Spinning Today (Classical version)

[jandl100]

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 ....



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 ....



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.
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

[jandl100]

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! - makes the whole sound image seem skewed.

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

[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...1347861&sr=8-1

[MartinT]

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