Recordings That You Are Considering

[Lisztianwagner]

I hope you refer to Schubert.

Despite appreciating Schubert's music very much, I'm afraid I refered to Karajan....

[kishnevi]

Debussy liked other musicians orchestrating his music and often gave orchestration assignments for others to work on. The reality is Debussy didn't do a whole lot of orchestrating himself, but this shouldn't hamper any kind of enjoyment a listener could possibly get out of this set. I think it's an essential acquisition for Debussy fans, but if you want to pass on it that's your prerogative. Yes, "Debussy's sound-world" is the perfect term to use because that is what this box is made up of regardless if it's Debussy's orchestration or Andre Caplet's or even Ravel. I'm seriously looking forward to this release.

With your logic, I guess we should pass on Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death because Shostakovich made an orchestration of it. I mean there's more than one way to appreciate a composer's music and it's always good to get a different interpretation whether it be through an orchestration or just the way a conductor interprets the work.

No, would not pass on it, but listen to it knowing that it's a combination of both Mussorgsky and Shostakovich. 
In fact, in that particular case I'm more interested in what Shostakovich did with it than I am with the original--but that's because of my opinion of Shostakovich.

But Debussy's Preludes as written for the piano is part of Debussy's sound world.  The Preludes as illustrated by Matthews is Matthews's attempt to imitate Debussy's sound world.

I might at some point be interested in hearing what other people have done with Debussy's music--truth to tell, if Naxos had boxed up the transcriptions and orchestrations and marketed it as such, I'd probably be more interested.  But to see the box as titled and then discover so much of it was orchestrations by others was, to be honest,  a turn off.

[Karl Henning]

Personally, I am not keen on orchestrations of the Debussy Préludes.

That said, I recall that I need to spend more time with Khâmma, the ballet which of course Debussy allowed Koechlin to score.  I still have to override a misprision that it is a late-late work . . . he actually wrote it (or finished it, in short score) before Jeux, didn't he?

[North Star]

Personally, I am not keen on orchestrations of the Debussy Préludes.

That said, I recall that I need to spend more time with Khâmma, the ballet which of course Debussy allowed Koechlin to score.  I still have to override a misprision that it is a late-late work . . . he actually wrote it (or finished it, in short score) before Jeux, didn't he?

Well certainly, if he let Koechlin orchestrate it because he had to concentrate on the Jeux. Excellent works, both of them.

[Mirror Image]

No, would not pass on it, but listen to it knowing that it's a combination of both Mussorgsky and Shostakovich. 
In fact, in that particular case I'm more interested in what Shostakovich did with it than I am with the original--but that's because of my opinion of Shostakovich.

But Debussy's Preludes as written for the piano is part of Debussy's sound world.  The Preludes as illustrated by Matthews is Matthews's attempt to imitate Debussy's sound world.

I might at some point be interested in hearing what other people have done with Debussy's music--truth to tell, if Naxos had boxed up the transcriptions and orchestrations and marketed it as such, I'd probably be more interested.  But to see the box as titled and then discover so much of it was orchestrations by others was, to be honest,  a turn off.

Like I said, there wasn't a lot of music that Debussy orchestrated himself and also, if read his history, you would see that he didn't mind and, in fact, encouraged others to orchestrate his music. He trusted these people with his music and while the orchestration may not come across as "Debussy-like" it is still apart of the Debussy sound-world because the music is still his. You can dismiss Naxos all you want to for labeling the box set Complete Orchestral Works, but it is what is and, considering Debussy is one of my favorite composers, this set will be an essential acquisition for me. As I said before, there's more than one way to appreciate a composer. Transcriptions are just another facet of Debussy's music.

[Mirror Image]

Personally, I am not keen on orchestrations of the Debussy Préludes.

That said, I recall that I need to spend more time with Khâmma, the ballet which of course Debussy allowed Koechlin to score.  I still have to override a misprision that it is a late-late work . . . he actually wrote it (or finished it, in short score) before Jeux, didn't he?

