What are you listening 2 now?

[JBS]

Thank you Brian, that helps me to make my decision. On such short notice this kind of help, is awesome! I will order this box.

There is the Brilliant multi-performer set. I have it, and haven't felt the need for any other except Demus--which I got mostly because it's Demus.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Jacques Ibert: Bostoniana.  Dutoit/Montreal. 

[Harry]

There is the Brilliant multi-performer set. I have it, and haven't felt the need for any other except Demus--which I got mostly because it's Demus.

There are quite a few works missing though in this Brilliant set, but granted its quite good.

[Florestan]

There is the Brilliant multi-performer set. I have it, and haven't felt the need for any other except Demus--which I got mostly because it's Demus.

There's actually no dearth of (more or less) complete sets: Reine Gianoli, Demus, the Brilliant set, Ciocarlie, Uhlig, Ashkenazy, Le Sage.

I have them all except Uhlig and I can safely say that Ashkenazy has an atrocious sound, Decca's eternal shame and disgrace for treating so bad sonically the man who was ideally suited for the music. Even the Gianoli set, the oldest of them all, has a better sound overall. The best sound is in the Le Sage set which may also be the most consistently good.

If price is a main factor, though, the Brilliant set is unbeatable: the performances I've heard vary between good and very good.

[Florestan]

There are quite a few works missing though in this Brilliant set, but granted its quite good.

Yes, but who really needs every scrap of Schumann's notebooks? 

[Spotted Horses]

Schumann, Robert - Piano Music w/ Dana Ciocarlie - first four discs; a more modest sized 13-disc box in sleeves - despite being 'live' there is virtually no audience heard (a relief for me!) - Dave

 

I have the strange feeling that I bought that set, although I don't seem to have it. (I have Le Sage.) The only way to be sure is to buy it now and, when I try to put it away, see if it is already there. 

[Florestan]

I have the strange feeling that I bought that set, although I don't seem to have it. (I have Le Sage.) The only way to be sure is to buy it now and, when I try to put it away, see if it is already there. 

Unless you are a Schumann fanatic, you really don't need another set if you have Le Sage. But if need truly be, I can let you have the complete Ciocarlie, flac and booklet. Just PM me if interested. 

[Spotted Horses]

Unless you are a Schumann fanatic, you really don't need another set if you have Le Sage. But if need truly be, I can let you have the complete Ciocarlie, flac and booklet. Just PM me if interested. 

I remember being on the fence between Ciocarlie and Le Sage and vaguely remember picking Ciocarlie, but now I find Le Sage on my hard disk. It's not so much that I want Ciocarle, just the sinking feeling of encroaching senility.

[Todd]

[Harry]

Yes, but who really needs every scrap of Schumann's notebooks? 

I do

[Florestan]

I do

Then Uhlig's your man, the one and only. 

[Florestan]

I remember being on the fence between Ciocarlie and Le Sage and vaguely remember picking Ciocarlie, but now I find Le Sage on my hard disk. It's not so much that I want Ciocarle, just the sinking feeling of encroaching senility.

Don't flatter yourself! Unfortunately, I know only too well what encroaching senility means and how it manifests itself --- trust me, you are very far from it. 

[bhodges]

Dipping into this array of recordings nominated for Gramophone's 2022 Orchestra of the Year, streaming now, and available for 24 hours. (Definitely not watching all of this now, but will revisit other parts later.)

Never heard Les Siècles before, and they are doing a bang-up job with the Beethoven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWo37mqimXw

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:03:29 - Les Siècles (Beethoven's Symphony No 5)
00:36:20 - Mahler Chamber Orchestra (Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23)
01:03:14 - Czech Philharmonic (Mendelssohn's Symphony No 3)
01:45:48 - Bayerisches Staatsorchester (Korngold's Die Tote Stadt - Act 1)
02:16:59 - Budapest Festival Orchestra (Brahms's Symphony No 3)
02:40:24 - The Hallé (Elgar's Enigma Variations)
03:14:27 - Oslo Philharmonic (Mahler's Symphony No 1 - extract)
03:35:47 - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 5 - extract)

--Bruce

[aligreto]

Following your wise words on the symphonies with interest. Arnold should be right up my street and well aware of his popularity on this forum. Banging on his symphonic door but for some strange reason can't get in. Totally down to me not Arnold, of course.

I am not so sure about the "wise words" bit but I do hope that you can eventually find the key to that, at present, locked door. There are very many delights to be sampled in those Arnold symphonies as I have only belatedly realised myself. My only advice is not to force the issue, obviously. Do not worry about his apparent popularity. Any composer's music obviously has to connect with you personally. Take your time and consider it a more medium to long term project. If you appreciate his chamber music only then so be it. Best of luck with it. 

[aligreto]

Britten: Four Sea Interludes And Passacaglia From "Peter Grimes" [Pesek]






Stunning!

Yes, Karl, a very impressive presentation!

[Todd]

[aligreto]

Rameau: Les Indes Galantes - Suite [Bruggen]





Les Incas du Pérou
Les Fleurs
Les Sauvages


The music is, of course, wonderful. Needless to say the orchestra plays impeccably with lightness of touch and great clarity. This is a very refined and poised presentation but very engaging at the same time.  The pacing throughout always seems quite right. The orchestral sonorities are also wonderful.

[vers la flamme]

Anton Bruckner: Symphony No.5 in B-flat minor, WAB 105. Daniel Barenboim, Berlin Philharmonic

Been in the habit of listening to Bruckner on Fridays now. (Listened to the Te Deum earlier too.) The 5th really might be my favorite Bruckner symphony, at least lately. It's so good. This is the first one I ever heard, and I love it.

[Que]

The John Field Nocturnes played by Bart van Oort on a Broadwood (1823).

[Florestan]

The John Field Nocturnes played by Bart van Oort on a Broadwood (1823).

This non-HIPster says: very good.