Classical Music

Discussion in 'The Good Life' started by burningdarkness, Feb 24, 2009.

  1. Dewaine

    Dewaine Well-Known Member

    For years I listened Gould's '59 recording and considered it the best. That was until I heard Murray Perahia's, and now I really prefer Perahia's Goldberg.
     
  2. Luziana_Geezer

    Luziana_Geezer Active Member

    Yes, in fact it is one of many recorded performances of the Mahler 2nd I own.
     
  3. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    The SACDs are annoyingly expensive, but they can be played on a normal system - you just don't get the full benefit of what you are paying for. Nevertheless, the sound is generally still very good.

    My honest opinion, and this is coming from someone who has the complete Mahler cycle by Tilson Thomas - don't go for his 2nd. While not a bad recording, it is not near the top for me, and I think you would be disappointed after paying extra for it. If you like Tilson Thomas, I suggest getting his recording of the 4th - one of the better recordings of it. Where Tilson Thomas' recordings particularly shine is the sound quality - very nice.

    For me, the recording of the 2nd that still is my favorite is Klemperer/Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra on EMI - a live recording, not the studio recording of his. This is an incredible piece - although I must confess that I am a huge fan of Klemperer. His recording of Das Lied von der Erde with Ludwig and Wunderlich is also wonderful (also on EMI).

    As for the 8th, I still don't care for Solti (or for any of his Mahler recordings). I still haven't found a recording of the 8th that I truly enjoy, but I have heard VERY good things about Nagano's recent recording of the 8th released on Harmonia Mundi. I'm looking to put that in my collection soon.
     
  4. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    :happy096
    I could not agree with you more. I have a few harpsichord versions as well that I enjoy from time to time, but Perahia's recording is amazing, and almost single-handedly destroys the argument that all Bach should be performed on period instruments. Perahia makes this music shine.

    I have not heard the '59 Gould recording - I have the recording from the 80's. While it is monumental in its status, I have to admit that it leaves me less than fulfilled. And, as petty as it sounds, I simply don't care for his verbalizations throughout. Admittedly, my only expertise in evaluating classical music is from listening to it. But to my ear, Perahia's recording just outshines all others I have heard.
     
  5. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    The 2nd still remains my favorite of Mahler's symphonies. I have acquired several recordings as well, although I have yet to pick up Mehta's recording, for which I have no good excuse - I've heard excellent things of it. The ones I own that stand out are:
    Klemperer/BRSO - EMI
    Rattle/Birmingham - EMI

    Boulez' recent recording with the Vienna Philharmonic on DG is also not a bad one.

    Others I have include:
    Solti/CSO
    Bernstein/LSO
    Slatkin/SLSO
    Tilson Thomas/SFSO
    Kaplan/LSO

    My other obsession with Mahler is Das Lied von der Erde. Of that work, I have 6 recordings, ranked in order of preference:
    1. Ludwig, Wunderlich; Klemperer/Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI)
    2. Baker, Kmentt; Kubelik/BRSO (Audite)
    3. King, Fischer-Dieskau; Bernstein/Vienna (Decca, I think)
    4. Ludwig, Kollo; Bernstein/Israel Philharmonic (Sony)
    5. Ferrier, Patzak; Walter/Vienna
    6. Skelton, Hampson; Tilson Thomas/SFSO

    The Tilson Thomas recording really, in my mind, is the weakest of his entire Mahler cycle with SFSO - the soloists really are what destroy it. To me, he is ruined by individuals whose voices really don't seem up to the task of this work.

    I still need to investigate Reiner's recording of this work from the 50's, which I am told is one of the best.
     
  6. Luziana_Geezer

    Luziana_Geezer Active Member

    Dr. Mike,

    As far as the Resurrection is concerned, I may well regard this as my very favorite work, not just my favorite Mahler symphony; Das Lied is a bit tiresome for me, though. Over the years I have owned several dozen recordings of the Second, but without going to check I'm guessing that I have only Szell's and Walter's very early stereo versions of DLVDE... I may have picked up a Maazel on import of it 30 years ago, too, but I confess that with age and failing health I cannot be sure. I have heard similar reports of the Reiner.

    As for the Resurrection, there's something about this work that when it hits you, it really hits you, and it was, for me, the solemnity that Christa Ludwig bought to the _Urlicht_ that won the Mehta/Vienna performance over for me. Cortubas sings just as majestically here, too, and the Vienna Choir provides a finale so enthralling that the recording carries me off to heaven every time I hear it. As an audiophile, I spent much of the past thirty some years searching for a better sounding performance that had the same effect on me but I was unsuccessful.

    In the same vein, there was a performance of the Mozart Great Mass that had a similar religious effect on me. It was a performance with Fricsay and the Bamberg Orchestra on DGG that was recorded about 40 years ago. The soprano (forget her name) was incredible.

    I'm also a great fan of the two most famous Grieg works, the Piano Concerto and the Peer Gynt. My favorite recordings of these are many, but Radu Lupu's performance with Andre Previn conducting is at the head of the class for the concerto; Oiven Fjelstad's PG is tops for me.
     
  7. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    Although I haven't yet heard the Mehta recording of Mahler's 2nd, I will agree whole-heartedly that Ludwig is an incredible Mahlerian. I go back and forth between her and Janet Baker for my favorite.

    I picked up Mahler's 8th by Nagano on Harmonia Mundi yesterday. After a first hearing, I have to say that it definitely catches the ear more than the other recordings I have heard, and the sound is magnificent.

