Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #25)

Try this, Ives symphonies 2 & 3, Lenny, NYPO, good sound, great understanding of the music:

 

I go for the emotional trainwreck of Bernstein's Columbia recording with the NYPO.

 

With any luck it will arrive before Thursday afternoon when I will have a good couple of hours to listen attentively. Otherwise it's put off until next week...

 

Now playing CD4, the last CD - Devotion to our Lady from this set for a first listen ...



This CD is the same as the following CD.

 

Jay, Let me know how you like the SACD. I bought it a while back, though I have only played the stereo layer so far ...

 

Agreed! There are also a couple live performance on Testament if Barbirolli appeals to you... Of those I'd probably start with the one with the New Philharmonia which was done at the same time as the studio set on EMI.

 

I like lots of Ives but to me his two masterpieces are the Concord Sonata and the Symphony #4. Both can be picked up cheap in great renditions: Gilbert Kalish on Nonesuch for the sonata and Michael Tilson Thomas on Sony for the symphony. Enjoy!

 

I cannot find them locally here in Rochester except well maybe if I do a sixty mile round trip and I never feel like doing that.

Thank you I'll take a look at it that release.

Yeah a few months is more like it.

I'm here!

I can't believe some of you guys order stuff all the way from Europe? Man, am I out of touch here?
JPC comes to mind, and where else?

 

Is this the same performance of the 2nd symphony, or a later one?

 

Since I'm in Europe I would say that Grooves-Inc.De, JPC.De, Amazon.Co.Uk (especially its Marketplace), eBay (mostly eBay.Co.Uk and eBay.De) and, occasionally, PrestoClassical.Co.Uk and MDT.Co.Uk (the former has much better shipping rates for box sets) serve all my needs pretty well.

JPC.De, Grooves-Inc.De (or, for that matter, Grooves-Inc.Co.Uk or Grooves-Inc.Ch or Grooves-Inc.Com, which are the same outfit with different currencies; be careful with the exchange rates and always choose the best) and Amazon's Marketplace are especially good (sometimes unbelievably good, actually) if I want the best savings available on this planet.

You may (and obviously should) add the US Amazon (and its Marketplace) and some other local etailers (say, ImportCDs.Com) to your go-to list.

 

Lenny was under two different contracts (Sony and DG), so obviously those must be two different recordings.

 

Just noticed ''Digital Recording'' in the upper corner. Guess it's later.... I'll then ask which most prefer?

 

I only have the Sony, so I can't compare...

 

The Complete Idiot's Guide To Charles Ives [as written by a complete idiot]

Both—the couplings are different and both are excellent. The sound on the old recording is more natural, the DGG is more detailed. Both performances are first rate, both include Lenny's re-write of the final bars. It reminds me of what Stokowski did to Beethoven's Ninth, exaggerate and partially re-write/re-orchestrate the finale. Whatever, nobody else's performances have the panache, the sense of commitment, that American quality. Get both. If you have to point a gun at my head, get the earlier recording first.

 

MDT and Presto Classical are both UK based and are excellent outfits IMO. You will be surprised I can receive my orders in a few days from Europe. My last and first order with JPC arrived on Friday when I placed my order Sunday evening ...

 

Music From Big Ego

Also did a bit of work for UK Decca including a memorable Das Lied von der Erde. Early on, Bernstein was contracted to American Decca and I even recall a late Hungeroton disc of Bartok [among others], with the Maestro wearing a jacket lettered: Big B.

 

Andrei, I was miffed when I saw a Bach WTC I & II available as a set a while back on Amazon UK but the MarketPlace seller would not ship outside the UK ...

 

I actually read all posts from day 1 on thread 1 on. Took me two months, and it wasn't till then I made my first post in thread #18.

I actually remember a lot of those 24,000 posts.

 

Just as Karajan would have different versions of the same work released by both EMI and DG ...

 

Was that for "Bartok" or was that for "Bernstein"?

 

Now playing CD5 - Etudes-tableaux from the following set for a first listen ...

 

Budapest.?

 

Just Like Joni Mitchell's Blues

That was for his immense, er, ah—EGO.

 

Mahler
Symphony No. 1 in D
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Georg Solti
(recorded in Kingsway Hall, London, Jan/Feb 1964)



Georg Solti has taken a lot of criticism for his flamboyant approach, which, they say, glosses over the inner subtleties and deeper meanings in the music he conducts. This may often be true, but for a musician with as long a career as his, it stands to reason that he couldn’t have been wrong all the time. Here, I think we can see an example of both in this well-respected recording.

Things start out swimmingly in the symphony’s bucolic opening. The in weiter Entfernung (in the distance) trumpet fanfares sound appropriately far away, completely off-stage in fact, and it sounds as if they were actually recorded that way, although Mahler doesn’t call for that in actual performance. Solti observes the ‘exposition’ repeat. The movement moves along nicely, with what sounds like the right tempo. During the entire movement the feeling of nature’s wonder and mystery is never lost; there’s plenty of delicacy when called for, and lots of power, especially from the low brass when that’s needed.

Some experienced listeners might be put off by the brisk tempos Solti takes in the second movement. I suppose some conductors are intimidated by the opening instruction Kraftig bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell (move vigerously, but not too fast). But to his credit Solti plays this movement for what it is. One cannot dismiss the image of heavy footed peasants happily dancing in a truly care free moment. Solti observes this movement’s repeat. Then after a few minutes of this Mahler then puts on the brakes and whisks us to a genteel ballroom for a civilized waltz, worthy of any in Vienna‘s high society. Shortly, we’re back with the peasants for a reprise of their fun block party. There’s no need to search for any deep and heavy hidden meaning here, and Solti sits back and lets his light tempos propel the music.

Ah, but then the third movement arrives. Right away the bass soloist starts the “Frère Jacques” round with a tone too pretty, too in-tune, and with too much vibrato. As the strings, winds and brass gradually join in, things are mostly vibrato-free ("It‘s for you Sir Georg, Roger Norrington‘s on the line"). Then the ‘Jewish’ section is played just too straight. The right feeling is mostly there; simply playing the notes correctly assures that. There just ain’t no schmaltz, and once you hear this movement played with a liberal dose of chicken fat, you miss it when it’s not there.

The fourth movement leaves little room for negative criticism, in my opinion. The hellish din is certainly there, and the quiet moments recalling the first movement’s homage to nature are tender enough. The tempos seem right to me. The slow section in the middle is gorgeous, and the climax is appropriately large. I’ve read that in those days, the LSO was giving the “superior” New Philharmonia a serious run for its money, and from what is heard on this, the story rings true. Overall, this is a keeper, although not necessarily a must have. Even the slight misdirection in the third movement isn’t a huge deal breaker.

 

Now playing CD8 - conclusion of M9 from the following set for a first listen ...