Recordings That You Are Considering

Started by George, April 06, 2007, 05:54:08 AM

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Manwithaplan

Lol, it amuses me that I haven't brought a CD since January last year, as buying CDs used to be the only place my money went  :laugh:  (I have being at University last year to blame though)

The One

Quote from: Papy Oli on March 20, 2018, 01:35:47 PM
Any particular views on those boxsets please ? Thank you very much.

[asin]B0788XVFCZ[/asin]


If you are not after the obscure pieces (I'd prefer hers against Ponti), I'd suggest her Op 72, Op 40 and 51, both on Erato, backed with The Seasons of your choice and you are good with Tchaikovsky's piano solo

Madiel

#14582
Has anyone been following the series of Debussy songs on Hyperion, with Malcolm Martineau as the accompanist?

I've only just registered that the fourth (and I think final) CD was released last month.
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Florestan

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

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Karl Henning, Ph.D.
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http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
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Mirror Image

Quote from: ørfeo on March 21, 2018, 03:31:16 AM
Has anyone been following the series of Debussy songs on Hyperion, with Malcolm Martineau as the accompanist?

I've only just registered that the fourth (and I think final) CD was released last month.

I have been considering it, but I don't really care much for Christopher Maltman's voice in the first volume of the series. Not only that, but I've been rather spoilt by all the outstanding performances of the melodies in the Debussy Complete Works set on DG.

Draško

Quote from: Papy Oli on March 20, 2018, 01:35:47 PM
Any particular views on those boxsets please ? Thank you very much.

More alternatives than thoughts.

For Poulenc, if complete EMI box is too much I'd go for Naxos chamber set, plus EMI twofers of concertos and Tacchino in solo piano pieces.

For Tchaikovsky it's unfortunate that Pletnev's recordings are scattered across several labels: Seasons on Virgin, op.72 on DG, Grand Sonata and Children's Album on Regis/Melodiya/..., op.40 on Melodiya. If you can find any of it cheap I'd recommend it.

Daverz

Quote from: Papy Oli on March 20, 2018, 01:35:47 PM
Any particular views on those boxsets please ? Thank you very much.

[asin]B0788XVFCZ[/asin]

From a 1993 Fanfare review:

Quote from: Donald Seibert in Fanfare 17:2Postnikova, who studied at the Moscow Conservatory, is thoroughly imbued with the style. She is not a particularly imaginative interpreter, but now and then she surprises with bursts of recreative insight, as in the pieces from ops. 1, 19, 40, and 72 mentioned above. She is a strong technician and has been recorded with care by Erato using fine Steinways and a Bechstein. The results are most pleasing, being warm and clear in the soft passages and never strident in the loud ones.

Madiel

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 21, 2018, 05:45:03 AM
I have been considering it, but I don't really care much for Christopher Maltman's voice in the first volume of the series. Not only that, but I've been rather spoilt by all the outstanding performances of the melodies in the Debussy Complete Works set on DG.

He is the slightly iffy one, yes. I like him fine in the Hyperion Faure set, but when I sampled the Debussy on iTunes I was just a trifle hesitant.

And I also have my eye on all the Veronique Dietschy recordings, having listened to her Faure and it's absolutely marvellous. However, I'm not going to buy the big set and I don't think she's recorded everything.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

ritter

#14589
It's curious: Véronique Dietschy's recordings of Debussy's mélodies are admired here on GMG (IIRC, Mirror Image and Spineur both think very highly of them), and I find them almost insufferable. I find her voice downright unpleasant and her "white" approach to the music tiresome and monotonous. One of the reasons I purchased the "big" Warner box was to have an alternative to Mme. Dietschy's renditions (which I have in the "old" DG box).

Vive la différence, I suppose... ;)

Spineur

#14590
Yes indeed ! Her ultra natural phrasing which you call white is what does it for me.  Yes Irma Kolassi has a more beautiful tone, but french Melodies originally come from popular songs and even very tasteful nuances can have the opposite effect to the singer intentions.
Even in the area of lieder Christian Gerhaher sings with a more natural - organic approach - concentrating on the phrasing.
French is a discourse.  Everything is in the phrasing and the diction.  There should be nothing else.

Madiel

#14591
Quote from: ritter on March 21, 2018, 02:21:18 PM
It's curious: Véronique Dietschy's recordings of Debussy's mélodies are admired here on GMG (IIRC, Mirror Image and Spineur both think very highly of them), and I find them almost insufferable. I find her voice downright unpleasant and her "white" approach to the music tiresome and monotonous. One of the reasons I purchased the "big" Warner box was to have an alternative to Mme. Dietschy's renditions (which I have in the "old" DG box).

