The Classical Music Guide Forums

Hondo

karlhenning wrote:[What, both sets, Gabe?

Cheers,
~Karl

I have only heard the VPO set, so my apologies to Lenny if my comments did not apply to the earlier NYPO set.

Gabe

Hondo

I strongly disagree with the opinion previously expressed slamming his Sibelius. My disdain for Bernstein's Sibelius comes from the fact that I prefer my Sibelius lean and swift. The performances of his works by Neeme Jarvi and the Gothenburg, for me at least, are right on. Bernstein's Sibelius is ...

Hondo

He revived interest in Sibelius in the 40's and 50's, when interest in that composer had been waning. Bernstein's recordings of the symphonies were trail-blazers; in every case, there are better recordings now, but we might not have them if Bernstein had not advocated for his work. I think Bernstei...

Hondo

Many of us will have heard Furtwaengler's Schubert 9 and enjoyed it despite the imperfect sound quality, but there are certain composers whose music seems to demand high quality sound, for example Lutoslawski For many years I would get upset with Donald Vroon, the editor of "American Record Guide,"...

Hondo

How good a conductor was Leonard Bernstein? Like many conductors, Bernstein conducted some pieces very well, and others pretty badly. His overly romantic and "weltschmerz" approach to conducting some music was pretty appaling with just about every composer except Mahler. His complaints about Glenn ...

Hondo

I'm listening to a real contrast in style and content today:

Caravan - Kronos Quartet
Sibelius: Four Legends, performed by the Gothenburg S.O., Jarvi

Hondo

This discussion about the release of Pletnev's first installment of Beethoven's Piano Concerti motivated me to ask forum members about their opinion of the Harnoncourt/Aimard set released in 2003. I bought the set unheard because of the very positive reviews by several music magazines, as well as th...

Hondo

Jo estet ,Gabor! koszonom szepen! Gondolom, hogy a magyar nyelv nagyon szep de nehev van. Szia ,es eljen a Magyar! Excellent effort, Martin! Your Hungarian is first rate - only one mistake: it should read "a Magyar nyelv nagyon szep, de nehez." I have always admired people who know even a little Hu...

Hondo

hangos wrote: It's Hungarian for "noisy". No, I have no Hungarian ancestry, but my love of Bartok's music has led me to a fascination with all things Hungarian

"Loud" is probably a more accurate translation of "hangos" than "noisy." Take it from a real live Hungarian!

Gabe (Gabor)

Hondo

My favourite set is DG Tokyo for their unmatched finesse and concentration, aided by the razor sharp sound, but I also have the Takacs. I used to have the Novak and Keller but found them a bit uninvolving. I have heard the Veghs in 3 and 5 but find the results curious and at times almost comical.Pe...

Hondo

[quote="anasazi"]I may have to try both the Kline (even though it's a pianoforte)[/quote] I assume you meant the Klien Mozart sonata set. Klien uses a standard concert grand in the recordings, not a pianoforte. The notes that come with the CD's don't identify the piano manufacturer, but the concert ...

Hondo

I would like to add a few supporting words for the Klien edition of the complete Mozart piano sonatas on Vox. His performances are fresh, elegant, full-bodied, and truly "Mozartian." The sound is surprisingly good for recordings made in 1964. All 18 sonatas are included on four bargain-priced discs ...

Hondo

CharmNewton wrote:

"The Beethoven sonatas are such great works that one should have limitless editions of them."

If I could figure out how to get a share of Anna Nicole Smith's estate, I would love to get at least two or three more editions that are currently on my "wish list!"

Gabe

Hondo

Lance wrote: "Just selecting favourite conductors without mentioning actual compositions seems like a good thing to do here. Surely no single conductor can present the music of every single composer he performs will be the best every. But in general terms, I tend more toward the conductors of the la...

Hondo

heck148 wrote: "Reiner and Monteux were probably the greatest orchestra builders of all-time. their methods were diametrically opposed - Reiner was a nasty domineering SOB, and Monteux was a courteous, considerate teacher. one thing they had in common was the ultimate respect [if not affection in Re...

Hondo

danglam wrote: "I hope I won't be stoned for saying this, but I listened to Karajan doing Dvorak's cello concerto + From the New World and Beethoven's 9th, and came to the the (perhaps rash?) conclusion that I really don't like him." Karajan was a very controversial conductor for many reasons. For o...

Hondo

Lance wrote: "From my earliest years of collecting LPs, Egon Petri was always high on the list. I would like to illustrate what was available on LP, and what I have maintained in my own LP collection" Lance, you have done all Egon Petri admirerers a huge service by providing a list of the great pian...

Hondo

I have not bothered to buy DVD's of concerts or individual artist performances because one can easily listen to those on a good replay system. However, I found that watching an opera on DVD is an incredible experience! The sets, the costumes, the movement - you just can't get that on a CD. Plus, the...

