Marco Polo clearance sale at MDT

[Brian]

MDT now has a wide selection of Marco Polo CDs on clearance for less than 5 pounds - or considerably less than the price of a regular Naxos CD. I thought we could have a nice place to share both what intrigues us and what we recommend others pick up.

I am interested in the Dohnanyi piano music disc - most of Wolf Harden's work is reliably excellent. Comments appreciated. There are four Braga Santos albums to pick up and pages upon pages of music by obscure composers to browse...

The Gliere Third Symphony is miserably recorded, but the performance itself is very fine indeed, and the conducting makes sense of this sprawling, loony piece. Definitely a reasonable buy if either you have not been introduced to this over-the-top late-romantic bonanza, or are in the market for an alternative take. (More fiery than Downes', for instance - makes up for in spunk what it loses in polish.)

The Griffes piano sonata is a neat piece, if you don't yet have it. And, finally, if you pick up the Tournemire series (if I remember correctly), you'll get to hear David Hurwitz' personal percussion collection, which was on loan for the recording session. 

Does anybody know the CD of South African symphonies?

[vandermolen]

Thanks for link.

Lots of goodies, although some have already been transferred to Naxos (ie Waxman's fine score for 'Rebecca')

From a quick browse, here are my recommendations:

Avshalomoff: Symphony 1
Braga Santos symphonies 1 and 2 (he is listed under 'B' and 'S')
Sainton: Moby Dick film score
Arnold: David Copperfield etc film music
Auric: film music
All the Tournemire symphonies
Truscott: Symphony (a great work)
Respighi: Concerto Gregoriano
Bloch: Piano Music
Sternefeld: Symphony
Meulemans: Pliny's Fountain (lovely work) and symphony 2 and 3
Gliere: Symphony No 3 (on Naxos)
Ippolitov-Ivanovs: Orchestral works
Le Flem: Symphony 4 etc
Malipiero: Symphony 3 and 4
Holbrooke: Chamber music.

I have the S African CD - it is ok, nothing special in my view.

[Kullervo]

Thanks for link.

Lots of goodies, although some have already been transferred to Naxos (ie Waxman's fine score for 'Rebecca')

From a quick browse, here are my recommendations:

Avshalomoff: Symphony 1
Braga Santos symphonies 1 and 2 (he is listed under 'B' and 'S')
Sainton: Moby Dick film score
Arnold: David Copperfield etc film music
Auric: film music
All the Tournemire symphonies
Truscott: Symphony (a great work)
Respighi: Concerto Gregoriano
Bloch: Piano Music
Sternefeld: Symphony
Meulemans: Pliny's Fountain (lovely work) and symphony 2 and 3
Gliere: Symphony No 3 (on Naxos)
Ippolitov-Ivanovs: Orchestral works
Le Flem: Symphony 4 etc
Malipiero: Symphony 3 and 4
Holbrooke: Chamber music.

I have the S African CD - it is ok, nothing special in my view.

Oh, boy... where to begin? I think I will get the Tournemire and Braga Santos symphonies.

[Brian]

Bear in mind that for the duration of the sale Marco Polo CDs are cheaper than Naxos. And, in the case of movie music, the Marco Polo iterations have luxurious liner notes with stills from the original films.

[mc ukrneal]

I'd also add that for US buyers, SOME of the Marco Polo catalog can be found at better prices when on sale (not at regular price). Although, the difference is not terribly big in most cases. Mdt will cost $7.25 (includes shipping), so the sale would need to be $6.99 or better (assuming no shipping charge).

[Christo]

From a quick browse, here are my recommendations:

Truscott: Symphony (a great work)

Finally succumbed. Opened an MDT account for the occasion and ordered for the old man's symphony. 

Oh, boy... where to begin? I think I will get the Tournemire and Braga Santos symphonies.

Please order for all the Braga Santos you can find - a very special composer and very dear to us, the socalled BSE (so-called Braga Santos Experts) in this forum. 

Especially symphonies 1-4 would make a great start.

[Brian]

Please order for all the Braga Santos you can find - a very special composer and very dear to us, the socalled BSE (so-called Braga Santos Experts) in this forum. 

Whoops, I thought it was Braga Santos Enthusiasts. Guess I'm no longer a BSE 

[Lethevich]

Finally succumbed. Opened an MDT account for the occasion and ordered for the old man's symphony. 

