Recordings That You Are Considering

[PerfectWagnerite]

Anyone heard this one?



or this?

[Florestan]

Anyone heard this one?

I remember Harry's reviewing it very favourably.

[Que]

It's Monteverdi with singing in the British choral tradition, not my "cup of tea".

You might consider some others, like the Savall recording - comments on the sound of the reissue on Alia Vox have been favourable. Or my own favourite: Alesandrini (Opus 111) - intimate (OVPP) and touching. Though it's definitely not a recording in which this work sounds "grand" with smooth choruses.

Review on Musicweb


Q

[PerfectWagnerite]

It's Monteverdi with singing in the British choral tradition, not my "cup of tea".

You might consider some others, like the Savall recording - comments on the sound of the reissue on Alia Vox have been favourable. Or my own favourite: Alesandrini (Opus 111) - intimate (OVPP) and touching. Though it's definitely not a recording in which this work sounds "grand" with smooth choruses.

Review on Musicweb


I don't know what the "British choral tradition" you mentioned mean? Care to elaborate a bit more?

Q

[The new erato]

I don't know what the "British choral tradition" you mentioned mean? Care to elaborate a bit more?

I would say: Rather cool and bright, lacking the warmth of many southern European ensembles. I've got (at a guess) about 30 discs by the Kings Consort, but while many are very good, they seldom are among my preferred versions in cases where I have several versions to chose from.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I would say: Rather cool and bright, lacking the warmth of many southern European ensembles. I've got (at a guess) about 30 discs by the Kings Consort, but while many are very good, they seldom are among my preferred versions in cases where I have several versions to chose from.

You mean like The Tallis Scholars?

[The new erato]

Yes perhaps, but as they do quite different kinds of music, I find the Tallis much more to my liking in the music they are performing.

[ezodisy]

[Drasko]

Heard him play the preludes on BBC 3 few months ago. They certainly were interesting but I ended up disliking the performance for some reason, can't recall much detail but remember thinking he was striving for too much profundity, with some very heavy and prominent bass lines.

Good to see him recording for something touch more available than that small German label.

[Lethevich]

The latter is on the Membran label with Danish forces (interesting?).



Regarding the Taverner Consort box, I have no issues with their style in this repertoire and already enjoy their Monteverdi and Vivaldi, but as I haven't read any reviews for this set, I suppose it is better to check before buying.

Also, an either/or:



Superficially, my thoughts might tend towards "Monteverdi by (presumably) Italians, this has to be better", but I am also concerned with sound quality and technical ability. Perhaps it is an unreasonable expectation, but growing up listening to English performers in early music has generally left me a little iffy on some of the scrappy sounding performances by more "idiomatic" continental ensembles.

I wonder why Monty's masses are so under-recorded?

[PerfectWagnerite]

Anyone know what is in this set?

available from Amazon.fr

http://www.amazon.fr/Baroque-Masterpieces-coffret-60-CD/dp/B001CBX2RO/ref=pd_sim_m_55

[rw1883]

Anyone know what is in this set?

available from Amazon.fr

http://www.amazon.fr/Baroque-Masterpieces-coffret-60-CD/dp/B001CBX2RO/ref=pd_sim_m_55

Here's a listing...http://www.sonymusic.com.tw/album/album_info.php?al_prodno=88697303862

[rubio]

Any comments on this Beethoven 9th by Giulini/BPO? Is he as inspired as with the LAPO Beethoven recordings? At least the orchestra should be a notch or two better.



And how does the Schumann 2 by Sinopoli/WP compare to his excellent recording of the same symphony with Staatskapelle Dreesden?

[Lilas Pastia]

It's an excellent 9th, extremely powerful and well shaped overall, but I find it slightly "over processed", lacking fire and spontaneity. If you find it at a good price though it's well worth acquiring

[71 dB]

I have this one. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!  0:)

[Lethevich]

I have this one. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!  0:)

Hehe, that sounds impressive - added to my cart

[rubio]

How do the Bychkov Mahler 3rd stack up to the stiff competition?

[ezodisy]

Good to see him recording for something touch more available than that small German label.

yeah I agree, and the info on MDT adds: "Now with new management, Nikolai plans to resume a more high-profile international concert career." I suppose his new management wrote that.

[M forever]

How do the Bychkov Mahler 3rd stack up to the stiff competition?

Basically a very nice recording with highly cultivated playing and conducting. Along with a number of other nice discs that have come out in recent years, a testimony to the continuing high quality of work Bychkov is doing in Cologne, but there are a number of versions I would still recommend above that. Maybe including Bertini's version with the same orchestra, but I haven't had an opportunity yet to compare the two side-by-side which would probably be interesting.

[M forever]

Any comments on this Beethoven 9th by Giulini/BPO? Is he as inspired as with the LAPO Beethoven recordings? At least the orchestra should be a notch or two better.

Maybe, but if it is, these one or two notches don't make a decisive difference, especially because the Beethoven recordings Giulini made in LA capture the orchestra during its brief "golden age" with him and at the top of their form. If you know these recordings, weighty and chiseled but deeply lyrical and played with intense detail definition, you will find that this is rather similar in approach, weighty and earnest but highly expressive. The only slight drawback is Simon Estes whose contribution I don't like very much.

BTW, few people know that Giulini also recorded the Pastorale in LA for DG, along with the Eroica and 5th but for some reason, that Pastorale is pretty rare and some collectors don't even know it exists. Giulini also recorded an almost complete cycle later for sony with the La Scala orchestra - only the 9th is missing but this DG recording from roughly the same time completes that cycle, in a way. The Scala recordings are not quite as compelling as the LA and BP ones, more on the slow side and with not quite the same intensity, but still of high quality as far as the playing and music making in general in concerned.

And how does the Schumann 2 by Sinopoli/WP compare to his excellent recording of the same symphony with Staatskapelle Dreesden?

I personally like this earlier version a little better than the later Dresden one. It is more urgent, intensely driven, "nervous" and a little more "to the point" where the later recording is slightly more relaxed and flowing. This is one of the two discs for which Sinopoli wrote an accompanying essay from his POV as a psychiatrist (the other one was Schubert and for which he got ridiculed a lot. But as with the Schubert, his maybe a little over-sophisticatedly worded essay is very interesting and what counts is that he actually makes the mental and emotional processes he describes in the essay audible in the music. It is worth reading, so I would try to find the pictured original release because I don't think the essay was included in later repackagings.