The Classical Music Guide Forums

moldyoldie

Let me add another: Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique. Until I heard Bernstein's NYP recording, I felt absolutely no love for this supposed warhorse. Lenny put the "drug-addled" into the performance.

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3113YRAD1FL._SL500_AA130_.jpg Prokofiev: Violin Concertos No. 1 and No. 2 Dmitri Sitkovetsky, violin London Symphony Orchestra Sir Colin Davis, cond. Shostakovich: Violin Concertos No. 1 and No. 2 Dmitri Sitkovetsky, violin BBC Symphony Orchestra Andrew Davis, ...

moldyoldie

Shostakovich Symphony No. 15 , but it's kinda fun getting there. Mahler Symphony No. 5 , until I heard Barshai's recording. Mahler's Symphony No. 9 , but it came to me as an epiphany. Other than Finlandia and Symphony No. 2 , the music of Sibelius . It wasn't until I lived over twenty years in Nort...

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KzOXyXyWL._SL500_AA240_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Ydw1YfgnL._SL500_AA240_.jpg Sibelius: Finlandia; Karelia Suite; Luonnotar; Tapiola; En Saga Elizabeth Soderstrom, soprano (on Luonnotar ) Philharmonia Orchestra Vladimir Ashkenazy, cond. Sibe...

moldyoldie

Just had a virgin voyage with... Sibelius: Symphony No. 7, Op. 105; Rakastava for Strings, Op. 14 Prokofiev: Andante for String Orchestra, Op. 50 bis Glauzunov: Scènes de Ballet, Op. 52 USSR State Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra Gennady Rozhdestvensky, cond. Yedang Classics Yes, this is the ...

moldyoldie

Seán wrote:The music is very good but one would be forgiven for thinking that the microphones are placed 100 metres from the orchestra, it's a poor recording.

One suggestion: crank up the volume; oftentimes the spaciousness and wide dynamic range of such a recording requires it.

moldyoldie

Debussy: Preludes Books I & II Paul Jacobs, piano Nonesuch I've had Jacobs' recordings of these on both LP and CD and have never been compelled to search out others -- pianistic bliss and perfection! Brahms: Haydn Variations; Symphony No. 1 Philharmonia Orchestra Otto Klemperer, cond. EMI Klemperer...

moldyoldie

Sibelius: - Symphony No. 7 in C major - Kuolema (Death), incidental music for orchestra (I), Op. 44 - Night Ride & Sunrise, Op. 55 Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Neeme Järvi, cond. BIS This was my first-ever recording of the Seventh , released sometime in the mid-'80s -- a fleet, direct performance ...

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KNE44RRBL._SL500_AA240_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Y2AHQWRCL._SL500_AA240_.jpg Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor Katchaturian: Violin Concerto in D minor Sergey Khachatryan, violin Sinfonia Varsovia Emmanuel Krivine, cond. Naïve I've been ...

moldyoldie

I've always enjoyed reading the liner notes, especially historical information and recording techniques, considering that I'm a non-musician. The problem with CD notes isn't the content so much as the type size. Hell, I even enjoy the cover art/photography/design. In my opinion, the lack of such is ...

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41MDJET9RXL._SL500_AA240_.jpg (Disc #4 of 7) Vaughan Williams: Flos Campi; Oboe Concerto in A minor; Symphony No. 5 in D Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir & Orchestra Vernon Handley, cond. Classics for Pleasure The highlight for me is hearing the haunting and ...

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41MDJET9RXL._SL500_AA240_.jpg (Disc #3 of 7) Vaughan Williams: English Folk Song Suite; A Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No. 3); Symphony No. 4 in F minor Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Vernon Handley, cond. Classics for Pleasure Yes, as inspired by the Va...

moldyoldie

This is a toughie, but I opted to vote for No. 3 as my favorite. Generally, I've always loved Previn's way with Vaughan Williams as opposed to Boult, Handley, et al.; as well as RCA's recordings. However, I've never outright eschewed anyone's performances. Again, generally, I think Haitink's were th...

moldyoldie

My recommended CDs: 1-Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields Chamber Ensemble-Philips-1978-Reissued 1987-****-Modern 2-Hausmusik London-(2 Cds)-Virgin Veritas-!990-Reissued 2000-***1/2-Period 3-Casals-Marlboro Festival Orchestra-Sony-1960-Reissued 1991-***1/2-Modern 4-Toscanini-NBC Symphony-RCA-1947-R...

moldyoldie

My recommended CDs: 1-Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields Chamber Ensemble-Philips-1978-Reissued 1987-****-Modern 2-Hausmusik London-(2 Cds)-Virgin Veritas-!990-Reissued 2000-***1/2-Period 3-Casals-Marlboro Festival Orchestra-Sony-1960-Reissued 1991-***1/2-Modern 4-Toscanini-NBC Symphony-RCA-1947-R...

