Recordings That You Are Considering

[Wakefield]

I read between the lines, that my money would be better spent on Cantata recordings by Pierlot, Coin, Milnes, Thomas (Jeffrey) et.c. ??

If those names are the alternative, the answer would be a resounding yes.

As you know, I'm particularly fond of Pierlot and Thomas.

[kishnevi]

I'm not having much luck finding the completer Richter box anywhere except Prestoclassical,  but Rilling's complete cycle seems to be available at a cheaper price.  Haven't heard any of Richter, but Rilling's cycle seemed to be relatively well done overall, so I would suggest that as a better alternative if you want MI recordings, and limit your Richter to some individual CDs or the box of Advent/Christmas cantatas that was issued just before the big Richter box reissue.  (The Rilling set is available for $70 plus s/h on AmazonUS Marketplace.)

[Mandryka]

Re Richter's cantatas, it's Fischer-Dieskau's contribution which is most memorable for me. I think that he's often very good at making the words sound meaningful. Richter is the best recorded of all the Leipzig school -- there's much less by Ramin for example. Only Walcha can compete, and we don't have any cantata recordings by him  . And so as a historical document of (one of) the most important Bach schools of the 20th century,  Richter's set is invaluable.

[prémont]

Re Richter's cantatas, it's Fischer-Dieskau's contribution which is most memorable for me. I think that he's often very good at making the words sound meaningful. Richter is the best recorded of all the Leipzig school -- there's much less by Ramin for example. Only Walcha can compete, and we don't have any cantata recordings by him  . And so as a historical document of (one of) the most important Bach schools of the 20th century,  Richter's set is invaluable.

From a general consideration I agree with you about Fischer-Dieskau, but for more characteristic traditional post-Ramin Leipzig-style I think one should turn to the cantata and passion-recordings of Kurt Thomas and Hans-Joachim Roitsch (I do not know Billeter´s recordings), as well as the Berlin Classic´s Bach on Silbermann organs. Walcha is too much sui generis and Richter tends in that direction too.

[prémont]

I'm not having much luck finding the completer Richter box anywhere except Prestoclassical,  but Rilling's complete cycle seems to be available at a cheaper price.  Haven't heard any of Richter, but Rilling's cycle seemed to be relatively well done overall, so I would suggest that as a better alternative if you want MI recordings, and limit your Richter to some individual CDs or the box of Advent/Christmas cantatas that was issued just before the big Richter box reissue.  (The Rilling set is available for $70 plus s/h on AmazonUS Marketplace.)

I can not make up my mind, whether to recommend Rilling´s cantata cycle or not.

To be fair there is much to enjoy, and it is "complete". It is a bit uneven, since it was made during a long period of time, but if one wants a non-period set, there are no alternatives.
Other than I would supplement with Roitsch´s and Werner´s incomplete sets.

[Karl Henning]

I did enjoy this.

[milk]

Listening to Shchedrin preludes and fugues on youtube but having a hard time locating a download for immediate gratification. I may have to import this:
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They sound really interesting. I want them! Anyone have any thoughts on them? They seem a bit obscure at this point.

[milk]

Any thoughts on this?
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[milk]

?

[The new erato]

Any thoughts on this?
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Since I have it, I would have liked to have. It remember it as pretty interesting, and difficult to form a firm opinion of. I bought it on strength of some fine reviews. One of the ever increasing discs in stacks of stuff I need to revisit!

[Octave]

Oh no, that's mere polysemy. In a perfect world every thing would have a different word to name it, but it doesn't happen in the actual world.

I don't believe in progress as a philosophical idea suggesting that every new generation of human beings is better than the previous one.

But I use the word "progress" as a synonym of "improvement". For instance: "Penicillin was a progress for mankind." 

Just a bit of good-natured ribbing----though I know I take shameless liberties with your context. 
But the low-hanging fruit is so cheap!  How can I resist?  I am a moth to the flickering bulb of bargains.  The dialectic!

[Wakefield]

Just a bit of good-natured ribbing----though I know I take shameless liberties with your context. 
But the low-hanging fruit is so cheap!  How can I resist?  I am a moth to the flickering bulb of bargains.  The dialectic!

I know. 

[Mirror Image]

A few under my radar:



My obvious attraction to this disc is the Brian work, but I wouldn't mind hearing the Bush piece. Don't care anything about Bowen.



I would definitely want this for the Rubbra, but I love Tippett and do enjoy a good bit of Bliss' music.



I've been meaning to get around to this recording, but some other interests have been getting in the way.

[Bogey]

I love these type of covers in my collection.  Make me feel as if I found a bootleg recording or something with less that a 100 run count.  You know, buy now or never see it again.

[Mirror Image]

I love these type of covers in my collection.  Make me feel as if I found a bootleg recording or something with less that a 100 run count.  You know, buy now or never see it again.

Funny you mentioned this, Bill. My Dad and I were talking about these Toccata covers today. I was showing my Dad the Havergal Brian Orchestral Music Vol. 1 recording and he asked me "Is this an older recording?"

[Brian]

I've been meaning to get around to this recording, but some other interests have been getting in the way.

If you like the Nipponari CD you recommended to me, you will like this one. The musical language does take a step backwards into the Czech tradition for most of the disc, but the music is very enjoyable.

"Granted, this doesn't have the rhythmic sharpness or dramatic emotional commitment of Martinů's later music - the symphonies, for example - and hints of the composer to come are infrequent, but gosh these pieces are lovely. ...The music all clearly shows Martinů's genius for orchestration, the tunes are sound, and altogether the [Little Dance Suite] should have charmed the socks off audiences." My full review discusses each work.

[Mirror Image]

If you like the Nipponari CD you recommended to me, you will like this one. The musical language does take a step backwards into the Czech tradition for most of the disc, but the music is very enjoyable.

"Granted, this doesn't have the rhythmic sharpness or dramatic emotional commitment of Martinů's later music - the symphonies, for example - and hints of the composer to come are infrequent, but gosh these pieces are lovely. ...The music all clearly shows Martinů's genius for orchestration, the tunes are sound, and altogether the [Little Dance Suite] should have charmed the socks off audiences." My full review discusses each work.

Thanks for the feedback, Brian. Already added it to my cart.

[Bogey]

Funny you mentioned this, Bill. My Dad and I were talking about these Toccata covers today. I was showing my Dad the Havergal Brian Orchestral Music Vol. 1 recording and he asked me "Is this an older recording?"

They're neat, aren't they.  Kind of like these:



or some of those old Fitzwangler cds.

[Mirror Image]

They're neat, aren't they.  Kind of like these:



or some of those old Fitwangler cds.

Yeah, exactly. Pretty cool indeed.

[Karl Henning]

I like that the Mendelssohn is dubbed Scotch rather than Scottish.  In some circles, it is insisted that a person is Scots or Scottish . . . hence the joke: "Are you Scotch?" "Only by absorption."