Recordings That You Are Considering

[Harry]

All this Karl breaking tables stuff is a rumor that has gotten completely out of hand.

What is true, is that he once accidentally poked through this Paper Table Lamp with a fork, when excitedly pointing into the direction of a "Clarinet Solos in the mid-20th Century" Anthology at dinner.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC=clapping.

[prémont]

I'll be interested in your conclusions about Jarrett's Shostakovich.  It's the least compelling of the Op. 87 I have in my library.

I have not acquired it yet, your words do not exactly prompt me to do so.

Which are the other Op.87 in your library?

[Bulldog]

Which are the other Op.87 in your library?

Nikolayeva/Melodiya and Hyperion
Ashkenazy/Decca
Scherbakov/Naxos
Petrushansky/Dynamic
Bond/Centaur
Jalbert/Atma
Rubackyte/Brilliant


Each of them is worth keeping (even the Jarrett), but I find Nikolayeva the only pianist consistently excellent.

[SonicMan46]

Nikolayeva/Melodiya and Hyperion
Ashkenazy/Decca
Scherbakov/Naxos
Petrushansky/Dynamic
Bond/Centaur
Jalbert/Atma
Rubackyte/Brilliant

Each of them is worth keeping (even the Jarrett), but I find Nikolayeva the only pianist consistently excellent.

Good evening Don - I own the Scherbakov & Jarrett recordings and am listening to KJ now; I've had Jarrett probably on release and have always considered a 'replacement' but each time I listen (now have the 2nd disc playing), I still enjoy his interpretations; I've not done any 'back to back' comparisions w/ the Naxos discs, but Scherbakov does receive pretty decent reviews; so now I must ask you (since I'm 'itching' to hear Titiana in these recordings), what would be your 'top' Nikolayeva recommendation since several options are available?  Thanks - Dave 

[Bogey]

http://www.amazon.com/Puccini-Definitive-Collection-Various/dp/B001C9Z35K/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3NF05WEMM29LB&colid=1QL2Z7GZ8KMA9

[jlaurson]

Nikolayeva/Melodiya and Hyperion
Ashkenazy/Decca
Scherbakov/Naxos
Petrushansky/Dynamic
Bond/Centaur
Jalbert/Atma
Rubackyte/Brilliant

Each of them is worth keeping (even the Jarrett), but I find Nikolayeva the only pianist consistently excellent.

Nikolayeva II (There are three, right? One on Melodiya, one on Regis/Moscow Archives [probably also once on Melodiya], and the last, on Hyperion)
Ashkenazy/Decca
Scherbakov/Naxos
Petrushansky/Dynamic
Jalbert/Atma
Jarrett/ECM


I am repeating myself, but it's too accurate a description of the approaches of Nikolayeva vs. Jarrett not to re-hash it all the time:

Nikolayeva is hugely impressive in making these works lavish harbingers of a romanticized 20th view of Bach.
She plays it like Schumann.

With Jarrett, the conversation with Bach becomes paramount. If there is a slight idea of superficiality in his playing to some ears, to mine it is him resiting (consciously or not, I don't care) the temptation of wringing from the music everything that he could well wring from it.

Jarrett, in short, plays it like Bach.

I could listen (and have done so, when I bombarded Tower Customers with it as in-store play) to Jarrett's interpretation on repeat for an entire day. It attains that inexhaustibility that is usually reserved for Bach himself. Nikolayeva I can take one complete run-through, maximum.

Ashkenazy takes no interpretive stance that I can tell, to the point of being neutral and non-committal. (Though the playing is excellent.)
Jalbert is the music, nothing more that I can discern... Not a recommendation.
Sherbakov is also between Tatjana & Keith... but more personalized than Ashekanzy and his playing every bit his more famous ex-countryman's equal. Ultimately I prefer it over Nikolayeva, even though there are reasons why someone who really wants to explore this work should hear the (earlier) recording of the pianist who inspired the composition and for whom it was written.

But Jarrett, incidentally, delivers something that is, in my collection, one of the top-10 or at least top-20 solo piano recordings.

[prémont]

Jarrett, in short, plays it like Bach.

Good point, but just one little question.

Does KJ play it in the way he plays Bach (soft, to much legato et.c.),
or does he play it in the way Bach should be played.

[jlaurson]

Good point, but just one little question.

Does KJ play it in the way he plays Bach (soft, to much legato et.c.),
or does he play it in the way Bach should be played.

Oh... THAT way? 

He plays it more like his Mozart. Crisp, clear, articulated, on the dry end. "No-nonsense".

[SonicMan46]

With Jarrett, the conversation with Bach becomes paramount. If there is a slight idea of superficiality in his playing to some ears, to mine it is him resiting (consciously or not, I don't care) the temptation of wringing from the music everything that he could well wring from it.

