Past Purchases (CLOSED)

[TheGSMoeller]

Yun is a fine composer and highly appreciated by me!

Thanks for the comment, Harry! My anticipation has now grown, perhaps I'll return with the need of some further recommendations.

[North Star]

Just bought:

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[asin]B0000CE7FI[/asin]

Martinon's Ravel is exquisite, Ilaria - but you had that Ashkenazy/Perlman/Harrell Beethoven PT set vol. 1 twice - did you buy both volumes, sth else, or just those two?

[Lisztianwagner]

Martinon's Ravel is exquisite, Ilaria - but you had that Ashkenazy/Perlman/Harrell Beethoven PT set vol. 1 twice - did you buy both volumes, sth else, or just those two?

Did I take the same picture twice? It's only a mistake, I bought both the volumes of Beethoven's Piano Trios.
Yes, I'm very happy, I wanted the Martinon Ravel set for quite a long time!

[nico1616]

I know about that, and its very mixed reviews (serviceable seem spot on), combined with Chandos' usual high price (and my limited enthusiam for the Parthenope with the same forces), made me give it a miss. But the DG is also only a stopgap for me, until somebody realizes that this is one major Handel work in dire need of a new recording with top HIP forces.

The Chandos Semele is indeed HIP but the sound of the violins sounds so thin and even scratchy that HIP is not an asset at all here. It lacks dramatic excitement and humour. However, I love the Partenope they made, that one certainly makes my smile.
Nelson's orchestra on DG sounds top notch and has the right style IMHO. Moreover you have some ideal singing by Kathleen Battle, Samuel Ramey and Marilyn Horne. Only the Jupiter of Aler is not in that league. My ideal Jupiter is Anthony Rolfe Johnson in the Gardiner Erato recording. That one is HIP but heavily cut.
With all its qualities, I would never call the DG Semele a stopgap!

[North Star]

Did I take the same picture twice? It's only a mistake, I bought both the volumes of Beethoven's Piano Trios.
Yes, I'm very happy, I wanted the Martinon Ravel set for quite a long time!

I thought so.

I recall that you have Martinon's Debussy, as there's the EMI box of his Ravel & Debussy, too?

[Lisztianwagner]

I thought so.

I recall that you have Martinon's Debussy, as there's the EMI box of his Ravel & Debussy, too?

Thanks for warning, I had chosen the wrong picture.

That's right, such an incredibly beautiful set; only his La Mer and Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune are not the finest recordings I've listened to so far! I know there's also Martinon's box of Ravel & Debussy, but I preferred to buy them separetely; originally, I was interested just in the Debussy set as I had already had Abbado for Ravel.

[North Star]

Thanks for warning, I had chosen the wrong picture.

That's right, such an incredibly beautiful set; only his La Mer and Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune are not the finest recordings I've listened to so far! I know there's also Martinon's box of Ravel & Debussy, but I preferred to buy them separetely; originally, I was interested just in the Debussy set as I had already had Abbado for Ravel.

Yeah, and that older R&D set was discontinued a while ago, and the new duo is very recent.
BTW, I thought you were interested in the complete sets (Decca Ravel and Sony or DG Debussy) - but I guess it's not a bad strategy to buy in smaller doses 
How much have you heard from these composers' oeuvres, anyway - obviously the piano, orchestral and concertante stuff, and that Rattle disc with L'Énfant - but what about e.g. chamber music, Ravel's songs, or Debussy's Pelléas ?

[kishnevi]

Yeah, and that older R&D set was discontinued a while ago, and the new duo is very recent.

The EMI set was not really discontinued, just given the new cover for their lastest series of re-issues.
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Which, since it's been on my wishlist for a while, I was motivated to actually order reading your conversation here.

There is a high chance that will be my last order of 2012, unless something unexpected pops up Sunday morning or Monday evening.

[Mirror Image]

The EMI set was not really discontinued, just given the new cover for their lastest series of re-issues.
[asin]B008DK3Q96[/asin]
Which, since it's been on my wishlist for a while, I was motivated to actually order reading your conversation here.

