Top 5 CD Recordings

In what sense - ones I like the best or ones I think are superb recordings.

Well as everybody knows I'll just list 5 HMHB CDs if it is the first choice, I'll assume the second.

1. Sweet As Hell - Foo Foo (Naim Label)
2. Janácek: Cunning Little Vixen - Simon Rattle (Chandos)
3. Mahler Symphony No 5 - Bernstein (Deutsche Grammophon)
4. Janácek: Orchestral Works - Mackerras (Double Decca)
5. Faultlines - Karine Polwart (Neon)

Incidently, I don't just think these are great recordings - I really like listening to them as well on a CDX2/nait5i/nSats and CDX2/Stax4040s

Rotf

Ooh, only 5? That sharpens one's judgement; I like this game!

Life would certainly be a vale of tears without:

1, the Beatles
The Moody Blues Anthology, the Moody Blues
The Ultimate Collection, the Kinks
From the Original Master Tapes, Buddy Holly
Lennon Legend, John Lennon

I'll listen to them on my $6,000 Naim system or a $25 Walmart CD-boombox, love 'em either way.

ROTF,

Interesting list - you need to pick up the Mackerras/VPO reading of the Cunning Vixen - you know it makes sense.

Also, look out for 'From the House of the Dead' which is also very fine.


regards, Tam

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:
ROTF,

Interesting list - you need to pick up the Mackerras/VPO reading of the Cunning Vixen - you know it makes sense.

Also, look out for 'From the House of the Dead' which is also very fine.


regards, Tam

Tam - I have House of the Dead on a cassette that I was given as a birthday present years ago and you're right it is very fine music indeed. I often play it in the car - no CD player in my old Honda. I must get a CD version.

Is the CD below the one to get



I will try the Mackerras/VPO reading of the Cunning Vixen - I know you;re a great admirer of Mackerras and I realy like the performances I've heard from him.

Many thanks, Rotf

That's the one I have. I have the cassette too (a near permanent fixture in my car!).

I might venture to suggest (unless you're terribly fussed about having all the librettos) that you try this set, which offers rather good vfm:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000AC5B0M/qid.../026-5613749-3000453

regards, Tam

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:
That's the one I have. I have the cassette too (a near permanent fixture in my car!).

I might venture to suggest (unless you're terribly fussed about having all the librettos) that you try this set, which offers rather good vfm:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000AC5B0M/qid.../026-5613749-3000453

regards, Tam

Thanks Tam - I've just ordered the 9 CD set - it'll take a couple of weeks to arrive, I'll let you know how I get on - Rotf

SPC - sorry for deviating from the original thread, but if you like Leos Janácek then you've got some pretty good recommendations for well recorded CDs that have some great music. Rotf

By way of apology, and to get this thread back on track, I'm going to post something of a list, though I'm going to cheat outrageously and post top 5s in 3 different genres (otherwise it's just too tough for me to choose), I'd also say that each list is in alphabetical order, rather than that of preference.

Jazz:
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
- Porgy and Bess
- Jack Johnson
Bill Evans - At the Village Vanguard
Don Elis - Electric Bath

Classical:
Kempff/BPO/van kempen - Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto
Kleiber/VPO - Beethoven symphonies 5&7
Brunelle/Plymouth - Britten Paul Bunyan
Bernstein/VPO - Mozart Symphonies 40&41
Solti - Wagner's Ring cycle (I know it's 14 discs, but I did say I was going to cheat outrageously )

(Shockingly I seem to have omitted any Mackerras or Mahler and I wish I had room for the Solomon/Menges/Philharmonia Emperor concerto but...)

Everything else:
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Leonard Cohen - The songs of Leonard Cohen
Pink Floyd - Dark side of the Moon (or possibly the Wall or Division bell....)
Paul Simon - Graceland


regards, Tam

If it allowed to choose five favourites that are also all time greats, then here is my shot.

Bach: Art Of Fugue, Helmut Walcha on DG Arkiiv, currently available only in a big set, unfortunately.

