Purchases Today

[vers la flamme]

@Mirror Image & @Introverted, I am in the market for a Ring cycle, and y'all may have converted me to team Karajan... especially at that price. Böhm, Solti and Furtwängler are the others in the running... hmm...

[Mirror Image]

@Mirror Image & @Introverted, I am in the market for a Ring cycle, and y'all may have converted me to team Karajan... especially at that price. Böhm, Solti and Furtwängler are the others in the running... hmm...

Go for the HvK. I also own Solti, Böhm, and Janowski. The HvK made the biggest impact on me, but, as I said, I don't listen to Wagner that much, so I might not be the right person to give a recommendation.

[mc ukrneal]

@Mirror Image & @Introverted, I am in the market for a Ring cycle, and y'all may have converted me to team Karajan... especially at that price. Böhm, Solti and Furtwängler are the others in the running... hmm...

Of those, I'd eliminate the Furtwangler. After that, they all have their pluses and minuses. Personally, I think the Bohm is the best all rounder.  But I doubt you would be disappointed with any of them (the three).

[Daverz]

@Mirror Image & @Introverted, I am in the market for a Ring cycle, and y'all may have converted me to team Karajan... especially at that price. Böhm, Solti and Furtwängler are the others in the running... hmm...

Ralph Moore's survey of Ring cycles (PDF):

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/Feb/Wagner_ring_survey.pdf

Recommendations are at the bottom.  His first choice is Solti.

[asin] B008J1QFLU[/asin]

[André]

Not a purchase, but a Christmas present from my daughter 

[Mirror Image]

I'm seriously hoping that this will be my last purchase for quite some time, but I couldn't resist these recordings any longer:




Ciccolini's Debussy has been on my wishlist for quite some time as have a complete survey of Stravinsky's solo piano music.

[ritter]

I'm seriously hoping that this will be my last purchase for quite some time, but I couldn't resist these recordings any longer:

...

Ciccolini's Debussy has been on my wishlist for quite some time as have a complete survey of Stravinsky's solo piano music.

...I think it was fellow member Rafael (ritter) who told me to check out Jacobs' Debussy and I simply cannot thank him enough for this recommendation.

No need to thank me, John. And I'm glad to say that for me Ciccolini is almost up there with Jacobs as far as Debussy is concerned (almost, but perhaps not quite....Ciccolini, though, offers a very comprehensive—if not ultra-complete— survey of Debussy's piano output, so—apart from its intrinsic quality of the playing—it's a valuable addition to your collection. I hope you enjoy it. Do share your impressions, if you care to do so...

[JBS]

actually placed this order last weekend....



Contents of the Tomadin CD, from the Arkivmusic product page

For this uniquely compiled new recording of Bach's organ works, the Italian organist Manuel Tomadin devised a concept of organizing music by the four seasons. There are 12 pieces on the album, opening with the vaulting arpeggios of the G major Prelude BWV541. To each season is given its own prelude and fugue – all of them masterpieces from Bach's Leipzig period – as well as a pair of shorter works. These include superb chorale preludes such as Christ unser Herr, zum Jordan kam BWV564 but also much lesser-known music such as the C minor Fantasia BW1121: a youthful piece of reverent serenity, and the Kleines Harmonisches Labyrinth BWV591. The authorship of this tripartite work has often been questioned – it came to light as part of the Neumeister Chorales within the last century – but the daring sequences at its close are highly redolent of the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue that is one of Bach's undisputed masterpieces. On this recording Manuel Tomadin plays the Christoph Treutmann organ of 1737 in the former Collegiate Church of St. George, Grauhof, Germany. The booklet includes photos and specification of the organ as well as Tomadin's own authoritative introduction to the music on the album.

[vers la flamme]

I've had my eyes on that Ciccolini Debussy box since it came out. I might have to pull the trigger soon... but then I have so much Debussy piano music already that I spend so little time listening to, lately.

@Davers, @Mirror Image, and @mc ukrneal, I appreciate the feedback. I think Furtwängler is out due to sound concerns. The reason I considered his in the first place is because I was so impressed with his Tristan on EMI with the Philharmonia, but outside of that I'm really not much of a Furtwängler fan in the first place (of course, it took me until after I bought a 22-disc box set of his music to realize this  ). Böhm on the other hand I really appreciate as a conductor, and Karajan as well. Solti less so, but of course, his Ring cycle is "the greatest recording of all time", and whatnot. Further, I adore this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkOiKy6sXfM

[JBS]

I've had my eyes on that Ciccolini Debussy box since it came out. I might have to pull the trigger soon... but then I have so much Debussy piano music already that I spend so little time listening to, lately.

