Recordings That You Are Considering

[Brian]

Alicia de Larrocha's is very good, and quite individual. (I am also considering it.) Hélène Grimaud's is pretty good, and quite MOR. (I have it.) Valery Afanassiev's is perverse as usual. Eugen Indjic's I listened to recently, but don't yet have much of an opinion on. I think it came across as somewhat old-fashioned but don't know why. I'll look into the others.

You're right about Eugen Indjic: old-fashioned. Not in the 1930s way, more like in the way of, well...Indjic's generation. I had a hard time figuring out how I liked it too, because it's very composer-first, artist-last - unshowy integrity.

I am considering Larrocha and Goerner too. Might stream Goerner this afternoon and write back.

Afanassiev is a lunatic (Mandryka and I are almost perfect opposites in our tastes - I find Mandryka's posts very useful in that way).

[amw]

Let us know. I streamed Primakov (quite good, perhaps like a lighter and less individual Argerich) and Uchida (unexpectedly good at first, but over time a certain sameness seemed to set in—it felt like all the Florestan music was done one way, all the Eusebius music another way, rather than adapting each passage to the nature of the music. This led to a certain inconsequentialising of the Florestan music since she didn't do it as well).

I actually rather liked Indjic on relisten, who plays the 1838 (correct ) version, though I only got as far as the fourth movement which didn't have the requisite sense of... whatever.

(I'm pleased to see some Afanassiev fans on here—at least someone likes him Agreed on the instrument, which sounds almost like an electric piano.)

[Brian]

I listened to Lonquich and Goerner back-to-back. Goerner is less individual, of course - the Lonquich account is unique - but he actually did not come off badly in the comparison. A "mainstream" account, but one by a pianist with the strength to power through certain passages, the tenderness and flexibility to sing others, and the wisdom to know the difference.

One streaming may not be enough to pass judgment, but while Goerner didn't blow my mind, he certainly favorably impressed me as a pianist to find more of. Very very nice Toccata as well, one which sacrifices a lot of aggression and forward drive in order to make the piece more 'musical'.

[Mandryka]

The piano sound on Afanassiev's seems to be better in the dreamy music.

If you're exploring Kreislerianas, one worth catching is in that big box from Horowitz at Carnegie Hall released a couple of years ago, a performance from 1968. You may have to root around to find the right one, it's badly tagged on Qobuz etc.  The 1968 seemed better than his others, as if he was in a particularly good mood on the night.  And on YouTube there used to be Pletnev playing it in London  - I had a ticket for that concert but never went, and I regret it slightly now.

Recently I found myself really enjoying Kempff of all people in it, his mono recording. Poised and sane and a wonderful tone. I like Kempff partly because sane and poised is clearly something that confounds expectations in Kreisleriana. There's also a good live one from Cherkassky, but it may be hard to find, I don't know. And Sofronitsky's not to be sneezed at. Neither is Pollini (especially the live Pollini from Salzburg)

[amw]

Horowitz's Kreislerianas get lots of praise, but he's a pianist I've always felt to be highly overrated. Don't think I've heard that Carnegie Hall one though. I did hear a (different?) one from Cherkassky, which was actually excellent, apart from needing to turn the volume up by about 700%. I do plan to listen to Sofronitsky. As for Goerner I've heard him in Chopin but maybe he's improved (he's getting recorded on ZZT which is usually a good sign, though indicative of a particular type of interpreter I think)

(Do we have a Kreisleriana thread?)

[Mandryka]

Horowitz's Kreislerianas get lots of praise, but he's a pianist I've always felt to be highly overrated. Don't think I've heard that Carnegie Hall one though. I did hear a (different?) one from Cherkassky, which was actually excellent, apart from needing to turn the volume up by about 700%. I do plan to listen to Sofronitsky. As for Goerner I've heard him in Chopin but maybe he's improved (he's getting recorded on ZZT which is usually a good sign, though indicative of a particular type of interpreter I think)

(Do we have a Kreisleriana thread?)

Yes I think Horowitz was really variable, and I think he  is overrated. The Cherkassky I had in mind is on a DVD. The only thing I recall from Goerner was his Chopin 3rd sonata, which was fine I suppose from the point of view of piano playing but somehow seemed to lack an exciting new vision of the music. But I may be wrong.

Maybe Kreisleriana is interesting enough to merit its own thread. I only learned a few weeks ago that Schumann described it as a collection of fantasies, at least that's what someone told me in a conversation.  And I'm really keen to know why he revised it. And there's all the business of the relation of the music to ETA Hoffmann's book, the literature/music connection in 19th century music  is itself a topic I'd like to explore more deeply.

By the way I forgot a couple of really interesting Kreisleriana: Burkard Schliessman's and Natan Brand's.

