RMCR Classical Music Hall of Fame
Sacqueboutier
Classical Music Hall of Fame
rec.music.classical.recordings
rec.music.classical
Bach, JS
Title: Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra in D minor BWV 1043
Conductor and/or other artists: Yehudi Menuhin and George Enescu,
violins.
Pierre Monteux, conductor.
Ensembles: Orchestre Symphonique de Paris
Label: EMI 1932
This recording preserves one of the greatest musical partnerships of our
century: Enescu and Menuhin. Teacher and student. Strikingly Enescu
the teacher is second violin and Menuhin the student is first violin.
Both these musicians have a great respect for each other and the flow of
music from one violin to each other is unsurpassed. So is their mutual
understanding, and they both colaborate wonderfully with Monteux. After
more than sixty five years and change in style of performance of Baroque
music this performance remains in many ways unsurpassed.
George Mumru
--------------------
Bach, J.S.
Sonatas for viola da gamba and keyboard
(with the, less-recommendable, violin sonatas)
Glenn Gould, piano; Leonard Rose, cello
CBS/Sony
196-?
Gould's control in the accompaniment is remarkable -- the tempi
seem perfect, hardly eccentric and though Gould's ever-present detache
is in full force it is never intrusive or perverse. Leonard
Rose's musicianship is a little ragged, especially if you're used to
note-perfect HIP performances, but he good-naturedly adopts Gould's
pointilist phrasing and ornaments and his feeling for the music is
unquestionable. The two performers seem to breath as one and the
performance, in nearly every bar, has a repose and balance that
perfectly suits the music's mood. I've never heard the middle
movements, particularly, sound so sweet and the fast movements have
astonishing clarity and lilt.
J
--------------------
Bach, JS
Bach Works for Violin Solo
Lara St.John - Violin
Well-Tempered Productions (WTP 5180)
recording date: 1996
Playing Time: 55m04s Recording: Stereo - DDD
This recording contains the 2nd Partita in D minor (BWV 1004) and the
3rd Sonata in C major (BWV1005). I own five different versions of the
Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin not including versions for Guitar
and Lute. I have found Lara St. John's version to be my favorite. She
plays every phrase as if it were her last and plays them with a
sensuality I havn't found in other recordings. This is definitely one
of my 'desert island' recordings.
This review and an image of the CD cover are located at :
http://www.unpronounceable.com/bach/recordings.html
Dave Grossman
--------------------
Bach, JS
St Matthew Passion
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Toonkunst Chorus and various soloists
Willem Mengelberg
[performed at this time of the year in 1939]
[ cd deleted by Philips]
It is convincing, even to this atheist.
Roland van Gaalen - Amsterdam
--------------------
Bartok, Bela
Quartets 3 & 4
Juilliard Quartet
Columbia (now Sony)
recording date: 1965 (approx).
These performances are as close to definitive as any I know. The
combination of precision, energy, and interpretive insight is nearly
unique in my experience. An ideal mating of music and musicians.
Definite Hall of Fame material!
Chloe
--------------------
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Missa Solemnis
Toscanini, NBC Symphony, December 1940, Carnegie Hall (not 1953)
Zinka Milanov, Bruna Castagna, Jussi Bjorling, Igor Kipnis
Music and Arts, CD-259 (2)
Wilhelm Furtwangler once said he believed that the Missa Solemnis was
Beethoven*s greatest work, and in fact it contains possibly a greater
wealth of invention and inspiration than any other of Beethoven's
works. Yet its greatness is frequently neither acknowledged--nor
enjoyed--by the average listener. Toscanini's 1940 Missa (best heard on
Music and Arts) is the performance that best reveals the beauty and
greatness of this work.
The intensity of Toscanini's performance can be heard in the sheer
physical force of the first note that launches the Gloria. Just as
surprising is the way Toscanini can take a long and episodic movement
such as this and present it as a dramatic whole, with an unbroken line
and continuity from beginning to end, building dramatic tension
consistently throughout, while still revealing the character of all the
individual passages along the way. Klemperer and perhaps one or two
others have been known for their readings of this work, but Toscanini's
stands alone: not only for its greater intensity, but for its even
finer interpretive judgement, shown throughout in such factors as tempo
choices which better reveal the character of each individual movement.
Toscanini was a great Beethoven conductor because of his temperamental
similarity to Beethoven: an intense and passionate nature, struggling
to express those passions through creation of formally perfect musical
structures. This recording represents one of the very rare chances we
have to hear Toscanini, the most influential conductor of the 20th
century, at or near the peak of his career, conducting a great
masterpiece, with truly first-rate soloists, and in recorded sound that
represents him better than many of his recordings do.
----William A. Dirks
--------------------
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Symphony #9
Furtwangler/Berlin PO/Chorus Bruno Kittel
Briem, Hongen, Anders, Watzke
Tahra / Grammofono 2000 (CEDAR) / Music & Arts
Berlin 22-24 March 1942
I would have to nominate Furtwangler's wartime recording of Beethoven's
9th.
The intensity of this piece is amazing. Furtwangler, the orchestra and
the soloists reached a great plateau of perfection. Not to mention,
the historical significance of the work- being performed in Nazi
Germany.
This may not be the version you reach for first, but it is an important
document, and a great addition to any collection.
Joseph Rizzo
--------------------
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Symphonies 5 and 6
Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Erich Kleiber
Decca (early 50s)
There are recordings of these works by the bushel, but IMHO these
(along with the others in E. Kleiber's incomplete Beethoven cycle on
Decca) deserve all the praise they have gotten.
The energy in the 5th is remarkable (guess where Carlos got it from?)
and I can only regret that the exposition repeat in the last movement
is omitted. The 6th is equally successful (with the most memorable
storm on record, again IMHO).
