Recordings That You Are Considering

[DavidRoss]

Check this out Dave - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSZ40V0teGM

And while you're there, check out all the other clips from Michael Lawrence's Bach Project.  Or follow links to them all from this page: http://www.mlfilms.com/productions/bach_project  Scroll down to see who's featured in all these clips.

[Daverz]

Yeah, [Campoli] is my favourite as well. But it's not for someone who craves modern sound.

I finally found my copy on Beulah.  I'd forgotten that this was a Kenneth Wilkinson recording in Kingsway Hall.  Really beautiful sounding.  A modern recording might sound cleaner, that's all.

[DavidW]

Yes, George - looks can be deceiving - 

Chris Thile is in the middle, the other two are brother-sister, all quite young @ the time - Dave 

Yeah that's actually a good album, it has beautiful singing, excellent playing on real instruments... it's everything pop should be but is not.

[Sergeant Rock]

Yeah that's actually a good album, it has beautiful singing, excellent playing on real instruments...

I agree. I bought the CD last week.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

It's now official. Our redheaded, accordion playing Bachian is the most beautiful woman in the world...at least according to Esquire:




Sarge

[SonicMan46]

Well hate to be the follow-up post after Sarge's above - 

Grieg, Evard - Solo Piano Music - how much & what to own?  Currently, I have a 3-CD Brilliant box w/ Håkon Austbø doing the Lyric Suites, and 3 discs (first three volumes) of Einar Steen-Nökleberg on Naxos, i.e. 6 discs total @ the moment - probably enough, but some 'box sets' have been released that may be of interest?

There is a newly released 7-CD Brilliant box w/ Håkon Austbø, which includes the 3 discs that I already own - and have not check for overlap w/ Steen-Nökleberg on the other discs?

BIS is offering a 12-CD box w/ a number of pianists, including Eva Knardahl; assume that there is a lot of incidental music, transcriptions, etc.?

In addition, there is a 7-CD box on RCA w/ Gerhard Oppitz, which I assume is similar to the other of the same size, basically the opus works?

And, Naxos may (or has?) be bringing out the 12-14+ box of Steen-Nökleberg, which may include songs?

So, anyone else interested in this composer's solo piano works - comments, suggestions, other considerations not mentioned?  Thanks - 

   

[Scarpia]

It's now official. Our redheaded, accordion playing Bachian is the most beautiful woman in the world...at least according to Esquire:




Sarge

My god, she's a cow!

[Bulldog]

My god, she's a cow!

All the more to enjoy.  I've noticed that Kim Kardashian has been leading the way to a greater appreciation of women with some meat on the bone.

[Brian]

Well hate to be the follow-up post after Sarge's above - 

Grieg, Evard - Solo Piano Music - how much & what to own?  Currently, I have a 3-CD Brilliant box w/ Håkon Austbø doing the Lyric Suites, and 3 discs (first three volumes) of Einar Steen-Nökleberg on Naxos, i.e. 6 discs total @ the moment - probably enough, but some 'box sets' have been released that may be of interest?

There is a newly released 7-CD Brilliant box w/ Håkon Austbø, which includes the 3 discs that I already own - and have not check for overlap w/ Steen-Nökleberg on the other discs?

BIS is offering a 12-CD box w/ a number of pianists, including Eva Knardahl; assume that there is a lot of incidental music, transcriptions, etc.?

In addition, there is a 7-CD box on RCA w/ Gerhard Oppitz, which I assume is similar to the other of the same size, basically the opus works?

And, Naxos may (or has?) be bringing out the 12-14+ box of Steen-Nökleberg, which may include songs?

So, anyone else interested in this composer's solo piano works - comments, suggestions, other considerations not mentioned?  Thanks - 

Naxos brought out a box set years and years ago, a slipcase with all the jewel cases inside it. The good news is that it can still be had pretty cheaply. The bad news is it will take up a TON of shelf space. The more so because the Naxos complete edition contains several CDs' worth of music nobody else has ever recorded. Huge collections of Norwegian folk songs appear only sporadically or incomplete on the rival editions (Naxos has about three CDs' worth - I think 150 transcriptions of folk songs for piano, organ, harmonium, and maybe pianoforte or harpsichord?). Plus, the Naxos set is the only one to record the three minutes' worth of sketches Grieg left for his Piano Concerto No 2. Of course, you can listen to that track on YouTube.

EDIT: The instruments Steen-Nökleberg uses to play the "Norwegian Melodies Nos. 1-152" over three CDs are the piano, clavichord, harmonium, and organ. I am tempted to say that I prefer these pieces to the more famous Lyric Pieces! Going back to listen to them now to see if it's true. No. 1 sounds a lot like "Deck the Halls." The clavichord reminds me of a cross between a harpsichord and a mandolin. Some favorite melodies... 5, 17, 34, 40.

[Florestan]

My god, she's a cow!

This is more to your taste, I suppose:

All the more to enjoy. 

Agreed.

[jlaurson]

Well hate to be the follow-up post after Sarge's above - 

Grieg, Evard - Solo Piano Music - how much & what to own?  Currently, I have a 3-CD Brilliant box w/ Håkon Austbø doing the Lyric Suites, and 3 discs (first three volumes) of Einar Steen-Nökleberg on Naxos, i.e. 6 discs total @ the moment - probably enough, but some 'box sets' have been released that may be of interest?

There is a newly released 7-CD Brilliant box w/ Håkon Austbø, which includes the 3 discs that I already own - and have not check for overlap w/ Steen-Nökleberg on the other discs?

