The Classical Music Guide Forums

CharmNewton

https://www.universalmusic.com/labels/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Music_Group Thus, EMI Classics is now owned by Warner because of the EU's opposition to Universal's acquisition of the label, in spite of the claim of ownership and the misleading display of the EMI logo still on Univers...

CharmNewton

Just another senior moment, John! :oops: My apologies for any confusion. I was actually thinking of the Tasmin Little and Jennifer Pike recordings of the Elgar Sonata that feature Roscoe: I was thinking that was the case. I was very curious about these works and listened to both the Piano Quintet a...

CharmNewton

John, I wrote to Cyrus Meher-Homji, who heads Eloquence with your suggestion. This was his reply: Hi Barney Thanks for writing. We’re doing American Decca recordings, not American Capitol recordings so the Hollywoods can’t be included. I’m not even sure we own them. All best Cyrus So, for me, a big...

CharmNewton

I am still patiently awaiting the Ida Haendel box - and you already have the Slenczynska set - really lucky you! Of course, those Eloquence sets originate in Australia so it is reasonable you would have it first! The only one I'm not sure about yet is the Boulanger. Amazon shows the Slenczynska set...

CharmNewton

I've been listening to Kempff's stereo cycle over the last four weeks or so and am up to Sonata No. 28. I also started listening to his mono Concerto cycle as well. I wouldn't be interested in the DG box. I have long had the impression that Kempff was a lyric and poetic pianist, but listening to the...

CharmNewton

'm also very interested in acquiring this recent release of piano quintets by Elgar & Beach with the Takacs Quartet, which has been very well received by reviewers on amazon. Frankly, I have not been impressed with Ms.Beach's compositions, but the Elgar Quintet is an overlooked gem.I have not heard...

CharmNewton

Thank you for mentioning this set, Lance. A must have for me. It looks like all those interesting "record people" (as opposed to bean counters) from French EMI have found a home at Erato, although I think Warner Classics is headquartered in Paris. I was just thinking how nice it would be if Warner i...

CharmNewton

Sony seems to released another run of this set. Amazon.com lists 10 copies available. I bought my copy from ArchivMusic.com, which also reports it in stock.

John

CharmNewton

The United States is a constitutional republic, not a democracy. It was designed that way to preserve the stake of smaller states in the nation as a whole and larger states cannot impose their will by sheer large numbers. For change to be peacefully embraced by a nation, there has to be substantial ...

CharmNewton

Nice to hear Midori is back at the microphones. I prepared her piano for a concert with Robert McDonald as her piano collaborator. Much as I admire her artistry, I hate to tell you how many recordings I have of Beethoven's Violin Concerto not to mention the two Romances. Do I really need another VC...

CharmNewton

Excellent point re Richter. I've watched the famous film,YouTube videos and have many pictures in books of Richter, and I can't recall hm smiling. He must have, surely. Neither did Rubinstein, for that matter, IIRC. He was famously stone-faced when he played. I guess he preferred to let the music s...

CharmNewton

I remember buying the various Perahia Bach recordings as they came out - the English and the French Suites. But I haven't listened to them a great deal since. The Well-Tempered Clavier is my 'go to' in Bach. I can't get enough of it. But perhaps it's time to pull the English Suites and give them a ...

CharmNewton

Thanks, John, for a most interesting perspective on your listening experience. :) I agree that Murray Perahia is quite a bit more subtle in his approach to these works and to Bach in general than others, but his understated readings do appeal to my taste, especially his recent release on DGG of the...

CharmNewton

Thank you, very interesting analysis.I do not have your recordings,and only one set of the English, Schiff’s cd set of several years ago on Decca.I do tend to enjoy the English Suites more than the French Suites. I considered buying Schiff's collected Bach recordings before undertaking this adventu...

CharmNewton

Thank you John for a very interesting post. I am really interested in your observations. I don't have many complete collectons of the English suites, but one I do have and like that you didn't mention is Angela Hewitt. Until recently I hadn't heard any of Ms. Hewitt's Bach recordings. The local cla...

CharmNewton

I had the pleasure of listening to five complete recordings of these suites over the past several weeks. The idea was to just listen each suite played by the five artists and then move on to the next. These were the recordings: Glenn Gould https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41HEfvYR8XL._AC_UY218_.j...

CharmNewton

A further thought. I do have the EMI 36-CD edition entitled "The Complete EMI Recordings and Live Concerts," which I acquired in 2010. Now Warner/Erato comes forth with another "complete" edition comprised of 55 CDs. The 1969 Japan recital was once issued on the Weitblick label [0021], now in this ...

