Mozart in Period Performances (HIP)

Started by Bunny, April 12, 2007, 10:40:31 AM

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Coopmv

BTW, I just started listening to this set by the AAM with Christopher Hogwood and the original lead violinists Monica Huggett and Catherine Mackintosh.  The performance on this HIP Mozart set has been outstanding.


SonicMan46

Quote from: Coopmv on October 25, 2009, 04:46:08 PM
BTW, I just started listening to this set by the AAM with Christopher Hogwood and the original lead violinists Monica Huggett and Catherine Mackintosh.  The performance on this HIP Mozart set has been outstanding.

 

Stuart - will be interested in your 'overall' impressions of this box set - I own the Mackerras box, but would love to have a 'period instrument' set - Hogwood & Pinnock are the usually recommendations - would love to hear some more comments and maybe even other suggestions, if available?  Thanks all -  :)

Coopmv

Quote from: SonicMan on October 25, 2009, 04:57:55 PM
Stuart - will be interested in your 'overall' impressions of this box set - I own the Mackerras box, but would love to have a 'period instrument' set - Hogwood & Pinnock are the usually recommendations - would love to hear some more comments and maybe even other suggestions, if available?  Thanks all -  :)

Dave,  No problems.  I am only on CD2 and there are 19 CD's in this set.  I actually have 1 CD (Sym Nos. 31 & 40) and 2 Barclay-Crocker open-reel tapes on some of these works I bought back in the 80's.  I leaped at this set once I realized it was available.  Hogwood definitely had a fresh approach to these symphonies compared with the more traditional approach by Bernstein, Karajan or even Marriner.  I have the Mackerras' set on Telarc as well.  I do not have any Mozart by Pinnock but think the Hogwood's set may be more highly rated.

DarkAngel

#243
Quote from: Coopmv on October 25, 2009, 04:46:08 PM
BTW, I just started listening to this set by the AAM with Christopher Hogwood and the original lead violinists Monica Huggett and Catherine Mackintosh.  The performance on this HIP Mozart set has been outstanding.


I was going to follow up to see how you like the Hogwood/Lyre set, I love it also and listen to it on a regular basis.
Very valuable in that it is the most comprehensive set including many rare juvenille works by young Wolfie spanning 19 Cds.
Mostly recorded in glorious late analog (CDs 1-13) but even early DDD material sound great, Lyre label was far ahead of everyone
in early digital sound quality. Very detailed presentation with deep layered soundstage, love the bite in the strings, woodwinds float very nicely, and Hogwood's keyboard continuo expertly guides things along. These are excting performances with clarified textures providing
many memorable moments

This is far more than historical relic, still a serious contender for best set ever made

Coopmv

Quote from: DarkAngel on October 25, 2009, 05:11:19 PM
I was going to follow up to see how you like the Hogwood/Lyre set, I love it also and listen to it on a regular basis.
Very valuable in that it is the most comprehensive set including many rare juvenille works by young Wolfie spanning 19 Cds.
Mostly recorded in glorious late analog (CDs 1-13) but even early DDD material sound great, Lyre label was far ahead of everyone
in early digital sound quality. Very detailed presentation with deep layered soundstage, love the bite in the strings, woodwinds float very nicely, and Hogwood's keyboard continuo expertly guides things along. These are excting performances with clarified textures providing
many memorable moments

This is far more than historical relic, still a serious contender for best set ever made

No question, the quality of the strings is just outstanding that I doubt the current AAM under Richard Egarr can hope to match anytime soon.  Monica Huggett and Catherine Mackintosh are among the best violinists of their generation.

DarkAngel

Quote from: SonicMan on October 25, 2009, 04:57:55 PM
Stuart - will be interested in your 'overall' impressions of this box set - I own the Mackerras box, but would love to have a 'period instrument' set - Hogwood & Pinnock are the usually recommendations - would love to hear some more comments and maybe even other suggestions, if available?  Thanks all -  :)

Pinnock and Hogwood both sound noticeably different than MacKerras......
Although Mackerras has nice vibrant lifted rythms the modern instruments used have a heavier denser sound, plus 1980s Telarc recordings sound a bit soft and a touch opaque by comparison to Lyre or Archiv recording of the same time.

Hogwood provides the most extreme contrast to MacKerras, strings are much sharper sounding and musical textures are much more clarified.....like you are sitting closer to a smaller group. Also Hogwoods keyboard continuo is more prominent.

Pinnock being recorded many years after Hogwood takes a slightly more hybrid approach but still sounds closer to Hogwood than to MacKerras, for some the best of both worlds. But some people may not like the HIP stylings of Hogwood/Pinnock, if you want an updated fleeter version of Marriner or Tate then that would be MacKerras

Que

Quote from: Elgarian on October 17, 2009, 12:54:04 AM
If anyone felt able to recommend 'best' HIP recordings of the Clarinet Concerto, and the Flute & Harp Concerto, I'd be much obliged.

