GMG Classical Music Forum

I'm taking recordings from a variety of composers off the "Nomination" list and let them get at each other to see which ones you might think could be considered having TGREM-status.
Some records with inconclusive voting records may re-appear.

You have three votes.  But you need not use all three, if you think that there aren't three to merit inclusion.

Thanks for participating in this (perhaps silly) game. ("Research study", I like to call it.)

---

I don't know any of them well enough to vote. The two Harnoncourt recordings are ones I have heard and remember liking but honestly I don't think they would be my first choice for that repertoire.

Quote from: jessop on May 09, 2018, 01:58:15 PM
I don't know any of them well enough to vote. The two Harnoncourt recordings are ones I have heard and remember liking but honestly I don't think they would be my first choice for that repertoire.

I REALLY like Harnoncourt's Requiem. From the time when he was HOT on fire. Also, if you haven't heard it, Fricsay's Beethoven's Ninth, the first stereo recording of that work, is still a searing, rip-roaring, excellently sung affair.
And Reiner's Bartok is ferocious (http://a-fwd.to/6wZpXcb).

Quote from: SurprisedByBeauty on May 09, 2018, 02:11:26 PM
I REALLY like Harnoncourt's Requiem. From the time when he was HOT. Also, if you haven't heard it, Fricsay's Beethoven's Ninth, the first stereo recording of that work, is still a searing, rip-roaring, excellently sung affair.
And Reiner's Bartok is ferocious (http://a-fwd.to/6wZpXcb).

I'm not exactly from that time....
Hot and ferocious these days probably describes someone like Currentzis 8)

The Reiner is the obvious "greatest" here, but I think it's overrated.

I've heard a few of the others, but not enough times for a vote for them as "greatest".

...OK, I broke down and voted for the Fricsay 9th, which I've probably listened to once.  But I was impressed with it, and I am not usually very fond of this work.

Great to see one poll that includes three recordings I know, I cherish, and I would actually consider as among the "greatest ever made". These are:

- The Désormière Pelléas
- The Casals et al. Schubert Quintet
- The Toscanini Falstaff

In previous polls there were many cases of recordings I thought "Well, I kinda like this one, and rate it much higher than other stuff on the poll, but I'm not sure it can really qualify as 'greatest' ".

Regards,

Mine isn't on the list: the 1966 Mackerras recording of Handel's Messiah with Janet Baker, among others.

Quote from: SurprisedByBeauty on May 09, 2018, 01:53:43 PM
I'm taking recordings from a variety of composers off the "Nomination" list and let them get at each other to see which ones you might think could be considered having TGREM-status.
Some records with inconclusive voting records may re-appear.

You have three votes.  But you need not use all three, if you think that there aren't three to merit inclusion.

Thanks for participating in this (perhaps silly) game. ("Research study", I like to call it.)

---

FYI: The selections in this poll are, more or less randomly, taken from the big list of nominated recordings: http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,28169.160.html (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,28169.160.html)

Very good to see a mention of Vladimir Tropp, who is indeed a special pianist whether it be in Scriabin, Tchaikovsky or, as the poll suggests, Chopin. The Denon Chopin is very well engineered, and for this reason alone it could possibly thought to be the greatest recording ever made.

(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0000/990/MI0000990228.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Listening now to Tropp play the Chopin Barcarolle, op 45 and op 27/1 - full of insights and totally idiomatic. The voice leading in the Barcarolle and the sense of time standing still in the C sharp minor prelude are original and wonderful. Tropp produces a mahogany tone from the piano, presumably a Hamburg Steinway in Moscow, the tone is rich and  characterful like only really great pianists from Russia can make. The sound quality is totally exceptional, the Denon people must have given him the best engineers, knowing that they were recording a great pianist. Tropp is an unknown teacher pianist who appears to have missed the boat, maybe he didn't want stardom, just a handful of records which are prized by the few people who have heard them, if he played London I'd be very surprised if he could fill the Wigmore Hall! But no doubt about it, he's a great musician.

This poll has stalled a bit; if I could get three more members to vote, that would be lovely.

Perhaps get a bit more clarity into matters as to what can be safely dropped and what might still - just - be included for further consideration.

My three from the list:

Reiner, Bartok

Desormiere, Debussy

and, especially,

Casals et al, Schubert

Bach orchestral suites with Harnoncourt?

First or second recording?

Well they are good, particularly the first recording, but not good enough as to be called the greatest ever made.