Spinning Today (Classical version)

[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]

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:

[MartinT]

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



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.

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]

[MartinT]

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

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

[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!