The Romantics in Period Performances

[milk]

Try this



http://www.preludeklassiekemuziek.nl/stream/nov06_chopin_calliope_B.html

Janusz Olejniczak also recorded a few excellent HIP Chopin recordings for Opus 111.  Mazurkas, Polonaises, in addition to several mixed programs.  "At Home" from the label's Chopin series was also used as the OST for the film "La note bleu" in which Olejniczak plays Chopin himself    (Leonhardt starred as Bach himself in a film, too.  Never saw the film though.) Coin conducts the Larghetto from cto2.

Luc Devos also recorded all nocturnes for Ricercar.  But they may only be found used now I think.

BTW, obviously I like the Van Oort nocturnes a lot more than others do - his Mozart and Haydn is even better though.  Still, for those with less adventurous tastes, the Boegner set above may be a surer bet.   Beautifully recorded.

I just notice that the Devos has ben rereleased. I can't justify the purchase unless someone says it's fantastic. I do like Dang Thai Son period instrument recording - one some people may not know.

[Brian]

Jura Margulis has worked with a piano maker to build a modern concert grand that has the kind of powerful sordino (mute) pedal heard on 1830s Conrad Graf instruments. You can hear it on his Oehms recital, "Franz Schubert: Piano con sordino". The sordino pedal does its job, and the piano does produce a softer, more delicate sound than (m)any instruments from the last 50 years.

Unfortunately, it also proves conclusively that the original fortepianos were better.

[amw]

I am now listening to this. It's pretty good. And anything involving the Kuijken dynasty must be HIP right?



The Novelettes are a somewhat under-appreciated cycle... I think because they're about 45 minutes of typical Schumann additive forms, 35 minutes of which are in the key of D major, with no overarching structure or programme... and very awkward to play... but if you don't place too high a premium on logic in the Beethovenian sense, they're as good as any of his other major piano works IMO.

[Jo498]

There is actually a Beethoven String quintet and op.59 by the Kuijken family on modern instruments and, as I recall, mostly without HIP affectations (I only have the disc with quintet/59,3, because recordings of the quintet are not exactly thick on the ground.)

This can become confusing. Robert Levine played a set of English Suites in Haensslers Bach edition on a modern piano; the abovementioned Janus Olejniczak has in addition to some all-HIP discs, a selection of mazurkas and polonaises on modern piano (op.111/naive)... go figure...

[Mandryka]

I'm keen to hear Beethoven's op 111 played on a Johann Andreas Streicher piano, or a good copy. Does anyone know of a recording?

[JaapT]

Not long after Frans Brüggen passed away I bought the disk of the Orchestra of the 18th Century/Brüggen with the Chopin piano concertos, with the piano played by the latest Chopin concours winner, Yulianna Avdeeva.  This despite that I also have the version by Brüggen cs and Dang Thai Son.

I must say that I did not regret buying the new disc at all. Somehow the new interpretation is much more striking and emotional. In fact, this is the best version of the concertos of Chopin that I have heard. Apparently the decision to award Yulianna Avdeeva the Chopin prize was controversial. It was said that her Chopin playing was not the proper way of playing Chopin. I am not sure what proper Chopin really is, but clearly I like Andrea's playing of Chopin better than what is considered proper. She takes a lot of agogic freedoms. The playing of the old Erard is amazing, and the old piano does not seem to impose limits on her.

I am surprised that this recording did not yet draw attention at this forum (as far as I can tell). I hope to set this straight here. Andrea seems a woman to keep an eye on. The CD is also a worthy addition to Frans Brüggen's legacy.

[eoghan]

This thread is such a brilliant resource and already has boosted my wishlist substantially. The van Immerseel/Beths/Bylsma recording of the Schubert trios is stunning and is just about the first time that I've actually managed to fully understand, appreciate and actively enjoy Schubert. I'd also strongly recommend the Atlantis Trio CD mentioned earlier of Mendelssohn's first trio and the sextet, which from this reading you'd never believe was such a  juvenile work such is its energy when handled by this group.

[milk]

Even though I haven't been listening to much romantic music lately, I'd still like to see more important chamber works tackled. For instance, Dvorak (who has been done only a little). 

[brokebassoon]

Even though I haven't been listening to much romantic music lately, I'd still like to see more important chamber works tackled. For instance, Dvorak (who has been done only a little).

These are the only ones I'm aware of:



The L'Archibudelli disc is quite hard to come by, as it is no longer in print and has never been re-released (either as a CD-R or otherwise). I picked up a lightly used copy not long ago for a relative bargain, considering Amazon sellers often want a small fortune for it... Does anyone know of any other recordings of Dvořák chamber music on period instruments?

[milk]

The L'Archibudelli disc is quite hard to come by, as it is no longer in print and has never been re-released (either as a CD-R or otherwise). I picked up a lightly used copy not long ago for a relative bargain, considering Amazon sellers often want a small fortune for it... Does anyone know of any other recordings of Dvořák chamber music on period instruments?

Thanks for the post. I have the two piano chamber recordings. I think the Ensemble Explorations one is particularly good.

