Spinning Today (Classical version)

[MartinT]

Albeniz - Suite Espanola, Fruhbeck de Burgos, New Philharmonia [180g Speakers Corner]

At last I have my hands on it. This is FdB's orchestration of Albeniz' piano/guitar music. The orchestration is superb, very exciting and uplifting, and the playing is magnificent. The Decca recording is something else, with absolutely immense dynamics. I have very few classical LPs which match this one for sheer between-the-eyes impact. Good as the XRCD is, this LP leaves it for dead. The Speakers Corner pressing is a good one with silent surfaces.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nc1BbUbSL.jpg

[jandl100]

This morning a new arrival off the 'Bay:

Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras 2,5,6,9: Paul Capolongo/Orchestre de Paris with Mady Mesple (HMV).


Nice stuff, Bob. I like a lot of Villa-Lobos' music. I guess my faves are the string quartets - I have the full set on half a dozen or so Marco Polo CDs. :mental:

Also well worth looking out for "Forest of the Amazon" - a 72 minute long choral cantata-like thing. The recording I have (Consonance 81-0012) has Rene Fleming as the soprano soloist! :eek:

____

Of late at Jerry Towers ...

David Post - string quartets on a Naxos CD. really nice, echt string quartet sound. So what if the composer isn't dead yet! :eyebrows:

Kamran Ince - 2nd symphony (Fall of Constantinople) - Naxos CD. Another composer who isn't dead. ;) Blimey - fasten your seat belts - this guy likes to let it rip! Definitely, solidly tonal - but very percussive BIG orchestral. Wow.

Beethoven string quartet Op. 59/2. The Orford Quartet on a Delos CD. My fave of the (many) I have heard. I have the whole Delos set of the great man's quartets, it is uniformly wonderful, and the sound quality (recorded 1986-1994) is superb and captures the hall acoustic very convincingly.

Bruch 2nd violin concerto. Perlman on a CrO2 analog cassette. What lovely music - I've no idea why Bruch's 1st concerto dominates the appreciation of his output. He wrote some damn fine symphonies, too!

[morris_minor]

Hmm. David Post and Kamran Ince. Totally new names to me :rolleyes:. Will have to find out more . .

[jandl100]

Yeah - I like to push the boundaries. :eyebrows:

[jandl100]

Recently ...

Wagner - Siegried Idyll, Parsifal Good Friday Music - Bruno Walter - CBS LP (with a fair bit of equalisation ;)). What wonderful interpretations! :thumbsup:

Karl Stamitz Viola concerto - Turnabout LP - Jorg Faerber and the Wurtemberger Chamber Orch. Baroque concerto .. well, verging on the classical, really. What a lovely slow mvt!

Today (so far) ...

Ronald Corp - Guernsey Postcards, Piano Concerto, 1st Symphony - Dutton CD. What fine music! See full review here (http://hifipig.com/ronald-corp-piano-concerto-1st-symphony-guernsey-postcards/)

[WOStantonCS100]

Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 6 in E Minor / The Lark Ascending (Hugh Bean, violin)
The New Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult, cond.

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz80/TCKA1ESa/Album01/IMG_9737.jpg

[morris_minor]

Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 6 in E Minor / The Lark Ascending (Hugh Bean, violin)
The New Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult, cond.



Nice one Biff. :) To my mind Hugh Bean's "Lark ..." has never been bettered. I bought this disc when it was first released, then traded it in for the box set of all the Boult/RVW Syms when it was available (in 1972 I think). Some prefer Boult's earlier Decca cycle, but having grown up with this one I remain loyal to it. The classic Kingsway Hall sound is a great bonus too (the odd Tube train not withstanding :lol:).

[baron]

L. van Beethoven - Symphony No.9

Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Berliner Philharmoniker

http://www.collegiummusicum.org/userfiles/SymphonyN9-Berlin-big.jpg

[jandl100]

Of late -

A very beautiful post-romantic violin concerto by Carlo Giorgio Garofalo. Italian 1886-1962 - a contemporary-ish of Respighi. On a Naxos CD. Half an hour long - it's gorgeous! I'm having a bit more trouble getting into his 40 minute Romantic Symphony which is also on the disc, but 'm sure I'll get there!

[MartinT]

Vivaldi - Gloria, Preston, AAM, Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, L'Oiseau Lyre [vinyl]

I'd forgotten I had this on vinyl (I have the CD too). One of my desert island discs. Part II (Et in terra pax) is to die for as is the recording.

http://991.com/NewGallery/Antonio-Vivaldi-Gloria-in-D-major-525798.jpg

[baron]

Shostakovich: Symphony no.5, d minor, op.47
Haitink / Concertgebouw Orchestra

http://soon.cocoplastic.com/image.axd?picture=2010%2f10%2f533.jpg

[jandl100]

Hmm. :hmm: A lot of folks seem to be enjoying Haitink's Shostakovich - I'll have to investigate that myself!

Last night - Mozart c-minor mass - Welser-Most conducting on an EMI CfP double CD (paired with the Requiem). Nice, and with the (imo) incomparable Felicity Lott in the solo soprano role - but perhaps pushed a little too hard by Welser-Most, I prefer a warmer and more laid-back approach, I think.

[Barry]

Lately it's been 20th century Americana (Gershwin, Ives, Adams and Bernstein) - including this one:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51UGKid-SDL._SS400_.jpg

Pierre Boulez conducting the Ensemble Intercontemporain, playing compositions by Frank Zappa (not to be confused with Francesco Zappa).

[jandl100]

Received yesterday, and played in the evening in one glorious monster sesh .... A nice Shostakovich LP eBay haul that will make Marco jealous. :eyebrows:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF7596.jpg

Rozhdestvensky conducting the 5th and 10th symphonies on original Melodiya LPs. :eek:

Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orch in the 1st ever Western recording of the 15th symphony.

A bit of a scratch in the first half of the 10th, but that is listen-throughable. The rest is NM. :)

Oh ... and they are superb perfomances in good sound. :D

[morris_minor]

Received yesterday, and played in the evening in one glorious monster sesh .... A nice Shostakovich LP eBay haul that will make Marco jealous. :eyebrows:

Not only Marco . . .:drool:

[MartinT]

Interesting, Jerry. I have the 3rd by Rozhdestvensky in the same series as yours and the 5th by Svetlanov. Both surfaces are a little noisy but the performances are fiery.

I think Rozhdestvensky is often overlooked as a superb Russian conductor.

[jandl100]

Yup, Rozhdestvensky is a very fine conductor.

His Bruckner series with Russian orchestras is one of the joys of my collection. I have 00, 0, 1, 3, 5 & 8 - I'm not aware that he's recorded any others. Ah, that fruity Russian brass sound is marvellously strange in Bruckner! :drool:

[Marco]

Received yesterday, and played in the evening in one glorious monster sesh .... A nice Shostakovich LP eBay haul that will make Marco jealous. :eyebrows:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF7596.jpg



Awesome, Jerry! :respect:

I must start building up my own collection of Shossy. Remember, if you purloin any from charity shops, their asses are mine! ;)


Marco.

[jandl100]

I must start building up my own collection of Shossy. Remember, if you purloin any from charity shops, their asses are mine! ;)


Yup, OK, Marco. :)

Except ... unless I've got 'em already in as good or better condition, their asses may well be mine! :lol:

[Marco]

Hahaha - yes, of course :)

Marco.

[jandl100]

Some recent classical choons ...

Honegger symphonies 1 2 & 3. Serge Baudo and the Czech Phil Supraphon CD. Lively and engaging, just a tad 'challenging'. Nice recording too, clear, incisive and nicely dynamic, dating from the 1960s. A rather more upfront take on the 2nd and 3rd compared to Karajan's famous recording.

Leonard Salzedo string quartets 2 & 7 and sonata for violin & viola. A Brit, despite the name! - 1921-2000. Invigorating music, but tonal, this'll brush the cobwebs out! Very nicely recorded on a Dutton CD.

[morris_minor]

I believe that Salzedo composed the little brass "chorale" that introduced Open University programmes back when bearded men with tank-top sweaters presided over "state of the art" graphics explaining set theory and such-like . .

Today's trivia was brought to you by . . . :lol:

[jandl100]

Ha ha! - fascinating stuff - I didn't know that! :)

[jandl100]

... and ...

Violin Concerto & Op. 3 Symphony by Iver Holter on a Norwegian Cultural Council CD. Norwegian chappy. Played this CD quite a few times over the last few days - the violin concerto in particular is excellent - big, late romantic type of thing. There's so much non-famous good stuff to be found.

Schubert string quintet D.956. Melos quartett & Slava Rostropovich on a DG CD. Wow, what a yummy performance. Fine recording, too.

Classical accordion played by Ksenija Sidorova on a Champs Hill CD.
Cor, check this chick out! :drool:
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/Accordionist-1.jpghttp://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/accordionist2.jpg
A fine musician, too. Classical accordion? Yeah, nowt wrong with that. It sounds like a small organ (no sniggers at the back) for the most part. Music includes modern stuff by Nordheim, Berio, Schnittke, Takahashi and Piazzolla. And old stuff by Bach, Scarlatti and Mozart. All mixed up. It works well.

[WOStantonCS100]

Classical accordion played by Ksenija Sidorova on a Champs Hill CD.
Cor, check this chick out! :drool:
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/Accordionist-1.jpghttp://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/accordionist2.jpg
A fine musician, too. Classical accordion? Yeah, nowt wrong with that. It sounds like a small organ (no sniggers at the back) for the most part. Music includes modern stuff by Nordheim, Berio, Schnittke, Takahashi and Piazzolla. And old stuff by Bach, Scarlatti and Mozart. All mixed up. It works well.

I've grown fond of Piazzolla's music over the years.

[jandl100]

I've not really tried him before, but the Piazzolla track is my fave on the album.

I've just ordered a CD dedicated to his music. :)

[jimdgoulding]

BIS are consistently good, aren't they?

That they are, I can attest to that. I find this true of Scandanavian labels Opus 3 and Proprius, also. Oh, and Odin for some very esoteric jazz.

http://www.hifizine.com/2010/06/scandinavian-labels-and-recordings/

[morris_minor]

This morning:

http://www.classicrecords.co.uk/photos/SRCS58.JPG#

Bax - Symphony No.5 (LPO/Raymond Leppard) - Lyrita SRCS58

One of the first Lyrita LPs I bought, and one of the finest I think. Leppard was an unusual choice at the time, being more of a Classical Period specialist. Comparing this now with Bax specialists like Handley, the Lyrita disc shows the performance to be both strong and idiomatic (my favourite word, shamelessly nicked, in this context, from Edward Greenfield :lol:). The recording is Lyrita's usual fare - warm, spacious, and totally un-showy, i.e. very good; an object lesson in how orchestral recordings should sound.

[morris_minor]

This morning:

Walton - Belshazzar's Feast/Partita: Walton/Philharmonia (Columbia)

A sizzling Walter Legge produced recording (notwithstanding the fact that Donald Bell is recorded out of phase - something corrected for CD issues). Walton was always an excellent conductor of his own music.

http://www.classicalvinyl.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/a/sax2319.jpg

[morris_minor]

Latest spin, from the nether regions of my collection which hasn't seen the light of day for decades . .

http://www.justclassical.org/db/dbpictures/080510/52-54-org0.jpeg

The Divertimento and Oboe Concerto will certainly repay repeat hearings - the latter being a 78rpm transfer from 1949 and sounding remarkably fresh and full-bodied.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Just arrived on 2 perfect condition, virtually unplayed factory r:r tapes:


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mNCTk2IXL._SS400_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51epVqY%2BUPL._SS400_.jpg

[MartinT]

Did you ever receive the Albeniz, Chris? If so, what do you think of it?

[jimdgoulding]

Morris Minor, hi. Just want to let you know that I owned and drove an MM coupe all over Northern California in the late 70's. Of the cars I have owned, to include a classic '57 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and until this day, it is my favorite. It was so easy to work on even I could do it. I also owned an MM wagon with wood trim for a short time. Cheers.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Did you ever receive the Albeniz, Chris? If so, what do you think of it?

Yes indeed I did Martin (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showpost.php?p=281377&postcount=294). It's excellent & I'm grateful for you alerting me to it, thanks.
I've been playing it a lot since it arrived.

[MartinT]

It's excellent & I'm grateful for you alerting me to it, thanks.

Glad about that. It's always good when both the music and recording are top notch :)

[jandl100]

Of late ....

