The Classical Music Guide Forums

maestrob

I do some downloading, always in CD-quality FLAC or better; I generally then burn the downloads to a CD for playing in my system. (I downloaded the entire Harbison symphony cycle from the Boston Symphony website; most of these works do not yet have a commercial recording on CD available.) I have no...

maestrob

... all our stuff (books, CDs, LPs, and worldly goods and people). There is too much to enjoy no matter how long we live. I think about this many times. Can't take any of it with us! Am I alone in this regard? Wow! Lance: deep thoughts today! Sure, it's a conundrum. I've written a letter to go with...

maestrob

I suppose the version of the piano concerto to have is Solomon's - he played the world premiere at the 1939 World Fair in New York. Not on YouTube; all that's there is the slow movement from the broadcast of the premiere. I don't know the other Bliss concertos at all. Solomon recorded the Bliss Pia...

maestrob

Thank you, John F, for bringing us up-to-date on the HMV situation. I fear this is only the beginning of many brick and mortar stores disappearing. It is happening all around me. When and if Amazon is finally left to be about the last, watch their prices rise. I have already seen evidence of this. ...

maestrob

I saw the NY Phil. new year's eve concert on PBS conducted by the new man Jaap Van Zweden , and to my ears the brass section was on its bets behavior and at least on television, nothing was harsh or too loud . They recently hired Chris Martin, who succeeded the legendary Bud Herseth in Chicago and ...

maestrob

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719sagVx27L._SX522_.jpg Volodos up to now, in my mind, has been considered an outstanding virtuoso, gifted in difficult piano transcriptions by Liszt and concertos by Rachmaninoff. It is rare for those gifted in that direction to excel in more sensit...

maestrob

I, too, did not attend many Mehta-led concerts during his tenure, nor did I buy many of his recordings, due to my prejudice against the (to my ears) harsh sound of the Philharmonic, both live and on disc. The problems with the acoustics in the hall were evident during one concert led by Rozhdestvens...

maestrob

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51h3g0H%2BEuL.jpg This is a live disc from the 2002 Proms which pre-dates Lang Lang's Rachmaninoff discs with Gergiev which have also been well-received. Conductor Yuri Temirkanov allows Lang Lang freedom of expression during appropriate passages wit...

maestrob

So many fine artists, so little time.....I'll keep my ears open!

maestrob

TMK Heifetz did not record them, but I'd have to double-check. My memory says no.

maestrob

That will be a rerun of the HD transmission of December 15, 2012. The cast: Aida....................Liudmyla Monastyrska Radamès.................Roberto Alagna Amneris.................Olga Borodina Amonasro................George Gagnidze Ramfis..................Stefan Kocán King.......................

maestrob

What did Szell say of NY's hall? "Tear it down and start over. It's an insult to music." I attended a Severance Hall recital by Richard Goode, and even from the cheapest seat in the upper balcony I could hear his sotto voce accompaniment to his own playing. In the drab, modernist, pre-renovation st...

maestrob

The suite from Die Frau ohne Schatten was new to me, and welcome. That was my favorite work on the program and new to me too. FWM has improved greatly as a conductor over his 17 years as MD, and the Cleveland strings are still playing with that unitary blended sound, as in the Ravel, sounding even ...

maestrob

I'll be watching the telecast of Aida on Sunday 1/20/19 at 1PM, but I have no idea of the cast. As of now, I'm assuming it will be Radvanovsky/Rachvelishvili (conductor unknown), and am looking forward very much to the event. Does anyone here remember the cast from the HD presentation in movie theat...

maestrob

Thanks for that excellent review. I enjoyed the program immensely. Lang Lang's playing was superb, although his facial contortions were annoying. I thought the concert as a whole was superb. The suite from Die Frau ohne Schatten was new to me, and welcome.

maestrob

Recordings of Prokofieff’s 1st Violin Concerto ( one of my fav VC’s period ) sampled and discussed, 23-year old Vilda Frang’s debut recording and Frank Peter Zimmermann the “ winners “ after BBC presenter heard apparently 50 recordings : https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0001zpc Had not realized S...

