What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Franco]

Haydn: Op. 20
Quatuor Mosaiques

[kishnevi]

Uh-oh...do I really need more LvB sonata recordings?

Now playing:

Of course you do!

Thread duty.
Also Rachmaninov:
Isle of the Dead/Symphonic Dances /Concertgebouw/Ashkenazy

[Sergeant Rock]

Bruckner, piano pieces played on a mid-19th century Bösendorfer. Music for the ballroom and for the intimate salon:




Sarge

[Brahmsian]

Symphony No 1 ("Classical") of Prokofiev, Jarvi.



Boring in the extreme.  No surprise.  I've had the same reaction to every recording I've heard of this work (Karajan and Weller, I think).

Well, that is your opinion, and of course, you are entitled to it.    I love the Classical symphony, I think it's fantastic, and a lot more interesting than your regular, run of the mill symphony.  Give me this Prokofiev symphony over all of Haydn's symphonies and most, but not all of Mozart's.   

[Franco]

Give me this Prokofiev symphony [1st] over all of Haydn's symphonies and most, but not all of Mozart's.   

That's going a bit far, IMO - but I get your point.

[karlhenning]

It is a fine piece.  Which is why Järvi's recording in this set makes the angels weep.

[karlhenning]

R. Strauss
Vier letzte Lieder, Opus posth.
Heather Harper, sop
LSO
Hickox

[Harry]

It is a fine piece.  Which is why Järvi's recording in this set makes the angels weep.

It seems as if most conductors do not know how to handle this piece, and frankly I only heard one recording of it on Decca with the ASMF, Marriner conducting, who gave a good performance on all counts. The recording was from the seventies, and I cannot find it, otherwise I would buy it.

[Keemun]

[Franco]

That looks to be a wonderful recording - both works are favorites of mine, and the Borodin would seem to be perfect in this repertory.  I've heard of, but don't think I've heard, the soloists - but would expect they are more than capable.

[BMW]

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on Today at 11:17:39 AM
It is a fine piece.  Which is why Järvi's recording in this set makes the angels weep.



It seems as if most conductors do not know how to handle this piece, and frankly I only heard one recording of it on Decca with the ASMF, Marriner conducting, who gave a good performance on all counts. The recording was from the seventies, and I cannot find it, otherwise I would buy it.

One of my favorite pieces.  The Marriner disc sounds good-- there seems to be a few fairly inexpensive copies available:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-C-Classical-Prokofiev/dp/B00000E3C1/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1281455386&sr=8-4
http://www.amazon.com/Bizet-Prokofiev-Classical-Stravinsky-Pulcinella/dp/B00000E3C1   
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=177937

[not edward]

It is a fine piece.  Which is why Järvi's recording in this set makes the angels weep.

I'm going to play 'stuck record player' and recommend Ancerl for a very different take on the Classical. (And it comes with the semi-legendary Baloghova recording of the Second Piano Concerto.)

I've been listening to some Mravinsky recordings of Prokofiev. It's a shame he only did record the 5th and 6th symphonies, plus the second Romeo and Juliet suite, as I think they're very fine performances--more than just that in the case of the 6th.

[Scarpia]

It is a fine piece.  Which is why Järvi's recording in this set makes the angels weep.

One issue is the in the Jarvi set the engineers seem to have used a consistent recording perspective for all of the symphonies.  A sound-stage that seems full with the heavy orchestration of the later symphonies doesn't bring out the required detail in the classical symphony.  But Jarvi is not the person to conduct that sort of music, neither is Karajan.  It needs a chamber orchestra, and there are surprisingly few recordings from specialists in smaller ensembles.  Maybe this one, from Orpheus:

[Sergeant Rock]

Handel, Dixit Dominus, Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock




Sarge

[Père Malfait]

Aha! Found it! Currently listening . . .

[Brahmsian]

Prokofiev

Disc 4

Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, Op.100
Symphony No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op.131

[Sergeant Rock]

I'm going to play 'stuck record player' and recommend Ancerl for a very different take on the Classical. (And it comes with the semi-legendary Baloghova recording of the Second Piano Concerto.)

One issue is the in the Jarvi set the engineers seem to have used a consistent recording perspective for all of the symphonies.  A sound-stage that seems full with the heavy orchestration of the later symphonies doesn't bring out the required detail in the classical symphony.  But Jarvi is not the person to conduct that sort of music, neither is Karajan.  It needs a chamber orchestra, and there are surprisingly few recordings from specialists in smaller ensembles.  Maybe this one, from Orpheus:

My current fave "Classical" is Ozawa's (but you knew that). I haven't listened to either performance you gents mention in quite awhile. I will after dinner, and I'll report:



Sarge

[Brahmsian]

Sarge

So, there is no conductor for this recording, correct?

[Scarpia]

So, there is no conductor for this recording, correct?

That is true of all Orpheus recordings.  They have a complicated system where different orchestra members rotate into leadership positions, and direct the performances.

[Brahmsian]

That is true of all Orpheus recordings.  They have a complicated system where different orchestra members rotate into leadership positions, and direct the performances.

Hmm, that is interesting.  I kinda of like that idea.