The Classical Music Guide Forums

maestrob

A wonderful tribute to an absolute gentleman. Thanks Len

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maestrob

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71+kJFZQr6L._SX425_.jpg This is a very fine outing by John Wilson and his orchestra, but of course it lacks the ultimate authority of Monteux, who led the world premiere for Diaghilev, or more recently, Dutoit or Nezet-Seguin. I would love to hear what the latter...

maestrob

Oh come on, Belle and Ric! Just bury your heads in the sand of reality denial! I really get a kick from how you can't differentiate between the newsroom and an opinion piece. :lol: Just wait until the former guy cancels the nuclear submarine deal and Chinese troops show up on your beaches as he exto...

maestrob

Interesting and quite wonderful. Kagan is a fine violinist as well: he's featured in the Russian Legends Box. If you're interested in Szymanowski, an excellent modern recording has been recently issued by Alena Baeva, who plays the first Violin Sonata & Mythes to perfection with a hero of mine, Vadi...

maestrob

Public officials from Congress to City Hall are now regularly subjected to threats of violence. It’s changing how they do their jobs. Complete article FREE at the link below: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/19/us/politics/political-violence.html?unlocked_article_code=1.tE0.6BzT.98bCgiHlypEt&smid=ur...

maestrob

My benchmark recording of Beethoven's "Triple" Concerto has been and will remain Oistrakh/Rostropovich/S. Richter with Von Karajan on the podium. That said, given the need to choose, I would go for the live recording. Oh, and I did cave in and buy the Lars Vogt 27CD box. Some real treasures there, a...

maestrob

Agreed, great work, as with most all Poulenc, one of my fav composers.I have only one recording of the Cello Sonata, the Queyras/Tharaud you mention. Years ago I asked a knowledgeable French CM fan if the music of Faure best expressed the French " soul " ; he said no, Poulenc because Poulenc had a ...

maestrob

Belle, as much as I admire and appreciate the genius of Brahms in his Fourth Symphony, I am in awe of the sense of adventure in his Third. Not only does he bravely end the symphony on a quiet note, but his scoring of the first movement is incredibly inventive, especially where he begins the melody o...

maestrob

Holden Fourth wrote: ↑
Sat May 18, 2024 3:10 pm
As you've just opened the box Brian can I suggest that you delve into the Transcendental Etudes as your next Liszt listen.

Oh, yes indeed!

Miraculous!

maestrob

Thanks for this. I just heard so far only Cziffra's arrangement of No. 19 because Horowitz did his own arrangement of 19 on his Columbia lp issued I believe in 1963, his first recording since his " sabbatical", and I wanted to compare. Both pianistically and musically Cziffra plays Horowitz under t...

maestrob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPf9yMMNFr4

Just opened the Cziffra complete EMI recordings megabox and dived into these. They are beyond any superlatives I could come up with, so I'll just let the music speak for itself.

Enjoy!

maestrob

A very fine concert indeed. Enjoyed the whole thing through headphones, as my bluetooth was acting up today. Spacious recorded sound. Many thanks!

maestrob

Thanks! I'll hear this very soon. Melnikov is surely one of the finest pianists at large today.

maestrob

Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde has been a musical companion ever since I discovered it as an early teen thanks to Bruno Walter's magnificent stereo recording with Mildred Miller and Ernst Haefliger made right here in New York. I have roughly 10 versions, including one not yet mentioned with Dietrich...

maestrob

I have not heard him live, but have listened to many of his recordings on Spotify and was very impressed with his Bach in particular. This looks like a future buy for me.

maestrob

I fully understand about "room." But, I am weak-minded sometimes, and impulsive about music. This set arrived Sunday via Prime (reasonably priced) and I am in awe of what I have extracted thus far. Lars Vogt was more a pianist and artist than I ever knew totally. After hearing the Tchaikovsky Piano...

maestrob

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61WCNlkMl0L._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510D0-n46LL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.jpg https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODYwODA1NC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MzA...