maestrob

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81lcLvDNYiL._SS500_.jpg This recent (2013) recording of music by John Adams (Dr. Atomic Symphony, Short Ride in a Fast Machine, & Harmonielehre) features Peter Oundjian conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in some very fine music-making. Oundjian take...

maestrob

Yesterday I contacted my hi fi dealer about a Network Audio Player. He advised the Marantz NA8005. It's all rather confusing, but I need to be able to get the sound down to the other end of the house from this computer - or an App - into my beautiful amplifier and speakers. Then I phoned an online ...

maestrob

The NY Philharmonic has had a problem with loudness since the days of Zubin Mehta, mainly because of the acoustics on stage: it's hard for the musicians to hear each other, even with the modifications put in by Kurt Masur. The way the hall is set up, the sound travels out to the audience directly, a...

maestrob

eThanks to a gift from a dear friend, I just listened to the DG recordings of Kempff's complete Schubert piano sonatas, which are simply outstanding and a revelation for me. Frankly, there are so many fine Schubert interpreters, including Serkin, Uchida, Brendel, Schnabel, Lupu, among others. All t...

maestrob

Sounds delectable! You do keep up with many interesting recordings, Lance!

maestrob

Fascinating topic, thank you all! I agree with Lance about Brendel's early Vox recording of the Schubert Impromptus being his best. I, too, have all of Brendel's recordings, and the early Impromtus are simply magical. My favorite set of Schubert Sonatas is not Schiff, who is very good, but Wilhelm K...

maestrob

Thanks for bringing this up, Lance. I have the three-record set you mentioned with Kuerti, and admire Czerny's music very much. I'll put the CPO release on my wantlist right away!

maestrob

Just read this thread, and am shocked beyond words. Jbuck919 was a consistently kind, erudite and knowledgeable man, and I will miss him here and in life. So sad that he could not make last year's conclave. Now I understand why.

maestrob

jserraglio:

I'd say your project has been shelved! Great photo!

maestrob

My most recent introduction was with Jean-Marc Luisada's recording of French RCA and it made a deep impression enough to include in my radio tribute to him. Dina Ugorskaja and Pavlina Dokovska also were top contenders as was Schiff. I know it's hard to choose from all those great artists, but do yo...

maestrob

My favorite opera, Brian what a list-GREAT! And how you've been involved in them!!! Regards, Len Thanks, Len. I've also sung Germont (Traviata), Barnaba (Gioconda), Scarpia (Tosca), Marcello (Boheme), Silvio (Pagliacci) and Rigoletto, all in conducting class with La Selva (he sang tenor!). That was...

maestrob

There is a flood of classical LPs in the market, right now. I had the owner of Academy Records over to evaluate my LP collection, and all he was interested in was European pressings for a few dollars each. He told me that he has a warehouse full of classical LPs, and that the old pressings are not s...

maestrob

I know it's hard to choose from all those great artists, but do you have a personal favorite, Lance? Perhaps Igor Levit?

maestrob

Rach3 wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 09, 2019 3:13 pm
If asked by someone who had never seen or heard an opera, you would recommend:

Traviata
Boheme
Don Giovanni
Carmen
Aida

Other ?i

Wow! That's a strong list, Rach3. I agree with Len, who recommended Boheme, or Verdi's Aida, or Carmen.

maestrob

My favorite opera, in whatever edition (although I prefer the Rimsky-Korsakov complete, not the truncated Soviet version), is Boris Godunov. After that: Verdi's Otello Wagner's Ring cycle, which I've studied and sung parts of the Walkure Wotan. Ponchieli's La Gioconda, not because of the plot, which...

maestrob

Yes, it certainly is strange. The piece is obviously written by somebody who only understands streaming from a popular music perspective. Ergo, the language example "rendition". And iTunes never fitted classical music either; I can remember the nightmare several years ago of loading pieces onto my ...