Jarrett, in short, plays it like Bach.

I could listen (and have done so, when I bombarded Tower Customers with it as in-store play) to Jarrett's interpretation on repeat for an entire day. It attains that inexhaustibility that is usually reserved for Bach himself. Nikolayeva I can take one complete run-through, maximum.

Sherbakov is also between Tatjana & Keith... but more personalized..........

But Jarrett, incidentally, delivers something that is, in my collection, one of the top-10 or at least top-20 solo piano recordings.

Jens - I've probably listened to those Jarrett recordings a half dozen times, and just decide to keep them after each listen - must be a reason, at least for me (and you, too, I guess)! 

Konstantin Scherbakov on Naxos also impresses - price & packaging outstanding, as usual.  Might be interesting to just wait a while to see 'what' might be released in the future - who are the current 'great' pianists able to put a personal mark on this music!      Dave

[Bulldog]

Good point, but just one little question.

Does KJ play it in the way he plays Bach (soft, to much legato et.c.),
or does he play it in the way Bach should be played.

KJ plays Shostakovich in a similar manner to how he plays Bach which is similar to how he plays Handel and Mozart.  I do enjoy KJ's recordings, particularly his Mozart, but the man never digs deep into the human psyche.

[Bulldog]

Good evening Don - I own the Scherbakov & Jarrett recordings and am listening to KJ now; I've had Jarrett probably on release and have always considered a 'replacement' but each time I listen (now have the 2nd disc playing), I still enjoy his interpretations; I've not done any 'back to back' comparisions w/ the Naxos discs, but Scherbakov does receive pretty decent reviews; so now I must ask you (since I'm 'itching' to hear Titiana in these recordings), what would be your 'top' Nikolayeva recommendation since several options are available?  Thanks - Dave 

I have equal regard for each of her Shostakovich recordings.  Her Melodiya recording does have quite a dry acoustic compared to the Hyperion.

[Brian]

The following complete Beethoven symphony cycles:
Sanderling - Philharmonia
Cluytens - Berlin Philharmonic
Is either worth it? They are on the "Disky" label in this month's Berkshire Record Outlet catalog.

[imperfection]

The following complete Beethoven symphony cycles:
Sanderling - Philharmonia
Cluytens - Berlin Philharmonic
Is either worth it? They are on the "Disky" label in this month's Berkshire Record Outlet catalog.

The Cluytens is an overlooked and vastly underrated cycle. The tonal colors in that cycle is mesmerizing, even though it it put some off since it's so unique (sort of like Sinopoli's Mahler cycle on DG).

[jwinter]

I'd say go for the Cluytens.  Nothing wrong with the Sanderling, it's quite good, but there's a LOT of Beethoven out there...

[karlhenning]

. . . but there's a LOT of Beethoven out there...

Quoted for Truth.

[Bogey]

Quoted for Truth.

I am still shaking my stick and have not even scratched the surface.

[nut-job]

The following complete Beethoven symphony cycles:
Sanderling - Philharmonia
Cluytens - Berlin Philharmonic
Is either worth it? They are on the "Disky" label in this month's Berkshire Record Outlet catalog.

I have Cluytens in the EMI release and didn't find it radically different from Karajan's recording, which was made by the same orchestra a few years later. 

This is one I'm curious about and would love to hear:



Beethoven by the Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris.  That has the potential for being out of the ordinary.

[haydnguy]

Rostropovich - The Complete EMI Recordings (28 CDs) [BOX SET]



The one I'm really wondering about is a new release I got notification of via email (link below). Robert Craft conducting Stravinsky's ballet's. Anyone have a feel for how good that one might be??

http://www.arkivmusic.com/albumpage/213019-E520-5

[Brian]

The one I'm really wondering about is a new release I got notification of via email (link below). Robert Craft conducting Stravinsky's ballet's. Anyone have a feel for how good that one might be??

http://www.arkivmusic.com/albumpage/213019-E520-5

For the same price you can get Stravinsky conducting Stravinsky's ballets... 

[Elgarian]

It'll have to wait until next month, but this will be my next purchase. Truth is, I'm becoming hooked on Patricia Petibon. It all started with the French baroque stuff she recorded with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants, and then I saw her stunning performance on the acclaimed DVD of Rameau's Les Indes Galantes issued around 2005/6, and that did it for me.

Take a look at this video of her recording the Queen of the Night's aria from the Magic Flute, and see if you don't get hooked too:
http://www.dailymotion.com/patricia_petibon/video/x70yed_clip1-air-de-la-reine-de-la-nuit-mo_music