Past Purchases (CLOSED)

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Forty years collecting recordings and I don't have the First Swedish Rhapsody. I have the Second and Third, and the five symphonies plus much else, but not his most famous work. Weird. Anyway, can you recommend a good recording?

I know two performances - one with Järvi and one with Okko Kamu. I prefer Järvi, on BIS (and in the Brilliant box).

[George]

Celi is always interesting even if I don't like everything he did (not particularly keen on his Beethoven). Clips heard online make me think I'll really enjoy his Verdi Requiem:

Ooo -OOOooo - OOOOOooo!!!

*doing my best Arnold Horshack* 

[M forever]

Hurwitz hated this chamber version of the Fourth; Tony Dugan says it should be heard "for a new insight that, in fact, may not be new at all but might take us back in time to some of Mahler’s own thinking about how his orchestra can sound."

Huh? This symphony was never conceived for chamber orchestra. Looks like the reviewer, probably because of all the HIP and pseudo-HIP people who want to make us believe that small orchestras and hard timpani sticks is what it's all about, got a little confused here.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

You've never seen it before, Johan? You're in for a treat    Truly a classic film that pushes sophomoric humor to the extreme. It has the greatest fart joke of all time. 

Sarge

I have seen High Anxiety, The Producers, To Be Or Not To Be, History of the World Part 1... But not Blazing Saddles!

[Kwoon]

Just got these today:

Rachmaninoff: Piano concertos #2 and 3 (Sigfridsson/Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart/Solyom, Hanssler Classic) **My 155th Rach 3!

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #3, Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini (Moura Castro/Slovenia Radio and TV Sym Orch/Amadio, L'Art) **My 156th Rach 3!

"Glenn Gould - the young maverick": Bach's Goldberg Variations (rec. 1954), Partitia #5, Italian Concerto; Beethoven's Concertos #1 - 3, Sonatas #4, 19, 28; Schoenberg's Concerto Op.42, Three Piano Pieces Op.11, Suite Op.25; Berg's Sonata Op.1; Webern's Variations Op.27 (Glenn Gould, CBC Records 6CDs)

Very impressive. Then I need remember to ask you for your favourite dozen or so.

Van Cliburn's RCA recording is my favorite.  Haven't ranked the others yet!

Nice to see you back, Kwoon!  I, too, have collected the Boulez Mahler recordings and this is my favorite cycle of these works.

David, thanks for remembering me!  I vaguely remember that you were considering moving to Rhode Island.  Did you end up doing that?

[Sergeant Rock]

Huh? This symphony was never conceived for chamber orchestra. Looks like the reviewer, probably because of all the HIP and pseudo-HIP people who want to make us believe that small orchestras and hard timpani sticks is what it's all about, got a little confused here.

Once again, M, you agree with Hurwitz (in fact, you usually do, even when you're damning one of his reviews, or rather, damning his style  ). I don't buy Harding's (and Dugan's) rationale either but I'm open to giving this a hearing. I own seventeen Fourths that use the normal orchestration. Hearing a chamber orchestra will be interesting (I've got a chamber version of DLVDE too).

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Just got these today:

Rachmaninoff: Piano concertos #2 and 3 (Sigfridsson/Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart/Solyom, Hanssler Classic) **My 155th Rach 3!

You're a sick boy, Kwoon. Get some help. I can refer you to my doctor, who specializes in musical obsessions 

Sarge

[Maciek]

He's not very good, though, is he?

[George]

He's not very good, though, is he?

Oh, but he is. Sarge sees a doctor to increase his music obsession.   

[scarpia]

This one looks too good to pass up.  I always enjoy piano reductions of orchestral music, it lets you focus on melody and harmony in passages where the orchestral version dazzles you with flashy orchestration.  I really enjoy the 2 piano version of Brahms Haydn variations (although in that case the 2 piano version preceded the orchestral version, IIRC). 

Another bad day for the postwoman. Four packages from various sources:

This first CD really interests me (and should interest all Mahler/Brucknerites): Mahler's first published work, and my favorite Bruckner symphony like I've never heard it before. Listening now. The opening sounds like 20th century minimalism or even New Age music 

[karlhenning]

Oh, but he is. Sarge sees a doctor to increase his music obsession.   

Now, that is what I call a second opinion 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I get a lot of spam with messages like 'Increase your music obsession!'

Nothing new there.

