Best recordings of 2009?

[DarkAngel]

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-recordings-of-2009-3.html
Best of 2009 - Part 3

That Brendel Haydn set is indeed superb, I think it is the best thing I have heard him do!

Wasn't expecting too much when I got this from the Haydn thread, but it made me re-think my image of Brendel, has an underlying sparkle and wit that eludes almost any other version, remaster at reduced price is icing on the cake

[Bulldog]

That Brendel Haydn set is indeed superb, I think it is the best thing I have heard him do!

Wasn't expecting too much when I got this from the Haydn thread, but it made me re-think my image of Brendel, has an underlying sparkle and wit that eludes almost any other version, remaster at reduced price is icing on the cake

I agree.  Brendel's sparkle and wit are infectious along with his wonderful use of rhetorical devices.

[Henk]

That Brendel Haydn set is indeed superb, I think it is the best thing I have heard him do!

Wasn't expecting too much when I got this from the Haydn thread, but it made me re-think my image of Brendel, has an underlying sparkle and wit that eludes almost any other version, remaster at reduced price is icing on the cake

But it's quite expensive.

Is this a good alternative?


It's cheaper at least.

[Brian]

But it's quite expensive.

Is this a good alternative?


It's cheaper at least.

Well the one you link to has 4 Haydn sonatas, where the more expensive one has 4 CDs full of Haydn sonatas. So it depends on what music you want to hear!

[Henk]

Well the one you link to has 4 Haydn sonatas, where the more expensive one has 4 CDs full of Haydn sonatas. So it depends on what music you want to hear!

Well, if these are the same performances of Haydn sonatas and if this is a nice selection of Haydn sonatas I choose for this much cheaper discs. I like to have some Mozart with it as well.

So can anyone recommend the Mozart performances as well? So is this whole set recommended?

Henk

[Bulldog]

But it's quite expensive.

Is this a good alternative?


It's cheaper at least.

It's no alternative at all if you want the multiple recordings Brendel made of Haydn's music.  As for being expensive, the cost is perhaps a little over $10 per disc, not much for recordings to treasure.

[Henk]

It's no alternative at all if you want the multiple recordings Brendel made of Haydn's music.  As for being expensive, the cost is perhaps a little over $10 per disc, not much for recordings to treasure.

I would buy it if I wanted all the sonatas, but I'm satisfied with a selection as well.

[Bulldog]

I would buy it if I wanted all the sonatas, but I'm satisfied with a selection as well.

Well, the Brendel set is actually just a selection out of Haydn's total sonatas.  For all the sonatas, you'd need double-digit cds.

[jlaurson]

I would buy it if I wanted all the sonatas, but I'm satisfied with a selection as well.

...until you hear Brendel play them... and then you'll still want them all. 

Wrote about that double CD here: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/02/brendels-choice.html. I don't have the 2-disc set here to compare, but I'm pretty sure that they are indeed identical with the same sonatas on the 4-CD set. My comments about the humming would certainly indicate that they are. (I'm a tad hesitant to absolutely confirm them being the same performances because elsewhere Brendel has chosen versions for this "Choice" series that are not necessarily identical with the commercial releases of any given piece; he also had access to taped broadcasts when choosing among alternative takes.)

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-recordings-of-2009-3.html

Best of 2009 - Part 3

[Todd]

Another busy year for me.  I'm too lazy to pay too much attention to which years the discs are released, though I know some were brand new in '09.


