Albeniz: Iberia
deac...@yahoo.com
in Toronto included 6 of the pieces (first and third books) And I
suppose that eventually he will get around to recording it for
Hyperion.
Accepted wisdom puts Alicia de Larrocha at the top of the heap.She has
sort of owned this work for most of the 20th Century. Which version is
preferred has often been a matter of taste, sometimes based on
recorded sound. There are FOUR complete versions by AdL that I know of
and own. There may be others recorded "live". Only the first version,
recorded in monaural sound for Hispavox, has never been reissued on CD
and only once, to my knowledge, on LP, for American Columbia.
AB and I have a fondness for Michel Block's unconscionably withheld
version for EMI(also released on Connoisseur Society) Block has a
specially poetic take on this music. Very lush-life.
Then there is the partial version by Arrau.
And, of course, the almost unfindable version by Querol, which I own,
but do not actually revere. At one time Dante was planning to license
this version from EMI for release on that label. Never happened, alas.
Ciccolini has has his admirers. As does Sanchez. Urive (on LP), even.
But there are many, many versions of this work.
And then, of course, there is the new URTEXT version published by
Schott. Three versions, actually: a strict copy of the autograph; an
Urtext; and lastly a "performeing edition", in which the writing is
laid out differently in order to facilitate performance. The editor is
Gonzalez, who has also recorded it for Naxos, apparently without
enormous success. Not a Charles Rosen, it would seem. And definitely
not a definitive version to go along with his Urtext edition.
Favourites, anyone?
Tom Deacon
Steve Molino
news:mo13gvsnrat32323f...@4ax.com...
I thought there were only three De Larrochas. I have the Hispavox EMI set a
nd the early 70s Decca set and I also know of the later digital Decca.
Since you say the mono EMI has not been on CD, I am assuming that it is even
earlier than the one I have (I am too lazy to go look, but I thought the one
I had was mono too).
I also have the Sanchez that so many here are apoplectic over. I think it
is slowly winning me over, but I still think I prefer De Larrocha.
Which is the version on DG? I keep seeing it at Tower but have never heard
of the pianist.
Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net are forged)
in news:mo13gvsnrat32323f...@4ax.com:
> Favourites, anyone?
The Michel Block recording you cite (on two separate LPs, for some reason).
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Mark Coy tossed off eBay? http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2B734C02
RMCR's most pointless, dumb and laughable chowderhead: Mark Coy.
deac...@yahoo.com
Don't bother with it. Not really good at all.
The earliest De Larrocha was a monaural Hispavox once released on a
Columbia LP set (M2L 268) in the very early 1960s.
The later Hispavox set, which came out on Epic (BSC 158), was in
stereo, VERY reverberant stereo (sort of beer-barrel polka sound, if
you know what I mean), and was also released on MHS in North America,
and on Erato, in France. This was the version which has appeared on CD
on EMI because of their affiliations with Hispavox.
The early mono version is not as free-wheeling as the first Stereo set
and was recorded very close-up. A bit claustrophibic for my taste. I
think the music needs more room to breathe.
They ARE, however, both Hispavox recordings. And the timings are
different, one set from the other. I once took the trouble to check
timings on both sets.
Then there are the two Decca versions. Of those I think I prefer the
earlier analogue version. But they are both good.
Sanchez is ALSO recorded clautrophobically and for that reason, among
others, I find it hard to listen to.
The Querol - on Discophiles Francais - is the hardest to find and the
one recorded by the oldest pianist of all to have done the whole
cycle. His piano has a special "twang" to it which suggests to me that
it was not a Steinway. But I have no idea what instrument he was
playing. Perhaps it was a Pleyel? This set is historically important
and deserves reissue badly.
Tom Deacon
deac...@yahoo.com
are forged)" <oyþ@earthlink.net> wrote:
>deac...@yahoo.com appears to have caused the following letters to be typed
>in news:mo13gvsnrat32323f...@4ax.com:
>
>> Favourites, anyone?
>
>The Michel Block recording you cite (on two separate LPs, for some reason).
I do love this reading of the music. It is the most sultry of all.
Yes, both on French EMI and on Connoisseur Society.
The thing is that it is perhaps not a version for all moods. Alicia
captures more of the castanets, and the colours of Spain. Very picture
postcard. Her rhythmic verve is completely infectious.
