The one recording you think everyone should bin

[Bogey]

Well, somehow I have managed to enjoy the set. It never occured me it could be flat. I haven't heard any other performance so I can't compare. What would you recommend as "non-flat" version?

Though not a whole set, this one for example (samples included via the link).  I am hopeful that they finish the set off in the near future.:



http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1881898&title=Corelli%3a+6+Concerti+Grossi+Op+6+no+1-6+%2f+Kuijken%2c+et+al

[Bogey]

What do you know?  Just grabbed a stack of cds out of my car, one of which was the above (thought I would give it another spin....still find it flat) and this particular one, and only this one, out of the dozen I had on the passangers seat, was sopping wet from a torrent of rain we just had here in Denver tonight (my passenger's window was not all the way up).  Must be a true sign for me to "toss it".  However, I will ship this one for free to any GMG'r that would like a water-damaged copy....it's yours with a simple PM to me with your address.  First to do so has it....that is after the paper work has dried out a bit.  The 2 discs look just fine and the booklet should dry in still readable fashion.  Let me know.  I would throw in the Handel disc that I mentioned earlier as well, but that was passed down to me by my father-in-law, so that has to stay here....sentimental?  You bet!

[Maciek]

If I am not mistaken the libretto for that recording is in Russian-Cyrillic (and English). Now unless you can read Cyrillic what use is it

No, seriously, what possible use can there be for a transcribed/transliterated version?! I've never been able to wade through those unnatural looking imitations of a language that simply does not and cannot work in the depraved Latin transmogrification. I resent transcribed/transliterated Russian as deeply as possible! 0:)

(And, BTW, the alphabet is very closely related to the Latin one - learning how to read it shouldn't take you more than half an hour - reading it fluently is another matter but I understand you just want to get a general idea of where in the text the singers are...)

[Sergeant Rock]

If you really want to hear a GREAT Firework I recommend this one:

You know I have that one, PW, both LP and CD. It is a great one of course but if I had to choose, I'd take Pinnock (luckily I don't have to )

Sarge

[71 dB]

Though not a whole set, this one for example (samples included via the link).  I am hopeful that they finish the set off in the near future.:



http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1881898&title=Corelli%3a+6+Concerti+Grossi+Op+6+no+1-6+%2f+Kuijken%2c+et+al

Thanks! I listened to some samples. Sounds faster than Pinnock. I'm not sure if that's what these concertos need.  The fact that it's not complete set shows disrespect. "Corelli is a minor composer so we only record half of the set."

[canninator]

Who knew Beethoven could be so dull?



Would not be out of place in an elevator.



A Tallis Fantasia of stunning mediocrity.

[Sergeant Rock]

Who knew Beethoven could be so dull?



Would not be out of place in an elevator.

That's what I'm talking about...someone responding to the OP's guidelines ("What one recording, or perhaps more, do you think is nowhere near as good as reviewers/fan say?") Bravo, Canninator.

Of course I utterly, utterly disagree with you. Barenboim's old school, romantic Beethoven played by one of the greatest orchestras in the world today was such a breath of fresh air after decades of HIP and HIP-influenced Beethoven interpretations. As for Barbirolli's Mahler: sublime stuff.

Sarge

[71 dB]

A Tallis Fantasia of stunning mediocrity.

In that case these 3 men do not know what they are talking about:

"There have certainly been many wonderful recordings of the popular short orchestral pieces of Ralph Vaughan Williams...For someone coming to these pieces for the first time, though, this issue deserves real consideration...played here by one of the top orchestras Down Under, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra led by British conductor James Judd, whose recordings with this orchestra and the Florida Philharmonic have made his name familiar to discerning record collectors...This issue deserves real praise. Even though this is a budget CD the performances are comparable to the top echelon of full-price releases, and are better than many of them. You can't go wrong here. The playing is nuanced, the sound is crystal clear. The wide dynamic range makes it possible to hear the utterly soft playing called for in, say, the Tallis Fantasia as well as the full climaxes in that and the other pieces. Recommended."

- Scott Morrison, Amazon.com, August 2003

"From Gershwin, Copland, and Bernstein, James Judd steers his New Zealand Symphony across the Atlantic towards two of their less glitzy contemporary's most popular bon-bons. Vaughan William's less well-known but atmospheric Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1, plus his tone poem In The Fen Country and five-movement Concerto Grosso are thrown in as much more than makeweight material alongside the almost too familiar Greensleeves and the shimmering Tallis Fantasia. The peripatetic James Judd, recently at the Barbican, seems to be making good down under, these are bargain-price performances to rival any on the market."

- Anthony Holden, The Observer, 6/22/03

"Helped by vivid sound, James Judd conducts the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in glowing performances of these favourite [sic] Vaughan Williams works. There have been a number of discs from this orchestra in recent years, but here Judd shows what quality of player the orchestra now attracts, especially in its ripely resonant string tone. The whole is nicely balanced in a warm but clear acoustic. There is good solo work, too, from the leading string players as well as the woodwind and brass soloists."

- Edward Greenfield, Gramophone, August 2003

[PerfectWagnerite]

You know I have that one, PW, both LP and CD. It is a great one of course but if I had to choose, I'd take Pinnock (luckily I don't have to )

Sarge

Isn't that a great disc? I don't know much about the Cleveland Symphonic Winds but wow ! I certainly prefer that to the water-downed HIP Handel out there.