Walton 1st symphony. Bryden Thomson and the LPO on a Chandos CD. Very very fine performance - not as exciting as Previn on RCA, but then who is? - and a blazingly full sound quality, but never unnaturally harsh or strident. Chandos at its best. :)

Bruckner 5th Symphony. Rozhdestvensky conducts the 'State Symphony Orchestra of the Ministry of Culture' on a Russian Revelation CD. Weird recording ... it starts in mono for the first few minutes then switches to stereo. Sound quality veers between slightly to very harsh in the loud bits and beautifully tonally full in the quieter bits.
Interpretation is inspired in places then reverts to the humdrum and slack for a while.
A bit of a mixed bag this one, but I wouldn't part with it!

[morris_minor]

Of late ....

Walton 1st symphony. Bryden Thomson and the LPO on a Chandos CD. Very very fine performance - not as exciting as Previn on RCA, but then who is? - and a blazingly full sound quality, but never unnaturally harsh or strident. Chandos at its best. :)


Oh dear. You started me off with this one Jerry! Just played the Thompson, and it's a very good performance & recording. As you say, not quite up to the 1966 Previn: he managed a feat no-one else has quite mastered of keeping the first movement impetus going while observing all the rall. and accel. markings. His performance has a bounce, almost a swagger in parts, that everyone else misses. The Chandos sound, I find, does obscure some detail in the wash, but is infinitely preferable to clinical, spot-lit recordings. I did have an off-air recording on cassette years ago with Thompson and a BBC orchestra which WAS, just about, on a par with Previn, though.

As I said this started me off - on a Walton 1 recording hunt. Owen Arwel Hughes on BIS with the Lille Orchestra gets a strangely underwhelming recording (unusual for BIS), but it does match the performance. Handley on EMI gets a very spacious and clear sound, more detail than Chandos, but not quite as "listenable-to" as a sound.

I'm now on Haitink's Mahlerian-epic EMI recording. This has to be one of the best orchestral recordings I have. Spacious, warm, clear and with a terrific impact when needed. Now, if only you could transpose Previn's performance into this recording . . . :lol:

I've a few to go - Boughton with the New Haven Symphony, Fremaux and the Philharmonia, Ashkenazy/RPO, and the list goes on. Good job I'm not obsessive about this, or anything . . :mental:

(It's also a good job I work from home a lot and this morning had a mind-numbing task to do - modifying website image metadata - that I've been postponing for a long time . . :rolleyes: )

[jandl100]

Yeah - Walton 1 - I listened to Handley / Royal Liverpool Phil on ASV CD the other day. It's "OK" and so is the recording. Nothing very special though - it's now on eBay for sale!

Fremaux is excellent - well worth digging out, but once again not quite as involving as Previn / LSO ... much better recording, though.

[morris_minor]

Yes, the Handley/RLPO was an under-rehearsed Enigma disc (originally). Handley's remake with the Bournemouth Symphony on EMI was in a different league.

William Boughton and the New Haven Symphony (http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Nimbus/NI6119) make a good job of it. I believe Yale now houses the Walton archive and we can expect more Walton recordings from New Haven.

[Marco]

Jerry, when's your next charity haul gonna be? I'm wanting to add more (quality music) to my collection of classical music, and it's been ages since your last one....

I've got a nice big space ready for all that Shossy you're gunna be sending me! :D

Marco.

[jandl100]

Jerry, when's your next charity haul gonna be? I'm wanting to add more (quality music) to my collection of classical music, and it's been ages since your last one....

I've got a nice big space ready for all that Shossy you're gunna be sending me! :D

Marco.

Hmm. I'm waiting for the next decent donation to 'my' charity shop, Marco. You never know when a box full of wonderous goodies will turn up! :)

Back to Walton1 - overcome by Bob's totally non-obsessive (honest! - no really, you're quite sensible about it, nothing obsessive whatsoever :nono:) enthusiasm with the piece I've just ordered Ashkenazy (should be great Decca sq!), Colin Davis on LSO Live, and Walton himself on a (presumably) old EMI recording.

Go on, Bob - tell me they're all crap! :lol:

[morris_minor]

Go on, Bob - tell me they're all crap! :lol:

Yup! :lol:

[morris_minor]

Back to Walton1 - overcome by Bob's totally non-obsessive (honest! - no really, you're quite sensible about it, nothing obsessive whatsoever :nono:) enthusiasm with the piece I've just ordered Ashkenazy (should be great Decca sq!), Colin Davis on LSO Live, and Walton himself on a (presumably) old EMI recording.

Actually, you'll have fun with these! Yes, great SQ from Decca, and also the LSO live disc. Walton's Philharmonia recording is quite a revelation, if you assume he knew how he wanted it to go, and had the conducting technique to "make it so". :eyebrows: In the 1st movt listen to how he handles the rall. from about 4'30" leading up to a group of 7 notes (a kind of a crotchet triplet, but with 7 notes not 3). Also the rall. from about 9'50". Then compare the others - almost without exception (that being Previn in 1966) - they slam on the handbrake and erect flashing neon arrows pointing to what they're doing. Walton brushes them aside and just gets on with it. There are other places to note as well but I won't bore you . .:rolleyes: (try from 12'00' onwards) . .

Martyn Brabbins Hyperion issue with the BBC Scottish Orch is another good performance with an excellent recording. (His 4'30" is handled well, a bit like Previn's, as is his 9'50")

Of course it's not ALL about the 1st mvt. but for me that is the heart of the piece - one of the greatest symphonic movements ever written. Some folk are too reticent in the scherzo - playful rather than malicious, and their slow mvts don't have enough melancholy. One that does, though, is Haitink's very, very slow performance. He keeps this together marvellously, and it sounds superb in the EMI recording.

The finale is far less problematical for everyone. It's Portsmouth Point meets Crown Imperial with a couple of fugue's and a last post. :lol:

If you ever get sucked into this piece like I have, Hamilton Harty's Halle recording - the first recording of the piece - is worth a listen, if only for the sound of terror coming out of the orchestra :eek: Actually they cope pretty well, but you sense it's a knife edge they're walking on.

As I've been writing this the Brabbins has been on, and I have to say, it's the closest to the early Previn IMO, and in sumptuous sound . . .

I think I need a lie down now.

:comatose:

[jandl100]

Great stuff, Bob. :)

Yes, I'm obsessed by Walton 1 as well.

There's something about it that leads you to think there is always MORE to be had! :scratch:

Yup, for me Walton is pretty much a one-hit-wonder. Nothing else of his I've heard comes even vaguely close to the astonishing impact of his 1st symphony. :drool:

Brabbins, eh? Hmm ... I'll look into that!

I've an Andrew Litton recording I've not listened to in yonks ... I'll play that now!

[morris_minor]

Morris Minor, hi. Just want to let you know that I owned and drove an MM coupe all over Northern California in the late 70's. Of the cars I have owned, to include a classic '57 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and until this day, it is my favorite. It was so easy to work on even I could do it. I also owned an MM wagon with wood trim for a short time. Cheers.

Hi Jim,

Just noticed your post! Wow - never really though the Moggie would travel so well. The wood trim on the "Traveller" wasn't trim, it was a structural part of the body! (A bit like Morgan sports cars today . . ).

I use it as my moniker because a Morris 1000 was the first car my Dad owned back in the 1960s. I remember going on many family holidays in it, including some very remote places in the Scottish highlands with hills so steep we had to get out and push . . :). It seems like another life . . .

Cheers,
Bob

[morris_minor]

Great stuff, Bob. :)

Yes, I'm obsessed by Walton 1 as well.

There's something about it that leads you to think there is always MORE to be had! :scratch:

Yup, for me Walton is pretty much a one-hit-wonder. Nothing else of his I've heard comes even vaguely close to the astonishing impact of his 1st symphony. :drool:

Brabbins, eh? Hmm ... I'll look into that!

I've an Andrew Litton recording I've not listened to in yonks ... I'll play that now!

I think you're right about saying nothing else Walton wrote had the same impact. But a good performance of Belshazzar is exciting - especially if you're in it, as I've been a couple of times. And Facade, in it's original form, is unique. He had a facility for producing nice choons when the occasion demanded - the Coronation marches, the Partita, Jo'berg Festival Ov, the film music for Larry Olivier etc, and the smaller scale choral stuff - Jubilate, carols etc. (Can you tell that it's not just the 1st Symphony that's got to me? Looking on the server, there's 7 Symphony 2s and 6 Belshazzars for instance . .:mental:) . . .

[jimdgoulding]

Don't know if you blokes are famaliar with American composer Howard Hanson. I recently acquired his Sym no. 2 and Lament or Beowolf on a Mercury Golden Imports lp and it's moving, big time, particularly (for me) the Beowolf. Fine recording of orchestra and large chorus. I think I found it on Amazon, but can't be sure. Howard Hanson conducting. Very fetching it is.

[morris_minor]

Don't know if you blokes are famaliar with American composer Howard Hanson. I recently acquired his Sym no. 2 and Lament or Beowolf on a Mercury Golden Imports lp and it's moving, big time, particularly (for me) the Beowolf. Fine recording of orchestra and large chorus. I think I found it on Amazon, but can't be sure. Howard Hanson conducting. Very fetching it is.

I have Hanson's 4th Symphony from a Mercury LP playing now . . Hanson conducting the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra. Also have a few pieces by Roy Harris including three versions of the 3rd Symphony - two Bernstein's (CBS and DG) and one with Hanson conducting . . .

[ursus262]

I am listening to Hummel's Mass in D. I'm singing this next weekend.... Divine!

[jimdgoulding]

I have Hanson's 4th Symphony from a Mercury LP playing now . . Hanson conducting the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra. Also have a few pieces by Roy Harris including three versions of the 3rd Symphony - two Bernstein's (CBS and DG) and one with Hanson conducting . . .
Too cool for school!

[Marco]

César-Auguste Franck - Symphonic Variations: Piano - Hanae Nakajima, with The Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Raio Tschupp. On mint vinyl, in stereo, from 1965.

Marco.

[Marco]

Now... Brahms - Violin Concerto in D major, opus 77, with The Innsbruck Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Wagner, and with Susanne Lautenbacher, on violin. On mint vinyl, in stereo, from 1965.

Next... Bruckner - Seventh Symphony (in E Major), conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Mint vinyl, on EMI 'His Master's Voice', from 1968.

Marco.

[morris_minor]

I've had an afternoon of Steve Reich washing over me. Shifting sands in the sun . . If I'm in the right mood I love this stuff . .

On now:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514g0abIrSL._SS500_.jpg

[jandl100]

Now... Brahms - Violin Concerto in D major, opus 77, with The Innsbruck Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Wagner, and with Susanne Lautenbacher, on violin. On mint vinyl, in stereo, from 1965.

Ah, one of my fave violinists! :thumbsup:

Of late, chez-J ...

DeFalla - a delightful Naxos CD of his 13 minute Harpsichord Concerto (which tbh I could live without - it reminds me of Poulenc!) and also another 42 minutes of utterly delightful chamber music for varied instruments. Well worth getting hold of! Naxos 8.554366

Another not-too-challenging type of CD from Naxos. But it's not background music fodder, either! Orchestral music by Jack Gallagher (an American b. 1947). Instantly likeable but not trivial, Naxos 8.559652, this is echt tonal orchestral music, very nicely put together. I've listened to this several times now, and it doesn't pall, quite the contrary.

And last but not least, a real grower. It just gets better the more I listen to it ... Artur Lemba's Symphony in c sharp minor. On the Chandos label, the CD is titled "Music from Estonia Vol. 2" - 40 minutes long and a real find! Other music on the CD by Tobias, Eller, Tormis and Arvo Part's Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten is also excellent.

[Tim]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Fn9RMlAIL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I am finally getting round to ripping my classical collection to FLAC :o
It's been ages since I played any classical and I'm starting to miss it.

Where does all the time go I ask myself?

[Marco]

Popped into Oxfam in Liverpool today, and purloined the following, all on minty vinyl:

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No1 "Winter Reveries", with The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Antal Dorati, on Philips, from 1965.

Schumann - Symphonies No1 and No4, with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Paul Kletzki, on Columbia, from 1962.

Sir William Walton - Belshazzar's Feast and Partika for Orchestra, with The Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus. Donald Bell (baritone), conducted by Sir William Walton, on Columbia, from 1959.

Peter Tschaikowsky - Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester Nr.2 G-dur op.44, with The Berliner Philharmoniker, Shura Cherkassky, Klavier and Richard Kraus, on Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaff, from 1963.

