I ONLY loath Wagner . Don't care for opera's with incest as the theme either.I care greatly that Wagner did much to make murdering millions OK ..
Classical Music for Aficionados
I would like to start a thread, similar to Orpheus’ jazz site, for lovers of classical music.
I will list some of my favorite recordings, CDs as well as LP’s. While good sound is not a prime requisite, it will be a consideration.
Classical music lovers please feel free to add to my lists.
Discussion of musical and recording issues will be welcome.
I’ll start with a list of CDs. Records to follow in a later post.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Vanguard Classics — Vienna Festival Orch. Prohaska, conductor.
Prokofiev: Scythian Suite et. al. DG — Chicago Symphony Abbado, conductor.
Brahms: Symphony #1. Chesky — London Symph. Orch. Horenstein, conductor.
Stravinsky: L’Histoire du Soldat. HDTT — Ars Nova. Mandell, conductor.
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances. Analogue Productions. — Dallas Symph Orch. Johanos, cond.
Respighi: Roman Festivals et. al. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
All of the above happen to be great sounding recordings, but, as I said, sonics is not a prerequisite.
I will list some of my favorite recordings, CDs as well as LP’s. While good sound is not a prime requisite, it will be a consideration.
Classical music lovers please feel free to add to my lists.
Discussion of musical and recording issues will be welcome.
I’ll start with a list of CDs. Records to follow in a later post.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Vanguard Classics — Vienna Festival Orch. Prohaska, conductor.
Prokofiev: Scythian Suite et. al. DG — Chicago Symphony Abbado, conductor.
Brahms: Symphony #1. Chesky — London Symph. Orch. Horenstein, conductor.
Stravinsky: L’Histoire du Soldat. HDTT — Ars Nova. Mandell, conductor.
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances. Analogue Productions. — Dallas Symph Orch. Johanos, cond.
Respighi: Roman Festivals et. al. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
All of the above happen to be great sounding recordings, but, as I said, sonics is not a prerequisite.
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- 3872 posts total
On Saturday night, he and the Berlin Staatskapelle orchestra completed the programme as promised at Jerusalem's international convention centre. But when Barenboim returned for a second encore, he surprised the audience by asking if they wanted to hear Wagner. An emotional 30-minute debate among the audience followed, with some shouting "fascist" and "concentration camp music", and dozens walked out, banging doors as the music began. But most stayed and Barenboim, 58, played a piece from Tristan and Isolde. He was reported to have been close to tears after receiving a standing ovation. "I respect those for whom these associations are oppressive. It will be democratic to play a Wagner encore for those who wish to hear it. I am turning to you now and asking whether I can play Wagner?" He said he did not want to offend anyone and that those who would find the music objectionable could leave. The debate, carried out in Hebrew, was lost on almost all of the
orchestra. Holocaust survivors were in both camps. Michael Avraham, 67,
an engineer, said: "Wagner was a giant anti-semite but also a great
musician. I'm against his views, but not his music." Ephraim Zuroff, director of the Israeli branch of the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre, said: "We will urge all Israeli orchestras to boycott Daniel Barenboim." In 1981, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra tried to play a piece from
Tristan and Isolde, but a Holocaust survivor jumped on to the stage,
opened his shirt and showed scars from a concentration camp. The
performance was abandoned. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jul/09/ewenmacaskill
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Arrau's complete Liszt Etudes. Who knows this recording well? The piano image is remarkably high, as if it were up on a raised stage and you were down in a seat close by. Also the bass/lower midrange seems remarkably, err, generous. I'm not complaining, it just brings home again how many ways a single piano can sound different when recorded. |
I have to say this is my favourite recording of the Transcendentals and Arrau was 75 at the time of recording which is pretty incredible seeing as the incredible difficulties involved . If you have ever been to a recital by Arrau pretty much the first thing you would hear in his piano tone was that incredible midrange which was rich and full. Most recordings of his actually do him a disservice in that a lot of that rich and glorious depth is diminished somehow. His last Phillips recordings do redress this with his latter digital recordings much more faithful in tone. A wonderful recording which hopefully would sway people from saying they hate Liszt without hearing Arrau ever playing him. |
Here is an article that is 28 years old, about pianos, about music, about Glenn Gould, and about Alfred Brendel. Anything I could say would only diminish it, so I simply recommend it to you. The original is behind a paywall here: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v14/n06/nicholas-spice/how-to-play-the-piano A copy (almost complete) is here: https://outline.com/36fmR7 |
- 3872 posts total