Recordings That You Are Considering

[Drasko]

Could any one of our resident Greek members tell me bit more about this disc? As far as can understand this is Dimitri Mitropoulos' music for Euripides' Hippolytus, but is it incidental music for actuall setting of the play or is it some symphonic music based on the drama....


http://www.musical.gr/cddetails.php?gui_language=2&CD_code=5200303924026

also what this might be?
http://www.studio52.gr/info_en.asp?infoID=00000o2i

[Wanderer]

Could any one of our resident Greek members tell me bit more about this disc? As far as can understand this is Dimitri Mitropoulos' music for Euripides' Hippolytus, but is it incidental music for actuall setting of the play or is it some symphonic music based on the drama....


http://www.musical.gr/cddetails.php?gui_language=2&CD_code=5200303924026

It's the incidental music composed by Mitropoulos for Euripides' play, commissioned by the National Theatre for a 1937 performance at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Herodeion), Athens. This disc was recorded during a 2004 staged performance of the tragedy by the National Theatre and it includes the complete music Mitropoulos composed, interspersed with excerpts from the play itself. It's performed by the Orchestra of Colours, conducted by Miltos Logiades.

I'm not familiar with this particular recording, but I do know that the company that released it (Leshi tou Diskou) usually does an excellent work with its productions (styled like e.g. Naive, with sumptuous covers and booklets). It's also noted on the linked page that the booklet includes - apart from biographies and other information -  "the texts of the performance", which might mean the whole play is included as a "libretto" for the incidental music and the recorded dialogue parts. Whether the texts are in other languages except Greek is not specified, but I wouldn't count on it.

[Wanderer]

also what this might be?
http://www.studio52.gr/info_en.asp?infoID=00000o2i

This is Mitropoulos' only opera Sister Beatrice (Αδελφή Βεατρίκη), "a miracle (θαύμα) in 3 acts". The libretto is based on Maeterlinck's play Soeur Beatrice. The work was composed in 1918 and was premiered in Athens in 1920. Saint-Saëns, who happened to be in Athens at the time, attended the performance and spoke quite favourably of it and the young composer, but Mitropoulos didn't endorse further performances in later years. This recording is from the 1996 revival of the opera in Thessaloniki.

[Drasko]

It's the incidental music composed by Mitropoulos for Euripides' play, commissioned by the National Theatre for a 1937 performance at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Herodeion), Athens. This disc was recorded during a 2004 staged performance of the tragedy by the National Theatre and it includes the complete music Mitropoulos composed, interspersed with excerpts from the play itself. It's performed by the Orchestra of Colours, conducted by Miltos Logiades.

I'm not familiar with this particular recording, but I do know that the company that released it (Leshi tou Diskou) usually does an excellent work with its productions (styled like e.g. Naive, with sumptuous covers and booklets). It's also noted on the linked page that the booklet includes - apart from biographies and other information -  "the texts of the performance", which might mean the whole play is included as a "libretto" for the incidental music and the recorded dialogue parts. Whether the texts are in other languages except Greek is not specified, but I wouldn't count on it.

This is Mitropoulos' only opera Sister Beatrice (Αδελφή Βεατρίκη), "a miracle (θαύμα) in 3 acts". The libretto is based on Maeterlinck's play Soeur Beatrice. The work was composed in 1918 and was premiered in Athens in 1920. Saint-Saëns, who happened to be in Athens at the time, attended the performance and spoke quite favourably of it and the young composer, but Mitropoulos didn't endorse further performances in later years. This recording is from the 1996 revival of the opera in Thessaloniki.

Great! Many thanks for the effort!
I'll probably pass on the opera but incidental music for Euripides is mighty tempting. I'll be ordering that.

Have you perhaps ordered anything from musical.gr before? For orders from Greece so far I used studio52 which did good but quite slow on occassions. Do you have any prefered Greek on-line retailer?

[Wanderer]

Have you perhaps ordered anything from musical.gr before? For orders from Greece so far I used studio52 which did good but quite slow on occassions. Do you have any prefered Greek on-line retailer?

Now you mention it, I've never ordered anything from any Greek on-line retailer; they're usually grossly overpriced compared to the prices one can find at the shops downtown. Truth be told, though, I haven't bothered checking any of them for more than a year or two, so there might be good bargains I'm unaware of.

Concerning the incidental music to Hippolytus, I found this page where you can sample the recording you're interested in: http://www.musicale.gr/synthetes/mitropoulos_sounds_en.html.
Leschi tou Diskou doesn't seem to have a site which is sad, considering it's one of the most (if not the most) worthwhile music shops in Athens among those solely devoted to classical music.

[Renfield]

Leschi tou Diskou doesn't seem to have a site which is sad, considering it's one of the most (if not the most) worthwhile music shops in Athens among those solely devoted to classical music.