[karlhenning]

What one recording, or perhaps more, do you think is nowhere near as good as reviewers/fan say? What are the over-rated recordings out there?

The Järvi set of complete Prokofiev symphonies IMO (and quite a bit of that massive Järvi/Prokofiev project, which was massively rushed to market for the Prokofiev centenary).

[PerfectWagnerite]

Kleiber's versions of Beethoven's Fifth and Seventh were also a huge disappointment. 

Really, what do you not like about it? There are better 7ths out there but of the 5th this is the pinnacle. Just the opening motif for example, no other conductor quite manages the transition from the fermata to the subsequent three note figure quite like Kleiber. The only one who is similar is (surprisingly) Gardiner. ALSO, the transition between the third and fourth movement in terms of dynamic contrast is magnificent.

I can understand if that is not your favorite 5th, but to say it belongs to the dustbin???

[SimonGodders]

This recording is from the late 50s. I've had the recording since then, but I've never been able to warm up to this plodding version of Brahms First. It is often a critic's first choice.

Me as well and I love Klemeperer! Never really got on with the cycle that much...

[George]

Me as well and I love Klemeperer! Never really got on with the cycle that much...

Which Klemperer Beethoven CD's are the ones to get?

(I suppose the Beethoven Bistro is the appropriate place to respond) 

[Hector]

Good grief, but I suppose it had to happen...

...somebody with no idea of what puts a set of recordings aside as truly 'Great' and what does not.

Sod consensus, whassat?

Step forward Que, as in: 'Haven't a...'

Do, please, tell us what on this planet is better than, for example, the Klemperer/Ludwig/Vickers/Berry/EMI 'Fidelio.' Or hasn't it happened yet?

Yours,

        Truly Puzzled.

[Tsaraslondon]

How some people love to be contraversial  - "anything recommended by Gramophone", Kleiber's Beethoven 5 & 7, Giulini's Don Giovanni, Klemperer's Fidelio, that sort of thing. Why! I'm surprised nobody has yet mentioned the Callas/Da Sabata Tosca, though now that I've brought it up, I'm sure someone will. I would emphatically disagree, by the way. Nor would I want to bin any of the aforementioned recordings, though I might not always think they are the best around, but that's a different argument.

[PerfectWagnerite]

How some people love to be contraversial  - "anything recommended by Gramophone", Kleiber's Beethoven 5 & 7, Giulini's Don Giovanni, Klemperer's Fidelio, that sort of thing. Why!

Don't know about the others But as far as Giulini's Don is concerned, I say bin it for Schwarzkopf alone. She sings a good Marschallin and Ariadne but she has not a snowball chance in hell chance of singing Mozart. It is grotesque. I bought that recording 10 years ago because ALL the magazines say it is THE Don to buy, boy did I regret it.

[Sergeant Rock]

In forty years of collecting I've only discarded a handful of recordings but none were critical hits. (Is Rattle's Janacek Sinfonietta loved by anyone?) I can usually find something good in almost any recording that others judge great so threads like this usually leave me speechless. But I just thought of one that meets the OP's guidelines: this was critically acclaimed and is often cited here when Nielsen recommendations are made. But I really dislike Blomstedt's Third:



The major problem is in the first movement. It sounds and feels like a metronome is leading the orchestra. This isn't conducting, it's mechanical, emotionless stick-waving. The pages leading up to the central climax, that incredible 60 seconds when the waltz finally breaks out in full glory, go for nothing. There is no sense of anticipation, no sense that anything major is about to happen, no tingle (listen to Bernstein to find out how this should go). When the symphony finally bursts into dance, there is no sense of arrival let alone catharsis. Bah...into the trash it goes...

...or would if it weren't for that marvelous "Four Temperaments." 

Sarge

[Greta]

I'm sorry Sir Simon but...



I just can't forgive that drippy Mars. From Berlin? Come on... The rest of it is competently played but also lacking in spark. And as La Folia says, yes, the sonics are dull, and I can't forgive EMI for that either.

And especially bad considering his CBSO recording was so good:



The asteroid fillers are nice to have, but not really that special. And it was just hyped beyond belief.

If you can get it cheap, well go ahead, but there are so many lesser known Planets that are way better. More than I can even count on one hand...

Will probably be back with some more duds later.

[Don]

I'm sorry Sir Simon but...



I just can't forgive that drippy Mars. From Berlin? Come on... The rest of it is competently played but also lacking in spark. And as La Folia says, yes, the sonics are dull, and I can't forgive EMI for that either.

And especially bad considering his CBSO recording was so good:



The asteroid fillers are nice to have, but not really that special. And it was just hyped beyond belief.

If you can get it cheap, well go ahead, but there are so many lesser known Planets that are way better. More than I can even count on one hand...

Will probably be back with some more duds later.

Agree - the new Rattle Planets is about the worst on the market with Mars particularly weak.

[PerfectWagnerite]

(Is Rattle's Janacek Sinfonietta loved by anyone?)
Sarge

Gramophone apparently loves it. So much so they recommend it in the Good CD Guide. They write:

It is brilliantly played, with 12 trumpets coming up gleaming in the final climax. An enticing proposition !