Recordings That You Are Considering

[Brian]

Thanks very much Jeffrey! Added the Wunderhorn. It's in Presto's harmonia mundi sale, by the way; most CDs are $12.95 but a few are cheaper.

Also what of this?

[kishnevi]

Thanks very much Jeffrey! Added the Wunderhorn. It's in Presto's harmonia mundi sale, by the way; most CDs are $12.95 but a few are cheaper.

Also what of this?

Don't have it; kept putting it in the cart and then pushing it out in favor of something else.  But most people seem to like it.

I should have added that the AoF seems to be a favorite of Jens.

[Mirror Image]

Thanks very much Jeffrey! Added the Wunderhorn. It's in Presto's harmonia mundi sale, by the way; most CDs are $12.95 but a few are cheaper.

Also what of this?

You didn't ask me, but that Berg performance doesn't replace my current favorite Mutter/Levine. I think the Faust/Abbado does a good job, but it doesn't reach the depths that Mutter/Levine achieved. It does, however, allow you to hear more clarity in the music, but I honestly prefer to be lost in an orchestral fog when it comes to Berg's music. The less I know, the better off I am. Those nasty serialists! Anyway, a lot of Berg has this hazy, almost impressionistic feeling throughout the music. He's almost like, dare I say, an 'atonal' Debussy.

[Brian]

You didn't ask me, but that Berg performance doesn't replace my current favorite Mutter/Levine. I think the Faust/Abbado does a good job, but it doesn't reach the depths that Mutter/Levine achieved. It does, however, allow you to hear more clarity in the music, but I honestly prefer to be lost in an orchestral fog when it comes to Berg's music. The less I know, the better off I am. Those nasty serialists! Anyway, a lot of Berg has this hazy, almost impressionistic feeling throughout the music. He's almost like, dare I say, an 'atonal' Debussy.

Thanks John! And actually I was asking everybody.

[Mirror Image]

Thanks John! And actually I was asking everybody.

You're welcome. The Beethoven VC from that recording sounded good to me, but I don't have a lot to compare it to since I seldom listen to Beethoven's music.

[jlaurson]

Are Paul Lewis' Diabellis better than his sonatas?

Yes! But by enough? Maybe not.

Will this "Art of Fugue" make me actually want to listen to the "Art of Fugue" for once?

Probably not. It's very good... but if you're a troubled AoF-consumer, I'd recommend Savall first.

Are these CPE Bach concertos and symphonies as wacky as the other CPE I've heard?

Can't tell you.

Should I try the Pires/Abbado Mozart?

Well... it's not mandatory, but it's lovely.

Is this a sane buy for a very first 'Wunderhorn' at $7.40?

Yes.

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

Not Osborne/Lewis, in my book. And also not a lot of other great names that are tempting. Taraud/Zhu (individually both among my favorites) would be my firm second choice after an even firmer first choice:  Pires / Castro http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2005/03/schubert-for-two.html

[Sergeant Rock]

Also what of this?

Don't know it (I'm satisfied with Chung/Solti, Mutter/Levine, Watanabe/Sinopoli, Steinbacher/Nelsons) but it won the Gramophone award this year.

Sarge

[DavidRoss]

Hi, Brian--congrats again on the new job! (Where?)
1--Can't say.
2--Can't say, but looks tempting to me, too. If you want a period ensemble AoF, you might also consider Goebel.  But the only multi-voiced AoF I've really clicked with is the Emerson Qt's (perhaps partly because there's not too much variety in the voices...?) but Fretwork's is very good, too.
3--Can't say.
4--Shouldn't say--haven't heard it. But Abbado/Pires's other Mozart concertos disc is one of my faves and I, too, love what he's been doing with Mozart lately. His violin concertos with Carmignola and his symphonies sets are very good. Thanks for calling this to my attention--I'll probably buy it, too!
5--I have several DKW recordings and just bought this after hearing it via Mog. Obviously (I trust...?) I liked it...very much. At that price it's a steal.
6--Faust/Abbado Berg/Beethoven. Can't say. I've been tempted, too, but only because I like the performers so much and am a bit of a recording junkie (aren't we all? ) But haven't even tried to hear it because I'm already more than satisfied by recordings I already own.

