Your Favorite Marco Polo discs

Started by Dry Brett Kavanaugh, April 13, 2021, 04:43:21 AM

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André

Most of the Kinsella, Sauguet, Lajtha, Lyatoshinsky, Braga Santos and Tournemire orchestral recordings have not been challenged by other recorded companies. Considering many of these are out and out masterpieces they certainly are favourites.

A lot of recordings on Naxos originated on Marco Polo. My set of the Sauguet symphonies is on the Naxos Patrimoine label. The Lajtha symphonies can be found easily on Naxos. They, too, started life unde the aegis of MP.



Roasted Swan

Quote from: vandermolen on April 14, 2021, 05:44:22 AM
My pleasure DBK and thank you for starting this interesting thread.
2 more:
Godfried Devreese : Symphony 1 'Gothic' and 'In Memoriam'
Fanelli: 'The Romance of the Mummy'
Also, Bloch's fine Symphony in C was a great Marco Polo discovery but there are now several other recordings.
There was also the excellent film music series - highlights (for me) being the ones featuring Vaughan Williams's film scores (I still think that this is the best single disc of VW's film music), Auric's magical score for 'Beauty and the Beast', Waxman's 'Rebecca', Sainton's 'Moby Dick', Honegger's 'L'Idee' and Herrmann's 'Jane Eyre', fortunately these are now on Naxos.

Oops - missed your post when I mentioned the Sainton below - sorry!

springrite

Quote from: vandermolen on April 13, 2021, 09:54:58 PM
Very much agree (nice thread by the way)

Sauguet: Symphony 1 'Expiatoire'

Brian: 'Gothic Symphony' for reasons mentioned by Roasted Swan (+ Symphony 17/'In Memoriam' as suggested by Sarge)

Miaskovsky: Symphony 6 (first commercial CD version in an underrated performance) + Symphony 12/Silence (Symphonic Poem after Poe)

Moyzes: Symphony 7

Lyatoshinsky symphonies

Kinsella: Symphony 3 and 4

Truscott: Symphony/Elegy

Holbrooke: Chamber music

Meulemans: 'Pliny's Fountain' etc

Braga Santos: symphonies 1 - 4

Avshalomoff: Symphony No.1

Arthur Benjamin: Symphony

Malipiero: symphonies 3 and 4

Tournemire: Symphony 3 'Moscow'
We share some of these favorites, but I would also like to mention the Markovitch series, as well as the Alkan CDs, which were my introduction to Alkan. Although I have found better alternative recordings in most cases, they still hold a special place.   
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

vandermolen

#23
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 14, 2021, 12:17:36 PM
How could Jeffrey forget this one.....!



In fact I like a lot of the Marco Polo film music series.  Some really interesting reconstructions by John Morgan and co.  Also the Honegger/Ibert/Herrmann score interesting too




He didn't forget Sainton (see above)  ;D
Nice to see the cover image - it is, indeed, a marvellous disc.


'My pleasure DBK and thank you for starting this interesting thread.
2 more:
Godfried Devreese : Symphony 1 'Gothic' and 'In Memoriam'
Fanelli: 'The Romance of the Mummy'
Also, Bloch's fine Symphony in C was a great Marco Polo discovery but there are now several other recordings.
There was also the excellent film music series - highlights (for me) being the ones featuring Vaughan Williams's film scores (I still think that this is the best single disc of VW's film music), Auric's magical score for 'Beauty and the Beast', Waxman's 'Rebecca', Sainton's 'Moby Dick', Honegger's 'L'Idee' and Herrmann's 'Jane Eyre', fortunately these are now on Naxos.'
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

Quote from: springrite on April 14, 2021, 09:10:26 PM
We share some of these favorites, but I would also like to mention the Markovitch series, as well as the Alkan CDs, which were my introduction to Alkan. Although I have found better alternative recordings in most cases, they still hold a special place.
I should have mentioned him as well. Having said that, my favourite work of his by far was 'Icarus':
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

springrite

Quote from: vandermolen on April 14, 2021, 10:00:48 PM
I should have mentioned him as well. Having said that, my favourite work of his by far was 'Icarus':

Love that, and the Cantata is wonderful as well. Truth be told, I love them all. Markovitch may be another Stravinsky had he continued to compose.
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

vandermolen

Quote from: springrite on April 14, 2021, 10:04:06 PM
Love that, and the Cantata is wonderful as well. Truth be told, I love them all. Markovitch may be another Stravinsky had he continued to compose.
Yes, I agree Paul. I think that he was a most interesting and original composer. I shall need to re-visit those Marco Polo discs.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

pjme

#27
Quote from: springrite on April 14, 2021, 10:04:06 PM
Love that, and the Cantata is wonderful as well. Truth be told, I love them all. Markovitch may be another Stravinsky had he continued to compose.