Yes, Karl. I need to familiarize myself with Khamma again as well. It's been awhile since I listened to it.

[nesf]

I'm contemplating this next week, there's a good bit of music there by composers I don't have:

[asin]B005D51II0[/asin]

http://www.deccaclassics.com/cat/single?PRODUCT_NR=4782826


Any thoughts?

[jlaurson]

I'm contemplating this next week, there's a good bit of music there by composers I don't have:

Any thoughts?

If you don't mind such big boxes (and the resulting lack of order in your collection)... there's lots of very, very find stuff in there:


CD 5 - Cecilia Bartoli - Italian Songs cute!

CD 7 - Herbert Blomstedt - Richard Strauss
CD 8 - Karl Böhm - Bruckner Symphony No 4 top-notch!

CD 10 - Benjamin Britten - Britten War Requiem  classic
CD 11 - Riccardo Chailly - Messiaen excellent
CD 12 - Kyung-Wha Chung - Mendelssohn & Bruch classic (to some)
CD 13 - Clifford Curzon - Mozart Piano Concertos top-notch!
CD 14 - Christoph von Dohnányi - Schoenberg, Berg & Webern

CD 18 - Nelson Freire - Brahms Piano Concerto No 1 & Schumann Carnaval top-notch!

CD 24 - István Kertész - Dvorák Symphonies No 8 & 9  classic

CD 26 - Alicia de Larrocha - Granados & Falla

CD 29 - Peter Maag - Mendelssohn

CD 31 - Charles Mackerras - Janácek

CD 36 - Karl Münchinger - Bach

CD 41 - Pascal Rogé - Saint-Saëns Piano Concertos
CD 42 - Christophe Rousset - Pergolesi Stabat Mater

CD 45 - Georg Solti - Mahler Symphony No 8 classic, although I think it's awful, in a gloriously wrong-headed way

CD 47 - Takács Quartet - Beethoven Late String Quartets yumm-yumm!

[nesf]

If you don't mind such big boxes (and the resulting lack of order in your collection)... there's lots of very, very find stuff in there:

Excellent, thank you. I keep the big boxes off in their own section and I rip my music to computer for listening anyway so it doesn't affect my listening at all what format box I get.

[nesf]

Can I do better than this for The Well Tempered Clavier on Harpsichord?



I'm listening to it on Spotify and loving it even at meh file quality.

[jlaurson]

Can I do better than [Schornsheim] for The Well Tempered Clavier on Harpsichord?
I'm listening to it on Spotify and loving it even at meh file quality.

Hmm... you could do differently, at least. I very much like Egarr's very soft and flexible account, esp. Book II. (Harmonia Mundi)

Watchorn, which I have not heard, has fans at GMG... (Book 1, Book 2: self-published, Musica Omnia) Bit pricey in the UK (via Amazon, at least)

Belder, on Brilliant, offers both books, dirt cheap: Book 1 & 2; I've not heard it but heard of it spoken well, if unenthusiastic. I find Belder very competent (and often more) in what I have of him (i.e. complete Scarlatti), if not the most imaginative player.

Suzuki (BIS) reminds me of a sewing machine, sometimes, but always (even if that sounds perverse) in a good way. I like his WTC... again Book 2 more than Book 1.

Leonhardt, a serious contender, is very much OOP (but available as an import from Japan) and cheap if you dig downloading mp3s.

I know of no others that I'd consider to challenge either of these or Schornsheim. Certainly not Kirkpatrick (snore!), nor Bob v. Asperen, Jarret (50% harpsichord), Levin, Wilson, Gilbert...
Blandine Verlet (naive) is possibly oop?

