Top 5 Favorite Martinů Works

[Parsifal]

My problem with the Belohlavek/BBC SO cycle sonically speaking is the dry acoustic. The orchestra just sounds hollow. Is this your problem with it, too?

My impression is that there is a lot of short-delay reflected sound, like strong reflection off the back wall of the stage, but very little hall reverberation.  The impression I get is a wall-of-sound effect which is too bright and lacks a natural sound stage. Maybe that is what you mean by hollow. 

Neumann is not perfect, a bit too distant for my taste with an overabundance of hall reverberation, but generally pleasing. Belohlavek/Czech Philharmonic on Supraphon sounds very much like Neumann to me, with modern equipment, which helps. Valek seems just right to me, a bit more up-front than Neumann but a natural sound stage and pleasant level of reverberation. And I like Valek's performance.

[Mirror Image]

My impression is that there is a lot of short-delay reflected sound, like strong reflection off the back wall of the stage, but very little hall reverberation.  The impression I get is a wall-of-sound effect which is too bright and lacks a natural sound stage. Maybe that is what you mean by hollow. 

Neumann is not perfect, a bit too distant for my taste with an overabundance of hall reverberation, but generally pleasing. Belohlavek/Czech Philharmonic sounds very much like Neumann, with modern equipment, which helps. Valek seems just right to me, a bit more up-front than Neumann but a natural sound stage and pleasant level of reverberation. And I like Valek's performance.

I just finished listening to Bělohlávek's performances of Symphonies 2 & 3. While I praise their interpretative value, I want to backtrack again and say that I'm having a difficult time getting onboard with the sound of this cycle. One of the major problems, for me, in terms of audio quality comes from the fact that I feel there are no dynamics in the music and the lack of bottom end doesn't do the music any favors at all. The quiet moments aren't actually quiet and the loud moments just don't sound natural. I really want to give Bělohlávek a lot praise because I do feel his performances are quite good, but I simply can't accept subpar audio quality that lacks dynamics.

I agree with DD on the performances, but I still feel the same way about the audio quality and simply can't listen to any more of Bělohlávek's cycle because of this. I suppose my original votes for Thomson, Järvi, and Neumann still are holding their ground.

[springrite]

Excellent list even though you can't condense it. Trust me, I'd love to make another list, but I'm quite happy with my choices overall.

I love the way you always stay within the rules to list only the 5 (or ten) required.

Only that you'd then do it ten times!

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Don't you go sighing my friend or at least not just yet.

I'm not sighing because I'm sad. I'm sighing because in your zeal to always come out on top about a particular recording you throw out the baby with the bathwater. And it gets old.

[kyjo]

Hmmmm...I've only heard the 1st from the Belohlavek/BBCSO set so far and I don't remember having any problems with the audio. In fact, I was quite blown away by the recording as a whole. The performance is so full of life and color!

[Mirror Image]

I'm not sighing because I'm sad. I'm sighing because in your zeal to always come out on top about a particular recording you throw out the baby with the bathwater. And it gets old.

Sorry, DD. My apologies. I was just joking around.

[Mirror Image]

Hmmmm...I've only heard the 1st from the Belohlavek/BBCSO set so far and I don't remember having any problems with the audio. In fact, I was quite blown away by the recording as a whole. The performance is so full of life and color!

Have you done any comparisons, though? My problem with the Belohlavek performances is the lack of dynamism in the audio quality, so, therefore, I can never truly appreciate the set as a whole since that crucial element is missing for me.

[Mirror Image]

I love the way you always stay within the rules to list only the 5 (or ten) required.

Only that you'd then do it ten times!

[kyjo]

Have you done any comparisons, though? My problem with the Belohlavek performances is the lack of dynamism in the audio quality, so, therefore, I can never truly appreciate the set as a whole since that crucial element is missing for me.

I must admit, Belohlavek's is the only recording of the 1st that I've heard. Even so, the audio quality didn't bother me. I think I was too swept up in the sheer joy of the work and the performance to notice anything

[Daverz]

Hmmmm...I've only heard the 1st from the Belohlavek/BBCSO set so far and I don't remember having any problems with the audio. In fact, I was quite blown away by the recording as a whole. The performance is so full of life and color!

Also have not had any problems with the audio quality.  It's true that the Barbican is known as a troublesome venue for recording, but Onyx seems to have figured out where to put the microphones for the best sound.

[kyjo]

At the moment:

Symphony no. 1
Cello Concerto no. 1
Piano Concerto no. 4 Incantation
Toccata e due canzoni
Variations on a Slovakian Theme for cello and piano

[kyjo]

Also have not had any problems with the audio quality.  It's true that the Barbican is known as a troublesome venue for recording, but Onyx seems to have figured out where to put the microphones for the best sound.

Glad I'm not the only one

[Mirror Image]

I must admit, Belohlavek's is the only recording of the 1st that I've heard. Even so, the audio quality didn't bother me. I think I was too swept up in the sheer joy of the work and the performance to notice anything

Time to do some comparisons then!

[Mirror Image]

At the moment (one work per genre):

Symphony no. 1
Cello Concerto no. 1
Piano Concerto no. 4 Incantation
Toccata e due canzoni
Variations on a Slovakian Theme for cello and piano

Looks like you hardly have 'one work per genre,' Kyle. Both the Cello Concerto No. 1 and Piano Concerto are concerti obviously and belong to the same genre. Toccata e due canzoni is a concertante work with a prominent piano part. One work per genre would look something like this: orchestral, concerto, chamber, instrumental, and choral.

[Mirror Image]

Also have not had any problems with the audio quality.  It's true that the Barbican is known as a troublesome venue for recording, but Onyx seems to have figured out where to put the microphones for the best sound.

If you don't mind a flat recording with no dynamics, then I guess it does sound rather good.

[kyjo]

Looks like you hardly have 'one work per genre,' Kyle. Both the Cello Concerto No. 1 and Piano Concerto are concerti obviously and belong to the same genre. Toccata e due canzoni is a concertante work with a prominent piano part. One work per genre would look something like this: orchestral, concerto, chamber, instrumental, and choral.

Yeah, I worded that confusingly. I meant "no more than one work of each type" - e.g. one symphony, one cello concerto, one piano concerto, etc...for no good reason really.

[Mirror Image]

Yeah, I worded that confusingly. I meant "no more than one work of each type" - e.g. one symphony, one cello concerto, one piano concerto, etc...for no good reason really.

Okay, now I understand as in your initial post you didn't even word this close to what you actually meant.

[kyjo]

Time to do some comparisons then!

Indeed What's your favorite recording of the 1st, John?

[Mirror Image]

Indeed What's your favorite recording of the 1st, John?

A toss-up between Jarvi, Thomson, and Belohlavek (Chandos). Don't you like the other Martinu symphonies, Kyle? It seems like this is the only one (no pun intended...haha) that you talk about. The 1st is good, but it's further down my list. The 3rd is my favorite Martinu symphony overall.

[kyjo]

A toss-up between Jarvi, Thomson, and Belohlavek (Chandos). Don't you like the other Martinu symphonies, Kyle? It seems like this is the only one (no pun intended...haha) that you talk about. The 1st is good, but it's further down my list. The 3rd is my favorite Martinu symphony overall.

Oh, I very much like the other Martinu symphonies! The 1st is my current favorite, but by no means do I prefer it to the others by a landslide (unlike I may have made it seem).