Recordings That You Are Considering

[SonicMan46]

Ah ha! That's a lot of Fasch! I guess I'll give a listen to what I can and start with the one that tickles my fancy. It will be a fresch Fasch start.

Well, after posting those pics of Fasch CDs, I listened to the Accent discs - excellent as I remembered!  Love that label - great sound recording of an outstanding 'period' instrument group - winds are quite appealing!  Dave

[DavidRoss]

Looks worth hearing. Just found it on Mog.

[DavidW]

Levine set is very good, but I think it is too youthful and lacks the unique voice or something special to say. The 5th and 3rd symphony is very good, but others is only good-medium.  With the flood of Mahler recordings (with equally quantity but far better sound) recently, this set can be only competitive at budget price.

It is budget priced, superbargain in fact.  I bought the whole thing for $16+shipping.

Thanks trung and Sarge for your impressions.  MC I'll have to go searching through the Mahler thread then.

[trung224]

 When comes to Mahler, audiciens is always divided to two categories. The first like DavidRoss prefers peformance with service-of-music conductors like Haitink, Chailly, Jansons. The second like me prefers overtly emotional like Tennstedt, Bernstein or wayward performance from Scherchen, Rattle, Tilson-Thomas. They are all valid, depend on your tastes

[Mirror Image]

When comes to Mahler, audiciens is always divided to two categories. The first like DavidRoss prefers peformance with service-of-music conductors like Haitink, Chailly, Jansons. The second like me prefers overtly emotional like Tennstedt, Bernstein or wayward performance from Scherchen, Rattle, Tilson-Thomas. They are all valid, depend on your tastes

Honestly, I like both approaches and both are valid IMHO.

[DavidRoss]

When comes to Mahler, audiciens is always divided to two categories. The first like DavidRoss prefers peformance with service-of-music conductors like Haitink, Chailly, Jansons. The second like me prefers overtly emotional like Tennstedt, Bernstein or wayward performance from Scherchen, Rattle, Tilson-Thomas. They are all valid, depend on your tastes

So why are Bernstein, MTT, Sinopoli & Barbirolli among my favorites but Haitink, Chailly, and Jansons not? (Although I do respect all three of them and I quite like Haitink's latest M2-4 & 6.)

And I don't think MTT is at all wayward.

[Mandryka]

Last night I listened to some of Mozart's piano sonatas (Pommier, Virgin box), with which I'm not very familiar. I'd like to explore these further, preferably in interpretations with a bit more depth of drama. (And of course I also need the Fantasies, Rondos, and four hand music.) Would the Barenboim set be a solid choice?

If you want modern piano I would consider Horszowsky's set before taking the plunge with Barenboim -- I think you can get cheap downloads. Maybe try Leon McCawley too.

[mc ukrneal]

It is budget priced, superbargain in fact.  I bought the whole thing for $16+shipping.

Thanks trung and Sarge for your impressions.  MC I'll have to go searching through the Mahler thread then.

I think the discussion might have taken place elsewhere - like the new releases/considering thread or maybe even bargains thread.

[Mandryka]

I've listened to a number of samples on Amazon of K309, because I want to hear what pianists make of the "minor" sonatas. Most did not impress me (De Larrocha was very characterful in the first mvt but then flopped in the andante; there were no Barenboim samples), but I was really intrigued by Gould, who I have previously avoided due to my aversion to mass hype. Such shame that the sound isn't better, but at least it's cheap! His recently reissued set is now at the top of my wishlist

Yes I agree about the Gould. There are some very good things in the Mozart studio records and some very bad things too.

Richter recorded it, very differently from Gould. Well worth seeking out for an alternative point of view.

[Sadko]

If you want modern piano I would consider Horszowsky's set before taking the plunge with Barenboim -- I think you can get cheap downloads. Maybe try Leon McCawley too.

I can also recommend Ingrid Haebler's Mozart sonatas, although "drama" I don't find in her interpretations, rather an "airy" quality, with feeling, but in a not so overt way.