As for Schornsheim:

Listen What the Cat Dragged In: The Nightingale & The Well Tempered Clavier

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2012/01/listen-what-cat-dragged-in-nightingale.html]

[Sadko]

Hmm... you could do differently, at least. I very much like Egarr's very soft and flexible account, esp. Book II. (Harmonia Mundi)

Watchorn, which I have not heard, has fans at GMG... (Book 1, Book 2: self-published, Musica Omnia) Bit pricey in the UK (via Amazon, at least)

Belder, on Brilliant, offers both books, dirt cheap: Book 1 & 2; I've not heard it but heard of it spoken well, if unenthusiastic. I find Belder very competent (and often more) in what I have of him (i.e. complete Scarlatti), if not the most imaginative player.

Suzuki (BIS) reminds me of a sewing machine, sometimes, but always (even if that sounds perverse) in a good way. I like his WTC... again Book 2 more than Book 1.

Leonhardt, a serious contender, is very much OOP (but available as an import from Japan) and cheap if you dig downloading mp3s.

I know of no others that I'd consider to challenge either of these or Schornsheim. Certainly not Kirkpatrick (snore!), nor Bob v. Asperen, Jarret (50% harpsichord), Levin, Wilson, Gilbert...
Blandine Verlet (naive) is possibly oop?

As for Schornsheim:

Listen What the Cat Dragged In: The Nightingale & The Well Tempered Clavier

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2012/01/listen-what-cat-dragged-in-nightingale.html]

I think Davitt Moroney is also worth considering, the opposite of "sewing machine", a gentle touch, quite "cantabile".

[Coopmv]

Can I do better than this for The Well Tempered Clavier on Harpsichord?



I'm listening to it on Spotify and loving it even at meh file quality.

I have versions by Bob van Asperen and Christiane Jaccottet.  Both versions may surpass this version, which I currently am waiting for delivery from Amazon.

[jlaurson]

I think Davitt Moroney is also worth considering, the opposite of "sewing machine", a gentle touch, quite "cantabile".

I have versions by Bob van Asperen and Christiane Jaccottet.  Both versions may surpass this version, which I currently am waiting for delivery from Amazon.

Moroney is very OOP, Jaccottet is very nice, indeed... and can be cobbled together from cheapo (sadly crummy) "Vienna Masters" discs.

[Sadko]

Moroney is very OOP, Jaccottet is very nice, indeed... and can be cobbled together from cheapo (sadly crummy) "Vienna Masters" discs.

Although Moroney is available on Amazon market place

[asin]B0000007NP[/asin]

Amazon UK: 26 GBP

[Bulldog]

Can I do better than this for The Well Tempered Clavier on Harpsichord?



I'm listening to it on Spotify and loving it even at meh file quality.

I've only heard the Schornsheim a couple of times; seems mighty fine to me.  Whether the set will stand tall over time is the question.

In comparison to other modern-era harpsichord sets, I'd say that Schornsheim easily bests Egarr and about equals Dantone. Sets from Wilson, Leonhardt, Moroney, Belder, Watchorn and Gilbert remain my favorites with Pechefsky on Quill Classics almost there as well.

[Cato]

In a moment of weakness, still unknown to the Imperial High Command  , I ordered this:



Mono sound no doubt, but...it's Herrmann at his best!  One of the old Charles Gerhard compilation recordings had one sequence, The Hunt, which is absolutely electrifying.

[nesf]

Thanks guys, I'll think I'll pick it up. I was just checking there wasn't some ultimate performance album that I'd never heard that I should be picking up first. I have Jaccottet but honestly the album I have (maybe she had several?) never grew on me. I couldn't fault it technically or anything like that, it just never grabbed me when I listened to it. No accounting for taste I suppose.

[Lisztianwagner]

The String Quartets were highly recommended to me; I may add the set on my wishing-list.

[jlaurson]

The String Quartets were highly recommended to me; I may add the set on my wishing-list.


Villa Lobos
String Quartets
Cuarteto Latinoamericano
Brilliant
(Amazon.IT)

I was probably among the chorus of voices that suggested you get this... so here it is again: plunge already! It's top-drawer stuff and a wonderful exploration.