Recordings That You Are Considering

[Philoctetes]

Well, Leonard Bernstein is the most famous example of this at 24 minutes (an hour for the whole piece), and I seem to recall a Finnish conductor recently releasing a similarly slow account - was it Mikko Franck? In my own collection the slowest first movement is Eschenbach / Philadelphia - 20 minutes even - but it feels so natural that the exaggeration criterion would likely not be met.

Thanks for the Melnikov comment!

Thanks.

And you're welcome.

[jlaurson]

Scriabin / Melnikov



Dvorak / Herbert / Capucon
(This one was only released a few weeks ago.)

Haven't heard the Capucon disc yet, but the Herbert piece is worth getting--and very timely for the anniversary of Herbert this February!

Melnikov is a wonderful pianist and that's a very fine CD. If you like fine pianists, it's certainly recommended. (If you also like singers, in the same series there's a disc of the Belarussian mezzo Ekaterina Semenchuk. A dream! (The voice more than the recording, but it gives a pretty good idea.)

[Haffner]

Has anyone heard either of these? How do they stack up against the classic, Karajan, Kempe.

[Peregrine]

Scriabin / Melnikov

A lovely disc. thinking of getting this:

[Maciek]

Couldn't get anything on these out of the Chopin Recordings thread:



Nelson Goerner (playing an 1849 Erard) with the Orchestra of the 18th Century under Frans Brüggen: Chopin's nocturnes and works for piano and orchestra (not the concertos)
Nelson Goerner (playing an 1848 Pleyel): Chopin's 4 ballades and a further 3 nocturnes

The first of these two got a Diapason d'Or in November or December and I understand it was also quite close to getting a Midem nomination.

[Sergeant Rock]

Well, Leonard Bernstein is the most famous example of this at 24 minutes (an hour for the whole piece), and I seem to recall a Finnish conductor recently releasing a similarly slow account - was it Mikko Franck?

I own both. Franck is on the slow side at 21:38. Bernstein's DG recording clocks in at 22:34 (with a 17:12 finale  )

Sarge

[jlaurson]

Dvorak / Herbert / Capucon
(This one was only released a few weeks ago.)

Man... I just ran into him... I should have asked him about Herbert. Maybe next time.

[Peregrine]

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I have one disc's worth of Kocsis playing Debussy, which includes both sets of Images plus misc stand-alone pieces (on a prior Philips release).

Your feelings on Kocsis will likely depend on how you like your Debussy performed. If you favor more slap-dash virtuosity, with crisp, steely lines and a nose for exhibitionism, Kocsis will suit you.

If, on the other hand, you like your Debussy more subtle, needing to be coaxed off of the printed page using all manner of mirrors and shadows, then Kocsis might not be for you.

I can go either way provided the pianist convinces me. Kocsis certainly does but I'd say delicacy and "impressionism" isn't as important to him as showcasing the virtuosity in the music. But with his chops it all works pretty well, if perhaps not my absolute first choice.

[Peregrine]

Thanks for your thoughts, Donwyn, kind of ties in with what I thought/expected. Cheers.

[George]

Was he better live than in the studio?

[Lethevich]

Well, Leonard Bernstein is the most famous example of this at 24 minutes (an hour for the whole piece), and I seem to recall a Finnish conductor recently releasing a similarly slow account - was it Mikko Franck? In my own collection the slowest first movement is Eschenbach / Philadelphia - 20 minutes even - but it feels so natural that the exaggeration criterion would likely not be met.

In addition to this, Giulini/EMI is a bit over 20 mins, and very fine too.

[Wanderer]

Has anyone heard either of these? How do they stack up against the classic, Karajan, Kempe.

Concerning Previn's Alpensinfonie, it's a good albeit not very original or exciting interpretation, invested with the usual excellent Telarc sonics. Compared to other more illustrious (both older and more recent) versions, it would probably stand in the middle of the line of recommendations.
There used to be a 4-disc Telarc set with all of Previn's R. Strauss recordings with the VPO; should you find it at a discount somewhere, I'd recommend you got that one.

[ezodisy]

Was he better live than in the studio?

I think all great pianists are better live than in the studio.* Haven't you heard his live Rachmaninoff PC 3 from NY (Carnegie I think) which was included in his GPOC set? I'm pretty sure you have.

*perhaps there are a few examples who were not, but generally it holds

[George]

I think all great pianists are better live than in the studio.* Haven't you heard his live Rachmaninoff PC 3 from NY (Carnegie I think) which was included in his GPOC set? I'm pretty sure you have.

*perhaps there are a few examples who were not, but generally it holds

I haven't heard a complete performance of any of Cliburn's concerto work. Actually I think I might have one CD (below.) It didn't leave a big first impression.

[ezodisy]

oh you've got to hear the NY Rachmaninoff PC 3 w/ Kondrashin, it's a huge romantic reading, one of the greats IMO (was performed on his return to the US following his triumph in Russia). I know it's in GPOC but not sure where else. Don't know the CD you posted above.

[George]

oh you've got to hear the NY Rachmaninoff PC 3 w/ Kondrashin, it's a huge romantic reading, one of the greats IMO (was performed on his return to the US following his triumph in Russia). I know it's in GPOC but not sure where else. Don't know the CD you posted above.

I'll look for it at the library my next trip there.

[George]

oh you've got to hear the NY Rachmaninoff PC 3 w/ Kondrashin, it's a huge romantic reading, one of the greats IMO (was performed on his return to the US following his triumph in Russia). I know it's in GPOC but not sure where else.

Is this the same one? 

[ezodisy]

don't know for sure but I would guess yes as that NY reading seems to be his best known recording of the work

[George]