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No7 ed. Bogatyrev. Leo Ginzburg/USSR Symphony Orchestra. Piano Concerto No3. Igor Zhukov/Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra/Gennady Rozhdestvensky, on HMV Melodiya, from 1962.

Schubert - Piano Sonata in B flat Major, D960. Piano Sonata in C Major, D279. Wilhelm Kempff, piano, on Deutsche Grammophon Privilege, from 1967.

Joseph Haydn - The London Symphonies I. Symphony No93. Symphony No94 "Surprise", with The Philharmonia Hungarica, conducted by Antal Dorati, on Decca Ace of Diamonds, from 1974.

Charles-Valentin Alkan - Concerto for Solo Piano, with Ronald Smith, pianoforte, on EMI His Master's Voice, from 1970.

Prokofiev - Two Concerts for Violin, with The Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra and Pierre Amoyal, violin, conducted by Alain Lombard, on RCA Erato, from 1974.

Elgar - Jacqueline du Pre-Daniel Barenboim. Cello Concerto Op.85, with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Enigma Variations, with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, on CBS, from 1976.

Herold-Lanchbery - La Fille Mal Gardee. The Royal Ballet Production, with The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by John Lanchbery, on Decca ffrr, from 1962.

Mendelssohn - Incidental Music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream", with The Philharmonia Orchestra, soloists and BBC Chorus, conducted by Paul Kletzki, on Columbia, from 1960.

Not a bad haul for £15! :cool:

Marco.

[keiths]

Nice haul Marco :)

I've just today been given (as in gratis, free etc.) these:

http://www.simister.com/public/flp1.jpg

http://www.simister.com/public/flp2.jpg

http://www.simister.com/public/flp3.jpg

Condition-wise, they all look acceptible - no major scratches (some look near-mint). I didn't like to examine them closely as I was given them - I thought that would appear rude.

Now to clean them and take a listen...

[jandl100]

Ooo :drool: I'd like to hear the Tchaik Piano Trio with du Pre, Barenboim & Zukerman, Keith!
I didn't know that recording even existed!

Are you familiar with the piece? How does it compare to other recordings?


Popped into Oxfam in Liverpool today, and purloined the following, all on minty vinyl:

Schubert - Piano Sonata in B flat Major, D960. Piano Sonata in C Major, D279. Wilhelm Kempff, piano, on Deutsche Grammophon Privilege, from 1967.


Hey Marco - I know this isn't your usual musical fare, you being a Big Music kind of guy, but give this a fair chance and a few plays to start to familiarise yourself with it. IMHO the D.960 sonata is one of the truly great pieces of classical music! :thumbsup:

[keiths]

Ooo :drool: I'd like to hear the Tchaik Piano Trio with du Pre, Barenboim & Zukerman, Keith!
I didn't know that recording even existed!

Are you familiar with the piece? How does it compare to other recordings?


Thanks Jerry - The Tchaikovsky Piano Trio is the one I'm most looking forward to hearing. I've no other version of this - still a bit of a newbie at this classical lark and haven't got to the point where I've multiple versions of too many works (Elgar 'Cello Concerto being the notable exception) - but I usually enjoy all three musicians playing on this.

It will be Monday at the earliest before I get a chance to listen to any of these. I live with my dad who suffers from dementia and he can't tolerate Classical music for some reason - so I need to wait until he is next at day care before I can enjoy these.

WCOpDLM5Ko8

[MartinT]

Tchaikovsky - [I]Symphony No7 ed. Bogatyrev

I don't remember there being a 7th Symphony - is this incomplete?

[Marco]

Hi Martin,

It's definitely the seventh... Album description is exactly as was listed earlier :)


Hey Marco - I know this isn't your usual musical fare, you being a Big Music kind of guy, but give this a fair chance and a few plays to start to familiarise yourself with it. IMHO the D.960 sonata is one of the truly great pieces of classical music!


I've been away for Easter, so haven't had a chance to listen to it. When I do (soon), I'll let you know. When I was up in Scotland, over Easter, I bought a whole load of classical music on vinyl, so I'll be listing it all here later! :cool:

Marco.

[keiths]

I don't remember there being a 7th Symphony - is this incomplete?

http://www.tchaikovsky-research.org/en/forum/forum0227.html

[MartinT]

My BBC Music Guide to Tchaikovsky makes no mention of a 7th symphony - the 6th is stated as his last. It doesn't seem to be the Manfred Symphony either. A further trawl of the web yields this from Wikipedia:


For the LP sleeve-note of the HMV/Melodya recording of Tchaikovsky's so-called "7th Symphony", which used all the material from the Piano Concerto No. 3 but with the solo part allocated to orchestral instruments, and on which the USSR Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Leo Ginzburg, John Warrack wrote that the Russian musicologist and composer Semyon Bogatyrev (1890–1960) "worked on the sketches contained in the composer's notebooks at the House-Museum at Klin, and out of these constructed a four-movement symphony on what seems to have been Tchaikovsky's original plan."

So what you have there, Marco, appears to be a potentially unique recording of not so much a completion as an adaptation.

[Marco]

Interesting... Presumably the copy that I have is fairly uncommon?

Marco.

[MartinT]

I've never seen it listed, so it could be quite rare :)

[Marco]

Okies, I picked this lot up in Glasgow, in either very good or mint condition:

Debussy - Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien. Florence Kopleff, Catherine Akes, Phyllis Curtin, New England Conservatory Chorus and Lorna Cooke de Varon, with The Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Munch, on RCA Victrola, from 1968.

Wagner - The World of Wagner, with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Soloists, conducted by Sir Georg Solti, from 1973, on Decca.

Brahms - Concerto No2 in B Flat Major, for Piano, Op.83, with Vladmir Horowitz (pianist) and The NBC Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by Arturo Toscanini. On RCA Victrola, from 1972.

Max Bruch - Concerto No1, with The New Symphony of London, conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Glazounov - Concerto in A Minor, with The RCA Orchestra, conducted by Walter Hendl, on RCA Red Seal, from 1972. HEIFETZ.

Schubert - Wanderer-Fantasie. Klaviersonate A-Moli D.845 Piano Sonata in A Minor. Maurizio Pollini, Piano, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1974.

Shostakovich - Symphony No1 in F, Festive Overture, with The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karel Ancerl, on Supraphon, from 1964.

Sibelius - Symphony No3 in C Major, Op.52. Symphony No7 in C Major, OP.105, with The Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by Alexander Gibson, on SAGA, from 1965.

Dvorak - Symphony No4, with The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, conducted by George Szell, on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1959.

Mozart - Die Zauberflote Highlights, with The Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Otto Klemperer, on EMI His Master's Voice, from 1966.

Mozart & Weber - Various Overtures, with The Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, conducted by Rafael Kubelik, on Deutsche Grammophon Privilege Series, from 1964.

Bach - The Brandenburg Concertos: Nos 1,2 and 3, with The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Szymon Goldberg, on Phillips, from 1962.

Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E Minor, with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Eduard Van Beinum. Bruch - Violin Concerto No1 Campoli in G Minor, with The New Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Royalton Kisch. On Decca Eclipse, from 1969.

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No3, with Daniel Barenboim and The New Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Otto Klemperer, on EMI His Master's Voice, from 1969.

Beethoven - Septet for Strings and Wind in E Flat, opus 20, by Members of The Fine Arts Quartet and The New York Woodwind Quintet, on SAGA, from 1962.

Bach - Brandenburg Concert, with The Wurttremberg Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jorg Faerber, on Turnabout Records, from 1966.

Hadyn - Quartets, Op 55 (complete), with The Allegri Quartet, on EMI His Master's Voice, from 1964.

Shostakovich - Symphonie No10, with The Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Herbert Von Karajan, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1962.

Mascagni - Teatro alla Scala, Cavalleria Rusticana. Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci. Excerpts From The Complete Recordings, with Maria Callas, Ebe Ticozzi, Giuseppe di Stefano and Nicola Monti, conducted by Tullio Serafin, on Columbia Microgroove, from 1958.

Vivaldi - 4 Concerti, with Gli Accademici di Milano. Alberto Caroldi (oboe) and Virginio Bianchi (Bassoon), on Turnabout Records, from 1966.

Albinoni - Adagio in G minor for Organ and Strings, with Douglas Haas (organ) and The Wuttemberg Chamber Orchestra, Heilbronn, conducted by Jorg Faerber. Mozart - Sonata No4 in D for Organ and Strings. Helmuth Rilling (organ), with string ensemble. Corrette - Concerto in D Minor for Organ, Flute and Strings. Helmuth Rilling (organ), with The Wuttemberg Orchestra, Heilbronn, conducted by Jorg Faerber. Handel - Organ Concerto No13 in F "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale". Helmuth Rilling (organ), with The Wuttemberg Orchestra, conducted by Jorg Faerber, on Turnabout Records, from 1967.

Debussy - La Mer. Moussorgsky - Ravel Pictures from an Exhibition, with The Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, on RCA Victrola, from 1970.

Ponchielli - Dance of the Hours Nicolai - Overture "The Merry Wives of Windsor" Sibelius - Finlandia Mendelssohn - Overture "The Hebrides" Saint-Saens - Danse Macabre Saint-Saens - Bacchanale from "Samson & Delilah", with The Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by George Weldon, on Columbia, from 1958.

Delius - Florida Suite. Dance Rhapsody No2 Over the Hills and Far Away, with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, on EMI His Master's Voice, from 1959.

Bartok - Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, with Edith Farnadi 9piano), Andre Gertler (violin), and J and O Schwartz (percussion), on EMI His Master's Voice, from 1964.

Elgar - Violin Concerto, with The London Philharmonic Orchestra and Nigel Kennedy (violin), conducted by Vernon Handley, on EMI Eminence, from 1984.

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No3 in C Minor 'Les Adieux' Sonata, with The New Philharmonia Orchestra and Bruno-Leonardo Gelber (piano), conducted by Ferdinand Leitner, on EMI His Master's Voice, from 1967.

Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No2 in F, with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and John Ogdon (piano), conducted by Lawrence Foster Bartok - Piano Concerto No3 in E, with The New Philharmonia Orchestra and John Ogdon (piano), conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent, on EMI His Master's Voice, from 1971.

Brahms - Double Concerto in A Minor "Tragic Overture", with The Philharmonia Orchestra and David Oistraka (violin), Pierre Fournier (cello), conducted by Alceo Galliera, on Columbia, from 1958.

Mozart - Piano Concertos: No20 in D Minor. No23 in A Major. with The English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, on EMI His Master's Voice, from 1967.

Poulenc - Concerto for Organ, Strings & Timpani in G Minor. Concert Champetre for Harpsichord & Orchestra, with The French National Radio Orchestra and Marie-Claire Alain, Robert Veyron-La Croix, on RCA Erato, from 1971.

Franck - Sonata for Violin & Piano in A Major Brahms - Trio for Violin, Horn & Piano in E Flat Major. Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano). Itzhak Perlman (violin). Barry Tuckwell (horn), on Decca, from 1969.

Various - Russian Festival, with L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Ernest Ansermet, on Decca Ace of Diamonds, from 1971.

Rossini - Respighi La Boutique Fantasque, with The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ernest Ansermet. on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1968.

Rossini - Great Overtures, with The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Pierino Gamba, on Decca Eclipse, from 1969.

Weber - Overtures, with L'Orchestre de la Suisse Normande, conducted by Ernest Ansermet, on Decca Eclipse, from 1972.

William Walton - Cello Concerto Ernest Bloch - Schelomo, with Gregor Piatigorsky (cello), conducted by Charles Munch, on RCA Victor, from 1966.

Prokofiev - Symphonies Nos.1&7, with The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Walter Weller, on Decca, from 1975.

Handel - Choruses from Messiah, with The Philharmonia Chorus and Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Otto Klemperer. On EMI His Master's Voice, from 1965.

Rossini - Respighi - La Boutique Fantasque. Dukas: L'Apprenti Sorcier, with The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Georg Solti, on Decca, from 1958.

Haydn - Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major. Horn Concerto in No2 in D Major. Oboe Concerto in C Major, with The Pro Musica Orchestra, Stuttgart, conducted by Rolf Reinhardt. On Turnabout Records, from 1966.

Beethoven - String Quartets Opus 18. No1 in F. No2 in G, with The Budapest String Quartet. Joseph Roisman and Alexander Schneider, violins. Boris Kroyt (viola) and Mischa Schneider (cello). On CBS, from 1971.

Wagner - Tristan und Isolde Love Duet, with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, with Birgit Nilsson and Fritz Uhl, conducted by Georg Solti, on Decca, from 1959.

