What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Great Gable]

Ha ha. Funny man.

How many countless recordings on other labels do I have to post about before people realise that my non-Naxos CDs HEAVILY outweight the Naxos ones?

Not your fault - you've not been around here long enough to appreciate this. If you want to know who has MORE Naxos CDs, may I point you in Harry's direction?

I hadn't noticed the Harry thing I must admit.

I remember a time, when Naxos first started, that they were considered the poor-man's classical option. Cheap and cheerful eastern European artists that no-one had heard of. That's not to say they weren't as capable of course. The general view at the time was they were akin to the Skoda and Lauda of the music world (well that's the impression I got anyway, rightly or wrongly). They certainly have come on leaps and bounds in recent years. They champion the lesser known composers, such as the many "minor" English ones, which is ,of course, laudable. Their foray into the back market of historical recordings is also highly commendable.

I know this is not news to anyone here - I'm just talking out loud.

[val]

MENDELSSOHN:  A Midsummer Night's Dream  / Soloists, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Levine

A good version. Levine uses a fast tempo, very theatricall and dynamic. This version has not the poetry of those of Klemperer or Kubelik but his enthusiastic, full of life. The soloists are far from those of Klemperer, in special the mezzo-soprano.

This CD also includes some excerpts of Schubert's Rosamunde, but in this work Levine is very far from Szell in his legendary recording.

[johnQpublic]

Veracini - Overture #4 (Martini/Naxos)
Bach - Partita #2 (Pinnock/Hanssler)
Corelli - Concerto Grosso #1 (Rolla/Hungaroton)
Vivaldi - Flute Concerto #6 (Rampal/CBS)

[Harry]

Emmerich Kalman.

Der Zigeunerprimas.
Operetta in three acts.
Libretto by Julius Withelm & Fritz Grunbaum.

Edith Lienbacher & Gabriele Rossmanith, Sopranos.     Juliska and Sari.
Zoran Todorovich & Roberto Sacca, Tenors.              Gaston and Laczi.
Kay Stiefermann, Baritone.                                     Graf Estragan.
Wolfgang Bankl, Bass.                                            Pali Racz, Zigeunerprimas.
Sunnyi Melles, Conferences.

Kinderchor der Bayerischen Staatsoper,
Slowakischer Philharmonischer Chor,
Munchner RO/Claus Peter Flor.

This a live recording, with little noise from the public, but applause at the end of both cd's. Not long but rather disturbing. The first cd does not sound that well, especially when the voices come out together in full force, or the soprano voice is having a very demanding solo. The second disc has that corrected in every respect, and sounds ravishing. I was able to understand 50% more of the lyrics as on the first disc. And that brings me to another major problem. Allthough there is a written story line in the booklet, the sung texts is not printed. Sunnyi Melles, speaks excellently, and I understand German very well, outside Germany most people don't. And it is not always possible to understand what the soloist sing. No printed texts, that is a grave point for me.
Apart from that the interpretation and the music are all what you can expect from a operetta. Kalman is the master in the field, and easily surpasses Lehar, if it comes to melodic content, and orchestration.
A interesting story too. Had a lot of fun, going through the motions of the Primas, his son, and the countless counts, and the love interest in the form of beautiful women.
For me this is highly recommendable, apart from the two points I mentioned.

[Bogey]

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5
Serkin/Ozawa/Boston
Telarc

Good morning.

[wintersway]

Good morning/day to all!

[SonicMan46]

 

Q - just added the Koopman-Savall performance of these works (pic put in above) to my collection - I believe that you've commented on that one, also - how do these two recordings differ, e.g. instruments used?  Thanks, as usual - Dave 

[Fëanor]

Ha ha. Funny man.

How many countless recordings on other labels do I have to post about before people realise that my non-Naxos CDs HEAVILY outweight the Naxos ones?

Not your fault - you've not been around here long enough to appreciate this. If you want to know who has MORE Naxos CDs, may I point you in Harry's direction?

As a (relative) newcomer to serious classical listening -- and a (relatively) poor person -- I have copies of a lot music I would not otherwise have if it weren't for low Naxos prices.

Needless to say, many Naxos performances are great, and the same thing for the sound quality.  Almost all are more than acceptable.

[Brian]

As a (relative) newcomer to serious classical listening -- and a (relatively) poor person -- I have copies of a lot music I would not otherwise have if it weren't for low Naxos prices.

Needless to say, many Naxos performances are great, and the same thing for the sound quality.  Almost all are more than acceptable.

I've only been disappointed by Naxos a couple times, which makes its track record in my collection better than EMI's...

...besides, any label which has employed Cho-Liang Lin, the Pacifica Quartet, and Dame Edna Everage in the recording studio can't be bad! 

[MN Dave]

schubert - impromptus - schnabel

[karlhenning]

Mozart
Piano Cto No. 27 in B-flat, K.595

[longears]

Aye, that's a good un, laddie!

[Keemun]

The Brandenburg Concertos from this:

[bhodges]

Rihm: Time Chant (Mutter/Levine/Chicago) - I like this, but like the piece below even more.
Rihm: Jagden und Formen (Dominique My/Ensemble Modern)

--Bruce

[Keemun]

The Brandenburg Concertos weren't helping my headache any, so I've switched to the piano concerto from this:

[karlhenning]

Oh, it's a Singer all right 

[Keemun]

Now I'm listening to this performance of Scriabin's Piano Concerto.  I think I like Scherbakov's playing better. 

[Harry]

Franz Lehar.

"Zigeunerliebe". (Gypsy love)

Romantic operetta in three acts.
First version, 1910.

Johanna Stojkovic/Dagmar Schellenberger/Ksenija Lukic/Raphaela Schulze, Sopranos.
Zoran Todorovich/Bernhard Schneider/Stefan Alexander Rankl, Tenors.
Markus Kohler, Baritone.
Andreas Horl, Bass.
Alexander Bielow, Solo violin.

NDR Choir/Philharmonie/Frank Beermann.

The recording is superb, and comes with a booklet with the German texts, and English translation, very well done. This operetta is almost a opera in its conception. Much attention is gone in the orchestration, which is cleverly done, and the writing for the sopranos, is dead difficult, and is mastered here by very able singers, of which I found Dagmar Schellenberger one of the finest voices at all on this recording. Johanna Stojkovic which has the titlerole, is a amazing coloratura soprano, that is reaching into deep space, singing notes, that are almost impossible to master. All the male singers do very well. The choir and orchestra of the NDR make this a feast to listen to. So many lovable melodies, which you hum afterwards, like "I am a gypsy child" sung marvelously by Zoran Todorovich, still lingers in my head, but with a slight twitch, I am singing the tune and begin with, "I am a gypsy bear"....
So opera is not my thing, but boy operetta is, just love coloratura singing......

[Brian]

Oh, it's a Singer all right 

And on that note:

the songs of Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky. Possibly (can't remember) my first venture into the world of classical "songs" ... and quite clearly the first of many  0:)

[gmstudio]

the world of classical "songs"

This is the one genre I've never, ever been able to get into.  good for you for giving it a try and actually enjoying it...