The only recordings I have are those on this CD, i.e. Marriner/Leister/Grafenauer/Graf:



Elgarian, my apologies - I missed the request for a recording of the flute & harp concerto. :)
My recommendation will maybe not be much of a surprise, the recording itself will hopefully be a very pleasant one! :)



Q

Elgarian

#247
Quote from: Que on October 27, 2009, 10:13:12 AM
Elgarian, my apologies - I missed the request for a recording of the flute & harp concerto. :)
My recommendation will maybe not be much of a surprise, the recording itself will hopefully be a very pleasant one! :)



I didn't know that existed, and if I had known, I wouldn't have needed to ask for a recommendation! Many thanks for this - I shall seek it out.

Elgarian

#248
At PrestoClassical there's a good deal going at the moment on this box set:



http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/advsearch.php?composer=mozart&work=complete+sacred+music&performer=harnoncourt&medium=CD&label=warner&cat=

I'm tempted by this - can someone please tell me if it's as good as I hope it is? (Eg. BBC Music Magazine: "an exceptional labour of love ...The overall sound is remarkably unified and the balance superb ... A notable achievement." This tells me it sounds good - but what are the performances like? Are they truly HIP in spirit, and do they rock?

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Elgarian on November 12, 2009, 07:23:57 AM
At PrestoClassical there's a good deal going at the moment on this box set:



http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/advsearch.php?composer=mozart&work=complete+sacred+music&performer=harnoncourt&medium=CD&label=warner&cat=

I'm tempted by this - can someone please tell me if it's as good as I hope it is? (Eg. BBC Music Magazine: "an exceptional labour of love ...The overall sound is remarkably unified and the balance superb ... A notable achievement." This tells me it sounds good - but what are the performances like? Are they truly HIP in spirit, and do they rock?

Gurn likes 'em, he gives 'em a big 'Thumbs Up'... :)

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Elgarian

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on November 12, 2009, 07:37:59 AM
Gurn likes 'em, he gives 'em a big 'Thumbs Up'... :)

That's the kind of thing I was hoping to hear. Thanks Gurn.

Coopmv

Quote from: Elgarian on November 12, 2009, 07:23:57 AM
At PrestoClassical there's a good deal going at the moment on this box set:



http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/advsearch.php?composer=mozart&work=complete+sacred+music&performer=harnoncourt&medium=CD&label=warner&cat=

I'm tempted by this - can someone please tell me if it's as good as I hope it is? (Eg. BBC Music Magazine: "an exceptional labour of love ...The overall sound is remarkably unified and the balance superb ... A notable achievement." This tells me it sounds good - but what are the performances like? Are they truly HIP in spirit, and do they rock?

Sounds like a good deal with $3.95 (if applicable) shipping to the US.     ;D

Sorin Eushayson

#252
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on November 12, 2009, 07:37:59 AM
Gurn likes 'em, he gives 'em a big 'Thumbs Up'... :)

So does Sorin!  It's the only full set of Mozart's sacred music on period instruments to boot.  I bought mine for more than what that site is asking for them, so consider it a good deal too.

A slight disclaimer: in the future you may want to replace the recordings of the major pieces (the Requiem, Great Mass, etc.) with other recordings.  ;)

Elgarian

Quote from: Sorin Eushayson on November 12, 2009, 07:24:41 PM
A slight disclaimer: in the future you may want to replace the recordings of the major pieces (the Requiem, Great Mass, etc.) with other recordings.  ;)
Ah yes - I do already have recordings of the Requiem and the C Minor Mass, and I understand why you'd say that. The important thing at present is to be able to explore freely the rest of the sacred music through performances that are reliably good. Sounds like I have my answer. Thanks.

Elgarian

#254
There are times when I feel hopelessly at sea over the simplest of things. Can anyone shed any light on this conundrum? PrestoClassical are selling this box at an attractive price:



http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/boxsets.php?k=11&w=Warner+-+Mozart+250th+Anniversary+Edition

But on the Warner website we see this:



http://www.warnerclassicsandjazz.com/release.php?release=4599

They don't seem to be the same (look at the pictures), though they have the same catalogue number. Have two versions of this box been issued? One with Harnoncourt, Leppard and Koopman? And another version with just Harnoncourt? That seems unlikely, but ... Looking elsewhere - Amazon, jpc, MDT etc merely makes me more confused and doesn't resolve anything.