These recordings remain out-of-print (except in Japan, where it is
still widely available), but Decca should reissue these soon,
hopefully in a tribute to Papa Kleiber, one of the finest Beethoven
conductors, if you ask me.
Ramon Khalona
--------------------
Beethoven, Ludwig Van
Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral)
Leonard Bernstein
Newyork Philharmonic Orchestra
Sony
recording The Royal Edition
date (especially for historic recordings)
Because of my limited experience, I dare not say this is
the best performance ever. However, with its quality, it is beyond being
favouritism to mention this performance in the Hall of Fame, since I
do not find anything less than perfection. I used to feel that Bernstein
made every note too clear which robbed the music of its natural flow.
However, I found this to be untrue in his Columbia (now Sony) recording
of the Pastoral Symphony. The music is so clear and pure like the air
of a
pastureland. Every woodwind instruments are perfectly played. Large
group
of strings make a feeling of wide and open air. The whole orchestra make
a
perfect music with wonderful timings and coordinations of individual
excellent performance of first-class players.
Waranun Bunjongsat
-----------------------
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Sonatas for Piano 28-32
Maurizio Pollini
DG "The Originals"
1975-1977
I don't have any knowledge when it comes to piano playing, but those
performances seem to be just brilliantly executed, without losing
touch with the music (read: tension, drama, feeling). Those are
desert-island discs from the first to the last bar.
Gerrit Stolte
--------------------
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Symphony #5 in c; Symphony #7 in A
Carlos Kleiber
Vienna Philharmonic
Deutsche Gramophon "Originals"
Every once in a while, a conductor and orchestra enter the recording
studio (in this case, the Vienna Concerthall) and click in just the
right way. Everything on this disc exudes a refreshing energy that
propels the music forward with such momentum that the results are
irresistible.
Kleiber does not do anything new and innovative with the old warhorse
5th symphony. Nor does he simply provide another dry run-through of
the piece. Indeed, this must be the most effervescent performance I
have ever heard. He takes Beethoven's score and presents it in its
purest form. A period approach with modern instruments? Not hardly.
Although, he does eschew all of the Romantic moss that this music has
gathered over the years, no period performance has ever sounded this
powerful.
The string opening launches into the airspace with such force, that it
catches one by surprise (surprising because it is the most recognizable
motif in musical history). The first subject progresses with great
flow and culminates in the resounding of the glorious Vienna horns.
And WOW! those horns. It's hard to believe that there are only two
horns playing, but that's how amny there are. Kleiber dispels with
all of the doublings that many other conductors have used, yet
balances are always perfect. Nor does he tamper with the scoring.
Many conductors give return that motive to the horns in the
recapitulation (where it is scored for the bassoons). Certainly the
horns of Beethoven's day could not have played that passage in that
key (unless some G horns were brought in just for that passage), but
the change in coloring seems to work better anyway. Here it comes,
...but wait...those were bassoons! It brings a release to the tension
four measure earlier and allows the second subject, this time in the
tonic key, to enter on its own terms, not as a rebound to the
resounding horn call.
The entire symphony goes much the same way. Just sample the scherzo.
Here come those horns again! If this doesn't draw a response, the
listener is in a coma. The finale brings everything to a proper close
with such panache it defies belief. If you have not heard this, you
are in for a treat. The coupling, the seventh symphony, is hardly
less exciting. Again, with the horns! This is the most significant
Beethoven coupling in the catalog (and I know how dangerous it is to
make such a blanket statement). At mid-price, it's the bargain of the
century.
Don Patterson
--------------------
Brahms, Johannes
Symphony No. 1; Variations on a Theme of Haydn
Wilhelm Furtwangler
North German Radio Orch, Hamburg
Tahra WF 1001
Recording Date: October 27, 1951
I would not claim that this is "the greatest" Furtwangler performance
on records. I think it is silly to even try to find such a performance.
But I would say that if I were to try to identify a single recording
conducted by Furtwangler that would serve to introduce this conductor
to someone who had never heard his work, I would use this disc. Part
of it is the recorded sound -- and part of it is the performance. Of
all Furtwangler recordings, this may have the finest sonic quality; a
rich, well balanced, full-bodied yet clear monaural recording that
shows much more than most Furtwangler records his abilities as a
colorist. Add to that a deeply moving, impassioned performance in
which the orchestra sounds like its life depended on the way it played
and you have an extraordinarily gripping experience. The Haydn
Variations is also a terrific performance, but it is this grand,
large-scale performance of the Symphony that stays in the memory.
(This performance of the Symphony is also available, and in equally
good sound, in a box of the 4 Brahms symphonies on Music & Arts
CD-941, very recommendable as a boxed set).
Henry Fogel
--------------------
Bruckner, Anton
Symphony #2 in C minor (1872 version, ed William Carragan 1991)
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland
Georg Tintner
Naxos DDD 8.554006
Recorded National Concert hall, Dublin, 16/17
September, 1996
The recording of Bruckner's 2nd Symphony by Georg Tintner is truly
magnificent performance wise, and the recording matches.
This performance is a yardsick by which all other Bruckner 2nds must
be measured, and totally condemns those who imagine that there are only
a few top class orchestras in the world? We are all aware that a great
conductor can transform and transcend all - and here, in Bruckner's
2nd, Georg Tintner has transcended over and above in this work.
The Scherzo has the brass attacking in truly magnificent style, in a
typical
and yet unique Bruckner scherzo.
But here we have only the mere prelude to an Andante (Feierlich, etwas
bewegt) which is so extremely masterly paced and exquisite, with a
French horn tune interspersing with an other worldly effect, that I am
even inclined to believe this movement the greatest of Bruckner's
adagios.
Tanya Tintner tells me I am deluded by the performance - perhaps I am -
but I will stick to my guns and say this adagio is simply magnificent
and
beyond comparison.
The finale soon opens with magnificent brass outbursts, as through the
whole finale, and the final denouement, with the final 7 bars delivered
at triple forte, is fully apparent, and is a magnificent climax to this
magnificent work.
I urge any true Brucknerite to invest in this recording, and for $10
Aus you can't get closer to heaven.
Ray Hall: <hallr...@bigpond.com>
---------------------------
Bruckner, Anton
Eighth Symphony in C minor (Haas)
Jascha Horenstein conducting the London Symphony Orchestra
Music & Arts: CD-785
(coupled with Mahler 6th, and 9th)
Intaglio: incd 7272 <deleted> (coupled with a rehersal of Simpson's
3rd Symphony)
In many ways to me, Bruckner is it. Ever since I caught the last
movement of Bruckner's 8th symphony on WFMT one afternoon, it was love
at first hearing. I immediately rushed out and started collecting his
works.
In my opinion, Jasha Horenstein is one of the supreme interpreters of
Bruckner. From the hushed menace of the first movement, to the slow
building of the Scherzo, the heart wrenching adagio, ending with the
great finale, nothing is wanting. Unlike many of Horenstein's
recordings, this recording has top-notch performers (the LSO) in great
sound.
It is too bad the Intaglio recording is deleted. The coupling is very
interesting, listening to Horenstein reherse with orchestra.
Although, the Music and Arts is not bad either. The Mahler 6th is
very enjoyable, although there are better 9th by Horenstein available
than this one.
Author as of yet unknown
--------------------
Delius, Frederick
Beecham Conducts Delius (complete stereo recordings)
Sir Thomas Beecham/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
EMI 2-CD set (CDS 7 47509 2)
(still available)
Why? Well, as we all know, Beecham was Delius' most ardent and
persuasive champion. His interpretations met with consistent and
enthusiastic approval by Delius himself (at least his live
performances and early mono recordings), and his interpretations stand
today as the standard with which all other readings are compared.
This 2-CD set contains the best-known orchestral works like "Florida
Suite", "Brigg Fair", the shorter tone poems, the opera intermezzi,
"Over the Hills and Far Away", and the masterful orchestral song cycle
"Songs of Sunset". It is a perfect introduction into the unique
musical world that is Delius', and was one of Gramophone's recently
published "100 Greatest Classical Recordings of all Time".
Jeff Gower
--------------------
Dvorak, Antonin
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor
Rostropovich under Karajan with the Berliner Philharmoniker
DG originals 1969
Many would argue about the conductor's personality and style, some
would grouse about the "harsh" recording, but this record, all
politics aside, features excellent playing, and is alive with energy.
Needs to be played loud.
Anthony
--------------------
Dvorak, Antonin
Cello Concerto
Pablo Casals
Czech Philharmonic
George Szell
EMI (rec. 1937!)
Listen to the cello entrance (a real stab if I ever heard one). Casals
was in his sixties and at the top of his instrument when this recording
was made. This is probably the one yardstick by which all other
recordings of this concerto are still measured.
Ramon Khalona
--------------------
Elgar, Edward
Cello Concerto
Jacqueline du Pre w/ John Barbirolli cond.
LSO
EMI CDC 7 47329 2 (recently reissued, perhaps with a new #)
coupled with Dame Janet Baker's Sea Pictures
This is THE Elgar cello concerto, a recording that must convince
anyone who had doubted it of Elgar genius, and du Pre owns this work
like no other. Accompanied by Barbirolli (a very great Elgar conductor
and former cellist), she turns in a performance that leaves me
enthralled by her magnificent tone ( though the cello might seem a bit
forward), and sheer intensity. I know of no other cello concerto
performance, even the great Rostropovich Dvorak, that can compare to
the feeling conveyed here.
--Mathew Lu
---------------------
Elgar, Edward and Ralph Vaughan Williams (music of)
John Barbirolli
Sinfonia of London
EMI CDC 7 47537 2 (Occasionally available as in import)
Recorded 1963
The big pieces here are the Elgar "Introduction and Allegro" and
"Serenade for Strings", and the Vaughan Williams "Fantasia on a Theme
of Thomas Tallis". The Tallis Fantasia, played with depth and
inspiration in a church acoustic, sets a nearly impossible standard
for any subsequent conductor. The same goes for the Elgar serenade,
and the I&A comes close. The familiar VW "Greensleeves" Fantasia is
here, along with Elgar's "Elegy" and "Sospiri" in 1966 New Philharmonia
recordings added for the CD. Frankly, this disc makes it nearly
impossible to listen to this music played by anyone else. It's that
good.
-Sol Siegel, Philadelphia, PA
--------------------
Enescu, George
Oedipe
Jose van Dam, Gabriel Bacquier, Nicolai Gedda, Marjana Lipovsek,
Brigitte Fassbaender, John Aler, Barbara Hendricks, Gino Quilico,
Marcel Vanaud, Cornelius Hauptmann, Laurence Albert,
Jean-Philippe Courtis, Jocelyne Taillon, Isabelle Vernet;
Lawrence Foster conductor; Jose-Antonio Sanz, Elisabeth Cooper,
and Philippe Debat chorus masters.
Orfeon Donostiara; Les Petit Chanteurs de Monaco; Orchestre
Philharmonique de Monte Carlo.
EMI 1990
This recording - first in the original language and still the only one
in French - of Enescu's too little known masterpiece is as close to
ideal as can possibly be. To begin with it features Jose van Dam in
one of his greatest roles, a role which he has never performed on
stage and yet which he sings to perfection in spite of its length and
difficulties. Then the supporting cast is more than luxurious: to hear
singers like Gedda, Bacquier, Lipovsek, Fassbaender, Quilico, etc. in
minor roles is indeed a feast. Lawrence Foster has never been better,
and his forces are superb. There is a sense of discovery from every
one involved which adds to the occasion. This recording is to Enescu's
masterpiece what Solti's Ring was to Wagner.
