What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[karlhenning]

Good day, Harry!

Last night, Maria and Irina had their first-ever listen to my setting of the Passion. It's been some weeks since I listened, myself, and I tended to remember (in close sequence) the 50 Ways Someone Who Actually Loves the Piece Would Improve on This Inaugural Performance (which I won't detail now, but which are available on request). OTOH, there's scarcely any recording involving music of mine but has its share of sonic warts. And the imperfections of the present recording aside, the girls responded very warmly.

(They wanted me to send the score to James Levine, and I was a minute or two detailing why there was little point in such a missive.)

[PaulR]

Berlioz: Le Carnaval Romain Munch/BSO

Good morning all.  I woke up to find 1/2 of my shipment will be delivered tomorrow, instead of today.    But, that is very small thing to worry about, so I won't

[Henk]

Good morning, all that are of good will.

Good day, Harry. Kindness, does that also count? Or good intentions? Good will is such an abstract and "oldfashioned" term.

Henk

[karlhenning]

Au contraire, Henk, I find good will a vital and everyday matter.  (And kindness, also.)

[karlhenning]

Berlioz: Le Carnaval Romain Munch/BSO

That's one of those pieces, just thinking of it makes me smile!

[PaulR]

That's one of those pieces, just thinking of it makes me smile!

It's a fun piece.  Good way to start a relatively long day 0:)

now:  Dvorak: The Wild Dove Harnoncourt/Concertgebouw Orchestra

[mozartsneighbor]

Revisiting my favorite opera.

[sound67]

Thomas

[Henk]

Au contraire, Henk, I find good will a vital and everyday matter.  (And kindness, also.)

Spiritual, Karl! But then you're not referring to persons' actions, I suppose?

Henk

[PaulR]

Schumann: Symphony #4 Bernstein/VPO

Probably the last thing I'll get to listen to before classes start.  But that's quite allright  0:)

[Harry]

Good day, Harry. Kindness, does that also count? Or good intentions? Good will is such an abstract and "oldfashioned" term.

Henk

I AM OLD FASHIONED, IF YOU DON'T MIND!

[Harry]

Thomas

Now, these recordings would interest me, Thomas.
Could you possibly tell us anything about them, if you please that is.

[Harry]

Good will implies all, for without good will, nothing is to be build.

Pondering this, I am playing a cd, on which I grow sweet, and has reached my top 10 for this month.
Also in the repeat mode, while cleaning out my office, and guess what found, a few cd's behind the wall closet.
Never stops to amaze me, how they landed there....

[Harry]

O, and just for the record, I played the complete operas of Wagner thrice, during my night vigils, in different parts of the world.
Let me say this, it did not increase my suffering, and I understand the genius, but still, it is not to be easily approached.

[karlhenning]

. . . Let me say this, it did not increase my suffering . . . .

Well, it is greatly to your credit to say so, mijn vriend 

[sound67]

Now, these recordings would interest me, Thomas.
Could you possibly tell us anything about them, if you please that is.

Unfortunately, the music appears to be almost completely without merit.

Klemperer the composer indulges in a vague sub-Mahler idiom (several would-be Mahlerian "Trauermarsch"'es for instance), with elements of Hindemith thrown in for mostly bad measure. The orchestration appears clotted, the themes unmemorable. At least they're mercifully brief.

Of the shorter orchestral works, the "Merry Waltz" is at least entertaining, and there are moments of inspired writing for strings in "Recollections", but on the whole, less than meets the eye.

The symphonies are late works, the first dating from 1960(!). There are four more, but I think there are no recordings of Nos.3-6.

Thomas

[Haffner]

I agree 100%, Andy. Kna has a strong feel for the rhythm and pulse of this work. No sagging or listlessness. Dynamics swing wide (soft and grand) yet never sound plastered on as mere decoration. He really seems to have a natural inclination as to how this work should go.

Yeah, the sound isn't digital but fortunately there's plenty of weight and clarity so that everything Kna does is perfectly related to the listener. Glad they caught him in the stereo era!

Unfortunately I haven't heard Karajan's Parsifal. But for comparisons I have Barenboim's recording and yet another of Kna's recordings: the 1951 Bayreuth (on Teldec).

To me Barenboim suffers in the same way Karajan apparently does - there just isn't the sense of an "iron will" imposed on the music as with Kna, which helps keep everything tied together for the (very) long haul. It's probably not fair to compare in this manner as Barenboim certainly is accomplished when appraised on his own, minus any Kna comparisons. But, well, Kna seems to intuitively know his way around this vast score and really pulls out all the stops.

Of course Kna had the benefit of knowing this work inside and out as he performed it at Bayreuth for thirteen consecutive seasons starting in 1951 (when Bayreuth was reopened) until 1964. So kinda puts him a leg up on anyone else. 

As far as Kna's 1951 Bayreuth recording, the cast is a great one but I still prefer the 1962 Philips Bayreuth recording for its superior sonics. The comparatively dim 1951 mono sound is a major handicap in that the orchestra isn't as present nor as weighty and hasn't the impact the later recording does. Which to me means I'm missing much of the music.

So, yes, Kna's Philips recording is something very special and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a first choice.

Excellent post, D. and I'm in sync with your views.


Once more I must reccomend the Karajan "Parsifal" as an essential part of any Wagner collection. But as a penultimate, I'd go with the stereo Knap. This is of course coming before I've had a chance to check out the highly rated Kubelik.

You know alot of people seem mum on the subject of the Bayreuth/Stein DVD with Jerusalem, and I really love it. In fact, I'm going to watch act I right now. Here is my review of it (I'm down toward the bottom, "Buy This One, You Won't Regret It!"):


http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B000PC1N4A/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_img?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

[ChamberNut]

Haydn

String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 20/1
String Quartet in C major, Op. 20/2
String Quartet in G minor, Op. 20/3

Kodaly Quartet
Naxos

Ah, a great start to the day, along with a cup of coffee.   

[Harry]

Unfortunately, the music appears to be almost completely without merit.

Klemperer the composer indulges in a vague sub-Mahler idiom (several would-be Mahlerian "Trauermarsch"'es for instance), with elements of Hindemith thrown in for mostly bad measure. The orchestration appears clotted, the themes unmemorable. At least they're mercifully brief.

Of the shorter orchestral works, the "Merry Waltz" is at least entertaining, and there are moments of inspired writing for strings in "Recollections", but on the whole, less than meets the eye.

The symphonies are late works, the first dating from 1960(!). There are four more, but I think there are no recordings of Nos.3-6.

Thomas

Thanks, most illuminating Thomas, I will take that into account, while pondering about them.

[Harry]

Haydn

String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 20/1
String Quartet in C major, Op. 20/2
String Quartet in G minor, Op. 20/3

Kodaly Quartet
Naxos

Ah, a great start to the day, along with a cup of coffee.   

The Kodaly set is certainly one of my favorite recordings.