What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[mahler10th]

My features say it all with this one. 

[Brian]

Of all the rotten times to get a power cut when I type out a couple of paragraphs Still, it's an internet rite of passage, even if it took me 8 years to experience.

Vive la différence! I feel it's partly down to my expectations of how the piece should sound with the performance tradition in English orchestras. While the "classic" old performances of it are ropey sounding, the details of phrasing being passed down and tweaked eventually became ingrained. Karajan made me think "why did he begin the next section of Jupiter without that wonderful traisitional micro-pause (around 0:58) - and then the feeling that the "hymn" theme lacks the slightly bittersweet inevitability, and can never take flight from such a point. He does create some exciting moments, with emphatic closing chords to various points, but it doesn't feel 100% considered - sometimes these diversions to my imprinted map of the piece occur, sometimes they do not. Slightly jarring!

I see where you're coming from.    I was actually quite sheltered from "The Planets" for a very long time - the only one I really liked as a kid was Mercury, and I only really started to get into the piece last year. The last (DG) Karajan recording was my introduction, followed another (forgot) and then by this one. Didn't ever fall into the tradition, then...

Thread duty:

[Scarpia]

I've never heard a performance of the Planets by a British ensemble.  For me it is Karajan/VPO and Maazel/Orchestre de Paris.  Along the way I've also heard Karajan/BPO, which doesn't thrill me.   I'm tempted to say I like the Maazel best. 

[Lethevich]

I won't try to recommend anything of the type, as I'm not sure how effective it would be; Boult is great, but the recordings have some really creaky playing (even the WP one isn't ideal), and of ones from more recent conductors, Gibson, Hickox, A Davis etc - all very solid, but none really stand out. I do have a soft spot for Gibson/RSNO - such an unfussy conductor, and tending to get great results from the provincial orchestras he headed.

My other unoriginal favourites are Levine (powerful, surprisingly so) and Dorati (energy!), both superbly recorded. Never seen the Maazel recommended before, which makes it very interesting to me. It also made me wonder whether he recorded it with Pittsburgh (their occasionally surprising dark sound would be nice in this work) but it seems that he hadn't.

Thread duty:


Some deliciously played mazurkas before I sleep.

[Coopmv]

Perfunctory?  One of the best audio recordings of all time!

Agree.  I have this CD as well ...

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD1 from this set, which I bought a few weeks ago ...

[MishaK]

I've never heard a performance of the Planets by a British ensemble.  For me it is Karajan/VPO and Maazel/Orchestre de Paris.  Along the way I've also heard Karajan/BPO, which doesn't thrill me.   I'm tempted to say I like the Maazel best. 

You should check out Duitot/Montreal and Mehta/LAPO.

[Fëanor]

Arvo Pärt: Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD2 from this set ...

[George]

Not the Japanese, but the West German pressing. Found this rare gem today in the bins. 

[owlice]

Inspired by the "Warhorses" thread, I'm listening to Richter playing the PIT PC #1 from this set:

[George]

Was just on the horn with Bogey, who is listening to Mozart's 40th Symphony live, in an outdoor venue. It also happens to be in the middle of a lightning storm. Perhaps he'll post photos later. 

[Fëanor]

John Foulds: Apotheosis (Elegy) - Music-Poem No. 4 For Violin & Orchestra, Op. 18

Lovely short piece, and well performed here I'd guess.

[Coopmv]

Not the Japanese, but the West German pressing. Found this rare gem today in the bins. 

This West German pressing might have been intended for the Japanese market ...

[George]

This West German pressing might have been intended for the Japanese market ...

Oh, no, the image I chose was of the Japanese. The copy I have is a WG one. Two different pressings, same performances.

[owlice]

Was just on the horn with Bogey, who is listening to Mozart's 40th Symphony live, in an outdoor venue.

Warhorses of the world, unite!

[George]

Warhorses of the world, unite!

If they do, who will they fight? 

[karlhenning]

Oh, they'll just parade!  0:)

[Antoine Marchand]

Perfect performances by Stephen Hough and great sound quality for these Hummel's piano concertos recorded 20 years ago:

[Coopmv]

Oh, no, the image I chose was of the Japanese. The copy I have is a WG one. Two different pressings, same performances.

I have quite a number of Arthur Grumiaux's recordings.  What a virtuoso violinist he was ...