Beethoven: Cello Sonatas, Fournier/ Schnabel, last seen on Electrola LPs
[but carefully transfered to CD by me!].

Mozart Pianoforte Concerto KV 466, in D Minor, Edwin Fischer/ LPO (HMV 1933), and reissued on Apian (APR) CD, currently.

Moozart Pianoforte Concerto KV 488, in A, Clara Haskil/ VSO/ Paul Sacher, on Philips CD, and currently available.

Haydn Symphony in B flat, No 102. Concertgebeouw/ Colin Davies, currently available. On Philips.

The trouble is that I would curl up and die within a month, if I was deprived of at least another 100! Fredrik

As a nod to Fredrik, ROTF, Tam et al, here's 5 more;

The Four Seasons, Vivaldi
Brandenburg Concertos, J.S. Bach
Ninth Symphony, Beethoven
Rondeau from 1st Symphonic Suite, Mouret
The Prince of Denmark's March, Clarke

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
If it allowed to choose five favourites that are also all time greats, then here is my shot.

Bach: Art Of Fugue, Helmut Walcha on DG Arkiiv, currently available only in a big set, unfortunately.

Beethoven: Cello Sonatas, Fournier/ Schnabel, last seen on Electrola LPs
[but carefully transfered to CD by me!].

Mozart Pianoforte Concerto KV 466, in D Minor, Edwin Fischer/ LPO (HMV 1933), and reissued on Apian (APR) CD, currently.

Moozart Pianoforte Concerto KV 488, in A, Clara Haskil/ VSO/ Paul Sacher, on Philips CD, and currently available.

Haydn Symphony in B flat, No 102. Concertgebeouw/ Colin Davies, currently available. On Philips.

The trouble is that I would curl up and die within a month, if I was deprived of at least another 100! Fredrik

Fredrik....

Look here for a slight surprise then.

Just ordered it on your recomendation..

The Vinyl was available used at a mere £54.00

There's a great DVD (from, I think, a mid 60s Edinburgh festival) of Richter and Rostropovich doing the cello sonatas. I'm also rather fond of the Du Pre/Barenboim readings. Do you know either of those Fredrik, if so, how does Fournier/Schnabel compare - at that price it might be worth looking into....

regards, Tam

1. Beethoven, Op 109,110,111 Brendel
2. Beethoven, Missa Solemnis, Klemperer
3. Schubert, D958,959,960, Brendel
4. Beethoven, String Quartet in C sharp Minor, Alban Berg Quartet
5. Schubert, Winterreise, Fischer-Dieskau, Brendel

EW

..oh and Wolf, Italienisches Liederbuch, Fischer-Dieskau, Schwarzkopf, Moore. Six I know but what the hell!

EW

Dear Steve, Tam, and Earwicker,

The Richter/ Rosropovich reading I once had on Philips {LPs and later on CDs], though from studio conditions of course, and the Du Pre set I once had access to on LP, and from which I came to know the music. I am a bit of severe classicist, and Du Pre has a way of stretching things a bit for me, which in no way invalidates her approach. Only the big, middle sonata really goes well for me in this recording. At either end of Beethoven's career, I like a blend of sublime (and sublimated) expression, and I think a rather clear classicism works the best (more on Schnabel and Founier at the end).

I found the Rostropovich reading with Richter starngely statueesque. Heavens I am picky, but this music requires not just gravitas, but a fleetness, that in my view is better served by Du Pre in that respect. In fact I could almost count the Richter set as being soporiphic for me, which is not at all fair. They get everything right, except the speed, which is consistently just too slow for me. I say that I am hard to please. I love this music, and truely satisfying performances are indeed as rare as hen's teeth!

