Classical Music for Aficionados

Thanks Again, TwoLeftEars!

Based on your recco ordered the Chandos Vaughan Williams CD with "Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus." You're completely right; this is a fabulous/addictive piece and recording.

Still haven't gotten the CD but am listening through Amazon music -- that automatically adds SOME of the CDs you buy to its media player. Sadly, this audio animal only produces MP3 files and these, truly, suck for quality orchestral playback. Can't wait to get the CD later this week, There is no sense of immediacy with MP3 -- the orchestra sounds distant and muffled (am using the best settings and computer equipment, btw).

Also took your advice and picked up the Chandos Pleyel Symphonies and the CPO Sinfonia Concertantes. Amazon puts about 1/5 of the CDs you buy into the AutoRip media player and only the symphonies appeared (suspect this is licensing -- does anyone know?). In any case, the Pleyel is what I remember from the Mozart quotes -- effortless and airy with a tendency towards casualness. Still, worth investigating.

Now its back to another listen of the "Dives." It's a keeper.

Schubert:

Must check out your Schubert/Goodman recordings. Have a number of the symphonies with Weil/Sony that are good but just a touch sterile. Surprise, but the older Karajan Schubert recordings are powerful and fun -- he had a real feel for the language.

BTW, not to offend you, but assume you are a big fan of the Schubert Quintet. Have grown accustomed to the Smithsonian recording played on all Strads. Oddly, took a little while to become accustomed to the timbre but now cannot listen to anything else. That second movement goes with you to the grave, right?

• Khatia Buniatishvili