BIS is offering a 12-CD box w/ a number of pianists, including Eva Knardahl; assume that there is a lot of incidental music, transcriptions, etc.?

In addition, there is a 7-CD box on RCA w/ Gerhard Oppitz, which I assume is similar to the other of the same size, basically the opus works?

And, Naxos may (or has?) be bringing out the 12-14+ box of Steen-Nökleberg, which may include songs?

So, anyone else interested in this composer's solo piano works - comments, suggestions, other considerations not mentioned?  Thanks - 

   

I'm a big fan of Austbo in the Grieg solo piano works. (Actually, I'm an even bigger fan of his in Scriabin and Messiaen, but that's beside{s} the point.
I've not heard Oppitz in Grieg and I have a few of those Eva Knardahl CDs... [My Gawd, Sarge would not be a fan!!!]. Those are earnest, competent, and competitive... but not the last word wherever there are alternative such as Austbo's.

[james66]

Considering acquiring Alain Planes' Debussy box set (5 cds) from Harmonia Mundi. Another composer I'm not very familiar with. Amazon also has a damn good price for a 4-cd set by Gordon Fergus-Thompson. Any views and insights on these sets (and others) are much appreciated. Thanks.

[George]

Considering acquiring Alain Planes' Debussy box set (5 cds) from Harmonia Mundi. Another composer I'm not very familiar with. Amazon also has a damn good price for a 4-cd set by Gordon Fergus-Thompson. Any views and insights on these sets (and others) are much appreciated. Thanks.

The Fergus Thompson is supposed to be incredible, but I strongly recommend considering Michelangeli's set on DG.

[DavidRoss]

Considering acquiring Alain Planes' Debussy box set (5 cds) from Harmonia Mundi. Another composer I'm not very familiar with. Amazon also has a damn good price for a 4-cd set by Gordon Fergus-Thompson. Any views and insights on these sets (and others) are much appreciated. Thanks.

I have and like Planès's Debussy Preludes very much and can recommend that disc enthusiastically.  I am also considering the box set even though I already have all of Debussy's wonderful music for piano on record.  This is some of the loveliest music in the repertoire and well worth knowing.

I cannot comment on Fergus-Thompson, as I have not heard his recordings.  Likewise, I suspect, for most of the folks here regarding Planès.  Review clippings should at least intrigue:

Unfailingly beautiful though Alain Planès's playing is, his Debussy is far from an indiscriminate blanket of lovely sounds. He goes instead for the specific, finding drama and deep feeling in these works. It is the culmination of his Debussy cycle on Harmonia Mundi, and an appropriately commanding finale.

-- Gramophone [9/2007, reviewing HM 901947]

These warm, lovely performances by this French-born, and French- and American-trained, pianist serve to remind us that Debussy, though wholly deserving of his reputation as an inspirational revolutionary, still had one foot firmly planted in the Romantic world of the late 19th century... Planés is not obsessed by precision, although there is nothing lacking in his technique. Instead, we get Debussy with a vibrant tonality, a broad, singing line, and a large dynamic range... Planés is always sincere and deeply musical, and the material is great enough to accommodate a personal vision. Those who respond more to the sensual aspect of Debussy, as opposed to the intellectual side, should enjoy this disc.

-- Peter Burwasser, FANFARE [reviewing HM 901695]

...Significant is the use of a wonderful Bechstein grand from 1897. Added to faithful and natural sonics, this is enough to make this newcomer a winner. In the last 15 years, the pianist has deepened his vision of this collection of masterpieces. The playing is more melody-oriented, less purely vertical than in the previous attempt, and every phrase is thoughtfully shaped and detailed, partly thanks to the Bechstein's clarity of timbre and fluidity of mechanics. Although Planès doesn't always "move" as much as we might hope, he manages to build up very effective climaxes, as in La Cathédrale engloutie, while his atmospheric playing displays a good deal of magic in Des pas sur la neige, La puerta del vino, La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune, and Canope... Planès offers a subtler tonal palette, as well as additional elegance and humor. In some ways, his approach may be considered more conventional than that of [Maurizio Pollini], but it's also more directly rewarding to the listener.

-- Luca Sabbatini, ClassicsToday.com [reviewing HM 901695]

You may sample clips from the complete set on HM's website, http://www.harmoniamundi.com/artists?view=bio&id=155#/albums?view=home&id=1392 , and there are some tracks from his recordings posted on youtube.

[Coopmv]

The Fergus Thompson is supposed to be incredible, but I strongly recommend considering Michelangeli's set on DG.

I have the Fergus Thompson set and it is quite good ...

[Antoine Marchand]

My god, she's a cow!

The good times are all gone:

[George]

Excuse me, I just need to use the bathroom for a few minutes...  0:)

[Antoine Marchand]

Excuse me, I just need to use the bathroom for a few minutes...  0:)

[Scarpia]

The good times are all gone:

Considering the non-airbrushed photo:



I'll take twiggy any day.

[james66]

Much appreciate the replies. I've heard samples on jpc of Planes' Debussy and quite like his playing. Seems to have a reflective, refined style. Have to admit the fact he used period pianos to be added incentive for me to get the set. Can't seem to find any samples of Fergus-Thompson's Debussy, though, but the price (abt 10 pounds) is darn attractive. I have (and like very much) Beroff's recording of the preludes and Thibaudet's set with the etudes, but a full set would be great. I'll try Michelangeli, George, and once again, thanks to all.