What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Harry]

Jacaras.
18th Century Spanish Baroque Guitar music of Santiago de Murcia.
Paul O'Dette, Baroque Guitar.
Andrew Lawrence King, Harp & Psaltery.
Pedro Estevan, Percussion.
Pat O'Brien, Steve Player, Baroque Guitars.

Such a delightful collection of Guitar Music, perfectly performed and recorded.
I am reall happy with this purchase.

[Bogey]

From a famed GMG Humphrey Poster:

Haydn String Quartets op.20 (Tatrai)

I really like how this is recorded (often very clear, decent separation), but I'm almost positive there's a slight tuning problem with the instruments. Or maybe I'm plain tone deaf.

Don't know about that but the overall artistic merit of the Tatrai Haydn SQ is vastly overrated. Some pretty thin and unconvincing readings in not so good sound.

Good morning.
I can totally see that the Tátrai String Quartet is not for everybody....especially when it comes to Haydn.  If one is expecting a bit of lightness and a bit of playful zip now and then, you will not find it here.  Compared to other performances these are "heavy gravy" indeed.  However, for some reason these readings just work for me.  In fact, for me, they are to Haydn, as the Végh String Quartet is to Beethoven.  I just love 'em both.  Just pleased that you have a feel for them now Andy.

[Todd]

Some recordings from a young Robert Casadesus.  Superb transfers reveal his early efforts to be as good or perhaps better (in Chopin at least) than his later efforts, which means they're wonderful.

[rubio]

My favourite opera of Janacek together with Cunning Little Vixen.

[greg]

just turned this one on:





but it's not 3 different pieces...... "Thoughts at the Border" is the subtitle for sym16. So even though he wrote more symphonies than Haydn and is still alive, some of them are as long as Pettersson's, somehow.....

[Bogey]

Some recordings from a young Robert Casadesus.  Superb transfers reveal his early efforts to be as good or perhaps better (in Chopin at least) than his later efforts, which means they're wonderful.

That is quite a line-up of composers there Todd.  How does the Schumann fit in with the rest?

[Papy Oli]

Good afternoon All 

Mahler 's 10th (Cooke Version)
Eugene Ormandy / Philadelphia Orch. / Sony

[Harry]

Good Afternoon all.

Franz Lehar.
Suites, Dances & Intermezzi.
RSO Berlin/Michail Jurowski.

Rerun II.

Lots of fun, well played performed and recorded.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Good afternoon All 

Mahler 's 10th (Cooke Version)
Eugene Ormandy / Philadelphia Orch. / Sony

Hello, papy!

I know that recording well. It was my first Tenth and it's still my favourite. Heart-rending music.

[rubio]

Delightful music performed by the Florestan Trio - an ensemble I have a weak spot for. Has anybody here heard the 2nd Mozart piano trio CD with the Florestan and care to comment? It includes the trios K496 and K548. Are they of the same quality as K502, K542 and K564 (included here)?

[longears]

In a moment of weakness I recently purchased this set, as owning it seems to be the only way to give it a fair try.  The individual sonata recordings I've heard before haven't impressed me as all that special--competent, indeed, but no more so than many other fine pianists and perhaps a bit too precious for my taste as I generally prefer fairly straightforward presentations without calculatedly swooning romanticism.  Having but limited familiarity with these recordings, I'm aware that I may be prejudiced against them by (1) excessive praise from a source whose head is so far up his nether regions that it's a wonder he can hear anything, (2) the fact that they aren't really even studio performances but patched together pieces from her efforts to perfect her interpretation of individual passages, and (3) knowledge that she did not approve of the result and so they were finished and released only after her death.

Having enough sense to know that I'm often wrong about things--especially where prejudices are involved--and not wanting to miss out on a good thing due to stubborness or intellectual pride...and encouraged by GMG George's high praise for these recordings...I intend to live with them for awhile, comparing here and there with favorite performances by other pianists, and truly hoping that I come to love them as much as some others, or at least enough to justify the set's outrageous price.    

At the very least it should assure that I continue listening to some of the most beautiful and moving music ever written and which God forbid I should ever tire of! 

[Harry]

Excellent performances.

[Haffner]

Good morning.
I can totally see that the Tátrai String Quartet is not for everybody....especially when it comes to Haydn.  If one is expecting a bit of lightness and a bit of playful zip now and then, you will not find it here.  Compared to other performances these are "heavy gravy" indeed.  However, for some reason these readings just work for me.  In fact, for me, they are to Haydn, as the Végh String Quartet is to Beethoven.  I just love 'em both.  Just pleased that you have a feel for them now Andy.

I listened to the other half of Tatrai's op. 20 and enjoyed the, But I guess I'm just really taken with my Quatuor Mosaiques.

I'll let Bill tell everyone about the excellent Mozart k563 he sent me.

[rubio]

I find both the Also Sprach Zarathustra and Tod und Verklarung awesome as performed by Sinopoli/NYPO! Must be one of the best alternatives if you go for a fairly modern recording.

[The new erato]

[Todd]

How does the Schumann fit in with the rest?

There's a very swift, light reading of the Symphonic Etudes, without the posthumous etudes, and a somewhat disappointing Vogel als Prophet.  In both cases I prefer his later CBS recordings.  The Chopin, Ravel, and Faure are the best works on this disc.

[not edward]

Furtwängler's 1944 readings of Bruckner 8 & 9.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

The Symphonic Serenade is beautiful, the Piano Concerto complex and very fiery - both are major pieces, I think. The Cello Concerto is fine, but perhaps a bit on the short side.

What do you make of them?

[SonicMan46]

Handel, some more chamber wind/violin music this AM; now Couperin - Brilliant box (7-CDs) - check MusicWeb Review for a listing of the works included, and comments on the performances & recordings - can't really listen to this entire box in one sitting, but quite enjoyable when 'rationed out'!  

[The new erato]

The Symphonic Serenade is beautiful, the Piano Concerto complex and very fiery - both are major pieces, I think. The Cello Concerto is fine, but perhaps a bit on the short side.

What do you make of them?

Much the same as you; the piano concerto with quite some impact, the cello concerto rather diluted.