Mozart - Clarinet Concerto in A Major K.622. Symphony No39 in E Flat Major K.543, with The Philharmonia Orchestra and Bernard Walton (clarinet), conducted by Herbert von Karajan, on Columbia, from 1958.

80% of these were bought for 50p!! :eyebrows:

Marco.

[MartinT]

Poulenc - Concerto for Organ, Strings & Timpani in G Minor. Concert Champetre for Harpsichord & Orchestra, with The French National Radio Orchestra and Marie-Claire Alain, Robert Veyron-La Croix, on RCA Erato, from 1971.

...

Rossini - Respighi La Boutique Fantasque, with The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ernest Ansermet, on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1968.

Yum :)

[Marco]

I'll look those out first then, for spinning, once they've all been cleaned on the VPI! :cool:

Considering that I got most of those records for 50p each, I think that I've probably landed a few bargains....

Marco.

[Marco]

No thoughts on my recent acquisitions then, Jerry? :)

Marco.

[jandl100]

Whoa, yeah, some treasures there, Marco!
... including several Shosty, too. You must be well pleased. :)

That Shosty 10 with Karajan from 1962 is pretty damn amazing - one of the best performances I've heard of the work. Good sound, too - at least on CD. I've not heard it on LP.

It took me years of occasional trying to even begin to suss out what the Elgar violin concerto was about. It just seemed a randomly meandering stream of sound to me, and to a certain extent it still does! But it is much loved by many folks, and I think at last I am starting to find out why! I'd be interested in how you get on with it.

Ah, and you have my fave Bartok work - his 3rd piano concerto - paired with the Shosty 2nd piano concerto (lovely work, too!).

Oh, and the Budapest string quartet playing early Beethoven. :drool:
... it's defo worth looking out for Beethoven string quartets with higher opus numbers, too. Very different works to the op 18 set - some (perhaps overly pretentious) folks consider the string quartets with opus numbers over 100 to be among the greatest art works of western civilisation.

Oh my gosh - and one of my fave LPs. The one with the Albinoni adagio. It also has a concerto by Corrette - that is just amazingly tunefully wonderful!

Lots of other great stuff, as well.

Treasure, indeed. A really nice haul. :thumbsup:

[Marco]

Cheers, dude. It's reassuring that I didn't end up with a load of old tat, as quite honestly, most of the time I haven't got a clue what the hell I'm buying! :lol:

Apart from snaffling up any Shossy, I simply choose the labels (for sound quality) my experience so far suggests are generally very good. Oh, and they must be mint vintage (non-digital) recordings, preferably from the late 50s to late 60s.

In that respect, my favouites are generally:

1) Columbia Microgroove, on green and dark blue-y purple labels with gold writing. Truly awesome stuff!

2) EMI 'His Master's Voice' (black label with red and silver writing).

3) RCA 'Red Seal'.

4) Decca ffrr (dark blue or black label).

5) Decca ffrr (orange label).

6) Decca 'Ace of Diamonds'.

7) Decca 'Eclipse' series.

8) Deutsche Grammophon 'Privilege' series.

:cool:

Marco.

[synsei]

Aha, todays BOGOF award goes to Marco... :D

[Marco]

Lol - now sorted... Bloody double posts! :eyebrows:

Marco.

[synsei]

It happens to the best of us... ;)

[vinylspinner]

Hi Marco,

Very nice haul

Check them out, at least 3 in there worth a bit from a collectors point of view, where is this shop in Glasgow?

Nigel

[vinylspinner]

Ah,

Martin has already spotted one of them. :)

Nigel

[MartinT]

Martin has already spotted one of them. :)

I'm betting it's the Rossini - Respighi :)

[Marco]

Hi Nigel,


Very nice haul

Check them out, at least 3 in there worth a bit from a collectors point of view, where is this shop in Glasgow?


Lol... In the west end, matey. PM me please with details of the three albums you're referring to - churz! :cool:

Marco.

[BTH K10A]

Found a new untapped source for records. I picked up these and a few others lunchtime today and was told by the shop manager that they have hundreds of classical records in their warehouse and nobody wants them. He's going to have a big batch sent over to the shop un Monday so it looks like I'm going to have some fun.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f120/emttsd15/IMG_1504-1.jpg

[vinylspinner]

Oh Andy,

You teaser you !!

Nigel

[morris_minor]

What do we have to bribe you with for the location of this emporium? :lol:

[BTH K10A]

What do we have to bribe you with for the location of this emporium? :lol:

Nothing short of this :D

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VERY-RARE-MICHELE-AUCLAIR-DF-209-210-SIX-BACH-SONATES-EX-COPY-/150792135473?pt=UK_Records&hash=item231be96331#ht_757wt_1398

[morris_minor]

Nothing short of this :D

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VERY-RARE-MICHELE-AUCLAIR-DF-209-210-SIX-BACH-SONATES-EX-COPY-/150792135473?pt=UK_Records&hash=item231be96331#ht_757wt_1398

Blimey! Your secret's safe then .. :lol:

[BTH K10A]

Blimey! Your secret's safe then .. :lol:

For a while yes. ;)

The few I picked up today are absolutely mint. The Shostakovitch 7th looks to be unplayed and the Haitink 5th is an early (1982) Decca digital recording that won the Gramophone record award for engineering and production excellence in 1983

[Marco]

Awesome stuff, Andy - enjoy! :respect:

Nigel, I'm still waiting for your PM!! ;)

Marco.

[MartinT]

Ginastera - Piano Concertos No. 1 and 2, De Marinis, Malaval, Slovak RSO, Naxos [cd]

These concertos are really superb with a sound world all of their own. For those who like Toccata by Emerson, Lake & Palmer and want to explore some more.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61ljd8yq%2BnL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

spotify:track:27BQUvloUNzabLgMZhqgRi

[morris_minor]

What a brilliant idea, Martin! A Spotify link :eyebrows:

Am listening now - and is definitely worth further investigation. I thought I heard a kind of distorted side slip into some Gershwin for an instant. But it's hard to characterise it - definitely "modern" but not so much that makes it inaccessible. The performance and recording seem especially strong too...

A good find! :)

[morris_minor]

Have downloaded the Ginastera Piano Concertos - jolly good listening!

However, am now playing:
Walton - 5 Bagatelles
Britten - Nocturnal after John Downland
Richard Rodney Bennett - Impromptus and Guitar Sonata
- Maximillian Mangold on Musicaphon

http://www.revalia.co.uk/guitar.jpg

[MartinT]

Walton - 5 Bagatelles

That reminds me: have you ever heard the Ligeti Bagatelles? Wonderful stuff!

spotify:album:10sFod6if6K2yDY2XiTlie

[morris_minor]

That reminds me: have you ever heard the Ligeti Bagatelles? Wonderful stuff!

spotify:album:10sFod6if6K2yDY2XiTlie

No . . . something else to check out. (Just started on the Ginastera . .:) )

Thanks for the pointers, Martin.

[morris_minor]

This afternoon:

Choral music by Arnold Bax - BBC Northern Singers (Hyperion LP)

I see Hyperion (http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_A66092&vw=dc) can do CD(R?) transfers of this on request.

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/jpegs/150dpi/e7f672fe873cea85/034571160924.png

[Marco]

Calling Jerry - where are you, dude? We're missing your daily updates on what you've been listening to, and you've been very quiet on the forum lately... Hope you haven't fallen out with us!

Marco.

[jandl100]

Hi Marco :)

No, not fallen out with AOS at all, just going thru one of my occasional periods where I can't be arsed with the forums, even AOS! I seem to be coming out of it now though.

Last night listened to a 59 minute (!) violin sonata by Joseph Marx on a Pavane CD. Cor, lovely post-romantic stuff. Lovely tunes, nicely put together, entrancing stuff. I also have a cpo CD of Marx' piano quartet music, also excellent.
I've just ordered a CD of his 2 piano concertos as well.

I do like exploring off the beaten path. :)

[Marco]

Nice one, Jerry. We always enjoy your contributions :)

Next up for me on CD is, Britten - Peter Grimes. Double CD on Decca. Sounds sublime! :eek:

Marco.

[MartinT]

I was in a serene mood today:

Vivaldi - Gloria, Preston, Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, AAM [cd]

http://www.freecodesource.com/album-cover/416%2BE5QUBTL._SL160_/David-Thomas-Vivaldi:-Gloria-in-D-major-Bach:-Magnificat-in-E-flat-major-(BVW-243a).jpg

Faure & Durufle Requiems, Shaw, Atlanta SO & Chorus [cd]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61BNws26uAL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Poulenc, Stabat Mater, Lagrange, Baudo, Orchestre National de Lyon [cd]

http://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/p/poulenc_05.jpg

Bach, Goldberg Variations, Perahia [sacd]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51W3SKHVDFL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[Barry]

Beethoven - Symphony No.9, Op. 125

Wilhelm Furtwängler cond. Wiener Philharmoniker with the Wiener Singakademie.

Not quite the painfully-slow reading you expect from Furtwängler, though the first and third movements are about a third longer than most other readings.

Not my favourite version: I'm still looking for the definitive one - until then my favourites are Abbado with the above Vienna Philharmonic and the version by John Eliot Gardiner with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.

[MartinT]

Mmm, I've got to say I think the Eugen Jochum of 1979 with the LSO&C on EMI is my favourite 9th.

[WOStantonCS100]

Dvorak Symphony No. 8
The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam
George Szell, cond.

Anyone know anything about these Turnabout/Vox pressings? For $1 I figured I would chance it.

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz80/TCKA1ESa/IMG_0231.jpg

[WOStantonCS100]

Prokofiev Scythian Suite / Suite from "The Love for Three Oranges" / Symphony No. 5
London Symphony Orchestra / Minneapolis Symphony
Antal Dorati, cond.

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz80/TCKA1ESa/IMG_0232.jpg

[jandl100]

Last night:

Beethoven: String quartets Op 59 1 & 2 - Classic CBS recordings from 1960 by the Budapest Qt.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/51DlGtBRASL__SL500_AA300_.jpg

Wonderful performances in somewhat forward but nicely vivid sound. :)

[jandl100]

Spinning at the moment ...
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/31rg-gnO7dL__SL500_AA300_.jpg

A speculative eBay purchase.
"Yorkshire Glory - a symphonic portrait" Composed by one Christopher Gunning and with Vernon Handley, no less, conducting the Royal Liverpool Phil.

Currently on its 5th or 6th play. Surprisingly good! Good sound quality, too. :thumbsup:

[WOStantonCS100]

...sounding quite nice (and quiet) with a .7 spherical...

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz80/TCKA1ESa/IMG_0254.jpg

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz80/TCKA1ESa/IMG_0252.jpg

[julesd68]

Listening to Tchaikovsky's Manfred - awesome stuff with Svetlanov at the helm ...

[julesd68]

Now moved onto Scriabin Piano Sonatas 3,4,5,8 & 9 on Decca & played by the peerless Vladimir Ashkenazy :youtheman:

[julesd68]

After hardly listening to any music for 6 months I am back with a vengeance!

Now spinning "Spem in Alium" - Thomas Tallis's profoundly beautiful motet for 40 voices. I would urge anyone who likes choral music to check out this recording, ZRG5436, the sound quality of which is staggering.

[julesd68]

After a quick detour with some vintage Iron Maiden :eyebrows:
back to the classical with a great DGG recording of Stravinsky's "Firebird". Wonderful memories from seeing the Mariinsky ballet perform this at the Royal Opera House - quite sublime, as was my favourite "Scheherazade".

[MartinT]

check out this recording, ZRG5436

Nice old Argo LP, that. You can't go wrong with the King's College Choir either. I have a lovely old Faure/Durufle recording by them on the Decca label, might have been an Argo originally.

[julesd68]

Sublime it is ...

I am still looking for a good copy of ZRG787 - Durufles Requiem - it can be very pricey!

Now moved onto "The Piano Music of Ravel vol 1" played by Pascal Roge.
A real contender to Argerich playing Ravel ...

[MartinT]

I am still looking for a good copy of ZRG787 - Durufles Requiem - it can be very pricey!

That's the one. It's a simply stunning performance and recording. I have it on CD but sadly not on vinyl.

[julesd68]

Let's hope we don't have a bidding war on ebay if one comes up :lol:

[MartinT]

I do have an alternative on vinyl (but sadly only the Faure): Ledger, ECO, Choir of Kings College Cambridge, EMI (1982).

Putting it on now.