Sad indeed.

Though if you consider how long it takes them to check if they have a specific recording "on site", let alone on a hypothetical website, I'm not as distraught about it as I might have been. Not to mention their prices!


Off-topic: Why on earth is my proof-reading this bad, today?

[Wanderer]

Though if you consider how long it takes them to check if they have a specific recording "on site", let alone on a hypothetical website, I'm not as distraught about it as I might have been. Not to mention their prices!

They are indeed expensive but if you're a club member prices are slightly better. I only buy Naxos CDs and the occasional bargain from them anymore. I'd like to shop more from them, but I just can't justify the (considerable) extra expense. And, of course, if something isn't available in situ, you'd better order it yourself online (where from, it doesn't matter), it'll still arrive faster. 

Have you heard anything about the Metropolis closing, by the way? Some friends have told me there's a rumour about it and are complaining about a decline in their general selection, although I haven't spotted anything conspicuous of the sort in the classical music section, apart from the recent price rises.

[Renfield]

Have you heard anything about the Metropolis closing, by the way? Some friends have told me there's a rumour about it and are complaining about a decline in their general selection, although I haven't spotted anything conspicuous of the sort in the classical music section, apart from the recent price rises.

The store next to it, "PMW" certainly closed recently. I've heard nothing about Metropolis, and I'd assumed the reason PMW closed was not being able to stomach the competition. But maybe there was an underlying reason to it, which is also affecting Metropolis.

A general lack of demand, maybe? Further competition from the newly-opened "Public"?


Speculation on my part, though; contrary to "Leschi" being impossibly slow with orders, that being a solid fact!

On occasion, I wonder if they have their CDs delivered to them on foot...

[Drasko]

Concerning the incidental music to Hippolytus, I found this page where you can sample the recording you're interested in: http://www.musicale.gr/synthetes/mitropoulos_sounds_en.html.

Thanks! Now that is what I call sample, those three clips amount to almost 20 minutes of music.

[Lilas Pastia]

I have purchased 6 discs of CPE Bach keyboard concertos over the past 2 years and I find I just can't live without the rest. That's 8 more discs in the form of downloads. I'm prepared to hit the enter button any time. So far I find the series morthy of Mozart's own 27.

[Que]

I have purchased 6 discs of CPE Bach keyboard concertos over the past 2 years and I find I just can't live without the rest. That's 8 more discs in the form of downloads. I'm prepared to hit the enter button any time. So far I find the series morthy of Mozart's own 27.

Found that an interesting comment, since I've become interested in CPE lately.
Will try some of his keyboard concertos - in the series on BIS, I presume?
Any recommendation on where to start?

thanks, Q

[Lilas Pastia]

Yes, they're form the BIS series. There are some real gems, so if you want to sample the 'best of'  , you should try the concertos in E Flat and the c minor from volume 9, the A Major from volume  7, the d minor from volume 15. There's a ton of affect, pathos and sturm und drang going hand in hand.

[Wanderer]

The store next to it, "PMW" certainly closed recently. I've heard nothing about Metropolis, and I'd assumed the reason PMW closed was not being able to stomach the competition. But maybe there was an underlying reason to it, which is also affecting Metropolis.

A general lack of demand, maybe? Further competition from the newly-opened "Public"?

Probably a combination of all these. Time will tell. The best business plan for big music shops at the moment seems to be an über-store that combines electronics, books, CDs and DVDs in one area.
By the way, the new FNAC will probably open in the vacated building formerly occupied by PMW.

[Que]

Yes, they're form the BIS series. There are some real gems, so if you want to sample the 'best of'  , you should try the concertos in E Flat and the c minor from volume 9, the A Major from volume  7, the d minor from volume 15. There's a ton of affect, pathos and sturm und drang going hand in hand.

Excellent, thanks!

Q

[Lilas Pastia]

I forgot to specify: you can order all these at eclassical . Sampling in this way makes a lot of sense!

[Wanderer]

Any opinions on these?

[Lethevich]

[Opus106]

Looking for opinions on CDs of French chamber music, all of which have Franck's violin sonata in common. I would especially like to know what you think of this CD for which I can't even find a cover picture on the 'net.

It contains Franck's sonata and Chausson's 'concert', a fairly rare piece that I would like in my collection. It's from Decca, and the artists are Quatuor Ysaye and Pascal Roge. I don't remember the violinist's name. However, looking at another CD, I think may be Pierre Amoyal.

The other two are the following of which I'm certain to get one. [Click on either image to go to the corresponding amazon.com page]



With the DG, IIRC, I get more music for a cost a little more than the Philips. 

[scarpia]

When Grumiaux is an option, you don't pass it up.

[M forever]

Any opinions on these?

Yes. Very nice, and very superfluous.