Recordings That You Are Considering

[Dr. Dread]

Looks like the new Helene Grimaud's Bach keyboard works recorded on DG do not have the greatest reception, albeit from only two reviews ...

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Keyboard-Concerto-Pieces-Limited/dp/B001D0RRXE/ref=pd_bxgy_m_img_c

One of them is reviewing the packaging only.

[Brian]

Looks like the new Helene Grimaud's Bach keyboard works recorded on DG do not have the greatest reception, albeit from only two reviews ...

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Keyboard-Concerto-Pieces-Limited/dp/B001D0RRXE/ref=pd_bxgy_m_img_c

I'm inclined to take the other critic (the one who actually writes about the music) fairly seriously. As a CBC fan I know that Rick Phillips of "Sound Advice" is not the most critical guy in the world, and as a purchaser of DG piano recitals from recent years I can tell you the engineering can sometimes be inferior to that of labels like harmonia mundi, BIS or even Naxos.

[Coopmv]

I'm inclined to take the other critic (the one who actually writes about the music) fairly seriously. As a CBC fan I know that Rick Phillips of "Sound Advice" is not the most critical guy in the world, and as a purchaser of DG piano recitals from recent years I can tell you the engineering can sometimes be inferior to that of labels like harmonia mundi, BIS or even Naxos.

I think we may have to wait a little longer for this CD to get some more objective reviews on Amazon ...

[5-String]

Looks like the new Helene Grimaud's Bach keyboard works recorded on DG do not have the greatest reception, albeit from only two reviews ...

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Keyboard-Concerto-Pieces-Limited/dp/B001D0RRXE/ref=pd_bxgy_m_img_c

The January issue of BBC music had a review of this.

The general point of the review was that her performance is less than satisfactory. ***/****** which is good, kind of average.

I 'm thinking of buying it, though, I like Grimaud enough so most probably I will like it.

[mahler10th]

Thank you for the help with Liszt folks, I'm going out to get it the two PC's today.

[rubio]

Yep, that Waldstein is phenomenal. I'd get the mono LvB Serkin CD from the above Sony set. His Schubert rubbed me the wrong way at first, I only have the one with D 959. I listened again recently and liked it more.

For Serkin, I enthusiastically recommend the Mendelssohn Concerti with Ormandy and chamber work with the Busch quartet.

All of his Beethoven is recommendable, but the earlier the better I have found.

Thank you very much for the comments, George! I'm off to the Serkin thread. I guess his Mozart PC's are also great.

[Wanderer]

I am considering buying a Liszt Piano Concerto, but I don't know what it is.  It was referred to on radio as 'the famous one' - but what is his famous one?

They were probably referring to the First. They always do.

I second the Zimerman and Richter recommendations and I'd further suggest the electrifying Argerich rendition, coupled with Chopin's Concerto No.1 on DG Originals.
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The Cziffra disc is a must have as well; it contains my most favourite rendition of the Hungarian Fantasy.

[jlaurson]

I think we may have to wait a little longer for this CD to get some more objective reviews on Amazon ...

You can't really take Amazon reviews at face value, anyway, because Amazon censors brutally. 1 and 2 star reviews, for example, on products that already have relatively high average rankings, are simply ignored. I've tried this a few times myself, and it seems to be true. [And I didn't write anything that was objectionable in content, of course...]

[George]

Thank you very much for the comments, George! I'm off to the Serkin thread. I guess his Mozart PC's are also great.

The few (earlier ones with Szell) that I have heard are great, yes. Sorry, forgot those.

[Lethevich]

Thank you for the help with Liszt folks, I'm going out to get it the two PC's today.

Totentanz (a PC itself, more or less) also cannot be missed if you have yet to hear it - it has everything: pianistic virtuosity, big tunes, and tight development in a brilliant one-movement variation form. I can't recommend a disc, sadly, as my favourite recording of it is in a box set (Decca/Bolet). It's a warhorse, but also one of Liszt's major creations.