George Mumru
--------------------
Granados, Enrique
Goyescas
Alicia De Larrocha
London 411 958-2 (CD version)
Recorded in 1976
How do I back up this choice? Simple. It's wonderful music, played by
one of the great pianists of our time at the height of her powers.
DeLarrocha, at her best, was the supreme interpreter of Spanish piano
music, and this disc illustrates why she gained this reputation.
Henry Maurer, Cherry Hill, NJ, USA
--------------------
Hindemith, Paul
Symphony: Mathis der maler
Jascha Horenstein w/ London Symphony (1973)
Chandos 6549
coupled with Richard Strauss's Death and Transfiguration.
I haven't heard many versions of Mathis, but it would be hard to improve
on perfection.
Fred
--------------------
Honegger, Arthur
Symphony No.3 "Liturgique"
Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic
DG 423 242-2
1969, Berlin Jesus-Christus-Kirke
One of the great symphonies of the 20th century, the "Liturgique" puts
Honegger firmly into the Premier league. The opening of the second
movement
adagio "De profundis clamavi" is absolutely magical. In many ways this
symphony fully captures "something beyond the sphere of our sorrow", (to
quote Martin Cooper). This symphony haunts me like no other!
Karajan and his forces are magnificent in every way. A real treasure of
a
recording. And one of the shining 'jewels' amongst my collection.
Ray Hall
-------------------
Liszt , Franz
Piano Concerti
Richter, LSO conducted by Kiril Kondrashin
Recording date ? probably 1961
Philips 446-200-2
Two reasons come to mind, exciting but not overblown and some of the
best interaction/balance between soloist and orchestra I have ever
heard on disc (the piano appears at the same level as all the other
instruments). I must confess that I am very biased towards a lot of
what Richer has done. On top of this we are also offered a recording
of the B minor sonata however I have not manage to digest it fully nor
compared it with others.
--------------------
Mahler, Gustav
Symphony #4
Willem Mengelberg
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam
Philips (nla)
This disc taught me to appreciate historical recordings, so persuasive
is Mengelberg's interpretation. The sound is actually quite amazing
considering its age, 1938. There is quite a bit of surface noise in
the the Philips transfer, but the sound has plenty of bloom and the
orchestral colors are reproduced fairly accurately.
Mengelberg's twisting and pulling of phrase endings seems, to me, very
right. Each cadence brings a new and delicate turn. His tempi are
perfectly judged throughout, but never sound as though they were
meticulously planned out (though they must have been!). The
music-making always sounds very natural. Given that the conductor
knew well the composer, this is as close to HIP Mahler as we are going
to get. (I will admit, however, that Mengelberg was never past
imposing his own thoughts on music. Surely, Mahler was no exception.)
The orchestra plays superbly (outside of the nuclear powered oboe and
perpetually-out-of-tune clarinet). The ACO was a responsive group in
1938. To pay heed to every little nuance as here requires exceptional
attention to the conductor's stick. The opening bars can often sound
a bit to plain, but here, they come off as quirky, setting us up for
some very interesting goings on.
Jo Vincent, in the finale, is obviously past her prime, but she still
manages to convey the heavenly yet playful quality of the music and
text. I must say that at times she sounds rather "Florence-
Foster-Jenkinsish", but still manages to bring it off. If only we
could have heard her earlier in her career.
In closing, Mengelberg's Mahler 4th is one for the ages. It is
revelatory to hear a conductor with such a strong personality and
impress that personality on the music. This is the sort of music-
making that is all but extinct these days. A pity.
Don Patterson
--------------------
Monteverdi
L'Orfeo
English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, His Majesties
Sagbutts & Cornetts
John Eliot Gardiner
Archiv Production1987
Perhaps a little "o" should be used for this opera because it is a
fusion of
music both symphonic and vocal that brings tears of extreme emotion to
my eyes
when I hear it.
Fred
------------------------
Mozart , W.A.
Divertimento No.2 in D Major, K.131
George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra
Epic/Columbia Masterworks LP (various incarnations, paired with
Symphony No.33, Clarinet Concerto, etc.)
This is one of Mozart's most enjoyable works, maybe not a masterpiece,
but incredibly inventive instrumentally, memorable thematically (plenty
of hummable melodies), fun to listen to. He was only 17 when he
composed it, which compares favorably to Mendelssohn in precocity.
The Szell/Cleveland is arguably the greatest recording of the piece,
not that there are too many alternatives (I know of Vegh/Camarata
Mozarteum of Salzburg on Laserlight, a more genial performance; and
the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on DG; probably Marriner/ASTMIF, which I
haven't heard). Unfortunately, I don't think the Szell is available on
CD, although I could be wrong, with the constant shuffling of reissued
reportoire by Sony Classical. If not, probably the Orpheus is the one
to go for, but check the used record bins first, if your turntable
still works!
