The Classical Music Guide Forums

scififan

A good while back I bought a mono cassette recording of Thurston Dart's 1958 recording of the Bach Brandenburg Concertos. Around the same time i got the vinyl recording of the set conducted by Menuhin. At the time the Menuhin version was regarded as superior. Well, I finally downloaded a remastered ...

scififan

I downloaded the 1952 Haydn Society recording of the complete Beethoven String Quartets by the Vegh Quartet. They were available in good mono for the ridiculous price of 3.99 Euro! :o I have the celebrated 1972 stereo version but it should be interesting to contrast this earlier version. So far, I'v...

scififan

I have over a dozen Brilliant Classics box sets and they are almost always good, very often quite great. The idea that box sets are assembled from scraps off the cutting room floor of obscure Eastern European orchestras just plain doesn't apply any more. Recordings that were full price just ten yea...

scififan

I finished listening to the 1959 recording of Lucia Di Lammermoor from Covent Garden with Sutherland, Gibon, Shaw and Rouleau with Tullio Serafin conducting. I really enjoyed it and the wonderful ambience of a live performance. This was broadcast only days after Sutherland's brilliant debut in the r...

scififan

I listened to the first act of Lucia di Lammermoor in the 1955 live recording with Callas, di Stefano and Panerai. Karajan is conducting the RIAS Symphony Orchestra. Panerai has been criticized in that opening scene, but I found him appropriately dramatically venomous. I also sensed an atmosphere of...

scififan

I've long had a love affair with Lucis di Lammermoor which I first saw live with Roberta Peters. I managed th hear (on a dicey AM connection) the radio broadcast of Joan Sutherland's Met debut in that part. She was applauded for 30 minutes after the "Mad Scene"! Anyhow I have downloaded three versio...

scififan

I enjoyed a re-exploration of The Barber of Seville with Maria Callas, Luigi Alva and Tito Gobbi from 1957. While not really complete it is still very enjoyable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fDRqMeJJsA

scififan

With Haydn's symphonies 38 and 39, one is certainly in the "Sturm und Drang" period. No. 38 "The Echo" is in the joyfully energetic C major. The energy of the first movement is followed by the lovely adagio which give the symphony its name. The trio of the minuet has a delicate part for oboe and str...

scififan

I listened to a cluster of Haydn symphonies, {Dorati, Philharmonia Hungarica} specifically numbers 34 to 37. Number 34 is in D minor and has a beautiful opening Adagio. It is the single movement I enjoyed the most in this group. It is deeply meditative and introspective rather than sorrowing but has...

scififan

Stowkowski's orchestration of Pictures At An Exhibition is worth hearing even though the work is presented in a truncated version which includes only 7 of the 10 pictures.

scififan

I am a creature of habit! :D http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51hB6TqeG3L.jpg Mily Balakirev Symphony No. 1 Russian State Symphony Orchestra Igor Golovschin conducting. This is the CD I have. I note that you have two by Svetlanov. Do you think those interpretations have a special quality that ...

scififan

Haydn's symphonies 30-33 are all interesting. No. 30 "Alleluja" is in C Major as are Nos. 32 and 33. The "Alleluja" is a charming mini-symphony in 3 movements. The Andante has a delectable part for the flute and the concluding minuet is quite enjoyable--again with nice solo passages in the trio. Nos...

scififan

I would strongly recommend Haydn's Symphony no. 28 in A major. The first movement, an Allegeo molto, has a restless intensity with a mixture of light and shade which reminds me of the Sturm und Drang symphonies. I note that this work is not included in Pinnock's 6 CD set of those symphonies. Perhaps...

scififan

I've decided to listen again to a period recording of Der Messias sung in German and using the Mozart arrangement. it is on EMI Classics CDS 7 54353 2. Here's a good review of it. http://www.mundoclasico.com/ed/documentos/doc-ver.aspx?id=201ce510-460b-4002-bfe1-2f058db46bfa I would add that my recor...

scififan

I continue my tour through the Haydn symphonies--mainly through the complete Dorati set. This time it was no.25 in C Major. It is a short three movement piece with some drama in the first movement. The "Lamentation" work is next and I expect it will be more intense. I an thinking seriously of invest...

