Best 'Isle of the Dead'?

[Chris Zeth]

I have just heard this piece by Rachmaninov and I love it. Any
recommendations as to the best recording of it?

Thanks.

--
________________________________________________________________________
Chris Zeth - Philadelphia, PA - john...@omni.voicenet.com
Check out my Dream Journal!
http://www.voicenet.com/~johngalt/dream.html
"A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us all." - Franz Kafka
________________________________________________________________________

[ede...@pearl.tufts.edu]

Ashkenazy's performance is considered a classic. It is, indeed, superb.
Having worn out my tape, I finally found the cd. It is mid-price, and contains
a performance of the Symphonic Dances which is superb as well. Get it before
Halloween to put yourself in the proper spirit and feast on both works.
(Only problem w/ the cd release is that the artwork on the jacket no longer
features a the painting "The Isle of the Dead" from which the music takes its
inspiration - too bad, it really added to the mood.)
Ed Dente

[Chancellor Ross Wyman]

Chris Zeth (john...@omni.voicenet.com) wrote:
: I have just heard this piece by Rachmaninov and I love it. Any

: recommendations as to the best recording of it?

Get your hands on a copy of RCA's "The Reiner Sound". Has "Isle of the
Dead" as well as Lizst's "Totentanz" (Byron Janis playing piano), Ravel's
"Rapsodie espagnole" and "Pavan for a Dead Princess", and Weber's
"Invitation to the Dance" (orch. Berlioz). This disc is just one of the
classics and the sound is great. All pieces are played magnificently
which was usually the case with Reiner and Chicago. Enjoy.

[Vodnik]

Chris Zeth (john...@omni.voicenet.com) wrote:
: I have just heard this piece by Rachmaninov and I love it. Any
: recommendations as to the best recording of it?

I like Reiner and Ashkenazy in modern sound. Also, don't forget that the
composer conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in a recording in 1929. The
Pearl single CD (with the composer's recordings of the 3rd Symphony and
"Vocalise" made a decade later) gets the most from the ancient recording,
at the expense of surface noise. The performance is hair-raising.

-Sol Siegel, Philadelphia, PA
---------------------------------------------------------
"Power corrupts, but I wouldn't mind finding out for myself."

[Gene Gaudette]

Reiner/Chicago Symphony (on RCA Living Stereo's "The Reiner Sound").
Simply second to none.

If you insist on digital, then Litton (Virgin) or Ashkenazy
(Decca/London)are both solid, dramatic performances.

Gene

[Mike Mayer]

In article <46oqjr$2...@cronkite.seas.gwu.edu> cha...@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu (Chancellor Ross Wyman) writes:

=
= Get your hands on a copy of RCA's "The Reiner Sound". Has "Isle of the
= Dead" as well as Lizst's "Totentanz" (Byron Janis playing piano), Ravel's
= "Rapsodie espagnole" and "Pavan for a Dead Princess", and Weber's
= "Invitation to the Dance" (orch. Berlioz). This disc is just one of the
= classics and the sound is great. All pieces are played magnificently
= which was usually the case with Reiner and Chicago. Enjoy.

I have this on CD. I find that the loudest passages are distorted on
several of the pieces. Is the LP version the same? Maybe the master
tapes have deteriorated.
--
==============================================================================
Mike Mayer (414) 751-3557 Work: Mike....@plexus.com
Technology Group, Inc. Neenah, WI Home: mma...@athenet.net

[Dan Koren]

>Chris Zeth (john...@omni.voicenet.com) wrote:
> I have just heard this piece by Rachmaninov and I love it. Any
> recommendations as to the best recording of it?

The best 'Isle of the Dead' is by Steven Spielberg -- when he gets
around to producing one...

:-))

dk

[Dan Koren]

In article <46o3an$3...@usenet.rpi.edu> Dave <h...@rpi.edu> writes:
>Previn in EMI and Ashkenazy in London

How cute!..

