Past Purchases (CLOSED)

[jlaurson]

What the cat dragged in:


Beethoven, op.18/1, op. 59/1
Hagen Quartet, DG

Please, please, please train your cat to fetch this one if the proverbial house is burning down.

I love their op.18/1. Would never recommend it as first recording of that work (there are performances with much more grit; Hagen Q4t would be the perfect alternative performance to, say, Takacs), but love it.
I do not, however, appreciate their op.59/1. For one, I don't think it's as impeccably played. And where their style comes across as clinical-creepy-slick-sophisticated in the late quartets and silky-transparent in op.18, it strikes me as superficial in the first Razumovsky. Hmmm... nothing that turns me off the Hagen Quartett. But something that might make me skip those four tracks half of the time in the future.

Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde
Boulez, Urmana, WPh, DG

I love that Das Lied.  I will be interested to hear what you think.

It's impeccable and deeply felt. Das Lied is one of those works that have had so many excellent modern recordings that they give old classics a mighty run for their money. Actually, a case can be made for recommending 3 - 4 recordings made in the past 20 years and rest content with the results.

I'll listen to it today. I am worried about Schade's contribution, having heard him live to pathetic effect. But then there's stuff you can do in the studio that he couldn't do live, and maybe it turned out fine, that way. Just like Nagano/Gerhaher is PERFECT. And Klaus Florian Vogt--to my great surprise, because he would have definitively have been (and remains) a member of my Fantasy-Lied-von-der-Erde-Team--who is horribly inexpressive.  A colleague of mine actually took Gerhaher/Nagano and spliced Wunderlich/Klemperer in for the tenor parts. Maybe we should ask for the orchestral tapes (which exist separately for the Vogt tracks, because he dubbed them in later, since at the time of the recording he had been indisposed) and have a "Mahlerian Idol" audition to find the new "Lied von der Erde Tenor". (I'm now hoping on: a.) Vogt reading the text, familiarizing himself with the mood, and making good in a few years... and b.) Jonas Kaufmann. He was supposed to sing it in Salzburg, earlier this year, but had to cancel.



Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde
Nagano, Gerhaher, Klaus Florian Vogt
Sony 8869 7508 212

[Lilas Pastia]

I'm not sure it would be wise of Kaufman to sing in Das Lied. In the studio of course it would be entirely possible and probably thrilling to hear. In concert the tenor part requires the heft and ring of a Siegmund.

How is the Montreal Symphony in the Nagano das Lied? I wasn't even aware of their recording it. Or anything else recently for that matter.

Today's purchase: Boccherini's guitar quintets with Jakob Lindberg and members of the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble.

[karlhenning]

Today's purchase: Boccherini's guitar quintets with Jakob Lindberg and members of the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble.

Very nice, André!

[Wanderer]

The Langgaard symphonies boxset is finally on its way!  

Some recent acquisitions:



(on Blu-ray)



(Berezovsky plays Beethoven, Medtner, Llywelyn, Godowsky and Liadov)



(Gachot's Evening Talks documentary)



(documentary & recital)

[DavidRoss]

What the cat dragged in:

Beethoven, op.18/1, op. 59/1
Hagen Quartet, DG[/url]

Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde
Boulez, Urmana, WPh, DG[/url]

"Chaconne"
Buson, Brahms & Lutz on BACH's Chaconne [/url]

Chopin, Piano Concertos
Zimerman, Polish Festival Orchestra, DG[/url]

I don't know the Chaconne but your praise suggests it's worth a listen--thanks.  The other three are quite fine--even though Zimmerman is an idiot, he plays okay--with Boulez's Das Lied among my very favorites.  Schade could be better, but many are far worse, and Boulez is great and Urmana almost makes me forget Ludwig and Baker--I just love her creamy voice in this!

Looking forward to your take on Nagano's Das Lied.  He's one of my faves for vocal music (and not just because he's a local lad) and his Mahler 8th is very very special to my ears.

Thread Duty:  After frequent praise from nearly all quarters over the years, a brief discussion with Jens and Don about the Vegh LvB quartets convinced me I needed to give them a fair hearing.  After listening to a few repeatedly via WWWeb download, I decided to plump for the set (stereo) and ordered it from Amazon UK.  There followed a few months of emails explaining difficulty acquiring it from the distributor, a cancellation and reorder, reports of discontinuation from the catalog, and notices that they were still working on fulfilling the order.  I remained patient and hopeful, but was considering canceling and buying a used copy.

Patience and faith were rewarded, however, and I received notice that the set has shipped, so I expect it to be in my hands sometime in the next day or two.

[Franco]

Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas / John O'Conor

Mozart: The Piano Concertos / Geza Anda

I have complete sets of Schnabel and Goode on the Beethoven, and Kempff (Late Sonatas), Serkin (Middle Nos.) among others on individual sonatas, but wanted another complete cycle and chose the O'Conor.

