail in the
orchestral part ...
Neil
Steve Wolk
Rouse: Gorgon; Symphony #2
Carwithen: Orchestral Works
Dessau: Symphony #2
Hovhaness: Symphony #3
Thorne: Piano Concerto #3
Sessions: Piano Concerto
Stenhammar: Cantatas
Gounod: Tobie
Rimsky: Maid of Pskov
Steve Wolk
Yi-kuan Jong
What have I been listening to lately?
Richter Sofia Recital 1958
Tchaikovsky Piano concerto no.1 Richter/Ancerl
Rachmaninov Piano concerto no.2 Richter on DG.
R. Strauss Das Rosenclavier E. Cleiber Decca
Beethoven Symphony no.1 Brahms symphony no. 1 Concertgebouw O/Furtwaengler
Beethoven cello sonata Founier/Kempff
Brahms Symphony No.2 Concertgebouw O/ Mengelberg Telefonken
Schubert Symphony No. 9 Concertgebouw O/Mengelberg Philip
Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, etc. Yves Nat.
Karl Muck conduct BSO BSO classic
Richard Wagner Centaur
Brahms Symphony no. 3 NYPO/Walter
Pam Goodall
From Mike Willis
- Busch quartet set (EMI), fine performances of predominately late
Beethoven, superbly, wonderfully remastered
- Dream of Gerontius, fine new verison on Naxos
- Bruckner 5 Tintner conducting on Naxos Long breathed and convincing
performance
- Wagner Ring Berlin Staatskapelle (cycle being broadcast over the local
FM), and a very exciting performance too - more so than earlier
efforts
- Tan Dun - Symphony 1997 Hong Kong - I have very fond memories of HK
but this symphony is not that good
- Debussy piano music v. 3 (Naxos).
- The Great Conductors CD box (EMI), and the Art of Walter Legge (CD
box), both rather patchy but with some good stuff.
- Bruckner 7 VPO/Knappertsbusch (l949, Salzburg)
Simon Roberts
Neil Tingley (mu...@netlink.co.uk) wrote:
: On 18 Aug 1997 17:30:39 GMT, si...@dept.english.upenn.edu (Simon Roberts) wrote:
: >: My problem with this "famous" recording, is that the last movement is
: >: completely flat. Not enough gypsy flavor for me. Compare this mov. with
: >: Stern, Perlman and Francescatti, and you'll know what I mean.
: >
: >: Brthe...@aol.com (John Blair)
: >
: >Or better yet (at least for the conducting) Kremer/Bernstein. A
: >Kremer/Harnoncourt is on the way, which should be interesting if nothing
: >else....
: I'm happy with Heifetz thankx !
: N.
I would be if the orchestra didn't sound so thick and homogenized; I agree
that for the violin part Heifetz is in a class by himself.
Simon
David Gable
What have I been listening to lately?
Beethoven, Diabelli Variations, Stephen Bishop (Philips)
Spontini, Agnese di Hohenstaufen, Udovick, Corelli, Gui
Boulez, ...explosante/fixe... Boulez, Ensemble InterContemporain (DGG)
Mozart, Die Zauberflote, Fricsay (DGG)
Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro w/Gueden, Della Casa, Siepi, E.Kleiber
(London)
Debussy, La mer, Reiner, Chicago (RCA)
Debussy, La mer, Boulez, New Philharmonia (Sony)
Schubert lieder, Ameling (Et Cetera)
Schubert lieder w/De Gaetani, Kalish (Nonesuch)
Wagner, Die Meistersinger w/Gueden, Treptow, Schoeffler,
Knappertsbusch, Vienna Phil (Decca)
Haydn, L'isola disabitata w/Alva, Dorati (Philips)
Berlioz, Beatrice & Benedict w/Domingo, Barenboim (DGG; although my
favorite recording is the first Davis on Decca/London)
BrtherJohn
In article <33f8d689....@news.demon.co.uk>, mu...@netlink.co.uk
(Neil Tingley) writes:
>
>And finally, Oistrakh and Klemp in the Brahms concerto. I find Oistrakh
>terminally boring in the solo part - not enough attack, no colour, little
>light and shade. Klemp is on peak form - I've heard so much new detail in the
>orchestral part ...
