The Classical Music Guide Forums

maestrob

Interesting article, Len, thanks! I'm glad Petrenko's having success with Berlin. I only wish he would allow CDs to be issued so I could hear more. I liked his Beethoven IX that was posted earlier....more, please!

maestrob

Koussevitsky is apparently one of those enigmas, a great conductor by force of personality with very poor technique. His concertmaster was asked how, given the conductor's famously wobbly baton progress, they knew when to begin. "Simple," he replied. "When his baton reaches the third button of his ...

maestrob

Checked him out on amazon.....lots of CDs available (some rather pricey), but not much attention paid. Never heard of Goldstone until now. Must explore! Thanks, Lance.

maestrob

Congratulations are due for a job well done! Volpe has brought the Boston Symphony out of the doldrums and stagnation of the Ozawa era, and has made it financially secure during rough times for orchestras everywhere. Andriss Nelsons, while not always a great conductor on records, is a mighty improve...

maestrob

I'm an investor when it comes to these mega-boxes, and have noticed that the Heifetz box is currently being offered at $3,300 on amazon, while the George Szell box is now listed for $996.00. I do hope that these prices continue: my heirs will have quite a windfall from these sets! 8) The only proble...

maestrob

Well, on discs, he leaves his fans quite a legacy for sure. I have heard something about one of his hands giving him problems - like so many pianists who experience this at some point. You mention his German repertoire, I have his complete Beethoven sonatas, but was more impressed with his boxed se...

maestrob

Well, it gives the singers a chance to be heard.

maestrob

Interesting. The article doesn't say what prompted his decision. I hope he's not ill and fighting something. Ashkenazy's early efforts at conducting did not impress me (Rachmaninov & Shostakovich), so I have not kept up with that part of his career. As a pianist, his Rachmaninov, Scriabin & Chopin w...

maestrob

Been a Medtner advocate since I first heard Jeffrey Tozer's compelling recordings of the Piano Concerti he made with Neeme Jarvi on Chandos. Medtner's style is certainly original: neither Rachmaninov or Prokofiev, he's very much his own man. I had no idea Earl Wild had also recorded Medtner: I will ...

maestrob

Herreweghe's is another name I really like. His recent recording of Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine is particularly sumptuous. His recording of the St. Matthew Passion is also one of my favourites, although I have quite a number of favourites of that masterpiece. I'm not sure though that He...

maestrob

slofstra wrote: ↑
Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:23 pm
Count me a bit skeptical of this review. If there are 100 recordings of the 'New World', I'm sure 50 of them are great. No one is going to top Fritz Reiner's recording made in 1957, are they?

Maybe George Szell?

maestrob

I was given a score to Il Guarany by a Brazilian soprano who appeared with me in 1996: she studied with Anna Moffo, who you may remember went to my high school. Guarany was pleasant enough music, but it wasn't sufficiently mainstream for the competition. The score is published by Ricordi, in case yo...

maestrob

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/913yE3WmOsL._SS500_.jpg It's not often that choral discs make their way into my CD player, but this rarity of 3 works by Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745) caught my ears recently. Exquisitely played and sung by the Kammerchor Stuttgart and the Kammerorchester Stuttg...

maestrob

I saw on the web that Naxos is supposed to release a recording of orchestral music by Esteban Benzecry shortly. I do not know the contents, the release date, or the orchestra (it might be Sao Paolo, which has been recording for Naxos). I shall keep you posted when I get any further information. Yes...

maestrob

There were several fine obituaries: Daily Telegraph of London, Washington Post, and Gramophone. The Post especially gave him a lot of space. The Gramophone amusingly had his honour Companion of the Order of Australia conferred by the Austrian Government. As his nephew wryly observed, Barry was prob...

maestrob

Very interesting, Len, thank you! I've heard of only about 1/3 of the women composers mentioned. Florence Price has indeed had a renaissance during the past decade, and I would be very interested in hearing her piano sonata. Here's a recording that's been on my wantlist for a while: https://images-n...

maestrob

Yes, Barney, well done indeed. Tuckwell was a great musician, and left us with many fine recordings. He will be missed, surely. Thanks for sharing your fine article.