    I have a recording of Mozart's Great Mass by Gardiner (on Phillips, I believe), but it has not yet moved me like other religious choral works. My favorites in that genre are Bach's Mass in B Minor (Suzuki's recording on BIS tops my list), Beethoven's Missa Solemnis (Klemperer on EMI), and Brahms' German Requiem (again, Klemperer on EMI). Admittedly, I have not listened to Mozart's Mass as much - I am currently enjoying greatly his various operas, especially the new recordings by Jacobs for Harmonia Mundi (I have heard Idomeneo and La Nozze di Figaro). I'll have to spend some time with his mass.
     
  8. revtriplep

    revtriplep Member

    Love Classical Music

    I really enjoy classical music especially at night when I 'm trying to go to sleep or when I'm in my study, I particularly enjoy Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", probably one of my favorites.
     
  9. Luziana_Geezer

    Luziana_Geezer Active Member

    It's a great one to have as one of your favorites. You might also like Corelli's Concerti Grossi, Op. 6. Great music for those Il Pensoroso moments, I think.
     
  10. Luziana_Geezer

    Luziana_Geezer Active Member

    BTW in regards to the Mahler 2nd, I found that the Mehta version has been posted on you tube —*at least the last movement. Here' the 2nd half of it (so appropriate for Easter weekend, don't you think?):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGNm4i78d5Q&NR=1
     
  11. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    Vivaldi is incredible. He is my second favorite baroque composer, right after Bach. The Four Seasons is one of those monumental classics of music. I have enjoyed newer recordings of this work using period instruments and playing practices, esp. Carmignola with Marcon on Sony, and Fabio Biondi's recording.
     
  12. Just listened to the full Lemminkainen Suite - Sibelius. Esa Pekka Salonen conducting. A Naxos recording (and therefore cheap). Wow! It was really beautiful music, and Salonen (of whom I'd never heard) was impressive.

    I've long been a Sibelius fan - I love all his symphonies and listen to them frequently, but I'd only ever listened to the 'Swan of Tuonela' from this suite. I'm currently reading a translation of the 'Kalevala', so I thought the music would be appropriate.
     
  13. revtriplep

    revtriplep Member

    NICE, how appropriate for Easter, remembering and being thankful for our Lord's resurrection!!!!
     
  14. Dewaine

    Dewaine Well-Known Member

    I really like Salonen's conducting of Sibelius's Fifth.
    This is the last movement:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLOig_N14Dg
     
  15. Thanks for the tip. I'll look that up. I have the whole cycle conducted by Colin Davis. It's very good.

    I've read that Salonen has done some good work with the LA Philharmonic.
     
  16. Dewaine

    Dewaine Well-Known Member

    Salonen has his detractors, but I like his interpretations as his tempo choices seem more effective to me than Davis's. But I have Colin Davis's first cycle of Sibelius and I think it is very good, also, especially the 6th and 7th Symphonies.
     
  17. It seems he wants to do the 'Ring' cycle. That's one of my favourite pieces (as it were) of music. It will be interesting to see if he pulls it off, and how it turns out.
     
  18. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    I have been very much "in to" 2 things as of late - Beethoven, and renaissance.

    Beethoven's string quartets are incredible, and I've been enjoying the late quartets, performed by the Takacs Quartet. They have done the entire Beethoven string quartet cycle on the Decca label, and it is incredible. I have also really enjoyed Osmo Vanska's symphony cycle on the BIS label. Very enjoyable, great sound - right now, although I have several other favorite conductors for Beethoven, Vanska is at the top.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    For renaissance, there are two recordings right now that I can't stop listening to. The first is Tallis' Spem in Alium, performed by the Tallis Scholars. If you like choral music, then this is incredible - hell, even if you don't particularly care for choral music, try it out anyway. It is a motet sung by 8 5-part choirs, for a total of 40 voices all singing their own part - it should sound like chaos, but in reality, it is like being surrounded by a heavenly wall of sound.
    [​IMG]

    In addition, I just acquired a 7-disc set of Davitt Moroney playing all of William Byrd's keyboard pieces. The sheer scope of what Moroney did here is impressive. Not only does he perform all of these works, but he does so on various instruments that are true to what Byrd had at his disposal at the time - from the harpsichord, to organs, to chamber organs, clavichords, and even muselar virginals (look that one up - I had to!). In addition, the pieces played on the harpsichord with lute stops are some of my favorites - a harpsichord that sounds like a lute.
    [​IMG]
     
  19. Luziana_Geezer

    Luziana_Geezer Active Member

    Yes indeed, Davis' Sibelius cycle (the one he did for Phillips with the BSO, anyway) was superb — especially the Second. The Fifth is also a riveting, mesmerizing symphony. My favorite has been Paavo Berglund's performance on the Finlandia Label for some time now. Alas it is now out of print.

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000005IFY/?tag=thshde-20
     
  20. orpheus42

    orpheus42 New Member

    I will eventually go back and read this whole thread, but right now it's too late at night (or early in the morning, depending on how you look at it). I just wanted to say that, as a music major in college, I approve highly of this thread.

    I also would like to take this moment to say that of all the music I lost in my recent fire (the apartment building in which my wife and I lived burned down in December), my recording of Leonard Bernstein conducting the NY Philharmonic performing Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto and Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, with Gary Graffman on piano, is by far the recording I miss the most (with every album, both studio and live, by Stevie Ray Vaughan being a distant tie for 2nd). I even tried to get my wife to walk down the aisle to the Rhapsody, you can probably guess which part. My choir director in high school had burned me a copy of the disc 12 years ago, and I listened to it at least once a week since then until the fire.
     

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