scififan

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/614GcNn1VYL._SY355_.jpg Franz Joseph Haydn Symphony No 82, 83 & 84 Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Sigiswald Kuijken conducting. This is my choice as this year's stocking filler; spread the gospel I say: give the gift of music. This is a lovely, readily a...

scififan

I only recently bought the set of Bruckner symphonies in the Centurion 10 CD box collection ( IEC 10018}. These are generally older recordings in mono but they remain well worth hearing. There is an excellent review of the set by Larry VanDeSande which corrects the errors which are found in the vari...

scififan

I listened with great pleasure to Haydn's Symphony no.22: The Philosopher" (Dorati: Philharmonia Hungarica}. An interesting aspect of this great set {which can be downloaded complete quite economically in the iTunes Store--but at 256Kbps} is that Dorati includes alternate versions of some of the sym...

scififan

Bernstein Century: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue: Columbia Symphony Orchestra: Leonard Bernstein, Piano and Conductor An American In Paris Ferde Grofé Grand Canyon Suite New York Philharmonic Leonard Bernstein Sony CD SMK 63086 I think this is still one of the very best versions of the Gershwin Rhapso...

scififan

i listened to the Borodin String Quartet no.2 in D played by the Hollywood String Quartet on a 1952 mono recording. I haven't heard this for some time and I was amazed at the subtle, intellectual and very beautiful sense of control in this very romantic work. The sound is pretty good too with the fi...

scififan

R.I.P.

scififan

Bernstein Century: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue: Columbia Symphony Orchestra: Leonard Bernstein, Piano and Conductor An American In Paris Ferde Grofé Grand Canyon Suite New York Philharmonic Leonard Bernstein Sony CD SMK 63086 I think this is still one of the very best versions of the Gershwin Rhapso...

scififan

I listened to Haydn's Symphonies 16-19 {Dorati-Philharmonia Hungarica}. They are all light 3 movement works. Number 18 hardly seems a symphony with an opening Andante molto followed by an Allegro molto and ending with a Tempo di menuet . That kind of pattern is very reminiscent of many of the Baryto...

scififan

Dvořák: Four-Hand Piano Music Vol.2: Slavonic Dances Opp 46 and 72 Played by Christian Köhn & Silke-Thora Matthies. (Naxos 8.553138}. I found I quite enjoyed this CD which is played with enthusiasm.

scififan

I listened to A Recital of Scarlatti Sonatas played by George Malcolm. It's a vinyl on Decca Eclipse ECS 542. The recording is from 1970 but still sounds quite pleasant. Malcolm achieves a remarkable amount of quite engaging tone colour in the recital which makes me wonder if he was using a Pleyel o...

scififan

I decided to work through the Beethoven String Quartets again. My complete set is that of the Vegh Quartet {Valois V 4400} on CD but I have their famous recordings of the late quartets on Vinyl. I also have the Busch series, Th Guarneri Quartet, the Hollywood Quartet's recordings, the Cleveland Quar...

scififan

Happy Birthday!

I have her on a vinyl set of Lucia di Lammermoor from 1959. It seems that it is available on CD. I haven't heard it so I don't know how good the remastering is. The vinyl still sounds good.

scififan

Amongst the piano transcriptions, I enjoy the live Barenboim performance. Wanda Landowska does an interesting performance on the harpsichord from the fifties--though the harpsichord is certainly not a Baroque period instrument. I also rather enjoy the transcription for Jazz Trio by Jacque Loussier! ...

scififan

May he Rest in Peace.

scififan

Beautiful!

scififan

I'm listening to
Shostakovich's 5th symphony--Mravinsky and the Leningrad Philharmonic.

scififan

I listened to Haydn;s Symphony no 13 in D from my Dorati collection. No unlucky number here! :D The outer movements are burnished and vigorous, there is a stunning Cello solo in the slow movement, and a minuet which makes significant use of the tympani while the contrasting trio has a delightful flu...

scififan

I've been listening to lots of Wanda Landowska from the recordings available on Internet Archive {which I've mentioned in another thread). There's a collection of Scarlatti sonatas there. Now I know that P.I. people {with some justification} object to her use of a Pleyel Harpsichord. But Landowska d...