This picture postcard approach, incidentally, is not at all the way
MAH plays this music. But more of that if and when he decides to
record it.
Of all the pianists who SHOULD have recorded it, I think Rubinstein's
name tops the list. Although perhaps he didn't really have the
sitzfleisch to learn this score, which has to be the hardest in the
repertoire. And it would also have been nice if Arrau had completed
his set, but he said it would have taken him two full years to put
those six pieces into his repertoire and he just didn't have the time.
Alas.
Tom Deacon
Dan Koren
Dan Koren
"Steve Molino" <s_mo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:wdgMa.55977$2D1.18...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
If memory serves it is Jose Maria Pinzales.
dk
>
Dan Koren
news:22a3gvsq7ejlfugf4...@4ax.com...
Both Querol and Sanchez have a "twang" (if that's what you
like to cal it) to the sound of their instruments, and both
recordings leave a lot to be desired in technical terms. My
first guess judging from the resonance of the instruments
and register to register balance (which could have been
both compromised by the recording process) was that these
were most likely Pleyels. Both Querol and Sanchez studied
in France, and it would not be unreasonable to think they
acquired French instruments some time during their careers,
or that French instruments could be more popular in Spain
than they are elsewhere. Incidentally, the French piano
industry went kaput in 1971 when Pleyel was acquired by
the Austrian house Schimmel. Pleyel was the last survivor
having earlier acquired Erard and Gaveau.
dk
Alan Cooper
wrote:
>If memory serves it is Jose Maria Pinzales.
Close. Actually it's Pinzolas, and it's not a bad performance at all,
if not in the top echelon. I think he plays the Granados fillers
better than he plays Iberia. Another unmentioned Iberia that is in
the same league is Pola Baytelman's on Elan. Many wonderful touches,
but ultimately a bit too dreamy and meandering for me; that's the way
I feel about the much lauded Block recording as well (ditto Block's
Granados on Pro Piano). He plays wonderfully; it's just not my view
of the work.
So it comes down to Sanchez and either DeLarrocha II or III for me. I
have not heard DeLarrocha I, and do not like her Decca digital
recording. Version III (= Decca I) is the obvious choice for a
newbie, because it is inexpensive and comes coupled with Goyescas.
In addition to those recordings, I highly recommend Nicholas Unwin's
on Chandos. Very lively and rhythmically alert. He's sentimental
when the music calls for it, but without dawdling (compare his
Evocacion at 5:34 with Baytelman's, a minute longer but it feels like
10). Excellent recorded sound and the whole thing fits on one very
full CD. Unwin's Nin recital is excellent, too, and was available
recently from Berkshire.
Incidentally, while we have become accustomed to thinking of Iberia as
a unified cycle, that was not the way it was composed, and there is no
reason that pianists should feel any obligation to perform or record
the whole thing. I'd rather have the artist stick to what s/he plays
well, rather than succumb to the compleatist mentality.
AC.
benjo maso
My favourite is in many respects Leopoldo Querol. Perhaps he didn't have the
beauitiful tone of Larrocha or Oroczo, and the image he depicts of Spain is
certainly more the austere Castilian highlands than the sunny coast with
palms. I don't know any recording of Iberia which is so completely free from
a "salonish" carachter (was Querol perhaps the Spanish Serkin? :-). On the
other hand, his sense of structure is IMO extraordinary, especially shown in
El Polo, played with a rythmic drive which gives it an almost intoxicating
effect - something I don't hear in any other recording I know.
Benjo Maso
Dan Koren
"Alan Cooper" <amco...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:j6p3gvcfir069o8in...@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 01 Jul 2003 18:33:53 GMT, "Dan Koren" <dank...@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
> >If memory serves it is Jose Maria Pinzales.
>
> Close. Actually it's Pinzolas, and it's not a bad performance at all,
> if not in the top echelon. I think he plays the Granados fillers
> better than he plays Iberia. Another unmentioned Iberia that is in
> the same league is Pola Baytelman's on Elan. Many wonderful touches,
> but ultimately a bit too dreamy and meandering for me; that's the way
> I feel about the much lauded Block recording as well (ditto Block's
> Granados on Pro Piano). He plays wonderfully; it's just not my view
> of the work.