maestrob

I actually also have mixed feelings about this CD. First, it's interesting that there is no applause...does this mean that she wandered over to a recording studio to re-record this repertoire? If so, MHO is that the studio is kinder to her than a live recording would be, in that engineers routinely ...

maestrob

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/812VAaYCPxL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.jpg Jonathan Tetelman's new Puccini album, The Great Puccini, is a winner from the first glorious note. Not since Pavarotti have I heard such a magnificent voice, ideally suited to Puccini's idiom! Recorded by the prestige label...

maestrob

Thanks for posting this, Barney! I wonder if we'll be able to see it here? Sounds fascinating!

maestrob

My favorites have already been named here: Horowitz, Tipo and Sudbin. There are other good interpreters, but these three stand out for their excellence. I am one of those that does not admire Schiff's CD. I find his playing quite dull. Scarlatti needs sparkle, and Schiff had none in the studio that ...

maestrob

I'll be passing on this one, Lance, thanks. I have so little room, and I'm saving my last space for the second installment of the Ormandy Columbia Stereo Legacy, or whatever they call it when it's finally issued.

maestrob

Since Yuja Wang has been a frequent topic under discussion here, I thought to post my thoughts on her recital at Carnegie Hall last evening. Our 2nd tier box seat cost $142 each, a bit much, but she is a star. She played: Messiaen: Selections from Vingt regards sur l'enfant Jesus 1) Le baiser de l'E...

maestrob

Using powerful technologies, scientists found staggering amounts of lead and other toxic substances in the composer’s hair that may have come from wine, or other sources. By Gina Kolata Gina Kolata previously wrote about the medical and family secrets in Beethoven’s DNA. May 6, 2024 At 7 p.m. on Ma...

maestrob

May 5, 2024 By David French Opinion Columnist In an interview last week, NewsNation’s Blake Burman asked Speaker Mike Johnson about Marjorie Taylor Greene, and before Burman could finish his question, Johnson responded with classic Southern scorn. “Bless her heart,” he said, and then he told Burman ...

maestrob

What?!

No comments yet on Ben Heppner, Wagnerian extraordinaire?

A fine tenor, he could do justice to Wagner, yet possessed the rare tenderness to bring a tear to the eye in a Strauss song.

maestrob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1PmfZ0Fy8E&t=28s

Need I say more?

Enjoy!

maestrob

May 4, 2024 An illustration of multiple Donald Trumps.Credit...Photo illustration by Rachel Stern for The New York Times; Trump photograph by Haiyun Jiang for The New York TimesShare full article https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/04/opinion/donald-trump-time-magazine.html?unlocked_article_code=1.pk0.4...

maestrob

Arguably Bruckner's greatest symphony, No. 8 receives here one of its finest performances on CD with Australian conductor Simone Young and the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, as part of Young's complete series of Bruckner Symphonies, recorded using the original scores used at their premieres. A five...

maestrob

Interesting repertoire Lance, thanks for the alert!

Can't wait to hear it.

maestrob

barney wrote: ↑
Fri May 03, 2024 8:33 am
Lance, please continue your present policy.

Yes.

maestrob

For me, this partly comes down to the question of whether I am looking for new repertory or new performances of what I already have - it's a bit of a balance. I'm always forever for something new and I hope I always will be, let's hope my hearing lasts! Quite right, sir! I have a listening habit of...

maestrob

Lance, I've noticed that we have 1014 "users," yet rarely do we have more than 20 posts per day. I'd say that most of our members have drifted away, and only return occasionally, if at all. Since CMG is such a welcoming, friendly crowd now, I have no explanation for this phenomenon. I have two frien...

maestrob

Fascinating publicity, Len, thanks. I'm glad that Gerstein is getting the attention, and that Komitas is also receiving his due. I must also admit that I had never heard of that composer either.

maestrob

Have to tell you, this new DGG "Rachmaninoff for Two" is overpowering. Had had a chance to audition both discs. These two pianists work together superbly, a perfect match for performers. For Rachmaninoffians, this must surely be a must-have release. Sure thing! My copy just arrived. Thanks for the ...