CharmNewton

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61aijI5a%2BKL._SX425_.jpg I had never heard of this pianist, but was curious. Australian Decca has reissued a number of long forgotten recordings by now unfamiliar artists. I listened to this set on Spotify (Amazon Prime members can also listen there...

CharmNewton

I've listened to a little over half the set and am happy to have it. Reiner favored fast tempi wedded to tight ensemble in the 1940s. His Beethoven 2nd holds its own with any version ever recorded. In a word--bracing. The recordeed sound often is very good with a great deal of presence. That presenc...

CharmNewton

I don't have the Membran set, but it looks like about half the set is duplicated in the Decca and APR sets. The Decca and APR are all mono material. Membran also includes some of her stereo recordings made for EMI (Grieg/Schumann Concertos, Chopin Nocturnes and Waltzes, and Khachaturian Concerto). I...

CharmNewton

Glenn Gould always preferred his New York Steinway until it was dropped and "allegedly" brought back to its supposed original condition. He was not happy with the end results and looked around for his next piano, which was a Yamaha. Near as I know, Gould never played nor performed on a Bosendorfer ...

CharmNewton

I've been listening to several large scale works from the Sony Barbirolli box (Brahms 2, Sibelius 1 & 2, and some Baroque suites) and find the playing and readings dull. The set wasn't helped by airless sound which led to some wooden phrasing. Sibelius 2 was probably the best of the group. Sibelius ...

CharmNewton

Frederick Stock conducted the world première of the First Symphony with the Chicago Symphony as part of a series of concerts held at the 1933 World's Fair (Century of Progress Exposition). The concert was broadcast over the NBC networks and was likely recorded (although none of the recordings have y...

CharmNewton

I have several discs of Still's music and enjoy it. Tuneful and colorful, he wrote for many instrumental combinations as well as for voice. It started with a song titled "Golden Days" I heard on the radio played by the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra with soprano Margaret Astrup. Thanks for the reminder...

CharmNewton

I don't care for multi-disc mini-gatefold covers used in these sets. They can be really tight and present risk of damaging the disc as well as the cover. The outer boxes seem standardized and perhaps that drives the packaging. I'd prefer they packaged the multi-disc sets in a small mini-album box wi...

CharmNewton

When I learned of her passing, the EMI recording of the Sibelius Concerto with Berglund was the first of her recordings to come to mind. I was captivated by it nearly 40 years ago and bought it the next day. Re-listening, I was captivated again and will re-visit some other recordings over time as we...

CharmNewton

Besides Warner, Backhaus also made recordings for Victor during his tour of the U.S. in 1908. Yes,I believe the ones on the Pearl 2-cd set of his 1908-1925 acoustics. I was incorrect in stating Backhaus had recorded for Victor in 1908. I discovered this checking Julian Morton Moses' Collector's Gui...

CharmNewton

Having enjoyed the COMMAND LP recordings of Beethoven's symphonies with the Pittsburgh Symphony under the baton of William Steinberg , I was happy to recently acquire the 5-CD boxed set from DGG 483 8344 giving us all the symphonies plus the third Leonore Overture. Unlike other sets of this music (...

CharmNewton

I just listened to the Aria via Spotify. It was very beautifully performed. Both sections were repeated with varied and simple ornamentation. Timing was 5:21, but doesn't sound slow.
I've been listening to much Bach of late and look forward to hearing this recording.
John

CharmNewton

Thanks for posting that, John; I will watch with interest. But last night I spent some time watching her on YouTube, and she was very fine. I'm surprised that I was never aware of her. I don't believe most of her recordings had much circulation outside of France. This would particularly true for th...

CharmNewton

I didn't have the time to check the newsletter from Presto Classical yesterday and I'm glad I didn't as this news would have saddened the day. She was probably best known as Lakmé, but she sang a wide range of music from the Classical period into the 20th Century. She recorded many obscure French op...

CharmNewton

I have this set as well. I've admired Backhaus since hearing some of his early electrical recordings issued on LPs by Music & Arts in the mid 1970s. Critical opinion of Backhaus around the time he died was that he mechanical and a bit cold. It didn't sound like that to me. Backhaus plays with clarit...

CharmNewton

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Pewv%2Bd6CL._SY355_.jpg I was happy to see DG had issued this set earlier this month. This may be its first official release as a complete cycle--there are two issues available taken from LPs. I remember seeing the LPs discounted as remainders many...

CharmNewton

Lance, you are right about their being the preeminent quartet among American quartets from the mid-1960s and into the 1970s for their youth, interpretive warmth, virtuosity and rich sonority. Very different from the Juilliard Quartet, another great and expressive quartet, but one that did not cultiv...

