Cyclomania ** Symphonies **

[classicalgeek]

and it's only the "Major" ones.... 

Well, it's hard to know the exact cutoff point for 'major' - I went with cycles for which I had three or more intégrales, save for Haydn.  And I do have the Russell Davies Haydn cycle in the digital backlog, but I haven't read great things about it, so I'm not in a hurry to fast-track (i.e. enter it in the spreadsheet and tag it) it into the official catalog.

I'd also feel like this was more to boast about if I had these all in CD form, which would cost a not-so-small fortune, of course. 

But, as I always say, quantity over quality... oh, wait... no, that's right

[Mirror Image]

Wow, impressive list, classicalgeek. You give me and Harry a run for our money. Perhaps a fair question would which cycles do you actually own the CDs of? As a collector, digital downloads are unacceptable for me.

[classicalgeek]

Wow, impressive list, classicalgeek. You give me and Harry a run for our money. Perhaps a fair question would which cycles do you actually own the CDs of? As a collector, digital downloads are unacceptable for me.

Heh, well, unfortunately, the answer to that question is 'very few'   I agree, it would be much more impressive to have the actual physical media!  So I don't really give you and Harry a run for your money - I'd love, love, LOVE to have a CD collection like many of the people here (I saw on another thread that Harry has 24,000+ - that's my fantasy come true!)  I've looked over the pictures on the 'What does your collection look like and how do you organize it?' thread with a mix of awe and jealousy...

Off the top of my head (and I'm sure there are a few more), here are the ones I have on actual CD (my CD collection numbers fewer than 800): Beethoven and Schumann/Konwitschny (from the Berlin Classics box), Beethoven/Bernstein/NY Phil, Brahms/Mackerras, Bruckner/Masur, Bruckner/Paternostro, Prokofiev/Rostropovich, Schubert/Suitner, Schumann/Barenboim, Sibelius/Watanabe, Tchaikovsky/Marriner, Tchaikovsky/Temirkanov.  And there are many more that I once had on CD, but ripped to digital and later sold the discs.

So not a lot, but I'm glad to have the music digitally all the same!

[Mirror Image]

Heh, well, unfortunately, the answer to that question is 'very few'   I agree, it would be much more impressive to have the actual physical media!  So I don't really give you and Harry a run for your money - I'd love, love, LOVE to have a CD collection like many of the people here (I saw on another thread that Harry has 24,000+ - that's my fantasy come true!)  I've looked over the pictures on the 'What does your collection look like and how do you organize it?' thread with a mix of awe and jealousy...

Off the top of my head (and I'm sure there are a few more), here are the ones I have on actual CD (my CD collection numbers fewer than 800): Beethoven and Schumann/Konwitschny (from the Berlin Classics box), Beethoven/Bernstein/NY Phil, Brahms/Mackerras, Bruckner/Masur, Bruckner/Paternostro, Prokofiev/Rostropovich, Schubert/Suitner, Schumann/Barenboim, Sibelius/Watanabe, Tchaikovsky/Marriner, Tchaikovsky/Temirkanov.

So not a lot, but I'm glad to have the music digitally all the same!

I don't own as much as Harry , but I've probably amassed around 6,000, if I want to give a conservative guess, classical recordings within a three or four year period. My Dad has quite a large collection too, so I'm not even combining ours because he likes and collects many composers I do not. I will say that my collection is heavy on 19th and 20th Centuries. I don't listen or particularly care for earlier Classical periods, though I do have a pretty good collection of Vivaldi recordings that may surprise people here. I even own a Mozart symphony cycle, which even surprises me! Anyway, yeah, there's nothing like holding a CD booklet in your hands and looking at the artwork and listening to the CD through a stereo system. I'm certainly not against digital music files as I do a lot of listening on my iPods. I've ripped a lot of CDs to them, so I would dishonest to say I don't enjoy it. It's certainly more convenient then trying to hunt for the recording!

[mszczuj]

endless list

Wow! is my second thought
The first is that you miss Ter Linden in Mozart.

[classicalgeek]

Wow! is my second thought
The first is that you miss Ter Linden in Mozart.

Not to worry, the Brilliant Classics Mozart box (in digital form), which contains ter Linden's cycle, is in the backlog!

[Karl Henning]

Again, my personal caveat:

I'm definitely a marginal player here . . . .

But an adjustment wants making:

Prokofiev, 3: 4: Ozawa; Rozhdestvensky; Martinon; Järvi

I still probably prefer Ozawa, but I am certainly enjoying making the acquaintance of this Rozhdestvensky cycle, which I feel certain pulls ahead of Martinon.

[classicalgeek]

Prokofiev, 3: 4: Ozawa; Rozhdestvensky; Martinon; Järvi

I still probably prefer Ozawa, but I am certainly enjoying making the acquaintance of this Rozhdestvensky cycle, which I feel certain pulls ahead of Martinon.[/font]

I remember liking Ozawa in the 6th (an underrated work in my opinion), not sure about the others.  Järvi is probably my favorite overall, actually, though I don't care for his First.  I don't have the Rozhdestvensky, though it seems to be well-regarded.  The one I'm really curious about is Kosler/Czech Philharmonic - it's nearly impossible to find, CD or digital!  Has anyone here heard it?  (I might check if there's a Prokofiev thread going...)