>
> So it comes down to Sanchez and either DeLarrocha II or III for me. I
> have not heard DeLarrocha I, and do not like her Decca digital
> recording. Version III (= Decca I) is the obvious choice for a
> newbie, because it is inexpensive and comes coupled with Goyescas.
>
> In addition to those recordings, I highly recommend Nicholas Unwin's
> on Chandos. Very lively and rhythmically alert. He's sentimental
> when the music calls for it, but without dawdling (compare his
> Evocacion at 5:34 with Baytelman's, a minute longer but it feels like
> 10). Excellent recorded sound and the whole thing fits on one very
> full CD. Unwin's Nin recital is excellent, too, and was available
> recently from Berkshire.
>
These are my 3 top choices too: Sanchez, ADL II and Unwin.
IIRC I posted a survey of about a dozen Iberia cycles a
couple of years ago. I have acquired 2 or 3 new recordings
in the meanwhile, and the top rankings have not changed.
dk
Dan Koren
news:bdsq7k$10llma$1...@ID-75468.news.dfncis.de...
>
> <deac...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:mo13gvsnrat32323f...@4ax.com...
> >
> > Favourites, anyone?
>
>
> My favourite is in many respects Leopoldo Querol. Perhaps he
> didn't have the beauitiful tone of Larrocha or Oroczo, and
> the image he depicts of Spain is certainly more the austere
> Castilian highlands than the sunny coast with palms. I don't
> know any recording of Iberia which is so completely free from
> a "salonish" carachter (was Querol perhaps the Spanish Serkin? :-).
No, not at all. It takes a German education to be a Serkiner.
> On the other hand, his sense of structure is IMO extraordinary,
> especially shown in El Polo, played with a rythmic drive which
> gives it an almost intoxicating effect - something I don't hear
> in any other recording I know.
>
> Benjo Maso
>
>
I find your comments rather surprising. Sanchez' Iberia has
even less of an urban character than Querol's, and the playing
is on a much higher level in every respect. I suspect that
Sanchez was probably influenced by Querol. Does Sanchez
sound to you lacking in rhythmic drive (you missed an 'h').
dk
John Gavin
> On 1 Jul 2003 14:41:27 GMT, "Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net
> are forged)" <oyþ@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> >deac...@yahoo.com appears to have caused the following letters to be typed
> >in news:mo13gvsnrat32323f...@4ax.com:
> >
> >> Favourites, anyone?
> >
> >The Michel Block recording you cite (on two separate LPs, for some reason).
>
> I do love this reading of the music. It is the most sultry of all.
> Yes, both on French EMI and on Connoisseur Society.
>
> The thing is that it is perhaps not a version for all moods. Alicia
> captures more of the castanets, and the colours of Spain. Very picture
> postcard. Her rhythmic verve is completely infectious.
>
> This picture postcard approach, incidentally, is not at all the way
> MAH plays this music. But more of that if and when he decides to
> record it.
>
Richard Bernas
> Favourites, anyone?
>
> Tom Deacon
Roger Muraro (Accord 204522) recorded a no-holds-barred modernist
version that makes the reationship between Albeniz and Messien's piano
writing very evident. It's not the most "authentic" but it is my
favourite.
Richard
benjo maso
"Dan Koren" <dank...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3f01f983$1...@news.meer.net...
No, Sanchez certainly doesn't sound to me lacking in rhythmic drive,
although to my ears he cannot match the effects Querol is making in El Polo.
During the long and highly interesting discussions about Iberia in rmcr
about two years ago, I played Sanchez several times, hoping to hear what
you - and others - did. But I'm afraid I stick to my opinion of Querol.
Benjo Maso
Steve Emerson
wrote:
> > ><deac...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > >news:mo13gvsnrat32323f...@4ax.com...
> > Sanchez is ALSO recorded clautrophobically and for that reason, among
> > others, I find it hard to listen to.
> >
> > The Querol - on Discophiles Francais - is the hardest to find and the
> > one recorded by the oldest pianist of all to have done the whole
> > cycle. His piano has a special "twang" to it which suggests to me that
> > it was not a Steinway. But I have no idea what instrument he was
> > playing. Perhaps it was a Pleyel? This set is historically important
> > and deserves reissue badly.
