Schubert, your statement that our genre chooses us, as opposed to we choosing our genre has been verified.
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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I have to agree with Schubert’s comments re Barber. If in strict keeping with the topic of the thread, the foremost American composer. I also agree that there is something wrong with the sound of the Dudamel performance. There is a lack of appropriate balance between the upper and lower strings; as if the lower strings were recorded more up close than the upper strings. This leads to a reduction of the appropriate relationship between the various voices, with celli and bassi being overly prominent relative to the upper strings; both spatially and volume wise. The orchestra sounds too “concentrated” spatially. Perhaps it is a function of mic placement or mic choice for the respective string sections. I suspect it is that, as well as an over aggressive desire on the part of Dudamel to bring forward the “inner voices”; to the extent that the leading voice almost gets lost at times. I can forgive the technical problems with the sound, but more importantly, there is a static quality to this interpretation of what, as rvpiano correctly points out, is something very beautiful. I prefer to hear more movement within each phrase and less overt “drama” from the crescendi and the length of the silences between phrases. For me, this performance, with a more old school recorded sound, gets the balances and pacing right; and the Philadelphia strings sound glorious: https://youtu.be/ThDIKvee_mY Btw, Re the comment by Inna about “too many instruments”. I understand the point, but while I don’t necessarily agree, it should be noted that this beautiful work is a version arranged for large string orchestra (by Barber) of the second movement of his String Quartet Op. 11. https://youtu.be/kxtMe9CPZ9M |
- 3872 posts total