My problem with this "famous" recording, is that the last movement is
Simon Roberts
BrtherJohn (brthe...@aol.com) wrote:
: In article <33f8d689....@news.demon.co.uk>, mu...@netlink.co.uk
: (Neil Tingley) writes:
: Brthe...@aol.com (John Blair)
Or better yet (at least for the conducting) Kremer/Bernstein. A
Kremer/Harnoncourt is on the way, which should be interesting if nothing
else....
Simon
Neil Tingley
On 18 Aug 1997 17:30:39 GMT, si...@dept.english.upenn.edu (Simon Roberts) wrote:
>: My problem with this "famous" recording, is that the last movement is
>: completely flat. Not enough gypsy flavor for me. Compare this mov. with
>: Stern, Perlman and Francescatti, and you'll know what I mean.
>
>: Brthe...@aol.com (John Blair)
>
>Or better yet (at least for the conducting) Kremer/Bernstein. A
>Kremer/Harnoncourt is on the way, which should be interesting if nothing
>else....
I'm happy with Heifetz thankx !
N.
t...@notnow.com
Hi
The new recording of Mendelssohn's Elijah (Decca 455 688-2) with
Bryn Terfel and Renée Fleming revues very well, but is it the
one (and I stress Only one) I should go for. I have no fear of
older recordings, and if there is a good one at mid-price, I'd
rather not spend a fortune (I live in the UK, where CD's cost
almost more than they are worth).
Any good ideas.
Tim
PS I haven't been following this group, so if this is a recent
topic of discussion, please accept my apologies and let me know
the out-come (do you have out-comes to news groups discussions?).
--
Tim Jinkerson
t...@notnow.com
a.k.a. tim.ji...@bigfoot.com
http://www.theglobe.com/homepage.qry?name=timbo
Theodore Slotkin
Alain DAGHER wrote:
>
> What Are You Listening To?
For this month, the ears hearken to the sounds of the cold North
(especially since it's been 90-100F and 90% humidity all month here in
NC)!
1. Vagn Holmboe - Complete Symphonies (Bis) - IMHO his recent death has
deprived us of the best modern (tonal) symphonist.
2. Aulis Sallinen - Songs of Life and Death, and The Iron Age Suite
(Ondine). Sibelius meets Orff?
3. Jon Leifs - Icelandic Cantata (Chandos).
Ted Slotkin
Alan Swindells
In article <5tb720$p1$2...@netnews.upenn.edu>, si...@dept.english.upenn.edu
(Simon Roberts) wrote:
> Pam Goodall (pa...@gippstafe.vic.edu.au) wrote:
> : From Mike Willis
>
>
> : - Bruckner 5 Tintner conducting on Naxos Long breathed and convincing
> : performance
>
> I've seen several such comments and must confess to being mystified (which
> I suppose is appropriate in Bruckner!). To me it sounded incohesive,
> drably played (what happened to that orchestra after Jaervi left it?) and
> rather dimly recorded
Try turning the volume up.
This recording, more than most I have come across, sounds best at
a fairly high level. I, too, was less than convinced when I first
heard it, but finding the right replay level has made a lot of
difference, and I now like it very much.
What else have I been listening to?
Well, there have been a lot of Proms, recently. The Britten War
Requiem on Sunday knocked me for six, as it so often does. I read
the poems aloud after the performance, and didn't listen to
anything else for 24 hours.
However.
Thomas Adčs. Various piano pieces, songs, etc, on 'Life Story.' I
have listened to this several times, and it grows on me on each
playing. EMI Debut. 7243 5 69699 2
Johannes Brahms, Violin Concerto. Menuhin, BBC SO, Boult, on the
cover of the September issue of BBC Music Magazine. Recorded 1943.
Far and away Menuhin's best go at this concerto.
Antonin Dvorak. Symphony No 9. (+ Smetana & Mussorgsky). CPO,
Ancerl. Live performances from Ascona, 1958. Ermitage ERM 142.
Ancerl and the CPO were unbeatable at around this time when it
came to Czech repertory, and this recording catches them at their
best.
John Jenkins. (The /other/ Jenkins.) 'All in a Garden green.'
The Rose Consort of Viols. Naxos 8.550687. Music for a consort of
viols, which is much to be preferred to any other music bearing
the name 'Jenkins.'
Mahler. Das Lied von der Erde. Thorborg. Kullman. VPO. Walter.