CharmNewton

I first met him (sonically, not in person) with a pair of Boccherini quintets on LP that I loved. That recording is very possibly his first, from the early 1960s during his time at Juilliard. David Soyer, an outstanding cellist, and Michael Tree became lifelong members of the Guarneri Quartet. John

CharmNewton

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Sat May 02, 2020 12:55 pm

CharmNewton wrote: ↑
Sat May 02, 2020 10:08 am
... introduced his accompanist, Brooks Smith, as a friend of the family who had also accompanied his father...
The Brooks Smith who also accompanied Heifetz earlier ?

Yes.

CharmNewton

I learned of his passing in a newsletter from Presto Classical. I saw him in recital in Chicago in the late 1980s. He was very engaging, loved to talk with the audience, introduced his accompanist, Brooks Smith, as a friend of the family who had also accompanied his father, obviously loved to play a...

CharmNewton

I wasn't familiar with him either, but a bit of checking shows he had a major career primarily centered in Italy with occasional visits to other parts of the world. His recording of Tosca (as Scarpia) with Alexander Rhabari on Naxos is still in print after more than 25 years. Several DVDs are also i...

CharmNewton

Recently finding a misplaced 78 RPM stylus for the Stanton 500 series of cartridges, I was able to re-visit some sets that I haven't played in decades. Beethoven : Sonata no.3 for Cello and Piano, Op. 69 (Felix Salmond, cellist and Simeon Rumschiskey, pianist, Columbia Set 38) One of U.S. Columbia's...

CharmNewton

Lance, I'm glad you posted this as I was just thinking of Ward last night and this morning. I can't think of Vox or Arabesque Records and not think of Ward, his recorded output as a producer for the former is simply staggering. He attributed that to his engineer being a :"whiz with a razor blade (i....

CharmNewton

In the mid-to-late 1980s I attended a concert of Schiff playing the Well-Tempered Clavier Book II. It was split into 3 parts with 8 Preludes and Fugues in each. It was an impressive concert in that he played it entirely from memory. But it was also a tough listen over a very long afternoon. I was gl...

CharmNewton

Wow this work was new to me-lovely! Regards, Len It's a wonderful comedy, brimming with arias, ensembles and choruses. Boskovsky's 1975 recording on Warner is probably the best known and is readily available. There may be videos on DVD as well. I think Suppé is waiting to be re-discovered. Boccacci...

CharmNewton

I prefer the warmth and richness of Mr. Prey and appreciate he recorded so much lighter repertoire. I've come to love operetta. Here is a recording of a duet from Suppé's Boccaccio , "Rosen für dich", with Anneliese Rothenberger recorded in 1964. iLNsScLqAKU This duet wasn't included in Boskovsky's ...

CharmNewton

The Wikipedia Article for Alexis Weissenberg links to his archive site, which includes a considerable amount audio and video material which may be of interest to CMG members. Have patience as the recording thumbnails take a while to load. Alexis Weissenberg Archive: https://alexisweissenbergarchive....

CharmNewton

John, my most humble apologies! How I could have confused Weissenberg with Ciccolini, I do not know. The 10-CD Weissenberg "Icon" box is [79086], the complete RCA 30150, 7 CDs, and the complete DGG 482 5534, 4 CDs. Weissenberg can also be found on a number of other labels (live recitals, etc.), suc...

CharmNewton

I have the mega-box of Weissenberg and I believe the Lumen recordings are to be found there in [EMI-Warner 85824, 56 CDs]. It was issued around 2010 and I believe already out-of-print, and not available even on the used market. If the Lumens are not in the big 56-CD set, they are available on Dorem...

CharmNewton

Isn't it interesting that Amazon shows Entremont's complete concerto recordings box on Sony for almost $300.00! Hard to believe as when first released it was on sale for $35 for 19 CDs. Insofar as Pennario's Capitol recordings go, either EMI or Warner have already issued a number of the Capitol/EMI...

CharmNewton

Since Sony issued all the concertos by Philippe Entremont, might there be a complete box of all his solo recordings for the label? Warner might consider issuing a PENNARIO boxed set. There were some JS Bach works that never made it to LP or CD. Am I dreaming? After about 3 years, Sony has issued a ...

CharmNewton

It's still available from European Amazon affiliates--about $225 + shipping from Amazon in Germany, for example. That shipping from Germany is probably another $20-25, but they will subtract the VAT.

John

CharmNewton

If you're signed up for Spotify or another service with a good coverage of classical music why not make your self a playlist and listen to what you want. I listened to the Rothenberger Lulu on Spotify as well as sampled some of Leonard Bernstein's piano music on a recent DG download only collection....

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