maestrob

I, too, have had my differences with Dudamel in the past. However, I generally trust Tommasini, and this sounds encouraging. I really would like to see him record some of Benzecry's work, virtually none of which is available (he did some with the Los Angeles Philharmonic). Agreed! I, too, would lik...

maestrob

Good for Dudamel! I've had my differences with him in the past, most notably in Mahler. His debut concert in L. A. featured a rather odd Mahler I that was telecast, and recently there was an oddly distorted Mahler II (especially the first movement, which was overall too slow) that was posted here on...

maestrob

Very sorry to hear this. Tuckwell's Decca recording of the Mozart concerti is often on my playlist: I will listen to him today.

maestrob

I haven't heard anything recent by Dudamel, so I can't comment on his growth. I do hope for the best, and I'm glad he's doing well in L.A. His enthusiasm is infectious, and that's a good thing for music.

maestrob

Porgy & Bess gets a mixed review from me. The arias and duets are great music for me, and some of the orchestral writing is quite effective. The in-between music I find mostly boring, but that's just my taste. It's a great work, no doubt, but I find it overly long, frankly. Just MHO.

maestrob

Donald Isler wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:43 am
Well, thank you very much, Lance, Barney and Len! It's nice to be remembered as we get older!! Thanks for the good wishes!

Happy belated, Don, from the both of us. Many happy returns of the day!

Brian & Teresa

maestrob

Thank you for this! I have many of Le Sage's recordings on myriad labels. Fine pianist and collaborative artist. Labels include Alpha, Naïve, Denon, Auvidis/Valois, EMI/Warner, RCA, RCA France, Erato. Rach3 & Lance, I've never heard of this pianist, yet his reviews on amazon are mostly glowing. Tha...

maestrob

Interesting playing. Perianes is a "light" pianist (the most famous example of which is Martha Argerich), and his light touch is taken to an extreme: for me, not satisfying. No depth, no bass, everything played in one color. The constant shimmering of his tone might be good for an effect here and th...

maestrob

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:10 am
Bernd Zimmermann's brief but effective Violin Sonata "Phantasy" , and Martinu's Double Concerto for 2 String Orchestras,Piano and Timpani, amazing.

Agreed about the Martinu........

maestrob

Wow! Here we go again! Good luck tonight, Len & Sue!

maestrob

That's an interesting answer: you did when you were performing. Does that mean your ego has diminished with your performing career? (You certainly don't seem to have an overwhelming ego now, but I suppose we should ask Theresa! :lol:) I wonder if we are talking about the same thing - I have in mind...

maestrob

So Brian, does a great artist need a huge ego, as is often claimed? They certainly often have them, and sometimes (in not so great artists) utterly without justification. The short answer is yes: it comes with the package. Singers certainly do. Conductors certainly do (I did when I was performing)....

maestrob

If this is what's happening in Germany, imagine what a nightmare scenario might unfold in Lincoln Center for the NY Philharmonic! The last time Philharmonic Hall was renovated in 1975(?) all went well, but this time? Yikes!

maestrob

After crashing and burning as Samson, Alagna is back to Boheme? Good grief! He had no business (like Domingo) trying to sing Samson, and I hope he learned his lesson from that experience. I do hope he's still able to sing Rodolfo! A hint at his difficulties lies in his complaint that he no longer ha...

maestrob

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81N5SWaRoWL._SX522_.jpg With this release, Thierry Fischer and the Utah Symphony have completed their excellent Saint-Saens cycle. Truly fine playing from the Utah Symphony: they've been making great recordings since the early days of stereo under th...

maestrob

Kirill Petrenko's Beethoven IX is the real deal! I can't be too enthusiastic about this concert! Petrenko leads the Berlin Philharmonic in a Beethoven IX to rival HVK or Toscanini, no mean feat. Crisp, clean, excitingly paced without being driven, he brings out the best playing I've heard from the B...

maestrob

Installing Roku would disrupt my ability to record off-the-air DVDs on my still-working but ancient DVD recorder that I use to record PBS and other channels. So, I'm happy with what I have now for the time being. :) Brian I wonder about this-I have my TV, roku, VCR and DVD player all hooked up toge...

maestrob

Presto Classical has this set on sale now for $18! Not to be missed! Be careful about amazon's U. S. prices: they're creeping up and box sets have become relatively expensive when compared to Presto, I've found.