:-)

dk

PS. When in London do like Ashkenazy? :-))

[Richard Wang]

In article <MIKEM.95O...@kite.pd.tgi.plexus.com>,

Mike Mayer <mi...@kite.pd.tgi.plexus.com> wrote:
>In article <46oqjr$2...@cronkite.seas.gwu.edu> cha...@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu
>(Chancellor Ross Wyman) writes:
>= Get your hands on a copy of RCA's "The Reiner Sound". Has "Isle of the

>I have this on CD. I find that the loudest passages are distorted on
>several of the pieces. Is the LP version the same? Maybe the master
>tapes have deteriorated.

More likely they were simply unable to cope with the full dynamic range
of the performance. I've noticed this problem on this and other Living
Stereo discs I own, such as the Munch/BSO recordings of Saint-Saens'
Symphony #3 and Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe and the Reiner disc of
Respighi's Roman triptych.

--
Richard Wang rw...@fas.harvard.edu
"You say it is the good cause that hallows even war? I say unto you: it is
the good war that hallows any cause. War and courage have accomplished
more great things than love of the neighbor." -- Zarathustra

[Gene Gaudette]

On Oct 27, 1995 20:04:16 in article <Re: Best 'Isle of the Dead'?>,
'mi...@kite.pd.tgi.plexus.com (Mike Mayer)' wrote:


>= Get your hands on a copy of RCA's "The Reiner Sound"...

>I have this on CD. I find that the loudest passages are distorted on
>several of the pieces. Is the LP version the same? Maybe the master
>tapes have deteriorated.

Your CD player, preamp,interconnects or a combination thereof may be at
fault; if it can't handle this CD, there's at least one component in
serious need of upgrade. "The Reiner Sound" CD sounds quite clean, with
effortless dynamic punch in the loudest sections. The old RCA LP and newer
Chesky LP transfers were quite good, but sound a bit muffled - and less
detailed, especially during the loudest portions - than RCA's Living Stereo
CD.

Gene

[CYT...@delphi.com]

Quoting brthrjhn from a message in rec.music.classical.recordings

br>with Reiner and Chicago. Enjoy.
br>>I have this on CD. I find that the loudest passages are distorted on
br>>several of the pieces. Is the LP version the same? Maybe the master
br>>tapes have deteriorated.

br>I also have this CD and noticed some distortion only in the Rapsodie,
br>which I did not readily hear in my old Gold Seal LP. The same Ravel
br>selections were also previously released on CD on the Reiner RCA Gold
br>Seal anthology. Can anyone compare the masters to that to the Living
br>Stereo edition?

I listened to my copy of _The Reiner Sound_ twice in the past few days
and noticed no distortion on my home system. The CD will cause my front
car speakers to buzz. The problem stems from the wide dynamic range of
the Living Stereo CDs causing a demand for current that some amplifiers
cannot handle -- thus clipping (distortion).

A high current, quality amplifier is needed to appreciate the incredible
sonics and dymanic range of these CDs.

On the related topic of "which _1812 Overture_," I compared the vinyl
preformances of Reiner on RCA and Karajan on DG and there's just no
comparison. Karajan's cannon's sound more like bodies thudding to the
ground than cannon shot. At the loudest, it sounded to me like a
muffled sonic boom.

Reiner may not have cannons, but my God, it's full of bells! The bells
extend way beyond and behind the speakers and the entire room
reveberates with bells. I get goose bumps every time I hear it.

Enjoy the music,

Susan
(an unabashed RCA fan who is listening to the _Pink Panther_ sound
track on vinyl)

Susan Murray
cyt...@delphi.com

[Tony Movshon]

>I listened to my copy of _The Reiner Sound_ twice in the past few days
>and noticed no distortion on my home system. The CD will cause my front
>car speakers to buzz. The problem stems from the wide dynamic range of
>the Living Stereo CDs causing a demand for current that some amplifiers
>cannot handle -- thus clipping (distortion).
>
>A high current, quality amplifier is needed to appreciate the incredible
>sonics and dymanic range of these CDs.

Oh, come on now. The sound and dynamic range are very good for 1957,
but they don't really challenge any reasonable audio system. This disc
sounds fine on my big rig at home, and also on the Denon compact
system in my office. I think the original poster probably had some
problem with his/her CD player.