[George]

Totentanz (a PC itself, more or less) also cannot be missed if you have yet to hear it - it has everything: pianistic virtuosity, big tunes, and tight development in a brilliant one-movement variation form. I can't recommend a disc, sadly, as my favourite recording of it is in a box set (Decca/Bolet). It's a warhorse, but also one of Liszt's major creations.

Yes, a great work. I like Janis's performance with Reiner, available on "The Reiner Sound."

[eyeresist]

You can't really take Amazon reviews at face value, anyway, because Amazon censors brutally. 1 and 2 star reviews, for example, on products that already have relatively high average rankings, are simply ignored. I've tried this a few times myself, and it seems to be true. [And I didn't write anything that was objectionable in content, of course...]

I've had no problem in this respect, and I've written my share of 1 star reviews.

[jlaurson]

I've had no problem in this respect, and I've written my share of 1 star reviews.

It used to be fine for me, too... but as of late 1 and 2 star reviews on highly rated articles never appear. I suspect that they're automatically weeded out... no human ever makes a decision. In any case, I stopped putting up my reviews on Amazon and am thinking about deleting the ones that remain because that kind of heavy-handed censorship (and of course no reply after a letter of complaint) makes me livid.

[Coopmv]

A rare miss of not having Athalia since I have most of the recorded Handel Oratorios and I only have La Resurrezione by Hogwood on LP ...

[Eddie Williamson]

Pianophiles please advise re Maria Yudina.

Are recordings on the Vista Vera label (ca. 2006-2007) straight reissues of material found on older Arlecchino CD's?  Lines in question are The Legacy of Maria Yudina on Vista Vera and The Art of Maria Yudina on Arlecchino.  Comments about sound quality and repertoire are appreciated, too.  I have only heard one CD -- Vol. 5 of the Art of Maria Yudina 'The Beethoven Records I', and I like it a lot.  Thanks.

[sul G]

Can't help on that, but the many free recordings available on the MY website - including the infamous ordered-by-Stalin-and-recorded-in-the-middle-of-the-night Mozart K488 - are either fantastic or fantastically interesting (I think Tony gave this link a while ago).

[George]

Pianophiles please advise re Maria Yudina.

Are recordings on the Vista Vera label (ca. 2006-2007) straight reissues of material found on older Arlecchino CD's?  Lines in question are The Legacy of Maria Yudina on Vista Vera and The Art of Maria Yudina on Arlecchino.  Comments about sound quality and repertoire are appreciated, too.  I have only heard one CD -- Vol. 5 of the Art of Maria Yudina 'The Beethoven Records I', and I like it a lot.  Thanks.

Not sure if they are the same as the Arlecchino, Eddie. I have 3 or 4 of the Vista Vera and find them to have consistent, decent sound.

Brilliant Classics will soon release a box in the UK on Tuesday It has already been released in Germany.

[Henritus]

It used to be fine for me, too... but as of late 1 and 2 star reviews on highly rated articles never appear. I suspect that they're automatically weeded out... no human ever makes a decision. In any case, I stopped putting up my reviews on Amazon and am thinking about deleting the ones that remain because that kind of heavy-handed censorship (and of course no reply after a letter of complaint) makes me livid.

Did you include any link to other recordings in your 1-star reviews (even to other 'amazon' listings). It appears these two (1-star+alternative recommendation with link) make a deadly combination. At least that's what I experienced.

[Brian]

Dvorak's Third + Glazunov's Saxophone Concerto + Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue

Jan Panenka, piano
Karel Krautgartner, saxophone
Prague Symphony Orchestra
Vaclav Smetacek

[Brian]

So I have $7 on an ArkivMusic gift card and am considering these CDs:



Rachmaninov | Etudes-tableaux
Vladimir Ovchinikov



"The Best of Glazunov"



Kreisler | Arrangements of Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, etc.
Nicholas Koeckert, violin

I am also open to suggestions re: other really terrific CDs I could get for $7.

And George?: