What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

LOL.  Sure, and Uchida and Barenboim both recorded whole cycles of the piano concerti with the ECO just because they were cheap, and happened to be standing around...

I've seen that criticism of Tate as boring before, and I just don't get it.  There's such a thing as poise when performing classical era music, and letting the beauty of the music and the drama in the score speak for itself -- Mozart doesn't need to be oversold.  I agree that clarity of texture is a good thing; but they're not playing Mahler, nor should they obsess over texture like a close-eyed Karajan air-massaging Debussy with his fingers.  While there are clearly better individual performances out there of the Jupiter, etc., when looking at an entire set, Tate is excellent, and very consistent -- for instance, while I've always respected Bohm in this music, when listening to the many youthful early works to my ears Tate is clearly preferable, his readings are more individualized and fluid IMO.

Ah well -- luckily there are only forty-zillion Mozart recordings out there, so we're spoiled for choice...

I'm relieved to see that there are more ways to listen to music (and appreciate) than through the ears of the reviewer.

[San Antone]

I keep seeing this. Damn, it looks good. Might need to pick it up.

I found it on Spotify.   

[aligreto]

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto [Tretyakov/Fedoseyev]


   


This is a really robust, assertive and powerful performance with a really good sound to it. The playing is superb.

[aligreto]

When this reviewer is your guide you   never would purchase this set.

AllMusic Review by James Leonard

Just because it's cheap is no reason to get this set of Mozart's complete symphonies by Jeffrey Tate and the English Chamber Orchestra. Tate's a competent conductor and the English Chamber Orchestra is an adequate ensemble, but neither is ever any more than competent and adequate. And the Mozart symphonies want so much more than that. They want effervescent tempos, lucid textures, and luminous colors. They want sublime depths, transcendent heights, and -- above all -- brilliant wit. And what they get here is deliberate tempos, thick textures and dull colors, shallow depths, superficial heights, and no wit whatsoever. If Mozart were a mediocrity, these would be acceptable performances, but he wasn't and these aren't. There are plenty of other complete sets of the symphonies out there and most of them are better than Tate's. Try Neville Marriner's stylish and elegant set on Philips, Charles Mackerras' radiant and joyful set on Telarc, or Karl Böhm's magisterial and monumental set on Deutsche Grammophon. But don't try Tate's just because it's cheap.

Let us agree to disagree with James Leonard.

[aligreto]

LOL.  Sure, and Uchida and Barenboim both recorded whole cycles of the piano concerti with the ECO just because they were cheap, and happened to be standing around...

I've seen that criticism of Tate as boring before, and I just don't get it.  There's such a thing as poise when performing classical era music, and letting the beauty of the music and the drama in the score speak for itself -- Mozart doesn't need to be oversold.  I agree that clarity of texture is a good thing; but they're not playing Mahler, nor should they obsess over texture like a close-eyed Karajan air-massaging Debussy with his fingers.  While there are clearly better individual performances out there of the Jupiter, etc., when looking at an entire set, Tate is excellent, and very consistent -- for instance, while I've always respected Bohm in this music, when listening to the many youthful early works to my ears Tate is clearly preferable, his readings are more individualized and fluid IMO.

Ah well -- luckily there are only forty-zillion Mozart recordings out there, so we're spoiled for choice...

+1 on all points

[vandermolen]

Bax: The Garden of Fand

[vers la flamme]

Charles Ives: Symphony No.3, "The Camp Meeting". Michael Tilson Thomas, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

[Mirror Image]

A bizarre yet interesting work, for sure. There's another version (AFAIK by the composer himself) sans voices, which I found rather more appealing (but less bizarre, without all that onomatopoeic singing!  ). It was recorded by Edmon Colomer on the now defunct Calliope label (long OOP, of course, but available used at decent prices). the companion piece, Honneger's La Danse des morts (based, just like L'homme et son désir, on Paul Claudel) is also worth exploring—but far from my favourite Honegger.

[asin]B000266XWG[/asin]

A good day to you, Rafael. I'll probably stay away from that recording you linked for the simple fact that I think the voices add a bit more to the strangeness of the work. Plus, I'm not a big Honegger fan (probably one of my least favorites amongst Les Six). As for other performances of L'Homme et son désir, I own this great recording:

[Mirror Image]

Bartók
Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz 112
Kopatchinskaja
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Eötvös

[Roasted Swan]

LOL.  Sure, and Uchida and Barenboim both recorded whole cycles of the piano concerti with the ECO just because they were cheap, and happened to be standing around...

