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Beethoven: Late Quartets
Juilliard Quartet (60’s recording)
Sony

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Shostakovich: string quartets Borodin Quartet (stereo set, 1-15) Not as well-recorded as the Decca Fitzwilliam set, but better musically. Working my way through the set in chronological order. If you can get it, the original Borodin Quartet (with Rostislav Dubinsky, 1st violin) is best of all, I'd ...

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Shostakovich: string quartets
Borodin Quartet (stereo set, 1-15)

Not as well-recorded as the Decca Fitzwilliam set, but better musically. Working my way through the set in chronological order.

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While you're in the Lincoln Center neighborhood, why not drop in at the Library for the Performing Arts? We always have some interesting exhibitions there, and musical and other events in the auditorium - for free! I work there at the Welcome desk on Mondays from 4:30 to 8 and Fridays from 3:30 to ...

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Sure John, I may stop by on some Monday. 9/12 is out as I'll be attending an event in the meatpacking district, but if I'm free 9/26 I'll try to stop in and say hello.

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Thanks maestro and John, I'll be sure to hit Juilliard when I'm back in two weeks. I usually stay just south of the park on Sixth so it's certainly more convenient for me to get to than Academy Records.

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Did you notice the prices on the vinyl records? The new ones are selling for $35 or so. Unbelievable! And yes, it's a great store. 8) To be honest, I barely even skimmed the vinyl, I was busy examining their excellent collection of hard to find, out of print, and in many cases rare imported CDs and...

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I stopped in at the amazing Academy Records on 18th St in New York, and picked this up: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51II0enlcfL._SX425_.jpg what an amazing store, I was shocked to find that places like that (thankfully) still exist. A small remaining piece of the "Old" New York,...

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Yes, I follow, because Amazon's shipping prices are part of doing business with Amazon-dot-com. Now, I would love to know what disc you paid north of $100 for! Are you willing to share? I have paid just north of $100 dollars for a single CD before, and you guessed it, I ordered it from a Japanese v...

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I have paid just north of $100 dollars for a single CD before, and you guessed it, I ordered it from a Japanese vendor through amazon.co.jp. If you are halfway proficient with google translate, you will find that Amazon Japan has recordings that have either been a) long out of print domestically or ...

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I really like his 1970s recording of the Late Sonatas on DGG, but find most of his other Beethoven recordings to be very uninvolving. There's something characterless about much of the playing. That works well in some repertoire, but not here. I would count myself an admirer of Pollini, but his appro...

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For those wishing to hear this performance first, here are Eickhorst's Goldbergs in their entirety:

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Beethoven: String Quartets
Alexander Quartet
Foghorn Classics

A nice newish set, what gorgeous sounding instruments and sound quality!

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Beethoven: Quartets Opp. 130-132
Juilliard Quartet
Sony

An amazing set that belongs in every chamber music lover's collection.

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I have a number of assorted one offs from all sorts of conductors, but only three complete cycles:

Jansons
Haitink
Barshai

Of the three, I'm partial to the Barshai, though all three cycles have commendable qualities.

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Sandor Vegh/Camerata Salzburg

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I greatly enjoyed Schneiderhan's recordings of the Beethoven and Brahms violin sonatas with the also excellent and criminally underrated pianist Carl Seemann. Both surveys rank among my favorites. Schneiderhan's thin yet singing tone worked especially well in the core Germanic repertoire, although h...

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regardless of what grumblings purists might have, Bach loved to transcribe his works for other instruments. I highly doubt that he would have had any objections to hearing his keyboard works played on a piano. The keys are, after all, laid out in just the same fashion. Furthermore, Bach probably wou...

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Tiger wrote:I prefer each of the 4 Gould versions. Perahia's account is a good one, but I don't find anything special in it.

Incidentally, I feel this way about just about every Perahia recording I've ever heard.

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Odd that no one has mentioned Evgeni Koroliov's fine version on modern piano recorded for Haenssler, which has received excellent critical reviews. I wouldn't call it totally free of idiosyncrasies - some variations are awfully slow when compared to the norm (the 25th variation clocks in at over 11 ...

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Schubert: Piano Sonatas; Impromptus; Moments Musicaux
Ingrid Haebler, piano
Decca

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I'm hoping to reap Chailly's and the Gewandhausorchester's recording of the Brahms Symphonies this Christmas. I gave my wife a really, really obvious hint when we were in Leipzig a couple of weeks ago. Anyone already have a listen to this set? Hi Ken, Whether or not you like this set will depend on...

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Bruckner: Symphonies 5, 7, 8 & 9 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Eduard van Beinum http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VQBBsQfvL.jpg Looking forward to this. I've wanted to hear this 5th for a while (I've heard the 8th and 9th in previous iterations), but until this new Aussie Eloquence release, i...

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The Claude Frank cycle does sound very intriguing. One amazon reviewer indicates that his style is similar to Schnabel's but "without the excessive rubato and missed notes". At around $60 it's not a bargain price, but does represent good value. I take it Music & Arts does a good job at resurrecting...

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I should have made it more apparent in my comments that while I prefer the second of his three Beethoven cycles, there at least a dozen other cycles I would recommend ahead of it. So, which dozen are better? Gulda x 2 (Decca, Amadeo) Backhaus x 2 (Decca, mono & stereo) Kempff x 2 (DG, mono & stereo...

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I should have made it more apparent in my comments that while I prefer the second of his three Beethoven cycles, there at least a dozen other cycles I would recommend ahead of it. So, which dozen are better? Gulda x 2 (Decca, Amadeo) Backhaus x 2 (Decca, mono & stereo) Kempff x 2 (DG, mono & stereo...

