What are you listening to?

[Seán]

Actually, I seem to know a few Irish people who'd like to see England do well this time around. I don't know what it is, but there seems to be an honesty about the side and a refreshing realism. I think they'll struggle to get past Germany, but I'd really expect them to beat Italy

Way off topic I know.
I like Hodgson. I'd like to see a team from these islands do well and prove that one of us can win the bloody thing. The English media are really a turn off but this time nobody expects England to do well. I NEVER watch ITV's coverage either because that's another turn off. I admire the English players for their honest endeavour. Yeah, I want England to do well.

[Jared]

I NEVER watch ITV's coverage, that's the turn off.

I'm streaming the coverage through my PC silently, whilst I'm listening to:



infintely better than the banality of an ITV commentary...

[fergus]

Bruckner Symphony No. 9 from this set....





Bruckner was devastated by the general rejection of his 8th symphony and I feel that this performance brings out the sense of rejection and defiance very well in this poignant music.

[Jared]

^^ for me, that set sees HvK at his very best, Fergus.

[fergus]

^^ for me, that set sees HvK at his very best, Fergus.

I consider him to have been a great conductor who directed a great orchestra and most of the time the synergy was even better than the sum of the parts.

[Seán]

^^ for me, that set sees HvK at his very best, Fergus.

I consider him to have been a great conductor who directed a great orchestra and most of the time the synergy was even better than the sum of the parts.

It's a pity he was a late developer when it came to Gustav Mahler, he should have recorded all of the symphonies.

[Jared]

It's a pity he was a late developer when it came to Gustav Mahler, he should have recorded all of the symphonies.

yes, it really is strange to think that 50/60 years ago, Mahler's works didn't have the reputation they do now... I'm sure if Herbie was alive today, he'd be recording one per year, every year...

[Jose Echenique]

^^ for me, that set sees HvK at his very best, Fergus.

I consider him to have been a great conductor who directed a great orchestra and most of the time the synergy was even better than the sum of the parts.

It's a pity he was a late developer when it came to Gustav Mahler, he should have recorded all of the symphonies.

Karajan like Giulini was selective with Mahler symphonies. Giulini -as far as I know- only performed and recorded symphonies 1 and 9, though Das Lied von der Erde was a great favourite of his.

[fergus]

I have recently finished listening to this set....





These are mono recordings from the early to mid 1950s and, with the exception of Symphonies Nos. 2 and 8 the sound quality is quite fine. Symphonies Nos. 1-7 are played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, No. 8 by the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and No. 9 by the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. The performances are grand, sweeping, noble readings which are on the expansive side but are masterly interpretations of great quality. It is wonderful to hear the Vienna Philharmonic playing from that period; they have such a well earned reputation and Furtwangler’s masterly direction yields great dividends with these smooth and elegant readings. I know that the restrictions of the mono recordings will not be to everyone’s taste but the performances are definitely worth hearing in contrast to say Bruggen or Gardiner. The one work that I do have an issue with however is No. 6. I find the opening two movements far too slow for my liking. There is no sweep to the music and I just feel that it gets too bogged down in the expansive detail. The performances that I most enjoyed in this cycle were the absolutely wonderful version of No. 9 as well as No. 7 and No.8 (even given the poor sound quality in this work the performance was wonderful).

[Jose Echenique]

I have recently finished listening to this set....





These are mono recordings from the early to mid 1950s and, with the exception of Symphonies Nos. 2 and 8 the sound quality is quite fine. Symphonies Nos. 1-7 are played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, No. 8 by the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and No. 9 by the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. The performances are grand, sweeping, noble readings which are on the expansive side but are masterly interpretations of great quality. It is wonderful to hear the Vienna Philharmonic playing from that period; they have such a well earned reputation and Furtwangler’s masterly direction yields great dividends with these smooth and elegant readings. I know that the restrictions of the mono recordings will not be to everyone’s taste but the performances are definitely worth hearing in contrast to say Bruggen or Gardiner. The one work that I do have an issue with however is No. 6. I find the opening two movements far too slow for my liking. There is no sweep to the music and I just feel that it gets too bogged down in the expansive detail. The performances that I most enjoyed in this cycle were the absolutely wonderful version of No. 9 as well as No. 7 and No.8 (even given the poor sound quality in this work the performance was wonderful).

When Furtwängler conducted the 9th it was not a performance, it was a celebration.