[WOStantonCS100]

After a quick detour with some vintage Iron Maiden :eyebrows:

The Trooper? :D

[julesd68]

The Trooper? :D

Not far off! Just bought the "Somewhere in Time" lp ... :hairmetal:

[Marco]

Right now, on CD, The Best of Shotakovich (on Naxos) - what amazing performances and recording quality!! :eek:

Marco.

[Chops]

Mozart Die Zauberflote Solti Vienna Phil, Lorengar, Deutekom, Prey et al, recorded 1972. Just found an old copy. Lovely, pleasantly surprised at the recording quality.

http://www.deccaclassics.com/cat/single?PRODUCT_NR=4582132

Chris

[Chops]

Thought I'd buy some 'Folia' via download. Bit of trawling and ended up on the Hyperion site, which I've bought from before. Ended up with 4 albums:

Scarlatti http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDH55233
Corelli http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDH55240
Vivaldi http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDH55231
Various http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA67035

The Corell's got some really nice pieces in it. Nicely recorded. Maybe just a little too smooth/polite for my tastes - I like a little bit more 'energy'.

Just finished the Scarlatti. Lynne Dawson has a beautiful, clear voice and she really makes it for me. Lovely.

The rest will have to wait.

Chris

[MartinT]

I have this one by Panagua on Harmonia Mundi:

http://www.soundstagedirect.com/media/various_la_folia_de_la_spagna.jpg

It's fun, and a little mad.

[Chops]

I was also tempted by this http://www.alia-vox.com/cataleg.php?id=29. I like some of the things Jordi Savall et al have done, but ... No download.

Chris

[Chops]

I really really like I Musici's performance of Geminiani's La Folia.
WuiO15dQSw8.
Full of energy and passion - just how I think it should be. :)

Chris

[jandl100]

Of late ...

Bach Well Tempered Clavier BK 1 - Egarr on harpsichord, Harmonia Mundi CDs. Lovely sounding harpsichord recording - very present, but not jangly or harsh. Hmm :hmm: this might be my fave recording of WTC1 on harpsichord.

Dvorak 7th symphony. The 'dark' tempestuous one. Colin Davis, Concertgeboeuw on Philips CD. A surging powerful performance, and a nicely dark-hued recording that suits the music, if with rather overblown bass!

Schubert quartet for flute, guitar, viola and cello. Bit of a curiosity, this one. An early work, but still full of Schubertian beauty. On a Meridian CD CDE 84118. Lovely sq, too.

A recent late-romantic discovery - Scotsman James Friskin (1886-1967). He married famed composer and viola player Rebecca Clarke. The more challenging aspects of 20th century classical music seem to have entirely passed him by! Very rewarding and a good discovery for me, chamber music on a Nimbus Alliance CD released this year - NI 6182. I've played this a few times recently.

[MartinT]

Bach Well Tempered Clavier BK 1 - Egarr on harpsichord, Harmonia Mundi CDs. Lovely sounding harpsichord recording - very present, but not jangly or harsh. Hmm :hmm: this might be my fave recording of WTC1 on harpsichord.

Which brings about the question, Jerry: do you prefer harpsichord or piano for this work?

Oh, and how are you getting on without a PPP in your system?

[jandl100]

Harpsichord or piano.

It's not a choice or preference I recognise! - I love both. :)

Yep, Egarr on harpsichord for the WTC - Joao Carlos Martins or Glenn Gould on piano.

I wouldn't want to do without any of them.

[jandl100]

Spinning now -- Stockhausen - Mantra, on a Naxos CD. For piano duo and electronics.

Hmm. :scratch:

Actually, it's quite fun and interesting. :) ... not sure I'm up for the whole 67 minutes, though!

[MartinT]

Bruckner Symphony No. 9 - Rattle, BPO, EMI [cd]

http://www.emiclassicsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/5099995296920-MF1-300x300.jpg

I've finally had the chance to listen to this tonight, the first time I've heard the reconstructed 4th movement. It's a powerful performance, not as urgent as the Eugen Jochum, but still impressive and well recorded considering it's a live performance. At least as convincing as the reconstructed Mahler 10th and the potency of this symphony isn't diminished at all.

I'm looking forward to hearing it in September - with Haitink and the VPO, no less :)

[julesd68]

Hmm - would have enjoyed going to Bruckner 9 / Rattle but would have to sit through Beethoven which am not sure I could do - maybe I could just turn up after the interval :eyebrows:

[MartinT]

Do you mean the Brucker 9 / Haitink Prom, Jules? But - it's Beethoven! The 4th Piano Concerto too, which is wonderful. I guess each to their own.

[julesd68]

Just cannot abide Beethoven or Mozart! :D
They both leave me completely cold ...

[MartinT]

Just cannot abide Beethoven or Mozart! :D
They both leave me completely cold ...

I feel the same way about Mendelssohn.

[julesd68]

I feel the same way about Mendelssohn.

:exactly: we're agreed on that one - his violin concerto is supposedly the most popular of all :violin: :zzz:

[jandl100]

This evenings choons ....

William Grant Still (Black-American composer, died 1978) - Afro-American Symphony, Africa tone poem, In Memorium. Wonderful music, nicely recorded on a Naxos CD.

Georgy Dmitriev (b. 1942) - All Night Vigil. New Russian Music CD. Yup, very much like Rachmaninoff's choral masterpiece of the same name - i.e. fabulously beautiful. :)

[julesd68]

Testing out my new amp with Herman Krebbers tearing up Brahms's Violin Concerto with Haitink / Concertgebouw ... Superbly rich recording on Philips.

[MartinT]

Is this a Quad 606 or 909, Jules? How does it compare with the 405-II? For classical music, of course ;)

[jandl100]

Rather a special composer, this. Komitas. Very sad life - caught up in the genocide of the Armenians at the beginning of the 20thC. :(

I watched a DVD concert last night given by the Russian pianist, Grigory Sokolov, including Komitas' 6 dances for piano.

If you love 'minimalism' - Phil Glass etc, then you may well love this, too.

Give it a listen .... I find it deeply moving

ENAdTrVglf8

[Marco]

Got this little lot today, from a variety of charity shops in Frodsham, Cheshire - all 50p, apart from the box set at the end, which was £3.

Prokofiev – Lieutenant Kije Suite/Scythian Suite, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1978.

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Romantische Klavierstucke, Branka Musulin, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1969.

Respighi – Fountains of Rome/Pines of Rome, with The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1978.

Schubert - Symphony No9 in C Major ‘The Great’, with The Halle Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli, on EMI ‘His Master’s Voice’, from 1968.

Bach - Violin Concerto in A Minor/Violin Concerto in E/Hadyn Violin Concerto in C, with Arthur Grumiaux (violin) and The English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Raymond Leppard, on Philips, from 1964.

Chopin – Tamas Vasry Spielt, Chopin’s Beliebeste Klavierstucke, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1972.

Dvorak – Symphony No1 in C Minor “Bells of Zlonice”, with The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Istvan Kertesz, on Decca FFRR, from 1967.

Schubert – Wanderer Fantasia/Schumann – Carnaval Julius Katchen (piano), on Decca Eclipse, from 1970.

Gabriel Faure – Requiem Op.48/Cantique de Jean Racine Op.11, with The Orchestra of the Monte Carlo Opera, conducted by Louis Fremaux, on The World Record Club, from 1964.

Carl Nielsen – Symphony No5 Op.50, with The New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, on CBS, from 1963.

Beethoven – Piano Concerto No4, with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Wilhelm Backhaus (piano), on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1959.

Beethoven – “Eroica” Symphony, with The Vienna Orchestra, conducted by Erich Kleiber, on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1959.

Brahms – Symphony No1, with The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, conducted by Eduard van Beinum, on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1959.

Mozart – Piano Concertos, with The Philharmonia Orchestra and Annie Fischer (piano), conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, on HMV ‘His Master’s Voice’, from 1959.

Bach – Cantatas Nos 11 and 67, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, with the Cantata Singers and Jacques Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Reginald Jacques, on Decca Eclipse, from 1970.

Beethoven – Symphony 5, with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Kleiber, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1975.

Britten – The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, with The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, conducted by Eduard van Beinum. Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf, with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nicolai Malko, Narrator: Frank Phillps, on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1960.

Beethoven (box set) – The Masses, with The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, Munich Bach Choir and Munich Bach Orchestra, conducted by Karl Richter, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1970.

That should keep me busy for a while! :cool:

Marco.

[MartinT]

Respighi – Fountains of Rome/Pines of Rome, with The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1978.

I'll be interested in what you think of Pines. I love it, very evocative imagery and two awesome build-ups to huge crescendi. The Karajan should be good if not a stellar era for DG recordings.


Beethoven – Symphony 5, with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Kleiber, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1975.

Here you've struck gold, Marco. The most riveting, exciting and vibrant recording of the 5th you might ever hear. Forget stale fifths, this one takes you through a journey. One of the very best recorded classical performances of anything that I know.

[Marco]

Cheers, Martin. Nice to know... I'll let you know what I think! Bit of a bargain that lot though, eh? :)

Marco.

[morris_minor]

It's not often I come across such a jaw-dropping, stunning album such as this.

http://www.platinumconsort.com/uploads/3/7/3/2/3732384/2692916.jpg?248

Sung by the Platinum Consort (http://www.platinumconsort.com/index.html), this album of Renaissance choral pieces has some modern pieces by James Macmillan and Richard Bates which blend the sensibilities of renaissance polyphony with more adventurous harmony to form something that's simultaneously both old and new and doesn't sound out of place in the company of Victoria, Gesualdo, de Lassus etc. Occasionally Richard Bates slips in something Poulenc would be proud of, but the effect is totally natural.

Singing and recording are superb. This is a download only album, either from Resonus (http://resonusclassics.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=19&Itemid=2) or, with a 20% discount on the 96/24 FLAC from eClassical (http://www.eclassical.com/labels/resonus-classics/in-the-dark.html).

On eClassical you can hear all the album - anyone with the slightest interest in choral music should definitely check this out . . .

[MartinT]

That's really nice, Bob. Some of the Richard Bates has similar beautiful dissonances to John Tavener. I've never bought an entire downloadable album before, this may be my first.

[jandl100]

For the true Bruckner dovotee, have a listen to this -

A choral song called "Evening magic" for tenor, male choir, three female yodellers and four alphorns. :lol:

Actually, it's kind of nice. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mOpRZlXhaQ

[jandl100]

Got this little lot today, from a variety of charity shops in Frodsham, Cheshire - all 50p, apart from the box set at the end, which was £3.

......

Marco.

WOW - yummy. Most of them are very good to astonishingly wonderful!
I agree with Martin, the Kleiber Beethoven 5th is pretty much unequalled.

But there's other fab stuff there as well - Mozart piano concertos with Annie Fischer - Brahms 1st symphony with van Beinum; mmmm, I'd like to hear that! - Backhaus may well be my fave Beethoven pianist, I see you've got the 4th concerto; I've never heard that recording and I'd love to! - Faure Requiem; very beautiful - Dvorak's 1st symphony; great stuff, imo his best symphony before the final three - Grumiaux in Bach - Vasary in Chopin.
:drool:

It's a treasure trove, Marco! :thumbsup:

Here's a few little somethings that I picked up yesterday in a local Oxfam shop - sadly, at £1.99 each, except the Chopin double LP at 99p!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF7832.jpg

Also :drool: !!

[morris_minor]

That's really nice, Bob. Some of the Richard Bates has similar beautiful dissonances to John Tavener. I've never bought an entire downloadable album before, this may be my first.

I hope you take the plunge, Martin . . . :)

[guyhayton]

http://c3.cduniverse.ws/resized/250x500/music/402/6972402.jpg

Currently my favourite version of this old classic. I started years ago with "the old mucker" Nigel Kennedy before I knew any better.

I would hate to count how many versions I have of this, but Janine's is sublime. Nice cover as well !!!

[MartinT]

Thanks, I'll look her up, Guy. This is my all-time favourite, a desert island disc for me:

http://pixhost.me/avaxhome/d7/33/001633d7_medium.jpeg

[MartinT]

Strauss - Four Last Songs & Metamorphosen, Janowitz, von Karajan, BPO [cd]

http://img1.douban.com/lpic/s7059173.jpg

Bought in an effort to further expand my collection of Four Last Songs and highly recommended in general.

Oh dear, where do I start? The sound is simply horrible, poorer even than DG's low standards in the early 1970s. At once shouty, harsh, one-dimensional and lacking in detail. Then there's Karajan's pace: way too fast for the songs of an 84 year old writing his final thoughts on life. Im Abendrot is not supposed to be taken at a trot, no matter what the score says! Gundula Janowitz's voice does have a gorgeous tone but it's hard to hear beauty when everything is shrieking at me to take it off.