[Brian]

How is Bruggen's Schubert cycle compared to Minkowski or Immerseel?

[Brian]

New Liszt recital recorded on an 1875 Steinway.



inc. four movements from the Italian Year of Pilgrimage, and Funerailles. Track list and sample clips. And another link with a 2-minute clip and background info in French.

[eoghan]

Browsing the Anima Eterna/Immerseel discography (http://animaeterna.be/discografie/?lang=en) is interesting - a lot of late 19C works covered. They tackle, amongst others, Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony; the Symphonie Fantastique (a quick google comes up with fairly negative reactions to this one); Carmina Burana (!); an album of Rimsky-Korsakov (Sheherazade) and Borodin - this one particularly interests me; an album of Ravel; Pictures at an Exhibition; a Poulenc CD; and one of Debussy. There's also a HIP Johann Strauss album! Does anyone have any of these and can offer opinions? On paper it sounds like plenty of interesting stuff.

By the way, I love Gardiner's Planets.

[Brian]

Right now I'm listening to this new release:

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Performed on a beautiful wood-finish (ie not black) Steinway from 1901.

[king ubu]

Thanks for the post. I have the two piano chamber recordings. I think the Ensemble Explorations one is particularly good.

I have that Archibudelli disc as well - nice!

Some other (semi-)HIP Dvorák (don't have any of these):

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[asin]B000024SG3[/asin]
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[asin]B001HAWURS[/asin]
[asin]B006MXX8V2[/asin]
[asin]B0038AMBT2[/asin]
[asin]B00166QJXO[/asin]
[asin]B0000VCSFE[/asin]

Would love to get the Michiels, but it's way too pricey alas.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I have that Archibudelli disc as well - nice!

Some other (semi-)HIP Dvorák (don't have any of these):

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Nothing HIP in these performances, unless the only criteria in this thread is that the conductor  specializes (mostly) in HIP performances. The performances themselves are quite good but no real standouts.

[king ubu]

That's why I put "(semi-)" in there - I guess if Harnoncourt or Hogwood or whomever of the HIPsters conducts a non-HIP orchestra, they may reduce sizes and virbrato etc, approach HIP in some way? Or else what's the point of them getting/taking on those gigs? But please bear with me, I still feel like a bloody newbie in all things classical, plus I'm nowhere near HIP-orthodoxy so I wouldn't really know.

[Brian]

That's why I put "(semi-)" in there - I guess if Harnoncourt or Hogwood or whomever of the HIPsters conducts a non-HIP orchestra, they may reduce sizes and virbrato etc, approach HIP in some way? Or else what's the point of them getting/taking on those gigs? But please bear with me, I still feel like a bloody newbie in all things classical, plus I'm nowhere near HIP-orthodoxy so I wouldn't really know.

Not in the case of Harnoncourt's Dvorak, although it is the case sometimes. For example, Charles Mackerras often got HIP-ish results with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Roger Norrington tried to do HIP performance with the SWR Orchestra of Stuttgart.

Harnoncourt's Dvorak DOES have standouts in my opinion - The Golden Spinning-Wheel, and the Piano Concerto with Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

[PerfectWagnerite]

That's why I put "(semi-)" in there - I guess if Harnoncourt or Hogwood or whomever of the HIPsters conducts a non-HIP orchestra, they may reduce sizes and virbrato etc, approach HIP in some way? Or else what's the point of them getting/taking on those gigs? But please bear with me, I still feel like a bloody newbie in all things classical, plus I'm nowhere near HIP-orthodoxy so I wouldn't really know.

Harnoncourt is sort of an odd bird - the guy takes a dip in anything from Monteverdi to Brucker and Dvorak. In these performances he is actually fairly straightforward, nothing that is weird or jumps out at you. It would be pointless anyway since by Dvorak's time the modern orchestra as we know it today is pretty set. You get less vibrato and portamento and the temp somtimes is a big slower than others but nothing dramatic.

If you want to hear Harnoncourt inject his personality in Romantic works check out his Schumann symphonies. There he truly makes you rethink what these works are about. You will hear how he totally rebalances the orchestra to reveal how shockingly provacative Schumann's orchestration is. Sometimes what is usually loud is soft and what is fast is slow, but nothing is pedestrian.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Not in the case of Harnoncourt's Dvorak, although it is the case sometimes. For example, Charles Mackerras often got HIP-ish results with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Roger Norrington tried to do HIP performance with the SWR Orchestra of Stuttgart.

Harnoncourt's Dvorak DOES have standouts in my opinion - The Golden Spinning-Wheel, and the Piano Concerto with Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, by it's nature a smaller ensemble (sometimes) using natural horns, is ideally suited for HIP-ish kind of performances. I remember hearing Mackerras Brahms and Mozart with this ensemble and it does sound more or less like a period-instrument ensemble in terms of overall feel, although no one is going to mistake it for any of the big name period-instrument bands.

Harnoncourt's performance of Dvorak is very good, don't get me wrong, but competition in this field is as tough as it gets. I am more used to his adding something new to a work that he touches, I am just not sure what he has to say about Dvorak.