> Both Querol and Sanchez have a "twang" (if that's what you
> like to cal it) to the sound of their instruments, and both
> recordings leave a lot to be desired in technical terms. My
> first guess judging from the resonance of the instruments
> and register to register balance (which could have been
> both compromised by the recording process) was that these
> were most likely Pleyels. Both Querol and Sanchez studied
> in France, and it would not be unreasonable to think they
> acquired French instruments some time during their careers,
> or that French instruments could be more popular in Spain
> than they are elsewhere. Incidentally, the French piano
> industry went kaput in 1971 when Pleyel was acquired by
> the Austrian house Schimmel. Pleyel was the last survivor
> having earlier acquired Erard and Gaveau.
In the case of the Sanchez, I really have no idea where to lay blame for the
sound -- recording technique, room acoustics, instrument, pianist or all of
them. But as I've said repeatedly a-propos the EMI Kovaceviches, I can't
believe it's purely the fault of the engineers.
Whatever it is, it's too bad. It compromises Sanchez's work for me
considerably.
SE.
Steve Emerson
Dan, it's never been clear to me which ADL you mean by II. II as in #2 of 3,
or #2 of the 4 Mr. Deacon suggests?
I don't know the mono Hispavox that Tom mentions. Of the other 3, by far my
favorite is the stereo Hispavox, which it seems clear is what Alan means by
ADL II.
It's ironic -- as often as the sound on the stereo Hispavox gets complained
about, it gets in the way of the playing very little for me, in contrast with
the Sanchez case.
SE.
John Gavin
Didn't Yvonne Loriod record Iberia?
Raymond Hall
I'm happy with Larrocha's Decca analogue version, which also couples with
her superb Goyescas. In fact I'd be even bold enough to say that Granados is
the better composer, and Goyescas the better piece. Notwithstanding that, I
can imagine Iberia done with a fraction more mistily evoked atmosphere (I am
not in the comparisons game, but feel that AdL I is a fraction too
crystalline for this work), but other than that, the AdL I (analogue) on
Decca, is extremely good imo. But her Goyescas is better, if that makes
sense.
Regards,
# http://www.users.bigpond.com/hallraylily/index.html
See You Tamara (Ozzy Osbourne)
Ray, Taree, NSW
Rodger Whitlock
> The later Hispavox set, which came out on Epic (BSC 158), was in
> stereo, VERY reverberant stereo (sort of beer-barrel polka sound, if
> you know what I mean), and was also released on MHS in North America,
> and on Erato, in France. This was the version which has appeared on CD
> on EMI because of their affiliations with Hispavox.
I've always preferred the term "plangent" to describe the sound
of this recording. The acoustics suit the music, imho.
--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net are forged)
letters to be typed in
For clarity, I should remark that you are doubtless referring to Hamelin.
Block died this past March.
deac...@yahoo.com
Exactly, Steve. Even on Larrocha I the close sound does not prevent
the pianist from making ALL of her musical points. Whereas in the
Sanchez one keeps asking oneself the question: "Do I really HAVE to
keep listening to this stuff?"
Who knows who is responsible. In any case disappointment sets in very
quickly.
I would also add that the International Piano's survey of Iberia was
rulled completely "out of court" for me when the author - I forget who
wrote it - did not even seem to know the Querol version.
Tom Deacon
Dan Koren
"Steve Emerson" <eme...@nospamsonic.net> wrote in message
news:emersn-EF8750....@typhoon.sonic.net...
>
> > These are my 3 top choices too: Sanchez, ADL II and Unwin.
>
> Dan, it's never been clear to me which ADL you mean by II.
> II as in #2 of 3, or #2 of the 4 Mr. Deacon suggests?
Decca late '70s or early '80s. I believe this
was her 2nd traversal on records, but I could
be wrong.
dk
Dan Koren
<deac...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:i5h4gv83f3qmluka5...@4ax.com...
>
> I would also add that the International Piano's
> survey of Iberia was rulled completely "out of
> court" for me when the author - I forget who
> wrote it - did not even seem to know the Querol
> version.
>
Of course. That is par for the course for the IPQ
(or is it IPR now?). Most of their surveys are
ridiculous beyond belief -- in both methodology
and conclusions.
BTW many people on r.m.c.r -- or at least many of
the more active posters -- do not take the IPQ or
the Pengraphone seriously.