The Four Last Songs have a very strong personal meaning for me and can and do reduce me to tears. This is an affront.

Not even in the same galaxy as my favourite Jessye Norman, Kurt Masur and the Gewandhausorchester.

[WOStantonCS100]

Oh dear, where do I start? The sound is simply horrible, poorer even than DG's low standards in the early 1970s. At once shouty, harsh, one-dimensional and lacking in detail. Then there's Karajan's pace: way too fast for the songs of an 84 year old writing his final thoughts on life. Im Abendrot is not supposed to be taken at a trot, no matter what the score says! Gundula Janowitz's voice does have a gorgeous tone but it's hard to hear beauty when everything is shrieking at me to take it off.

The Four Last Songs have a very strong personal meaning for me and can and do reduce me to tears. This is an affront.


Just say what you mean, already. :lol:



Not even in the same galaxy as my favourite Jessye Norman, Kurt Masur and the Gewandhausorchester.

I'm not familiar with this music at all. Got a piccy of this one? Sounds like something I would like.

[WOStantonCS100]

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz80/TCKA1ESa/IMG_0365.jpg

[MartinT]

I'm not familiar with this music at all. Got a piccy of this one? Sounds like something I would like.

http://cdn.7static.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/006/234/0000623466_350.jpg

Treat yourself, Biff. If you only want one Four Last Songs, this is the one to have. Deep, emotional, very beautiful and Jessye sings them as is they were written for her. The summary statement of an old man.

I played Beim Schlafengehen at my wife's funeral in 1999. I want Im Abendrot played at mine.

[MartinT]

Bruckner Symphony No. 9, Jochum, BPO, DG [cd]

I've been going through my Brucker 9s and this is my favourite, the 1966 DG recording on Classikon. It's not a fantastic recording, very in-your-face but I prefer this to a soupy mess and the brass section are simply mesmerising. Jochum drives it hard - the second movement is always the measure of a good performance of the 9th and here he excels. Wonderful pace, attacking performance and makes sense of Bruckner's final work. I've always liked Jochum and saw him twice commanding the VPO with iron control. A great loss to the conducting world.

[WOStantonCS100]

...a little Stravinsky

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz80/TCKA1ESa/IMG_0399.jpg

[jandl100]

Bruckner Symphony No. 9, Jochum, BPO, DG [cd]


Yup, I'm with you on this one, Martin.
Probably equal in my esteem with the equally old (but still stereo) Bruno Walter recording on CBS/Sony. That's ab-fab, too!

The new wannabe conductors just cannot compete! :nono: :)

[julesd68]

If you love the Brahms Violin Concerto like I do, you owe it to yourself to get a copy of the Krebbers / Haitink recording on vinyl - staggering performance and reference sound quality !!

[Marco]

Popped into the local charity shop in Wrexham and picked up these minty albums on vinyl:

Mozart - Symphony "Haffner" & "Prague", German Dances, with the Prague Chamber Orchestra (without conductor), on Supraphon, from 1967.

Mozart - Concerto in A Major for Clarinet and Orchestra (Gervase de Peyer, Clarinet)/Concerto in B Flat Major for Bassoon and Orchestra (Henri Helaerts, Bassoon), with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Collins, on Decca FFRR, from 1967.

Mozart - Clarinet Conerto/Flute & Harp Concerto, with Alfred Prinz (clarinet), Werner Tripp (flute), Hubert Jellinek (harp), with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karl Munchinger, on Decca Ace of Diamonds, from 1967.

Mozart - Piano Concertos Nos.23 & 24, Clifford Curzon with The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Istvan Kertesz, on Decca FFSSm from 1968.

Also three double albums on Decca FFSS, from 1976, Favourite Operatic Choruses, Opera, and Operatic Duets, and two Pavarotti albums (on Decca).

All for just over a fiver! :cool:

Marco.

[MartinT]

The two Clarinet Concertos will be interesting to compare. Lovely music.

[The Grand Wazoo]

I quite like most of this & it's a rather unusual choice for me - not what I'd call classical either, but it's orchestral, so I suppose it should go here:

Robert Fripp / Andrew Keeling / David Singleton. The Metropole Orkest conducted by Jan Stulen - 'The Wine of Silence'

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51aUEiMc9lL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

New album of Fripp's guitar soundscapes, transcribed by Bert Lams of the California Guitar Trio, orchestrated by Andrew Keeling & performed by the Metropole Orkest. I don't go much on the two choral pieces but the rest of it is excellent .....actually I rarely go much on anything choral, but you might!

[guyhayton]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HVdkV0sTL.Image._AA300_.jpg

My favourite opera.... followed by

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OhD2ae5cL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[Marco]

So far, this morning, on vinyl:

Beethoven - Symphony No.8. Overtures: Fidelio, Leonora, Nos. 1&2, with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karl Böhm and Clemens Krauss. On Decca Eclipse, from 1970.

Ketèlbey - In a Monestery Garden (and other Ketèlbey favourites). Stanford Robinson, conducting The New Symphony Orchestra of London with Chorus. On Decca Eclipse, from 1969.

Dvořák - Slavonic Dances, from op.46 and op.72, with The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Keilberth. On Telefunken, from 1958.

The sound quality on that last one, in particular, is awe-inspiring!! :eek:

Marco.

[jandl100]

Some Arnold Bax today - Tintagel tone poem and the 4th Symphony. Chandos and Naxos CDs, resp.

Bax continues to grow on me - not that easy a listen, though.

[morris_minor]

Some Arnold Bax today - Tintagel tone poem and the 4th Symphony. Chandos and Naxos CDs, resp.

Bax continues to grow on me - not that easy a listen, though.

Was that Bryden Tomson's Ulster 4th?? Good performance! If you get into Bax Tod Handley's Chandos box is essential...IMO of course :)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[jandl100]

Was that Bryden Tomson's Ulster 4th?? Good performance! If you get into Bax Tod Handley's Chandos box is essential...IMO of course :)


Ah no - as specified, it was the Naxos 4th with Lloyd-Jones.
Any views on that series?

[morris_minor]

Ah no - as specified, it was the Naxos 4th with Lloyd-Jones.
Any views on that series?

Ah - I saw "Chandos" and jumped to the wrong conclusion.

The Naxos symphonies are a class act; very strong performances with excellent sound, at times a little more transparent and detailed than the nicely ripe sound Chandos give the BBCPO.

TBH only the real Bax nut would need to have both Handley and Lloyd-Jones. I'm totally biased as I had personal experience of singing in choirs under Handley, and his Guildford concerts gave me my classical music education (which explains a lot!). The Naxos set has a greater selection of other works by Bax, but the Chandos box has two interviews with Handley - one recorded - which are very illuminating. He does say he heard Lloyd-Jones' Bax, and learnt from it even. As a legacy to a depressingly underrated conductor the Chandos set is first class, but in terms of Bax either set gives you the full monty . . .

An LP to look out for is a Lyrita disc of Bax's 5th conducted by Raymond Leppard - totally outside his usual musical comfort zone, but very successful. This has been one of my most played records . . . :)

[morris_minor]

Listening today - recent LP buys:

Symphonies 2,4 & 5 by William Alwyn, conducted by the composer. Good, well argued music in a conservative style akin to Rubbra, Moeran, Rootham et al - though not really like these to listen to. The Sinfonietta for Strings is in the Bliss 'Music for Strings' mode rather than RVW Tallis and is a delight to listen to. Excellent recordings in the usual Lyrita tradition . . .

http://www.classicrecords.co.uk/photos/SRCS85.JPG

http://www.classicrecords.co.uk/photos/SRCS76.JPG

[jandl100]

Yesterday --

Bax viola sonata on a Naxos CD. Lovely 'earthy' recording of the viola!

Randall Thompson 3rd symphony. Quite possibly my fave American symphony. Melodic and dynamic. NZSO - Andrew Schenck conducting on a Koch CD.

Zoltan Kocsis piano recital on DVD-video. Mozart c-minor K475 Fantasy, Beethoven op 111 sonata & Schubert D960 sonata. Wow. Perfect. I listened/watched the Schubert again as an encore!

[guyhayton]

Inspired by the mention of Bax so put this on while I think of typing my Risk Management report for work (home working this afternoon)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4143TM1W9KL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Symphony No.1 - Garden of Fand - In The Faery Hills

[guyhayton]

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/fb/f6/b88a793509a048825fca6110.L.jpg

Finishing off the night... with my first recording of Bruch Violin Concerto, and my favourite.
Soloist: Cho-Liang Lin, Conductor: Leonard Slatkin, Chicago Symphony

This was probably one of the first classical CDs purchased by me at a wonderful independent shop called Bolton Classical Records in the early 1990s

[jandl100]

A heavy LP sesh yesterday --

Beethoven 9th symphony - from the full early 60's Karajan set
http://www2.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/karajan.jpg
A very fine performance, decent recording -- especially with the bass boosted a bit with my graphic equaliser ;)

Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatte's 10 Caprices for solo violin.
A really magic find this in a certain Gloucestershire charity shop.
Mint and wonderful - and wonderfully obscure! - music.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzY1WDExNTI=/$(KGrHqN,!jcE-dkgdYwNBPqcU9Wc2g~~60_3.JPG

John Antill's Momentous Occasion Overture (great name!) and Clive Douglas' Three Frescos
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF8007.jpg

[MartinT]

A heavy LP sesh yesterday --

Beethoven 9th symphony - from the full early 60's Karajan set
http://www2.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/karajan.jpg
A very fine performance, decent recording -- especially with the bass boosted a bit with my graphic equaliser ;)

His first Beethoven cycle really is his best, isn't it?

[jandl100]

That's his first stereo cycle - as you say, regarded by many (me included) as his best. He also did a mono cycle for EMI in the mid-50s with the Philharmonia, I think. I had that on rather crackly vinyl, but disposed of it as the 60's set is better in sound and performance, I think.

[MartinT]

Ah, thanks for the correction Jerry. I have the stereo cycle as a boxed LP set, didn't realise he had recorded an earlier mono cycle.

[jandl100]

Yesterday -- Back to Bax again.
Inspired by Bob's enthusiasm for the composer I invested in this -->
http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/m/mUZiEJlv6WKC0BElQVqq5DQ/140.jpg
The 5th with Bryden Thompson.

As good as the sq in the Naxos series is (and it is good) this is superb. Must be one of the best sounding orchestral recordings I have heard. Just so natural!
I think I like the performance, too -- but I'm still finding my way with Bax.

No, it's not from the Chuck Handley series on Chandos that Bob was extolling, I might investigate some of that next!

[jandl100]

Ah, thanks for the correction Jerry. I have the stereo cycle as a boxed LP set, didn't realise he had recorded an earlier mono cycle.

Here's the LP set I had --
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/HERBERT-VON-KARAJAN-BEETHOVEN-SYMPHONY-1-9-EMI-7-LP-BOX-SET-SLS-5053-/00/s/MTQ1OVgxNDY3/$(KGrHqR,!m!E6JkJ)R8HBOnlw63C0g~~60_35.JPG

[morris_minor]

Yesterday -- Back to Bax again.
Inspired by Bob's enthusiasm for the composer I invested in this -->
http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/m/mUZiEJlv6WKC0BElQVqq5DQ/140.jpg
The 5th with Bryden Thompson.

As good as the sq in the Naxos series is (and it is good) this is superb. Must be one of the best sounding orchestral recordings I have heard. Just so natural!
I think I like the performance, too -- but I'm still finding my way with Bax.

No, it's not from the Chuck Handley series on Chandos that Bob was extolling, I might investigate some of that next!
Nice one Jerry! Thomson's Bax built nicely on the earlier Lyrita issues. Bax has a sound that was unfashionable when it was new, even, and like a lot of 20th Century music was eclipsed by the modernists. It's definitely overdue a renaissance . . .

