Collecting Mozart

[bwv 1080]

If you can find one, get a copy of Philips Best of the Complete Mozart Edition, a 25 CD subset of the complete Mozart Edition.  A great sampling of all genres of his output

[M forever]

Where might one find that?

Here: http://tinyurl.com/yobduu

[Grazioso]

Violin Sonatas--Accardo/Canino, part of the complete Brilliant set and an absolute delight.

[Sergeant Rock]

Yougoddabekidding (reference the Karajan Don)

Not at all. I've given my reasons in the opera room...can't recall if it were here or the old forum...and I won't repeat myself now. My opinion is a minority one, I realize, but that doesn't bother me. Karajan is my favorite conductor of opera, whether Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Puccini, Verdi or Strauss.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

For "HIP", try Koster/Tafelmusik/Weil.... There are also nice "HIP" recordings by Halstead/AAM/Hogwood and Baumann/CMW/Harnoncourt.

Thanks for the recommendations.

Sarge

[M forever]

Not at all. I've given my reasons in the opera room...can't recall if it were here or the old forum...and I won't repeat myself now. My opinion is a minority one, I realize, but that doesn't bother me. Karajan is my favorite conductor of opera, whether Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Puccini, Verdi or Strauss.

Sarge

Karajan certainly was a great opera conductor in general, no doubt about that at all. Including Mozart. Some of his earlier recordings of Mozart (operas and other genres) are great. But I have real problems with that late DG. But I wouldn't mind being pointed to whatever qualities there that I can't see. Can you point me to where you elaborated on that?

[Herman]

Yesterday I got the Brilliant box with Mozart String Quartets, String Quintets and the String Trio, just to get a 'new' recording of the String Quintets by the Orlando Quartet. The mature quartets are by the Frans Schubert Quartet, a Nimbus recording I already had one cd of, unimpressive; I may give it away if I find a taker.

The String Trio is HIP-ish.

However, the quintets are by an excellent ensemble, the 1989 Orlando Quartet, recorded by Robert von Bahr of BIS records. It's a lush interpretation of these pieces, and well worth the small amount I paid for the entire box.

[DarkAngel]

Some of my favorite Mozart in each catagory:



(Viviana Sofronitzki)

[DarkAngel]

More favorites:

[Mandryka]

I bought this a few weeks ago and I am playing it a lot.

So slow and eccentric. I had always thought of the Prague as a beautiful, elegant stylish piece of music.

Maag turns it into real tragedy.

Despite initial repulsion, the recording has started to reveal itself as very interesting; it certainly confounds all expectations.

[snyprrr]

I didn't know where to put this,... feel free to move it, mods.



Question: I thought the Quartetto Italiano's set of EarlySQs was available seperately, no?

If not, should I go for the Hagen, or what? I was really hoping the QI was available by itself (and I thought I saw it somewhere).

[dirkronk]

I bought this a few weeks ago and I am playing it a lot.

So slow and eccentric. I had always thought of the Prague as a beautiful, elegant stylish piece of music.

Maag turns it into real tragedy.

Despite initial repulsion, the recording has started to reveal itself as very interesting; it certainly confounds all expectations.

The Maag was probably the first "Prague" I ever purchased and heard, back in its vinyl London Stereo Treasury incarnation. And because it was the first, the "eccentric approach" was what I came to expect as a norm. Go figure. Regardless, it made me a true admirer of this symphony.

I need to revisit this recording, since it has to be several years since I last heard it. Luckily, it's still on my shelves. In the meantime, my search for alternative and/or "ultimate" performances of the piece led me to Britten's recording (from Maltings...also on Decca/London; I play this one quite a bit) and those of Klemperer, Bohm, assorted other conductors. The only Walter I can recall is one from way back in the 1930s...it's been quite a while but I recall being fairly impressed. Unfortunately, Szell never recorded the Prague in studio, though somewhere I do have an air check of a live performance.

FWIW,

Dirk

[Mandryka]

. . . my search for alternative and/or "ultimate" performances of the piece . . .

Dirk

Mackerras maybe?

[Mandryka]

KV 421, Petersen Quartet and Juilliard Quartet (1962 recording)

The Petersens play it dark and nervous and full of bad feelings. Juiliards are warm and good humoured and humane .

I much prefer the Juilliards (which, BTW, is superbly well recorded.)

I am beginning to realise that in Mozart quartets I don't want too much nervous tension.

Does that mean that really, deep down, I'm middle brow?

[cosmicj]

I usually agree with almost everything Sarge Rock posts but need to strongly advocate two classic and famous opera recordings, both with Giulini:

Figaro with Taddei, Schwartzkopf, Wachter, Moffo.  This is simply a wonderful performance.  Great sonics (sweet).  If I had to name the best single aria performance I'd ever heard, Wachter doing the Count's angry 3rd act aria would be on the short list.

Don Giovanni with Wachter in the lead role.  Again with Taddei (superb in a supporting role) & Schwartzkopf.  Sutherland is (as usual) made to sing a role slightly above her range.  Very beautiful, dramatic.  Again, the EMI recording is great.  (Why was analog discarded exactly?)

These are reference recordings for many opera fans and deservedly so.  Accept no imitations.   

[BMW]

I usually agree with almost everything Sarge Rock posts but need to strongly advocate two classic and famous opera recordings, both with Giulini:

Figaro with Taddei, Schwartzkopf, Wachter, Moffo.  This is simply a wonderful performance.  Great sonics (sweet).  If I had to name the best single aria performance I'd ever heard, Wachter doing the Count's angry 3rd act aria would be on the short list.

Don Giovanni with Wachter in the lead role.  Again with Taddei (superb in a supporting role) & Schwartzkopf.  Sutherland is (as usual) made to sing a role slightly above her range.  Very beautiful, dramatic.  Again, the EMI recording is great.  (Why was analog discarded exactly?)

These are reference recordings for many opera fans and deservedly so.  Accept no imitations.   

I agree that both are wonderful recordings (largely because I am a big Schwarzkopf fan).  But was Donna Anna really above Sutherland's range?  I have never heard that allegation made about anything she sang (usually you just hear the complaints about her diction) --- please elaborate!

[cosmicj]

BMW - I feel that Sutherland is strained in the upper ranges of certain numbers.  An example would be the first act aria "Or sai chi lonore" where she struggles I think purely because of the high range.  I'm not an opera buff but that was also my reaction to her recording of Norma.