The last movement of the Cantate, a short Choral: Lent et soutenu, on a beautiful text by Jean Cocteau never fails to tug on my heartstrings...
https://youtu.be/_HOJKcSZ1HQ

Idem for the final choral from Hilding Rosenbergs Den heliga natten :
https://youtu.be/0dc1qJgDjNI

And this cd needs some corrections.... :)



The title of Devreese's ballet is Tombelène ( see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombelaine)
Vivaiane   ??? happens to be cellist Viviane Spanoghe
Guido de Neve is violinist, Frédéric Devreese is the conductor.

Daverz

Quote from: Mirror Image on April 13, 2021, 07:03:44 PM
These two Marco Polo recordings that are indispensable for me:







A couple more Villa-Lobos discs from that series:






vandermolen

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 14, 2021, 12:17:36 PM
How could Jeffrey forget this one.....!



In fact I like a lot of the Marco Polo film music series.  Some really interesting reconstructions by John Morgan and co.  Also the Honegger/Ibert/Herrmann score interesting too





Wow, very colorful and tempting! I will check these out. Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I didn't know any of these recordings.

Roasted Swan

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on April 15, 2021, 07:22:16 AM
Wow, very colorful and tempting! I will check these out. Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I didn't know any of these recordings.

As someone else mentioned, a lot of these recordings have been re-released on Naxos - identical couplings etc.  BUT, if you can find the original Marco Polo releases at a reasonable price, go for them because in these film music discs the booklets/documentation is a lot more extensive and interesting in the originals......

vandermolen

#32
Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on April 15, 2021, 07:22:16 AM
Wow, very colorful and tempting! I will check these out. Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I didn't know any of these recordings.
Do check out 'Moby Dick', which is arguably Sainton's masterpiece (although I think that 'Nadir' is his greatest work).

Here is another disc which I enjoyed - especially the slow movement which I once saw described as composed by 'a Russian Delius of the Steppes'.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

#33
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 15, 2021, 08:29:04 AM
because in these film music discs the booklets/documentation is a lot more extensive and interesting in the originals......

Good idea. I will look for them in the North America, Europe, Japan, etc.

Quote from: vandermolen on April 15, 2021, 08:57:46 AM
Do check out 'Moby Dick', which is arguably Sainton's masterpiece (although I think that 'Nadir' is his greatest work).

I will do so for both Moby Dick and Nadir.

Markevitch is one of my favorite conductors, but his music didn't sound accessible to me. I will try some of his discs again.

P.s. Honegger's film music looks interesting.

vandermolen

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on April 15, 2021, 09:12:06 AM
Good idea. I will look for them in the North America, Europe, Japan, etc.

I will do so for both Moby Dick and Nadir.

Markevitch is one of my favorite conductors, but his music didn't sound accessible to me. I will try some of his discs again.

P.s. Honegger's film music looks interesting.
You can pick up a copy of the Naxos release of Moby Dick (same recording as the Marco Polo) relatively cheaply on Amazon.com. The Marco Polo issue will probably be very expensive now.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#35
How could I forget these ones?
Oh, I see that Frankel is Naxos - was there no Marco Polo release?
Another great Marco Polo discovery:

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Roasted Swan

Quote from: vandermolen on April 15, 2021, 01:53:41 PM
How could I forget these ones?

Both great discs - I think the Frankel only ever appeared on Naxos so, Pendant Police at hand - not strictly allowed on this thread!  ;)

vandermolen

Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 15, 2021, 01:56:56 PM
Both great discs - I think the Frankel only ever appeared on Naxos so, Pendant Police at hand - not strictly allowed on this thread!  ;)
Yes, I just spotted that! (See above)
However, the Frankel is such a great score that I think it deserves inclusion.  8)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

#38
I listened to Tournemire: Moscow, and Fanelli via streaming. The both sound very good.
I will check other symphonies by Tournemire as well. Moscow was atmospheric and exotic.
As for Faneli disc, I prefered other works in the disc to the Mummy, but I may change my mind after a repeated listening.
I will check the film music suggested by you gents this weekend. So excited!

P.s. I just found the Marco Polo catalogue published 3 years ago.
https://www.naxos.com/sharedfiles/PDF/Marco-Polo_Catalogue_2018.pdf

vandermolen

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on April 15, 2021, 02:21:19 PM
I listened to Tournemire: Moscow, and Fanelli via streaming. The both sound very good.
I will check other symphonies by Tournemire as well. Moscow was atmospheric and exotic.
As for Faneli disc, I prefered other works in the disc to the Mummy, but I may change my mind after a repeated listening.
I will check the film music suggested by you gents this weekend. So excited!
Keep us posted!
:)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).