Recordings That You Are Considering

[Brian]

Here are a few that I've already considered and will definitely purchase when they come out:

The fourth one doesn't show up for me, for some reason. I look forward very much to hearing these two - though I've already heard the second, of course! I anticipate a chance to do MW reviews of each.

[Mirror Image]

The fourth one doesn't show up for me, for some reason. I look forward very much to hearing these two - though I've already heard the second, of course! I anticipate a chance to do MW reviews of each.

It'll be good to hear another recording of The Gothic hopefully in better sonics than the concert. The Cordero disc looks really good. I've already sampled some of the music and it's beautiful.

[Todd]

Boulez conducting Schoenberg's Pelleas, with the prelude to Tristan as the disc opener.  I'm thinking I may get this one.  This reminds me that I may want to get Boulez's recording of the complete Tristan at some point, too.







Rafal Blechacz has't really done it for me yet, but some Debussy and Szymanowski on one disc, well, that may be up my alley.

[Drasko]

Boulez conducting Schoenberg's Pelleas, with the prelude to Tristan as the disc opener.  I'm thinking I may get this one.  This reminds me that I may want to get Boulez's recording of the complete Tristan at some point, too.

Haven't heard that one but Boulez earlier Pelleas with Chicago Symphony from early 90s on Erato (now Apex) is very good, and probably worth considering.

[marvinbrown]

  The minute I heard that this relatively obscure composer (well at least to me anyway) was of the "Wagner/Mahler/Bruckner" camp I just couldn't resist finding out more.  So I spent the whole evening listening to samples of his symphonies and I was blown away!!  I am thinking of getting this set:

[asin]B001MUJSF0[/asin]

  But I am still uncertain about this whole Hybrid SCAD business??  Does anyone own this set? Can it be played on a standard CD player? I am not even sure if my panasonic bluray DVD supports SCAD??

  Any advice here would be much appreciated.

  Thank you,

  marvin

[Sergeant Rock]

  The minute I heard that this relatively obscure composer (well at least to me anyway) was of the "Wagner/Mahler/Bruckner" camp I just couldn't resist finding out more.  So I spent the whole evening listening to samples of his symphonies and I was blown away!!  I am thinking of getting this set:

[asin]B001MUJSF0[/asin]

  But I am still uncertain about this whole Hybrid SCAD business??  Does anyone own this set? Can it be played on a standard CD player? I am not even sure if my panasonic bluray DVD supports SCAD??

  Any advice here would be much appreciated.

  Thank you,

  marvin

I own them all (not the box; I bought the CDs individually over several years). Buy with confidence: your player will play a hybid disc, and the music is wonderful...and frequently strange, in a good way 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Yes, it plays on your garden variety CD players! : )

Heed Sarge!

[DavidRoss]

Hybrid CDs can be played on a regular CD player or on an SACD player. If the latter, the player will read the high resolution SACD layer on the disk, and if the former then it will read the standard redbook CD layer.

[Lethevich]

Marvin, grab that set with both hands. Langgaard is closer to Strauss than Wagner, but I think you'll positively freak out over the 1st symphony. The later ones have a great variety, but as you enjoy Lutosławski, you will find nothing alienating in the language.

The discs play fine for me too, and I can confirm that they rip as well.

[marvinbrown]

  Thank you Lethe  , David  , Karl  and Sarge ! I just purchased this set from amazon  . Bought it before buying any Haydn string quartet recording in my shopping basket! Much obliged.  Oh and Lethe  ....I am a huge fan of Richard Strauss (I have 8 operas with Salome and Elektra being personal favorites) and Lutoslawski as you already know, I simply adore. 

  It is too bad that at this moment I will not be able to benefit from the higher sound quality of the SACD feature.......oh well one day I will have to upgrade my music system/DVD system......

  marvin

[jlaurson]

I just purchased this set from amazon  .


  It is too bad that at this moment I will not be able to benefit from the higher sound quality of the SACD feature.......oh well one day I will have to upgrade my music system/DVD system......

  marvin

Good choice!! What a marvel that set is, in every way. Fanciest packaging you'll have yet experienced, too! :-)

Best of 2009, for me. http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-recordings-of-2009-2.html

Very rarely a CD player will refuse a SACD... a problem that is in all cases I have experienced (and most that I have heard of) taken care of by simply re-inserting the disc once or twice. A small price to pay for the potential upgrade-compatability.

[kishnevi]

Consideration 1: this composer is totally unknown to me.
Consideration 2: in what I have of the Festetics (Mozart--Piano Quartets and late String Quartets), they are not my preference. 
So, is this worth getting?
[asin]B006EMSP82[/asin]

[Mandryka]

Pacifica Quartet Shostakovich

[jlaurson]

Consideration 1: this composer is totally unknown to me.
Consideration 2: in what I have of the Festetics (Mozart--Piano Quartets and late String Quartets), they are not my preference. 
So, is this worth getting?