Other masterpieces of IPQ logic include naming
Juana Zayas' Chopin Etudes as the first choice.
dk
Wayne Reimer
dag...@comcast.net says...
program notes by hubby Olivier, dated 1957. I like listening to the recording
once in a while, but it is austere both interpretatively and sonically to an
almost painful degree. I heard a broadcast of her playing some of Iberia at
the Ojai Festival some years back, at least thirty years after the recording,
and it was stunning. Still very dry and pointed as on the recording, but with
a far more natural, if high-strung, rhythmic vitality and some quite fantastic
coloristic glints in the interpretation. If a whole set of her doing them at
that level had been made, it would be one of the best.
wr
Dan Koren
news:i5h4gv83f3qmluka5...@4ax.com...
>
> Exactly, Steve. Even on Larrocha I the close sound does not
> prevent the pianist from making ALL of her musical points.
> Whereas in the Sanchez one keeps asking oneself the question:
> "Do I really HAVE to keep listening to this stuff?"
No one is forcing you to torture yourself. Take some
Liberace with Alka-Seltzer.
> Who knows who is responsible. In any case disappointment
> sets in very quickly.
A chacun son (de)gout.
dk
Richard Bernas
She should have.
Dan Koren
Even if you convinced me to allow Querol a tie, or
even a slightly higher rank than Sanchez in El Polo,
Sanchez leaves him (and everybody else) in the dust in
a few other pieces -- e.g. Triana, Lavapies, Eritana or
Corpus Christi.
> During the long and highly interesting discussions
> about Iberia in rmcr about two years ago, I played
> Sanchez several times, hoping to hear what you - and
> others - did. But I'm afraid I stick to my opinion of
> Querol.
Whatever makes you happy. I'm not trying to convert
anyone.
dk
Don Petter
Agreed! I think the total experience of these recordings has never
been bettered by any of her later versions, good though they are on
their own terms.
Don.
Don Petter
wrote:
>
>Incidentally, while we have become accustomed to thinking of Iberia as
>a unified cycle, that was not the way it was composed, and there is no
>reason that pianists should feel any obligation to perform or record
>the whole thing. I'd rather have the artist stick to what s/he plays
>well, rather than succumb to the compleatist mentality.
>
Indeed.
In fact Larrocha's Sony recording from 1992 only contains the first
three books (i.e. first nine of the twelve pieces). Do we know if this
was her choice, or Sony marketing? (Obviously not because she didn't
play the last three well!)
How do our experts rate this three quarter set against her four full
ones?
Don.
Richard Bernas
What you have described is just what I enjoy most in performances of
Iberia. Muraro comes close to this ideal, though his recording quality
is not of the highest class, a close and sometimes clangy take on some
pretty loud playing; rhythmic vitality gets full value but the range
of color is compromised.
Reading through the above postings also reveals that Iberia can't be
an easy work to record!
deac...@yahoo.com
wrote:
>
Indeed, one of the more monstrous opinions I have read.
Listening to those etudes one has the impression of opening a box of
chocolates only to find that all the chocolate is "milk chocolate" and
they are all filled with creams. No nut centers to be found, i.e. no
traces of anything but a bland, inoffensive, self-conciously "poetic"
personality. You want to go the piano and shake the pianist to find
out if they have any real emotions.
Tried to listen to them again once and almost threw something at the
CD machine in anger.
Tom Deacon
deac...@yahoo.com
wrote:
>
Good you allowed as much, because you are wrong.
Tom Deacon
deac...@yahoo.com
Can you please be more specific about a SONY release of 9 pieces from
Iberia?
In 1992, by the way, Alicia de Larrocha was under exclusive contract
to BMG.
I heard her at this time on that gauche Steinway the company was
touring and she only played 6 pieces, and not very comfortably, it
must be said.
However, I am all ears. Perhaps this is a reissue of one of the
earlier versions.
Details, please, Don.
Tom Deacon
Don Petter
Tom,
I was a bit surprised when I found it second-hand recently (can't
exactly remember where - could have been in France a month or so ago.)
It's in a series called 'Digitale Meisterwerke' issued by Sony Music
in Frankfurt. There is no recording date given as such, just a 'C' and
'P' copyright as 'Aurophon 1992'. It is labelled as DDD on cover and
disc. (TT 63:08)
Work is given as 'Iberia - 9 Impressionen fur Klavier'
No notes as such, just illustrated mini catalogue of what might be the
whole series, from CD 71001 (this one) to CD 71060.