On to my venerable friends AS and PF, well here, firstly we get Fournier's tremendously stylish, almost restrained tone, coupled with a flexible sense of phrase, and then every phrase 'tells' so naturally at tempi that consistently lead you forward. Not a hint of stasis. Then we get Schnabel the accompanist, which is even more remarkable than his ability as a soloist on this showing. Naturally his Beethoven playing suits some better than others, and I know Tood Arola, if he reads this may want to say something about it, but for sure Schnable has his virtuosity sharpened to razor point here. No messy runs or telescoped phrasong, but a real accompanist who makes the running when required, or perfrectly matches his colegue at other times. This is important for a complete grasp of the three styles Beethoven presents us (and his players) with.

In the two early works, little is done that would not be conceivable from Haydn in old age (even if not Mozart), and we get wonderfully turned classical renditions, which rightly only hint at the potential in the big (middle period) work, the A Magor, opus 69.

Here we are confronted by Beethoven the Heroic, and the performance matches a big boned approach, with incredible subtlety of phrase, and again, what seem perfectly judged tempi. I always found this the work I prefered least! But not here, where somehow the performance also points forward to the otherworldly late style of the the last two on times.

People either love late Beethoven or don't get it. Those in the second group are in good company, as even Beecham refered to late Beethoven as 'music by a deaf man for deaf men!' well I think that misses it by a good margin, but this is not easy music. In these two late works the partnership is no longer that of two sonata colaborators, but of two equals, and hopefully characterful individuals as well. You might well guess that the divergenses in the two parts are very aptly realised by these two very different characters, who manage both to play off each other, and with each other as the music demands all within a miilesecond, sometimes! Withoput a chapter and verse analysis, which is an awful lot of work, all I can say is that these two late sonatas in this reading are more stisfying than any other performance I have encountered, because the new style is met so successfully. In fact it is the sense of that developement of style through Beethoven's career that these performances so deftly bring out, while being totlally engaging, that makes this, in my opinion, not only the most satisfying recording to date, but the only one that is convincing from begining to end.

I hope it brings converts, afresh, to this most rare and beautiful corner of Beethoevn's output.

Thanks for the link, Steve.

All the best from Fredrik

quote:

as even Beecham refered to late Beethoven as 'music by a deaf man for deaf men!' well I think that misses it by a good margin,

I have always liked these acidic comments attributed to Beecham. Given that he recorded Beethoven, often with distinction - it makes me wonder how much of his tongue was in his cheek. Especially as from what I have read of him, he seemed to particularly enjoy a contrary position or two when it suited him.

The wonderfully light touch that his recordings of Mozart and Bizet demonstrate, may not mark him out as a natural interpreter of Beethoven - I can't help treating these comments with a little scepticism.

I have a very enjoyable Beethoven Seven - a work he was supposed to be highly critical of.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve S1:

quote:

as even Beecham refered to late Beethoven as 'music by a deaf man for deaf men!' well I think that misses it by a good margin,

I have always liked these acidic comments attributed to Beecham. Given that he recorded Beethoven, often with distinction - it makes me wonder how much of his tongue was in his cheek. Especially as from what I have read of him, he seemed to particularly enjoy a contrary position or two when it suited him.

[...].

Dear Steve,

I am absolutley convinced of this! But there are people who struggle with it all th4e same and perhaps Beecham, was adressing some who might have just found a Schnabel recital somewhat dull or something like that! He could be very contrary, even difficult, but I actually think it was to errect a wall, so he would avoid the possiblility of questions on something he would rather not talk about, perhaps because he actually cared very much about it indeed, but found the possibility of a discussion unappealing, due to his opinion of the other person rather than the subject! A ploy I understand. Sometimes it is rather easier to pretend to be a bit obtuse than discuss something with someone who really is! Actions speak volumes, but words are often wasted...

All the best from Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:
That's the one I have. I have the cassette too (a near permanent fixture in my car!).

I might venture to suggest (unless you're terribly fussed about having all the librettos) that you try this set, which offers rather good vfm:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000AC5B0M/qid.../026-5613749-3000453

regards, Tam

Thanks Tam - I've just ordered the 9 CD set - it'll take a couple of weeks to arrive, I'll let you know how I get on - Rotf

It's arrived at last - I'm looking forward to listening to this over the next week or so - lots of music.