The Snowshoed Sibelius

Started by Dancing Divertimentian, April 16, 2007, 08:39:57 PM

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jlaurson

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on December 21, 2009, 06:55:05 AM
The world's best looking conductor, Estonian Anu Tali, has recorded the melodrama version of the Wood Nymph (for narrator, two horns, piano and strings) with the orchestra she and her twin sister founded:


a.) That's sexist.

b.) It is WRONG.


;)

Brian

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on December 21, 2009, 06:55:05 AM
The world's best looking conductor

For your consideration: Sarah Ioannides, El Paso Symphony Orchestra.


Tapio Dimitriyevich Shostakovich

#442
Mr. Rock, I knew about that CD, but I really don't like the narrated version.

How I condemn the sexism amongst you guys  :P

Alondra de la Parra.

Brian

My local orchestra is considering Ms de la Parra for the role of music director ... I think my vote may have just been cast (though Rossen Milanov is a terrific young conductor!).

Renfield

Quote from: Brian on December 21, 2009, 12:19:12 PM
(though Rossen Milanov is a terrific young conductor!).

He is? He seems to do a lot of work with the RSNO here, but being rather picky about my concerts, I've yet to hear him in action.

Mental note made.

Brian

Quote from: Renfield on December 22, 2009, 07:49:08 AM
He is? He seems to do a lot of work with the RSNO here, but being rather picky about my concerts, I've yet to hear him in action.

Mental note made.

I saw him in the following program:

BORODIN | Polovtsian Dances (w/ chorus) - on the slow side, the very slow side, largely because choirs in San Antonio, TX can't sing in Russian
HAYDN | One of the London symphonies - obviously it didn't make much of an impression. No sign of knowledge of the HIP movement, FWIW
PROKOFIEV | Alexander Nevsky Cantata - totally thrilling, really brought out the very best in the orchestra. My mom professes to "hate modernism" and the 20th century generally, except Rachmaninov, but she got caught up in this and couldn't stop talking about it.

In terms of demeanor, Milanov is energetic, young, and pretty eager; he gave a little talk which was enthusiastic and all-smiles. The San Antonio Symphony isn't the number-one orchestra in the world, but they tried their best to be for him.

Sergeant Rock

the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Keemun

#447
I recently listened to all of my recordings of Sibelius' Symphony No. 5.  Here is my ranking in order of preference, with brief impressions of each recording:

1.  Blomsted/SFS:  Expansive, atmospheric and dynamic.
2.  Maazel/VPO:  The tempos are on the fast side, but they work well with the excellent playing.
3.  Bernstein/NYPO (on Sony):  Slow and dramatic.  This has the slowest third movement I've heard.
4.  Vanska/Lahti SO:  Excellent sound quality.
5.  Davis/LSO (on LSO Live):  This one feels a little too heavy.
6.  Davis/BSO:  The first movement is too slow.  The brass sound sloppy and harsh in the third movement.
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. - Ludwig van Beethoven

John Copeland

Quote from: Keemun on December 24, 2009, 07:04:28 AM
I recently listened to all of my recordings of Sibelius' Symphony No. 5.  Here is my ranking in order of preference, with brief impressions of each recording:
1.  Blomsted/SFS:  Expansive, atmospheric and dynamic.
2.  Maazel/VPO:  The tempos are on the fast side, but they work well with the excellent playing.
3.  Bernstein/NYPO:  Slow and dramatic.  This has the slowest third movement I've heard.
4.  Vanska/Lahti SO:  Excellent sound quality.
5.  Davis/LSO (on LSO Live):  This one feels a little too heavy.
6.  Davis/BSO:  The first movement is too slow.  The brass sound sloppy and harsh in the third movement.

Interesting.  I would have the top three in your list completely reversed and have Vanska in there at second  instead of Blomstedt, just  for the sheer showmanship of the music.  Blomstedt has a more classically hewn baton in everything he does and just sometimes I get waylaid by the beauty of the direction instead of the passion of the music.

Brian

#449
Quote from: Keemun on December 24, 2009, 07:04:28 AM
3.  Bernstein/NYPO:  Slow and dramatic.  This has the slowest third movement I've heard.

Sounds like I will need to hear that one. However, I like my first movement moderate, my second movement fast, and my third movement very slow. So far the closest to the mark for me has been Berglund/Helsinki (out of Davis/LSO Live, Vanska, Davis/Boston, Salonen/Verbier, Salonen/SRSO, and Segerstam/Helsinki).

Perhaps I like my finale so slow because I'm a totally hopeless romantic. It should begin at a quick tempo, step on the breaks when the horns enter with the "swan" theme, and then generally be measured until the conclusion. I like to be able to wallow in the rapturous, ecstatic E-flat unison strings of the last minute or so before the last chords. Segerstam was therefore jarring because he takes the movement very slowly until the final moment of rapture, then accelerates wildly, races to the finish, and delivers the last chords with little bitty silences. Felt robbed!