There is a high chance that will be my last order of 2012, unless something unexpected pops up Sunday morning or Monday evening.

Quite possibly my first exposure to both of these composers. Incredible performances. Martinon was a master.

[kishnevi]

Quite possibly my first exposure to both of these composers. Incredible performances. Martinon was a master.

I have more of their piano works than their orchestral works, in both cases--two complete cycles for each (of course for Ravel,  a complete cycle fits on two CDs), plus a little stash of Debussy--Gieseking, Aimard, Hewitt, Osborne,  not sure who else but I'm pretty sure there's more.   Orchestral I'm pretty much limited up to now to one set of each (Boulez/Sony  for Debussy, Abbado for Ravel), Rattle's CD of L'enfant, and I'm not sure how many for the concertos.  And some compilation CDs I play in the car that include Bolero and Prelude to the Afternoon.... So this will be an interesting one for me.

[Mirror Image]

I have more of their piano works than their orchestral works, in both cases--two complete cycles for each (of course for Ravel,  a complete cycle fits on two CDs), plus a little stash of Debussy--Gieseking, Aimard, Hewitt, Osborne,  not sure who else but I'm pretty sure there's more.   Orchestral I'm pretty much limited up to now to one set of each (Boulez/Sony  for Debussy, Abbado for Ravel), Rattle's CD of L'enfant, and I'm not sure how many for the concertos.  And some compilation CDs I play in the car that include Bolero and Prelude to the Afternoon.... So this will be an interesting one for me.

I don't own one set of Debussy's solo piano works in my collection, but I hope to remedy that one day. Solo piano music, as you probably know already, isn't high on my priority list. In fact, I seldom listen to it. I do like chamber music though and Debussy's and Ravel's is still some of the finest I know. Concerning the Martinon set, there's so much great music packed in this set. I didn't care much for the Ravel concerti recording of Martinon's. I forget who is on piano, but I found the performances mediocre, but that's just two performances and they can be easily overlooked, especially when there's so much music to be explored in that set.

[Sammy]

The Chandos Semele is indeed HIP but the sound of the violins sounds so thin and even scratchy that HIP is not an asset at all here. It lacks dramatic excitement and humour.

I agree that the performance is lacking, but I don't have any problem with the violins; they sound fine to me.  What I don't care for is the less than assertive direction that sounds "phoned-in" to my ears.  Also, the soloists are consistently disappointing. 

[Octave]

Quite possibly my first exposure to both of these composers. Incredible performances. Martinon was a master.

I am totally in love with these recordings; unfortunately, I bought mine in the short interim out-of-print period for that EMI 8cd, so I got Brilliant's 4cd reissue of the Debussy and EMI's 3cd of the Ravel, missing the piano/orchestra disc.

For some of the Ravel, I was even more impressed by the sound and playing on this disc, which I got not long ago:


Ravel: RAPSODIE ESPAGNOLE etc (Jean Martinon w/Chicago Symphony, RCA)

In case anyone doesn't have that one, it's a crackerjack.

And unrelated, except that it, too, has me psyched, I just got this:


Claudio Monteverdi: VESPRO DELLA BEATA VERGINE (Christina Pluhar w/L'Arpeggiata - Virgin, 2011)

I got the edition with one disc of music and a reportedly rather short Region '0' DVD which I have checked out yet.  Monteverdi Vespers have become a minor obsession with me; I think I'm up to like ~10 of them now, and I haven't even gotten all the recent (alleged) essentials, e.g. no Alessandrini or Savall yet, go figure.  Monteverdi's a big enthusiasm for me.

[Mirror Image]

I am totally in love with these recordings; unfortunately, I bought mine in the short interim out-of-print period for that EMI 8cd, so I got Brilliant's 4cd reissue of the Debussy and EMI's 3cd of the Ravel, missing the piano/orchestra disc.

For some of the Ravel, I was even more impressed by the sound and playing on this disc, which I got not long ago:


Ravel: RAPSODIE ESPAGNOLE etc (Jean Martinon w/Chicago Symphony, RCA)

In case anyone doesn't have that one, it's a crackerjack.