AMD...@POL.net
--------------------
Mozart, WA
Don Giovanni
Klemperer, Philharmonia orchestra--Don Giovanni (Nicolai
Ghiaurov), Donna Elvira (Christa Ludwig), Leporello (Walter
Berry), Donna Anna (Claire Watson), Don Ottavio (Nicolai Gedda)
EMI CMS7 63841-2
June+July, 1966
This recording, like most Don Giovannis, has its problems. Its Anna is
not quite equal to her rivals (Jurinac, L. Price, Sutherland), and two
of my very favorite singers, Nicolai Gedda and Christa Ludwig, are not
at their absolute best. Despite this, it is one of my very favorite
opera recordings. Ghiarurov and Berry are both superb, and the
singing, for the most part, is musical and intelligent. But, I chose
this recording primarily to illustrate the conducting genius of Otto
Klemperer. Of all the conducter cliches I detest (i.e. "Karajan is
only interested in making beautiful sounds"), one that irritates me
most is the "Klemperer's conducting is stern and gruff" comment. One
only has to listen to the refined, polished, elegant, and witty
playing of the Philharmonia to see that the opposite is the case. The
whole score is phrased and timed so perfectly, and the music truly
breathes (Klemperer's major goal). Innumerable orchestral details
come out, and if one follows with a score, you'll see how clean and
clear Klemperer's orchestral sound is. Klemperer loved woodwinds (as
Mozart obviously did), and the woodwind playing of the Philharmonia is
a continual joy and of the upmost beauty. In addition, Klemperer's
rhythmic sense is alert and exciting, making the slower tempos
anything but boring. To better illustrate what I've tried to express,
here is a particularly astute quote about Klemperer from a recent
article by Robert Craft: "But in his greatest recordings, supremely
that of The Magic Flute, every tempo is giusto, every phrase alive and
meaningful, every note infused with feeling". I picked this
particular recording as a favorite example of Klemperer's gifts, but
it applies equally to all, yes all, of his Mozart, and just about
everything else he conducted come to think of it. Klemperer, more
than any other conducter I can think of, has an ability to let the
music speak for itself.
Jon
--------------------
Mozart, WA
"Posthorn" Serenade No. 9 in D; K. 320
The Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell
This may seem like an odd choice, but it's the LP that turned me on to
Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. The playing is superb. Very
satisfying Mozart.
--------------------
Mozart, WA
Requiem
Karl Bohm
Berlin Phil.
DG
Recording date I dunno... early '60s
This is _it_ for me... a very romantic reading of the work and words
cannot convey its impact
Michael Hobaugh
--------------------
Puccini, Giocomo
La Boheme
Thomas Beecham, Jussi Bjoerling, Victoria de los Angeles,
RCA Victor Orchestra and Chorus (dir. Thomas Martin)
The Columbus Boychoir (dir. Herbert Huffman)
EMI Classics Mono ADD
Recorded 1956
Mono schmono, the sound is great. These performances are immensely
moving. It is so rare to hear believable (yet musical) crying and even
rarer to hear musical (yet believable) laughter. This crowd pulls it
all off. The orchestra functions as more than background music. Under
Beecham's direction it becomes another character, shimmering and
dancing or forboding and lamenting like a Greek chorus. Two
disadvantages: 1)The sound is rough for the first and last 5 seconds;
I have no idea why. The rest of it makes up for that. 2) I can't put
this on as background music. By 20 minutes before the end -- at the
latest -- I'm forced to stop what I'm doing and just listen. I don't
speak a lick of Italian, but the emotion conveyed in the music still
overwhelms and compels my attention. So I have to stop and follow
along in English. There may be other discs in my collection that
deserve a place in the CHOF (Classical Hall of Fame for you Rach 3
detractors), but only this one that leapt *immediately* to mind. Wait
for a sale at BMG and it's yours for under $15. Hold out for a little
while and an even better sale will bring it under $10 (*including*
shipping).
Bill Baldwin
--------------------
Collection:
Sergei Rachmaninov:The complete recordings
Recording dates: 1919 (Edision Session) - 1940(Last RCA session)
Rachmaninov piano concerti, Rapsodie on the theme of Paganini,
symphony #3,
Preludes; Beethoven, Grieg, Schubert Violin sonatas w/ Kreisler.
Chopin, Schubert, Schumann, etc.
BMG Classic RCA gold Seal 09026-61265-2
Eccellent work of Ward Marston has been preseve these treasure of
Rachmaninov's recordings. Through these recordings, we can listen
to one of the greatest pianist in the first half of 20th centery
interpreting
work by Chopin, Schumann and , especially, himself.
In this set, I especially like the way he played his 2nd and 3rd piano
concerti, Chopin's 2nd piano sonata and Schumann Carnival.
No signature.....
---------------------
Salas, Esteban
Cuban Baroque Sacred Music
(Mass in G minor, Requiem Mass, Salve Regina in D minor, Salve
Regina in C minor) Maria Felicia Perez directing the Exaudi Choir
of Cuba with the Benedectine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos
Jade (???) 1996
This just sounds wonderful. A very clear and open account. Perhaps
the political situation of Cuba has created a microcosm of "pure"
music, I don't know. I do know that I love a lot of the music that
comes off of this island (has anyone else heard Buena Vista Social
Club?) and this was a welcome suprise.
Anthony
--------------------
Schubert, Franz
Sonata in Bb, D.960
Sofronitsky
Arlecchino
I'd like to mention Sofronitzky's 1960 recording of the Schubert Piano
Sonata in Bb, D.960 (Arlecchino). This work has been recorded so
often by so many talented pianists, and I've listened to many
versions, but Sofronitzky has a way of making it sound special and new
every time I hear it. He uses relatively quick tempi that at first
listening may seem too fast, but after repeated hearings it is clear
that he plays quickly in order to convey his understanding of the
sonata's structure. Ditto for his extraordinary use of flexible note
values - less of a rubato than a (dare I say it) Furtwaengler-like
sense of play behind the grandeur. And Sofronitsky manages to pull
all this off without sounding pretentious, even though he was
obviously such a genius it is almost eery. I think this disc clearly
deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Or at least MY Hall of Fame. :-)
Jeremy
--------------------
Schubert, Franz
Quintet for Strings in C Major, D.956
Stern, Schneider violins; Katims viola; Casals, Tortelier celli
Sony Classical SMK 58 992
Recorded 7/1-2/52 Prades, France
The music is incomparable, fitting Mahlers dictum that the symphony is
all of life, this quintet is all of life with the emotional range
extending from bursting joyfulness, to death and peace. The performance
by extraordinary soloists is unified by Casals interpretive vision so
that all breathe and make sounds together and reach levels of intensity
hard to imagine unless one listens to the recording. The playing is not
always beautiful (some unpleasant gruff and harsh string sound is
produced) but it always points up the direction and sense of the music.
