Past Purchases (CLOSED)

[Holden]

I have not bought any CDs for about two years, both for lack of opportunities (here in China) and a lack of funds. But a friend went to Hungary last week and came back with the following which I had asked to look out for:




Chopin- 24 Preludes Op.28, Prelude in C sharp minor op.45, Prelude in A flat major (1834), by Dezso Ranki

I'd be interested to hear your opinion of the Preludes. Richter had a very high opinion of Ranki.

[Sergeant Rock]

The other Païta Wagner CD arrived today, the pornographic one    Also received a Bruckner 8th conducted by Böhm that was recently reviewed by Lilas Pastia, endorsed by DarkAngel. I'm not a fan of Böhm's Bruckner (finding him rather cold and sterile in the recordings I do own); hoping this 8th will change my opinion for the better.



Sarge

[DavidW]

Inspired by posts in the Penderecki thread.

[Opus106]

Some brilliant purchases, I would say,

Johann Sebastian Bach

Organ Works (6 CDs) - Contents
Ton Koopman

Beyond that single CD from the Leonhardt box I have nothing of Bach's works for the organ. I suppose this will be a nice starter kit, with all the famous works contained in it.


Nocturnes
Bart van Oort

This 4-CD box is an interesting concept. It traces the evolution of the 19th century form of the nocturne. The first disc contains 15 from the originator of the genre, John Field. Next, discs 2 and 3 contain the entire output of the Master, Chopin. The last disc takes a look at the nocturnes from other notables of the Romantic era like Clara Schumann, Weber, Alkan, Glinka, Szymanowski among others.

Per the Classics Today review, Oort plays an 1823 Broadwood for the Field nocturnes and uses an 1842 Pleyel and an 1837 Erard for the Chopin. If you're a non-conformist and tend to dismiss early pianos, just listen to the samples.


Great Russian Piano Trios

Pretty standard fare.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Op. 50
Alexander Alyabev (Alya-who?)
Sergei Taneyev, Op. 22
Rachmaninoff No. 1 and No. 2
Arensky, Op. 32*
Shostakovich, Op. 67*

Borodin Trio
*Amsterdam Chamber Ensemble [Edward Auer (Piano), Nathaniel Rosen (Cello), Christiaan Bor (Violin)]


Fancesco Veracini
Violin Sonatas, Op. 1
Enrico Casazza (violin), Francesco Ferranini/Marcello Scandelli (cello), Roberto Loreggian (harpsichord)

This composer had my attention from the moment I listened to the Op.1 No. 1 from the Italian violin sonatas album from Biondi and Co. This 2-CD set looked like a good place to begin exploring the music of the violinist-composer who had Tartini doubt his abilities with the violin.

I notice a stark difference between the playing in the two albums (just the samples from the Brilliant, for now). Biondi is really fast and furious (in a good way), while Casazza and team take it more relaxed and bring the dance-tune origins of the music out.

[ChamberNut]

Great Russian Piano Trios

Pretty standard fare.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Op. 50
Alexander Alyabev (Alya-who?)
Sergei Taneyev, Op. 22
Rachmaninoff No. 1 and No. 2
Arensky, Op. 32*
Shostakovich, Op. 67*

Borodin Trio
*Amsterdam Chamber Ensemble [Edward Auer (Piano), Nathaniel Rosen (Cello), Christiaan Bor (Violin)]

Very, very nice!    Let us know about these.

[Opus106]

Very, very nice!    Let us know about these.

Mostly minor-scale stuff from really sad/troubled/disturbed nineteenth-century men: it must be good!

[DavidRoss]

Arrived yesterday evening and I listened to it late last night.  First impressions:  liked the performance, especially the soloists and the pacing, but did not care for the recording quality (a first for me in this otherwise superb cycle).  I did some brief comparative listening this morning to Nagano's terrific 8th and to Chailly's.  MTT's approach is similar to Nagano's (his colleague across the Bay)--lively, impassioned, thoughtful or reflective, and deeply felt; Chailly, by comparison, sounds leaden, lackluster and sluggish, as if on Qualudes. 

I think the sound engineers had trouble getting the vast dynamic range of this piece on record.  The soloists' levels strike me as too high compared with the orchestra and choruses, which encourages me to turn down the gain, but then the soundstage shrinks and everything else sounds a bit compressed and congested.  In order to get the sound to open up and expand across the front of my listening room, I have to crank the volume up higher than for any other recording I own.  It may be realistic, but it's a bit much for a modest house in town!  Nagano's recording might not have as much dynamic range, but it sounds better--more "lifelike," open and airy with a broad and deep soundstage at modest levels--and it's easier to listen to at reduced volumes more appropriate for the home. 