The Best of the Best
Morales – Magnificat, et al; Rice & The Brabant Ensemble (Hyperion)
Morales – Missa pro defunctis; McCreesh & Gabrieli Consort (DG)
Haydn – Six Piano Sonatas; Anton Kuerti (Analekta)
Beethoven – Sonatas Opp 10/3 & 57; Russell Sherman (Pro Arte, LP)
Beethoven – Piano Concerto 3; Moravec / Neumann (Supraphon, LP)
Schumann / Ravel – Kreisleriana / Miroirs; Herbert Schuch (Oehms)
Schubert – Wandererfantasie, etc; Michael Endres (Oehms)

Other notables
Morales – Requiem, et al; Mallavibarrena & Musica Ficta (Cantus)
Haydn - Complete Symphonies; Dennis Russell Davies (Sony) [Not done yet, but the first 30 discs make it a safe bet]
Wourinen – String Sextet, et al; Naxos
Beethoven – Diabelli Variations; Takahiro Sonoda (Denon)
Beethoven – Complete Piano Sonatas; Takahiro Sonoda (Denon)
Mozart – Four Sonatas; Krystian Zimerman (DG, LP)
Dvorak – Symphony 9; Carlo Maria Giulini (DG, LP)
Palestrina – Masses; Tallis Scholars (Gimell)
Rosita Renard at Carnegie Hall (VAI)
Weber – Piano Works; Michael Endres (Oehms)
Schubert / Lachenman – Piano Works; Herbert Schuch (Oehms)
Dvorak – Chamber Works; Panocha, et al (Supraphon)
Franck / Szymanowsi – Violin & Piano works; Zimerman & Dancowska (DG)

[Maciek]

Not that it matters, but the Danczowska disc is definitely not from 2009. In fact, it was one of Zimerman's first recordings for DG, made in 1980 or 1981 (for LP). I think the earliest CD incarnation was released in 2000 (cover below) - though I'm not 100% sure.

Still, a legendary recording, so always worthy of mention, regardless of the year.

...

Incidentally, there was a DG Bacewicz CD, with Zimerman and Danczowska among the performers, scheduled for release this year (it was [being] recorded in February), but apparently it's been canceled or something because there's no sign of it so far...

[The new erato]

Incidentally, there was a DG Bacewicz CD with Zimerman and Danczowska among the performers, scheduled for release this year (it was [being] recorded in February), but apparently it's been canceled or something because there's no sign of it so far...

A disc I'm eagerly wating for and easily the most interesting recording by DG for quite some time. It it cancelled it's yet another nail in DG's coffin. What we really need is more arias disc by Netrebko, compilations of older discs by van Otter or bleeding chunks courtesy of Maisky. Good riddance DG!

Lets only hope someone else in that case will be able to pick up the recording for issue. Perhaps its's directly onto Brilliant 

Since this is Bacewicz' birthday year it probably won't appear on DG if it hasn't already.

[jlaurson]

date=1260815071]



http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-recordings-of-2009-2.html

Best of 2009 - Part 2

[Maciek]

Since this is Bacewicz' birthday year it probably won't appear on DG if it hasn't already.

Maybe they're holding it for a surprise last-day-of-the-year release?

[vandermolen]

Best discoveries of 2009

1 Bate: Symphony 3/Chisholm Pictures from Dante

2 Hurum: Symphony etc

3 Kleiberg: Bell Reef Symphony

4 Koechlin: Vers la Voute etoilee

Only the first one is a 2009 release I think but the others were all great discoveries through this forum.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

1 Bate: Symphony 3/Chisholm Pictures from Dante

2 Hurum: Symphony etc

3 Kleiberg: Bell Reef Symphony

4 Koechlin: Vers la Voute etoilee

Wow...100% of the composers on this "best of" list are unknown to me, even by name. That's a first! 

[The new erato]

Wow...100% of the composers on this "best of" list are unknown to me, even by name. That's a first! 

The first 3 I can understand, but Koechlin shouldn't be. And all the Hanssler discs of his music I've heard are mandatory listening (though I don't have the "Vers la Voute etoilee" - yet).

I received the Bate disc on Saturday and have only played it once, bur it sure is pretty impressive.

[jlaurson]

Le grand finale.


http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-recordings-of-2009-1.html

Best of 2009 - Part 1

[MN Dave]

Still number two...

[jlaurson]

Still number two...

By the time you had written that, it was already fixed. :-)