Classical Music Fans: Outstanding Recordings, anyone?
- Thread starter PKTrekGirl
- Start date
Indeed. I haven't been so moved since I heard Anna Russell sing "Schlumph ist Mein Gesitzenbaum".
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And let's not forget Florence Foster Jenkins performing Der Hoelle Rache, the Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute.
Anna is brilliant here, as always.
Of Florence, I can only say that it's well that she could afford to be as talented as she was.
Not sure if I can top Mme Jenkins, but here's an attempt.
^ I'm going to try and listen to samples of those two Fennell recordings. I actually don't yet own any recordings of Holst's Suites - I have only a Leonard Bernstein/NY Philharmonic recording of The Planets. So I'm keen to grab the Suites. However, I see that on the recording Indysolo recommended they have included Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, and I think my recording of that is only so-so. Perhaps this album can give me an improvement....
I'll make a note of the Bartok too. I don't own much Bartok, surprisingly.
And while I'm at it, I'll see what I can find for Mahler's 6th. SoS recommended a recording of that further upstream and I have just now noticed that the only recording I have of Mahler's 6th is a live recording of the London Symphony Orchestra. Probably need to get a little depth there.
Finally, I looked up the Charles Munch Ravel...and this is what I found -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/series/89315/ref=pd_serl_music?ie=UTF8&edition=audioCD
Seems that pretty much that entire RCA Living Stereo set is chock full of top-notch recordings.
Might be worth considering....
I already have the Van Cliburn Rachmaninov/Tchiakovsky entry in the set purely by accident, simply because I collect Van Cliburn recordings and Rachmaninov recordings. And it really is quite good.
Ooooh. I played Holst's First Suite back in high school when I was in the Wind Ensemble there. I always have wanted a crack at the Second Suite and we almost did that one, but twas not to be.
Just out of curiousity PKTrekGirl, do you play anything or are you just an admirer of classical music from afar?
I was for the most part like that for a long time. I'd try to make a good purchase the first time and stick with that - mostly based on the reputation of the conductor/orchestra. However, over the course of time I have discovered that, as good at Sir Neville Marriner is at conducting Mozart, for example, there ARE certain Mozart recordings out there that might be better. And I ended up wanting to listen to different ones for myself and making up my own mind. And the only way to do that is to buy the entire thing. You can't make a decision about an entire 40 minute symphony based on a few 30-second clips on iTunes. Or, at least I can't.
What actually spurred me on to purchase this Kleiber recording of Beethoven's 5th and 7th is that the Atlanta Symphony played the 5th the other night at a concert I attended. I noticed that they played the 4th movement ALOT slower than what I was used to hearing on the von Karajan recording I own (I had a couple of 'lesser' recordings as well - I just assumed von Karajan to be the 'standard' and so listened almost exclusively to that)....and I was really curious about that. So I went and did some reading and discovered that von Karajan takes that 4th movement at near warp compared to pretty much everyone else. I also discovered that, despite his repuation as 'the man' when it comes to Beethoven, that many people believe the Kleiber recording to be far superior. So I bought it to see for myself.
And in this case, 'many people' were absolutely correct.
I still think that for the most part, von Karajan is still 'the man' when it comes to Beethoven. But at least where the 5th and 7th are concerned, there are some major exceptions to that general rule. And I'm REALLY glad I 'discovered' this one.
Well, I have all of those recordings of the von Karajan/BSO renditions of the Beethoven symphonies. And for the most part, they are very good. In fact, I think one or two of them are listed on that website I linked to earlier as setting the bar for this symphony or that.It's interesting that this thread should start with Beethoven's symphonies; there are certain recordings I heard of them a long time ago, but never learned who they were by. Consequently, I've been searching for them for years. I've almost resigned myself to "settling" for Karajan's cycle.
But not for the 5th and 7th.
'Fraid I can't help you there. I don't have any Tchaikovsky 'sets'. I do, however, have about 5 different recordings of the his Piano Concerto #1.
LOL. That reminds me of a recording, and I can't remember who now conducted it, of Shostakovich 5 where the beginning of the 4th mvt is soooooooooo slow lol. I went to listen to it when I took conducting my senior year of college and had to conduct an excerpt from it.
Just thought of something which genuinely fits here. Within the last two years or so, Julie Taymor directed a staging of (an abridged) Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) with the Metropolitan Opera of New York which was broadcast on PBS as part of their Great Performances at the Met series in early 2007. Unfortunately, Amazon currently shows the DVD as being out of stock, but I recommend this highly if you're able to find it. Perhaps PBS or the Met may have it available direct or for download.
Visually, it's just stunning, and some very good performances including Nathan Gunn as Papageno and Erika Miklósa as The Queen of the Night (the aria Florence Foster Jenkins brutally murdered upthread is done so well here it's frightening.) I'd call it a must-see, if you can.
Visually, it's just stunning, and some very good performances including Nathan Gunn as Papageno and Erika Miklósa as The Queen of the Night (the aria Florence Foster Jenkins brutally murdered upthread is done so well here it's frightening.) I'd call it a must-see, if you can.
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How does Miklosa compare to Diana Damrau?
I'd say different, but equally outstanding.
Here's one performance (in English) on stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y24VZ9p2xWg
Another (auf Deutsch) in a concert setting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERsjRsCBlBo
For comparison, a Diana Damrau performance on stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuKxL4LOqc
With Damrau, the menace is more overt and intimidating, and with Miklosa more implied or understood. Both excellent.
I think you'd have to see it in context to judge it fairly. That costume was the one used in Taymor's staging, which ranged from exotic to fantastic to quite surreal. I thought it worked, but that sort of thing is always subjective.But that costume in the staged version was a disaster.
On the serious side of Also Sprach, I happen to be a fan of the University of Illinois Symphonic Band's recording of the entire piece, with Harry Begian at the stick. Actually, I'm really a fan of anything Begian recorded at Illinois. There's a certain gravitas that their rendition of Sinfonia India possesses that is missing on Bernstein's orchestral recording.
Very partial to Herbert von Karajan's recordings of the Beethoven Symphonies, as well as the Eli Oue Minnesota Symphony's recording of The Overture to Candide.
I also have some terrific CDs from The President's Own US Marine Band.
Even heard the strangest thing the other day while listening to some mp3s on The President's Own site. A recording of that Band playing early 1900s director Santleman's Thomas Jefferson March. Doesn't seem to exist, except in a 1909 recording by the Marines. Cool march too.
Very partial to Herbert von Karajan's recordings of the Beethoven Symphonies, as well as the Eli Oue Minnesota Symphony's recording of The Overture to Candide.
I also have some terrific CDs from The President's Own US Marine Band.
Even heard the strangest thing the other day while listening to some mp3s on The President's Own site. A recording of that Band playing early 1900s director Santleman's Thomas Jefferson March. Doesn't seem to exist, except in a 1909 recording by the Marines. Cool march too.