What are you listening to?

Seán
Posts: 4885
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:59 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by Seán »

fergus wrote:My first venture into the Brandenburgs played on modern instruments....
Do you like them?
"To appreciate the greatness of the Masters is to keep faith in the greatness of humanity." - Wilhelm Furtwängler
fergus
Posts: 10302
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:12 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by fergus »

Seán wrote:In my humble opinion Solti is the most underrated conductor of Mahler's works....
I have not been disappointed by anything conducted by Solti that I have bought Seán....he is a good all rounder.
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
fergus
Posts: 10302
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:12 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by fergus »

Seán wrote: I love Klemperer's Big Band Beethoven.
I still do not have his Beethoven symphonic cycle!!!
But it is on my Wish List!
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
fergus
Posts: 10302
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:12 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by fergus »

Seán wrote:Have you got the Solti recording that Ciaran recommended to us some time ago? It is awesome!
Nope....please refer to the interminable Wish List again!!!
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
fergus
Posts: 10302
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:12 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by fergus »

Seán wrote:
fergus wrote:My first venture into the Brandenburgs played on modern instruments....
Do you like them?
The “feel” of this set by Britten is different Seán; it is thicker, heavier, louder and neither better nor worse than period performances....simply different. The exception to this is the first movement of no. 6 which, I feel, suffers from these thicker and heavier textures of the modern instruments because of the sonorities of the instruments being so closely related. I just feel that the music gets a bit lost in there. Perhaps a little thinning out of the instrumentation may have solved the problem (as in the slow movement).
One of the dislikes I have in general of modern instrument performances of Baroque music is the substitution of flutes for the original recorders. This obviously occurs in no. 4 (one of my favourites) and, for me, it takes away some of the overall enjoyment of the work.
However, in general, the performances are well paced and most enjoyable. The two discs would get a high recommendation and are most certainly worth having.
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Seán
Posts: 4885
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:59 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by Seán »

Inspired by Dave I decided to listen to my favourite version of Mahler's Second:

Image
"To appreciate the greatness of the Masters is to keep faith in the greatness of humanity." - Wilhelm Furtwängler
fergus
Posts: 10302
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:12 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by fergus »

This morning....Haydn - String Quartets Op.1 Nos. 1 & 2....

Image

....Lovely, simple and inventive music.
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Seán
Posts: 4885
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:59 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by Seán »

fergus wrote:
Seán wrote:
fergus wrote:My first venture into the Brandenburgs played on modern instruments....
Do you like them?
The “feel” of this set by Britten is different Seán; it is thicker, heavier, louder and neither better nor worse than period performances....simply different. The exception to this is the first movement of no. 6 which, I feel, suffers from these thicker and heavier textures of the modern instruments because of the sonorities of the instruments being so closely related. I just feel that the music gets a bit lost in there. Perhaps a little thinning out of the instrumentation may have solved the problem (as in the slow movement).
One of the dislikes I have in general of modern instrument performances of Baroque music is the substitution of flutes for the original recorders. This obviously occurs in no. 4 (one of my favourites) and, for me, it takes away some of the overall enjoyment of the work.
However, in general, the performances are well paced and most enjoyable. The two discs would get a high recommendation and are most certainly worth having.
That's a lovely comprehensive response Fergus, thank you. My thoughts on the Vanska/MO recordings will follow shortly.
"To appreciate the greatness of the Masters is to keep faith in the greatness of humanity." - Wilhelm Furtwängler
fergus
Posts: 10302
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:12 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by fergus »

Seán wrote:Inspired by Dave I decided to listen to my favourite version of Mahler's Second:

Image
Intrigued by the last couple of posts on Solti's M1 & M2 I went to my shelf convinced that I had this sitting there....

Image

....and I just discovered that I do not actually own it....a major Senior Moment!!!!
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
fergus
Posts: 10302
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:12 pm

Re: What are you listening to?

Post by fergus »

Seán wrote:.... My thoughts on the Vanska/MO recordings will follow shortly.
I look forward to that Seán.
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Locked