maestrob

Am surprised about the cassette sales figure: I thought that commercial cassettes had died out years ago. Still, less than 500,000 is a low figure indeed. The figures for vinyl are astonishing, and welcome. I prefer CDs myself, but the news that collectors are buying a physical format in such quanti...

maestrob

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81ZapJfy2yL._SS500_.jpg Conductor Teodor Currentzis has been much hyped in classical music media as a sort of second coming. I find his rendition of Tchaikovsky VI alternately pretentious and awe-inspiring, depending on what movement I'm listening to. The first i...

maestrob

Looking forward to it Len, thanks! :D J. STRAUSS - Waltz: Wiener Blut [Viennese Spirit] MOZART - Piano Concerto No. 24 [Lang Lang] R. STRAUSS - Fantasy from Die Frau ohne Schatten RAVEL - La Valse I downloaded from somewhere and watched this video a couple weeks ago. The CleveOrch minus Preucil sou...

maestrob

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/through-music-vijay-gupta-brings-healing-community-to-las-skid-row Vijay Gupta is a Juilliard-trained violinist who's been using music as a way to connect with L.A.’s homeless and incarcerated and promote healing. A movement that began with one Skid Row occupant ha...

maestrob

Looking forward to it Len, thanks!

maestrob

Mehta may have first conducted in Vienna, so what? Not only that, Mehta was educated in Vienna, studied conducting at the academy there as I said and double bass with a Philharmoniker. Over the years he has very often conducted and recorded with the Philharmonic, including five New Year concerts - ...

maestrob

Very impressive web page, I must admit. I'll have to try some of his recordings, especially his Mozart......

maestrob

Mehta may have first conducted in Vienna, so what? He had his first steady engagement with Los Angeles, and spent (how many?) years in New York. His style of conducting is definitely American: had to be, in order to work with these orchestras successfully. As for the Grieg Concerto, I have the video...

maestrob

A live performance not to be missed , IMHO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDYDjRd2JFk&t=110s Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano), Viktoria Mullova (violin), Pieter Wispelwey (cello) Live 28.06.2009 Venue not given at YT. Congratulations on a fine pick! Played with passion, respect and ultra-fine m...

maestrob

Hi, Belle! :) German orchestras have gotten defensive over the years, so they generally focus on the concertmaster and wait for him to start playing: it comes from generations of unclear conductors, such as Thielemann. It's called playing "behind the beat." American conductors work differently, and ...

maestrob

Adriana Lecouvreur has long needed a new production at the MET. Glad to see it's such a success! Hope they broadcast it.........

maestrob

Yes, welcome! Please post often and frequently as well!

maestrob

I agree with JohnF that the music went well. Thielemann often started conducting 2-3 beats before the orchestra came in for several pieces, and I found this unsettling, but it didn't spoil the music. However, I had two caveats: 1) Hugh Bonneville appeared in a suit with NO TIE, just an open collar. ...

maestrob

New Challenge Classics cd of the Walton Violin Concerto and Prokofieff 1st Violin Concerto ( one of my fav VC’s ) available for free listening of complete cd here, young violinist Isabelle van Keulen with NDR Phil. under Andrew Manze: https://www.nporadio4.nl/cds/isabelle-van-keulen-prokofiev-walto...

maestrob

Here's wishing all here a happy, healthy, and prosperous musical New Year! Thanks all for being here, and especially thanks to Lance for making it all possible!

maestrob

Lucky person! If I tried now to return to the piano, my arthritis would stop me cold. That's been true for years now, unfortunately. When I was in fifth grade, I won a school contest by playing Liszt and Mendelssohn, pieces chosen for me by my mother, who taught me music theory just as soon as I cou...

maestrob

Yes, they even had Dudamel two years ago, and while he wasn't brilliant, his enthusiasm shone through every note, and thing went well enough.

maestrob

Horrifying! I believe that this attitude is what kept Levine active at the MET for so long, despite many allegations over the years against him. Levine's "Droit du seigneur" expired only when he was finally unable to function as a conductor.

Despicable!

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