The interpretation is intensely romantic and subjective and propulsively
energetic. This is serious music being produced seriously and lovingly
resulting in the richest gratification for the listener.
The story goes that when the young Artur Rubinstein heard the slow
movement performed by Casals and some friends at a private concert
sometime in the 20's, Rubinstein was so moved that declared that the
slow movement was the music he wanted performed at his funeral.
I love this piece of music and I have to force myself not to play the cd
three or four times a day so I don't ever tire of it.
Don Rice
--------------------------------
Schulhoff, Erwin (born 1894 in Prague, died in 1942 at the
Wuelzburg concentration camp)
String Quartets/String sextet/Sonata for solo violin/Duo for
violin and cello
Petersen Quartet with T. J. Kimstedt and M. Sanderling
Capriccio 10 539 and 10 463 (2 disks)
1992, 1994
Among those composers who were victims of Germany's brutality, Erwin
Schulhoff stands as one of the most accomplished and original voices;
the rediscovery of his music, lost for decades, is clearly one of the
major revelations of the CD era. These two CDs, played by the young
Petersen Quartet with spectacular verve and astonishing technical
mastery of all aspects of quartet playing, present his three string
quartets, his five pieces for string quartet, the magnificent string
sextet, and a solo and a duo piece. All of these works belong squarely
at or near the top of this century's chamber repertoire. The music is
strongly inspired by folk rhythms and tunes in a manner not dissimilar
to Bartok's, in a perfect folk-modern fusion that spares the sugar but
never lets the acid corrode or cloud the splendid ideas at the core. The
modus operandi is as straightforward as it is brilliant, with no trace
of padding or hesitation. Again, Bartok comes to mind.
Perhaps some day there will be better performances than these - this
listener, however, is convinced that the Petersen belongs in the first
rank of modern string quartets and that these Capriccio disks richly
deserve permanent inclusion in the RMCR Hall of Fame.
Mario Taboada
----------------------------
Shostakovich, Dmitri
Symphony #5
New York Philharmonic
Leonard Bernstein
Sony/CBS Royal Edition (1959 performance)
Arguably one of the best performance interpretations of this symphony
ever; Lenny and the NYPhil at their peak. Bernstein's way with this
piece carried the endorsement of the composer. This recording stands
as a benchmark for the acceptance and popularity of Shostakovich's
music among a broader (American) musical audience.
--DwightG
--------------------
Sibelius, Jean
Symphony No 7
Leningrad PO
Yevgeny Mravinsky
EMI/Melodiya LP ASD2805 (much reissued since)
Live perf Grand Hall, Moscow Conservatoire, February 1965.
A performance crackling with tension and crowned by a trombone
section whose fruity Russian vibrato may prove a problem for some but
which for me catches the magnificence of this epic score. Even as I
write (with the recording playing in the background) this recording
gives me that frisson running down my back which is the usual signal
for a very special piece of music in a performance to match.
I must have left this LP unplayed for at least 15 years but it has
kept very well and its force comes flooding back fresh as the first
day I heard it as a student 25 years ago. I remember buying it
secondhand in Bristol in the late 1970s.
After hearing this performance all the others seem too smooth and
refined. The magnificence of Sibelius emerges from a primitive
Northern magic and it is that wild primeval quality which Mravinsky
projects with a electric intensity.
Rob Barnett
--------------------
Strauss, Richard
Also sprach Zarathustra
Fritz Reiner, cond. Chicago Symphony Orchestra
RCA/BMG
recording date (especially for historic recordings): 8 MAR 1954
This recording is available in various reissues from BMG, most recently
in the Reiner conducts Strauss collection. It is a stereo recording
from 1954, in excellent sound. Listening to it again before I posted
this, I was amazed all over again. The interplay of the instruments,
the lush strings, precise rhythms, beautiful brass sections - all
controlled by a towering musical mind, make this recording one of the
best ever.
I think Reiner's success in this piece hinges on his handling of the
transitions between sections. It is clearly a unified piece, not a
collection of 9 numbers with a loud fanfare that reappears towards the
end. Listen to the transition between 'Of the great longing' and 'Of
joys and passions' or the transition between 'The convalescent' &
'Dance Song and Night Song'. It seems the spirit of each movement to
come sneaks into the conclusion of the preceeding section.
The playing of the Chicago Symphony is magnificient. Solo violin
passages are played beautifully, and the tranquil ending leaves you
floating in the clouds wondering what just happened. 43 years later,
this recording has never been bettered.
Scott Graham
--------------------
Stravinsky, Igor
Charles Wuorinen
The Flood, Abraham and Isaac, Variations for Orchestra, Requiem
Canticles
(Stravinsky)
A Reliquary for Igor Stravinsky
(Wuorinen)
Oilver Knussen, conductor
Susan Bickley, contralto
Peter Hall, tenor
David Wilson-Johnson, bass-baritone
Stephan Richarson, bass
Michael Berkeley, narrator
Bernard Jacobson, Lucy Shelton, speaking roles
London Sinfonietta
New London Chamber Choir
Deutsche Grammophon (447 068-2)
Superb performances of sadly under-recorded repertory. These late
Stravinsky pieces are wonderful and masterful examples of his best
writing from any period in his oeuvre, and these performances are
incredibly persuasive, heart-felt, and moving. In the Requiem
Canticles, for example the Lacrimosa and Libera Me sections get me
every time.
