Kevin Posted July 5, 2008 Posted July 5, 2008 I couldn't get the smile of my face . My appoligies for such a long post but i had to tell someone!! I was waiting for the HUGE Cannons but they didn't happen - WHY? An alternative is the Mercury Living Presence recording of the 1812 (Dorati) where cannon and a carillion are used in the recording. Also on this recording is the Beethoven Wellington's Victory which has cannon, howitzers and Brown Bess musket fire on the recording. Have another look through the old vinyl at the junk shop - maybe there is a Mercury or two sitting there. Kevin
davidsss Posted July 5, 2008 Posted July 5, 2008 The Deutsche Grammaphon version I have also has cannons and a choir doing the beginning which, apparently, is the way it's supposed to be. It's part of a Tchaikovsky box set which only cost me $10. DS
Grumpy Posted July 5, 2008 Posted July 5, 2008 Thanks for the tips. I have read about the Telarc version and thought that some sort of wallop would occur on all the 1812 recordings. Hey! I know nothing of this music.:) I saw some deutsche Grammaphon LP's at the 'junk' shop. Can't remember what of though.
davidsss Posted July 5, 2008 Posted July 5, 2008 You have to be very picky at the junk shops and op shops - lots of crap but a few worthwhile LPs at those places. Always lots of classical though. DS
mickj1 Posted July 5, 2008 Posted July 5, 2008 Hi Grumpy Fancy meeting you here! I have several versions of 1812, including 2 on CD - the best of these is on a Decca pressing with V. Ashkenazy conducting the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra - it is recorded "using the chorus, the bells and cannon of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg and shots fired by the Leningrad Military District" - it really gives the system a workout! Cheers Mick
Grumpy Posted July 5, 2008 Posted July 5, 2008 Yeah Mick I feel like the new kid in school over here. (now that was a long, long time ago) I bet that set would sound good. I was truly enthralled with my CD version today so something better would be amazing I suppose. I think I'll look for CD's as my TT set-up probably wouldn't do the music justice. Heard a nice classical piece by John Lord (Deep Purple)on the radio last week that was interesting. Didn't know he 'done' Classical.
Catostylus Posted July 5, 2008 Posted July 5, 2008 I listened to an Emerson Quartet recording of Schubert's last quartet in G D887 last night. That is one hell of a recording and one hell of a piece. There are some really experimental harmonies in the last movement that left me . I really love late Schubert works. Schumann once described them as having a "heavenly length". They're like test cricket: long and subtle, although the quartet in G is seriously dramatic. I really recommend putting aside an evening to mull over a glass of red and this quartet. The Schubert G major is one of the great chamber pieces. It so sadly underlines the tragic loss of his early death when he was so clearly moving onto another plane with this and his other late music (although, it is said, that along with Mozart, there is no such thing as late Schubert). He is so clearly laying the groundwork for Bruckner with these long, gloriously structured deeply felt pieces with their cellular motifs and expansive arches. I have the Alban Berg Quartet on an old HMV analogue transfer. Just glorious.
Keith_W Posted July 6, 2008 Author Posted July 6, 2008 OK HG I have finally heard the Arrau Beethoven. I walked into a bookshop and noticed immediately they were playing Beethoven's Appassionata piano sonata. I gazed at some books but really, I was trying to listen to the music. The shop assistant must have noticed me nodding my head to the rhythm, and asked me if she could help. I asked her who was playing! Claudio Arrau. Well, this is what I thought after listening to only one movement. Very exciting playing, superb technique, and a lot of passion. It's a different kind of insight into Beethoven - Schnabel gives you a more philosophical Beethoven, Kempff a smaller, clearer Beethoven, Arrau a more stormy one. That's all I can say after listening to a quick snippet but I will be investigating more
Grumpy Posted July 6, 2008 Posted July 6, 2008 Damm I'm at it again; This time some old record sets I had in the cupboard. This is a mix of all the famous composers. Treasures of Great Music - 5 record set by 'Brookville Records' (1970's) some truly magnificent sounds, some not so good. Just heard a tune that sounded like Gene Pitneys 'Take me Tonight', a beautiful peice. Don't know the name of it yet, I don't have a record index on the album covers!! Oh! yeah, these are LP's:rolleyes: This is fun. Ah! that song was Symphany no5 - Tchaikovsky
davidsss Posted July 6, 2008 Posted July 6, 2008 I think you will find quite a bit of popular music with classical influences. Nothing wrong with that really, just proves there is nothing totally new under the sun. DS
jimdgoulding Posted July 6, 2008 Posted July 6, 2008 Romances and Elegies for viola and piano- Kashkasian/Levin (ECM)
Geoffwiggle Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Geoffwiggle, which is your favourite version of the Art of Fugue? I have the Glenn Gould one which does not include all the fugues. Half the disc is played on organ, and then he repeats some of the fugues on piano. The fugues on organ are very good, Gould has a great sense of counterpoint. The other version that I like is Zoltan Kocsis on the piano. Keith, I probably haven't heard enough versions to nominate a favourite. I really like the Fretwork version. The viol consort is a really well-blended ensemble, and they keep it light and nimble enough. I'd really like to hear Mr Gimlett's version with the Canadian Brass, I reckon that would sound terrific, like a viol consort a brass ensemble can be beautifully blended and has a surprising range of colour. Although I've never heard it done, I also think that a saxaphone ensemble (baritone, tenor, alto and soprano) has a terrific sound, and would be really well suited to the Art of Fugue. Bach would definitely have been into it.