One run through and with the sound/volume issues perplexing me hardly qualifies me to make definitive judgments about the recording, but on the whole I liked it quite a bit.  Along with Nagano's it is the only recording of the eighth that I'm interested in hearing again for its own sake and not out of some sense of duty to try to like the piece.  (That includes the Ozawa recording others have recently praised.)  And the soloists and choruses are absolutely terrific, yielding nothing to Nagano's Berliners (no, not the doughnuts!) and maybe even bettering them.  Wall proves a marvelous surprise!

To sum up--if a strong performance of the 8th interests you and you have a very good playback system, then you might want to give this a try.  (It's coupled with a lovely, languorous, at times dreamy rendering of the 10th's Adagio.)  But if you're listening on mid-fi gear--or on your computer--then I'd advise passing it up and opting for Nagano's 8th instead.

[Papy Oli]

Ordered Tintner's Bruckner 8 & 9 and Klemperer's Mahler 2 last night as part of a CD/DVD bundle for my godson's and his brother's birthdays later this month...just as their first intro to classical music 

[Scarpia]

(It's coupled with a lovely, languorous, at times dreamy rendering of the 10th's Adagio.)

I wouldn't have characterized that performance as dreamy.

[Harry]

Very, very nice!    Let us know about these.

I wrote at great length in this thread about this box, Fie Ray you did not pay attention.

[Novi]

Great DVD. I thought the Firkusny piano disc was Out Of Print?

Erato, I've had my eye on that DVD for some time now.

I'm not sure about the Firkusny as I got it used; but checking just now, it seems to be available from amazon, although they say it'll take 2 or 3 weeks, so don't know how 'available' that really means.

[Novi]

Ordered Tintner's Bruckner 8 & 9 and Klemperer's Mahler 2 last night as part of a CD/DVD bundle for my godson's and his brother's birthdays later this month...just as their first intro to classical music 

That's pretty cool - what else is in the bundle?

[Drasko]

Pavarotti's 1968 debut album.

also some films on DVD

[Papy Oli]

That's pretty cool - what else is in the bundle?

others include Bob Dylan's Highway 61, Steely Dan's Aja, Joni Mitchell's Blue and the ZZ Top Live in Texas DVD...

Been doing that for a couple of years now in various styles (e.g. Mogwai, Neil Young, Four Tet, the Smiths, Nick Drake, the Band, etc etc etc...)... there's obviously been some hits and misses...but we have a gentlemen's agreemement that they'll be trying the "misses" ones again in time, as their tastes may evolve  

Thought i'd try some classical this time round... considered these 3 to be as good an entry as anything else, especially with the faster movements, that could appeal to them... i'm looking forward to hearing what they make of it  

[ChamberNut]

I wrote at great length in this thread about this box, Fie Ray you did not pay attention.

Sorry Harry. I don't always read the "Purchases Today" thread, since it is a little depressing for me as I don't have the means to buy much music these days. 

[SonicMan46]

 

Arrived yesterday evening and I listened to it late last night.  First impressions:  liked the performance, especially the soloists and the pacing, but did not care for the recording quality (a first for me in this otherwise superb cycle).  I did some brief comparative listening this morning to Nagano's terrific 8th and to Chailly's.  MTT's approach is similar to Nagano's (his colleague across the Bay)--lively, impassioned, thoughtful or reflective, and deeply felt; Chailly, by comparison, sounds leaden, lackluster and sluggish, as if on Qualudes. 

I think the sound engineers had trouble getting the vast dynamic range of this piece on record.....................

David - thanks for that thorough review of the MTT series w/ the San Frans!    I bought the Gary Bertini box (inserted above) of the Mahler Symphonies, and am currently listening to No. 6 (Tragic - guess it depends on 'how' one feels?) - just an outstanding bargain set, and one that I'd probably recommend as a starter for those wanting Mahler in one 'neat & small' package.

But, that just makes my 2nd box of these works, and could always add a third - I'm still impressed w/ your comments on MTT; just waiting for a nice small presentation to be put together at the good price?  Maybe not to be but hopeful?  Dave 

[Harry]

Of this label there are many vocal cd's sold for 4,99 euro's, a lot of old music, its in todays new releases, on JPC de. Check it out! I extracted these two instrumental ones, since I think I have enough vocal works already.

[Que]

Of this label there are many vocal cd's sold for 4,99 euro's, a lot of old music, its in todays new releases, on JPC de. Check it out! I extracted these two instrumental ones, since I think I have enough vocal works already.

Thanks Harry! I've rapidly gathered all K617 offers at jpc.
Lots of good stuff!!

Q

[pi2000]

Bellini: Beatrice di Tenda
Mariana Nicolesco
Pierro Cappuccilli
Stefania Tocszyska
Conductor: Alberto Zedda

[Harry]

Thanks Harry! I've rapidly gathered all K617 offers at jpc.
Lots of good stuff!!

Q

Your welcome. If there is some really excellent stuff among it, please let me know.