Vive la différence, I suppose... ;)

Well, in late Faure, where keeping the sense of a long undulating phrase together is vital, I found her superb. I was dissatisfied with my recordings of two of the major late female works, and sampled at least half a dozen other efforts, and Dietschy was simply perfect for that music.

I agree with Spineur, phrasing is of utmost importance.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Jo498

#14592
I am also considering the LeSage Poulenc. I understand that the EMI complete is very "authentic", i.e. mostly with artists close to the composer but it is a) a bit much b) I don't much care for French vocal music and c) I am somewhat concerned about mediocre 1960s French EMI sound... Can anyone comment in more detail on the EMI, esp. wrt sound quality?
And also Rogé (Decca) vs. Tacchino/Fevrier (EMI) vs. Le Sage?
The Naxos Poulenc series looks great for chamber music but Tharaud did not record much solo music and not on cheap Naxos anyway.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Madiel

Doing some direct Debussy song sample comparisons, and I'm thinking maybe I don't like Veronique Dietschy for Debussy quite as much as I do for Faure. Hmmm...

PS The soprano on Volume 3 of the Hyperion albums, Jennifer France, sounds exquisite.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Mirror Image

#14594
Quote from: Spineur on March 21, 2018, 02:38:32 PM
Yes indeed ! Her ultra natural phrasing which you call white is what does it for me.  Yes Irma Kolassi has a more beautiful tone, but french Melodies originally come from popular songs and even very tasteful nuances can have the opposite effect to the singer intentions.
Even in the area of lieder Christian Gerhaher sings with a more natural - organic approach - concentrating on the phrasing.
French is a discourse.  Everything is in the phrasing and the diction.  There should be nothing else.

Yes, indeed! This is why I love Dietschy's vocals, because she's not over-the-top and Debussy isn't an over-the-top composer (with exception of a few instances in perhaps some of the orchestral works like La Mer or Images) as I believe his art lies in subtlety, harmonic color, and opulent nuance. French mélodies, or at least in my limited experience thus far, aren't meant to be sung operatically and this is why I don't like someone like Nathalie Stutzmann, which believe Rafael enjoys. Upon looking at the Debussy Warner set, I know for sure I won't enjoy the mélodies selection there as Dessay is used quite a bit and I've never liked her voice. Also, I see Barbara Hendricks is in there and I definitely don't enjoy her vocal work either. There's several others, but you get the idea. Debussy shouldn't be sung like it's operatic music, because it's not just like Pelléas et Mélisande isn't an opera in the traditional sense and the voices are used in a more natural way. So, to sum up, if the voice isn't natural and the phrasing isn't up to par, then they're simply not right in Debussy IMHO.

Draško

Quote from: Jo498 on March 22, 2018, 12:22:33 AM
I am somewhat concerned about mediocre 1960s French EMI sound... Can anyone comment in more detail on the EMI, esp. wrt sound quality?

I don't have the complete box. What I have, the concertos, chamber music and solo piano is recorded in solid 60-70s stereo, maybe touch on the bright side. Never bothered me, doesn't call attention to itself. But it probably is inferior to LeSage's modern sound. 

Papy Oli

Thank you all for your feedback on the box sets.

Not really interested in the full Poulenc box  for the songs, I already have the sacred works and only looking to chamber and piano additions.

Shostakovich SQ are unknown to me, did sample various sets and overall it is out of my comfort zone chamber music wise but I want to give them a fair go with a decent sound set.

For Debussy, I have 2 of the 3 Michelangeli CDs ... Was looking at gieseking as an alternative.

Food for thought, thank you again.
Olivier

Mookalafalas

Quote from: Papy Oli on March 22, 2018, 05:54:48 AM

For Debussy, I have 2 of the 3 Michelangeli CDs ... Was looking at gieseking as an alternative.

  If you are on the fence about the EMI Gieseking Debussy, I would suggest saving some money by getting an older/cheaper copy.  I was comparing the "remastered" for SACD set to my old one, and for my 51 year old ears, the sound was not better.
It's all good...

Mirror Image

Quote from: Mookalafalas on April 01, 2018, 06:23:41 PM
  If you are on the fence about the EMI Gieseking Debussy, I would suggest saving some money by getting an older/cheaper copy.  I was comparing the "remastered" for SACD set to my old one, and for my 51 year old ears, the sound was not better.

To voice another opinion, I would avoid Gieseking altogether and get Kocsis' and Jacobs' Debussy recordings. :)

Madiel

It's possible I've asked about this before and forgotten...

Does anyone have any thoughts on this box and/or its contents?

[asin]B00OZ1QGGC[/asin]

Giulini for the German Requiem. Sinopolli for the orchestral works. Jena for the non-orchestral.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!