Purchases Today

[Harry]

Easley Blackwood: Symphony No.1 (1954/55)
Saw this was included in the Charles Munch Edition 80+ CD box set and was curious - thought it was terrific and, hey presto, I found a single CD release featuring the work:

Never heard of the fellow?

[Mirror Image]

Just bought:



Jeffrey (Vandermolen) has mentioned this disc on numerous occasions and it even made his top purchases for 2021, so I'll see how Gardner does. Depending on the performances and the fidelity, this may be my last Gardner disc, but also my last Chandos disc. This label has been incredibly disappointing for me for many years. I'm just not thrilled with many of the musicians on their roster like John Wilson who I find to be completely overrated. Gardner is overused and I suppose they're looking at him and Wilson to be the next Neeme Järvi or something, but, for whatever reason, it's just not happening as they lack Järvi's incisiveness and general excitement. Anyway, I hate going into a new recording with preconceived notions, but with new Chandos recordings I have found that my suspicions were usually dead on or, at least, for me this is the case.

[vandermolen]

Never heard of the fellow?

Nor me Harry, although I was curious that it featured in the large Charles Munch boxed set and sampled it on You Tube. I don't think that it's really a 'serial' work as suggested by one of the comments below the video, but agree with another comment, which referenced the moving ending of the work.

Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_K2sDF3h-4

[vandermolen]

Just bought:



Jeffrey (Vandermolen) has mentioned this disc on numerous occasions and it even made his top purchases for 2021, so I'll see how Gardner does. Depending on the performances and the fidelity, this may be my last Gardner disc, but also my last Chandos disc. This label has been incredibly disappointing for me for many years. I'm just not thrilled with many of the musicians on their roster like John Wilson who I find to be completely overrated. Gardner is overused and I suppose they're looking at him and Wilson to be the next Neeme Järvi or something, but, for whatever reason, it's just not happening as they lack Järvi's incisiveness and general excitement. Anyway, I hate going into a new recording with preconceived notions, but with new Chandos recordings I have found that my suspicions were usually dead on or, at least, for me this is the case.

Interesting John. If I had to choose my favourite release of the year it would have to be 'Forgotten VW recordings from the USA' although I have repeatedly played and enjoyed this one as well. I'm inclined to agree with what you say about John Wilson and have given his much-hyped Respighi CD a miss and prefer the Orchestra of Grand Canary in Korngold's Symphony to John Wilson's band (good as it is). I did however enjoy his 'English Music for Strings' release. As for Chandos I would not want to deprive myself, for example, of their Lyatoshynsky or Ruth Gipps CDs, which were terrific.

[Harry]

Interesting John. If I had to choose my favourite release of the year it would have to be 'Forgotten VW recordings from the USA' although I have repeatedly played and enjoyed this one as well. I'm inclined to agree with what you say about John Wilson and have given his much-hyped Respighi CD a miss and prefer the Orchestra of Grand Canary in Korngold's Symphony to John Wilson's band (good as it is). I did however enjoy his 'English Music for Strings' release. As for Chandos I would not want to deprive myself, for example, of their Lyatoshynsky or Ruth Gipps CDs, which were terrific.

I think John Wilson is a fine conductor, and I cannot find fault with him.
I wholeheartedly agree Jeffrey!

[Mirror Image]

Interesting John. If I had to choose my favourite release of the year it would have to be 'Forgotten VW recordings from the USA' although I have repeatedly played and enjoyed this one as well. I'm inclined to agree with what you say about John Wilson and have given his much-hyped Respighi CD a miss and prefer the Orchestra of Grand Canary in Korngold's Symphony to John Wilson's band (good as it is). I did however enjoy his 'English Music for Strings' release. As for Chandos I would not want to deprive myself, for example, of their Lyatoshynsky or Ruth Gipps CDs, which were terrific.

Well, I suppose it goes without saying, but it's a personal thing and this is no slight against anyone who enjoys what the label is doing, but, sometimes, I step back and look at what a label has been doing for the last 10 years or so and decide to make a conscious decision on either embracing them or proceeding with caution due to disappointments one after the other. It seems that Chandos has been the latter in that I'm just not really seeing anything they've been doing as 'interesting' or worth my own time, so this is why I was surprised to see this new Sibelius recording as I thought, "Okay, well...I'll give them another shot because I love the repertoire." Anyway, I'll definitely let you know my impressions of this disc once I've had time to give it a thorough listen.

[Harry]

Nor me Harry, although I was curious that it featured in the large Charles Munch boxed set and sampled it on You Tube. I don't think that it's really a 'serial' work as suggested by one of the comments below the video, but agree with another comment, which referenced the moving ending of the work.

Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_K2sDF3h-4

Thank you, I have listened to him, and although I like some parts, others did not appeal to me, but that's just me.

[kyjo]

Thanks PD - I bought one more for £1.00 - Schubert's String Quintet on ASV.

If you haven't heard this work before, you're in for a truly sublime experience! It's one of those select few works in the repertoire that basically everyone can agree is a total masterpiece.

[ritter]

I had bern eyeing this recent release for a while, and finally Amazon in Europe is offering it at an attractive price, so I pulled the trigger:

[asin]B08N3GGRFM[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

Stocked up on some Berlioz:

[VonStupp]

Stocked up on some Berlioz:

I assume this one has all of those 90's Philips Berlioz recordings by Gardiner and the ORR? I remember the big hype surrounding them at the time, although I think I only bought the Messe Solennelle back then.

[Mirror Image]

I assume this one has all of those 90's Philips Berlioz recordings by Gardiner and the ORR? I remember the big hype surrounding them at the time, although I think I only bought the Messe Solennelle back then.

Yes, I think that's right. I only owned one recording from this set: Harold en Italie, so it'll be nice to have these recordings, which are difficult to find individually nowadays, in the same box.

[Brian]

Yeah, I bought my copy of that Messe solennelle in a flea market in Paris.

[Mirror Image]

Yeah, I bought my copy of that Messe solennelle in a flea market in Paris.

Did you see any fleas while you were there?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Stocked up on some Berlioz:

Excellent choice here! 

PD

[Traverso]

I purchased these two yesterday.

[Madiel]

Just bought:



Jeffrey (Vandermolen) has mentioned this disc on numerous occasions and it even made his top purchases for 2021, so I'll see how Gardner does. Depending on the performances and the fidelity, this may be my last Gardner disc, but also my last Chandos disc. This label has been incredibly disappointing for me for many years. I'm just not thrilled with many of the musicians on their roster like John Wilson who I find to be completely overrated. Gardner is overused and I suppose they're looking at him and Wilson to be the next Neeme Järvi or something, but, for whatever reason, it's just not happening as they lack Järvi's incisiveness and general excitement. Anyway, I hate going into a new recording with preconceived notions, but with new Chandos recordings I have found that my suspicions were usually dead on or, at least, for me this is the case.

I have to admit to chuckling slightly as I read all the reasons why you thought you wouldn't like this... and bought it anyway.

[Harry]

I purchased these two yesterday.

Both recordings are superb!

[Traverso]

Both recordings are superb!

  Well Harry,that's good to hear. 

[Mirror Image]

Excellent choice here! 

PD

Thanks! I can't take credit for the purchase, however, as I read about the member Tsaraslondon talking about this performance on the "Favorite Vocal Recital" thread. I love this work from Berlioz and I wanted some other recordings of it.