maestrob

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71lVa-vLynL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.jpg Haochin Zhang's 2022 youtube video (posted earlier) was obviously the inspiration behind this recording. Here we have Zhang's trademark virtuosity, yet he never sacrifices the poetic element in Liszt harmonic writing. This m...

maestrob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AkoZTThzRs

A rare treat! Enjoy!

maestrob

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/29/world/americas/cuba-economy-communism-capitalism.html?unlocked_article_code=1.oE0.3bgx.oNcBIkbfWiZ-&smid=url-share Could Cuba go the way of Vietnam? Free article above. Cuba’s Communist revolution took aim at private businesses, making them largely illegal. Today,...

maestrob

Goodness, Lance, lots of wonderful material in that list. I've got some catching up to do!

My go to version of the Kindertotenlieder would be Christa Ludwig/HvK, with a very close second from Dame Janet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7tBocjEYnc

maestrob

Lance, the golden age of recognizing conductors by their style is long past, at least for me. Growing up, I was happy to follow Stokowski & Toscanini, for example, as they both had distinctive sounds when leading an orchestra. Ormandy and Solti also had a more subtle uniqueness to their concerts and...

maestrob

Yes, I've just picked up a sampler called 'The Reiner Sound' simply because they're recordings I didn't have. It's all from the 1950s in remarkably good sound and, of course, marvellous performances. RCA really did get the jump on their competition by recording in stereo beginning in 1954. Some glo...

maestrob

Thursday’s Supreme Court hearing was memorable for its discussion of coups, assassinations and internments — but very little about the former president’s conduct. By Adam Liptak Reporting from Washington April 26, 2024 Updated 12:01 p.m. ET Before the Supreme Court heard arguments on Thursday on fo...

maestrob

The tire maker vowed to ensure that none of its workers would struggle to make ends meet. By Liz Alderman Liz Alderman, who writes about economic and inequality trends in Europe, reported from Paris. April 26, 2024 Updated 11:00 a.m. ET When the French tire maker Michelin closed its factories durin...

maestrob

Yunchan Lim takes on the Beethoven PC # 4 Nov.15,2023 with Munich Phil.,Myung-Whun Chung conductor, Nov.15,2023 in Munich, and he handles the challenges quite well.I especially liked the first mov. cadenza and final mov., but a fine performance throughout belying his age. What message did Chung giv...

maestrob

When Rogelio Villarreal bought rose-gold earrings for a price that the luxury retailer said was a mistake, he looked to a Mexican consumer protection law. By Emily Schmall April 26, 2024, 9:03 a.m. ET Rogelio Villarreal knew nothing about the French jeweler Cartier, he said, when an ad popped up on...

maestrob

Reminiscent of college campuses in the late sixties early seventies. The more disgraced war-monger old-farts like Greg Abbott and Mike Johnson try to quash student protests, the more there will be for them to deal with, like playing Whack-A-Mole. Yes, and imagine what the Dem convention in Chicago ...

maestrob

With missiles, submarines and alliances, the Biden administration has built a presence in the region to rein in Beijing’s expansionist goals. Extensive article here with graphics. Long but rewarding read: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/04/26/us/politics/us-china-military-bases-weapons.htm...

maestrob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlaAxF00a4k

George Szell was a master with Dvorak's late symphonies. Here he is live in 1966 with his Cleveland Orchestra in a performance that was recorded around the time of his well-known commercial recording released on Epic's yellow label.

Enjoy!

maestrob

Vaclav Neumann conducts Czech Philharmonic and Dvorak's Symphony 7. A wonderful work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkVFq1I7sik I grew up with George Szell's inspired readings of Dvorak's final three symphonies. Neumann actually recorded the cycle twice, first in analog stereo and then in digital...

maestrob

jserraglio wrote: ↑
Thu Apr 25, 2024 11:06 am

maestrob wrote: ↑
Thu Apr 25, 2024 10:44 am
Can it be that the adults in the room have finally found a spine?
Yes, but it’s not their spine they found, it’s their Johnson.

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