If you want to hear *truly* spectacularly rendered sound in this
piece, try the Dutoit recording on London. A fine performance, as well.

Tony Movshon
Center for Neural Science
New York University

[gggg...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, October 25, 1995 at 9:00:00 PM UTC-10, Chancellor Ross Wyman wrote:

> Chris Zeth () wrote:
> : I have just heard this piece by Rachmaninov and I love it. Any
> : recommendations as to the best recording of it?
>
>

> Get your hands on a copy of RCA's "The Reiner Sound". Has "Isle of the

> Dead" as well as Lizst's "Totentanz" (Byron Janis playing piano), Ravel's

> "Rapsodie espagnole" and "Pavan for a Dead Princess", and Weber's

> "Invitation to the Dance" (orch. Berlioz). This disc is just one of the

> classics and the sound is great. All pieces are played magnificently

> which was usually the case with Reiner and Chicago. Enjoy.

Reiner's ISLE... is not included in this recent list of recommended recordings:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/mwi-recommends.htm

[Raymond Hall]

On Thursday, 26 October 1995 18:00:00 UTC+11, Chris Zeth wrote:
> I have just heard this piece by Rachmaninov and I love it. Any
> recommendations as to the best recording of it?

Ashkenazy/Concertgebouw is first rate with excellent sound. Alternatives according to MusicWeb, (very interesting link below), give Petrenko the nod over Previn or Svetlanov. I'd go for Reiner if only because of the CSO.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/Mar10/Isle_of_the_dead_composite.htm

Ray Hall, Taree

[O]

In article <ce7e39cc-f1d9-42db...@googlegroups.com>,

<sarcasm on (you shouldn't telegraph your jokes, but it's too likely
someone will take me seriously)>

Yes, after 21 years now from the original response, Reiner's recording
is utterly worthless. Nobody ever listens to Reiner anymore. Wait for
Dudemel to record the new standard bearer.

<sarcasm off>

We need a list of lists we should avoid.

-Owen

[Gerard]

"Raymond Hall" wrote in message
news:ed51afb0-aeaa-4450...@googlegroups.com...

=========================

A few of the 'missing' recordings:

Ashkenazy 2 (Exton)
Litton (Virgin)
Litton (BIS)
Polyanski (Brilliant Classics)
Edo de Waart (Exton)

[cooper...@gmail.com]

As well as the two best ones: Mitropoulos and Koussevitzky :-) To say that these listings are pointless is merely to state the obvious.

AC

[Sol L. Siegel]

Svetlanov. And, for those who can tolerate 1929 sonics and a couple
of brief cuts, there's the Philadelphia Orchestra led by some
Russian named Rachmaninoff.

- Sol L. Siegel, Philadelphia, PA USA

[number_six]

I cannot resist mentioning the Alice Cooper recording.




Oh wait...that's "I Love the Dead."

[ljk...@aol.com]

Nobody likes Horenstein? I haven't heard THAT many versions, but his always seemed suoerb to me.

Larry Kart

[Frank Berger]

FWIW there are actually two Koussevitzky's. Studio from 4/23/45
on Biddulph, EMI and United Archives and a live one from
3/31/45 that was on LYS. I can't comment on any similarities
or differences.

[Frank Berger]

Pavel Kogan (son of Leonid and Elisaveta Gilels) recorded
the the Rachmaninov orchestral works in 1990 with the Moscow
State Symphony Orchestra. These are red-blooded
in-your-face recordings (maybe too much so); definitely not
run-of-the-mill. On the Alto label.

[Dan Fowler]

Frank Berger <frankd...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Pavel Kogan (son of Leonid and Elisaveta Gilels) recorded
> the the Rachmaninov orchestral works in 1990 with the Moscow
> State Symphony Orchestra. These are red-blooded
> in-your-face recordings (maybe too much so); definitely not
> run-of-the-mill. On the Alto label.
>

I acquired these recordings recently and strongly second the
characterization. Great passion in the playing and much better sound than I
expected. Quite a treat.

I'd also like to second the recommendation for the Mitropoulos Isle.
Equally fervent in presentation, though the sound is only ok.

--
Dan Fowler