Thanks, rach3 for the alert!

maestrob

Tommasini is right of course, but who can blame Netrebko for singing the roles that bring her the big bucks? Add that to the fact that her voice has changed and evolved so quickly (from Norina to Turandot!) that it would be fiendishly difficult for a composer to keep up with her.

maestrob

Len, you and Barney are ahead of me in the technical department. My computer is in another part of my apartment from the stereo, so a cable connection is not possible. Installing Roku would disrupt my ability to record off-the-air DVDs on my still-working but ancient DVD recorder that I use to recor...

maestrob

Nelson Freire has long been a favorite under-appreciated pianist in my library. He's featured in a Philips recording of Rachmaninoff/Lutoslawski that I play often as a model of superlative duo-piano technique with partner Martha Argerich (Five golden stars!): https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/...

maestrob

Fascinating, Len, but I'm still not interested in streaming. Besides, with my collection of CDs & DVDs, I'll never run out of music I want to hear. For the cost of joining the three streaming services, I can buy at least 4 CDs/month, which is about my limit anyway for new issues of high quality. And...

maestrob

Metropolitan opera mezzo Joann Grillo pioneered bringing opera to the Gulf region during the 1990's while she was on the advisory panel in my competition, and she brought many of my young singers on her tours to the middle east. Another pioneer in this regard was Joan Dorneman of the MET, who toured...

maestrob

lennygoran wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:38 am

maestrob wrote: ↑
Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:25 am
Really! Which one, Len?
Brian it's here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4j7w9dzdbc

Regards, Len

Thanks! Firkusny is wonderful.....I'll get to this soon.

maestrob

The hype in that review was astonishing! I will listen to this soon.

maestrob

lennygoran wrote: ↑
Mon Jan 06, 2020 5:20 pm

maestrob wrote: ↑
Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:38 am
prefer Firkusny on RCA or Olsson/Belohlavek.
Brian my luck-I never heard of him but it is his I've been listening to c/o youtube! Regards, Len

Really! Which one, Len?

maestrob

Speaking of Tchaikovsky....... I'll have to admit, Lance, that I do not have the Jansons set, and now that you've drawn my attention to it, it looks like I'll have to get it: the reviews on amazon are overwhelmingly positive. I have Mravinsky's IV, V, & VI and, while I admire IV & V, the conductor's...

maestrob

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71q5i050quL._SX522_.jpg Camille Saint-Saens traveled extensively during his lifetime, and this disc holds some of the results of his travels to northern Africa, notably the Suite Algerienne, Op. 60. As well, we have his Suite in D major OP.49, and th...

maestrob

The piano concerto seems to have gained much more popularity over the years. Even Sviatoslav Richter recorded it! Lance I've listened to the violin concerto twice so far-I like it but right now I prefer the piano concerto more. Regards, Len Dvorak's grandson, Joseph Suk, recorded the Violin Concert...

maestrob

Yes, worth watching once as a curiosity. But there's so much Puccini that's worth hearing again and again and again and ... you get the picture. :D Agreed! I seem to remember DiCapo opera & La Selva both produced the opera as part of a double bill, but the dates have long disappeared from my memory...

maestrob

is there a proper etiquette on whether to not applaud until the work is over? Yes, proper concert etiquette calls for waiting until the entire work is over to applaud. This practice is observed at just about every piano recital I've attended, reflecting the fact that these events draw a more experi...

maestrob

Yes, worth watching once as a curiosity. But there's so much Puccini that's worth hearing again and again and again and ... you get the picture. :D Agreed! I seem to remember DiCapo opera & La Selva both produced the opera as part of a double bill, but the dates have long disappeared from my memory...

maestrob

Yes, Lance, Eileen Farrell was a great singer, no doubt. Amazon prompted me to take a look at the set just a few days ago, and it's now on my wantlist. Thanks for the heads-up!

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