M.Mosonyi
Quatuor Festetics
Hungaroton

Pacifica Quartet Shostakovich


DSCH / Miaskovsky
String Quartets no.5 - 8 / no.12
Cedille

Mosonyi: I'm with you on that, re: Festetics... but that's a minority opinion among these pages where expressing a distaste for that quartet is sometimes takens as a full-blown confession of ignorance.    But as far as Mosonyi goes: That will be your likely only choice. Hard to say. I have a similar problem with a Woelf-disc on Hungaroton; good music... but the performance is so far beneath par ("Authentic Quartet", which has turned in good work elsewhere, I hear) that it makes you wonder whether it was worth it at all.

Pacifica Quartet: Always worth hearing! Superb Ligety (not recorded yet, I think), tremendous Mendelssohn set... good band. Could be a different DSCH with them... not necessarily like the Jerusalem kind, which is another favorite among young great quartets. And Miaskovsky in the bargain?! Nice.

[kishnevi]

Mosonyi: I'm with you on that, re: Festetics... but that's a minority opinion among these pages where expressing a distaste for that quartet is sometimes takens as a full-blown confession of ignorance.    But as far as Mosonyi goes: That will be your likely only choice. Hard to say. I have a similar problem with a Woelf-disc on Hungaroton; good music... but the performance is so far beneath par ("Authentic Quartet", which has turned in good work elsewhere, I hear) that it makes you wonder whether it was worth it at all.

Thanks.  In the cart it goes.

Pacifica Quartet: Always worth hearing! Superb Ligety (not recorded yet, I think), tremendous Mendelssohn set... good band. Could be a different DSCH with them... not necessarily like the Jerusalem kind, which is another favorite among young great quartets. And Miaskovsky in the bargain?! Nice.

it's definitely worth it, if only for the Miaskovsky, although the Shostakovich is pretty good too.
However, before getting their Shostakovich, I would suggest getting their recordings of Carter's string quartets on Naxos (2 CDs).  The Shostakovich is nice to have, but the Carter is the sort of performance that ranks as "must have".

[Antoine Marchand]

Consideration 1: this composer is totally unknown to me.
Consideration 2: in what I have of the Festetics (Mozart--Piano Quartets and late String Quartets), they are not my preference. 
So, is this worth getting?
[asin]B006EMSP82[/asin]

IMO, what is really interesting is your interest in a totally unknown composer, interpreted by an ensemble that you dislike. Maybe it's an advanced stage of CDCDCD or that nice cover. 

[kishnevi]

IMO, what is really interesting is your interest in a totally unknown composer, interpreted by an ensemble that you dislike. Maybe it's an advanced stage of CDCDCD or that nice cover. 

LOL.  I know have advanced CDCDCD without having this to confirm it.  I only need to look at my listening pile.

However, nowadays my reaction to a composer I've never heard of it is to assume that while I don't know anything about him, there's probably a substantial group of GMG'ers who have.  And I'm trying to broaden myself--instead of buying another recording of something I already have, I'm looking for composers I don't have--or at least works I don't already have.   Which is why that listening pile consists primarily of music I have never heard before.

And if Hungaraton thinks enough of him to invest the money for a recording, there is probably something to be said for his music.

Nor would I say I dislike the Festetics.  It's more a case of liking other ensembles more--and the feeling that while their approach to Mozart might not have clicked with me, perhaps my reaction with the music of some other composer will be better.

[mc ukrneal]

LOL.  I know have advanced CDCDCD without having this to confirm it.  I only need to look at my listening pile.

However, nowadays my reaction to a composer I've never heard of it is to assume that while I don't know anything about him, there's probably a substantial group of GMG'ers who have.  And I'm trying to broaden myself--instead of buying another recording of something I already have, I'm looking for composers I don't have--or at least works I don't already have.   Which is why that listening pile consists primarily of music I have never heard before.

And if Hungaraton thinks enough of him to invest the money for a recording, there is probably something to be said for his music.

Nor would I say I dislike the Festetics.  It's more a case of liking other ensembles more--and the feeling that while their approach to Mozart might not have clicked with me, perhaps my reaction with the music of some other composer will be better.

They have some of his piano discs (Marco Polo) at Berkshire if you think you might want to sample something else first.

[Brian]

What's the most gushy, bleeding-heart, swoon-over-this reading of Schubert's String Quintet in C?

(That's good. I should add.)

[PaulSC]

What's the most gushy, bleeding-heart, swoon-over-this reading of Schubert's String Quintet in C?

(That's good. I should add.)

The recording by the Hollywood Quartet (plus cellist Kurt Reher) just might take the honors.

[asin]B000003XID[/asin]

Recorded in the 50s, in good mono sound. Among modern recordings, I prefer the Australia Ensemble, but it's an idiosyncratic choice and there are several alternatives I've never heard.