Recordings That You Are Considering

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

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Mandryka

#16460
Quote from: Valentino on February 26, 2022, 12:52:50 AM
Strauss Elektra w/Solti. 
Why shouldn't I?

It's relentless. The opera has a moment of built in relaxation in The Recognition Scene, where Elektra realises that she is speaking to her brother Orestes. That was a good call dramatically on Strauss's part. Solti doesn't relax very much, unfortunately.

There's also John Culshaw's use of Decca "Sonic Stage" engineering -- an early attempt to produce a more 3D stereo image. The result is sometimes almost hyperreal, it draws attention to itself. It's certainly memorable: once heard it is never unheard.

That being said Solti conducts it all in a (relentlessly!) white hot way, Nilsson and Resnik are wonderful IMO. The LP set came with a well designed booklet -- good graphic design - the graphic design stays in my memory even though my copy went into the dumpster in 1988 or thereabouts. 
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Valentino

Thanks!
I'll search the forum for alternatives. Not put off the Solti though, rather the opposite, ref. my signature. 🤪
We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma

Mandryka

#16462
Quote from: Valentino on February 26, 2022, 02:51:25 AM
Thanks!
I'll search the forum for alternatives. Not put off the Solti though, rather the opposite, ref. my signature. 🤪

Well I didn't want to put you off. It's on youtube and that'll give a good idea. I used to love it, played it often, my jaw would frequently drop at key moments e.g. Allein, weh ganz allein and Ich kann nicht sitzen. The murder of Aegisthus is gorily graphic . . . 

I saw Resnik sing in it, with Semion Bitchkov  -- but it was too late, she was past her best.

I have to say, I think it is a fabulous opera. Perfect opera in a way.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka



Does it do a good job with the music? Is the booklet essay interesting? (If I buy it I have to decide between downloads and CD)
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

SonicMan46

Haydn - Symphonies w/ Giovanni Antonini conducting two different period instrument orchestras - below is a 10-CD box recently released - I had a pre-order in at Amazon but it was cancelled - description below from PrestoMusic - being sold there for $47 USD, slightly less at JPC, and for $39 on the Amazon MP.  I'm starting to listen on a Spotify playlist; each disc seems to have a recording of another composer of the era - Fanfare reviews have been generally good - any comments about this package vs. a number of older period instrument performances?  Thanks - Dave :)

QuoteThis ten-CD set celebrates the release of the first ten volumes of the HAYDN2032 series, which aims to record all 107 Haydn symphonies by the 300th anniversary of his birth in 2032. This highly ambitious project under the artistic direction of Giovanni Antonini is shared between two ensembles, Il Giardino Armonico and Kammerorchester Basel. Its first volumes have received the most prestigious awards, including the Gramophone Award, the Diapason d'Or, the 'Choc' de Classica of the year and the Preis der Deustchen Schallplattenkritik. Produced in collaboration with the Joseph Haydn Foundation in Basel, this series pays tribute to one of the key composers in the history of music, whose inventiveness and emotional richness are nevertheless underestimated all too often. Antonini places his enthusiasm and sense of colour at the service of this music, which he sees as 'a kaleidoscope of human emotions'. (Source)


JBS

I have the individual CDs.
I think the performances are good and the inclusion of non Haydn stuff broadens its interest.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

kyjo

Quote from: Mirror Image on February 22, 2022, 11:40:18 AM
I've been begging Ilaria to come back via FB, but she always says she'll be back, but never actually shows up. :( Loved her posts here and I applaud her Wagnerism. Why wouldn't I? I'm a Wagnerian myself.

Yeah, I miss Ilaria's posts as well - we share a lot of similar tastes. Ditto "madaboutmahler" (I believe his name is Daniel), cilgwyn, etc.... :(
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Mandryka

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

premont

Quote from: Mandryka on February 28, 2022, 12:56:43 AM


Got this a few weeks ago. Interesting organs not the least the apfelregal.
Expert playing and sound as expected - a no-brainer.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

André

Quote from: Mirror Image on February 22, 2022, 11:40:18 AM
I've been begging Ilaria to come back via FB, but she always says she'll be back, but never actually shows up. :( Loved her posts here and I applaud her Wagnerism. Why wouldn't I? I'm a Wagnerian myself.

Is Ilaria her GMG name ?

Selig



Or does Gary Verkade wipe the floor with Berben?

Florestan

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


Mandryka

#16473
Quote from: Selig on February 28, 2022, 06:07:09 AM


Or does Gary Verkade wipe the floor with Berben?

No, not in my opinion. For me it's a case of different perspectives. Verkade only plays the ricercars, as you know probably .
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

premont

#16474
Quote from: Selig on February 28, 2022, 06:07:09 AM


Or does Gary Verkade wipe the floor with Berben?

If you ask me, the answer is yes. As much due to his informed no-nonsense playing style as to the chosen meantone tuned organ.


γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Brahmsian

Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.....Which of these two would you recommend?

Dorati - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

or

Dorati - London Symphony Orchestra

Mirror Image

Quote from: OrchestralNut on March 08, 2022, 06:51:01 AM
Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.....Which of these two would you recommend?

Dorati - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

or

Dorati - London Symphony Orchestra

I only know the Concertgebouw recording, but I bet you'd be hard-pressed to find a better performance.

Mandryka

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Pizzicato-Polka

Quote from: Florestan on February 22, 2022, 03:13:23 AM
amw, Pohjola's Daughter --- who's the third?

In the past there were also zamyrabird (Jane) and Lisztianwagner (Ilaria) but they are no longer active.

Now there's also me, hallo. :)

To return to the main topic, should I get this Brahms box?

https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/catalogue/products/101-brahms-6193



I'm tempted because it has a lot of stuff for a good price. I hesitate since I see the symphonies are by Wiener Symphoniker conducted by Sawallisch. It's an ok version, but nothing special for me (the one I really love is by Berliner Symphoniker cond. Abbado), so I'm not sure if the rest of the 101 set will make up for it. I'm looking forward especially to the entirety of Hungarian Dances, is the box' version good in general (it's by Budapest Festival Orchestra cond. Ivan Fischer)? I really like versions by Wiener Philharmoniker/Abbado and Budapest Symhony Orchestra/Bogar, I listened to some of Fischer and it unfortunately seems too slow to me, especially Dance no 5. Is it the case with all the Dances by them?

Maybe it'll be better to just buy the entirey of Dances by Abbado or Bogar and then Symphonies by Berliner/Abbado... That definitely would be more expensive though  :(, and won't have violin works, rhapsodies, and the Liebeslieder waltz like the box does.

Brian

Welcome! One appealing thing about Fischer is he does his own orchestrations of some of the dances, which are typically very good. So you would be getting a very different experience from Bogar (my favorite set of the "normal" versions). For example No. 14 is for strings only and yes, so much slower it sounds like a totally different piece. Not a bad way to bend the ears if you're inclined to branch out.