|
Bimasta,
Like you, I saw Richter live once, and Glenn Gould as well, at Carnegie Hall.
Unfortunately, I had such bad seats in both cases, I couldn’t really hear too well, and really missed a great experience from these masters. |
Yes, it’s really possible to get a bad seat at Carnegie Hall. And I got them!
|
She is wonderful with almost anything! |
I had that recording of Petrouchka on an LP many years ago (think I still have it.)
Astounding performance. Really captures the spirit of the original orchestration.
|
I believe that Buniatishvili, as she matures and gains more control, has the makings of a great pianist. Very imaginative and expressive with a truly explosive technique.
|
Pletnev is one of the best around. Not a bad conductor as well.
A little unorthodox, but a fine conductor nonetheless. |
|
I’m listening to a work of incomparable genius: Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and just had to write about it.
Some of the most brilliant variation writing existent. |
The Glazunov is a very great concerto!
|
Bob,
I must confess that I haven’t listened to the Norrington set. But, I definitely will now and report back as to what I think. |
I would just like to cite two not very well-known concertos that I regard as sublime masterpieces of the Romantic era.
First is Glazunov’s Violin Concerto. There are many recordings available, including Heifetz, but the most beautiful one, for me is a mono recording that Oistrakh made in the fifties, available on Amazon for about six dollars.
Secondly, is Eduardo Lalo’s Cello Concerto, available in a great sounding Mercury Living Presence recording, played spectacularly by Janos Starker.
To me, these works represent the pinnacle of Romantic music.
Its really a pity they’re not better known
|
Bob,
After listening to a couple of symphonies in the set, I find the performances and the sound a little on the lean side. I have to say it’s somewhat severe and lacking in romantic richness for my taste.
But that’s just me.
|
Yes, I’m afraid you’re right about HIP in this case. However, there are numerous examples of imaginative use of this practice that I like, Francois-Xavier Roth, for example, using period instruments, manages to convey Mahler symphonies very convincingly.
.Norrington’s application in Schumann, though, is not my cup of tea. |
Bob,
Someone once said “Do not attack men’s [or women’s] pleasures.”
It comes down to a matter of taste. I, too, took delight in listening to some new historically informed approaches to performance. Norrington is just not to my taste in the Schumann symphonies, but, I’m sure, many think as you do.
|
I’d just like to reiterate my love and enthusiasm of the Glazunov Violin Concerto and Lalo Cello Concerto. If anyone has taken me up on these and listened to them I’d like to hear about it. They’re really worth it.
|
Thanks for the confirmation. They really should be more well known than they are. |
Jim,
I will definitely check that out. Thanks for the recommendation.
Also on IDAGIO, I just discovered a recording by Heinz Holliger conducting Schubert Symphonies 1 and 5. Seems to be as beautiful as his Schumann symphony recordings. Perfectly balanced recording, idiomatically rendered.
|
Jim,
Currently, listening to the Purcell harpsichord suites. Really beautiful, sensitive playing. And the sound really makes the speakers sing. The lute stop you mention is quite lovely.
Truth be told, I’m not much of a harpsichord player myself, merely a pianist who has filled in on harpsichord when needed professionally.
|
Schubert,
I just did a search on Amazon with the search words “Glazunov Oistrakh” and it came up as the first listing. If you can’t find it, I’ll be happy to buy it and send it to you gratis if you PM me with your address.
I have the Shaham recording. Excellent, but not the passion of Oistrakh.
No, I haven’t heard any of that Royal Scottish Glazunov set. Sounds interesting.
I’ll look for the Steven Coombs set.
|
Any Prokofiev lovers out there might want to investigate a set of his compositions (mostly ballets) recorded in the sixties by Ernest Ansermet and the Suisse Romande on Decca Eloquence. Incredible performances AND sound. |
Re: Mahler Ninth, my preferred version of the some dozen that I own is, believe it or not, by a Russian: Kirill Kondrashin.
The Mahler Ninth may be my all-time favorite symphony.
The Kondrashin is probably still available on a marvelous sounding HDTT offering. |
It’s difficult to make comparisons.
