Here are a few that I’ve enjoyed (all stereo):
Mozart PC #25 Brendel/Marriner Philips
Prokofiev VC #1, 2 Chung/Previn London
Prokofiev V Son. #1, 2 Perlman/Ashkenazy London
Stravinsky Rite of Spring Dorati/Detroit London
Horowitz "Late Russian Romantics" (Rachmaninoff, Scriabin) Sony CD
Mozart Complete P Sonatas Eschenbach DG
Haydn "London" Symphonies Davis/Concertgebouw Philips
West Side Story/Porgy and Bess Suites Bennett RCA
Brahms PC #2 Ashkenazy/Haitink London
Stravinsky Firebird complete
von Dohnanyi/VPO London
Shostakovich Sym. #5 Bernstein/NY Columbia/Sony (’59?)
Beethoven Sym. #5 Kleiber/VPO DG
Debussy Nocturnes Monteux/BSO RCA
Holst Planets Mehta/LAPO London
Brahms Sym. #2 Munch/BSO RCA
Respighi Pines/Fountains Reiner/CSO RCA
Copland Appalachian Spring Dorati/LSO Mercury |
I just realized: the Prokofiev sonatas with Perlman/Ashkenazy are on RCA, not London.
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A few more just came to mind:
Ravel Mother Goose Suite Munch/BSO RCA
Bloch Concerti Grossi Hanson Mercury
Mendelssohn Sym. #3/Hebrides Maag/LSO London
Bach Organ Works Karl Richter DG
Beethoven Archduke Trio Frank/Parnas/Borok Sine Qua Non |
I have the LPs of these recordings too. The only exception is the Archduke Trio, which I have on Sine Qua Non cassette and CD. The Horowitz CD comes from 2 LPs which I also have. And I agree, the sound quality of these LPs is uniformly outstanding. The Rite of Spring and Firebird recordings are digital, while the rest are analog.
I find the Dorati Rite on London to be the most "lyrical" recording of the piece that I've heard while lacking none of its savagery, and I've come to prefer it to the other performances I've heard. The only one that even comes close for me in that regard is the Leibowitz on RCA from a Readers Digest set.
The von Dohnanyi/VPO Firebird is very rarely mentioned, yet for me it beats out all the others because of it's flow and continuity, not to mention the incredible virtuosity of the VPO. I'm always left shaking my head at the genius of Stravinsky's orchestration.
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B139? Is that the flat "racetrack" woofer? If it is, I have the same woofer on a pair of KEF C80s. They produce outstanding bass, but I much prefer the B110 mid on the 101s. The T33 tweeter isn't bad, but again I prefer the T27.
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By the way Schubert, I still have the KEF 101s I bought in the early '80s. They have been modified and upgraded and are shockingly good, even when compared to today's high end mini monitors.
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I just realized that the Brahms 2 with Ashkenazy/Haitink is digital too.
I thought of a couple more favorite Dorati recordings on Mercury:
Bartok Miraculous Mandarin complete ballet BBC (the LP needs to be an RFR stamper, not an M)
Dvorak Sym. #7 LSO (tough to find, not the orange label)
Tchaikovsky Sym. #5 LSO
And a few more RCAs:
Sibelius Sym. #2 Monteux/LSO
Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream excerpts Monteux VPO ( only low level sections have good sound) from Victrola series
Wagner Tannhauser Overture, Magic Fire Music, etc. Munch/BSO, also Victrola
Just curious. Any different favorite performances of the pieces I’ve mentioned? I’d be interested. |
BTW, upgrading the internal wiring and replacing the resistor to the T27 was a substantial upgrade to the tweeter’s performance on the 101s. Replacing the wiring and bypassing the overload protection circuit (S-STOP) yielded a big improvement to the entire bass response. I also upgraded as many crossover parts as I was able to. They really sound quite wonderful. In comparison, the stock 101s sounded compressed, bass deficient, and the T27 had noticeable grittiness.