[jandl100]

Yesterday --

A bit of a Pletnev-Fest

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/300x300/14293469.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61k8zVs3fIL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

and a few days back .....

http://cdn.7static.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/001/555/0000155570_350.jpg

My gawd- what a fabulous pianist Pletnev is!
The Mussorgsky storms the heavens - the Great Gate of Kiev :wowzer:, the Mozart is so emotional and moving :more:

I'd not really been much aware of Pletnev before, but a certain Mr Richard Dunn, elsewhere, praised the Mozart so I thought I'd give it a try. Oooo - spot on, Mr Dunn. :clap:
I then ventured a bit further afield into the other works.
I still have a CD of Beethoven piano sonatas to try - maybe later today -- I bet Pletnev wreaks havoc in the Appassionata sonata! :eek:

[jandl100]

Yesterday --

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0001/073/MI0001073705.jpg?partner=allrovi.com

What a great recording - ooooooooo, that organ! :eek:

also --

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61cOwzSkO3L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Lovely music -- his symphonies are fab, too.

and -- more Thompson Bax -- excellent! --

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Bax-Symphony-No-2-Nympholept-Thomson-CHANDOS-SEALED-/00/s/MTM5MVgxNjAw/$(KGrHqF,!jME66NElpO+BO44-rfrEg~~60_35.JPG

Could this 2nd be my fave Bax symphony? -- too early to tell!

[MartinT]

Yesterday --

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0001/073/MI0001073705.jpg?partner=allrovi.com

What a great recording - ooooooooo, that organ! :eek:

It's an absolute stunner, one of my all-time favourite classical recordings and a terrific reading too. The organ certainly moves air :)

[Marco]

Today on CD: Shostakovich 24 Preludes and Fuges Op87, Tatiana Nikolayeva, Piano. Triple CD, on the Hyperion label.

Utterly stunning solo piano performance by Nikolayeva, on a truly superb recording. A veritable 'must have' for all who love the work of this superb pianist, or classical piano solos in general! :)

Not the recording I have on Hyperion, but as close as I can find: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00009AQNL?tag=musicwebuk&link_code=as2&creativeASIN=B00009AQNL&creative=374929&camp=211189

Marco.

[jandl100]

Well done, Marco - good taste that man! :thumbsup:

But the Hyperion is the one to have, imho, not the cheaper Regis one, that just lacks the magic of the later Hyperion performance, to my humble ears. :)

... here's the one! http://media.mdt.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/C/D/CDA66441-3_2.jpg

[Marco]

Cheers, Jerry. That's the very boy! Any idea where can one obtain it from? Barry's after a copy :)

I bought mine in a superb little CD/book shop in Shrewsbury, I always visit when I'm in town, but I doubt he'll be going near there anytime soon.

Marco.

[jandl100]

Here's da boy!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shostakovich-24-Preludes-Fugues-Dmitry/dp/B000002ZO8/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1348512656&sr=1-2-spell

[Marco]

Excellent - churz! Now you know where to get it, Bazza :)

Marco.

[jandl100]

Yesterday - some discs a-spinning --

http://www.ambergreen-classical.co.uk/ekmps/shops/padmagupta/images/maazel.bruckner-symphony-no-5.sxl-6686-7-2644-p.jpg

Oooo - luvverly Decca LP sound and magnificent performance! :drool:

Also, on CD --

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0001/145/MI0001145126.jpg?partner=allrovi.com

Lovers of Romantic orchestral music would find this most rewarding, I think. Really good.

[jandl100]

Yesterday -- more LPs!!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51h17mAAfQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Lovely recording, good performance.

and the 5th symphony from this box set ...
http://ring.cdandlp.com/chapoultepek69/photo_grande/114965047.jpg
Wow! - stirring stuff. There was me, air-conducting away like mad! :D

[julesd68]

Bruckner 4 now, with Eugen Jochum at the controls ...

Excellent DGG recording.

[MartinT]

Nice Julian - I have a lot of time for Jochum. Saw him live before he died, he had masterful control of the VPO.

[jandl100]

... Saw him live before he died ...

Amazing if it had been any other way, really. :eyebrows:

Yesterday ---

Mahler 1st symphony. Solti and the LSO on an original 1964 issue minty LP. :drool:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zkoIyi%2BzL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

&

http://i.ebayimg.com/03/!B7sUI+!BWk~$(KGrHqN,!jMEzKg5pjb7BM09-jPllw~~_35.JPG

A wonderful classical guitar recital on pristine vinyl. Music by Villa-Lobos, de Falla, Bach, Tarrega, Vivaldi ....

[MartinT]

That's what happens when I try to concatenate the concept of seeing him live and the fact that he died. Gobbledegook!

[dantheman91]

Vivaldi - Concerto for 2 Mandolins 2CD

Adagio Mahler

Bach - The four Lute Suites . J. Williams

[morris_minor]

Film music by Sir Arthur Bliss:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61IO9re2TYL._SS400_.jpg

Interesting to read (in the CD booklet) how in the filming of Things To Come Korda mangled HG Well's story, and Bliss's music, into something it wasn't.

Good playing, and the usual high sonic standards from Chandos.

[chris@panteg]

On Phillips vinyl .

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ePKN%2BETTL._SS500_.jpg

[synsei]

Observer Music ~ Great Symphonies Vol 1/Record 1 (Philips)

Dvorak Symphony No9 in E Minor OP. 95

LSO ~ Conductor Witold Rowicki

I can find no information about this series of three box sets from The Observer newspaper. Suffice it to say that Philips are responsible for the production so their usual high standards apply. I picked these up from our local recycling centre for 50p each and all of the records in the collection are in outstanding condition.

[synsei]

Observer Music ~ Great Symphonies Vol 1/Record 2 (Philips)

Bruckner Symphony No9 in D Minor

Concertbegouw Orchestra, Amsterdam ~ Conductor Bernard Haitink

[MartinT]

I saw Haitink conduct the 9th just four weeks ago and it was an epic performance with really thrilling playing from the VPO. I should imagine that the Concertgebouw would be no less brilliant.

[MartinT]

Stefano Landi - Christina Pluhar - L'Arpeggiata [cd]

I have spoken about Pluhar previously in the main Spinning Today... thread. In my book, she can do no wrong and all her recordings are magnificent. This one is of recordings of Landi songs, extremely well played on ancient instruments and sung by a wonderful trio of soprano, tenor and bass. Simply wonderfully enjoyable and relaxing performances.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000632DG.01_SL75_.jpg

[julesd68]

Rachmaninov - Music for Two Pianos - SXL 6618
Fantaisie, Op 5
Bracha Eden and Alexander Tamir

Sublime playing and recording - it's got the Decca glow :D

[MartinT]

Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 - Jarvi, SNO, Chandos

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/610nt56yAKL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 - Previn, LSO, EMI

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/3f10681dc1ba54f68d4200046079e687/181111.jpg

A very interesting comparison!

[jandl100]

A very interesting comparison!

You tease! :lol: .. what do you think of the Jarvi as a full performance? - we only listened to the 'Stalin Allegro' at our bake-off.

Are we going to have to agree to differ on this one? ;)

[jandl100]

... and what do you think of the Ballet Suite No. 4? -- a nancy title for an awesome piece of music! :eyebrows:

[MartinT]

I love the Jarvi, and I love the Previn. They take different approaches but I really like them both. Once acclimatised to the slightly bright EMI presentation, it's very immediate and that bass drum has impact :)

[morris_minor]

Another Shostakovich 10 to add to the mix is Karajan's 1969 Berlin effort:

http://store.acousticsounds.com/images/large/ADGR_139020__8902__01152009112321-5178.jpg

It's a very well oiled panzer tank of a performance that (IMHO) could do with a few rough edges to add a bit more character it. I've got the original LP issue, and the sound on this is as smooth and creamy as the performance.

[morris_minor]

Observer Music ~ Great Symphonies Vol 1/Record 1 (Philips)

Dvorak Symphony No9 in E Minor OP. 95

LSO ~ Conductor Witold Rowicki

I can find no information about this series of three box sets from The Observer newspaper. Suffice it to say that Philips are responsible for the production so their usual high standards apply. I picked these up from our local recycling centre for 50p each and all of the records in the collection are in outstanding condition.
I inherited the original box set of all the Dvorak symphonies from my Dad, and to my shame haven't yet got round to playing them (three years down the line). I did look up some reviews in the Gramophone Archive though, and the performances seem to have been well received at the time.

Your post has given me impetus to explore these now!

Edit - I meant to add that 50p each was a great price. I just looked on fleaBay and a copy of Dvorak 3 Ex/Ex was going for £9.99 BIN plus £3 postage.

[julesd68]

This is my Shosta 10!

[MartinT]

Elisabeth Valletti - Innocenti [cd]

Thanks to Jerry for this one. Most excellent!

http://www.takticmusic.com/artistes/valletti/Elisabeth%20Valletti%20Inn00001.jpg

[jandl100]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Y21ai3T_EVE/TBYRzVD7PqI/AAAAAAAAAVk/IUG_hjsnCU4/s1600/folder.jpg

No, not Howard Shore - but excellent and fun!

[jandl100]

Currently playing for the 3rd time in as many days -- but today on my new silver disc spinner :yay:
http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mQO44ATXOAJXwpsAMHn8Zhw.jpg[/url]

-- this really is very fine Schubert playing. Good recording, too.

[MartinT]

Up tonight are:

Shostakovich - Symphony No. 10, Petrenko, RLPO [cd]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VMCCRWTNL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Shostakovich - Symphony No. 13, Masur, NYPO [cd]

http://images.bluebeat.com/an/5/7/6/9/l9675.jpg

[jandl100]

Ah - Petrenko Shosty 10 - I shall await your verdict with bated breath, Martin!

[MartinT]

Ah - Petrenko Shosty 10 - I shall await your verdict with bated breath, Martin!

Good grief - talk about row A stalls! The orchestra are flattened and practically on top of you. There is no depth perception between the cellos and the brass, except that the brass are not nearly raspy enough for this music. The sound is crisp and immediate, but this presentation is not to my taste. I feel the need to lean back all the time.

The tempo seems very four-square. If Shostakovich had written music for Thunderbirds, this is what it would be like. You can almost see the big machines taking off.

I don't think it'll be bothering the Jarvi or Previn much.

[jandl100]

Haha! - yes, you may recall me posting I was not at all impressed with Petrenko. :) His 8th is just the same - be told! :eyebrows:

[jandl100]

... and what do you think of the Ballet Suite No. 4? -- a nancy title for an awesome piece of music! :eyebrows:

Martin - Have you given this a listen yet, on the Jarvi Shosti 10 CD?

[MartinT]

Martin - Have you given this a listen yet, on the Jarvi Shosti 10 CD?

Just playing it now, Jerry. It's rather good, isn't it, and not really like a ballet suite.

[jandl100]

LPs
Awesome.
http://ring.cdandlp.com/vogelweith/photo_grande/114964287.jpg

[jandl100]

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqV,!l8E5hkrK,VKBOj)gQYT(Q~~_35.JPG

Beethoven 4th piano concerto, with Paul Badura-Skoda on an interesting sounding fortepiano.
LP again - lovely!

[jandl100]

Arrived yesterday to play on my new SACD spinner :drool: ....

http://pixhost.me/avaxhome/8b/74/0021748b_medium.jpeg

What a disappointment!
Flaccid performance - mediocre sound quality. :(

Oh boy, after that dreary disc, I had to revitalise my musical pallette with a truly great performance and recording .... :thumbsup:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/212EqbU8QPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

SACD?
Pah!

[MartinT]

My experience of LSO live is that the recordings are not great, on either CD or SACD. It isn't the format, Jerry, it's the way the live concerts are mic'd up and mixed.

[jandl100]

.... It isn't the format, Jerry, it's the way the live concerts are mic'd up and mixed.

Yep, I know. ;)

Shame about that Haitink performance, though, it got great user reviews on Amazon. :rolleyes:
A bit like those Petrenko Shostakovich CDs - how those discs won awards I will never understand!

[MartinT]

Perhaps the reviewers now use iPods?

[jandl100]

Hmm, probably -- but the performances are so lacklustre.

As in the Petrenko Shosty 10 - "very four square" as you said. The musical notes were there, but the spirit of Shostakovich was AWOL.

[MartinT]

As in the Petrenko Shosty 10 - "very four square" as you said. The musical notes were there, but the spirit of Shostakovich was AWOL.

Indeed, but those Thunderbirds were rolling along the ramp and taking off into their next adventure :rfl:

[jandl100]

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/aeb9740ace636ba5fe64572ea02ecdfe/3695511.jpg

SACD. Arrived yesterday. Decent performance, but sq is a bit over-bloomy and unfocussedv... and the piano is placed left of centre - I hate that! :steam: - makes the whole sound image seem skewed. :rolleyes:

Ah - this is how it should go! Great performances, great sound quality :thumbsup: ..... CD .....