I own that one too, Octave. It certainly is a good one. Too bad Martinon's tenure with the CSO was so short-lived.

[Lisztianwagner]

Yeah, and that older R&D set was discontinued a while ago, and the new duo is very recent.
BTW, I thought you were interested in the complete sets (Decca Ravel and Sony or DG Debussy) - but I guess it's not a bad strategy to buy in smaller doses 
How much have you heard from these composers' oeuvres, anyway - obviously the piano, orchestral and concertante stuff, and that Rattle disc with L'Énfant - but what about e.g. chamber music, Ravel's songs, or Debussy's Pelléas ?

About Ravel's chamber music and songs, I've listened to the Violin Sonatas, the Cello Sonata, the Piano Trio, Tzigane, Introduction and Allegro, the String Quartet in F and Shéhérazade. Instead I haven't listened to Debussy's Pelléas yet, but I would like to get a recording of that opera. I know Karajan did one.....

[Gold Knight]

On order from Amazon:

Franz Schubert--The Symphonies {box set, import}, performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Nikolaus Harnoncourt's baton.
Ludwig Van Beethoven--Symphonies Nos.2 and 5, both works featuring the Cleveland Orchestra led by George Szell.

[North Star]

About Ravel's chamber music and songs, I've listened to the Violin Sonatas, the Cello Sonata, the Piano Trio, Tzigane, Introduction and Allegro, the String Quartet in F and Shéhérazade. Instead I haven't listened to Debussy's Pelléas yet, but I would like to get a recording of that opera. I know Karajan did one.....

The Sonata for Violin & Cello is nice, too. And the songs are brilliant stuff - e.g. Histoires naturelles, Chansons madécasses, Trois poèmes de Mallarmé, and Deux Mélodies hébraïques.

Pelléas is a must-hear, and even more so since you like opera (at least Wagner ). I don't own other recordings, but Boulez on Sony is superb (included in the complete box  - though without the libretto, which is at IMSLP (Wikipedia), though).

I was a bit obsessed with the PT some months ago, a great piece.

[Lisztianwagner]

The Sonata for Violin & Cello is nice, too. And the songs are brilliant stuff - e.g. Histoires naturelles, Chansons madécasses, Trois poèmes de Mallarmé, and Deux Mélodies hébraïques.

Pelléas is a must-hear, and even more so since you like opera (at least Wagner ). I don't own other recordings, but Boulez on Sony is superb (included in the complete box  - though without the libretto, which is at IMSLP (Wikipedia), though).

I was a bit obsessed with the PT some months ago, a great piece.

Thank you for the feedback, Karlo. Yes, the Sonata for Violin and Cello is a very enchanting, expressive piece, I'm sorry before I meant that with Cello Sonata. I would like to hear more songs and vocal works by Ravel, so I think my next Ravel purchase may definitely be the Ravel Complete Edition, a box I've been very tempted to buy. I would also like to get Rattle's performance of Shéhérazade, once I listened to it on the radio and it absolutely impressed me!

About Pelléas, I will carefully consider both the Boulez and the Karajan.

PT= Piano Trio?

[North Star]

Thank you for the feedback, Karlo. Yes, the Sonata for Violin and Cello is a very enchanting, expressive piece, I'm sorry before I meant that with Cello Sonata. I would like to hear more songs and vocal works by Ravel, so I think my next Ravel purchase may definitely be the Ravel Complete Edition, a box I've been very tempted to buy. I would also like to get Rattle's performance of Shéhérazade, once I listened to it on the radio and it absolutely impressed me!

About Pelléas, I will carefully consider both the Boulez and the Karajan.

PT= Piano Trio?

Yes.


Obviously, as there is no real 'Cello Sonata' (though I admit that I didn't think of that earlier...)
The complete edition is just awesome - the only downside I can think of is the inevitable duplication of some material

This Abbado might be worth considering, too - perhaps someone here knows it.
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[Mirror Image]

This Abbado might be worth considering, too - perhaps someone here knows it.
[asin]B000001GFU[/asin]

Yes, a fine performance. I've only listened to it once and it made a good impression on me.