Others in the series include pretty mainstream composers and works,
with CD times ranging from 40-odd to 60-odd minutes.
Works include Bach organ, Beethoven chamber and symphonies (3 & 5),
Bruckner 9, Chopin, Grieg, Mozart, etc, etc
Performers can only be gleaned from the microscopic cover pictures,
and I haven't a magnifier with me to try this here at work.
So it's a fairly populist, and likely re-issue, series. Could these
Iberians have been licensed from the Decca digital source?
I don't have the latter to compare, but in case anyone wants to try
the inexact science of track times:
6:04
4:11
9:01
7:23
9:49
5:06
7:27
7:02
7:05
I throw all this info into the pool. Anyone any theories/conclusions?
Don.
Steve Molino
news:dui5gv0edl6db7enn...@4ax.com...
> Indeed, one of the more monstrous opinions I have read.
> Listening to those etudes one has the impression of opening a box of
> chocolates only to find that all the chocolate is "milk chocolate" and
> they are all filled with creams. No nut centers to be found, i.e. no
> traces of anything but a bland, inoffensive, self-conciously "poetic"
> personality. You want to go the piano and shake the pianist to find
> out if they have any real emotions.
>
> Tried to listen to them again once and almost threw something at the
> CD machine in anger.
>
> Tom Deacon
>
I know this subject has been done to death but I have still never found a
completely satisfactory Op. 10 and am beginning to think there is no such
thing as I have heard most of them. For Op. 25 my favorite is Sokolov, who
I know probably invests too much weight in these works, but it works so well
for me. And he is the only pianist I have heard who really makes this sound
like a unified cycle. I know it wasn't necessarily designed that way, but
there is such a unity to his approach that one may be forgiven for believing
that it was. But nobody has done an Op. 10 that does this for me, that
makes me want to listen to the entire set each and every time.
I would be curious to hear Tom's and of course everyone else's opinions for
an Op. 10 that might fit the bill.
Steve Molino
news:3f02d63b...@news.cis.dfn.de...
I don't know the answer to this question. I have to believe it is some kind
of reissue for some special edition or something as she didn't really record
for Sony AFAIK. But in looking it up on a couple of French sources I came
upon this bizarre reissue of one of the Decca sets:
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000042DE.08.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Is Disney doing the artwork for Decca now?
deac...@yahoo.com
Petter) wrote:
Thanks, Don.
My conviction is that this is a license to Sony in Germany. Larrocha
was never a big seller there, and Decca, after the breakup with
Teldec, never a real force. So, this is probably a Decca recording. I
really do not think Larrocha was recording Iberia for Sony while under
exclusive contract with BMG.
I might also be suspicious of the DDD labelling. But I am a suspicious
type anyway, where that label and Germany are concerned. They seem to
prefer everything to be digital, in order for it to sell better.
Karajan Gold, you may remember, was all digital, although there was
very little gold in those digital performances.
Tom Deacon
deac...@yahoo.com
This may sound as though I am taking the fifth, but the problem with
the etudes is that there is NO ompletely satisfactory of the whole
set, neither Op. 25 or Op. 10.
They are really not a cycle, of course. Just individual etudes.
And we all know performances of individual ones which are very special
indeed. I only need to mention the name of Ignaz Friedman, for
example. Then Lhevinne. And then Horowitz. and Argerich (Op. 10 No.1)
There is no performance of either book of etudes at the level of
individual performances of separate etudes. So, I prefer to pick and
choose, I am afraid, Steve.
Tom Deacon
Don Petter
Perhaps all that series comes from their back cactalogue? (More likely
it's just meant to be an Evocacion of Iberia.)
I'll try to decipher some other work/performer combinations from the
Sony series tonight, so that we may collectively deduce likely
source(s) of material.
Don.
Alan Cooper
Don, what you have there is identical to the first disc of the two-CD
Decca digital issue (what we're now calling DeLarrocha IV), which was
recorded in 1986. Disc 2 of the original Decca contained the last
three movements of Iberia plus Navarra and what I believe may be her
only recording of all eight movements of the Suite espanola (can that
be right?).
