What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[mc ukrneal]

Needed some music to wind down the day and here is what I came up with. Probably won't listen to the entire disc today, but what glorious music. I would love to see this in concert...

[George]

A lovely 6th. 

[Bogey]

A lovely 6th. 

[Dana]

I shall never be swayed from Klemperer's account on EMI.

[Keemun]

Mozart
Piano Concerto 24
Evgeny Kissin, piano
Colin Davis
London Symphony Orchestra

[Bogey]

I shall never be swayed from Klemperer's account on EMI.

How many times did he record the 6th, Dana?  I know of a 1960 (on the M&A label) and 1964 (on The Testament label) with the '57 that you have.  I may just have to net that '57.   Now the question is which EMI pressing has better sound, or is it a wash:

 

[Bogey]

[bhodges]

R. Strauss: Salome (concert version) (Deborah Voigt, Gwyneth Jones, Valery Gergiev, Verbier Festival Orchestra, taped Aug. 1, 2010, on www.medici.tv)

So far, excellent--and Voigt hasn't even shown up yet. 

Update: Voigt is superb.  Clad in a scarlet dress, she's acting very petulant and spoiled, in addition to singing up a storm.   And the young Verbier musicians are doing a fantastic job with this difficult score.  Just heard some very good work from the ensemble's bassoon section.

Update 2: The "Dance of the Seven Veils" taxed the orchestra quite a bit--they showed a bit of strain here and there--but again, this is incredibly difficult music. 

--Bruce

[prémont]

How many times did he record the 6th, Dana?  I know of a 1960 (on the M&A label) and 1964 (on The Testament label) with the '57 that you have.  I may just have to net that '57.   Now the question is which EMI pressing has better sound, or is it a wash:

 

He recorded the 6th for Vox with the Vienna Symphony Orch. in 1952, a beautiful and very pastoral recording.

[Dana]

How many times did he record the 6th, Dana?  I know of a 1960 (on the M&A label) and 1964 (on The Testament label) with the '57 that you have.  I may just have to net that '57.   Now the question is which EMI pressing has better sound, or is it a wash:

 

      I'm not sure how many times he recorded it, but I've always thought that this symphony fit Klemperer like a glove. The recording I'm referring to is in his Beethoven Symphonies and Piano Concertos box, and I don't know if it's one of the above images, but I'd be surprised if it was the lower one, since I've never known EMI to include a GROC in a box.

[Bogey]

      I'm not sure how many times he recorded it, but I've always thought that this symphony fit Klemperer like a glove. The recording I'm referring to is in his Beethoven Symphonies and Piano Concertos box, and I don't know if it's one of the above images, but I'd be surprised if it was the lower one, since I've never known EMI to include a GROC in a box.

Might you post a pic of the cover, Dana?

[jhar26]

The recording I'm referring to is in his Beethoven Symphonies and Piano Concertos box.

I love that box set. The only disappointing performance as far as I'm concerned is No.9 and No.3 is the absolute highlight for me.

[Franco]

      I'm not sure how many times he recorded it, but I've always thought that this symphony fit Klemperer like a glove. The recording I'm referring to is in his Beethoven Symphonies and Piano Concertos box, and I don't know if it's one of the above images, but I'd be surprised if it was the lower one, since I've never known EMI to include a GROC in a box.

Is this the one you are referring to?

[Bogey]

 

I love that box set. The only disappointing performance as far as I'm concerned is No.9 and No.3 is the absolute highlight for me.

Wow.  I may have to go this direction and grab all in one swoop.  Why do you find the 9th a weak link in this set?

[George]

CD 4

From the liner notes - "CD 4 contains the works described by Satie himself as fantaisistes (fanciful, playful.)"

[jhar26]

Wow.  I may have to go this direction and grab all in one swoop.  Why do you find the 9th a weak link in this set?

Well, for starters he takes the second movement MUCH too slow. He has a reputation for slowish tempos anyway, but this is so over the top that it borders on self-parody. I don't care for the quality of the vocals either. But one of the great things about this set as a whole is that in Klemperer's hands Nos.1, 2, 4 & 8 sound just as grand and important as the others - he makes them sound as great as they are.

All this in my modest opinion of course. I guess that Klemperer's Beethoven is something you either love or hate.

[Bogey]

Well, for starters he takes the second movement MUCH too slow. He has a reputation for slowish tempos anyway, but this is so over the top that it borders on self-parody. I don't care for the quality of the vocals either. But one of the great things about this set as a whole is that in Klemperer's hands Nos.1, 2, 4 & 8 sound just as grand and important as the others - he makes them sound as great as they are.

All this in my modest opinion of course. I guess that Klemperer's Beethoven is something you either love or hate.

Well, George will attest that I prefer my LvB slow as syrup, so this may be a welcomed set.  Thanks for the review. 

[Conor71]

I like his recordings of the late sonatas.  What do you think of the earlier material?

I am still new to these works but I will post my thoughts on the early works for sure when I have listened to them a bit more .

Now playing:



[Disc 1]
Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 13 In A Major, D 664
Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 7 In Eb Major, D 568
Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 9 In B Major, D 575
[Disc 2]
Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 16 In A Minor, D 845
Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 17 In D Major, D 850, "Gasteiner"

[karlhenning]

Very nice, Bill! in fact, so nice that I wound up fetching in the 10-disc Tallis Complete Works box.

[George]

Well, George will attest that I prefer my LvB slow as syrup, so this may be a welcomed set.  Thanks for the review.

Have you sampled Barenboim's modern set of the symphonies? Superb sound and performance, plus it's dirt cheap over at MDT.