Purchases Today

[Mirror Image]

Two more purchases:



And this:

[aukhawk]

@Mirror Image, let us know how it is. That's one of the Das klagende Lied performances that I have been looking at. [Rattle]

Will do, but let me honest with you and say that if you don't own Nagano's recording, then you need to stop what you're doing and find a copy of it ASAP (if you can). You'll thank me later.

I listened to the Rattle recording a couple of days ago and found Alfreda Hodgson a bit too fruity for my taste, very rich matronly contralto sound.  On the other hand her vibrato is more restrained than Fassbaender (Chailly) who I also find hard to take for this reason.  The recording for Rattle is also surprisingly a bit bright and fierce - unusual from this source - but again on the other hand there is less indulgence in 'effects' than Chailly (who is very well recorded, and I rather like the untrained-sounding boy singing the flute part).

But don't overlook Boulez (Sony) - this was the true premiere recording no matter what the Nagano CD claims.  I haven't heard his later DG recording (which I think is only 2 movements).

[Mirror Image]

I listened to the Rattle recording a couple of days ago and found Alfreda Hodgson a bit too fruity for my taste, very rich matronly contralto sound.  On the other hand her vibrato is more restrained than Fassbaender (Chailly) who I also find hard to take for this reason.  The recording for Rattle is also surprisingly a bit bright and fierce - unusual from this source - but again on the other hand there is less indulgence in 'effects' than Chailly (who is very well recorded, and I rather like the untrained-sounding boy singing the flute part).

But don't overlook Boulez (Sony) - this was the true premiere recording no matter what the Nagano CD claims.  I haven't heard his later DG recording (which I think is only 2 movements).

The Nagano recording claims to be the premiere of the original version of the work --- that's all it claims. Boulez's recordings both use the revised versions. I own both recordings, but prefer the earlier performance on Columbia. I need to get this recording out and give it a listen. It seems when I listen to Mahler it's always a song cycle of some kind or this early cantata. While I do love many of his symphonies, I don't really listen to them all that much aside from the 3rd, 6th, or 9th.

[ritter]

IIRC, what Boulez did in his first recording on Columbia was to play the original Waldmärchen first movement, followed by the two other sections in their revised versions (Waldmärchen was  scrapped by Mahler in the final versions). So, Boulez's first recording is a "hybrid" version. In his second DG recording, he reverted to Mahler's final version (which means there's no Waldmärchen).

Nagano (whose recording I haven't heard) recorded the full original version without incorporating any of Mahler's revisions in sections Ii and III). So, it is the first recording ever if the full original score.

FWIW, Das klagende Lied is a work I don't appreciate very much: an adolescent attempt to emulate Wagner (by a very talented teenager, no doubt).

[Mirror Image]

IIRC, what Boulez did in his first recording on Columbia was to play the original Waldmärchen first movement, followed by the two other sections in their revised versions (Waldmärchen was  scrapped by Mahler in the final versions). So, Boulez's first recording is a "hybrid" version. In his second DG recording, he reverted to Mahler's final version (which means there's no Waldmärchen).

Nagano (whose recording I haven't heard) recorded the full original version without incorporating any of Mahler's revisions in sections II and III). So, it is the first recording ever if the full original score.

FWIW, Das klagende Lied is a work I don't appreciate very much: an adolescent attempt to emulate Wagner (by a very talented teenager, no doubt).

Thanks for the clarification, Rafael. I personally think Das klagende Lied is an interesting work, but I wouldn't rank it anywhere near Das Lied von der Erde or any of the song cycles like Kindertotenlieder or the Rückert-Lieder.

[Madiel]

Yes, it's quite difficult to find any kind of thorough exploration of Szymanowski's songs. There seems to be some single issued recordings (several of them are OOP), but I couldn't actually find full survey. I'm really looking forward to hearing these works as Szymanowski had a penchant for writing for voice and creating remarkable music --- I mean just listen, for example, to Litany to the Virgin Mary, Stabat Mater or King Roger.

The full survey I was thinking of was on Channel Classics and released around 2004.

I just found it on streaming but I suspect a CD version would be quite challenging to find. Possibly there's one lurking on eBay with a bad description or something.

[Mirror Image]

The full survey I was thinking of was on Channel Classics and released around 2004.

I just found it on streaming but I suspect a CD version would be quite challenging to find. Possibly there's one lurking on eBay with a bad description or something.

You're quite right. Here's a link:

[asin]B0002QXN6U[/asin]

This looks like a nice set, but, yes, it's OOP and quite out of my budget.

Update: I found this box set for a reasonable price and cancelled those song recordings on the Dux label.

[steve ridgway]

Indeed. His avant-garde works do cast a strange spell over the listener. I have a much different experience than your own when it comes to those choral works. I remember listening to the Polish Requiem and only being able to get half-way through it. I think one of the problems with his later music, for me anyway, is that there's not much variety in the sonorities. It just feels like it's a bit formulaic (in the worst possible sense). The general atmosphere is rather heavy and dense. It takes it's toll on this particular listener. I do understand and respect others who can get into it --- I never was able to get fully onboard.

"Heavy and dense" is about right, and maybe formulaic as there weren't many surprises. I played symphonies 1-5 yesterday while working and 2 sounded fine in contrast to the more experimental 1. 3-5 all perhaps blurred together after that; I can't remember anything particular of any of them now but it was all quite enjoyably loud and rhythmical. In future though I'll just listen to one of them in isolation. The Polish Requiem is maybe just too long; when I get back to it I will consider listening to it in chunks. The samples of the later music for solo or just a few instruments didn't grab me at all and I bought none of that.