That is a really nice disc all-round - I think it was Thom (who doesn't post all that often) who introduced it to me. So British in style that it cannot fail to fail.

[vandermolen]

Oh, boy... where to begin? I think I will get the Tournemire and Braga Santos symphonies.

That sounds like a very good place to begin! 

[vandermolen]

Finally succumbed. Opened an MDT account for the occasion and ordered for the old man's symphony. 

Please order for all the Braga Santos you can find - a very special composer and very dear to us, the socalled BSE (so-called Braga Santos Experts) in this forum. 

Especially symphonies 1-4 would make a great start.

You'll like the Truscott Johan, with its echoes of Nielsen, Brian and Bruckner. I love the lowering darkness of the end section of the Symphony.

Unfortunately BS symphonies 3 and 4 (my favourites) don't seem to be included in the MDT sale, but nos 1 and 2 are great places to start.

[Kullervo]

That sounds like a very good place to begin! 

Also picked up the disc of Cyril Scott's music after listening to some samples. Sounds intriguing!

[vandermolen]

FAO Johan (Christo) and anyone else buying the Truscott Symphony. The same CD also contains the haunting and very touching 'Elegy for String Orchestra'. This is a masterpiece, in my view, worthy to stand alongside other much better known British works for string orchestra.

[Lethevich]

FAO Johan (Christo) and anyone else buying the Truscott Symphony. The same CD also contains the haunting and very touching 'Elegy for String Orchestra'. This is a masterpiece, in my view, worthy to stand alongside other much better known British works for string orchestra.

It's quite unique. Initially I found it rather formless, but there is a wonderful unhurried quality to it - so slow to unfold, but does so beautifully. I cannot think of a similar work which is quite so ghostly sounding...

[Christo]

It's quite unique. Initially I found it rather formless, but there is a wonderful unhurried quality to it - so slow to unfold, but does so beautifully. I cannot think of a similar work which is quite so ghostly sounding...

Thanks all for the warm recommendations - very inspiring. I also recall Dundonnell's stories about his relative's (great-uncle?) connections to Truscott. All very good reasons to look forward to it, and one of the nice things about this forum. Where else in this wide world does one find friends who are able to tell you more about a Symphony by a composer called Harold Truscott? 

[Bulldog]

All the Marco Polo releases are on the Naxos Music Library, so I'll pass.

[MichaelRabin]

How about Humperdinck's Moorish Rhapsody conducted by Martin Fischer-Dieskau?
Sounds like an evocative piece.

[vandermolen]

It's quite unique. Initially I found it rather formless, but there is a wonderful unhurried quality to it - so slow to unfold, but does so beautifully. I cannot think of a similar work which is quite so ghostly sounding...

Very eloquently expressed - I totally agree.

[Dundonnell]

Thanks all for the warm recommendations - very inspiring. I also recall Dundonnell's stories about his relative's (great-uncle?) connections to Truscott. All very good reasons to look forward to it, and one of the nice things about this forum. Where else in this wide world does one find friends who are able to tell you more about a Symphony by a composer called Harold Truscott? 

Sorry....no connections with Truscott, I am afraid, Johan My great uncle was a close friend of Sir Donald Tovey. Same initial letter of the surname but a bit earlier and a more Brahmsian composer than Truscott Both were Professors at Edinburgh University- Tovey of Music and my great uncle of Bacteriology.

[Dundonnell]

Just when my wish list has dwindled to a mere two cds-I have bought FAR too many in the last three months-all these Marco Polos appear, some of which were hard to find previously.

So far I have ordered the Avshalomoff Nos 1 and 2 and the Sternefeld What are the Avshalomoff like, Jeffrey?

I would like to recommend the Lajtha and the Moyzes symphonies to those who don't have them.

[Christo]

Sorry....no connections with Truscott, I am afraid, Johan My great uncle was a close friend of Sir Donald Tovey. Same initial letter of the surname but a bit earlier and a more Brahmsian composer than Truscott Both were Professors at Edinburgh University- Tovey of Music and my great uncle of Bacteriology.

Of course, I should have known!  (Knocking my head at the table)  

Apart from your great uncle, Sir Donald Tovey was a good friend of Julius Röntgen BTW. They corresponded e.g. about Röntgen's remarcle series of late symphonies in the years around 1930. More is to be found in the booklets coming with the CPO releases of them.