New Releases

[amw]

Out today. Six (ish) volumes left to go.

[Todd]

I assume the Op 6 is a reissue of the download only version that has been available for a while. 



Anyone familiar with this pairing?



Another high mid price reissue.  I do not like this trend, if a trend it be.



Just how much Tristan do you want on two pianos?

[ritter]

...



Just how much Tristan do you want on two pianos?

As little as possible, I'd say.

Some years ago, the Gramola label issued a CD (pictured below, also with Cord Garben) of Engelbert Humperdinck's piano 4-hands arrangement of good chunks from Parsifal (Humperdinck was directy involved in the first run of the work in Bayreuth in 1882), and I'm sorry to say that that miraculous score loses almost all of its interest and beauty in this "black and white" guise. The CD still in my collection, but I do not expect to revisit anytime soon.

[Mirror Image]

As little as possible, I'd say.

Some years ago, the Gramola label issued a CD (pictured below, also with Cord Garben) of Engelbert Humperdinck's piano 4-hands arrangement of good chunks from Parsifal (Humperdinck was directy involved in the first run of the work in Bayreuth in 1882), and I'm sorry to say that that miraculous score loses almost all of its interest and beauty in this "black and white" guise. The CD still in my collection, but I do not expect to revisit anytime soon.

I can certainly understand that sentiment, Rafael. I do think sometimes a piano reduction can work like in Stravinsky's Le sacre for example, but more often than not, it seems to be missing that extra ounce of magic that the original versions have.

[Todd]

Some years ago, the Gramola label issued a CD (pictured below, also with Cord Garben) of Engelbert Humperdinck's piano 4-hands arrangement of good chunks from Parsifal

More than a small bleeding chunk of Parsifal on piano seems more pointless than Tristan on piano.  The Prelude and Liebestod can be very fine on piano, if played by the right sort of pianist - Kocsis, say. 

[ritter]

I can certainly understand that sentiment, Rafael. I do think sometimes a piano reduction can work like in Stravinsky's Le sacre for example, but more often than not, it seems to be missing that extra ounce of magic that the original versions have.

Yep, and a lot of French music works wonderfully in these arrangements (e.g., Jeux--which we've discussed in the past IIRC--, La valse, etc.). But somehow Wagner doesn't lend himself to this treatment, unless its short selections, e.g. the Tristan Prelude & Liebestod (as Todd rightly points out). But, who knows, perhaps this new release proves me wrong, and the whole Act II love duet works beautifully like this.

[Mirror Image]

Yep, and a lot of French music works wonderfully in these arrangements (e.g., Jeux--which we've discussed in the past IIRC--, La valse, etc.). But somehow Wagner doesn't lend himself to this treatment, unless its short selections, e.g. the Tristan Prelude & Liebestod (as Todd Right points out). But, who knows, perhaps this new release proves me wrong, and the whole Act II love duet works beautifully like this.

Yes, indeed. I personally don't think Wagner's operatic masterpieces would lend themselves to a two piano reduction.

[JBS]

Yes, indeed. I personally don't think Wagner's operatic masterpieces would lend themselves to a two piano reduction.

Given the colorations of timbre Wagner used, I agree with you. But remember that until mass market recordings appeared, this sort of reduction was the only way people without access to an opera house that put on a production could hear the music.

These sort of reductions were serving the same function that YouTube videos of contemporary music serve now. Of course with YouTube we don't need to be limited by Little Sister's abilities to play the piano.

[Mirror Image]

Given the colorations of timbre Wagner used, I agree with you. But remember that until mass market recordings appeared, this sort of reduction was the only way people without access to an opera house that put on a production could hear the music.

These sort of reductions were serving the same function that YouTube videos of contemporary music serve now. Of course with YouTube we don't need to be limited by Little Sister's abilities to play the piano.

Yeah, I can certainly understand this.

[Brian]

This is the first I have ever heard of the Eden-Tamir piano duo but Wiki informs me that almost nothing is known about her life (contrasting with his - he survived a Nazi death camp as a child), and that Stravinsky chose them to premiere the two piano Rite of Spring arrangement.

[vandermolen]

Also, NYM's 27th Symphony and Prokofiev's 6th Symphony will be released in 2021.
Personally, I with that they had coupled the two Miaskovsky symphonies on the same CD:

[MusicTurner]

Yes, indeed. I personally don't think Wagner's operatic masterpieces would lend themselves to a two piano reduction.

Agree.

Heresy, surely, but I'd like to hear them arranged as piano concertos, maybe full-length, and not 'medleys'.

This would also make it initially easier to follow the long melodic lines, for pedagogical/educational content.

Well, nobody did apparently, so far. Not even Peter Breiner, who'd be a candidate.

[Brian]

I listened to clips of V. Petrenko's new Prokofiev 5 and it seems destined to create controversy. The slow movement is extremely slow - over 14 minutes - and the initial melody gets stretched out so far it can barely be called a melody anymore. Part of an overall conception that's nearly 10 minutes longer than reference recordings like Szell.

[kyjo]

I listened to clips of V. Petrenko's new Prokofiev 5 and it seems destined to create controversy. The slow movement is extremely slow - over 14 minutes - and the initial melody gets stretched out so far it can barely be called a melody anymore. Part of an overall conception that's nearly 10 minutes longer than reference recordings like Szell.

Sounds like one to avoid, then...

[Brian]

Just found a few more January releases worth noting:



and in case you're wondering what composer anniversary year could possibly live up to Beethoven 2020:



"The Complete Grainger Edition contains all twenty-one Chandos albums of his works in a luxurious boxed set."

[Mandryka]

The result shows a different and unheard approach, focused on silence and minute gestures, where each instance of the work is magnified and put in a ever-changing relationship with its environment, through the constant dialogue between the tapes and the violin

That's from a note about the recording on the Ricordi site, I'm not sure if it's supposed to distinguish this performance or the music that Nono wrote. Not clear what Pier Luigi Billone is up to.

[Artem]

Just found a few more January releases worth noting:

Is there a track list for that disk yet?

[MusicTurner]

Is there a track list for that disk yet?

I was curious too and found a list of content on the naxosdirect.co.uk website. Nørgård's 3 solo sonatas, Ruders' L'Homme Arme Variations. All have been recorded before by others.

[Maestro267]

Just found a few more January releases worth noting:

I completed missed your first posts of January releases until just now. Interesting to see just one Naxos release among the set. Maybe having a quiet month, or are running out of stuff due to the effect of Covid on recording ability.

[Brian]

I completed missed your first posts of January releases until just now. Interesting to see just one Naxos release among the set. Maybe having a quiet month, or are running out of stuff due to the effect of Covid on recording ability.

Naxos' distribution site just wasn't updated promptly and they pushed their own Jan. releases to the end of the month. Looks like this week they uploaded the disc titles and artist names, but not the tracklists or artwork, so I decided not to post them until next week. I can say that there is a great deal of pretty interesting stuff happening on Naxos in January. Big new post coming Monday or Tuesday (whenever they upload the album covers), but get ready for Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata "performed on a real arpeggione", Adams' My Father Knew Charles Ives, and multiple percussion-centric albums.