@Davers, @Mirror Image, and @mc ukrneal, I appreciate the feedback. I think Furtwängler is out due to sound concerns. The reason I considered his in the first place is because I was so impressed with his Tristan on EMI with the Philharmonia, but outside of that I'm really not much of a Furtwängler fan in the first place (of course, it took me until after I bought a 22-disc box set of his music to realize this  ). Böhm on the other hand I really appreciate as a conductor, and Karajan as well. Solti less so, but of course, his Ring cycle is "the greatest recording of all time", and whatnot. Further, I adore this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkOiKy6sXfM

My 2 cents worth:

The only negative to Furtwangler is the sound. Performance and interpretation, however, it is one of the best.

But I don't think there is a "best" Ring out there.

I think the Bohm, Karajan, and Solti are all roughly on the same level,  although the sonics in the Karajan are slightly better. You can't go wrong with any of the three.

[vers la flamme]

My 2 cents worth:

The only negative to Furtwangler is the sound. Performance and interpretation, however, it is one of the best.

But I don't think there is a "best" Ring out there.

I think the Bohm, Karajan, and Solti are all roughly on the same level,  although the sonics in the Karajan are slightly better. You can't go wrong with any of the three.

Oh, I'm sure there isn't! All music is subject to a wide variety of interpretations and, especially in a 15+ hour operatic cycle, no one conductor, orchestra, singer, artist, nor the perfect match-up of all of the above is going to get it all right. Still, not being a Wagner guy or much of an opera guy at all, one must suffice for the time being. Currently I have zero, so this will be an improvement on that. 

I forgot to mention but I have also been considering the Barenboim/Bayreuth as a possible choice. I like Barenboim in some other repertoire and I feel that he'd fare well in Wagner (he is clearly passionately interested in the composer, having brought his music to Israel despite massive controversy). But he may not be quite up to snuff with the old German guys...

[JBS]

Oh, I'm sure there isn't! All music is subject to a wide variety of interpretations and, especially in a 15+ hour operatic cycle, no one conductor, orchestra, singer, artist, nor the perfect match-up of all of the above is going to get it all right. Still, not being a Wagner guy or much of an opera guy at all, one must suffice for the time being. Currently I have zero, so this will be an improvement on that. 

I forgot to mention but I have also been considering the Barenboim/Bayreuth as a possible choice. I like Barenboim in some other repertoire and I feel that he'd fare well in Wagner (he is clearly passionately interested in the composer, having brought his music to Israel despite massive controversy). But he may not be quite up to snuff with the old German guys...

I have the Barenboim and Janowski sets in my "to be listened to" pile, but they remain unheard, so I can't  comment on them.

[Madiel]

Hmm. This one's interesting to me. Some rather positive reviews, but then a rather negative one from Gramophone who prefer Peter Donohoe (not exactly the same works included).

[Mirror Image]

No need to thank me, John. And I'm glad to say that for me Ciccolini is almost up there with Jacobs as far as Debussy is concerned (almost, but perhaps not quite....Ciccolini, though, offers a very comprehensive—if not ultra-complete— survey of Debussy's piano output, so—apart from its intrinsic quality of the playing—it's a valuable addition to your collection. I hope you enjoy it. Do share your impressions, if you care to do so...

Thanks for the feedback, Rafael. I already owned some of Ciccolini's Debussy in the Warner Complete set and this is what made me decide to get this complete set from him. I can already tell you that I enjoyed his poetic rendering of Six épigraphes antiques (also found in the Warner box). Beautiful music-making of the highest order.

[Mirror Image]

Hmm. This one's interesting to me. Some rather positive reviews, but then a rather negative one from Gramophone who prefer Peter Donohoe (not exactly the same works included).

Well, we must remember that Gramophone will always choose a British pianist over one born in Kazakhstan. The audio samples from Shevchenko's Stravinsky sounded really good and, yes, most of the reviews that I've read have been favorable. I was going to go with the Jenny Lin recording (on the Steinway & Sons label), but this one just seemed more attractive to me and it was only a few dollars more plus it's two discs compared to Lin's one.

[71 dB]

One more purchase in 2019:

[asin]B000L42JA4[/asin]
Used, £3.87 delivered.

[Introverted]

@Mirror Image & @Introverted, I am in the market for a Ring cycle, and y'all may have converted me to team Karajan... especially at that price. Böhm, Solti and Furtwängler are the others in the running... hmm...

I think Böhm and Solti's Cycles are both very good - I have Furtwänglers Cycle with the RAI on order and may post about that one on the Ring thread when I have a chance to listen to it in full.
I can't comment a lot on Karajan's recording as I've only heard his Die Walkure out of the 4 Operas but I did really enjoy it.
I agree with JBS that if you bought any or all of the Bohm, Solti or Karajan but would be happy with your choice.

[Todd]

Various odds and ends and discounted items.  The last purchase of 2019 as I get ready to switch gears and focus on buying recordings of works by a little known composer from Bonn next year.

[Florestan]

Various odds and ends and discounted items.  The last purchase of 2019 as I get ready to switch gears and focus on buying recordings of works by a little known composer from Bonn next year.

Make sure to get his best kept secret: the piano sonatas.

[Todd]

Make sure to get his best kept secret: the piano sonatas.

I've heard they are pretty good.