Does anyone know? Are they all the same box, mistakenly described and with differing pictures (??) Or are there two different issues?

jlaurson

#255
Quote from: Elgarian on December 01, 2009, 01:30:24 AM
There are times when I feel hopelessly at sea over the simplest of things. Can anyone shed any light on this conundrum? PrestoClassical are selling this box at an attractive price:

But on the Warner website we see this:

They don't seem to be the same (look at the pictures), though they have the same catalogue number. Have two versions of this box been issued? One with Harnoncourt, Leppard and Koopman? And another version with just Harnoncourt? That seems unlikely, but ... Looking elsewhere - Amazon, jpc, MDT etc merely makes me more confused and doesn't resolve anything.

Does anyone know? Are they all the same box, mistakenly described and with differing pictures (??) Or are there two different issues?

They are the same, but not correctly described, either...
The re-print of the box (not the CDs) mentions (or omits, whichever it is) the fact that this set also includes the Leppard overtures and that the earlier symphonies are with Koopman.

25 - onward are with Harnoncourt, 17 - 27 with Koopman, German Dances & Les petits riens with Leppard.

Elgarian

Quote from: jlaurson on December 01, 2009, 01:34:08 AM
They are the same, but not correctly described, either...
The re-print of the box (not the CDs) mentions (or omits, whichever it is) the fact that this set also includes the Leppard overtures and that the earlier symphonies are with Koopman.

25 - onward are with Harnoncourt, 17 - 27 with Koopman, German Dances & Les petits riens with Leppard.

Amazing - a knowledgeable answer within mere minutes!

Thanks ever so much for clarifying this. So all that's changed in the reissue is the box itself... Excellent.

Elgarian

Here goes with another major bout of HIP-questing. I'm currently listening to this:



I'm three CDs into the exploration, and I'm hooked. In fact, I'm hooked, and amazed, because I expected to find the fortepiano 'difficult'. Well, I don't. In fact, truth to tell, I've never been fond of the sound of the modern piano, and quite often have been repelled by it. I think it's a physiological issue rather than a musical one - but this fortepiano is something else again. It's so delicate. It trips lightly, lifting the notes effortlessly into the air without those deep grinding sounds that a modern piano makes at the bottom end, and without those tooth-rattling clinkings that a modern piano spits out at the top. It sounds so perfectly Mozartian, and as if it were perfectly designed to complement the violin.

Given the attraction to the sheer sound of these instruments, I feel as if for the first time in my life, piano music has a chance. I don't want at this stage to go for solo fortepiano - I want to follow up on the kind of dialogue I've been enjoying between fortepiano and violin. The obvious place to delve into seems to be the piano concertos. And the obvious place to start seems to be Anima Eterna/Immerseel, since I know and love what they did with the Beethoven symphonies. Also Immerseel's box set of Mozart piano concertos can be had for only a little over £30.

Well, I listened to online samples and was a bit surprised by how relatively tame they seemed. And then I read on this forum a recommendation for Viviana Sofronitzki's set. There's an extended sample on her website which seemed, to me, to blow Immerseel out of the water. But of course it's only one sample; and her box costs a massive £70+. That's a huge commitment for someone in my position.

So my rather half-hearted inclination is to get Immerseel's box, as an affordable way into  HIP concertos played on fortepiano. But I'd be very interested to read people's thoughts in this area.

DarkAngel

#258
Elgarian
The choices for complete Mozart piano concerto sets using forte piano are extremely limited, only three I know of:
Bilson
Immerseel
Sofronitzski

I have all three but only keep the Bilson for reference, great orchestral parts by Gardiner wasted on improperly balanced recording that reduces the scale of forte piano as well as giving it soft sound.

Immerseel has sound balance issues correctly worked out, but overall tempos are too relaxed and broadly paced for any HIP lover to be fully satisfied

Sofronitzski combines exciting vibrant playing with great properly balanced sound, best set so far, it is expensive available on a boutique label which may let it go out of print at any time. So I would say spend a little extra and get the Sofronitzsky while still available

There is still room for small improvement as heard on reference single CDs by Andreas Staier
but don't know when another complete great forte piano set will be available......best future chance is someone like Brautigam

Elgarian

Quote from: DarkAngel on December 06, 2009, 12:15:00 PM
Immerseel has sound balance issues correctly worked out, but overall tempos are too relaxed and broadly paced for any HIP lover to be fully satisfied
So I wasn't imagining it then, it seems (it's hard to really engage when samples are only half a minute long, even when there are lots of them).

QuoteSofronitzski combines exciting vibrant playing with great properly balanced sound, best set so far, it is expensive available on a boutique label which may let it go out of print at any time. So I would say spend a little extra and get the Sofronitzsky while still available
I was afraid you'd say that. It's a lot of money - more than I've ever spent on a box of anything, in fact. I have to ask myself whether I want them as badly as all that (and then I ask myself 'but how can I know, without going ahead with it?'
Phew.