Recordings That You Are Considering

[North Star]

By the way, nesf, do you know Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet? This is an absolutely amazing piece, one of my favourites. The 'Juliet's Death' finale I think is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written. Makes me cry every time I hear it... and the ballet also contains some of the most jolly music, such as the 'Morning Dance'. A masterpiece.

How could I forget this

[nesf]

By the way, nesf, do you know Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet? This is an absolutely amazing piece, one of my favourites. The 'Juliet's Death' finale I think is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written. Makes me cry every time I hear it... and the ballet also contains some of the most jolly music, such as the 'Morning Dance'. A masterpiece.

Prokofiev is really interesting me at the moment so that'll be an easy purchase to make!

[madaboutmahler]

Prokofiev is really interesting me at the moment so that'll be an easy purchase to make!

nesf, I would like to highly recommend this recording to you:
[asin]B00000613N[/asin]

Really really excellent! I'm sure you'd enjoy it!

[nesf]

This forum needs a thanks button!

[jlaurson]

I'll second these suggestions. Try Mahler's 6th symphony, the Rachmaninov mentioned above, Shostakovich's 5th/10th symphonies, etc... those are the recommendations I shall come up with for now.

By the way, nesf, do you know Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet? This is an absolutely amazing piece, one of my favourites. The 'Juliet's Death' finale I think is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written. Makes me cry every time I hear it... and the ballet also contains some of the most jolly music, such as the 'Morning Dance'. A masterpiece.

Hate to niggle... but are those not all bombastic, flag-flying symphonies. Dark, for sure, but usually in an aggressive way... not my (at least) idea of Melancholic, and not quite like the Elgar or the DSCH P5Qt. (Though perhaps a bit more like the Prok.7.) If some other DSCH, it'd be the 8th and to some degree the 4th that I'd throw into that category. (Not that I'd recommend them at this point.)

I'd follow the Sibelius suggestion made; Sibelius 7th especially. Searing melancholy, if ever the was some. And the 4th if you are daring.

There must be 'easier' darkly melancholic pieces, too... (even the alleged 'love-song' Adagietto from Mahler's 5th seems to fit the vague transcription quite nicely!) Mozart G-minor Viola Quintet, too.

Strauss "Tod & Verklaerung", of course.... almost written for that description. Ravel Piano Concerto...

Gorecki Third Symphony, in a simplistic wonderful way.  Arvo Paert: Lamentatione but also Fratres. Anything Tigran Mansurian ever wrote. Schoenberg Verklaerte Nacht.

Links some other time (if they're useful to you, NESF) -- must rest for tomorrow's trip & two concerts.

Cheers,

Jens

[nesf]

Links some other time (if they're useful to you, NESF) -- must rest for tomorrow's trip & two concerts.

No worries, thanks for the input and enjoy the concerts!

[North Star]

Also check Schönberg's Verklärte Nacht - Here's Karajan's recording of the orchestral version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoDXFkiUJLQ

[madaboutmahler]

Also check Schönberg's Verklärte Nacht - Here's Karajan's recording of the orchestral version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoDXFkiUJLQ

Definitely will second again!

Pelleas und Melisande is also an absolutely beautiful piece. Schoenberg certainly wrote some absolutely incredible romantic masterpieces before his brainwave!

[Klaze]

I need recommendations for melancholic music

How about some Ravel? The Passacaille (3rd movement) from the Piano Trio, for example. But a lot of his (chamber and solo piano) music, is, to me, quite melancholic.

[nesf]

Also check Schönberg's Verklärte Nacht - Here's Karajan's recording of the orchestral version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoDXFkiUJLQ

I listened to the orchestral version on the Digital Concert Hall and the version you linked and while I found it very interesting I didn't find it melancholic really. Sad in places sure, but never the kind of brooding rumination that I'd associate with melancholia in music (very subjective personal definition open to much disagreement etc). It's interesting how people can draw such different reactions and associate the same word with them.