Alas, I realized that my complete set of Mozart Piano Concertos by Anda, LPs, is, sadly, hardly listenable anymore, so I am replacing it - and will probably order the Immerseel soon, as well.  I have about half of the concertos by others (O'Conor, Uchida, Barenboim), but my only complete set was the Anda on LP.

[71 dB]

HANDEL.SEMELE.Cecilia Bartoli.Orchestra La Scintilla/William Christie.DVD.£15.75

[Bogey]

Patience and faith were rewarded, however, and I received notice that the set has shipped, so I expect it to be in my hands sometime in the next day or two.

Booyah!

[George]

Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas / John O'Conor

Mozart: The Piano Concertos / Geza Anda

Gurn's a big fan of the O'Conor IIRC. I am a huge fan of Anda's Mozart PC's. I was lucky enough to be given these as a gift from Que awhile back. Thanks Again, Que! 

[jwinter]

I really like both of those as well -- happy listening!

[The new erato]

[jlaurson]

Good choice, indeed! Probably my favorite Saul (ahead, still, of Jacobs) and in any case one of my favorite Oratorios. Throw in the carillon, yes, Sir!

Looking forward to your take on Nagano's Das Lied.  He's one of my faves for vocal music (and not just because he's a local lad) and his Mahler 8th is very very special to my ears.

Nagano's 8th is a favorite. (Among those available.)
But Nagano live can be disappointing and rarely truly exciting (Wozzeck was one such exception). I find his recordings (including his recent Bruckner 4th) consistently more appealing. I'll hear his Lohengrin (live) next week. We'll see.

My opinion on the Nagano/Gerhaher "Das Lied" pretty much stands: A _must_, just for the baritone... but a missed opportunity for lack of insight from the tenor. Which is a shame, because Vogt has all the potential to be a very fine DLvdE-tenor.

I did enjoy the Boulez Lied. Urmana, foremost.

[DavidRoss]

Alas, I realized that my complete set of Mozart Piano Concertos by Anda, LPs, is, sadly, hardly listenable anymore, so I am replacing it - and will probably order the Immerseel soon, as well. 

Fine if the period instruments are important.  If not, you might consider Buchbinder or Schiff.

[Gurn Blanston]

Gurn's a big fan of the O'Conor IIRC. I am a huge fan of Anda's Mozart PC's. I was lucky enough to be given these as a gift from Que awhile back. Thanks Again, Que! 

Yep, I am. Maybe the only one on this forum in fact. Although I think Franco soon will be.  

I am currently looking for recordings of Haydn's various Divertimentos (Hoboken II - Divertimentos for 4 or more instruments, to be precise). Recordings of any kind, period instruments or otherwise, seem to be thin on the ground. I have the Zurich Tönhalle Winds doing 41-46, and a variety of Baryton Octets (down in the 10-16 range), but that's about it. I see one on Testament by the London Wind Soloists, has anyone here heard this?



I would have put this post in the "Recordings you are considering" thread, but there is very little to consider at this point.




----------------
Listening to:
Hungarian State Orchestra / Ferencsik - K 551 Symphony #41 in C 4th mvmt - Molto allegro

[SonicMan46]

b]Boccherini's guitar quintets[/b] with Jakob Lindberg and members of the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble.

Hello André - I've been through a number of recordings of the above mentioned, but the Lindberg interests me a lot!  Not sure if the recording is even available anymore?  But please let us know your impressions - thanks.  Dave 

[Coopmv]

HANDEL.SEMELE.Cecilia Bartoli.Orchestra La Scintilla/William Christie.DVD.£15.75

This is the old-fashioned version I have according to our resident Handel's authority ...

[Lilas Pastia]

Today's purchase: Boccherini's guitar quintets with Jakob Lindberg and members of the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble.

Very nice, André!

Thanks Karl! Some day, Boccherini's star will shine brighter than most, second only to those of Mozart and Haydn... 0:)

[Coopmv]

Booyah!

Bill, is this a Jim Cramer moment?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Booyah!

Yeppers!

[Scarpia]

Yep, I am. Maybe the only one on this forum in fact. Although I think Franco soon will be.  

I am currently looking for recordings of Haydn's various Divertimentos (Hoboken II - Divertimentos for 4 or more instruments, to be precise). Recordings of any kind, period instruments or otherwise, seem to be thin on the ground. I have the Zurich Tönhalle Winds doing 41-46, and a variety of Baryton Octets (down in the 10-16 range), but that's about it. I see one on Testament by the London Wind Soloists, has anyone here heard this?



I would have put this post in the "Recordings you are considering" thread, but there is very little to consider at this point.




----------------
Listening to:
Hungarian State Orchestra / Ferencsik - K 551 Symphony #41 in C 4th mvmt - Molto allegro

The London Wind Soloists are sloppy, I suspect these are better.