Andre Previn .... best recordings

[alkan]

I just bought an Andre Previn CD in the GROC series ..... Britten :  Sea Interludes and Sinfonia da Requiem and Holst : Perfect Fool.    IMHO this is great music making and the sound quality is excellent.      I also know Previn's acclaimed version of Walton's 1st symphony.

Does anyone have recommendations for other Previn "must-have's"     (or disappointments to avoid).

Thanks

[Daverz]

He was very good in Vaughan Williams, Rachmaninoff, and Shostakovich (which doesn't have the brutality of a Russian recording, but is still very good of its kind.)  His Rustic Wedding Symphony is one of the best and is coming out in an EMI twofer in March.  I was disappointed with his Prokofiev Romeo & Juliet, though.

[Herman]

I'm afraid he's mostly forgettable. Whenever I take out one of his seventies recordings I start to notice how bad the ensemble is and how unimaginative the conducting is. I guess he just recorded too much.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

His old Shostakovich 5th with the LSO is my favorite recording of the piece (despite a couple of sonic glitches) - I even prefer it to the famous Bernstein recording.

I like his Vaughan Williams too, generally speaking.

[rubio]

This is my favourite Previn recording and maybe my favourite Manfred. The LSO plays beautifully and Previn's performance gives a lot of insight into the music. It was like hearing the music for the first time. Previn and the LSO had generally a very fruitful co-operation in Russian repertoire. It was Previn's golden days and produced several excellent recordings. Previn has also produced a lot of mediocre/OK stuff in other settings.

http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Manfred-Symphony-Overture-Romeo-Rachmaninov/dp/B000002SFQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1234800587&sr=1-1

[DarkAngel]

He was very good in Vaughan Williams, Rachmaninoff, and Shostakovich (which doesn't have the brutality of a Russian recording, but is still very good of its kind.)  His Rustic Wedding Symphony is one of the best and is coming out in an EMI twofer in March.  I was disappointed with his Prokofiev Romeo & Juliet, though.

I also think the Previn work which stands out most vs competition is his Vaughn Williams RCA set, almost every other composer you can find better versions compared to Previn's version, VW just more naturally fits Previns style

[Coopmv]

Andre Previn and Leonard Bernstein are the only two American conductors whose recordings are reasonably well represented in my 6000 some recordings.  My collection tends to be very Euro-centric - very few American orchestras or ensembles ...

[B_cereus]

also, any recommends for his best piano recordings?

as he was recognized by Phillips as among the Great Pianists of the 20th Century

[jwinter]

I've had this since I was a teenager, my intro to Prokofiev (and 20th century Russian music in general, most likely).  Great sound quality (demonstration-class back in the day), and a ripping performance -- very good for waking up the neighbors. 

[Coopmv]

also, any recommends for his best piano recordings?

as he was recognized by Phillips as among the Great Pianists of the 20th Century

Believe it or not, the few recordings I have where Previn played piano were actually from my small venture into the jazz world.  Andre Previn was a jazz pianist at some point.

[The new erato]

Walton 1 on RCA is unsurpassed.

[eyeresist]

In the Vaughan Williams symphonies Previn is usually best or equal to the best. The complete set is very inexpensive, so if you're exploring Previn as conductor it's a great place to start. Unfortunately I haven't yet heard his Rachmaninov symphonies; his accompaniments to Ashkenazy in the concertos were first class. I've heard his Shostakovich 4 and 5 - well done but not a match for the very best (Kondrashin, Mravinsky, et al.).

[Coopmv]

In the Vaughan Williams symphonies Previn is usually best or equal to the best. The complete set is very inexpensive, so if you're exploring Previn as conductor it's a great place to start.

I have the set by Previn.  While it may be inexpensive, I don't think there are many choices out there either for the complete set.

[Holden]

Along with the Ormandy/Philadelphia this could be described as definitive

[val]

The best thing I heard from Previn: Ravel, "L'Enfant et les sortilèges". He recorded this opera twice. I prefer the DG version (1999), with Pamela Stephen. It includes a very good version of Ma Mère L'Oye.

[mc ukrneal]

His Rachmaninov 2 has long been a popular one.

But personally, I think one of his best performances is Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, which can often be found for under $10.

[Guido]

http://www.amazon.com/Previn-Ordinary-Things-Remembrances-Vocalise/dp/B0000029NW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1234891139&sr=8-1

[dirkronk]

I'll second much of Previn's VW, his Rach symphonies, the Walton and Orff and Rustic Wedding Symphony. All very good. But I'll add two that I think are exceptionally worthy: his Copland Red Pony (originally on American Columbia, now Sony) and his Mahler 4th Symphony (an EMI recording with Pittsburgh SO and Elly Ameling...it maintains status in my collection even along side Szell and Reiner, my usual favorites in that piece).

Cheers,

Dirk

[Daverz]

He recorded the Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 three times.  I have the RCA one, which is cut.  I think the EMI one is more commonly recommended.  (Oddly, the Temirkanov pictured below by Rubio is actually one of my favorites of this symphony, and I haven't gotten around to listening to the Manfred!)

[dirkronk]

He recorded the Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 three times.  I have the RCA one, which is cut.  I think the EMI one is more commonly recommended. 

The EMI set of Rach symphonies (on LP) is the one I'm best acquainted with. I very much like his 2 and 3 in that set--1 is OK but not quite on the same performance level as the other two.

Cheers,

Dirk