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.
Mr. Jarrett, 75, broke the silence, plainly stating what happened to
him: a stroke in late February 2018, followed by another one that May.
It is unlikely he will ever perform in public again.
“I
was paralyzed,” he told The New York Times, speaking by phone from his
home in northwest New Jersey. “My left side is still partially
paralyzed. I’m able to try to walk with a cane, but it took a long time
for that, took a year or more. And I’m not getting around this house at
all, really.”
When he tried to play some familiar bebop tunes in his home studio recently, he discovered he had forgotten them.
“I don’t know what my future is supposed to be,” he added. “I don’t feel
right now like I’m a pianist. That’s all I can say about that.”
“But when I hear two-handed piano music, it’s very frustrating, in a
physical way. If I even hear Schubert, or something played softly,
that’s enough for me. Because I know that I couldn’t do that. And I’m
not expected to recover that. The most I’m expected to recover in my
left hand is possibly the ability to hold a cup in it. So it’s not a
‘shoot the piano player’ thing. It’s: I already got shot. Ah-ha-ha-ha.”
“I can only play with my right hand, and it’s not convincing me
anymore,” Mr. Jarrett said. “I even have dreams where I am as messed up
as I really am — so I’ve found myself trying to play in my dreams, but
it’s just like real life.”
I have just finished listening to Barenboim playing the Diabelli Variations and must say I have on the whole enjoyed it. How he can keep this kind of work at his age and especially live at that is incredible. After a shaky start he then bowls headlong into them and on the whole I think it is a great achievement. If I had to pick anyone who he resembles playing them it has to be a lot of Arrau and a little of Kovacevitch. Not that he copies them though but more resembles, in his youth he revered Arrau and and Arrau liked him and his playing . His interpretation is quite slowish but not drastically so, he just lets the music breathe so to speak . In the faster variations he dives straight in and takes no prisoners and the great thing about late Beethoven is that the music doesn't sound too clean as per Beethoven's instructions to Schindler. Arrau was a great proponent of the musical slurs in Beethoven's late works which he also suggested to his pupils and I'm quite sure Barenboim also as his playing does resemble Arrau a lot. Anyway if you give it a spin so to speak it is on Qobus at the moment and I'm quite sure the others will have it also . The recorded quality is superb also so that should be a bonus.
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