Renfield

Quote from: Brian on December 26, 2009, 07:46:34 PM
to wallow in the rapturous, ecstatic E-flat unison strings of the last minute or so before the last chords.

You'll like the Bernstein, then.

(Assuming the one in question is the DG NYPO; the earlier version wallows less , and is noticeably less interventionist.)

Keemun

Quote from: Renfield on December 26, 2009, 08:47:18 PM
You'll like the Bernstein, then.

(Assuming the one in question is the DG NYPO; the earlier version wallows less , and is noticeably less interventionist.)

I'd forgotten that there were two NYPO versions.  The one in question is the earlier version (1961) on Sony.  I've edited my original post accordingly.  I haven't heard the later version on DG, but it definitely sound interesting. 
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. - Ludwig van Beethoven

Keemun

Quote from: John on December 26, 2009, 06:59:56 PM
Interesting.  I would have the top three in your list completely reversed and have Vanska in there at second  instead of Blomstedt, just  for the sheer showmanship of the music.  Blomstedt has a more classically hewn baton in everything he does and just sometimes I get waylaid by the beauty of the direction instead of the passion of the music.

Vanska is good, but it just didn't have the same effect on me as the top three did.  Blomstedt evokes the mystery that I associate with much of Sibelius' music.  In comparison, I found Maazel to be more classically played with much warmer playing.  Bernstein's overly slow third movement cost it a higher ranking.  The drama was good, but its slowness still bothered me a little.  I'm actually surprised by this because I usually like Bernstein's slow and dramatic readings.  I guess it didn't work for me with Sibelius' 5th, but perhaps his later DG version would.  There was nothing great about the two Davis recordings, and the third movement of Davis/BSO just sounds bad in my opinion.   
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. - Ludwig van Beethoven

karlhenning

Quote from: Keemun on December 27, 2009, 07:40:08 AM
. . .  Bernstein's overly slow third movement cost it a higher ranking.  The drama was good, but its slowness still bothered me a little.

Yes, just a little mannered.

Renfield

Quote from: Keemun on December 27, 2009, 07:28:14 AM
I'd forgotten that there were two NYPO versions.  The one in question is the earlier version (1961) on Sony.  I've edited my original post accordingly.  I haven't heard the later version on DG, but it definitely sound interesting.

Ouch! If the slowness bothers you in that version, maybe I should advise you to stay away from the DG at all costs. :P

It's one of the most bent-out-of-shape recordings Bernstein has ever done, though I absolutely love it; and I know Sarge does too.

Keemun

Quote from: Renfield on December 27, 2009, 07:22:08 PM
Ouch! If the slowness bothers you in that version, maybe I should advise you to stay away from the DG at all costs. :P

It's one of the most bent-out-of-shape recordings Bernstein has ever done, though I absolutely love it; and I know Sarge does too.

Thanks.  Duly noted.  :D
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. - Ludwig van Beethoven

Brian

Quote from: Keemun on December 28, 2009, 07:16:45 AM
Thanks.  Duly noted.  :D

On the other hand, and on a totally unrelated note, you will love Lenny's slowed-down-and-immensely-improved Dvorak Seventh! The intervention isn't too dramatic [40:15 to Szell's 35:35, Suitner's 36:48 and Kubelik's 38:03], so one might not even consider it intervention at all, but it's certainly effective. A really dark, impassioned performance.

vandermolen

Local charity shops usually have unappealing choice of CDs - ie freebie which comes with Gramophone and 'Greatest Hits of 1982' etc, but delighted yesterday to pick up Kullervo Symphony (Colin Davis) for £1.00. I don't usually like Davis' Sibelius but this sounds good.
"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).

eyeresist

Quote from: Brian on December 21, 2009, 08:59:32 AM
For your consideration: Sarah Ioannides, El Paso Symphony Orchestra.



Bloody hell!

I wonder what her Sibelius is like? (on topic)

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: Renfield on December 26, 2009, 08:47:18 PM
You'll like the Bernstein, then. (Assuming the one in question is the DG NYPO; the earlier version wallows less , and is noticeably less interventionist.)

Quote from: Renfield on December 27, 2009, 07:22:08 PM
It's one of the most bent-out-of-shape recordings Bernstein has ever done, though I absolutely love it; and I know Sarge does too.

I do love it. It's not quite as perversely bent-out-of-shape as his DG Second...but almost  ;D  One correction, though: Bernstein's DG Fifth is with the Vienna Phil, not New York.

Other Fifths I love: Berglund/Bournemouth and COE, Rattle/Philh.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"