The 101s, both stock and modded, are quite power hungry. I’ve found they sound their best powered by 90wpc Altec monoblocks (modified 1569s). Using this combo, the dynamics are quite impressive too.
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Yes rvpiano, I have the LPs of all the titles that I posted. Any in particular catch your interest? BTW, the Victrolas are all plum labels. |
The Brahms Sym. #2 Munch/BSO on RCA is the only other title that I don't have on LP. I believe its first stereo release was on a Gold Seal LP. I first discovered it on a Gold Seal CD. Although it didn't sound altogether excellent, I heard what I thought was potential if it were given a better CD transfer. I learned that it was a 2-track recorded in '55, so I knew it could be a winner. It subsequently received a good transfer to CD and is coupled with Brahms #4, also with Munch/BSO.
I waited a long time for the Debussy Nocturnes with Monteux/BSO to get a good CD transfer too, although I discovered it on a plum Victrola LP. I started with a mediocre Gold Seal CD. But it was finally released in excellent sound on the 2-CD "Monteux-Great Conductors of the 20th Century". If you don't have the set, it's worth the price for this recording alone if you enjoy CDs.
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There's a good sounding Victrola of Reiner's Song of the Nightingale? Plum label?
I know you'll enjoy the Nocturnes. |
Thanks for the tip on the Nightingale LP. I have the Haitink LP and CD too. Beautiful recording.
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rvpiano,
Glad to hear that you enjoy the Monteux Nocturnes as I do. As far as channel balance, try a mono CD or a jazz CD with a centered vocalist. The Nocturnes can be checked by playing the 2nd movement. There are divided strings that answer back and forth between the right and left channels and should sound equally loud. I have no balance issues with my copy. |
schubert,
It looks like we share the same sentiment regarding the incredible gift that is classical music. There are times when I finish listening to a favorite piece on my stereo that I wonder how this can be LEGAL. Police should be approaching me with handcuffs at the ready. I hear "I’m sorry sir, but that’s twice this week you’ve played the Shostakovich 5th. You’re going in. Don’t you understand there are limits in decent society?" as I’m being led away to the squadcar.
It is simply too good on too many levels - emotionally, intellectually, aurally... I genuinely pity those who don’t share an appreciation for it.
If they only knew what they're missing...
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Schubert,
Bjorling was my father’s favorite tenor, and he was an opera singer himself. Bjorling’s voice was like wallpaper as I was growing up. Quite a story how you heard him first in Vietnam. As the years went on, Franco Corelli displaced him as my father’s favorite, though Bjorling and Domingo were still played very often. By the time I was in my 30s, my love of orchestral music had grown on my father and he only listened to opera occasionally after that.
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To me, that Nocturnes recording is one of the few most neglected recordings from Golden era RCA. It never received a Classic Records or similar audiophile reissue on LP. Same for the West Side Story and Porgy and Bess Suites with Bennett conducting, and the Wagner Munch on RCA Victrola.
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rvpiano,
Please try the Nocturnes with Monteux again now that you have your preferred system back up and running. I'd like to get your opinion. |
rvpiano,
I just reread an earlier post in which you describe the differences between those whose focus was listening vs. playing music, specifically piano music. I listened for many years before taking piano lessons. It took me about 5 years of lessons and intense practice as an adult to convince myself that I'd NEVER be able to produce from a piano what I was hearing in my head. Even the "easy" pieces were far beyond my ability to recreate them as I wished, and only served to demonstrate that there really are no easy pieces. They may be easy to hit all the notes, but to extract the music that lies within is another matter altogether. Humbling. |
rvpiano,
Yes, there is much to be said for the magical experience of having the notes under one's fingers. Kind of like walking on holy ground. Over a period of time though, my lack of ability overshadowed the experience and ultimately left me feeling overwhelmed.
As far as the Nocturnes, is there still an issue with the balance? As far as sound quality, how do you feel it stacks up against other RCAs from the period?