AC
Alan Cooper
>
>My conviction is that this is a license to Sony in Germany. Larrocha
>was never a big seller there, and Decca, after the breakup with
>Teldec, never a real force. So, this is probably a Decca recording. I
>really do not think Larrocha was recording Iberia for Sony while under
>exclusive contract with BMG.
>I might also be suspicious of the DDD labelling.
Based on the timings, it is certainly derived from the Decca digital
rec. 1986. Do you know of anyone who has transferred her first
recording (the Hispavox mono) to CD?
AC
Don Petter
wrote:
>On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 13:25:08 GMT, don.petter*remove*@suk.sas.com (Don
Alan,
Sounds like you've hit the answer in one, then. Decca licensed to Sony
Germany. I only have the EMI (II) and GPOC (III?) versions, so have
not been able to do the simple comparison. Thanks.
So Sony is in the bleeding chunk market (in the sense of her
performace - as you have pointed out, there is nothing wrong musically
with these nine alone). I expect MT will derive some additional
pleasure from that.
Regarding the Suite Espanola, there are all eight movements of the
Suite 1 (Op.47) on the EMI double (II), though only Zaragoza from the
1889 Suite 2. That's what my reference to hand seems to show - I
don't have the set with me here.
Just had a thought, which again I can't check until later. Is the
other, missing, movement from Suite 2 (Sevilla) a repeat of the
Sevilla in Suite 1? If so, this might explain her omission.
Don.
Don Petter
wrote:
>
>Based on the timings, it is certainly derived from the Decca digital
>rec. 1986. Do you know of anyone who has transferred her first
>recording (the Hispavox mono) to CD?
>
To add the subject of mono Larrochas which *have* made it to CD, how
do the recordings on the MCA double set (or, rather, two singles in
the incarnation I have. MCAD2 9824A & MCAD2 9824B) fit into the canon
of her different periods? (Espla, Granados & Rodrigo)
I seem to recall they are referred to as originally Decca recordings
(as usual, they are not in front of me as I write), so they presumably
don't associate directly with the Hispavox?
Don.
deac...@yahoo.com
wrote:
>On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 10:27:28 -0400, deac...@yahoo.com wrote:
This version has been almost as elusive as the Querol, Alan.
It ONLY appeared on the Columbia label in the USA.
I have never run across an original Hispavox release, but there must
have been one, and only available in Spain in th 1950s. Once Hispavox
had rerecorded it for stereo this first, monaural, reading was thought
to be irrelevant.
To my knowledge it has not been reissued on CD. Since many
knowledgeable piano buffs on this forum were surprised to learn of its
existence, I think it is safe to say that it will probably remain as
elusive as ever. And now that Alicia has stopped concertizing.....
So, bad news. However, I have seen one or two copies come up for sale
from time to time. People generally think this is the same as the
stereo Epic version, I presume. But it is not.
Tom Deacon
deac...@yahoo.com
Those were put together by Ernest Fleischmann's son, in Los Angeles.
He is the one who told the press he could do what he wanted at MCA
because most of his colleagues were fools who knew nothing about
classical music. The next day he was relieved of his job, never to be
heard from again, I think.
He CLAIMED that the complete Goyescas could not be found at MCA. So it
is missing a few pieces. However, he could have used a good LP to fill
out the set if he had had any brains.
Those tapes are now in Hannover at the DG Archives, where they will
probably sit unloved and unused for decades. Something of a tragedy, I
think.
Tom Deacon
Alan Cooper
Petter) wrote:
>
>Regarding the Suite Espanola, there are all eight movements of the
>Suite 1 (Op.47) on the EMI double (II), though only Zaragoza from the
>1889 Suite 2. That's what my reference to hand seems to show - I
>don't have the set with me here.
Then your reference copy of the EMI is different from the one that I'm
looking at as I type (how many issues were there?). Mine includes
only a 5-movement Suite espanola that is lacking Asturias, Cuba, and
Castilla (which are included in the Decca digital). I recognize that
this work has a complicated textual history, and only assumed its
8-movement form after the composer's death (thanks to his publisher).
Since some of the movements were culled from other works, there may be
other DeL recordings of them elsewhere. Castilla, for example, which
is not on the EMI, is also the movement from Cantos de Espana called
Seguidillas. DeL recorded the Cantos at least twice, for Hispavox and
as filler on the LP issue of her 1973 Iberia (DeL III = Decca I).
I'm sorry that I don't know anythnig at all about the MCA issues that
you mention.