[Richard]

I've had this in and out of my cart several times. Anyone know about these recordings by the Egidius Quartet?

[asin] B00YJKUZ1Q[/asin]

[Que]

I've had this in and out of my cart several times. Anyone know about these recordings by the Egidius Quartet?

[asin] B00YJKUZ1Q[/asin]

This set is my list as well. 
US & UK Amazons have best prices, but I'm hoping for an eventually even lower jpc offer.
I'm not familiar with these recordings other than the samples, which sound enticing.
I do know the ensemble from other recordings and that is, in addition to the samples and several strong recommendations of Amazon reviewrs whose judgment I trust, good enough for me.

Q

[Richard]

This set is my list as well. 
US & UK Amazons have best prices, but I'm hoping for an eventually even lower jpc offer.
I'm not familiar with these recordings other than the samples, which sound enticing.
I do know the ensemble from other recordings and that is, in addition to the samples and several strong recommendations of Amazon reviewrs whose judgment I trust, good enough for me.

Q

Thanks for the feedback. I'll probably place an order early in the new year. I don't imagine they produced too many copies of this. 

[Que]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll probably place an order early in the new year. I don't imagine they produced too many copies of this. 

I don't intend to wait too long either. We will be able to compare notes....

Q

[The new erato]

I don't intend to wait too long either. We will be able to compare notes....

Q

I ordered it from amazon.es.

[Que]

I ordered it from amazon.es.

Was it a good price?   

Because it is gone now.....  http://www.amazon.es/gp/aw/d/B00YJKUZ1Q/

Q

[The new erato]

Sorry! Amazon.de. 90 euros incl p&p, vat exempted (but I will have to pay vat on arrival in Norway).

[Que]

Sorry! Amazon.de. 90 euros incl p&p, vat exempted (but I will have to pay vat on arrival in Norway).

Thanks With MP sellers on the UK site my calculations indicate 80-85 euros, which is already a great price considering that is goes up to 125.

Q

[The new erato]

Thanks With MP sellers on the UK site my calculations indicate 80-85 euros, which is already a great price considering that is goes up to 125.

Q

Did the same calculation, but preferred amazon and not a MP as seller, usually faster and more reliible in shipping made it worth some few euros extra.

[Jo498]

jpc has Pollini's Beethoven sonatas for about 22 EUR. Why am I even thinking twice instead of snapping it up?

Because I already have Pollini's late sonatas (for many years) and they are apparently still considered the best of his Beethoven, it seems.
I was also not overwhelmed by the ca. 1990 disc with Waldstein/Adieux etc and neither by the one with op.10+13 (I have the latter, but not the former). So I own ca. 3 of 8 discs, am kind of burned out on complete cycles (I got Arrau's almost two years ago and stopped listening around op.10 or 14...) and found that it's much more likely that I listen to a separate disc than tackle another box.
Therefore I need someone to tell either that I absolutely need Pollini complete or, preferably, that I do not and should rather get one or two of the single issues in addition to what I have...

[Que]

jpc has Pollini's Beethoven sonatas for about 22 EUR. Why am I even thinking twice instead of snapping it up?

Because I already have Pollini's late sonatas (for many years) and they are apparently still considered the best of his Beethoven, it seems.
I was also not overwhelmed by the ca. 1990 disc with Waldstein/Adieux etc and neither by the one with op.10+13 (I have the latter, but not the former). So I own ca. 3 of 8 discs, am kind of burned out on complete cycles (I got Arrau's almost two years ago and stopped listening around op.10 or 14...) and found that it's much more likely that I listen to a separate disc than tackle another box.
Therefore I need someone to tell either that I absolutely need Pollini complete or, preferably, that I do not and should rather get one or two of the single issues in addition to what I have...

Don't  ask me.... I never got the hype around Pollini's Beethoven. It is cool, measured, overthought and sounds artificial.
But for anyone that likes these late Classical/ early Romantic piano sonatas being approached from a Modernistic late 20th century frame of mind, Pollini must be the right ticket.

Q

[Jo498]

To some extent I get the "hype" for the late sonatas set of ca. 1977. Not for the others I mentioned. That's why I am hesitating...

[kishnevi]

To some extent I get the "hype" for the late sonatas set of ca. 1977. Not for the others I mentioned. That's why I am hesitating...

I think his recordings of the early sonatas are the best part of his cycle.  So if you are underwhelmed by them, you may as well stop where you are with him.

[JCBuckley]

For me, the words 'hype' and 'Pollini' don't belong in the same sentence. Jens Laurson picked the Pollini set as one of his recordings of the year, and I'm with him on that - http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2015/12/12/the-10-best-classical-recordings-of-2015-re-releases/2/