jcazador,
Indeed a sad letter to receive. It is a sad situation, unfortunately one that started a long time ago.
And yet, there are so many young people populating orchestras all over the world.
|
|
I listened to most of the Beethoven Blomstedt set on Qobuz.
Outstanding! |
If you haven’t heard it yet, there’s an incredible sounding stream of the soundtrack for the new production of “West Side Story” on Qobuz.
‘Excellent performances and some of the best sound I’ve ever heard.
|
|
|
Jim,
I agree with you. He’s not afraid to take a chance. |
Just listening to Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” (in the recent Teodor Currentzis recording.)
A miracle of Western civilization. |
Try and try though I may, I can’t get into the music of Bruckner.
I guess we all have our blind spots. |
Just discovered an extraordinary young pianist on Idagio named Eric Yu.
it’s not his technique that’s impressive, but his musicianship. Listen to his new album of Chopin preludes. He’s been compared to Perahia and Lupu.
I agree.
|
I predict he will emerge as one of the great ones. |
Sorry, I misspelled his name. It’s Eric Lu. |
Jim,
I’m sorry I didn’t respond sooner, but for some reason, I didn’t get your post in my email. Just saw it now,
Yes, I think he has a very bright future. |
|
Jim,
Again, I have apologize for my late response.
I’m just not getting my emails from Audiogon.
Yes, I hope he’ll get the recognition he deserves soon. |
|
Cherkassky was a giant among giants of the piano.
He could do anything. |
I’ll never forget at a momentous Carnegie Hall gala broadcast on the radio, where many of the leading musicians of the time, including Horowitz, played. Cherkassky, cool as a cucumber, in his eighties rattled off the best performance of the evening.
|
I might have missed one or two retrograde inversions during the performance of the. chorus.
Seriously , though, this mind must have come from a more advanced civilization than we have here on earth. |
Schubert,
Just listening to Olafssohn’s French album.
Really attractive playing. He uses very little pedal in Debussy, helping highlight the similarities between the two composers.
Very fine pianist. I like his playing here more than his Bach. |
Schubert,
I ordered it, and very glad I did.
btw, I haven’t yet received the Frank Sonata.
When I do, I’ll let you know.
|
Schubert,
Yes, Hampson IS maginificent on this disc.
|
Thanks, Al for your recommendations.
Hopefully many more members will follow.
|
Scott_w,
Hopefully you’ll get some ideas on this thread that will turn you on.
Sonically, my recommendations above all are excellent.
You might want to try the Stravinsky L’Histoire du Soldat on HDTT for sonic realism. Maybe the best sound I ever heard. (If you don’t know the site already, Google it. You can purchase a download or a disc.)
|
Every and any contribution is welcome!
|
dweller:
Thanks for mentioning the Living Stereo of Reiner’s Mahler 4.
I’m listening to it now on the XRCD version. Forgot how wonderful it is.
|
Whart:
I still have some of those original Starker recordings (of Beethoven and Brahms) on Period.
schubert:
Based on your rave, I’ve ordered the Chung-Lupu recording of the Frank Sonata.
(other nice repertoire on the CD also)
|
Thanks to all the contributors.
After one day, this site seems to have gotten off to a great start! |
For cello lovers, there’s an incredible, but pricey, set by my favorite cellist called the “Art of Maurice Gendron” on Decca. He was certainly one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, with a tone like liquid gold. The set contains both his solo and concerto recordings. He was like none other with the possible exception of Emanuel Feurman, with whom I believe he studied.
|
+2 for Ivan Moravec. One of the most underrated of pianists.
Wonderful musician.
schubert,
i agree with you about his Brahms playing. |
Gs5556,
Ordered Schubert trios on your recommendation.
|
Just listening to Ars Nova recording of L'Histoire du Soldat available on HDTT.
Stunning performance and sound from the 1950’s
|
I just happened to listen to the same disc yesterday.
Great performances and sound.
|
No posts today.
