Purchases Today

[ritter]

I have that Sacre in this incarnation (which wasn't easy to obtain, I must say).


It's the recording disparaged by the composer in one of his books of conversations with Robert Craft (along with, IIRC, all other recordings mentioned there--as they say in Spanish, "he left no puppet with its head on"  ), but the recording received huge acclaim, and I think it is rather successful, and a important document of Boulez's early years as a symphonic conductor. It also has a live counterpart; the public performances that led to the studio recording, issued--with very intersting couplings-- in this long OOP set:

 

[JBS]

 I see Harry has the Waltz fever!

TD
over the weekend

[Harry]

I see Harry has the Waltz fever!

I love to waltz, especially when they are as good as the CPO recordings, of unknown composers. In classical music that's my only vice, in which I profusely indulge.

[Que]

Instead of going for volume 1 by the same performers, I went for this:

[asin]B0057JWUVG[/asin]
I've read mixed reviews (particularly regarding the sound quality), but at the price I bought, I'd thought I'd give it a shot.

Oooooh, the sound on those is just horrendous! 
And I'm not a stickler on sound, but this really put me off.
They hired a lunatic as sound engineer, that's the only thing that came to my mind.

I love the EMI set/series from the Good Old Times...   

Q

[San Antone]

Instead of going for volume 1 by the same performers, I went for this:

[asin]B0057JWUVG[/asin]

I've read mixed reviews (particularly regarding the sound quality), but at the price I bought, I'd thought I'd give it a shot.

Oooooh, the sound on those is just horrendous! 
And I'm not a stickler on sound, but this really put me off.
They hired a lunatic as sound engineer, that's the only thing that came to my mind.

I love the EMI set/series from the Good Old Times...   

Q

I don't know what you guys are talking about; I hear nothing "horrendous" about the sound.  I am listening on Spotify and it sounds like a live recording in a medium sized room with wood-paneled walls, i.e. somewhat reflective, but not too much (I don't agree with the Amazon reviewers who claim it is too reverberant).  I much prefer this kind of sound to a dry studio acoustic.

And I consider the performances to be first rate.

[mc ukrneal]

I love to waltz, especially when they are as good as the CPO recordings, of unknown composers. In classical music that's my only vice, in which I profusely indulge.

They are all quite enjoyable. I hope you like them.

[JBS]

Triggered by my earlier conversation on this thread with Harry

[asin]B004MGMIA8[/asin]

[It's been on my wishlist for several years. But I decided it was time to "fish or cut bait", to use the more delicate version of the saying.]

[Papy Oli]

One more Bax :

[asin]B00003W0Z1[/asin]

[steve ridgway]

One more Bax :

[asin]B00003W0Z1[/asin]

How is a forest happy when it has no trees?

[Traverso]

Triggered by my earlier conversation on this thread with Harry

[asin]B004MGMIA8[/asin]

[It's been on my wishlist for several years. But I decided it was time to "fish or cut bait", to use the more delicate version of the saying.]

A bit too much for me but they sound really fine,the Bauern polka fun to listen to.

[Harry]

Triggered by my earlier conversation on this thread with Harry

[asin]B004MGMIA8[/asin]

[It's been on my wishlist for several years. But I decided it was time to "fish or cut bait", to use the more delicate version of the saying.]

I am mightily impressed and really glad you took the plunge. For the money its a steal. And the performances are always good to very good, give or take a few rough edges.
Let me know in due time what you think of it.

[Florestan]

Triggered by my earlier conversation on this thread with Harry

[asin]B004MGMIA8[/asin]

[It's been on my wishlist for several years. But I decided it was time to "fish or cut bait", to use the more delicate version of the saying.]

Countless hours of pleasure awaiting for you. Good choice. Now, make sure to add Johann Strauss I and Josef Strauss, Naxos recorded their complete orchestral works too. 

[Harry]

Countless hours of pleasure awaiting for you. Good choice. Now, make sure to add Johann Strauss I and Josef Strauss, Naxos recorded their complete orchestral works too. 

They did yes, but not neatly boxed up, so that can become quite an expense exercise. And more waltz luminaries are recorded by Naxos, too many of them...

[Symphonic Addict]

Countless hours of pleasure awaiting for you. Good choice. Now, make sure to add Johann Strauss I and Josef Strauss, Naxos recorded their complete orchestral works too. 

It would be important to take them in correct doses. Whilst it's very pleasant music, it might become tiresome and a bit repetitive after some CDs. Just my opinion, of course. 

[JBS]

It would be important to take them in correct doses. Whilst it's very pleasant music, it might become tiresome and a bit repetitive after some CDs. Just my opinion, of course. 

My usual practice with these sort of sets is to do a CD a day, or at most two, so it shouldn't be too wearing on the ear.

[mc ukrneal]

It would be important to take them in correct doses. Whilst it's very pleasant music, it might become tiresome and a bit repetitive after some CDs. Just my opinion, of course. 

Personally, never had a problem to listening this sort of music in any dose.

[San Antone]

My usual practice with these sort of sets is to do a CD a day, or at most two, so it shouldn't be too wearing on the ear.

Have you heard the chamber group transcriptions?  Schoenberg, Berg and Webern did some. 



And there is a CD of some of the more famous waltzes arranged for string quartet, quintet and sextet.



I find myself enjoying the smaller versions to the orchestral.

[Florestan]

Personally, never had a problem to listening this sort of music in any dose.

+ 1.

[JBS]

Have you heard the chamber group transcriptions?  Schoenberg, Berg and Webern did some. 



And there is a CD of some of the more famous waltzes arranged for string quartet, quintet and sextet.



I find myself enjoying the smaller versions to the orchestral.

I have some of them, somewhere (I forget which set they're in), and I have thes
[asin] B074R5RQ44[/asin]
[asin]B001AYAKT6[/asin]

1. Symphonic metamorphosis of themes from Johann Strauss's 'Kunstlerleben'
  2. Fantasies (24) for Piano 'Walzermasken': no 2, Pastell
  3. Fantasies (24) for Piano 'Walzermasken': no 14, Französisch
  4. Fantasies (24) for Piano 'Walzermasken': no 22, Wienerisch
  5. Fantasies (24) for Piano 'Walzermasken': no 24, Portrait Johann Strauss
  6. Symphonic metamorphosis of themes from 'Die Fledermaus'
  7. Triakontameron: no 4, Rendezvous
  8. Triakontameron: no 11, Alt Wien
  9. Triakontameron: no 13, Terpsichorean Vindobona
  10. Triakontameron: no 21, The Salon
  11. Triakontameron: no 25, Erinnerungen
  12. Symphonic metamorphosis of Johann Strauss's 'Wein, Weib und Gesang' Waltzes
  13. Der letzte Walzer: Act I Waltz - Oscar Straus

Plus a whole group of the most recent VPO New Years Day concerts.  I'm waiting for Arkivmusic to ship me this year's incarnation.

[Florestan]

Have you heard the chamber group transcriptions?  Schoenberg, Berg and Webern did some. 



And there is a CD of some of the more famous waltzes arranged for string quartet, quintet and sextet.



I find myself enjoying the smaller versions to the orchestral.

I like very much the arrangements for 2 violins, cello and double bass, which is actually the original guise in which many Johann Strauss I and Joseph Lanner works were performed.