inego Posted July 8, 2008 Posted July 8, 2008 Yeah I love chorale music For the Bach Mass in B Minor, I have in my collection versions by Karl Richter, Otto Klemperer, Helmuth Rilling, The Netherlands Bach Society, Philip Herreweghe, and Robert King. Do you prefer modern or original instruments? And how big is your choir going to be? Sorry, I lost track of this thread: 1. prefer original, but concert will be modern 2. size of choir - major chorales and fugues 80-90 voices (we are doing the double choir sections as written), and a 24 voice chamber choir for many others. I'm in both, so starting some physical training already, let alone learning the parts, for this marathon. Kent PS. Concert in August is Saint Saens Requiem plus a few other things....
Geoffwiggle Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 Here's one from left(ish) field: last night I listened to Josqin des Prez's Missa l'Homme Arme supra vocales on a recording by the Tallis Scholars. It is a long and powerful mass, and the Agnus Dei is really extraordinary, waves and waves of sound cascading up and down the range. The recording is really nice too, with the choir spaced antiphonally into cantoris and decani, and it is easy to pick out individual voices, while overall the choir maintains its legendary blend. I'd love to hear of other people's treasured recordings of Renaissance polyphony. It's one genre of music that, i reckon, sounds dreadful on bad gear, and astounding on the good stuff. It's all about how the recording captures and the gear reproduces the balance between detail in the voices, and the echoing accoustic of a Gothic cathedral.
brumby Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 Here's one from left(ish) field:last night I listened to Josqin des Prez's Missa l'Homme Arme supra vocales on a recording by the Tallis Scholars. It is a long and powerful mass, and the Agnus Dei is really extraordinary, waves and waves of sound cascading up and down the range. The recording is really nice too, with the choir spaced antiphonally into cantoris and decani, and it is easy to pick out individual voices, while overall the choir maintains its legendary blend. I'd love to hear of other people's treasured recordings of Renaissance polyphony. It's one genre of music that, i reckon, sounds dreadful on bad gear, and astounding on the good stuff. It's all about how the recording captures and the gear reproduces the balance between detail in the voices, and the echoing accoustic of a Gothic cathedral. Well I'll be damned. I've got that exact recording (on Gimmell?). I hadn't listened to it in a while so I popped it on a couple of nights ago. I agree totally, superb singing and the recording is first rate. And the Agnus Dei is my favourite "cut" too. That happens to be my only disk in this category of music so I'm also eager to hear any other recommendations.
hired goon Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 G'day, last night I listened to Josqin des Prez's Missa l'Homme Arme supra vocales on a recording by the Tallis Scholars. I don't have that, but buried deep in the collection somewhere I have Hilliard Ensemble performing Josquin des Prez's Motets et Chansons. Might have to check out the various Missas. --Geoff
Geoffwiggle Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 Well I'll be damned. I've got that exact recording (on Gimmell?). I hadn't listened to it in a while so I popped it on a couple of nights ago. I agree totally, superb singing and the recording is first rate. And the Agnus Dei is my favourite "cut" too.That happens to be my only disk in this category of music so I'm also eager to hear any other recommendations. Brumby, is this when we say SNAP? You should try William Byrd's 4 and 5-part masses as well. I sang these in church for many years, but they still raise hairs on the back of my neck.