Hondo

When Philips' Great Pianists of the 20th Century series came out, I was amazed that two outstanding pianists, Annie Fischer and Egon Petri, were not included. And some second rate pianists, Andre Previn for example, were! Thanks to several recent BBC Legends releases, and her complete cycle of Beeth...

Hondo

Brahms wrote:

"Hi, Gabe. You'll see a QUOTE button on the upper right corner of the author's post box. Click on that, and you'll be set."

I got that far, but don't know what to do next. Can't locate an appropriate button to click on to post my message.

Gabe

Hondo

brahms wrote: "Well, I can't say whether the two piano concerti are Brahms' greatest works (he has SO MANY great masterpieces); but I do believe that they represent the pinnacle of the piano concerto literature . . . . . . . There's really nothing quite like them . . . . . . . Even in Beethoven . . ...

Hondo

slofsftra wrote: "I am surprised that the Piano Concerto's (two of them) have not come up in the present discussion, surely equalling or surpassing the symphonies in scope and ambition." I agree wholeheartedly! I have always thought Brahms' Piano Concerti were his greatest works. The 1st is powerful...

Hondo

Wallingford wrote: " Brahms most likely didn't write his Requiem for any specific church, he was merely utilizing an established form." Although Brahms began work on the Requiem before his mother died in 1865, her death had a deep impact on him, and his level of commitment to completing the work was...

Hondo

Teresa wrote: "I would not say that Brahms is in any way inferior to the other composers and thus deserves less appreciation!" As beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, so greatness is in the mind and ears of the listener! I'm truly amazed at the responses in this thread - why can't we just accept t...

Hondo

I had the opportunity to hear Marin Alsop conduct on numerous occasions when she was music director of the Colorado Symphony. I found her performances of a very diverse repretoire to be outstanding! Baltimore was very fortunate to get her. There is no doubt in my mind that she will become the conduc...

Hondo

CharmNewton wrote: "Let me add that at the price of $21.99 U.S. its really eight discs for the price of one. Those on a budget wanting a Beethoven cycle or new the music will not go wrong with this. The thought of so much extraordinary music making for so little cost is humbling." Incredible price f...

Hondo

karlhenning wrote: "Nay, Gabe, some of the tracks are conducted by David Atherton, London Sinfonietta and Luis Herrera de la Fuente, Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa. And the reissue also has an alternate recording of Sensemayá, conducted by Stokowski. By all means, an excellent two-disc set!" I just wa...

Hondo

I'm trying to expand my horizons beyond the standard repretoire a bit. Some recent acquisitions: Golijov - La Pasion Segun San Marcos Written by an Argentinian-Jewish composer now in residence at Holy Cross. The text is based on portions of The Passion According to St. Mark, Spanish poetry, and the ...

Hondo

moldyoldie wrote: "The 1944 world premiere of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra by the Boston Symphony led by Koussevitzky." I would love to have a copy of that video also! Being a former Bostonian, I have always cherished the recordings of Koussevitzky, and own a number of them, including the world p...

Hondo

Gregory wrote: "I've never forgotten the Mahlerfest concert of Symphony No.9 perhaps ten years ago (a lacklustre performance overall) when one of the horn players so egregiously misplayed a particularly exposed passage in the final movement. That Olson endured to the end after that couldn't have bee...

Hondo

Maskedman wrote: "BARTOK THE MIRCULOUS MANDARIN MUSIC FOR STRINGS PERCUSSION AND CELESTA DORATI DSO NICE WAKE-UP" I think one must be a bit of a masochist to want to wake-up to "The Miraculous Mandarin"! Wonderful music, but probably for a later in the day listen. I agree that Dorati has always been...

Hondo

<Bartok Concerto for Orchestra Viola Concerto Ancerl> I imagine the Ancerl recordings of these two Bartok works are very good, considering his Bartok performances I'm familiar with. My personal favorites of the Concerto for Orchestra are by Dorati and Reiner, and the Viola Concerto by the person the...

Hondo

<Fascinating live perf which set the critics howling. Heard about it but had never heard it till now.> In the introduction to this recording of the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1, Bernstein complains about Gould's slow interpretation of the music, and distances himself from the performance. The irony i...

Hondo

The symposium presentations have not been published in the past, but you can get a thumbnail summary of each presentation by going to www.mahlerfest.org/symposium.html

Hondo

The Colorado MahlerFest wrapped-up its 20th season last weekend with a memorable performance of Das Lied von der Erde. Making the concert even more exceptional than the festival's outstanding offerings of the previous 19 years was the presence of Thomas Hampson as the baritone soloist. Hampson again...

The Classical Music Guide Forums

Search found 35 matches

Re: Which music needs good sound?

Re: Bernstein: How good a conductor?

Beethoven Piano Concerti

Re: Meaning of "hangos"

Re: The meaning of "hangos"

Re: Bartok string quartets revived

Re: Which conductors do you like? Need some help...

Re: Do you collect classical music DVDs as well?

Colorado Mahlerfest

Colorado Mahlerfest