scififan

I have just downloaded Bach's Goldberg Variations played by Wanda Landowska. These are transfers made by F. Reeder at a very high quality MP3 bitrate from the original 78RPM recordings made by Landowska in 1945. Possibly because of the capacity limitations of the 78RPM disc, she doesn't take the rep...

scififan

I am listening to The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1 played (IMHO incomparably) by Rosalyn Tureck.

scififan

Van Cliburn/Kondrashin was the first piano concerto in stereo I ever heard (and the Tchaikovsky 5th (on mono Camden! :oops: ) was the first symphony} and I have always enjoyed it since. I like Entremont/Bernstein too. And the Solomon recording is yet another first! Thank you so much for posting it J...

scififan

I began listening to the Bilson/Gardiner Period performances of Mozart's Piano concertos. I began with one that I've very seldom heard--the Piano concerto no 7 in F major for three pianos. I found it a very pleasant experience. It's not a great masterpiece but the three soloists do get some nice fil...

scififan

I still have a fair number of cassettes and two portable players. I recently bought a cassette player by Ion which allows one to transfer the music to iTunes. The quality level is adjustable and the transfer can be monitored via headphones or through the computer speakers. Ion provides software whic...

scififan

I like the cycle too. I recall reading a review stating that Schmidt-Isserstedt has a sensitivity that beautifully complements the great strength and vigour of Backhaus. I personally would agree that is the case.

scififan

I finally broke down and downloaded the Complete Mozart Concertos played on period instruments (Malcolm Bilson, John Eliot Gardiner, Engish Baroque Soloists}. I already have the Beethoven Period set done by Robert Levin with the Monteverdi Choir, The Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique & John El...

scififan

Listened once again to my rather old CD set of Haydn's Opus 33 String Quartets played by the Weller Quartet. The two Decca CDs also have Op. 1 no 1, and Op. 103 as fillers. They are on Decca 433 691-2 and 433 692-2. I got them first on vinyl and later on compact Disc. I don't know if they are easily...

scififan

I just bought that on Naxos with the Budapest Falloni Chamber Orch and look forward to hearing it. As Pepe has intimated Abbado's recording with the COE is well worth getting too. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/618TNLyfRAL._SY300_.jpg I am very tempted to get that Abbado cycle on iTunes for ...

scififan

Thank you so much for all that enormously useful information--Problem solved and money saved!

scififan

Yes, I know of this one. But the "1825" E major runs for about an hour. It is played by the Cincinnati Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Gerhard Samuel. The iTunes recording was released Sept. 1, 2010 by Centaur Records. I found a CD which states that it is a "reconstruction" by Gunter Elsholz. It...

scififan

I noticed that iTunes has a "World Premier Recording" of Schubert's Symphony in e Major, "1825" . It has no D numbering and doesn't seem to be included in any of the usual sets and I can't find much about it.

Is it authentic?

scififan

I just bought that on Naxos with the Budapest Falloni Chamber Orch and look forward to hearing it.

scififan

I've returned to my set of the Haydn Complete Baryton Trios performed by The Esterhazy Ensemble. (21 CDs Brilliant 93907}. These are amazing works! Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy was a fan of the Baryton, insisted that Haydn compose them for his own playing--he was evidently quite good on the instrument-...

scififan

W.A. Mozart & J. Haydn both show a range of emotions. Mozart has an Olympian quality that one writer described as "Patience on a monument contemplating grief." Haydn--particularly in his "Sturm and Drang" compositions shows a very dark aspect to his work. Tchaikovsky certainly wildly swings from joy...

scififan

I have a number of period performances of Vivaldi's Four Seasons but today I returned to the Loveday/Marriner/ASMF performance and--well--it sounded amazingly fresh, elegant, and spontaneously beautiful. I haven't heard it for some time and I was enchanted. It is such a special recording. Well this...

scififan

I have a number of period performances of Vivaldi's Four Seasons but today I returned to the Loveday/Marriner/ASMF performance and--well--it sounded amazingly fresh, elegant, and spontaneously beautiful. I haven't heard it for some time and I was enchanted.

It is such a special recording.

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