Stygian Posted July 12, 2008 Posted July 12, 2008 I bought a few box sets and LP's at a garage sale yesterday (as well as some 78 box sets, but I've got nothing to play those on yet ) and I must give them a spin sometime. Box sets: Mendelssohn - The Complete Organ Works Schubert - 8th Symphony, conducted by Bohm, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Bruch - Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra; Kurt Masur conducting the 'Gewandhausorchester Leipzig', Salvatore Accardo on the violin Beethoven - Complete Violin Sonatas Brahms - Ein Duetsches Requiem. (A German Requiem?) LPs: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons, Vienna State Opera Orchestra conducted by Scherchen, with Julien Olevsky on violin. And a few LP's by Tchaikovsky: Aurora's Wedding Ballet Music Romeo and Juliet (Fantasy Overture) Capriccio Italien, Op. 45 Waltz Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor And Victor 78 Box sets. 3 of them, including Beethoven, Schubert and Tchaikovsky. The records themselves are all in mint condition - these were taken very good care of. Boxes have a few spots on them, but I'm guessing these are quite old. Have been transported across the country numerous times, too. In any case - now to lug them back up to Melbourne tomorrow so I can actually play them
Mr_Gimlet Posted July 12, 2008 Posted July 12, 2008 I'd love to hear of other people's treasured recordings of Renaissance polyphony. Morales - Mass for the Feast of St Isidore of Seville on Archiv
Kevin Posted July 12, 2008 Posted July 12, 2008 I'd love to hear of other people's treasured recordings of Renaissance polyphony. It's one genre of music that, i reckon, sounds dreadful on bad gear, and astounding on the good stuff. One of my favourite pieces of music is the Thomas Tallis 40 part motet Spem in Alium. The recording we have is nothing special (Tallis Scholars Gimell). We have a few of Palestrina's masses, along with Victoria, des Prez, Byrd. In terms of trying out some of this music the Allegri Miserere is shatteringly beautiful. Reliable ensembles in performing this type of music Tallis Scholars, The Sixteen, Gothic Voices, Hilliard ensemble - overwhelmingly English groups as they have had a persisting choral tradition via the cathedrel schools. Kevin
davidsss Posted July 12, 2008 Posted July 12, 2008 Bought some classical today: A 6lp set of Vivaldi played on original instruments - Concerto Amsterdam on the Telefunken label. Mahler: 9th Symphony, Georg Solti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Decca. Looks almost unplayed. DS
mickj1 Posted July 12, 2008 Posted July 12, 2008 Hi I picked up a couple of cheapies today at the market - A Philips Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez and a Bach sampler with tracks including E Ormandy, Pablo Casals, and John Williams - plus a couple of Glen Gould WTC from Book 1 - so I can get a taste of what Keith_W is describing, before spending too much . Haven't played any of them yet tho - because tonite we went to the TSO's 60th Anniversary Concert w Sebastian Lang-Lessing. They did the same set that was played on the opening night in 1948 - Weber Euryanthe Overture, Handel arr Harty Polonaise Arietta and Passacaglia, Grieg Piano concerto w Bernd Glemser- standing ovation for this one, and finished off w Beethoven's 5th - for another SO. A wonderful night's music, but I can't sleep just yet Cheers Mick
Audiobugged Posted July 14, 2008 Posted July 14, 2008 I posted in the separate thread "good classical recordings" started by warnsey, but has some relevant stuff possibly should stay on this thread.. (will let the Keithmeister decide... ) http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/showpost.php?p=132343&postcount=11 AB
Audiobugged Posted July 17, 2008 Posted July 17, 2008 Mozart Piano Concertos Set, Perahia. The short? The best version. Ever. (Imnsho) The long(ish)? I come back to this every couple of weeks (along with his performances of the beethoven piano concertos, except for the emperor). Perahia's pianistic brillance, especially in his tonal shading but also in his technique/dexterity is unequalled for Mozart. Every note is there, perfectly weighted and judged - crystal clear and shimmering running notes, wonderful singing tone, his performances are a must buy. 20, 19, 23, 21, 13 are the standout concertos for me... AB
Nostro Posted July 19, 2008 Posted July 19, 2008 Vivaldi: Concerti per archi Rinanldo Alessandrini: Conductor Stabat Mater Rinaldo Allesandrini: Conductor Sarah Mingardo: Conttralto Just been watching this wonderful sun set from the back veranda with a Coopers ale & Vivaldi. Very relaxing & I fine way to end this day.
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