Dutton CDEA 5014. The first, and one of the two or three best
ever recorded performances.
William Mathias. Clarinet, Harp & Third Piano Concertos. de Peyer,
Ellis, Katin, NPO, LSO, Atherton. Lyrita SRCD 325. Mathias' music
is rapidly growing on me. The three symphonies (on Lyrita) are
also worth a listen.
Richard Wagner. Tristan und Isolde. (1966, Bayreuth) Boehm,
Frequenz 051-051. This has Wolfgang Windgassen, Martti Talvela,
Birgit Nilsson, usw. 'Nuff said.
William Walton. Cello Concerto. Piatigorsky, Boston Symphony.
Munch. RCA Navigator 747321 29248. The first and still the best
performance on record
Frank Zappa. The Perfect Stranger. (etc.) Barking Pumpkin Digital
Gratification Consort, Ensemble Intercontemporain. Boulez.
EMI CDC 7 47125 2 (since re-issued on another label.) Boulez
really believes in this music, and so do I. A disc I have had for
(perhaps) 10 years, and it still comes out for an occasional play.
--
Regards: Alan * alan...@argonet.co.uk *
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Simon Roberts
: - Bruckner 5 Tintner conducting on Naxos Long breathed and convincing
: performance
I've seen several such comments and must confess to being mystified (which
I suppose is appropriate in Bruckner!). To me it sounded incohesive,
drably played (what happened to that orchestra after Jaervi left it?) and
rather dimly recorded, almost as though all concerned were as bored by the
piece as anti-Brucknerians claim to be, or as though they thought
Bruckner was Presbyterian or Puritan rather than Catholic. I
gave up after the first movement (I suppose it may have improved). I want
to hear some sort of passion, or at least religious fervor, in this music;
anyone who agrees and thus shares my admiration for Furtwaengler,
Abendroth, Barenboim (BPO remake), and Wesler-Moest (whom I usually
consider as one British wag redubbed him "Frankly Worse than Most," but
not here) -- perhaps my four favorites, listed in purely chronological
order -- will probably agree. On the other hand, those partial to Gunther
Wand and who feel betrayed by his use of the relatively glamorous sounding
BPO in his more recent efforts (such as his latest recording of 5) may
enjoy it.
: - Wagner Ring Berlin Staatskapelle (cycle being broadcast over the local
: FM), and a very exciting performance too - more so than earlier
: efforts
Who was doing it?
Simon
Len Fehskens
On Mon, 18 Aug 1997 00:02:56 -0400, Steve Wolk at sjw...@erols.com wrote
>Stenhammar: Cantatas
Please, tell me more...
len.
Simon Roberts
Alan Swindells (alan...@argonet.co.uk) wrote:
: In article <5tb720$p1$2...@netnews.upenn.edu>, si...@dept.english.upenn.edu
: (Simon Roberts) wrote:
: > Pam Goodall (pa...@gippstafe.vic.edu.au) wrote:
: > : From Mike Willis
: >
: >
: > : - Bruckner 5 Tintner conducting on Naxos Long breathed and convincing
: > : performance
: >
: > I've seen several such comments and must confess to being mystified (which
: > I suppose is appropriate in Bruckner!). To me it sounded incohesive,
: > drably played (what happened to that orchestra after Jaervi left it?) and
: > rather dimly recorded
: Try turning the volume up.
: This recording, more than most I have come across, sounds best at
: a fairly high level. I, too, was less than convinced when I first
: heard it, but finding the right replay level has made a lot of
: difference, and I now like it very much.
I agree that sometimes helps, but in this case it merely got louder. So
it goes.
Simon
Morten Vest Hansen
It is sung in English of course, which disqualifies it in my book, regardless
of Terfel (what a shame)!
--
--
Morten Vest Hansen (m...@image.dk - To reply please remove all the x's)
What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba
That he should weep for her?
t...@notnow.com wrote in article <5tc5a2$8...@flonk.uk.sun.com>...
Bill Baldwin
There's a great EMI 2-fer with Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos conducting the New
Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus and the Wandsworth School Boys' Choir.
