Prokofiev's Paddy Wagon

Started by Danny, April 07, 2007, 09:29:23 AM

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Mirror Image

Quote from: karlhenning on January 30, 2012, 04:09:39 PM
Curious as to why you think of the Seventh as Schumann-esque . . . .

Yes, I'm wondering too. I guess we'll have to wait until the next Schumann centennial to find out. :D

eyeresist

It's interesting how we agree on the "nostalgia" of the 7th. You wouldn't necessarily think such an ambivalent emotion could be conjured by a non-programmatic work, yet hear we are. Just goes to show the power of music.

Mirror Image

Quote from: eyeresist on February 01, 2012, 04:33:53 PM
It's interesting how we agree on the "nostalgia" of the 7th. You wouldn't necessarily think such an ambivalent emotion could be conjured by a non-programmatic work, yet hear we are. Just goes to show the power of music.

Karl and I are still waiting on why you think the 7th is Schumann-esque.

eyeresist

Quote from: Mirror Image on February 01, 2012, 05:01:46 PM
Karl and I are still waiting on why you think the 7th is Schumann-esque.
Already answered this.

eyeresist

I've been thinking about buying a new set of the symphonies, and surprised myself by becoming interested in the Rostropovich and Kosler cycles. The Kosler is completely unavailable. Does anyone own this set?

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Quote from: eyeresist on February 02, 2012, 08:39:14 PM
I've been thinking about buying a new set of the symphonies, and surprised myself by becoming interested in the Rostropovich and Kosler cycles. The Kosler is completely unavailable. Does anyone own this set?

The Rostropovich is quite good. It's with the Orchestre de Paris and they play very well for him and the sound quality is very good too. I haven't heard the Kosler. The other sets I own are Ozawa, Kitajenko, and Jarvi. I need to relisten to the Ozawa as it's been awhile.

Mirror Image

#906
Here are the Prokofiev symphony cycles I own: Gergiev, Jarvi, Kitajenko, Ozawa, and Rostropovich. What does everybody think about Kuchar's cycle on Naxos? Any good? Worth acquiring?

Karl Henning

 Quote from: eyeresist on February 03, 2012, 01:39:14 AM
I've been thinking about buying a new set of the symphonies [....]
 
Have you got the Ozawa/Berliner Philharmoniker?
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: karlhenning on February 15, 2012, 09:58:19 AM
Have you got the Ozawa/Berliner Philharmoniker?[/font]


I second this, always seems to be overlooked in favor of other sets, but Ozawa's performances have great clarity. I actually prefer it over the Jarvi. 

Mirror Image

Just bought a nice little haul of Kuchar/Wit Prokofiev recordings from Naxos:










Mirror Image

No Prokofiev fans familiar with Kuchar's recordings? Hmmm....

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Mirror Image on February 15, 2012, 02:25:17 PM
No Prokofiev fans familiar with Kuchar's recordings? Hmmm....

I've heard several of the symphony performances, they are well-played.

Mirror Image

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on February 15, 2012, 03:04:55 PM
I've heard several of the symphony performances, they are well-played.

Good to hear. What I'm looking for is an edge and a rawness that seems to be lost in Gergiev, Ozawa, Jarvi, and Kitajenko. I don't even mind the occasional slip up from the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine because this affirms, for me, that they weren't after perfection, but rather intensity. I just need more bite from Prokofiev that I find often lacking in the other sets.

I also picked this one up tonight for $10:

[asin]B000089CG8[/asin]

DavidW

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on February 15, 2012, 03:04:55 PM
I've heard several of the symphony performances, they are well-played.

Ditto.  My favorite now is Ozawa, but there is great atmosphere in the Kuchar performances. :)

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Mirror Image on February 15, 2012, 03:09:57 PM
Good to hear. What I'm looking for is an edge and a rawness that seems to be lost in Gergiev, Ozawa, Jarvi, and Kitajenko. I don't even mind the occasional slip up from the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine because this affirms, for me, that they weren't after perfection, but rather intensity. I just need more bite from Prokofiev that I find often lacking in the other sets.


Some of that "bite" you might find from individual recordings...such as...



These are some of my favorite performances of #3, 5 & 7. Although I prefer the Ozawa and Gergiev sets, I still find a little lacking as a complete set and prefer a few individual discs.
But if having to pick one set, it's Ozawa.

