Spinning Today (Classical version)

[Marco]

Cheers, Jerry! Well I've just found the Polish one (Chopin) on YouTube:





*That* is exactly it - same cover, record label, and everything! Now I know it's from 1958... Good job I love piano music

I wouldn't have thought that there were too many of those recordings around!

Marco

[jandl100]

This afternoon --



Hmmm...

I've recently bought this LP, thought I'd give Jascha Heifetz another try. Oft cited as the greatest violinist of the 20thC, I've not been a fan at all.

This recording made in 1949 in mono.

Screechy scrawny sound - horrible - but slice out a big hunk of the treble with my graphic equalizer (3db down at around 1KHz, -12db at 20KHz) and what is left is a lovely velvety violin tone that has completely won me over!

Recordings of Heifetz are invariably forward and can be very brightly lit, yet his concert hall tone live was often described as "like velvet". Heifetz himself was not impressed with his own recordings, either, and called hifi "hi-fooey" as a result. Now I think I understand why!

Maybe it's just the recorded sound quality that has put me off Heifetz up til now?

[Marco]

Incidentally, while I was in the record shop I also picked up (all on minty vinyl):

Bach - Bach Organ Music (Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Prelude and Fugue in E-Flat, "St' Anne's". Toccata and Fugue in D Minor "Dorian". Toccata in E), with Carl Weinrich (organist) on RCA Victor Red Seal "Living Stereo", from 1962.

Stravinsky - Pétrouchka, with The London Symphony Orchestra and Tamas Vasary (piano), conducted by Charles Dutoit, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1977.

Ravel - Bolero, with The Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa, on Deutsche Grammophon (digitally remastered), from 1974.

Haydn - 3 String Quartets: "The Lark" - "The Bird" - "The Joke", with The Hungarian Quartet and The Dekany Quartet, on Decca Turnabout Records, from 1967.

Handel - Music for the Royal Fireworks. Concerti Grossi Op.3 nos. 2 and 5, with The Wind Virtuosi of England/The Virtuosi of England, conducted by Arthur Davison, on EMI, from 1970.

Beethoven - Sixth Symphony (The Pastoral), with The BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Colin Days, on Contour Red Label (Pickwick), from 1975.

£1 each

Marco.

[Barry]

Rachmaninov - 'Piano Concerto No.3, Op. 30, in D minor' plus

Prelude in G minor, Op. 32, No. 5
Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2
Prelude in G sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12
Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5

and

Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36

David Helfgott (piano) with the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Milan Horvat.

Recorded live at the Tivoli Concert hall, 2.11.95.

RCA 74321 40378 2 (1996)


Played because I recently re-watched "Shine", an Australian film about David Helfgott, played by the excellent Geoffry Rush.

Whilst as a student at the Royal College of Music, Helfgott collapsed after playing the Rachmaninov 3rd at the Albert Hall and thereafter spent many years in metal institutions before regaining confidence to play again.

If you can get hold of the DVD, I commend you watch it.

[MartinT]

Helfgott collapsed after playing the Rachmaninov 3rd

That's quite understandable. The Rach 3 is a monster of a concerto, I'm surprised other pianists are not gibbering wrecks after playing it.

[julesd68]

Just had a look at David Helfgott's website - still touring but mainly staying in his native Oz. Must have a listen to his Rach 3 ...

[Barry]

Joseph Haydn

Symphony No.48, "Maria Theresia", HV 1/48 in C major

Symphony No.59, "Fire Symphony", HV 1/59 in A major

Symphony No.92, "Oxford", HV 1/92 in G major.


Philharmonica Slavonica, cond. Henry Adolph. Vienna Master Series (Pilz CD 254)


Yes I know it's not a world-class orchestra or recording, but I don't have a copy of these particular symphonies - and as a charity shop purchase for £1, it's not bad.

[jandl100]

Only listened to the 1st sq so far.
Oooh - what a find.
Lovely Russian melodious soulfulness with a tragic feel to it.



Hmm - yeah, not bad. But nowhere near as interesting as his 1st sq, for me.

I'd like to find a copy of Kabalevsky's Requiem - but they seem to go for silly money.

[Marco]

Popped into Oxfam today in Liverpool and picked up this totally minty 3-LP Shossy box set, which I believe is a rather well regarded opera:











It's got the booklet, which looks as if it's hardly been touched, and the vinyl as if it's never been played! Not bad for £3...

Rave reviews of the CD here, on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-M...owViewpoints=1

Also, when I was in there, I picked up the following on vinyl (again in minty condition - I don't buy anything else!)

Vaughan Williams - Riders To The Sea: with Norma Burrowes (soprano), Margaret Price (soprano), Helen Watts (contralto), Benjamin Luxon (baritone), Pauline Stevens (mezzo-soprano) and the Women's voices of the Ambrosian Singers, with The Orchestra Nova of London, conducted by Meredith Davies. Also Folk Song Arrangements: with the London Madrigal Singers, conducted by Christopher Bishop, on HMV 'Greensleeve', from 1983.

Brahms - String Quintets - Quintettes à Cordes - Streichquintette, with the Allegri String Quartet, on Decca Argo, from 1982.

Domenico Cimarosa - Il Matrimonio Segreto (The Secret Marriage), with The English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1977.

Mozart - Piano Concertos Nos. 20 & 21, with Friedrich Gulda (piano) and The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado, on Deutsche Grammophon 'Galleria', digitally remastered, from 1975.

Handel - Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, with the Choir of King's College Cambridge Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, conducted by Sir David Willcocks, on Decca 'Serenata', from 1968.

Chopin - 4 Scherzi. 4 Impromptus, with Roberto Szidon (piano), on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1977.

Dvořák - Symphonie No8. Carnival Op.92, with The Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Davis, on CBS 'Master Works', from 1979.

Franz von Suppé - Overtures, including Light Cavalry, Pique Dame, Beautiful Galathea and Poet and Peasant, with The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert Von Karajan, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1970.

And lastly, something most unusual.... Does anyone remember Marks & Spencer ever selling records, and indeed having their own (green) label, produced by Pye Records?

Well, I have here a 1978 recording of 'Leopold Stokowski conducts The National Philharmonic Orchestra'. Leader is Sidney Sax. This is a compilation featuring a mixture of different music from Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Saint Saens, Haydn, Mozart, Ippolitov - Ivanov, Strauss, Moussorgsky and Sousa.

It has a little 'St Michael' ticket on the inner sleeve, which reads: "Unless this record is faulty. A refund or exchange can be made only if the seal is unbroken".

I only remember the likes of Boots and Woolworths selling records, not M&S! Could anyone shed any light on this oddity?

Marco.

[jandl100]

Wonderful DVD - two and a half hours on pure unadulterated pleasure.
My fave version of this wonderful piece of musical theater.
Helen Donaldson's astonishing high vocal range is eye watering, although the Major General's other daughters take a bit of getting used to!