[DavidW]

When comes to Mahler, audiciens is always divided to two categories. The first like DavidRoss prefers peformance with service-of-music conductors like Haitink, Chailly, Jansons. The second like me prefers overtly emotional like Tennstedt, Bernstein or wayward performance from Scherchen, Rattle, Tilson-Thomas. They are all valid, depend on your tastes

The only on those lists that I love are Bernstein, and then only the DG cycle!

My favorites are Gielen, Bertini, Kubelik, and Boulez.

[DavidRoss]

The only on those lists that I love are Bernstein, and then only the DG cycle!

My favorites are Gielen, Bertini, Kubelik, and Boulez.

And the only ones I love on those lists are Bernstein (DGG) and MTT. (Trung must have me confused with some other DavidRoss.) But I also love Gielen, Kubelik, and Boulez, and regard Bertini very highly, probably the best bargain-priced cycle around (though Bernstein's Columbia CBS Sony set is now bargain-priced, too, I believe).

[trung224]

And the only ones I love on those lists are Bernstein (DGG) and MTT. (Trung must have me confused with some other DavidRoss.) But I also love Gielen, Kubelik, and Boulez, and regard Bertini very highly, probably the best bargain-priced cycle around (though Bernstein's Columbia CBS Sony set is now bargain-priced, too, I believe).

Sorry DavidRoss, after hearing you defend Haitink, Bertini, I guess you love their approach.

[Todd]

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[asin]B008H29YVY[/asin]


An opening salvo for the upcoming Wagner year.  Maybe, since I have no Solti Wagner recordings in my collection currently.  I've heard his Ring, and I prefer others, but his Lohengrin is pretty good.  I do need to hear his Parsifal and Tristan, and with the inevitable discounts, the price may be right for just those two.

What other Wagner goodies await, that's the bigger question?

[Opus106]

What other Wagner goodies await, that's the bigger question?

Well, for starters, there's the fanboy edition of Solti's Ring. And so far, a couple of boxes from EMI and, of course,The recent Met. Ring on DVD and BR.

[Todd]

and, of course,The recent Met. Ring on DVD and BR.

I get to see that for free on public TV next month.  (It's already run in many markets in the US.)  I'm kind of hoping Boulez's most recent Parsfial performances from a few years back make it to disc.  I don't think they have yet, but I could be mistaken.

[Opus106]

I get to see that for free on public TV next month.  (It's already run in many markets in the US.)

No wonder there are already two dozen reviews on Amazon, barely a fortnight since its release.

[Mandryka]

Harnoncourt's second recording of the B minor mass

[Brian]

Are Paul Lewis' Diabellis better than his sonatas? Will this "Art of Fugue" make me actually want to listen to the "Art of Fugue" for once? Are these CPE Bach concertos and symphonies as wacky as the other CPE I've heard? Should I try the Pires/Abbado Mozart? Is this a sane buy for a very first 'Wunderhorn' at $7.40?



Also whose Schubert fantasy D940 should I buy: Tharaud/Zhu on hm or Osborne/Lewis on Hyperion or [other]?

[kishnevi]

Are Paul Lewis' Diabellis better than his sonatas? Will this "Art of Fugue" make me actually want to listen to the "Art of Fugue" for once? Are these CPE Bach concertos and symphonies as wacky as the other CPE I've heard? Should I try the Pires/Abbado Mozart? Is this a sane buy for a very first 'Wunderhorn' at $7.40?



Also whose Schubert fantasy D940 should I buy: Tharaud/Zhu on hm or Osborne/Lewis on Hyperion or [other]?

In approximate order--
I like Lewis's Beethoven, sonatas and Diabellis, but for the latter get Staier first if you don't already have him.
I am not that keen on orchestral performances of AoF; my favorite remains the first one I got,  Goebel and AMKoln.
Don't have that CPE recording, so can't say.  I like the works included, but they don't strike me as wild and crazy.
Don't have this recording, but I've liked most of what Abbado has done recently in Mozart, so I'll probably end up getting it myself.
At that price the Knaben Wunderhorn is in the category of grand larceny.  Get it!  And get one for your folks while you're at it.
I have the Osborne Lewis recording, and have played it exactly once, and don't have the Tharaud, so I'll only say I didn't feel disappointed after hearing the Osborne Lewis.