[The new erato]

Another bad day for the postwoman. Four packages from various sources:

This first CD really interests me (and should interest all Mahler/Brucknerites): Mahler's first published work, and my favorite Bruckner symphony like I've never heard it before. Listening now. The opening sounds like 20th century minimalism or even New Age music 

I really enjoy this duos recordings of Regers arrangements of Bachs Brandenburgs as well as the orchestral suites on MDG!

[Papy Oli]

<< Mahler 4 chamber >> pic

Hurwitz hated this chamber version of the Fourth; Tony Dugan says it should be heard "for a new insight that, in fact, may not be new at all but might take us back in time to some of Mahler's own thinking about how his orchestra can sound."

ooooh...please let us know how this one shapes up, sarge 

I have sampled one chamber version of the DLVDE yesterday on JPC but not been bowled over...but still interested to see how that works out with the other symphonies.

Are you aware of chamber versions of any other Mahler symphonies at all ?

[Sergeant Rock]

This one looks too good to pass up.  I always enjoy piano reductions of orchestral music

Highly recommended if you like this sort of thing. I bought it more out of curiousity (and my passion for completion) than anything else. But the music is surprisingly effective this way. I'm on my third listen today and deliriously happy with it (I can imagine Mahler himself banging away ) The slow movement is particularly good.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

ooooh...please let us know how this one shapes up, sarge 

I have sampled one chamber version of the DLVDE yesterday on JPC but not been bowled over...but still interested to see how that works out with the other symphonies.

Are you aware of chamber versions of any other Mahler symphonies at all ?

Hey, Papy. As far as I know there are only chamber versions of this symphony, and the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and DLVDE which Schoenberg arranged. There are piano arrangements of the Sixth and Seventh symphonies (not sure if there are any recordings).

I myself am dreaming of a Mahler Resurrection with a maximum twenty instrumentalists and a one to a part choir. Where's Joshua Rifkin when you need him    Or better yet, instead of the Symphony of a Thousand, Symphony of a Baker's Dozen! 

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

I really enjoy this duos recordings of Regers arrangements of Bachs Brandenburgs as well as the orchestral suites on MDG!

I'm definitely going to investigate more of this team's recordings.

Sarge

[M forever]

Once again, M, you agree with Hurwitz (in fact, you usually do, even when you're damning one of his reviews, or rather, damning his style  ). I don't buy Harding's (and Dugan's) rationale either but I'm open to giving this a hearing. I own seventeen Fourths that use the normal orchestration. Hearing a chamber orchestra will be interesting (I've got a chamber version of DLVDE too).

Sarge

I don't think this is actually a "chamber version" such as the arrangements by the Schönberg circle of DLvdE and LefG (both of which I have played in chamber ensembles, BTW, along with other such arrangements, e.g. of Debussy's "Faun", pieces from "Gurrelieder", and Bruckner's 7th, and they do indeed all sound great). I think this is simply the original orchestration of the 4th symphony (which is rather "classical" anyway, with not as many woodwinds as many other Mahler symphonies, and no trombones) with a relatively small body of strings.

[Drasko]

I don't think this is actually a "chamber version" such as the arrangements by the Schönberg circle of DLvdE and LefG (both of which I have played in chamber ensembles, BTW, along with other such arrangements, e.g. of Debussy's "Faun", pieces from "Gurrelieder", and Bruckner's 7th, and they do indeed all sound great).

Erwin Stein, Schönberg's pupil, did arrangement of Mahler's 4th for Schönberg's 'Society for Private Musical Performances'.
Here is complete list of arrangements by Schönberg's circle:
http://www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/schoenberg/arrngmts.htm

I've heard chamber versions of Strauss waltzes, very nice, but unfortunately missed the concert with DLvdE few seasons back.
Does anyone have any recommendations for these Mahler arrangements on CD (DLvdE, LefG, 4th).

[Brian]

Once again, M, you agree with Hurwitz (in fact, you usually do, even when you're damning one of his reviews, or rather, damning his style  ). I don't buy Harding's (and Dugan's) rationale either but I'm open to giving this a hearing. I own seventeen Fourths that use the normal orchestration. Hearing a chamber orchestra will be interesting (I've got a chamber version of DLVDE too).

Sarge

I find that Hurwitz often has the right ideas, and often agrees with me on many things, but his expressive style and writing technique are, shall we say ... wanting.