[eyeresist]

The one I'm really curious about is Kosler/Czech Philharmonic - it's nearly impossible to find, CD or digital!  Has anyone here heard it?  (I might check if there's a Prokofiev thread going...)

I mentioned the Kosler cycle in the Prok thread a couple of weeks ago. Yes, it does seem to be MIA. I hope it's not one of those sets that goes extinct completely. There aren't enough existing cycles for that to happen!

I'm afraid I disagreed with most of your choices for the cycles, but that's okay. I will mention Pesek's Dvorak cycle on Virgin as one I think you might enjoy. It comes with a lot of tasty extras too.

[Karl Henning]

I mentioned the Kosler cycle in the Prok thread a couple of weeks ago.

So you did, and we all vomited. I remember distinctly.

[Mirror Image]

and we all vomited

Hey! That's my line!

[TheGSMoeller]

Gergiev...give him a chance.   


Otherwise I choose Ozawa for a complete set.

[eyeresist]

So you did, and we all vomited. I remember distinctly.

But my post was flawless! I defy you to point to any flaw in that post.

[classicalgeek]

Gergiev...give him a chance.   

He's one I haven't warmed up to yet, not just in Prokofiev.  I find him a bit... mannered, I suppose.  Though his breakneck finale of the Prokofiev First is pretty exciting!  His Shostakovich isn't bad either, come to think of it...

...we all vomited...

I save my vomiting for the conversations that go as follows:
Random person (could be a co-worker, or someone I'm meeting at a social gathering): "You listen to classical music?  Me too - I just love [Andrea Boccelli/Josh Groban/Il Divo].  Don't you?"
Me: "I'm not really in to that style. My favorite composer is probably Mahler."
Them: "Who?" 

Anyhoo... I'm getting off topic here - maybe this is one for the 'Stereotypes' thread.  But either way, it's pretty vomit-inducing...

[eyeresist]

He's one I haven't warmed up to yet, not just in Prokofiev.  I find him a bit... mannered, I suppose.  Though his breakneck finale of the Prokofiev First is pretty exciting!  His Shostakovich isn't bad either, come to think of it...

There are a number of conductors I dislike - Gergiev is one for whom, if we criticise him, we're less likely to be lambasted by the cognoscenti. Myself, I think he bullies the music. I picture him with a heavy cudgel in his hand, bashing the music to drive it forward.

[TheGSMoeller]

There are a number of conductors I dislike - Gergiev is one for whom, if we criticise him, we're less likely to be lambasted by the cognoscenti. Myself, I think he bullies the music. I picture him with a heavy cudgel in his hand, bashing the music to drive it forward.

I find that drive successful in some pieces, not so much in others.
Perhaps it's more of the LSO's playing that I endorse over Gergiev. But I still think it's a solid Prokofiev set, certainly wouldn't praise it as the best set, and there are many individual symphony discs that are of higher caliber.



"Bring me my cudgel. It's time to whip this Andante into shape."

[Mirror Image]

I find that Gergiev's earlier work (mostly with the Kirov Orchestra) to be some of his best on record. I have been very disappointed with his LSO Live and Mariinsky recordings, although his performance of Shostakovich's The Nose should get a special mention, but other than this, I think Gergiev's problem lies with his own conducting schedule. He's a busy guy that yields mediocre results. What this tells me is he doesn't spend enough time rehearsing and getting to know the music he's conducting. He just sort of blasts his way through the music with no kind of direction or attention to the deeper, emotional aspects of the music.

[Karl Henning]

Here my major symphony cycles - nearly all in digital format, from CDs ripped and sold, or downloads from a variety of sources[....]

Dude, you keep the mania in Cyclomania. Thanks for coming aboard!

[classicalgeek]

I'm afraid I disagreed with most of your choices for the cycles, but that's okay.

That's the beauty of life, isn't it?  No two people, and no two tastes in music, are exactly alike.

I will mention Pesek's Dvorak cycle on Virgin as one I think you might enjoy. It comes with a lot of tasty extras too.

Yes - I've been after that one for a while!  I once had the single CD with Symphony no. 2 and 'My Home', which I ripped and sold, but I do remember enjoying it.  Eventually, I'll get a hold of the complete cycle.

There's actually a Dvorak cycle that, similar to Kosler's Prokofiev, intrigues me largely by being so elusive: Zdenek Macal's with the Milwaukee Symphony on Koss Classics.  I don't even know if the label exists anymore!  There's no box available, only individual discs on the secondhand market, and many of them are quite pricey; no sign of the cycle in the classical download world, either.  Anyone here familiar with it?

[classicalgeek]

Dude, you keep the mania in Cyclomania. Thanks for coming aboard!

Courtesy of Dictionary.com:
"Mania (noun): excessive excitement or enthusiasm; craze."

Yeah, I'd say that defines my relationship with collecting classical recordings - and not just cycles!

I suspect I'm not alone here in that regard