[vandermolen]

[Harry]

The samples sounded perfect.

[aukhawk]

IIRC, what Boulez did in his first recording on Columbia was to play the original Waldmärchen first movement, followed by the two other sections in their revised versions (Waldmärchen was  scrapped by Mahler in the final versions). So, Boulez's first recording is a "hybrid" version. In his second DG recording, he reverted to Mahler's final version (which means there's no Waldmärchen).

The first Boulez recording was released as two separate projects, parts II and III were recorded and released first, with the existence of Waldmärchen being little more than an academic curiosity at that time.  Waldmärchen was recorded and released about 2 years later (as I recall), coupled on vinyl with the 10th Symphony first movement.

I think it's right that Waldmärchen is somewhat spurious, the thing is more tightly argued and less liable to outstay its welcome, if you just listen to parts II and III.

I still have both those LPs by the way - they are among the handful I retained out of sentiment, when I took the other 800-odd down to the landfill only s few months ago.

[ritter]

The first Boulez recording was released as two separate projects, parts II and III were recorded and released first, with the existence of Waldmärchen being little more than an academic curiosity at that time.  Waldmärchen was recorded and released about 2 years later (as I recall), coupled on vinyl with the 10th Symphony first movement.

You're abolutely right. I had forgotten the genesis of the recording (as, when I first got it on LP, it was in the "merged" edition of Waldmärchen + Parts II & III, and the adagio as a filler).

[Mirror Image]

"Heavy and dense" is about right, and maybe formulaic as there weren't many surprises. I played symphonies 1-5 yesterday while working and 2 sounded fine in contrast to the more experimental 1. 3-5 all perhaps blurred together after that; I can't remember anything particular of any of them now but it was all quite enjoyably loud and rhythmical. In future though I'll just listen to one of them in isolation. The Polish Requiem is maybe just too long; when I get back to it I will consider listening to it in chunks. The samples of the later music for solo or just a few instruments didn't grab me at all and I bought none of that.

I like Penderecki's early works and you can keep the rest. Again, I felt when he abandoned the avant-garde, experimental style he was writing in, he lost most of his appeal for me, because his more traditional sounding music isn't anything special.

[steve ridgway]

I've bought downloads of those final 3 CDs needed to reach my target of filling my docking iPod (around 100 CDs) and cease further purchasing. It's now time to heave a big sigh of relief and properly enjoy listening to them all .

Schnittke: In Memoriam / Septet / Music for Piano & Chamber Orchestra / Sound and Resound

[asin] B000000AZD[/asin]

Schnittke: Symphony No. 6; Concerto grosso No. 2

[asin] B0001IXRS8[/asin]

Takemitsu: Garden Rain

[asin] B0006VXF3C[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

I've bought downloads of those final 3 CDs needed to reach my target of filling my docking iPod (around 100 CDs) and cease further purchasing. It's now time to heave a big sigh of relief and properly enjoy listening to them all .

Schnittke: In Memoriam / Septet / Music for Piano & Chamber Orchestra / Sound and Resound

[asin] B000000AZD[/asin]

Schnittke: Symphony No. 6; Concerto grosso No. 2

[asin] B0001IXRS8[/asin]

Takemitsu: Garden Rain

[asin] B0006VXF3C[/asin]

Nice haul there. That first Schnittke recording was quite difficult to track down for me initially, but I finally found a copy of it. The Takemitsu disc is interesting as it most contains early works and some of them are quite good, but I would say around the time of Requiem for Strings is where the composer found his compositional voice, IMHO. Like with Boulez's earlier music, I find that Webern did these things better, but that's just my own opinion.

Thread duty -



https://www.youtube.com/v/y9kGgqSIqGw

[steve ridgway]

Like with Boulez's earlier music, I find that Webern did these things better, but that's just my own opinion.

So as long as I don't listen to Webern it will be just fine .

[Mirror Image]

So as long as I don't listen to Webern it will be just fine .

[Mirror Image]

Just bought:



I'll be nice to have this earlier recording of Pli selon Pli and Livre pour cordes. I own own this recording in the huge Boulez Sony box but I collect this particular reissue series.

Also bought:

[vers la flamme]

Just bought:



I'll be nice to have this earlier recording of Pli selon Pli and Livre pour cordes. I own own this recording in the huge Boulez Sony box but I collect this particular reissue series.

Also bought:

The Sony Pli selon pli with Halina Lukomska and the BBCSO is a phenomenal recording. You're gonna love it. I personally prefer it greatly to the DG recording, which is maybe more polished and has more of a beautiful sheen to it, perhaps, but the earlier is played with perhaps a little more conviction—I also greatly prefer the 1960s Columbia engineering to the DG.

Let me know what you think of the Barenboim, too. He was a great friend of the composer's.

[Mirror Image]

The Sony Pli selon pli with Halina Lukomska and the BBCSO is a phenomenal recording. You're gonna love it. I personally prefer it greatly to the DG recording, which is maybe more polished and has more of a beautiful sheen to it, perhaps, but the earlier is played with perhaps a little more conviction—I also greatly prefer the 1960s Columbia engineering to the DG.

Let me know what you think of the Barenboim, too. He was a great friend of the composer's.

Well, I don't mind the DG engineering --- I think all of the Boulez recordings I've heard that were on DG have sounded outstanding. I do like the Columbia engineering, too, especially those 60s recordings. Yeah, I've heard this Pli selon Pli was preferred over the remake, but I haven't heard the DG remake yet, so it might be interesting to do a side-by-side comparison of both performances.