Box Blather

Brian · March 29, 2025, 06:47:09 AM

I preordered this in the fall, then (MI-style

) canceled the preorder, but recently as my circumstances have changed slightly, I reordered it and received it a couple weeks ago.

Well, buying it was a great decision. The previous EMI Oistrakh edition, released in 2008, was owned by my college library so I listened to almost all of the recordings at that time and fell in love with Oistrakh's big, generous playing style, passion, and interesting repertoire. They're all back here, newly remastered and with original album covers, which of course means more CDs and more space.

But! The real reason to own this box is the astonishing archive of live performances and USSR archival discoveries, curated by documentary filmmaker Bruno Monsaingeon. The backs of these CD sleeves notate which tracks have never appeared before anywhere, and which works were never recorded by Oistrakh for any official record label.

This is a real treasure trove of jewels. Playing Weinberg with Weinberg at the piano! Playing Prokofiev with Prokofiev conducting! Violin sonatas by Martinu, Stenhammar, Medtner (the "Epica"), and Taneyev! A delicious disc of Brahms' Hungarian Dances coupled with Bartok and Kodaly folk dances! A Bach double concerto where the other violinist is Enescu! A disc and a half of Szymanowski! DVDs with video of live recitals! It's a gold mine of a box set within another gold mine of a box set.

I listened to the Weinberg this morning and have the Martinu and Stenhammar queued up next. This week also dipped into the "real" releases, including the Schubert Piano Trio No. 1, wonderfully played by his trio. What a year of discovery this will be.

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I'm looking forward to the Michel Beroff box and a couple of Eloquence releases coming up (with Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos and maybe Walter Weller), but other than that, my box set wishlist is growing shorter. Mackerras/EMI would be one. I am successfully resisting the Dorati in London Mercury boxes since the repertoire is almost all standard rep that I already have many versions of.

Hurwitz just posted his updated box set wishlist which includes the complete Decca Entartete Musik. Now THERE is an idea! I'm also with him on Ashkenazy as conductor, Milstein/EMI, and possibly Slatkin.

Madiel · March 29, 2025, 05:25:37 PM

It wasn't the same Hurwitz video, but you've led me to discover that a few days ago he used the magnificent phrase "quantum mechanical cocaine hippo".

Possibly a name for a young band that will never get anywhere.

Leo K. · March 31, 2025, 02:45:26 PM

The new Ormandy stereo box is really a joy!! So many discoveries in this box!

Mookalafalas · April 01, 2025, 06:55:32 PM

Quote from: Leo K. on March 31, 2025, 02:45:26 PMThe new Ormandy stereo box is really a joy!! So many discoveries in this box!

I agree. And there is something about the sound--it's so big and warm, like a giant avuncular hug from the orchestra.

George · April 11, 2025, 06:02:41 AM

Quote from: Brian on March 29, 2025, 06:47:09 AM

I preordered this in the fall, then (MI-style ) canceled the preorder, but recently as my circumstances have changed slightly, I reordered it and received it a couple weeks ago.

Well, buying it was a great decision. The previous EMI

Oistrakh edition, released in 2008, was owned by my college library so I listened to almost all of the recordings at that time and fell in love with Oistrakh's big, generous playing style, passion, and interesting repertoire. They're all back here, newly remastered and with original album covers, which of course means more CDs and more space.

Hey Brian,

Who did the remastering? Art & Son?

Brian · April 11, 2025, 06:06:43 AM

Quote from: George on April 11, 2025, 06:02:41 AMHey Brian,

Who did the remastering? Art & Son?

Correct.

George · April 11, 2025, 07:16:06 AM

Quote from: Brian on April 11, 2025, 06:06:43 AMCorrect.

Good news!

Brian · April 11, 2025, 12:44:38 PM

Quote from: George on April 11, 2025, 07:16:06 AMGood news!

I've been so, so impressed with Art & Son's work. Glad you are too.

George · April 11, 2025, 02:04:55 PM

Quote from: Brian on April 11, 2025, 12:44:38 PMI've been so, so impressed with Art & Son's work. Glad you are too.

I find it difficult to not be impressed with their work.

In case you haven't seen it, there's a great review of the set on MusicWeb - https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/11/48645/

Wanderer · April 11, 2025, 10:36:59 PM

A Musicweb review of the new Seong-Jin Cho recording of the Ravel concerti which I feel encapsulates my own reservations about the playing:

"...couldn't help feeling that what's presented on the disc epitomises an unspoken but accepted aesthetic around modern performances of Ravel: a soundworld which is precise, brittle, quietly lyrical, colourful, yes, when required, but above all, controlled. Seong-Jin Cho's playing seems to be principally concerned with conveying an emotional reticence, lucid but enigmatic, in what feels like a sandboxed environment created by him and the orchestra. Worse, the overly precise lyricism that Cho seems to be striving for degrades into listlessness at times. I really struggled with the enervated feel every time the music slowed in the Concerto for the Left Hand for example and his performance of the G major Concerto's Adagio can't seem to rid itself of an inherent lethargy. I longed for greater momentum, a sharper contour to the sound and some spontaneity..."

I would say that something essential is missing from these interpretations (by both orchestra and pianist - especially in the concerto pour la main gauche): a spark, an elan, the primordial that seeks to get through, Ravel's irony in a mechanical world spiralling towards chaos.

Spotted Horses · April 14, 2025, 12:30:48 PM

Quote from: Wanderer on April 11, 2025, 10:36:59 PMA Musicweb review of the new Seong-Jin Cho recording of the Ravel concerti which I feel encapsulates my own reservations about the playing:

"...couldn't help feeling that what's presented on the disc epitomises an unspoken but accepted aesthetic around modern performances of Ravel: a soundworld which is precise, brittle, quietly lyrical, colourful, yes, when required, but above all, controlled. Seong-Jin Cho's playing seems to be principally concerned with conveying an emotional reticence, lucid but enigmatic, in what feels like a sandboxed environment created by him and the orchestra. Worse, the overly precise lyricism that Cho seems to be striving for degrades into listlessness at times. I really struggled with the enervated feel every time the music slowed in the Concerto for the Left Hand for example and his performance of the G major Concerto's Adagio can't seem to rid itself of an inherent lethargy. I longed for greater momentum, a sharper contour to the sound and some spontaneity..."

I would say that something essential is missing from these interpretations (by both orchestra and pianist - especially in the concerto pour la main gauche): a spark, an elan, the primordial that seeks to get through, Ravel's irony in a mechanical world spiralling towards chaos.

I listened to Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte from the Cho set and found it insufferable. Controlled, no elan.

Que · April 15, 2025, 12:53:11 AM

Quote from: Brian on March 29, 2025, 06:47:09 AM

I preordered this in the fall, then (MI-style ) canceled the preorder, but recently as my circumstances have changed slightly, I reordered it and received it a couple weeks ago.

Well, buying it was a great decision.[...]

Well, I guess I'm lucky to be a Milstein fan instead.

He recorded significantly less...

I'm also a Leonid Kogan fan, but his recorded legacy is a mess...