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I agree in mourning Abbado's death, but disagree with what I think is an overestimation of the nature of his importance and achievement. If you don't see the objective difference between excellence and significance, so be it. Can anyone ever do so many things in an excellent manner that it becomes ...

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Tarantella wrote:(and, some would say, that Beethoven never really 'mastered' the fugue).

I could see how one would think that. Then I listen to the Finales of the Hammerklavier, op.59 no.3 and Sonata No.28 again and think better of the notion!

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I would venture to guess that Haydn was old enough to have heard for himself the tail end of the late Baroque era, and would have been familiar with the Baroque fugue with or without the help of Baron van Swieten. He would have been 18 at the time of JSB's death, and a ripe old 35 by the time Telema...

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I thought about making a new thread for my question, but I'll use this one instead. Is it just me, or does it seem that the "other two" of the "big three" use counterpoint more extensively late in their creative lives? Perhaps it's only my perception. But, I notice in the late compositions of Beetho...

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Another day, another thread in which John F feels obliged to split hairs...at this point I'm assuming the strands have been shaved down to the atomic level...

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Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas Op.120; Trio Op.114 Martin Frost, clarinet; Roland Pontinen, piano; Torlief Thedeen, cello BIS http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415YA4ENXCL.jpg Beautiful, idiomatic performances, somewhat classicist interpretations; plus the recorded sound is simply outstanding. A fine ...

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I should have made it more apparent in my comments that while I prefer the second of his three Beethoven cycles, there at least a dozen other cycles I would recommend ahead of it.

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The three Brendel Beethoven sets are as follows: Vox - 1960s Philips - 1970s Philips - 1990s The Vox set is the least fussy and mannered of the three, but is also poorly recorded (or perhaps the transfer to CD is bad; regardless, the sound is harsh and metallic and fatiguing to listen to.) Some of h...

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Why "significant," José, and why single Abbado out? Abbado was certainly an important conductor, but his generation includes quite a few others with reputations the equal of his, though of course their careers took different shapes, and "our time" (at least my time) includes such others as Leonard ...

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Personally I'm thrilled to hear this news. I moved out to the Twin Cities two years ago and I was looking forward to hearing this orchestra, but the lockout put that notion on hold. I've had to wait a couple of years, but I will be getting in line for seats once they go on sale. It won't be quite th...

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Beethoven: Sonatas 28 - 32 Claudio Arrau, piano Decca http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516nbJdhLsL._SL500_AA280_.jpg Yes, it's slow (particularly the Hammerklavier's opening Allegro ), but this is magisterial Beethoven seemingly carved from stone. Arrau makes the tempi sound right. The remaster...

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More Budapest Quartet, this time from the 1940's:

Beethoven: Quartets 12, 14, 15 & 16
Budapest Quartet
Columbia

The Budapest at their apex. Even better than their 1950s set, but the sound (predictably) isn't great.

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I have several recordings of this work: Goldberg-Lupu on Decca Fischer-Helmschen on Pentatone Koh-Uchida on Cedille Of the three, I prefer the Goldberg-Lupu performance (the twofer CD it's on also includes Gendron-Francaix performing the Arpeggione Sonata, which is also lovely.) I don't listen to it...

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Beethoven: String Quartets No. 12 & 13 Budapest Quartet - United Archives http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416VnQMLWiL._SY300_.jpg The United Archives label (now defunct) turned out some true gems in their short existence, and this set is no different. This set catches the Budapest in the earl...

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Some of my earliest memories are of my father playing the Brandenburg Concertos in our living room hi fi on Sunday mornings. So, for me, there was no such shock - the shock came when hearing Wagner for the first time!

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Beethoven: String Quartets No. 12 & 13 Budapest Quartet - United Archives http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416VnQMLWiL._SY300_.jpg The United Archives label (now defunct) turned out some true gems in their short existence, and this set is no different. This set catches the Budapest in the early...

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personally I think the entire "MBE/CBE/OBE" concept is yet another manifestation of the overblown and unmistakably British obsession with pomp & circumstance, and I don't much care one way or the other about it. That being said, if they are going to start handing these honors out to the likes of hac...

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Beethoven: Sonatas 28-32 Claude Frank Music & Arts http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51k5ESPJ1GL._SY300_.jpg Beethoven: Late Quartets Fine Arts Quartet Everest http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/218T15MK8SL.jpg a note on the FAQ set - for a 1965 recording, the sound on these discs is absolute...

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I bought it, and it´s of course very good. I especially enjoyed the First, the Third not so much, but as usual the playing of the Gewandhaus bursts with personality. Funny how personal tastes work, eh? I loved that 3rd, it reminded me of the old Reiner/CSO 3rd on RCA. Overall I liked the cycle, in ...

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I'm not sure why jbuck cares how someone other than himself replies to someone else on a message board, but I admired your since deleted response. this is the one place on the net where I thought I could gush about a work I had rediscovered after a few years and was enjoying anew. Apparently, per jb...

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The movement is entitled Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart, which literally translates to A Convalescent's Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Divinity, in the Lydian Mode. If you've a bone to pick jbuck, take it up with LvB!

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"Slowly, slowly, the melody unfolded itself. The archaic Lydian harmonies hung on the air. It was an unimpassioned music, transparent, pure and crystalline, like a tropical sea, an Alpine lake. Water on water, calm sliding over calm; the according of level horizons and waveless expanses, a counterp...

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Not to pimp my other thread, but technically speaking the third and final Molto adagio section of Beethoven's Heiliger Dankgesang movement from Op. 132 is technically a set of fugal variations, starting with a double fugue based on an abbreviated version of the 1st subject hymn and progressing from ...

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