For you Schumann lovers, there’s a wonderful complete recording of his four symphonies just released, conducted by Christian Thielemann, in a two disc set for the price of one.
Or you can listen to them on IDAGIO.
A really well played and recorded project.
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I just listened to the Bertali Chiacona with Podger
It really Rocks! |
Twoleftears,
The Thielemann recordings of the symphonies has some of the best orchestral sound I ever heard.
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Schubert,
I just listened to the Barbirolli recording of Vaughan-Williams 2nd Symphony.
I also do like it better than the Handley. |
To any who admire piano gymnastics, you have to hear Gyorgy Cziffra play.
Born in the ‘20’s and died in the 90’s, he is perhaps the purist technician I have heard. Whistle clean playing of even the most diabolical pianistic challenges, he amazes.
Idagio has a good collection of his playing. |
Jacazador,
Thank you so much for that recommendation.
Rachmaninoff magic!
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I just compared the SQ of IDAGIO to Qobuz and found IDAGIO’s to be better.
I wonder if anyone else has done this comparison.
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I just re-signed with Qubuz with another free trial offer.
Its useful for Jazz and other music which I may listen to maybe 10% of the time.
Maybe IDAGIO sounds better because of fewer listeners. |
Re: Yuja Wang, not mentioned much on these pages, has the potential to be a great one. Right now, though with incredible technique, she can be a little glib in performance. As she is maturing (in looks, clothing and taste,) she’s beginning to play with more depth and understanding. https://youtu.be/Yxn8E6v8akQCheck out this performance of the Brahms D minor Concerto. |
My ears aren’t so young either!
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Ahofer,
I agree with you. I think all that Jazz is just her.
She is at the point that she no longer needs promotion.
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Gregm,
Nice list.
Welcome to the thread.
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Just listening to a new recording beautifully performed by the Danish String Quartet of maybe the greatest movement ever written: Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge (on Adagio.) |
Schubert,
Music will survive all the aberrations. |
Schubert,
Yes, I heard the whole op.130 as well.
I was just blown away by the greatness of the fugue.
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An interesting thought occurred to me: Ever notice how the “”first” concerto, symphony, sonata etc. by a composer commonly has a youthful freshness to it that is usually delightful. Examples are Schumann’s First Symphony, Beethoven’s First Symphony, Violin Sonata, Piano Concerto, Mahler’s First Symphony, Brahms’ First Piano Concerto, Prokofiev’s First Piano Concerto and Symphony, Schubert’s First Piano Trio, etc.
Maybe you can think of others. |
Jim,
I’m just now listening to Rachmaninoff’s 1st with Pletnev. I see what you mean.
Really authoritative. He brings out so many interesting things and makes it sound like a major symphony. Wonderful!
I can really hear the Tchaikovsky influence in this interpretation.
What a shame that the first performance, with a drunken Glazunov conducting, messed Rachmaninoff up so much.
Also a great pity that this great, great composer wrote so relatively little.
Think of how the world would be enriched if circumstances were different, and he had a full life of composing!
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Funny, I’m just listening to the Mahler 1st now on Idagio in what I think is the best performance I ever heard, with Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
I just discovered it. |
Jim,
I agree with you about Rachmaninoff’s 1st. Very underrated. |
Schubert,
I'm just watching Ivan Fischer live from Berlin on the Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall (available by subscription.) Performing Prokofiev, Debussy and Ravel.
He is quite a conductor. |
Check out Pletnev in Rachmaninoff’s “The Bells.” Superb!
on the same set as the symphonies on IDAGIO.
What a talent Pletnev is. A great pianist as well as conductor.
He loves Rachmaninoff. |
Gorgeous playing from Richter. |
The Bells was Rachmaninoff’s personal favorite of all his compositions. |
Schubert,
Watched the documentary.
Some very fine playing! |
Just heard the most incredible performance of the Rachmaninoff First Concerto there is to my knowledge. Krystian Zimerman with Seji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony, on Idagio. I don’t know how this recording ever eluded me over the years.