The soloists are:
Gwyneth Jones (The Widow; An Angel)
Janet Baker (The Angel; The Queen)
Nicolai Gedda (Obadiah; Ahab)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Elijah)
Simon Woolf [soprano] (The Youth)
It's a wonderful cast. The CDs have almost 70 minutes each of music, both
together for the price of a single. It'll have you tapping your feet and
singing, "Baal, we cry to thee!" all day. Which leads me to...
One possible drawback: It uses the Mendelssohn-authorized English libretto.
For me, I prefer this. Both the German and English libretti are, for the
most part, translations of a Hebrew original, so neither one can claim
linguistic superiority. However, it is undoubtedly true that Mendelssohn
paid much more attention to the nuances of the German language when scoring
this text. So you may find the English not emphasizing or drawing out the
same words. OTOH it's a real treat for a native English speaker to be able
to follow along for the most part without a libretto. Which leads me to...
A second, genuine drawback: The package contains no libretto. I assume this
is part of what keeps their cost down, so I'm not complaining. But you may
find it worthwhile to spend extra for this feature.
--
Bill Baldwin
john harkness
John Harkness writes:
The Art of the Toy Piano - Margaret Leng Tan (Point)
Leopold Godowski - Piano Music 2 - Bach Violin Transcriptions -
Konstantin Sherbakov (Marco Polo)
Beethoven - Piano Concertos 3&4 - Jos Immerseel, Tafelmusik (Sony)
Bruckner - Symphony 5 - conducted by rmcr contributor Georg Tintner
(naxos)
The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (Sony)
Mike Painter
> A second, genuine drawback: The package contains no libretto. I assume this
> is part of what keeps their cost down, so I'm not complaining. But you may
> find it worthwhile to spend extra for this feature.
Or if you're going to be in San Francisco next April 9 - 11, Roger
Norrington will be conducting Elijah with the SF Symphony. The libretto
will be in the program, although I don't know if it's in English or not.
The soloists include Christine Brewer, Marietta Simpson, Jerry Hadley, and
John Relyea.
Mike Painter
t...@notnow.com
> It's a wonderful cast. The CDs have almost 70 minutes each of music, both
> together for the price of a single. It'll have you tapping your feet and
> singing, "Baal, we cry to thee!" all day. Which leads me to...
-----------------------
As a good Baptist Boy, I think that
my Deacon's would frown upon this!
Thanks for the suggestion, I think I'll run with this one and try to get the
libratto from a book store (unless its on the Web). Janet Baker sounds good
to me.
John Wilson
On 20 Aug 1997 19:07:17 GMT, "Bill Baldwin" <rev...@gte.net> wrote:
>There's a great EMI 2-fer with Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos conducting the New
>Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus and the Wandsworth School Boys' Choir.
I strongly second Mr. Baldwin's recommendation of the de Burgos
recording. I would also like to recommend the Malcolm Sargent on
Dutton. This is his famous 1947 recording in a beautiful transfer
that preserves a wonderful period piece.
John W.
James C.S. Liu
How to draw an old-timer out of retirement in one quick easy step ...
On Mon, 18 Aug 1997 19:37:48 +1000, Mike Willis
<pa...@gippstafe.vic.edu.au> wrote:
>- Busch quartet set (EMI), fine performances of predominately late
>Beethoven, superbly, wonderfully remastered
I picked up a Biddulph CD with Opp. 127 and 131, and fell back in
love with this set all over again. Masterly.
Over on this side of the pond:
On hearing of Richter's death:
Schubert: Piano Sonatas D.958 and 960. Melodiya recordings from
Olympia OCD 335. The slow movement of D.960 is as fitting a funeral
piece as I can think of.
Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier book 2. Chant du Monde LDC 278 528/9.
Other stuff:
Schubert: Symphonies in b D.759 and and in C D.944. Philharmonia
Orchestra/Otto Klemperer cond. EMI CDM 4894802
A decent opening movement in the "Unfinished" was compromised by
surprisingly flat, almost out-of-tune wind playing in the slow
movement -- is this the same orchestra that had such a great wind
section some ten years before? The 9th is something I'm still
digesting -- wonderful transparency of sound, and a surprisingly
charming, light touch on Klemp's part. The gem of the disc is the
Trio from the 9th, where the strings pizz the accompaniment instead of
bowing it. Most interesting change. Not the only way I'd want to
hear this music -- putting on Sinopoli in D.759 and Furtwaengler in
D.944 reminded me of other ways I like my Schubert, but fine playing.
