Spinning Today (Classical version)

[Gromit]

Been working (would hardly call it working!) my way through Ashkenazy's Rachmaninov piano catalogue over the last couple of days. These Decca recordings still sound fabulous, and thankfully the CD mastering is out of the top drawer.

Yesterday...

Preludes (both Op23 & 32) Etudes-Tableaux, Suites I & II for 2 pianos (with André Previn).

I have several sets of these by various performers, including those by John Lill which are quite different in sound - I'd almost swear he's using a Blüthner piano as opposed to the usual Steinway; it's warmer, less brash, and with a rare sweetness of sound. The Nimbus recording helps too, being more realistic than some, more front row audience than sat inside the piano.

[jandl100]

You make Lill sound like an interesting Rachmaninov interpreter, Richard - and I do love his Beethoven sonatas - so I've just invested in this

[Gromit]

You make Lill sound like an interesting Rachmaninov interpreter, Richard - and I do love his Beethoven sonatas - so I've just invested in this

Jerry - will be interested to hear what you think of Lill's Corelli Variations etc as I don't have those.

[julesd68]

Been working (would hardly call it working!) my way through Ashkenazy's Rachmaninov piano catalogue over the last couple of days. These Decca recordings still sound fabulous, and thankfully the CD mastering is out of the top drawer.

I have lots of Ash-Rach Decca vinyl and it is just sublime ...

[.mus]

14 & 15 are missing from it as they hadn't been composed when the set was recorded. To me, that's just amazing.

Huh. I must confess I'd stupidly wondered why they'd been omitted I guess though, in this case, the ommission is forgivable.

Tonight...

[MartinT]

Wagner - The Ring Highlights, Maazel, BPO, Telarc [cd]



Nice typically clean Telarc recording, but the performance doesn't have the sheer visceral impact of the Solti/VPO 1965 onwards Decca cycle.

[.mus]

Thanks for the tip, Martin.

[MartinT]

Glad you like it, Tom.

[MartinT]

Holst - The Planets, Isao Tomita [vinyl]



Well, it's certainly a different experience. I think I prefer Tomita's Debussy but it's a fun listen.

[.mus]

I think the parts I enjoyed the most were the bits where he deviated completely from the script, and just offered some interesting electronic atmospherics.

But for the most part, I found that the 'instruments' or midi voices that he'd selected were either too similar sounding to the instruments that they were supposed to be replacing, and so it wasn't so interesting to listen to, or they weren't similar sounding, but in any case I didn't like the sound of them (odd for me, since in general I really like distinctively electronic timbres). So some odd choices then, in that department, I thought.

Still, as you say, a fun listen - it made me smile a few times, and the music box intro is nice. I'll have to check out the Debussy.