Box Blather

[Brian]

A nice selection. I probably have a lot of that, already. I love Sabine Meyer!
    The Unlikely Box that would be sure-fire with me: Neeme Jarvi. Preferably 120 disks or more...

Even if all the labels can't do all the Neemes, there is surely opportunity for some midsize ones...like all the Chandos Prokofiev recordings, symphonies, concertos, ballets, suites, cantatas, etc., all in one box.

[Spotted Horses]

Even if all the labels can't do all the Neemes, there is surely opportunity for some midsize ones...like all the Chandos Prokofiev recordings, symphonies, concertos, ballets, suites, cantatas, etc., all in one box.

How about "collected recordings conducted by Neeme Jarvi of piece for which there is no other recording." That would encapsulate my listening to Neeme Jarvi.

[Spotted Horses]

I shouldn't be so dismissive of Neeme Jarvi, I found his first Sibelius orchestra music series on BIS to be excellent, and a great introduction to Sibelius. That was before he seemingly became a recoding automation.

[JBS]

Even if all the labels can't do all the Neemes, there is surely opportunity for some midsize ones...like all the Chandos Prokofiev recordings, symphonies, concertos, ballets, suites, cantatas, etc., all in one box.

There is a Chandos set, although it's more of a sampler than a collection

[lordlance]

I shouldn't be so dismissive of Neeme Jarvi, I found his first Sibelius orchestra music series on BIS to be excellent, and a great introduction to Sibelius. That was before he seemingly became a recoding automation.

I don't think folks go to Jarvi Sr. for core repertoire. Prolificacy is not inherently bad. Do you find him worse where competition exists? i.e. Rubinstein PCs, Atterberg symphonies, Barber, Glazunov symphonies.

[Spotted Horses]

I don't think folks go to Jarvi Sr. for core repertoire. Prolificacy is not inherently bad. Do you find him worse where competition exists? i.e. Rubinstein PCs, Atterberg symphonies, Barber, Glazunov symphonies.

The Glazunov Symphony set on Orfeo is from his early period before he became prolific. It is another thing from Neeme that I found rewarding. Were there other cycles at the time? I've not heard any of the others you've mentioned.

[DavidW]

Here are some Jarvi favs of mine:

[Brian]

I might have a more detailed history with Neeme Jarvi than others since I grew up (age 11-15) with Detroit Symphony subscribers for parents while he was their chief conductor. So I actually saw Tubin 5 live years before my first kiss!

Generally he is excellent at music that needs someone to wind it up and let it rip, and poor at music that needs interpretation and emotional depth. And he can generate emotion if it falls in his strengths - i.e. if it can be conveyed through rhythmic force, and without sentimentality.

Thus he is surprisingly OK at things like French light music (which after all is mostly rhythmic), and poor at sentimental romantics like the more picturesque Atterberg works (which are mostly melodic). IIRC his only major Mahler recording is 7 which says something I think.

Re becoming a recording automaton, that's true - Robert von Bahr has written about how Neeme would fly to the sessions, read and annotate the score on the airplane on the way there, and be ready to go just based on his study on the flight.

[lordlance]

I might have a more detailed history with Neeme Jarvi than others since I grew up (age 11-15) with Detroit Symphony subscribers for parents while he was their chief conductor. So I actually saw Tubin 5 live years before my first kiss!

Generally he is excellent at music that needs someone to wind it up and let it rip, and poor at music that needs interpretation and emotional depth. And he can generate emotion if it falls in his strengths - i.e. if it can be conveyed through rhythmic force, and without sentimentality.

Thus he is surprisingly OK at things like French light music (which after all is mostly rhythmic), and poor at sentimental romantics like the more picturesque Atterberg works (which are mostly melodic). IIRC his only major Mahler recording is 7 which says something I think.

Re becoming a recording automaton, that's true - Robert von Bahr has written about how Neeme would fly to the sessions, read and annotate the score on the airplane on the way there, and be ready to go just based on his study on the flight.

But quality being mutually exclusive of quantity is fallacious to me (or that seemed to be the implication.)

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

My two measly cents about Neeme Järvi: I think he is a very good conductor and sometimes, a surprisingly great conductor. He tends to do the best in Nordic and Russian music. His Schmidt cycle on Chandos, though, was very good, but far from a favorite. I've heard some Mahler and Bruckner from him that wasn't up to par. I never liked him in American music and I know he's done a whole series on Chandos. His cycle of the Martinů symphonies still impresses me and as far as complete cycles go, his would still be my favorite. Anyway, I'm surprised that Chandos hasn't released an entire box set of his discography and not just "highlights" or selections from his long career recording for their label. Maybe one day.

[Brian]

Chandos really doesn't release many big (10+) boxes anyway and hasn't done an extensive boxing campaign since the black-framed reissue series with Bridge, Gliere, etc.

I think even just Jarvi Prokofiev alone would be 20+ CDs so maybe a series grouped by composer or era would be appropriate. Or maybe I'm being greedy because I would buy the Prok box on day 1.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Chandos really doesn't release many big (10+) boxes anyway and hasn't done an extensive boxing campaign since the black-framed reissue series with Bridge, Gliere, etc.

I think even just Jarvi Prokofiev alone would be 20+ CDs so maybe a series grouped by composer or era would be appropriate. Or maybe I'm being greedy because I would buy the Prok box on day 1.

Yeah, this is the second time you mentioned Järvi's Prokofiev possibly getting boxed up.

[atardecer]

I finally obtained the complete Mozart on Brilliant Classics. One of my first observations is I'm quite impressed with Klara Würtz.

[Mookalafalas]

I finally obtained the complete Mozart on Brilliant Classics. One of my first observations is I'm quite impressed with Klara Würtz.

   I had the same experience. She wasn't on my radar til I got that set.

[DavidW]

I finally obtained the complete Mozart on Brilliant Classics. One of my first observations is I'm quite impressed with Klara Würtz.

I think that is the best big, brilliant box ever made! It is highly consistent and satisfying. In particular, I think that the piano sonatas, symphonies, and operas are just not decent; they are good, perhaps even competitive.

[lordlance]

My two measly cents about Neeme Järvi: I think he is a very good conductor and sometimes, a surprisingly great conductor. He tends to do the best in Nordic and Russian music. His Schmidt cycle on Chandos, though, was very good, but far from a favorite. I've heard some Mahler and Bruckner from him that wasn't up to par. I never liked him in American music and I know he's done a whole series on Chandos. His cycle of the Martinů symphonies still impresses me and as far as complete cycles go, his would still be my favorite. Anyway, I'm surprised that Chandos hasn't released an entire box set of his discography and not just "highlights" or selections from his long career recording for their label. Maybe one day.

I... Don't think that's financially feasible. Karajan alone could probably have a 330 disc box set and still sell well. Neeme Jarvi is probably more than that and simply doesn't have the star power.

Not going to happen but it would be nice if Chandos made a comprehensive playlist on streaming services of his oeuvre. Sony uploads its box sets as playlists ont
 Spotify which is rather nifty. Still waiting on the Ormandy 64-83 playlist though... 

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I... Don't think that's financially feasible. Karajan alone could probably have a 330 disc box set and still sell well. Neeme Jarvi is probably more than that and simply doesn't have the star power.

Not going to happen but it would be nice if Chandos made a comprehensive playlist on streaming services of his oeuvre. Sony uploads its box sets as playlists ont
 Spotify which is rather nifty. Still waiting on the Ormandy 64-83 playlist though...

Yeah, I doubt it'll happen, too, but here's for wishful thinking!