Wuorinen's *Reliquary* is one of his best pieces, and likewise receives
a wonderfully sensitive, persuasive performance.
In addition to all this, the recording quality is very good--it has a
clarity and natural balance that one rarely finds with DGG.
Ryan Hare
rh...@u.washington.edu
--------------------
Szymanowski, Karol
"Mythes"
Wilkomirska/Barbosa
Connoisseur (LP nla)
I will rise to the challenge. One of my all-time favorites is the old
Wilkomirska/Barbosa recording of Szymanowski's "Mythes." For those of
you unfamiliar with this masterpiece, it is a triptych/violin sonata
which in certain ways mirrors Gaspard, in that it is highly
virtuosic. Furthermore, it starts with a water piece, has a
meditative middle section, and exploding showpiece as a final
movement, full of quarter tones and enough technical demands to cause
panic in the stoutest virtuoso. Yet all these technical demands are
at the service of the music itself. The piano part is also quite
difficult.
While I typically am underwhelmed by many women musicians, Wanda
Wilkomirska is a very notable exception. No one else I can think of
can match her penetrating, even trenchant violin tone and yet still
sound so sweet, natural, and unforced. She is fabulously aided by
Antonio Barbosa on the piano. The music is immediately and fatally
arresting in her hands, and no matter how many times I have listened
to it, I can never stop in the middle.
Her performance was originally issued on Connoisseur (sp?) Society in
the early 70s, and I have periodically searched the catalogues for the
past ten years, hoping it would be re-released on CD. I have about
ten other performances of Mythes, including many highly regarded ones,
but none of them are worthy to put rosin on Wanda's bow. Her 1960
performance of the Szymanowski violin concert #1 is an equally great
and equally untouchable one, but that is a matter for another thread.
-- +Chase Kimball (ch...@aros.net)
--------------------
Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Iliytch
Symphony Nr.6 "Pathetique"
Wilhelm Furtwangler
Berlin Philharmonic
Biddulph WHL 006-7 (transfer by Mark Obert-Thorn)
Grammofono 2000 (w/CEDAR)
This surely must be the greatest recording of *anything* by *anyone*
ever put to disc. Every phrase turns with such elegance. Every color
is exposed. Every balbance is just right. Every tempo is perfectly
chosen. Furtwangler's "Pathetique" is permeated by a deep spirituality
which is most often missing in performances of this music. Others may
have better sound. Others may have perfect modern orchestral
execution. Others may baost a stronger brass or woodwind sound. But,
none can match the passion brought forth by Furtwangler's hand. Even
more so than Bernstein's DG account, this is a deeply personal reading
that probes the psyche of the composer, searching for answers, but
never really finding them. Yet, this reading never seems self-
indulgent. This sense of wonderment...of emptiness...finally comes to
its climax in the tragic finale. Tchaikovsky's tragic end certainly
plays a part in the conductor's work.
The orchestra responded to their master with near worshipful attention
to detail and musicianship. All sections acquited themselves very
well. Of course they did. They were Furtwangler's BPO. Those who
know only the BPO of Karajan and Abbado will find the sound of this
orchestra completely foreign. Nonexistent was the gloss and sheen
that would prevail under the later conductors. Instead, one hears an
array of wonderfully piquant tone colors painting the various scenes
of the music.
The sound, in this expert transfer by Mark Obert-Thorn (transfrguy to
all here on r.m.c.r) is really quite good for its 1938 vintage.
Packaged in a double Biddulph set encompassing all of Furtwangler's
pre-war HMV recordings, it is coupled with a fine Beethoven's 5th, some
incandescent Wagner excerpts, and a movement from his own "Symphonic
Concerto". Together, they all maker for a wonderful listening
experience.
If you love this music, you owe it to yourself to hear this
performance. Its vintage prevents making it a first and only
recommendation for most collectors, but this performance belongs in
the collection of every Tchaikovsky fan reading this post.
Don Patterson
--------------------
Wagner, Richard
The Ring Cycle (complete)
Solti/VPO var. soloists
London/Decca, recorded 1958-1965
This epochal recording belongs in any hall of fame for a host of
reasons.
First, it was the first complete Ring recording. It is difficult to
appreciate now what an astounding step it was to take on that project
in 1957; for those interested in the history of recorded music, the
fascinating account of this effort in John Culshaw's "Ring Resounding"
is a mandatory read.
Second, (because being first is meaningless by itself), it's still IMHO
the most satisfying overall traversal of the cycle available on disk.
One can always question this or that casting decision, but the quality
of the singing overall is astoundingly high (would that we could hear
most of the principal roles taken half as well today). The real stars
of the effort are Solti and the VPO. The dramatic sense and majesty of
line that Solti imagined, and the glorious playing and sound that the
VPO provided, are without equal; for all of his many fine recordings,
his Ring will certainly go down as Solti's crowning achievement on
records. 40 years after it was begun, it remains at or near the top of
most recommendation lists for recordings of the Ring.
Third, the recording established new standards both for the quality of
sound and for the creation in aural terms of the essence of the
drama. The tasteful and inventive use of stereo and of acoustic
effects to take the place of visual effects that one would experience
in the theater became the benchmark of how to record opera with this
technology.
So what else could one want for a Hall-of-Fame recording?: to be the
first, to remain the best, and to define the use of recording
technology to convey the essence of an operatic experience in the home.
Tony Movshon
--------------------
Wagner, Richard
Tristan und Isolde
Furtwangler/Flagstad
EMI
I didn't see the original message that started this thread (I don't
know why, sometimes I think AOL misses a few posts in these
newsgroups) -- so I don't know what the groundrules are. I note most
people listing just one recording -- for me that would be a problem,
as there are many that I consider so essential that I find it hard to
differentiate between them. If a gun were held to my head, I suppose
I would choose the Furtwangler Tristan and Isolde on EMI, as it would
be a demonstration of both one of the great works of Western music and
a pinnacle of the art of musical performance.
