Kent Nagano

[jwinter]

Greetings.  Any opinions on recordings by this conductor?  I have nothing on my shelves, but I just checked his Beethoven 3, 6, & 8 with Montreal out of the library today, and as I give them a spin they seem surprisingly good to my ears.  I was expecting something quick and lightweight (not sure why, on reflection), but this is satisfying, old-school Beethoven.  His Eroica Funeral March, which has long been my quick measuring stick for Beethoven conductors, seems very nicely paced on first listen, with a fine growly depth in the basses and good brass -- so far, I like. 

How's his Bruckner?  I saw copies of 4 & 6 that I may need to check out on my next visit...

[TheGSMoeller]

I have Nagano conducting Prokofiev's The Love of Three Oranges opera and Poulenc's opera Dialogues of the Carmelites, both very good.

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[mc ukrneal]

I have Nagano conducting Prokofiev's The Love of Three Oranges opera and Poulenc's opera Dialogues of the Carmelites, both very good.

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Seconded. I also have him in Wolf - it's good too.

[bhodges]

I didn't realize Nagano had recorded so much! Can't weigh in on the Bruckner (but am curious to hear), but these three Nagano recordings are excellent.

Among my favorite recordings of the Shostakovich, and the Prokofiev is quite good, too:

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One of my favorite all-Britten recordings, also with the Hallé Orchestra:

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And although I haven't listened to this one in awhile (my Canteloube Auvergne of choice at the moment is with Véronique Gens, on Naxos), I recall liking it:

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--Bruce

[jwinter]

Thanks for the replies. 

Re: Nagano's Bruckner, I just saw Keemun's link to a free download of a Nagano Bruckner 8 over on the Bruckner 8th bi-weekly discussion thread -- downloading as I type...

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I only have a couple of Nagano discs (that I can think of) and really enjoy them both:

[Cato]

Yes, I have the Jakobsleiter CD and the Bruckner (Originalfassung) Symphony #3 with Nagano conducting, and am happy with the results!

Certainly not to be forgotten:




Busoni's Doctor Faust!

[Todd]

I find Nagano most compelling in 20th Century music.  His Die Jakobsleiter is outstanding, and his opera recordins I've heard - Britten, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Messiaen - tend to be outstanding as well.  (The Busoni is not to my taste musically, but the same can be said of pretty much all Busoni I've heard.)  His Bruckner 6 is very good, though no match for Klemperer or Wand.

[snyprrr]

Turangalila

[Mirror Image]

Nagano is a good conductor but I have yet to hear anything from him that completely floors me. Of course, when he conducts music like Ravel, Stravinsky, or even Messiaen he's up against some very stiff competition. I suppose the question in my own mind is "Do I ever reach for a recording that has Nagano conducting?" The answer almost always comes back to "No, hardly ever."

[knight66]

I thoroughly enjoy his Mahler 8 which is at the opposite end of the map from the Solti recording. That is not to suggest it is other than exciting; but it unfolds rather than is driven. Beautifully played and sung. I think it is in the top rank of recordings.

I threw his Mahler 'Das Lied von Der Erde' out. In part it was due to the tenor who I thought was basically a joke. But Nagano did vitiate the piece; all filigree and no muscle.

Mike

[Todd]

I thoroughly enjoy his Mahler 8

Ah, crap, forgot that one.  Nagano's Mahler 8 is my favorite recording of that work.  Part II is particularly good.  His Mahler 3 is also very good.

[springrite]

Nagano is a good conductor but I have yet to hear anything from him that completely floors me. Of course, when he conducts music like Ravel, Stravinsky, or even Messiaen he's up against some very stiff competition. I suppose the question in my own mind is "Do I ever reach for a recording that has Nagano conducting?" The answer almost always comes back to "No, hardly ever."

I can see lots of love for his works here. But you summed up my feeling perfectly.

[Mirror Image]

I can see lots of love for his works here. But you summed up my feeling perfectly.

Yeah, I just hate to talk in disfavor of a good conductor like Nagano, but the guy made Bartok's "The Mircaculous Mandarin" sound like a Hollywood fairy-tale. I was left asking myself "Where is the aggression and nastiness?" I mean this ballet does have an explicit sex scene for crying out loud!

[Herman]

His complete recorrding of the Coppélia music with the Lyon opera orchestra, now on a cheap Ultima double, is very good.

I think he is an excellent conductor.

[jwinter]

Thanks to all for your replies! 

I'm quite enjoying Nagano's Bruckner 4 at the moment.  He's bringing out some details that I don't recall hearing before, at least not at this level of focus; although with Bruckner that may be due to the particular edition of the score he's using...

[snyprrr]

Turangalila

I also like his Varese. The Erato sound gets better and better the louder you turn it up!

[bumtz]

I also like his Varese. The Erato sound gets better and better the louder you turn it up!

Me too, although I have not heard any other Varese recordings.

[Mirror Image]

Me too, although I have not heard any other Varese recordings.

Checkout Boulez and Chailly. If you like Varese, then these are essential acquisitions. Boulez recorded another great Varese recording many years later on DG with the CSO that I admire as well.

[Mandryka]

The Brahms 4 with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin is excellent -- one of the best recent |Brahms symphony records I've heard.