moldyoldie

I do have to add that the variety on the market does present an embarrassment of riches, so to speak.

moldyoldie

1. Leppard/ECO/Philips 2. Pinnock/English Concert/Archiv 3. Britten/ECO/Decca These three well-played sets offer appreciable change-ups on music that can become overly familiar, but that almost no one doesn't like at least once in a while. I was never all that enamored of the revved-up "punk Baroque...

moldyoldie

Do you have an opinion on Shostakovich's Symphonic work? Yes, I find it to be the most consistently intriguing, dramatic, and listenable of any major 20th century composer's body of symphonic work. This also includes his violin, cello, and piano concertos. However, I found his Symphony No. 14 , whi...

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zwJtj%2BALL._AA240_.jpg Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 London Symphony Orchestra André Previn, cond. EMI This was the recording (on LP) which introduced me to this most powerful of twentieth century symphonies; I've been intrigued and enamored of it ever since ...

moldyoldie

Beautiful!

I just played it.

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/311W6XNRZRL._AA130_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21A3GJKR3NL._AA130_.jpg Currently marketed in this 2-CD reissue... http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Z3PYCA3XL._AA240_.jpg Ravel: Complete Music for Solo Piano - Pavane pour une infante défunte...

moldyoldie

moldyoldie

The French Connection - Don Ellis I adore Don Ellis -- and still need to see this film! Goodness, rent it yesterday! :) OH, I forgot to mention..."The World Of Henry Orient!" Ahh, agreed! A couple more off the top of my head (actually, the back of my head): My Bodyguard - Dave Grusin The Martian Ch...

moldyoldie

Off the top of my head, fine films made better by the original music: The French Connection - Don Ellis The Blue Max and Patton - Jerry Goldsmith Field of Dreams - James Horner Do the Right Thing - Bill Lee Ben-Hur and King of Kings - Miklos Rosza The Great Escape - Elmer Bernstein There are probabl...

moldyoldie

Has anyone mentioned Maazel yet? I have his Fifth---and it is excellent. Though far from my favorite Mahler symphony, Maazel's is my favorite Fourth , if for no other reason than Kathleen Battle's incomparable finale full of childlike wonder. Other Fourths I have are Szell/CO/Raskin and Kletzki/Phi...

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AMZRYK5SL._AA240_.jpg Mahler: Symphony No. 6 Frankfort Radio Symphony Orchestra Eliahu Inbal, cond. Denon (2 CDs) This performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 6 from 1986 is about as straightforward and no-nonsense as any Mahler symphony I've heard -- no fawning...

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HJAQM8H1L._AA240_.jpg Debussy: Orchestral Works 1 -La Mer -Trois Nocturnes -Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune -Marche écossaise -Berceuse héroique -Musiques pour Le Roi Lear -Jeux -Images -Printemps Orchestre National de l'O.R.T.F. Jean Martinon, cond. EMI (2...

moldyoldie

...from an infrequent contributor, but avid lurker.

moldyoldie

I love my recording by Van Cliburn/RCA, moreso than my other one, Richter/Philips. I believe it's a matter of Cliburn's expansive tempos and more poetic expression, not necessarily sheer slam-bang virtuosity. I've yet to hear Argerich, Zimerman, Horowitz, nor any of the numerous others; perhaps I sh...

moldyoldie

I was 12-13 at the time and it switched me on to the Brandenburg Concertos, not necessarily Bach per se. Yes, it sounded cool!

The follow-up album The Well-Tempered Synthesizer was even better, especially the Monteverdi!

I'm sure I could listen to it today and still enjoy it.

moldyoldie

Growing up, the folks played it in the house. When I learned how to use the phonograph, and the flat was empty for whatever reason, I'd delve into their record collection, which also had a few 78s by Mitch Miller. The LPs I remember playing most are a Ravel collection by Charles Munch and the BSO on...

moldyoldie

These days, it's roughly half with the remainder between pop/rock/folk, jazz, and new age/world. This seems to change periodically. I rarely listen to opera and practically never to country/western.

