What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[mahler10th]

These performances are bloody great.  The conductor has a firm but easy hand on the progress, the band play with a nice mix of Classicism and the character of Beethoven.  A box I would recommend even unto a small rabbit in the Scottish Highlands, and of course, the World.   

[asin]B00000418Z[/asin]

[The new erato]

I became aware of this:



through this:

http://www.overgrownpath.com/2011/02/herr-mahler-has-been-forced-to-withdraw.html

and absolutely amazing and fabulous it is! Lovers of Vaughan Williams war symphonies, and Bragas Santos works should run!

[Florestan]

Your thoughts are a great read, Eusebius!

Dank je wel, Johan! Most kind of you.

I can almost hear the music, which I don't know.

Oh no, my words are galaxies apart from the beauty of the music...

I'll have to redress that one day...

The sooner, the better. 

Wagner admired Bellini, btw...

Yes, I know and I am not surprised in the least. Actually I quarreled with a fanatic Wagnerite --- he was plainly ignorant of the fact that Wagner admired Bellini and Spontini and spoke of Spontini's music in particular and of Belcanto in general as "bordering on imbecility" and that really triggered an outburst of indignation and protest from me.   

[karlhenning]

So many Wagner wannabes, so little time . . . .

[Florestan]

That's this one, no?

[asin]B000002RXR[/asin]

Exactly.

I wonder if Brilliant licensed it from EMI, or just decided it is out of copyright and issued it as public domain material.

It's an EMI license.

[mc ukrneal]

The problem is now I also want a good, modern stereo version of it. Any recs? (It could be DVD as well). TIA.

Hmm. I must admit to having heard several from my library (don't ask why they got so many - must have had a fan in the ordering department or something), but have bought none. I would choose from:
Dessay - She is great and the recording is very good. I love her voice, so perhaps I am biased.
Naxos - I forget the leads here, but this is an all around good recording. Libretto is Italian only I think (if that is important).  This one is live.
Sutherland - She did two - one with Pavarotti (the second). I've not heard the earlier one, but there seems to be disagreement over which is better.
Bartoli - This one seems to divide opinion. I liked it, but didn't love it (though I love her voice).

Personally, I would pick from the first two depending on the price point you want to pay (Naxos trumps here), libretto needs, preference for live or not, and personal opinion of Dessay's voice (some people go nuts over her voice  - and for good reason). But I expect Sutherland would please as well. There are a few others, but I am just not familiar with them.  Callas is a fine one, so perhaps the one most different from that one would make a nice complement?

There are literally gazillions of reviews of these (and others) at Amazon and other sites, so there is plenty to read about them. I don't know if there has been a thread here on it, but you could do a search. I also don't remember what cuts they all take (and I think they all had some).

[listener]

Lydia Mordkovitch and Marina Gusak-Grin playing shorter Russian pieces for violin and piano:
TCHAIKOWSKY Sérénade mélancolique, Souvenir d'un lieu cher; GLAZUNOV  Waltz from Raymonda; PROKOFIEV Cinq Mélodies op., 35b, RACHMANINOFF and STRAVINSKY
Tone occasionally rough, but with ardour, not arduously.[asin]B000000AF7[/asin]
and more in the "pops" line... for organ
PAINE   Concert Variations upon Old Hundred, Deux Préludes;  Dudley BUCK: Last Rose of Summer Variations; Thomas Philando RYDER  The Thunderstorm; and short items by FOOTE and Horatio PARKER
Craig Whitehead at the Mechanics Hall Worcester Organ (Hook, 1864)[asin]B000003J8A[/asin]
- lp - DEBUSSY   IBERIA, L A MER
Detroit Symphony .    Paul Paray

[Florestan]

Hmm. I must admit to having heard several from my library (don't ask why they got so many - must have had a fan in the ordering department or something), but have bought none. I would choose from:
Dessay - She is great and the recording is very good. I love her voice, so perhaps I am biased.
Naxos - I forget the leads here, but this is an all around good recording. Libretto is Italian only I think (if that is important).  This one is live.
Sutherland - She did two - one with Pavarotti (the second). I've not heard the earlier one, but there seems to be disagreement over which is better.
Bartoli - This one seems to divide opinion. I liked it, but didn't love it (though I love her voice).

Personally, I would pick from the first two depending on the price point you want to pay (Naxos trumps here), libretto needs, preference for live or not, and personal opinion of Dessay's voice (some people go nuts over her voice  - and for good reason). But I expect Sutherland would please as well. There are a few others, but I am just not familiar with them.  Callas is a fine one, so perhaps the one most different from that one would make a nice complement?

There are literally gazillions of reviews of these (and others) at Amazon and other sites, so there is plenty to read about them. I don't know if there has been a thread here on it, but you could do a search. I also don't remember what cuts they all take (and I think they all had some).

Thank you very much, Neal, very helpful survey.

The libretto is not an issue --- the Brilliant set doesn't feature it either;  besides its being readily available on the internet, my Italian is serviceable enough.  0:)

Price --- yes, that's a big issue for me. 