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gdnrbob,
I enjoy listening to non-professionals as well. When I was in college, I seized every opportunity to hear student and faculty piano recitals that came along. There were many times when I was shocked at the quality of the playing, and it always kept me coming back for more. Even after I graduated I continued to attend these recitals for years until I finally moved out of the area.
And yes, it surely does give a greater appreciation for the world-class musicians. |
rvpiano,
I also wanted to ask if you've seen the videos of "Bolet Encounters Rachmaninoff"? It's basically a master class by Bolet on the Rach 3 with 6 very accomplished pianists, one of whom is Barry Douglass. It originally aired on PBS probably 25 or more years ago. I've always thought that this was the best program I've ever seen about classical music. It actually got to the issue of interpretation and the decisions that are, or should be, before the musicians.
Aside from Bolet's many thoughtful critiques and insights, I've always marvelled at the contrast between his playing of some of the passages and the same passage as played by one of his students. While initially I may have been impressed by the apparent virtuosity of the student, it became apparent almost immediately that the music seemed to be literally pouring out of Bolet's hands when he played. The focus no longer became virtuosity or technique, at least not as I had thought of it up to that time. For me it was a fascinating program. If you haven't seen it, you can look it up on YouTube. Given your background, I'd be very interested in your impressions. Thanks.
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vindanpar,
As far as myself, I overdosed on opera before leaving home for college. My father played nothing but Italian opera on his stereo while I was growing up. I just don't crave hearing it. Orchestral, chamber and solo piano make up the bulk of my listening.
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rvpiano,
Thanks for checking that out. Being an accomplished pianist yourself, perhaps the master class was not as intriguing for you as it was for me. I was fascinated by the spectacle of these impressive pianists being put through their paces and baring their artistic souls for Bolet and the public. Some of his critiques must have been quite humbling for these brave musicians.
In the end, I was most impressed by their ability to reshape their interpretations on the fly in response to Bolet’s advice. It demonstrated their true technical command. I had always wondered how much of a particular pianist’s interpretation was dictated by their technique or lack thereof in a piece such as this. I came away even more impressed by them, even though Bolet clearly was operating on an entirely different level. Truly fascinating stuff for me.
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My 2 cents worth on piano recordings:
Arrau Beethoven Waldstein sonata Philips
Richter Liszt Concertos Philips
Eschenbach Mozart Sonatas DG
Horowitz Rach sonata #2, Chopin Polonaise- Fantasie, Etudes Op. 10, #3, 4 and 12, Scriabin
Cortot Chopin
Rubinstein Chopin Nocturnes
Ashkenazy Prokofiev Con. #1, 2 Previn
Pogorelich Ravel Gaspard DG
Zimerman Chopin Concertos Giulini DG
Gould Bach
Fleisher Szell Beethoven Concertos
Kempff Mozart Con. #23, 24 DG
Brendel Mozart Con. #25 Philips
Gilels Mozart Con. #27 DG
Bernstein Shostakovich Con. #2 Columbia
Janis Prokofiev Con. #3, Rach Con. #3 Mercury
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rvpiano,
Wish I could have been there for that Prokofiev 2nd with Ashkenazy!!! |
rvpiano,
Was that the night Wanda brought coffee for the fans waiting in line? |
jcazador and rvpiano,
I saw Pogorelich twice. The first time he played the Prokofiev PC #3. He made the piece look ridiculously easy and looked bored as he walked onstage and as he left. He played the piece with consummate authority.
The second time was a recital that included the Don Juan Fantasy. It was stunning to say the least. He is a remarkable musician who definitely goes his own way. Among other recordings of his that I enjoy are his Beethoven Op. 111, Bach, Prokofiev and Chopin Etudes. All these recordings are on DG.
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I also attended several sessions of the inaugural Ivo Pogorelich Piano Competition in Pasadena, California some 20 years or so ago. I actually got to meet him there, shook his hand and had him sign a commemorative poster of the event, which now sits framed on a wall where I live. He was quite pleasant. The competition attracted many outstanding pianists from all around the globe. I'm uncertain as to whether there was another competition subsequent to that one.
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