What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Renfield]

Have you had chance to really 'experience' this recording, Chris? Lights out, volume up, comfy chair? Certainly the finest recording and performance in modern sound.

I've done this with Karajan's indescribably amazing live Mahler 9th.


Currently listening to:


That roller-coaster 5th of his.

[Renfield]

And indeed, I think that's enough for one night. I'll retire for the present, under the gentle sound(s) of:



Goodnight!

[George]

[PaulR]

Berlioz: Requiem Munch/BSO (Offertorium)

Really great music.........beautiful music, beautifully done by Munch and the Boston Symphony.........

[Lethevich]

Berlioz: Requiem Munch/BSO (Offertorium)

Really great music.........beautiful music, beautifully done by Munch and the Boston Symphony.........

That's a mind-blowing piece of music

[Lilas Pastia]

Beethoven with the Philharmonia under Klemperer: symphony no. 1 and concerto no. 3 (with Barenboim). Although these are old recordings, they sound magnificent, with a very good dynamic range, impeccable transparence and superb ambience. The orchestra plays extremely well, too, a mix of the gallumphing and the sharply etched - very effective. Klemperer's way is not idiosyncratic, it's recognizably beethovenian (all the ingredients are there), but he presents them in his own sweet time, which is to say, rather deliberately. But such is the force of his personality that everything sounds grand and virile, gruff and sonorous. Splendid.

I wasn't sure about Barenboim's pianism at first. He does not possess a truly distinctive tone. His dynamic range and colouristic arsenal are rather limited. It's a bit like he plays with two right hands. But he is highly intelligent and totally honest, never indulging in cute or splashy effects. He never lionizes Beethoven, seemingly content to be the music's servant. This may sound like damning praise, but this music demands a true collaboration between soloist and conductor, and it gets it here. A similarly slow approach that does not work as well is heard with Michelangeli and Giulini. Much as I admire the incredibly beautiful pianism, it is a splendid museum piece, not a living organism.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Rostropovich/Richter in the first cello sonata, Op.38, of Brahms (from a 1964 Aldeburgh performance on Music & Arts).

[hautbois]

I wasn't sure about Barenboim's pianism at first. He does not possess a truly distinctive tone. His dynamic range and colouristic arsenal are rather limited. It's a bit like he plays with two right hands. But he is highly intelligent and totally honest, never indulging in cute or splashy effects. He never lionizes Beethoven, seemingly content to be the music's servant. This may sound like damning praise, but this music demands a true collaboration between soloist and conductor, and it gets it here. A similarly slow approach that does not work as well is heard with Michelangeli and Giulini. Much as I admire the incredibly beautiful pianism, it is a splendid museum piece, not a living organism.

On the contrary, Barenboim seems to stink on this. So self indulgent and lacking in spirit and bravura. Don't buy this. Unfortunately, stars do not necessarily produce good recordings.

Howard

[hautbois]

WOW

Howard

[wilhelm]

[Peregrine]

[Peregrine]

[Florestan]

Erno von Dohnányi

Piano Quintets opp. 1 & 26
Serenade for string trio

Schubert Ensemble of London

So great!...

[Daverz]

Mitropoulous conducting the Shostakovich Symphony No. 10, recorded 1954.  Great record, the first for this work. 

[longears]

Dvorák SQ #3 in d major, Panocha Qt.  Thanks to all who recommended the Panocha box--fast becoming a favorite!

[karlhenning]

Schoenberg string quartets, numbers 2 & 3.  I quite like them.  The vocal part is a bit strange for a string quartet, but what the heck ...

Hearty approval 

[karlhenning]

String sextet, actually. I strongly prefer it to the orchestral one.

Should have known Edward would get there first! 

[karlhenning]

I LOVE Part's For Alina and bought Tabula Rasa hoping for more of the same. However this is mostly dissonant and busy 

You already know this now, but For Alina were an unreliable indicator of Pärt generally, as Für elise would be of Beethoven 

[karlhenning]

That's the one I own too (scary as hell cover)

That is an awful cover! I own a different recording 

[karlhenning]

Do I believe my eyes!? A Tasos sighting!!