Kondrashin just seems to communicate the essence of the music to me better than anyone else.
|
Yes, I agree about the late Pogorelich recordings.
I’m just now listening to his recording of the “Etudes” and find it it quite poetic.
And, at one time, he had tremendous technique. |
Schubert,
Thank you so much for alluding to Julia Fisher and the Glazunov.
Her performance made me fall in love with that magnificent concerto all over again.
The very pinnacle of Romanticism! |
Yes, I have the same LP from then. |
Recovering from knee replacement surgery, my consolation from the extreme pain is Idagio streaming. Thank goodness for such a wonderful service! |
Twoleftears,
I’m listening to the Byron Janis recording, and I hear what you mean.
The lack of subtlety is typical of Mercury’s
“close-up” sound technique. Placing microphones so close to the orchestra and soloist is their trademark. Some people like that. But it does rob the sense of perspective.
|
+1 for the Wild/Horenstein
Earl Wild was one of the great pianists of the 20th century.
Toscanini thought very highly of him. |
The classic Katchen recording of the Rach 2 on Decca is wonderful.
And it has that classic FFSS sound as well.
|
My favorite symphony of Vaughan-Williams as well. There’s a great LP of it with Vernon Handley on the Classics for Pleasure label.
On a different subject, I’m finally discovering the true treasure of streaming on IDAGIO. I’m finding whole new areas of enjoyment, such as Baroque opera.
One can get into a rut of listening to the familiar. What a pleasure to serendipitously discover new masterworks.
Also, the sound quality is first rate. |
IDAGIO does have a good amount of early music.
The first movement of op. 115 is as close to heaven as you can get.
btw, I turn 80 next month. |
Schubert,
I use an Arcam streamer. It hooks up with my DAC.
Works very well for me.. |
Are you using a good DAC? |
Jim,
I listened to both of your recommendations.
The Beethoven is a delightful taste of Viennese Classicism.
The Scriabin is wonderful. It looks back to Chopin and forward to Rachmaninoff.
Thank you.
|
Schubert,
I run IDAGIO from an iPad with sensational sound.
You certainly can run it through a laptop. |
Has the SQ improved yet with IDAGIO?
|
Schubert,
+1 for your dislike of Liszt (except for the spectacular exception of the B minor Sonata.) |
It’s all a question of what you like.
I don’t like beets. My wife loves them! |
I’ve ordered the Gilbert recording on your recommendation.
|
Schubert and Jim,
I trust both your recommendations implicitly!
|
I’m not getting email notifications of this thread’s posts anymore.
Anyone else having that problem? |
I jumped the gun, and listened to Gilbert’s “Goldberg” on IDAGIO rather than waiting for the CD to arrive.
First of all, he captures the overwhelming genius of the work.
How does a human create something like that?
The playing itself is gorgeous, as is the sound of the instrument.
Thank you both for your recommendation.
I am indebted to you. |
One wonders. Did music really progress after this? |
Pletnev is another great pianist. One of my favorites.
Also a conductor. |
It may seem blasphemous to some, but there’s a version of the Goldberg Variations for string trio by a group called Trio Zimmermann on IDAGIO, that is quite viable. Given the nature of swapping formats prevalent in the Baroque, it’s not so far out.
The glory still comes through. |
I should amend my last sentence to say: “it’s simply unfair to compare a young pianist to such a dynamo.”
Certainly, there are, of course, other great pianists. But, even so, Horowitz was unique.
|
Will give Tokarev a listen soon. |
Jim,
Comparing anyone to Horowitz is a very tall order. At his best, Horowitz was a force of nature. An incredible showman who could wow you with his incredible technique or reduce you to tears with a simple Chopin waltz. Everything he played he made his own, unique to any other pianist. His sense of phrasing compelled you to hang on every note. Especially at a live concert, he held the audience in the palm of his hand. But even his recordings capture the magic of something being created before your very ears.
I believe it’s simply unfair to compare anyone to such a dynamo.
|
Yes, Tokarev is a very fine young talent. |