Mirror Image

#915
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on February 15, 2012, 03:19:55 PM

Some of that "bite" you might find from individual recordings...such as...



These are some of my favorite performances of #3, 5 & 7. Although I prefer the Ozawa and Gergiev sets, I still find a little lacking as a complete set and prefer a few individual discs.
But if having to pick one set, it's Ozawa.

I own all of these except the Chailly. I may very well remedy this soon. I don't think much of the Muti performance and the Levine wasn't that impressive. The Tennstedt was very, very good. :)

I never have liked the Gergiev Prokofiev recordings except for his performance of the Scythian Suite from the Alexander Nevsky recording. His symphony performances just sound trite to me. The Ozawa is a set I've been meaning to listen to again, but my mind had been pre-occupied with the Jarvi.

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Mirror Image on February 15, 2012, 03:24:03 PM
I own all of these except the Chailly. I may very well remedy this soon. I don't think much of the Muti performance and the Levine wasn't that impressive. The Tennstedt was very, very good. :)

I never have liked the Gergiev Prokofiev recordings except for his performance of the Scythian Suite from the Alexander Nevsky recording. His symphony performances just sound trite to me. The Ozawa is a set I've been meaning to listen to again, but my mind had been pre-occupied with the Jarvi.

I find the Levine 5th benefits from a strong Chicago brass section, mainly Charles Vernon on the bass trombone who cuts through the final minutes like a chainsaw. And I'm surprised you didn't enjoy the Muti 3rd, I find it to be the fiercest performance, speedy with no mercy.

But give Ozawa a good listen, the interpretations are clean and all of Prokofiev's lines are clearly audible.

Mirror Image

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on February 15, 2012, 03:41:00 PM
I find the Levine 5th benefits from a strong Chicago brass section, mainly Charles Vernon on the bass trombone who cuts through the final minutes like a chainsaw. And I'm surprised you didn't enjoy the Muti 3rd, I find it to be the fiercest performance, speedy with no mercy.

But give Ozawa a good listen, the interpretations are clean and all of Prokofiev's lines are clearly audible.

I haven't listened to the Levine and Muti in many years, but I just don't remember them hitting me too hard, but this was before I really understood Prokofiev's musical language.

eyeresist

#918
Quote from: Mirror Image on February 15, 2012, 02:25:17 PM
No Prokofiev fans familiar with Kuchar's recordings? Hmmm....

Sorry, I was AFK. I rate Kuchar highly overall, though I worry that with your sensitivity to poor sound you might throw all his CDs in the bin - the 5th suffers in particular. 1 and 7 are too slow for my tastes, but the rest are good, atmospheric and driven, and it's always good to hear a proper Slavic orchestra in this work. I haven't heard the Cinderella / Dnieper disc, and would be interested to hear what you think of it.

Re Romeo & Juliet, I have the Ashkenazy set. He's reliable as usual, but lacks for me the last degree of character. That's why I ordered the Maazel set.

Mirror Image

#919
Quote from: eyeresist on February 15, 2012, 05:35:00 PM
Sorry, I was AFK. I rate Kuchar highly overall, though I worry that with your sensitivity to poor sound you might throw all his CDs in the bin - the 5th suffers in particular. 1 and 7 are too slow for my tastes, but the rest are good, atmospheric and driven, and it's always good to hear a proper Slavic orchestra in this work. I haven't heard the Cinderella / Dnieper disc, and would be interested to hear what you think of it.

Re Romeo & Juliet, I have the Ashkenazy set. He's reliable as usual, but lacks for me the last degree of character. That's why I ordered the Maazel set.

Well, the Ashkenazy came highly recommended to me from someone who thought the Maazel was as overrated as I did. :) This said, it's going to be hard to beat Ozawa/BSO in Romeo & Juliet for me, but we'll see how Ashkenazy measures up. I like his Cinderella recording a lot and many of his other Prokofiev recordings.

Good to hear about the Kuchar though and for the price I paid for them, the audio quality isn't that important to me. Did I just say this? ??? But it's true, I knew buying the Kuchar recordings there was going to be something wrong, because there are no recordings that are perfect. I'm not after perfection, but raw performances that, like you said, have that Slavic bite. The way the music, IMHO, is supposed to be heard and played.