I've seen that criticism of Tate as boring before, and I just don't get it.  There's such a thing as poise when performing classical era music, and letting the beauty of the music and the drama in the score speak for itself -- Mozart doesn't need to be oversold.  I agree that clarity of texture is a good thing; but they're not playing Mahler, nor should they obsess over texture like a close-eyed Karajan air-massaging Debussy with his fingers.  While there are clearly better individual performances out there of the Jupiter, etc., when looking at an entire set, Tate is excellent, and very consistent -- for instance, while I've always respected Bohm in this music, when listening to the many youthful early works to my ears Tate is clearly preferable, his readings are more individualized and fluid IMO.

Ah well -- luckily there are only forty-zillion Mozart recordings out there, so we're spoiled for choice...

+1 for an appreciation of Jeffrey Tate.  Not that I know his Mozart but having slightly marginalised his recordings over the years I heard his Elgar Symphonies, the Hansel & Gretel and a live recording of the Britten War Requiem.  All are quite excellent - in widely diverse repertoire.  For sure he was never a 'glamorous' conductor but that doesn't devalue the quality of the actual music making.  And to describe the ECO as no more than adequate is a real head scratcher.  I'd love to be that "adequate"!!  Benjamin Britten obviously had to "make-do" with the ECO for his many famous recordings with them.

[listener]

organ music from multiethnic Transylvania
Sigismund TODUTA (sorry, I can't find the diacritic letters)  Seven Chorale Preludes based on mlodis of the Romanian 'Colinde',
preceded by vocal introductions
Paul RICHTER: Organ Sonata  op. 36 in d
Myriam Lucia MARBE: Schäfters Pavane mit Vögeln II
Irina Ungureanu, soprano   Nicoleta Paraschiveschu, organ
Paul LANSKY: Etudes and Parodies,  Ricercare Plus  Semi-Suite

[Mirror Image]

Charles Ives: Symphony No.3, "The Camp Meeting". Michael Tilson Thomas, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

The third symphony from Ives is essentially his 'pastoral symphony' in all but a name, but it's the Orchestral Set No. 2 that is the superior work and what a fantastic performance on that disc from MTT.

[vers la flamme]

The third symphony from Ives is essentially his 'pastoral symphony' in all but a name, but it's the Orchestral Set No. 2 that is the superior work and what a fantastic performance on that disc from MTT.

I agree, I greatly prefer the Orchestral Set No.2, though I enjoyed the Symphony more than I had previously. Why does he call it an orchestral "set", I wonder, rather than a suite. That word in that context makes me think of rock bands and their live sets.

[vandermolen]

John Ireland: The Forgotten Rite

[Mirror Image]

I agree, I greatly prefer the Orchestral Set No.2, though I enjoyed the Symphony more than I had previously. Why does he call it an orchestral "set", I wonder, rather than a suite. That word in that context makes me think of rock bands and their live sets.

It's more or less Ives being Ives.

[Karl Henning]

JSB
The Musical Offering
Leonhardt & al.

[Mirror Image]

Bernstein
Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety"
Zimerman
Rattle
Berliners



Totally fun!

[Karl Henning]

Bernstein
Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety"
Zimerman
Rattle
Berliners



Totally fun!

I certainly suffer no anxiety about enjoying this!

[Mandryka]

https://www.youtube.com/v/QPv5OpJTWh0

This is Arrau playing Schumann's Nachtstucke, I've decided to explore the music a bit, so if anyone knows any good ones, please say. The Arrau (on CD) benefits from excellent sound of course, and a very refined control of the dynamics, the build up of the crescendos.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Bax: The Garden of Fand

Ooohhh!  That album looks particularly 'yummy'! 

Do you happen to know whether or not any of these recordings are the same as ones on that EMI "The Great EMI Recordings" set?

Best,

PD

p.s.  Up in a bit:  Magnus Lindberg's Clarinet Concerto with Kari Kriikku.  I heard it years ago on a BBC program (Radio 3).  The initial focus was on Sibelius but then they also talked about his music's influence on later contemporary composers.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/search?filter=programmes&q=sibelius+composer+of+the+week  I'm trying to find the one in which they talked about contemporary Finnish music.