Have we already run out of steam?
|
I promised in my original post to list some favorite LPs, but, since they’re from so long ago I know they’ll be hard to find.
So, just generally, I’ll recommend some Living Stereo records with Reiner on Analogue Productions. These are readily available.
Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Strauss: Death and Transfiguration (not sonically great, but wonderful rendering)
If anyone wants older recommendations, please let me know. (I still have some 3000 LP’s to go along with over 5000 CDs.) |
Not for nothing, but in a recorded live performance of a symphony or concerto, who is the guy who screams approval a split second after the last note is played?
Does that annoy you as much as it does me?
Or am I just a curmudgeon? |
Schubert,
I agree. If there is a spontaneous reaction from the whole audience, that’s fine.
But, too often, there’s one exhibitionist who just wants to to be heard.
|
+1 to Barbirolli’s Sibelius 2nd and especially to Paray’s Saint-Saens 3rd
|
ANY of Mozart’s Piano Concertos (with the possible exception of the first three numbered concertos which he didn’t actually compose but arranged.) Brendel or Perahia are as good as any pianists in these.
Rachmaninoff: “The Bells” (his favorite composition and mine) for soloists, chorus and orchestra. Not well known, but a masterpiece by this supreme genius whose time has finally come after many years of snobbish derision.
Rattle is excellent in this.
Brahms: Serenades, in D and A Major. Great symphonic compositions from the youthful Brahms. Kertesz on London/Decca is an oldie but goodie.
Glazunov: Violin Concerto. An unjustly neglected work. Beautiful from beginning to end. Oistrakh or Heifetz are supreme
|
On Philps, don’t forget the wonderful Haydn Symphony set by Colin Davis.
I must have seven or eight LPs from that series
|
Re: Rachmaninoff “The Bells”.
I based my recommendation of Simon Rattle in this piece because of a live telecast of him on the Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall site— a truly exciting rendering. Sadly, his Warner Classics CD, IMO, is leaden with the sound to match.
I did a comparison of 12 recordings of “The Bells” and came to the following conclusions: Ashkenazy on Decca/London was my favorite along with Kondrashin on RCA. The former had among the best sound, the latter, unfortunately, the worst. Surprisingly, the non-Russian Jose Serebrier on Warner was among the best performances, with some of the best sound. Semyon Bychkov on Hanssler was similarly good.
Probably more than you wanted to know about this piece.😊
|
Newbee,
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll definitely order it.
Polyansky’s recording of “The Bells” is among the best.
One of the great musical experiences of my life was at a live concert with him conducting Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony. Truly extraordinary.
|
Schubert,
Thomas Hampton Christmas, excellent recommendation.
|
Upon reflection, my comment about the sound of the Gershwin record has to be qualified to reflect my system and, to a certain extent, my taste.
Of course, I can’t guarantee it will sound superlative on all systems.
|
On the lighter side, is an LP titled “Gershwin on Broadway,” with a very young Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the Buffalo Philharmonic in Gershwin overtures.
The panache of the playing is infectious and the sound is world class: One of the best renderings of an orchestra on any medium.
It appears from time to time on Amazon used, also on eBay. Well worth searching for.
Interestingly, there’s a half-speed mastering of it that does not sound as good as the original.
|
Yes, perfection!
My favorite violinist and pianist together.
Red Hot!
I believe they left Russia at the same time.
Oddly, the piano is not in great tune.
|
Gs5556,
Schubert Trios arrived today.
Very nice recommendation!
Gorgeous Schubert, expertly played.
At first, fortepiano took some getting used to.
After that, sounded very natural.
Beautifully recorded. |
Schubert,
You’re not nuts. The biggest difference between LPs and CDs is the air around the instruments.
|
I’m going into withdrawal. My amplifier crapped out AGAIN, so I’m without music. A very sorry state.
I’m getting a new amplifier!! |
Someone else (audioconnection) recommended the Belles Aria monoblocks, but they are a little out of my price range. Right now I’m considering the Red Dragon monoblocks (at half the price.) |
