Mystery Orchestra 18 - Schumann Symphony No.4 - one more

[Greta]

Out of order this time...

B - Exciting performance. Sounds like a huge orchestra! Fast isn't it? Especially near the end. Very fun piece. They have a lush, and beautiful sound. Something about it seems a little overdone... Great playing though. No idea where it's from. Kind of flutey sound to the strings when they are in the high register that is nice.

D - This is a focused, incisive performance. Sparkling, lively, clean textures. I like the tempo choices. This seems more in keeping with the period. I like this much more. The delicate balance needed between the winds and the strings is very good. It feels almost like a different piece with this orchestra. Something about the dry-ish sound of the timpani and the very appropriate style, I think this is HIP-influenced. Brilliantly played. Yes, really like this one!

[M forever]

F is an older recording

What gives you that impression?

[Larry Rinkel]

Wow, what's going on here? I am away from my computer for a few hours, and then all these musicological discussions start. Is this still GMG? You are supposed to post totally inflated nonsense and insult each other

I'm sure we can all oblige.

[rappy]

I think Clip D is Gardiner and the Orchestre Révol....blabla

Sounds quite hip, in a quick tempo, thin, with rough strings and hip timpani.

[M forever]

Maybe. Or maybe not. Can you say more about the interpretation and playing quality you hear in D and maybe also in the other clips?

[Sean]

What gives you that impression?

Well I'm listening to it again here and still find the sound dated, but it could be other factors...

[PerfectWagnerite]

Clip E: Share some similarity with C, a sweet, lean, pliable string sound and very prominent winds. The timpani doesn't stand out as much as in C, but blends in more with the orchestra. I find much to like in the overall playing and really can't find much to fault. A few points that prevents this from achieving the same level of excellence of C: 1) the bridge to the allegro (marked stringendo) starts in bar 25 (the meter changes from 3/4 to 2/4), not in bar 22 (where the basses oscillate between G-sharps and A) as here. In bar 22 the violins merely hint at the melody to come in the allegro and should be played in tempo. Also the contrast between piano and forte is still not enough in my opinion. Especially that sustained E-flat that starts the development. Much too undescript. For me you have to let it rip here.

Clip F: I agree with Sean that this sounds like an older recording, sounds like '60s DG sound. Violins sound congested on those Cs two octaves above middle C. Lot of strings with the winds kind of recessed. Ehere is the trumpet at 5:10? You can barely make it out. The bass line is also rather weak (hear for example bars 45 and 46). The trombone is nonexistent at 9:50. There is also a weird pause at 8:20. Probably not my favorite recording of the lot.

[M forever]

Sean pointed out "bass heaviness" in clip F yet yet you found the bass line too weak. How can we explain this direct contradiction? I mean seriously, I know Sean is easy to make fun of and wants to be a target, but I think this is a very basic unpretentious statement that we can take seriously and discuss.

[Sean]

It might be something to do with the dodgy recording.

[M forever]

Dodgy?

[PerfectWagnerite]

Sean pointed out "bass heaviness" in clip F yet yet you found the bass line too weak. How can we explain this direct contradiction? I mean seriously, I know Sean is easy to make fun of and wants to be a target, but I think this is a very basic unpretentious statement that we can take seriously and discuss.

Sean may be referring to spots where he thinks it's bass heavy. I was pointing to a couple instances, like at 2:54. Also at around 2:10 those alternating G-sharp and As in the basses, while marked piano, should be firm to create that ostinato feeling. In F I don't sense that.

[Sean]

Concise Oxford Dictionary- I had (3) in mind

dodgy
adj. (dodgier, dodgiest) Brit. informal

1 dishonest.
2 risky; dangerous.
3 not good or reliable.

[M forever]

Dodgy recording?

[sidoze]

Dodgy recording?

Russian recording?

[M forever]

What's your take on the Mystery clips?

[PerfectWagnerite]

M, you taking nominations for MO 19?

[M forever]

Maybe. Or maybe not. What do you have in mind?

[PerfectWagnerite]

I am not sure what you did in rmcr (I don't go there since I already spend too much time on line) but I wouldn't mind hearing Dvorak's 7th. Another warhorse that has a million recordings out there and it's not German/Austrian so it's a bit different from Mahler, Bruckner, Schumann, etc..

Or maybe we can do Symphonie Fantastique of Schubert's "Great" C-major, something that tax an orchestra a little bit.

[M forever]

Symphonie fantastique probably not. I have a few recordings, but that's actually one of the "standard pieces" that I don't really like to listen to so much.

Schubert or Dvořák maybe. Or maybe not. I had actually thought about La Mer or some of the Ravel works since I have megatons of Ravel, or maybe Janáček's Sinfonietta, an extremely colorful piece which really allows an orchestra to shine. Or maybe some Sibelius. Or maybe not.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Symphonie fantastique probably not. I have a few recordings, but that's actually one of the "standard pieces" that I don't really like to listen to so much.

Schubert or Dvořák maybe. Or maybe not. I had actually thought about La Mer or some of the Ravel works since I have megatons of Ravel, or maybe Janáček's Sinfonietta, an extremely colorful piece which really allows an orchestra to shine. Or maybe some Sibelius. Or maybe not.

I'd LOVE to hear the Sinfonietta. When I heard the piece for the first time it was live with the BSO and it brought the house down. The only recording I have is Abbado/BPO. I wanted Ancerl/CPO but can never find a copy cheaply. Any Sibelius would be awesome also.

I am not too hot on La Mer or Ravel but I am sure other members wouldn't mind.