Best wishes, AC
Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net are forged)
following letters to be typed in news:3f02f432...@news.cis.dfn.de:
Looks to me more like an Evocation of Arizona.
> I'll try to decipher some other work/performer combinations from the
> Sony series tonight, so that we may collectively deduce likely
> source(s) of material.
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Mark Coy tossed off eBay? http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2B734C02
RMCR's most pointless, dumb and laughable chowderhead: Mark Coy.
PaulYarishRPT
>Roger Muraro (Accord 204522) recorded a no-holds-barred modernist
>version that makes the reationship between Albeniz and Messien's piano
>writing very evident. It's not the most "authentic" but it is my
>favourite.
>
I agree. I'm surprised it took 43 posts before someome mentioned Muraro's
recording. The sound quality is pretty bad for a modern digital recording, but
the playing is breathtaking. This, and the 1962 DeLarrocha are my two favorite
recordings.
However, from what I've heard from Hamelin in concert, his will be a recording
well worth hearing. He really has some wonderful ideas about the pieces I've
heard him play. However, I would think that's at least another year off, if not
more.
Paul
Don Petter
wrote:
>On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 15:32:34 GMT, don.petter*remove*@suk.sas.com (Don
Oops!
You've revealed an error in my personal index. The EMI (double) does
have only the five, now I look at the item itself. I will correct my
list accordingly.
Also, my reference to the Zaragoza is wrong - it is on the EMI single
CD. (This was brain, not index, failure.)
Sorry for adding needless confusion, and thanks for bringing the error
to light.
Don.
Don Petter
Thanks for this info, depressing though it is. Do you know the
recording date of the Hispavox mono? I see these Decca/MCA items have
dates in 1954/5/6, and I presume they came after?
Don.
deac...@yahoo.com
Petter) wrote:
I would place it somewhere in the middle 1950s if I had to guess. But
perhaps stereo sound did not arrive in Spain as early as in other
countries, so it may even be late 1950s. In any case, this is a young
Alicia de Larrocha.
Tom Deacon
Richard Bernas
I wan't as surprised that this "Iberia" wasn't mentioned because I
don't know if Muraro's work is at all known in North America. Accord
is not the best dsitributed of labels.
The recording quality is the problem. It's close-up and sounds as if
it was recorded in a small-ish studio. In addition, the piano
sometimes sounds as if it's buckling under Muraro's attack - there's
an uncomfortable clanginess to heavy chords in the lower-middle
register. A decent piano technician could have remedied that.
You're absolutely right, though, the playing is breathtaking.
And I agree with your other choice. Between them they give a pretty
comprehensive picture of the piece.
Where did you hear Hamelin?
Richard
PaulYarishRPT
>don't know if Muraro's work is at all known in North America. Accord
>is not the best dsitributed of labels.
That is true. In fact, I bought my copy in Europe, and it doesn't seem to be
available in the US anymore. Still, it's worth finding. I noticed Amazon.co.uk
still sells it.
>The recording quality is the problem. It's close-up and sounds as if
>it was recorded in a small-ish studio. In addition, the piano
>sometimes sounds as if it's buckling under Muraro's attack - there's
>an uncomfortable clanginess to heavy chords in the lower-middle
>register. A decent piano technician could have remedied that.
That describes it perfectly. Not only does the recording studio sound tiny, and
the microphones nearly in the piano, but the piano itself sounds barely able to
withstands Muraro's most robust playing. It's a real shame when a performance
of this caliber is let down but such an amateurish production.
>You're absolutely right, though, the playing is breathtaking.
>And I agree with your other choice. Between them they give a pretty
>comprehensive picture of the piece.
Yeah, for me personally, DeLarrocha's 1962 recording is the most satisfying the
three out of four of her recordings I know.
>Where did you hear Hamelin?
I heard him at the University of Maryland on April 11th. He only played Book
Three, but it was an enticing preview of coming attractions. I hear that these
days, he is performing Book One and Book Three together. I suppose it's only a
matter of time before he performs the entire set in one recital. That would be
worth hearing, and I would travel a considerable distance to hear it.
Paul
Dan Koren
Muraro's Iberia is/was available at Tower Records.
I saw it sitting happily in the bins.
dk
"Richard Bernas" <Richar...@aol.com> wrote in message
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