[Karl Henning]

You didn't ask me, but that Berg performance doesn't replace my current favorite Mutter/Levine. I think the Faust/Abbado does a good job, but it doesn't reach the depths that Mutter/Levine achieved. It does, however, allow you to hear more clarity in the music, but I honestly prefer to be lost in an orchestral fog when it comes to Berg's music.

You've stated it as a preference, and it is thus inarguable.

My own preference is, for the clarity, for the reason that all of Berg's notes are beautiful notes, and I feel cheated if any of them are obscured by fog (like trying to view a Vermeer in a steam room ; )

[Lisztianwagner]

Also what of this?

Beethoven's Violin Concerto is very good; Abbado is a great beethovenian interpreter and his performance is beautiful, very lyrical and dynamic. But the best recording of that work is the Karajan/Mutter, absolutely outstanding!

[DavidRoss]

My own preference is, for the clarity, for the reason that all of Berg's notes are beautiful notes, and I feel cheated if any of them are obscured by fog (like trying to view a Vermeer in a steam room[/font] ; )

Nicely put. A preference I share (and not just with Berg). One powerful reason Abbado is among my very bestest mostest favoritest conductors! (And Herbie is not.)

[Sammy]

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

Other - Lupu/Perahia with a wonderful coupling of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos, K 448.  For sure, it's a desert island disc, and I don't usually care much for either Lupu or Perahia.

[Mirror Image]

You've stated it as a preference, and it is thus inarguable.

My own preference is, for the clarity, for the reason that all of Berg's notes are beautiful notes, and I feel cheated if any of them are obscured by fog (like trying to view a Vermeer in a steam room ; )

I understand, Karl. I guess I should correct what I wrote in my previous by saying that I do like clarity in Berg too, but I guess should reiterate what I wrote by saying 'the fog' I was referring to is a large orchestra and not a pared down one which I'm not particularly fond of in Abbado's recording. The larger the sound in Berg, the happier I am. But, yes, I like clarity as much as you do, but it's the conductor's job to control the dynamics of the orchestra and in my preferred recording of the Berg VC, James Levine does a great job IMHO.

[jlaurson]

Other - Lupu/Perahia with a wonderful coupling of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos, K 448.  For sure, it's a desert island disc, and I don't usually care much for either Lupu or Perahia.

Ah, yes... that's one of the big-name versions that's not a disappointment. Up there with Tharaud/Zhu, at least... but it ain't Pires/Castro.

[DavidRoss]

This just popped up among the Amazon offerings marketed atop some of the forum pages:



I don't know anything about the music.
I'm not even sure why I'm considering it.
That is, why I haven't already ordered a copy...or two...or twenty.

[The new erato]

This just popped up among the Amazon offerings marketed atop some of the forum pages:



I don't know anything about the music.
I'm not even sure why I'm considering it.
That is, why I haven't already ordered a copy...or two...or twenty.

Is it possible to order a copy without a disc?

[DavidRoss]

Is it possible to order a copy without a disc?

[Mirror Image]

I've definitely got quite a few I'm looking at right now, but here are three for now:

[asin]B008L62Y9K[/asin]

[asin]B0001XAQ8M[/asin]

[asin]B001JFKVQI[/asin]

[Sammy]

Ah, yes... that's one of the big-name versions that's not a disappointment. Up there with Tharaud/Zhu, at least... but it ain't Pires/Castro.

The only Pires/Castro disc I know has only the Schubert.  If there isn't one of both the Schubert and Mozart, we're talking about a different animal.

[North Star]

I've definitely got quite a few I'm looking at right now, but here are three for now:
[asin]B001JFKVQI[/asin]

The piano concertos are available separately on Brilliant, I got this for 5 €, as that BIS original box was obscenely expensive in comparison. Superb performances and recording quality, and the compositions are very nice, too.

[asin]B005910DQG[/asin]