Henry Fogel
--------------------
Widor
Organ Symphony no. 8
Ben van Oosten
Organ at St-Ouen (Rouen, France)
MDG 1995
The most "symphonic" of all of Widor's symphonies, played on one of the
most magnificient Cavaille-Coll organs. If you know Widor for his
famous Toccata (from the 5th organ symphony), please listen to the
penultimate movement (Adagio) of the 8th before trying to judge this
composer, who evolved spectacularly from the pompuous fortissimo
marches of his first symphonies to the almost mystical aura and
austerity of the last two ("Gothique" and "Romane").
van Oosten plays this music with great warmth and generosity, but
without ever letting these aspects overwhelm rythmic command, control
of phrasing and clarity of sound. As for the long 8th symphony, few
recordings exist of this technically and musically demanding piece
(I'm aware of Pierre Labric (on LP), Guenter Kaunzinger, Thierry
Mechler and Odile Pierre). To me, van Oosten's goes straight to the
top of the list.
Christian
--------------------
COLLECTION
Dinu Lipatti
Composers: Bach, Mozart, Scarlatti and Schubert
EMI (CDH-7 69800-2, also included in an EMI multi-disc Lipatti set)
Rec. dates: 1947 & 1950.
Bach: Partita No. 1 in B-flat major BWV 825; Choral Preludes BWV
599 & 639; Choral from cantata BWV 147 ("Jesus, joy of man's
desiring" arr. Myra Hess); Siciliana from flute & harpsichord
sonata BWV 1031(arr. Wilhelm Kempff)
Scarlatti: Sonata in E-major, KK.380; Sonata in D-minor,
"Pastoral", KK.9
Mozart: Sonata in A-minor, K.310
Schubert: Impromptus 2 & 3 from D.899
Probably all of Lipatti's recordings belong on this Classical Hall of
Fame, but IMHO this is the finest of them all. This is my No. 1
desert island disc. One would be hard pressed to find better Bach on
the piano than this. Lipatti's technique is immaculate and the
simplicity, beauty and spirituality displayed here silences any
criticism. I suspect this one is a favorite of many pianists.
The Scarlatti Sonatas are a delight. The Mozart is equally wonderful,
and the two Schubert impromptus (recorded at Lipatti's last public
performance in Besancon, just a few months before his death) make a
fitting conclusion to this wonderful compilation of Lipatti's art.
If I had to choose just one of my CDs to keep, without any doubt, this
would be it. Recommended with the strongest enthusiasm to all lovers
of good music.
Ramon Khalona
--------------------
COLLECTION
Sweelinck, Schoenberg, Mozart, Bach
Salzburg Recital
Glenn Gould, piano
Music & Arts, now Sony (Glenn Gould Edition)
August 25, 1959
Includes a sparklingly ebullient Goldberg Variations in under 37
minutes. And a Mozart sonata which Gould actually seems to treat with
love and respect -- nothing could be further from the cycle/mass-murder
completed in the 70s.
The perfect companion to Thomas Bernhard's relentless black-comic novel
"The Loser" ("Der Untergeher"), in which a semi-fictional Gould plays a
central role:
[...] Glenn came to the Salzburg Festival to play the Goldberg
Variations, which two years perviously he'd practised with
us day and night at the Mozarteum and had rehearsed again
and again.
Suprisingly good mono.
-- Bruce Bennett
--------------------
COLLECTION
"The Intimate Schubert" - Franz Schubert's Sonatina for Violin and
Piano
in D, D. 384; Sonata in A for Violin and Piano, D. 574; Piano Trio
No. 1
in B flat, D. 898; and Notturno for Piano Trio, D. 897, performed
by the
Suk Trio (Josef Suk, v; Josef Chuchro, vc; Jan Panenka, p)
BOSTON SKYLINE BSD 146 (AAD 1998)
In every way, this is an exemplary reissue. Boston Skyline is a small
label specializing in reissues of neglected LP-era material. I have
greatly enjoyed several of its previous issues: Charles Rosen's
wonderful mid-1950's Scarlatti and Mozart recordings on the "Siena
fortepiano," and the Collegium Terpsichore's pioneering collection of
Renaissance dance music formerly on DGG Archiv LPs. This new Schubert
issue is a magnificent achievement. First, it gathers some of the
greatest Schubert chamber music recordings ever made, from Supraphon
recordings of the early 1960s. Second, the self-proclaimed "audiophile"
remastering fully justifies the hype. Those of us who put up with
Supraphon's gritty LPs to enjoy the artistry of the Suk Trio will marvel
at the excellence of these recordings as heard in Boston Skyline's
apparently purist AAD remasterings (credited to John Servies and Wayne
Wadhams). The instruments occupy a palpable space and are exquisitely
balanced. Hiss is minimal. Suk's small, sweet tone has never sounded
better than this. And these recordings are, for me, touchstones of
chamber music excellence. The give-and-take, the expression of profound
feelings through small gestures, the sense of long-time collaborators
enjoying each other's playing and encouraging each other to find new
meanings in Schubert's music -- all of these pleasures are here in
abundance. My long-prized copies of the original Supraphon and
Crossroads LPs can now be retired.
Paul Goldstein
--
Don Patterson
* DCP Music Printing
* Professional Computer Music Typeset
* Music Arrangements
* don...@erols.com
* Asst. Principal Trombonist
* "The President's Own"
* United States Marine Band
http://www.marineband.hqmc.usmc.mil
The views expressed are my own and in no way
reflect those of "The President's Own" United
States Marine Band or the United States Marine Corps.