What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[not edward]

Haven't heard these readings - what's wrong with McLachlan's playing here? I ask because he's a superb virtuoso, one of the few pianists brave enough to tackle and record Stevenson's Passacaglia on DSCH, for instance, and on the evidence I've seen and heard a fine musical thinker. Is it the interpretation that troubles you here, or the technique?

I used to have the McLachlan set (he's from my hometown actually) but got rid of it. I get the impression these recordings were probably made fairly early during his acquaintance of the works--they seem very underinterpreted, as if he had time to learn the works but not to put any kind of personal stamp on them.

I'm listening to this Scelsian delight: 70 minutes of largely bass-led music that never gets boring (and Okanagon is for me an ineffable masterpiece).

[Keemun]

[Florestan]

What's that WARNING about?

[Harry]

Capital choice, still one of my favourites.

[Harry]

What's that WARNING about?

In those days Andrei, they warned for the damage this new medium, the cd could do to inferior equipment, due to the wide dynamics BIS produced.
Of course nothing was heard ever of damaged equipment, so they removed the warning after some time!

[Florestan]

In those days Andrei, they warned for the damage this new medium, the cd could do to inferior equipment, due to the wide dynamics BIS produced.
Of course nothing was heard ever of damaged equipment, so they removed the warning after some time!

Ok, thanks.

[MN Dave]

0:)

[Haffner]

0:)

oooooOOO!

I'm really appreciating Kubelik more and more. Next month I believe his Parsifal is going in the basket.

Curious about this one, to be sure.

[MN Dave]

Curious about this one, to be sure.

I love it.

[lukeottevanger]

I don't dislike his performance. But I haven't heard any other and I just think that a version from a more celebrated pianist could be more illuminating. Maybe I'm wrong.

I had this set also, but gave it away, not because he is a bad pianist, but because I found the performance lacking in details.

OK, guys, thanks for that. I'm heavily into the music of Ronald Stevenson at the moment (and struggling to get over missing the two-day Stevenson-at-80 series at the weekend, as organised by McLachlan) and as McLachlan is the leading Stevenson pianist outside Stevenson himself, I am just interested when his name crops up.

I don't contribute to this thread often, but FWIW, over the last few days - lots of Ronald Stevenson!! The last surviving composer-pianist, in the Busoni line and fully worthy to be there.

[lukeottevanger]

This set confirms my preference for the Škampa Quartet over some other fine presentday Czech string quartets, like the Panocha Qt and the Pražák Qt.  Just that extra bit of imagination and poetry, a touch of sweetness, less hard-driven and more flexibility.

It's a beauty.

Q

I'm with you on that. I love their approach to Janacek - playing up the folk music elements like the folk musicians they are at heart (and in practise). In the long run, however, their approach wears less well for me than e.g. the Smetana Quartet (whose violist Skampa was their coach, and also the leading editor of Janacek's 2nd Quartet) - the Smetanas find a vein of sensuousness but also of heaven-storming wonderment in this music which eludes every modern quartet I've heard.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

OK, guys, thanks for that. I'm heavily into the music of Ronald Stevenson at the moment (and struggling to get over missing the two-day Stevenson-at-80 series at the weekend, as organised by McLachlan) and as McLachlan is the leading Stevenson pianist outside Stevenson himself, I am just interested when his name crops up.

I don't contribute to this thread often, but FWIW, over the last few days - lots of Ronald Stevenson!! The last surviving composer-pianist, in the Busoni line and fully worthy to be there.

You remind me - still have to listen to his Piano Concertos... But there is so much new music I (have to) listen to!

[lukeottevanger]

Stevenson's original recording of the DSCH Passacaglia (the one previously limited to 100 signed LPs) has just been re-released. It's a belter.   

Put the Piano Concertos to the top of your pile....

Hey - I passed 2000 posts at last and didn't even notice it 

[rubio]

This set confirms my preference for the Škampa Quartet over some other fine presentday Czech string quartets, like the Panocha Qt and the Pražák Qt.  Just that extra bit of imagination and poetry, a touch of sweetness, less hard-driven and more flexibility.

It's a beauty.

Q

I will look for this when I go to Prague in the beginning of next month. But I guess they have not recorded much Dvorak, so for his quartets I think I will go for the Panocha set.

[rubio]

I'm with you on that. I love their approach to Janacek - playing up the folk music elements like the folk musicians they are at heart (and in practise). In the long run, however, their approach wears less well for me than e.g. the Smetana Quartet (whose violist Skampa was their coach, and also the leading editor of Janacek's 2nd Quartet) - the Smetanas find a vein of sensuousness but also of heaven-storming wonderment in this music which eludes every modern quartet I've heard.

How does the Smetana Quartet compare to the Janacek Quartet in Janacek's string quartets (if you've heard both ensembles)?

[hautbois]

Mozart.
Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat major, K271 "Jeunehomme".
Piano Concerto No. 17 in g major, K 453.
Andreas Staier, Pianoforte,
Concerto Koln.

A amazing interpretation and fine recording. This box lets me fall from one nice surprise into another.
Thanks Que for pointing me towards this recording.

Bea-ti-ful playing!

Howard

[ChamberNut]

If only he could have completed another full set of SQs...(I'm greedy, right?)

Greedy guts, you!!    Didn't he write like 70+ string quartets? 

I have the Op. 76, and my next CD order will definitely include Op. 77.  I love his quartets more than Mozart's mature quartets.

[MN Dave]

Greedy guts, you!!    Didn't he write like 70+ string quartets? 

I have the Op. 76, and my next CD order will definitely include Op. 77.  I love his quartets more than Mozart's mature quartets.

They really are outstanding works.

[Bogey]

Boccherini Guitar Quartets Vol. 1
Pepe Romero and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields' Chamber Ensemble
MHS

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Stevenson's original recording of the DSCH Passacaglia (the one previously limited to 100 signed LPs) has just been re-released. It's a belter.   

Put the Piano Concertos to the top of your pile....

Hey - I passed 2000 posts at last and didn't even notice it 

Your wish is my command. Stevenson will sit next to Richard Wetz (Third Symphony).

Btw - congrats!