What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[kishnevi]

Sorry, George, I don't have Gergiev's cycle. I have Ozawa, Kitajenko, Rostropovich, Weller and Järvi.

Worth it just for his "Classical." But I think the whole cycle is terrific. Different, though. It's rather laid back; his Second and Third easier on the ears than most. Ozawa finds the beauty in all that industrial strength noise. If it matters, he doesn't include the original version of the Fourth; and he doesn't tack on the tacky "happy ending" to the Seventh.

About the sound. The Hurwitzer wrote:

"DG's shallow, multi-miked sound doesn't help either. There's a particularly loathsome example of this at the beginning of the Sixth Symphony where "Jumbo the Killer Oboe", clacking keys and all, wreaks havoc with instrumental balances."

His description is not wrong but his conclusion is, I think. I grew up with Columbia recordings from the 60s. A one-dimensional soundstage, multi-miking and spotlit instruments were the house style and I enjoyed hearing the inner workings so clearly. Still do. The close-up, larger than life Berlin winds are gorgeous and I love the detail. I don't find it objectionable at all. Just be aware of what you're getting.

Sarge

It's been long enough since I've listened to those recordings that I don't remember the Killer Oboe;  I do prefer the Weller to Ozawa as making the music more coherent in many places.  But reading these posts reminds me that I need to give one or the other a relisten soon.  (Don't have any other recordings of the symphonies.)  I do think the Jarvi conducted Piano Concertos are very good.

However, you can satisfy Sarge without buying the entire set:  Ozawa's First is available on its own (with the Kije Suite) as a budget issue on the Universal Classics budget line.

Thread duty:  Schubert:  Schone Mullerin  Dietrich and Gerald, from DG's newest reissue of the complete DFD/Moore Schubert recordings.

[kishnevi]

Other than the Tallis Scholars, my favorite recording of SiA.

[karlhenning]

kishnevi, I suspect Hurwitz of sneering hyperbole here, only I did not have the Ozawa with me to confirm.

[George]

kishnevi, I suspect Hurwitz of sneering hyperbole...

You must have him confused with some other critic.

;-)

[Dana]

Is this the one you are referring to?

    That's the one. The 8th that's on here is a desert island pick, and the 7th would be too, if not for the far superior (IMO) EMI GROC. I also agree about Klemperer's 9th, and also can't really come up with a good reason. I also, however, can't come up with a showstopping moment in the whole symphony, and it ought to have so many! I guess that's why I find it disappointing - there are a lot of spectacular 9ths out there, and this one is just average. All in all though, the Klemperer Box has served me quite well.

    Incidentally, I find the concertos in this set to be good at best. I much prefer Emmanuel Ax's account with Andre Previn, which also comes with the Choral Fantasy - which is just about the only thing missing from the Klemperer box.

[Bogey]

Before I jump into this set, or any other, I want to get the Harnoncourt efforts.  However, the sets that have been rec. here tonight are much more budget friendly.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Сергей Сергеевич [Sergei Sergeyevich]
Symphony № 2 in d minor, Opus 40 (1924-25)
SNO
Järvi
but between knowing that this team should be capable of better, and the superior versions of the Opus 40 which Ozawa and Polyansky have given us, this account of the Second is a disappointment....

Interesting. I'd thought no one else but me had even HEARD this recording! But I'm on board with your appraisal, Karl. A fine performance.

[karlhenning]

You must have him confused with some other critic.

;-)

Well played, George!

[George]

Well played, George!

0:)

[Dana]

    Currently listening to the first of the Symphonies of Carl Vine that everyone was talking about a few pages ago. Cool! Very accessible, engaging music!

[karlhenning]

YHM, Dana.

[kishnevi]

kishnevi, I suspect Hurwitz of sneering hyperbole here, only I did not have the Ozawa with me to confirm.

I'm about to find out--just begun to listen to it, after the First.   So far, some enjoyably close miking, but not yet any clanking oboe keys.

[karlhenning]

Maybe he meant the muted brass — we cannot actually know that Hurwitz can hear the difference between muted brass and clanking oboe keys.

[Dana]

Sorry, I'm not hip on the lingo kids are using these days... What's YHM?

[George]

Sorry, I'm not hip on the lingo kids are using these days... What's YHM?

You Have Mail

(I have a k a rl to English dictionary.)  0:)

[karlhenning]

You Have Mail

(I have a k a rl to English dictionary.)  0:)

I think that editor despaired of completing the task! ; )

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Symphony No. 6 which I'm enjoying more and more. I never listened to this symphony much in the past, but I can certainly see the merit in it. I really enjoy the Scherzo man it's simply bombastic fantastic!

[Keemun]

First Listen Friday (an hour and a half premature here, but it's Friday somewhere): 

Suk
Praga, Op. 26
Jiri Belohlavek
NDR Symphony Orchestra
May 18-19, 1982

Quite beautiful so far.

[kishnevi]

Maybe he meant the muted brass — we cannot actually know that Hurwitz can hear the difference between muted brass and clanking oboe keys.

Heard no clanking oboe keys.  But did hear a very good performance--I had forgotten how much I like the Sixth.   Now listening to the Weller--so far, a little more restrained.  Ozawa was a man complaining about horrible things are.  Weller seems to be merely a man complaining how horrible things are compared to when he was a kid.

The coupling on the Ozawa set is a little odd--the First precedes the Sixth.  Playing them back to back is like stepping between two entirely different worlds.

[Keemun]

Before I jump into this set, or any other, I want to get the Harnoncourt efforts.  However, the sets that have been rec. here tonight are much more budget friendly.

Bill, here is a free recording of Harnoncourt's Beethoven 5:

Beethoven
Symphony No. 5
Harnoncourt
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Live at the Styriarte festival in Graz, Austria (2007)

http://www.mediafire.com/?2yzdvjmdnnv
http://www.mediafire.com/?e0ogyonijzt

FLAC files