Mozart Symphonies

Started by Mandryka, September 26, 2011, 09:49:57 AM

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Mandryka

If I've missed an existing topic then maybe someone with the powers will do the necessary.

I thought I'd listen to the Jupiter on Abbado's new CD with Orchestra Mozart but I didn't get to the end of the first movement -- he didn't make it interesting enough for me. So rather frustratedly I went back to my old standby here -- Klemperer with the Philharmonia. And yes -- it didn't let me down at all.

But while playing it I remembered going to a wonderful concert with Klaus Tennstedt in the late 70s where he played it so memorably. Did he record it?

So I went along to spotify, my new best friend. And lo and behold! there it is. And yes -- this is an exceedigly  fine performance, of a very challenging work. IMHO.

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Lisztianwagner

Never listened to the Tennstedt, but I really love Karajan's version of the Jupiter with the Berlin Phil, very beautiful and refined.

Ilaria
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." - Gustav Mahler

jwinter

I tend to go old school with Mozart symphonies; if I could only have one set, it would be one of these...

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Lately I've really been enjoying Kubelik, recently reissued

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And of course there's

[asin]B0056K4VRM[/asin]
[asin]B000I5YRQ0[/asin]
[asin]B000OPPSXK[/asin]
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

George

Szell and Boehm (except his poor #40)
"I can't live without music, because music is life." - Yvonne Lefébure

chasmaniac

I'm an unwashed oaf, but I've enjoyed the Jeffrey Tate set:

If I have exhausted the justifications, I have reached bedrock and my spade is turned. Then I am inclined to say: "This is simply what I do."  --Wittgenstein, PI §217

Drasko

Of period Jupiters I was quite impressed with Jacobs. Theatrical.

jwinter

Quote from: chasmaniac on September 28, 2011, 05:26:35 AM
I'm an unwashed oaf, but I've enjoyed the Jeffrey Tate set:



Pee-yoo, get some soap, will ya?   ;D

This was the first Mozart set I bought, and for a while I was quite fond of it; but I've since found many more that I prefer, and frankly I seldom come back to it.  I can't point to anything really wrong with Tate, per se; I just think he takes things a bit too straight for me.  It's all a bit four-square and even-tempered, almost too classical if that makes any sense; he doesn't capture the beauty of this music the way Bohm does, for example.  I tend to prefer conductors that let the music breathe (read: play it too slow like an old fart  ;D ), or conversely give it a lively spring to it's step; the middle approach doesn't appeal to me much, but YMMV of course...
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

chasmaniac

Quote from: jwinter on September 28, 2011, 06:01:50 AM
Pee-yoo, get some soap, will ya?   ;D

There goes the hot water...
If I have exhausted the justifications, I have reached bedrock and my spade is turned. Then I am inclined to say: "This is simply what I do."  --Wittgenstein, PI §217

Josquin des Prez

Kertesz (Requiem too). To bad he died before recording the Jupider. Never knew Kubelik recorded them, i have to check that out.

eyeresist

I have a few sets, and have been meaning to get the Mackerras CPO set  - but it's hard to justify the expenditure for music I don't absolutely love. I wish Kuijken had recorded the symphonies - his was the most engaging Haydn I've heard.

Bogey

Quote from: chasmaniac on September 28, 2011, 06:24:41 AM
There goes the hot water...

I am with jwinter on this one as well....a decent warm-up band, but bring on The Stones! ;D 
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

jwinter

Actually, Keef looks like he might have partied down with Wolfgang back in the day...

The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

Peregrine

Quote from: Josquin des Prez on September 28, 2011, 01:33:51 PM
Kertesz (Requiem too).

Yes, that's a lovely recording that one, one of my favourite Requiems.
Yes, we have no bananas

Bogey

Quote from: jwinter on September 29, 2011, 05:25:55 AM
Actually, Keef looks like he might have partied down with Wolfgang back in the day...



And I thought that this was the only possible photo of Constanze, JW!

There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

eyeresist

Quote from: Josquin des Prez on September 28, 2011, 01:33:51 PM
Kertesz (Requiem too). To bad he died before recording the Jupider.

I didn't much take to Kertesz in the symphonies for some reason, but he is my go-to guy for the requiem. He is simply better than the rest!

Mandryka

#15
Quote from: Drasko on September 28, 2011, 05:27:27 AM
Of period Jupiters I was quite impressed with Jacobs. Theatrical.

Comedy theatre.

The big drum in the primo made me think of Coco the clown. Strange that he decided to play all four movements slapstick style. The sudden tempo changes and pauses are a bit annoying I thought -- but in a performance as original as this you have to go with the flow.

I don't like it. But I'm glad to have it and I'll put it in my cabinet of curiosities.  It must be the weirdest Jupiter since Albert Coates recorded it.

I also listened to Gardiner's recent one with English Baroque but it seemed so bland I didn't stay the course -- should I go back? -- has anyone enjoyed it?
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen


DieNacht

Has anyone perhaps heard Scherchen in No.40 - and if yes, how is it, in very broad terms ?

Mandryka

Quote from: DieNacht on October 08, 2011, 09:54:19 PM
Has anyone perhaps heard Scherchen in No.40 - and if yes, how is it, in very broad terms ?

The Ultraphon recording? It's excellent. The andante especially is very memorable for the climax. If you like his Haydn then you'll enjoy this.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

DieNacht

#19
QuoteThe Ultraphon recording? It's excellent. The andante especially is very memorable for the climax. If you like his Haydn then you'll enjoy this.

The combination of Mozart´s 40th and Scherchen sounds intriguing ... Own the 29th and 35th with the VPO on a poorly transferred German budget CD (rec. 1950 ?; TIM The 20th Century Maestros 204563-308, together with some Rosbaud etc.).

The 29th I didn´t find anything interesting in, perhaps excluding the finale - very slow and rather dull playing.

The 35th has Scherchen in a slightly weird, funny if sometimes imprecise mood generally, especially in the 1st and 4th movements, and is more interesting ...

Overall I prefer either markedly gracious or a Romantically coloured, Beethoven-like Mozart symphonies.
Don´t own that many recordings; but exemplified in Britten/decca or Harnoncourt/CtGeb in no.29, Karajan/EMI and Harnoncourt/CtGeb in no.35, and Karajan/EMI, Britten/decca and Harnoncourt/CtGeb in no.40.
Walter cbs-sony are good also, of course.