Live --- well, it depends. There is live and live.  My standard live is this set

[asin]B000667FVA[/asin]

which has truly minimal background noise and a really well-behaved audience.

All in all, points well taken --- if and when I will make a decisive step I'll certainly let you know.  0:)

[mc ukrneal]

Thank you very much, Neal, very helpful survey.

The libretto is not an issue --- the Brilliant set doesn't feature it either;  besides its being readily available on the internet, my Italian is serviceable enough.  0:)

Price --- yes, that's a big issue for me. 

Live --- well, it depends. There is live and live.  My standard live is this set

[asin]B000667FVA[/asin]

which has truly minimal background noise and a really well-behaved audience.

All in all, points well taken --- if and when I will make a decisive step I'll certainly let you know.  0:)

Well if price is an issue, I wouldn't hesitate with the Naxos (whenever you decide to take the plunge). I don't think being live was a problem. At least, it doesn't stick out in my memory (for example, I LOVE Sadko with Gergiev conducting on Philips, but the stage noise is very intrusive, so I do understand). I'll also mention that the Dessay has a highlights disc if that is of interest.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

These performances are bloody great.  The conductor has a firm but easy hand on the progress, the band play with a nice mix of Classicism and the character of Beethoven.  A box I would recommend even unto a small rabbit in the Scottish Highlands, and of course, the World.   

[asin]B00000418Z[/asin]

I admire your stamina John, if I would be that rabbit, I rather be cooked and eaten, that listen to this set. But to each his own I guess.

[SonicMan46]

Not much listening time today - but a bunch of 'single' CD packages arrived in the mail - now listening to the one below:

Vanhal, Johann (1739-1813) - Cello Concertos w/ Peter Szabo & Sinfonietta Pannonica - 

[Gurn Blanston]

I admire your stamina John, if I would be that rabbit, I rather be cooked and eaten, that listen to this set. But to each his own I guess.

  Ah, y'ere a hard, hard man, Harry Ilyich... I'm with John on this one, I really do quite like that set. Rabbits be damned! 

Not much listening time today - but a bunch of 'single' CD packages arrived in the mail - now listening to the one below:

Vanhal, Johann (1739-1813) - Cello Concertos w/ Peter Szabo & Sinfonietta Pannonica - 

That looks very interesting, Dave. Wish I had it...

Still, I do have this:
Now playing:
Academy of St. M. i t F. Chamber Ensemble - Spohr Sextet in C for Strings Op 140 1st mvmt

and that's not bad.

[Mirror Image]

Now:

[asin]B000000AQ2[/asin]

Listening to Symphony No. 3 "Pastoral," which is such a gorgeous symphony.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



A new acquisition. I've heard Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra so many times, I'm giving the Lutoslawski a spin and this is the second version I've heard of it (the first being Wit's on Naxos). Awesome work. Dohnanyi and the Clevelanders play great.

[mahler10th]

I admire your stamina John, if I would be that rabbit, I rather be cooked and eaten, that listen to this set. But to each his own I guess.

Below is a picture of Harrys dinner.  He claims he would rather eat this than introduce it to Bruggens Beethoven.  Well, I would munch right into it myself, but first it must be taught Beethoven.

[Mirror Image]

Now:

[asin]B000065TUZ[/asin]

Listening to Le Tombeau de Couperin right now. Lovely work. Abbado and the LSO give a sparkling account.

[The new erato]

Not much listening time today - but a bunch of 'single' CD packages arrived in the mail - now listening to the one below:

Vanhal, Johann (1739-1813) - Cello Concertos w/ Peter Szabo & Sinfonietta Pannonica - 

Rumours has it that Hungaroton is in trouble and is liquidating all its stock for a pittance for anybody able to visit their facilities in Budapest.....

[Daverz]

Among other things today:



Of the two, the Talich is the more beautiful, though in the sweet, string dominated and bass shy mono sound of the Supraphon I'm sure much detail is lost.  There's a later remastering on Supraphon, but this one sounds pretty damn good. 

The Chandos recording is good, but in the CD layer not much seems to be going on in the center of the soundstage.  I'll try the SACD stereo layer, but I don't have any surround sound capability.

[Jared]

Below is a picture of Harrys dinner.  He claims he would rather eat this than introduce it to Bruggens Beethoven.  Well, I would munch right into it myself, but first it must be taught Beethoven.

John: I'm right with you on the Bruggen Beethoven; one of the finest HIP sets available.... his Schubert is also excellent (notwithstanding the truly awful acount of No 9). Have tried to get hold of some of his Haydn, but alas its unavailable these days, so Kuijken will have to make for a more than adequate substitute:



currently listening to Symphs 85, 86 & 87... 

[karlhenning]

Listening to Symphony No. 3 "Pastoral," which is such a gorgeous symphony.

A new acquisition. I've heard Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra so many times, I'm giving the Lutoslawski a spin and this is the second version I've heard of it (the first being Wit's on Naxos). Awesome work. Dohnanyi and the Clevelanders play great.

Listening to Le Tombeau de Couperin right now. Lovely work. Abbado and the LSO give a sparkling account.

I can applaud all of these : )