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51y0O2l9tbL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[Ammonite Audio]

I have just been listening to Leif Ove Andsnes playing Grieg Lyric pieces. This is a really lovely, thoughtful and atmospheric performance, rendered utterly beguiling by being played via my Quad ESL-57s. This CD is definitely one to get:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grieg-Pieces-Leif-Ove-Andsnes/dp/B00005UUOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351347861&sr=8-1

[MartinT]

Hugo - his performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto is also excellent.

[jandl100]

Zoopah!
-- my first SACD success ... on the Linn label ...

http://i.prs.to/t_200/harmoniamundickd252.jpg

Performances; gorgeous. Sound quality; excellent.

Not sure about this one - I'm trying to find a recording of Dvorak's 1st symphony that is as impressive as I suspect the music is ....
http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0001/005/MI0001005759.jpg?partner=allrovi.com

I've tried a few so far, I suspect that the quest continues ....
I've not heard Jarvi or Kertesz yet ....

[Eremite]

I'm auditioning new speakers at the moment, so quite a few discs are being dug out of the deeper archeological strata of my collection. This one emerged into the light yestreday evening:

http://www.warnerclassics.com/ugc-1/releases/2445/2545_large.jpg

Wonderfully uplifting stuff!

[Marco]

Picked up a pile of (minty) second-hand vinyl in Swordfish Records in Brum:

Ravel - L'Heure Espagnole with L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and Suzanne Danco (Soprano), Paul Derenne (Tenor), Michel Hamel (Tenor), Heinz Rehfuss (Baritone), Andre Vessieres (Bass), conducted by Ernest Ansermet, on Decca Eclipse, from 1963.

Shostakovich - Symphony No5 with The Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York, conducted by Leopold Stokowski, on World Record Club Records, from 1963.

Shostakovich - Symphony No4, with The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Ormandy, on CBS, from 1963.

Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No1 (Op.35)/Piano Concerto No2 (Op.102), with Andre Previn and Leonard Bernstein, on CBS, from 1974.

Shostakovich - Symphony No13, with The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and Male Chorus, with Vitaly Gromadsky (Bass), conducted by Kiril Kondrashin, on Everest Records, from 1967.

Scarlatti - 6 Sinfonias, with The Paris Instrumental Ensemble, conducted by Charles Ravier, on EMI, from 1972.

Scarlatti - Sinfonias Nos 6-11 Cantilena, conducted by Adrian Shepherd, on RCA, from 1979.

Brahms - Piano Quintet in F Minor, with The Virtuoso Ensemble. Piano: Wilfrid Parry. Violins: David Martin, Patrick Halling. Viola - Gwynne Edwards. Cello: Willem de Mont, on RMC Records, from 1968.

Bruch - Concerto in G Minor. Mendelssohn - Concerto in E Minor, with Josef Suk (violin), with The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karel Ancerl, on Supraphon Records, from 1964.

Smetana - Piano Trio in G Minor, with the Suk Trio. Josef Suk: violin. Josef Chuchro: cello. Jan Panenka: piano, on Supraphon Records, from 1968.

Joachim Raff - Fifth Symphony 'Lenore', with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Bernard Herrmann, on Unicorn Records, from 1970.

Not a bad wee haul for £25 :cool:

Marco.

[jandl100]

Oooo - lots of Shosty - well done, Marco!

Spinning yesterday --

http://c3.cduniverse.ws/resized/250x500/music/763/1084763.jpg

Telemann sonatas for 2 violins - very reverberant recording, but once acclimatised to, this is a great CD. Both violin parts recorded by the same violinist and overdubbed. Works well!

And some more Telemann

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512E-SjzrjL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

An interesting concept - 4 short cantatas, with a different vocal soloist in each (soprano, contralto, tenor & bass), but forming a unifying whole, with a fine and quite long orchestral intro.

[MartinT]

Marco cleaned up the Shossy before the rest of us could get a look-in :lol:

[Marco]

Hehehe... Del spied the Shossy, pulled it out of the rack, and alerted me to it. So as it was just sitting there winking at me.... :eyebrows:

TBH, if I'd had more time, I'd have hoovered up a lot more of the classical stuff, as it was well priced and minty mint! :exactly:

Let me know what you think of that box set you got, when you give it a spin :)

Marco.

[MartinT]

I will do, probably tonight. It was Brahms - A German Requiem conducted by Haitink.

Meanwhile, the Santana The Third Album I spied cleaned up beautifully and sounds great, like another Abraxas.

[Marco]

Oooo - lots of Shosty - well done, Marco!


Btw, I'm currently listening to this:


Shostakovich - Symphony No13, with The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and Male Chorus, with Vitaly Gromadsky (Bass), conducted by Kiril Kondrashin, on Everest Records, from 1967.


Apart from it sounding stunning, I also noticed this little snippet of information on the back of the album cover:


The performance of the Shostakovich 13th symphony is the actual live performance recorded in Moscow on November 20, 1965, therefore please allow for audience noises. Since that time the Russian government has banned the performance and you will surely be captivated with the sincerity and poignancy of the music.


It's a big YES to that last bit, but I'm also wondering if the former (in blue) is of any significance, in terms of rarity? :)

Marco.

[snapper]

Shostakovich - Symphony No13, with The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and Male Chorus, with Vitaly Gromadsky (Bass), conducted by Kiril Kondrashin, on Everest Records, from 1967.



:violin:

[MartinT]

I'm fairly sure they (the Russian government) have relented now but I'll check. Certainly Stalin, whom Shostakovich greatly feared, had died by the time of the 10th performance, but he didn't write all the symphonies in order. The controversy with this is that the Babi Yar poem suggests that only jews suffered whereas of course there was suffering across all ethnic groups. I believe that Shotakovich changed some of the wording to make it more acceptable to the powers that be.

[Marco]

Interesting, Martin. Thanks for that. Either way, the recording certainly has a series of mind-blowing performances. Maybe Jerry has some thoughts on the matter? :)

Marco.

[MartinT]

In the Store and Fears are quite exceptional movements, even across all of Shossy's canon.

[jandl100]

Well, I think part of Stalin's (and subsequent Soviet government's) problems with the 13th were that in the great socialist motherland, where all men were brothers (and presumably all women were sisters) it was not well thought of to publicise the terrible truth of gross injustice, government sponsored mass murder and attempted genocide.

Shosty really was risking his life with works like the 13th symphony, in a taken away and bullet in the back of the head, kind of way. That happened to many of his friends and colleagues.

Anyhoo - on to happier things -- No Shosty for me today!

http://www.classical.net/music/recs/images/d/dut07265.jpg

http://content.answcdn.com/main/content/img/amg/classical_albums/cov200/cm600/m680/m68046xplfh.jpg

[Marco]

Went to Shrewsbury today with Snapper, toured around a few charity shops (before having lunch at our favourite pub/hotel: http://www.thelionhotelshrewsbury.com/), and found these on vinyl (all in minty condition):

Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet (scenes from the Ballet), with The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karel Ancerl, on Supraphon Records, from 1962.

Mozart - Piano Concertos Nos 20 & 21, with The Vienna Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Geza Anda (also on piano), on RCA, from 1976.

Vaughan Williams - Songs of Travel. John Shirley-Quirk (baritone). Viola Tunnard (piano), on Saga Records, from 1963.

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No5 "Emperor", with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Friedrich Gulda (piano), conducted by Horst Stein, on Decca Jubilee Series, from 1971.

Handel - Water Music Suite/Music for the Royal Fireworks, with The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Rafel Kubelik, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1963.

Michael Praetorius - Christmas Music, with The Westminster Cathedral Choir (The Parley of Instruments), conducted by David Hill, on Hyperion Records, from 1986.

Also, Carreras/Domingo/Pavarotti in Concert, conducted by Zubin Mehta, on Decca, from 1984.

Furthermore, I picked up a couple of new CDs from my favourite little music/book shop in Shrewsbury:

Canteloube - Chants D'Auvergne, with The Orchestre National de Lille and Véronique Gens (soprano), conducted by Jean-Claude Casadesus, on Naxos, from 2004.

Vaughan Williams - Piano Concerto, with The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Ashley Wass (piano), conducted by James Judd, on Naxos, from 2009.

Not a bad wee haul - lots to listen to! :cool:

Marco.

[jandl100]

Vaughan Williams - Songs of Travel. John Shirley-Quirk (baritone). Viola Tunnard (piano), on Saga Records, from 1963.


:drool: One of my very fave LPs. Very special.

[Marco]

Nice to know, Jerry. I'll clean that one first then and have a listen. Not bad for a £1, I suppose? :)

Marco.

[jandl100]

Bought and played yesterday, in a charity shop £1/LP spree ...

http://www.classicrecords.co.uk/photos/ASD2618.JPG

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3377/3618428540_17df88ebce_z.jpg

and CD received in the post ...

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0000/964/MI0000964797.jpg?partner=allrovi.com

[Eremite]

Rachel Podger is a tremendous baroque violinist; pretty much anything that she records is worth a listen. In particular, her recording of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas is amongst the best. These have been keeing me company today:

http://www.channelclassics.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/280x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/1/212198_2.jpg

http://www.channelclassics.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/280x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/1/214498_2.jpg

[MartinT]

Mozart - Piano Concertos Nos 20 & 21, with The Vienna Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Geza Anda (also on piano), on RCA, from 1976.

Very nice, Marco.

[MartinT]

and CD received in the post ...

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0000/964/MI0000964797.jpg?partner=allrovi.com

Those are good performances, Jerry.

[jandl100]

Those are good performances, Jerry.

Ye-e-e-essss (he agrees hesitantly) ... the sq is excellent - I find the pianism a bit steely and aloof and emotionally detached. I think I prefer Bronfman on Sony overall, even if the Sony sq is not as good as the EMI.

[Marco]

Very nice, Marco.

Churz, matey. That's also what I was thinking when I played it earlier :)

Went into LLangollen today with David, popped into a charity shop we were passing (I can't resist them now, lol) and left with the following, all on minty vinyl:

Bruch - Violin Concerto No1, Scottish Fantasy, with The Scottish National Orchestra and Maurice Hasson (violin), conducted by Alexander Gibson, on EMI, from 1976.

Beethoven - Symphony No5, with The Symphony Orchestra of the Südwestfunk Baden-Baden, conducted by Josef Krips. Schubert - 'Unfinished Symphony', conducted by Paul Kletzki, on Synchro Concert Hall Records, from 1966.

Wagner - Overtures: The Flying Dutchman/Rienzi, with The Munich State Opera Orchestra, conducted by Franz Konwitschny. Die Meistersinger, with The Saxon State Orchestra, conducted by Rudolf Kempe. Tannhäuser, with The Munich State Opera Orchestra, conducted by Robert Heger, on ARC Records, from 1963.

Debussy/Ravel/Hahn/Fauré - Melodies. Victoria de Los Angeles (soprano) and Gonzalo Soriano (piano), on EMI 'His Master's Voice', from 1967.

Gabrieli/Frescobaldi - Music for Organ and Brass, with The Boston Brass Ensemble and E. Power Biggs (organ), conducted by Richard Burgin, on CBS, from 1960.

Bach - Christmas Oratorio, with The Choir of King's College, Cambridge Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Soloists: Elly Ameling (soprano), Janet Baker (alto), Robert Tear (tenor), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (bass), conducted by Philip Ledger, on EMI 'His Master's Voice', from 1977. 3-LP box set.

All for £5 :cool:

Marco.

[Plato]

Chopin Noctures with Vlado Perlemuter.
Plato

[Roy S]

Haydn: Trumpet Concerto, Mozart: Horn Concerto No.4 ('Gateway to the Classics' LP 1, another 9 to go)

[Plato]

Mozart Horn Concertos - Dennis Brain.
P

[Plato]

Now Bach, Brandenburg on R3.
P

[jandl100]

Rather a nice charity shop haul in Abergavenny yesterday ....

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF8224.jpg

All 50p or £1 each. Oh, the 2 LP Beethoven string quartet set was 50p. Have so far played Walton 2nd symphony and Vivaldi Gloria RV588 - both excellent! :)

[morris_minor]

Nice little collection there, Jerry! :cool:

I remember buying the Walton when it came out :wheniwasaboy: Was the first time I heard the Hindemith Variations, which has become one of my favourite Walton pieces. I believe the only other recording was Tod Handley's, coupled with the First Symphony on EMI.

[Marco]

Jerry, are those for sale (as usual) or are you keeping them for yourself? :)

Marco.

[jandl100]

Mine - all mine - :)
... although I might consider selling on behalf of charity for a suitable sum .... you fancy any of 'em?