Recordings of Hindemith's Ludus Tonalis

[Atriod]

If I'm remembering correctly I took part in a discussion on this in either the new releases thread or recommendations thread. Käbi Laretei is my favorite and the Eloquence CD sounds better than my Decca LP. Hans Petermandl (Marco Polo) and Richter are also excellent

Update- after some comparisons favorite performances in descending order- Sviatoslav Richter, Käbi Laretei, Ivo Janssen, Hans Petermandl.

[JBS]

I believe I just saw the Jn McCabe recording at BRO.

I have it as part of my most recent Presto package.
The cover art is taken from a special edition of LT which included illustrations by Hindemith.

[Mandryka]

Thanks for prompting me to think about Ludus Tonalis again - I listened to Richter. This (possibly nonsensical) thought crossed my mind while doing so: that it's recognisably the same pianist as in the Shostakovich preludes and fugues. He brings the same sort of approach somehow. I like it very much.

Looking at presto, there have been a couple of new ones over the past few years which I don't remember ever sampling: Agnieszka Panasiuk and Alena Cherny.

[Karl Henning]

I listened to Richter. This (possibly nonsensical) thought crossed my mind while doing so: that it's recognisably the same pianist as in the Shostakovich preludes and fugues. He brings the same sort of approach somehow. I like it very much.

Probably not nonsensical, at all.

[T. D.]

Only recording I have is Edward Aldwell on Pro Piano, which I recall as quite good but haven't heard in a few years.
Thanks for reviving the thread and reminding me to pull it off the shelf again.

[Atriod]

Thanks for prompting me to think about Ludus Tonalis again - I listened to Richter. This (possibly nonsensical) thought crossed my mind while doing so: that it's recognisably the same pianist as in the Shostakovich preludes and fugues. He brings the same sort of approach somehow. I like it very much.

Looking at presto, there have been a couple of new ones over the past few years which I don't remember ever sampling: Agnieszka Panasiuk and Alena Cherny.

I agree with much of what you wrote about Richter in your post from 2016.

And yet I feel like if I was forced to keep just one Ludus Tonalis it would probably have to be Janssen or Petermandl for their more "objective rightness" (whatever the hell that means, I haven't looked at the score). But it is the Richter or Laratei that just keeps me spellbound in place.

I feel like there are far too few recordings of Ludus Tonalis given its stature.

[Atriod]

I have it as part of my most recent Presto package.
The cover art is taken from a special edition of LT which included illustrations by Hindemith.

I really want to look into having the full score plus his illustrations made into a poster!

[prémont]

And yet I feel like if I was forced to keep just one Ludus Tonalis it would probably have to be Janssen or Petermandl for their more "objective rightness" (whatever the hell that means, I haven't looked at the score). But it is the Richter or Laratei that just keeps me spellbound in place.

I feel like there are far too few recordings of Ludus Tonalis given its stature.

I agree about the stature of the work. But after all there are at least about twenty recordings - not all available at the moment though. I own about fifteen of these. My absolute favorite is Petermandl - either of his two recordings. It was his first recording which about 1970 got me into the work and Hindemith. 

[San Antone]

I think Ludus Tonalis and the Shostakovich Op. 87 are two of the major solo piano works of the 20th century.  This thread is a great resource for recordings.

[Mandryka]

My absolute favorite is Petermandl - either of his two recordings. It was his first recording which about 1970 got me into the work and Hindemith. 

Err, whaddya mean, two recordings?

[prémont]

Err, whaddya mean, two recordings?

First recording Supraphon ca 1967

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9386149--hindemith-ludus-tonalis´

Second recording Marco Polo 1990

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8010383--hindemith-piano-works-vol-4

[Mandryka]

I went back to Siglind Bruhn's recording today. She's got a few Hindemith recordings, and it looks to me as though they are all privately published. She's an academic with a specialism in Himdemith amongst others. I think it's a valuable performance - not the best sound, but perfectly listenable. And indeed the performance is easy and agreeable to listen to too - partly because of the rhythm. She sets and keeps a pulse alright, but somehow she doesn't kill the music in doing so.


http://siglind-bruhn.de/

[prémont]

I went back to Siglind Bruhn's recording today. She's got a few Hindemith recordings, and it looks to me as though they are all privately published. She's an academic with a specialism in Himdemith amongst others. I think it's a valuable performance - not the best sound, but perfectly listenable. And indeed the performance is easy and agreeable to listen to too - partly because of the rhythm. She sets and keeps a pulse alright, but somehow she doesn't kill the music in doing so.


http://siglind-bruhn.de/

Yes, a very sympathetic interpretation. Purchased it and listened to it some months ago. I was impressed by the technical level of her playing, her sense of structure and her unmannered style.

[Mandryka]

I see that Vedernikov's performance has now been transferred to Spotify, probably elsewhere, with the above artwork. I have an amateur transfer which I prefer, if anyone wants it.

It's true that listening to a few recordings over the past couple of days, it's really been only Richter's which reminds me of Shostakovich. And I also note that the Richter performance seems to have become very hard to find.