Potentially Good News for Szymanowski fans

[Todd]

Looks like Naxos is rerecording some Szymanowski, augmenting the old, reissued Marco Polo recordings currently available.  The new Violin Concertos disc looks extra tempting.  Of course, Miriam Kramer's Bloch disc on Naxos is pretty darned good, so the Violin Sonata is tempting, too.  Perhaps Naxos will give over a complete Szymanowski orchestral cycle to Maestro Wit?  (I'm pretty sure these are new and not licensed, but I could be mistaken.)

[Harry]

The first one I have and is a original Naxos recording from 2005, and I listened to it.
Its excellent!
The second one is ordered, so I should get it soon!

[Todd]

Its excellent!

Hmmm.  The question for me now is do I buy the first disc now and wait for the new one, or do I wait for the new one and buy both (and perhaps a few other things) at the same time?  Decisions, decisions . . .

[dirkronk]

Hmmm.  The question for me now is do I buy the first disc now and wait for the new one, or do I wait for the new one and buy both (and perhaps a few other things) at the same time?  Decisions, decisions . . .

I'd say wait. You may need the money for as-yet-unpurchased Beethoven piano sonata sets.


(How many sets and partial sets are you up to now, Todd?)

Dirk

[Todd]

(How many sets and partial sets are you up to now, Todd?)

42.  I'm done with complete cycles for now.  I'd say no exceptions, but who would I be kidding?

[Harry]

Hmmm.  The question for me now is do I buy the first disc now and wait for the new one, or do I wait for the new one and buy both (and perhaps a few other things) at the same time?  Decisions, decisions . . .

Just wait till I have the other one too, in a couple of days, and if its good, you can buy the both of them without a dud investment!

[Earthlight]

Looks like Naxos is rerecording some Szymanowski, augmenting the old, reissued Marco Polo recordings currently available.  The new Violin Concertos disc looks extra tempting.

I just listened to the first violin concerto on the Naxos online service, back-to-back with the older one (Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra/Katowice, Karol Stryja).

The new one sounds better; the Warsaw Philharmonic gets a gorgeous sound, and it's a very clear, lush recording. There's nothing wrong with the Katowice orchestra, but that recording sounds a bit tubby by comparison. But I can't say I really like the new recording more as an experience. If anything, violinist Kulka may get more of the just-slightly-over-the-edge romanticism this music seems to want. (This is just in the first concerto; I haven't listened to the 2nd yet.)

I never heard this work in my life until I happened on this thread and decided to run my Naxos subscription through its paces. And I haven't heard much Szymanowski in general; he's been stuck for months in that infinite corral of "this guy's really good, I gotta hear more" composers. So I'm nine miles south of expert; I'm just giving a first impression.

[abidoful]

I never heard this work in my life until I happened on this thread and decided to run my Naxos subscription through its paces. And I haven't heard much Szymanowski in general; he's been stuck for months in that infinite corral of "this guy's really good, I gotta hear more" composers. So I'm nine miles south of expert; I'm just giving a first impression.

The First Violin Concerto is a dangerous work to start with Szymanowski---it's one of those great masterpieces which have somekind of  glowing touch of genious---he never surpassed it.

[CD]

Nice to see he's expanding his 'canon'. Or perhaps he's slumming?

Can't wait to hear his take on Vaughan Williams!