Thanks to everyone for their recommendations.

[Novi]

Hello!

Any suggestions for Ives's Concord Sonata? I've only heard it once live and am not familiar at all with any recording.

Are these Hamelin recordings the same? I don't know either of the other pieces so would be happy with either pairing:

 


Aimard? Seems like the sort of thing he does well and whilst I don't know the songs, I do like Susan Graham, so the pairing is attractive:

   


Lubimov? Not someone who I would ordinarily associate with this music but that's from a very casual acquaintance with Lubimov's work:




Second: I'm also looking for a dvd of Britten's Young Person's Guide - keen on the visuals for this one - but am coming up with nothing. Is there anything at all out there?

Cheers!

[not edward]

Have Hamelin II, Aimard and Lubimov. The last of the three is the one I come back to most often.

Aimard is to my mind a tad too cerebral for Ives, even though his coupling is the most interesting to me. I'm not usually a Hamelin fan, but his is a solid outing with plenty to say; however, I simply find Lubimov the most in tune with Ives' soundworld and the most alive to the subtler nuances of the work.

[Novi]

Have Hamelin II, Aimard and Lubimov. The last of the three is the one I come back to most often.

Aimard is to my mind a tad too cerebral for Ives, even though his coupling is the most interesting to me. I'm not usually a Hamelin fan, but his is a solid outing with plenty to say; however, I simply find Lubimov the most in tune with Ives' soundworld and the most alive to the subtler nuances of the work.

Thanks Edward, that's a very helpful overview. I'm very new to Ives - as in I've only come across the Concord and a few of his songs in concert - so it's interesting to hear what you say about Lubimov and the 'Ives' soundworld.' Actually, I think I also have Litton's Symphony 1 & 4 in storage somewhere. Must find that and re-listen some time soon.

[jlaurson]

Thanks Edward, that's a very helpful overview. I'm very new to Ives - as in I've only come across the Concord and a few of his songs in concert - so it's interesting to hear what you say about Lubimov and the 'Ives' soundworld.' Actually, I think I also have Litton's Symphony 1 & 4 in storage somewhere. Must find that and re-listen some time soon.

Ives is a composer I ignore on CD (not by choice... it just happens that way). But when I hear his work live, Concord sonata (Notes from the 2011 Salzburg Festival ( 15 )) or otherwise (Alex Ross' Belmont Prize and an Evening of Americana), I am completely enthralled. (Notes from the 2011 Salzburg Festival ( 12 ))

But all the recordings above are excellent and different (use of alternative scoring et al.) and you can't go wrong. Here's a comparative review of my ionarts colleague of Hamelin II & Aimard. http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/01/ives-concord-sonata.html

[mc ukrneal]

Any books on Verdi to recommend? My wife would like to read something about him, but not just analyses of the works (so discussion of the influences on his music, his life, politics, etc.). There are lots of books, but most seem too academic and dry for this purpose.

[kishnevi]

For Ives, although more likely a useful supplement:

Which contains, besides the sonata proper, piano transcriptions of two of the original orchestral movements, and interspersed with the sonata movements,  readings from writings by Emerson and Thoreau, and from apposite parts of Ives's Essays Before A Sonata (based on something Ives did for his nephew when playing parts of the sonata itself).

[Todd]

Being a Debussy year, there will be some good new recordings, and some reissues to consider.  This is one for me.  I'm thinking I will buy.  I have not yet heard Mr Crossley's Debussy.

[North Star]

Being a Debussy year, there will be some good new recordings, and some reissues to consider.  This is one for me.  I'm thinking I will buy.  I have not yet heard Mr Crossley's Debussy.

$.30 cheaper:
[asin]B0000793Y5[/asin]

[Bulldog]

$.30 cheaper:
[asin]B0000793Y5[/asin]

A lot more that $.30 cheaper.  An Amazon seller has it "new" for $14.27.

[Karl Henning]

But that Amazon page says "Number of Discs: 1."