Brahms: Symphony #1. Academic Festival and Tragic Overtures.
Philharmonia Orchestra/Klemperer. EMI
I've recommended this in passing before. I'd forgotten what an
overpowering performance the Symphony is here. Throbbing, insistent
timp playing is only the intro to a deeply moving performance.
Unfortunately, the Overtures come up a bit short.
Shostakovich: Symphonies 5 and 9
Leningrad PO/Yevgeny Mravinsky (5); Czech PO/Zdenek Kosler (9). Praga
PR 250 085
London PO/Bernard Haitink. Philips
Still getting to know these pieces. The Kosler 9th jumps out as
being energetic, sprightly, attentive, with a quick impish wit.
Schumann: Symphonies 3 and 4 (1841 version). Chamber Orch of
Europe/Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec T2-90867
I really like this disc. Harnoncourt exploits the transparent
textures that are possible with a smaller orchestra, but doesn't
sacrifice heft or excitement. There's also always the sense of a
cunning musical intelligence at work behind the phrasing, such that I
tend to get swept along, even if it isn't the only way I'd want to
hear this.
Holst: The Planets. Philharmonia Orchestra/John Eliot Gardiner. DG
G2-45860
Hate to sound heretical, but I actually like this recording quite a
bit also. At least in the first four movements, where Gardiner
manages to get transparent sound and committed, insightful playing
from his orchestra. I still turn to older hands like Boult if I want
mysticism or spirituality in the later movements, but I won't be
chucking this disc.
The Best of Muddy Waters. Chess.
'nuf said.
Usual IMHO's, YMMV's, etc. apply.
Guess I have been busy listening, after all ...
--
/James C.S. Liu |"We are able to walk on air, but only as long as
jame...@yale.edu | our illusion supports us." -- E.L. Doctorow,
New Haven, Connecticut | Animated Cartoon Theology, _The Book of Daniel_
My opinions have nothing to do with my employer!
Joseph Rizzo
On Thu, 21 Aug 1997 12:00:20 GMT, maxa@*nospam*worldaccess.nl (Rick
Harderwijk) wrote:
>On 21 Aug 1997 05:21:06 GMT, opu...@aol.com (Opus47) wrote:
>
>>I am listening to OPERA, OPERA, OPERA
>>
>>For the FIRST TIME, FIRST TIME, FIRST TIME
>>
>>I actually lost my opera virginity with Shostakovich's The Nose.
>>
>>But it's hard to compare Shostakovich to other composers or even
>>understand Shostakovich's operas without listening to other operas!
>
>So, ok, you're into opera now. As it happens, I can't stand opera. I
>just don't get it. A couple of men and women screaming their hearts
>out, and taking a couple of minutes just to say they feel unloved or
>something. As in, like, er, can't you speed it up, say what you've
>gotta say ? And besides them taking so long to tell me something,
>usually they don't tell me anything, cause I don't understand a word
>of what they are singing - because I can't make out *any* words. I
>mean, ok, so it's in Italian or something, which I do not speak. Not
>that much of a problem, as long as I can hear the individual words -
>then it's ok, you know what I mean?
>
>So, ok, now tell me, what's the secret of opera? How do you listen to
>it? Have you had the same experience I did, and if so, what made it
>all change?
I know I am not the one you asked this question to, but I at one time
hated opera. I did not understand it, and couldn't see any value in
it.
The things that helped me to like opera was a broadening of my
attention span. Listening to a Bruckner or Mahler (or Brian...)
symphony helped me learn to stretch out my attention span.
I also saw two opera's live. My first was Puccini's I Puritini at the
Lyric (balcony). I found it to be slightly boring, and was not all
too enthused. Then, I was offered a chance to see Puccini's Tosca at
the Lyric (main floor). I was totally engrossed. Scarpia singing how
he was going to seduce Tosca during the Te Deum was marvelous.
After that, I had the oportunity to go see Rossini's Barber of Seville
at the Lyric. This time, I bought a recording, and listen to it
repeatedly. By the time I got to the opera, I knew a good chunk of
the music. The performance was great (with a Magritte staging that
was wonderful). From that point on I have been an opera fan.
>Regards,
>
>Rick
>
>Please remove *nospam* from the address if replying through e-mail.