Brilliant beyond imagination, with recorded sound to match.
You owe it to yourself to listen to this interpretation.
Rachmaninoff shines! |
My pleasure.
i too have loved the Wild-Horenstein interpretations of the Rachmaninoff concertos, Ever since they appeared on LP.
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If you want to be impressed, Google Earl Wild. |
Jcazador,
Thank you for that quote about the greatest pianist of them all.
Memorable.
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Newbee,
Actually, Rachmaninoff became so depressed after the first performance of the First Symphony because of adverse criticism, he stopped composing for a while and never returned to it. It’s the First Concerto that he revised later on in life.
The Symphonic Dances are indeed a departure from his usual style. |
Daniel Triifonov has written a wonderful new piano arrangement of the first movement of The Bells, Rachmaninoff’s favorite composition.
Along with the First and Third Concerto, it can be heard on Idagio.
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What’s interesting about the Rach 1st is that, even though it’s labeled #1, it was reworked by the composer later in his life, so that it is really representative of his maturity, and as such a truly great concerto.
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Edcyn,
I, too, have two LP’s and one CD of that recording.
And, yes, the CD also sounds terrific.
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Twoleftears,
There is a wide volume range on all Currentzis recordings.
probably deliberately so. |
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Jcazador,
Fascinating article by Ted Giola.
Never knew the secular side of that spiritual man was so prominent.
Thanks for posting.
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Jcazador,
Thank you again for your revelations.
Jeux, to me, is fascinating and Debussy’s greatest work. I cant stop listening to it. |
For a truly ear opening experience, listen to Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique performed on original instruments from 1830, by Francois-Xavier Roth and his group Les Siècles. Of course this work was a true revolution in sound when it was written, but not quite as magniloquent as when it’s played on modern instruments.
It really is instructive to hear it with the sonorities of the time in which it was written. Not quite as bombastically fantastic as we usually hear it, but revolutionary and extraordinary nonetheless.
Its available on Idagio.
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After living through so many years of denigration by music’s so called keepers of the art, Rachmaninoff’s time has finally come. There was a time he was shunned as second class “pop” classical music. Now, all genres of his music are performed regularly on stage and recording studios.
Ashkenazy is probably my favorite interpreter. But there’s no lack of good performers of his work. I particularly like Pletnev as both conductor and pianist. He is a true lover of Rachmaninoff. Historically, his colleague, Eugene Ormandy’s renditions are wonderful. Also, Andre Previn. |
Rachmaninoff’s genius was always recognized in Russia. That tradition can be heard in the work of many current Russian conductors and pianists.
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Of course, I forgot to mention Rachmaninoff himself. |
Schubert,
Yes, I was just going to post a reference to that Volodos performance myself!
What a beautiful performance from this musician who first made his name with his incomparable transcendental technique. |
I find Trifanov’s performance of the 1st and 4th Concertos effective but the 2nd and 3rd not so much. Its as though he’s sleepwalking through the 3rd, perhaps trying to be original. Volodos’ rendering is wonderful. Katia is quite an imaginative pianist with a dazzling technique. |
Currentzis’ Mahler 6th ain't bad either. |
Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata slow movement (3rd movement:)
music shouldnt be this beautiful. |
If you can find Volodos’ arrangement for piano (and performance) of the slow movement of Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata you’ll find heaven. I’ll try to find it and post it. Here it is: https://youtu.be/WFM6vwUoZiI |
+1 for Pletnev
Great musician and wonderful pianist.. |
Idagio has numerous search engines to find whatever your looking for quickly.
Tremendous catalog of classical works, including, in some cases, multiple versions of the same performance.
And the SQ to my ears is superior to Qobuz.
Wonderful service.
From what I’ve seen of Primephonic, it’s not nearly as extensive.
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Sounds great! Cannot find it for sale anywhere.
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