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KV6X8P30L._AA240_.jpg W. A. Mozart: Wind Concertos Decca (2 CDs) Clarinet Concerto in A major, K.622 Gervase de Peyer, clarinet London Symphony Orchestra Peter Maag, cond. Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, K.313 William Bennett, flute English Chamber Orchestra...

moldyoldie

Let me add a coupla' wall & window shakers: Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ" Jongens: Symphonie Concertante for Organ and Orchestra Of course, no collection is complete without a collection of Wagner preludes and overtures: Prelude to Act III from Lohengrin Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walküre

moldyoldie

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413CSWNC4SL._AA240_.jpg The Mission (Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) -Composed and conducted by Ennio Morricone London Philharmonic Orchestra Virgin Probably most well-known as the composer of music for Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns", Ennio Mo...

moldyoldie

Arvo Pärt: Miserere -- can't stand listening to it, nor most things by him. I'll concur with Shostakovich's Symphony No. 14 -- I heard the Ormandy recording once many years ago and have been loathe to revisit it; it might be time. However, in most of Shostakovich's late works, I also sense a speck ...

moldyoldie

F. J. Haydn: Symphony No. 6 "Le Matin"; Symphony No. 7 "Le Midi"; Symphony No. 8 "Le Soir" The English Concert Trevor Pinnock, cond. Archiv In the beginning, I was somewhat repelled by the sound of original instruments; e.g., I could listen to Pinnock's Archiv recording of Bach's Brandenburg Concer...

moldyoldie

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OaeaxRE6L._AA240_.jpg György Ligeti: "Clear or Cloudy" (Disc #1 of 4) Deutsche Grammophon Sonata for Solo Cello -Matt Heimovitz, cello 6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet -Zoon-Boyd-Hosford-Sommerville-Wilkie String Quartet No. 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes" -Hagen Qu...

moldyoldie

I thought the DSO getting Neeme Järvi was quite the coup, but this may be even bigger!

Ironically, I've always compared the two maestros by their recordings of Samuel Barber; Slatkin always seemed to win out.

moldyoldie

But the relationship with the orchestra as a whole seems to have run its natural course. The players have voted to approve a new chief conductor , Sakari Oramo. It is time for a change, several said. Please forgive my abject ignorance on the subject, but is it usual for the players to vote on wheth...

moldyoldie

My spectrum analyzer said that the tone was actually around 15,000 Hz. If anybody is interested, you can download Audacity , which has a "tone generator," and test the upper frequency bounds of your ears (or the upper frequency bounds of your speakers; whichever one comes first :wink: ). I'm pretty...

moldyoldie

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/4127RBCYPGL._AA240_.jpg labyrinthine scheme of harmonies... Never was a big fan of Bruckner's music, but I like this clear & balanced performance under Boulez That performance "convinced" me on first listen, unlike Karajan, Furtwängler, Jochum, et al. Boulez's ...

moldyoldie

That must be the recording to which I had my Mahler Ninth epiphany awhile back. Not that it means anything, but I could never imagine jogging to it! :) It is quite simple, actually. I know that composition inside out, so I do not struggle any longer while listening to it. I think I studied the firs...

moldyoldie

....did Kleiber do any other of the Brahm's symphonies? I presently have the 4th in my amazon shopping cart and am looking forward to getting it. Kleiber also recorded Brahms' Symphony No. 2 , though the most economical way of getting it is probably on this DVD . Also, just to bring it to your atte...

moldyoldie

While jogging, I listened to Bruckner's Ninth (Abbado, Wiener Philharmoniker). That must be the recording to which I had my Mahler Ninth epiphany awhile back. Not that it means anything, but I could never imagine jogging to it! :) Listening to... Poulenc: - Concerto in G minor for Organ, String Orc...

moldyoldie

Bruckner: Symphony No. 1 in C minor Staatskapelle Dresden Eugen Jochum, cond. Brilliant Classics (Disc# 1 of 10, also on EMI) Hey, it's early in the morning and I'm not up to handling the heavier lifting of later Bruckner. These early symphonies are good, fairly enjoyable, and "uncluttered" illustr...

moldyoldie

Vaughan Williams is at the pinnacle; it's his symphonies and other orchestral and choral works that compel duplication in my collection. When I think Vaughan Williams, whether in pastoral romantic or modernist mode, I think quintessentially British and the first half of the 20th century -- the count...

moldyoldie

I agree with Diegobueno, intonation is off. While the section is very beautiful and lyrical, the player sounds as if she's struggling with the notes and not the "soul". This is definitely a cringe moment, but in itself not a dealbreaker. Thanks for posting that, Henry. I didn't hear this with my Shi...

moldyoldie

I just listened to my only recording of Copland's Clarinet Concerto and heard nothing that wasn't musical, and certainly nothing that could be described as avian torture. David Schifrin, clarinet New York Chamber Symphony Gerard Schwarz, cond. EMI You want tortured birds? Listen to some of John Colt...

moldyoldie

Stockhausen: Hymnen (Anthems for Electronic and Concrete Sounds) Electronic Realization from WDR - Cologne, West Germany Deutsche Grammophon (2 LPs) Avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen had his fifteen minutes of quasi-fame in the late-'60s/early-'70s during the height of Cold War tensions an...

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Re: Rudolf Barshai and Dmitri Shoshtakovich.

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