What are you listening two?

[mcq]

Sean, I do not have Mackerras's earlier cycle on Telarc but I do have his wonderful recordings of the later symphonies on Linn.  I do think that you'll discover that Fischer 's recordngs share a similar approach to Mackerras's - that of transparency, freshness and vibrancy.  Both conductors evidently share a preference for modern instruments but both have absorbed the lessons learned from period practice.  If I was being overly critical, I might say that Mackerras finds a touch more wit and humour in the music, but this is only in reference to the later masterpieces.  Fischer's interpretations are warm and human and employ a transparent approach merely to expose more of the inner details written into the music.  There is a real sense of compulsiveness about Fischer's recording.  It is very easy to spend an evening playing 4 discs at a time immersed in this wonderful music.

Fergus, there are real differences between Haydn and Mozart (as Beethoven was quick to point out). Haydn was remarkably prolific and all of his symphonies - from 1 to 104 - are models of formal perfection which became ever more stylistically daring as the man grew older.  Mozart was different.  Like Schubert -  perhaps the closet parallel I can think of - the formal quality is, dare I say it, more variable, but the emotional quality is something deeper, more profound, which resonates in the mind.  Little musical motifs scamper between operatic and chamber and symphonic work, subtly embellished here and there, but which are foregrounded immediately in the mind's eye.  With Haydn, his sense of formal development appears to be more cerebral, whereas with Mozart, all is channelled with pure emotion.  The repetitious - as opposed to repetitive - quality of Mozart's great string quintets offer us a window into a great man's train of thought where formal perfection is eschewed in favour of a deep and personal emotional engagement.  This leads directly on to Schubert's late chamber work and piano sonatas and from there to Bruckner's symphonic cathedrals of sound.

And yes, Fergus, I do have Fischer's set of Haydn's symphonies and have enjoyed them immensely side by side with Dorati's more traditional interpretations for many years.  It's impossible to generalise here - both conductors have different interpretative viewpoints but both are equally valid.  Neither represents "the last word" because such a a concept is purely subjective and does not exist.  Each generation of conductors will produce its own set of windows into the soundworld of the composer with their own respective insights and every time we will listen to a new interpretation, we marvel anew.

[fergus]

Coincidence Dave; when I was setting up my playlist for today I pulled out an M4....more anon.

[fergus]

Beginning the day with music for viola da gamba by Couperin and Bach (both J.S. and C.P.E.).Beautiful music - spare, transparent moments of studied stillness and reflection alternating with episodes of sheer unaffected joy - that is elevated and transported by the poetic timbres of this most personal of instruments.

I do like the sonoroties and timbres of viols and viola da gamba in particular and you have a wonderful collection of CDs in your possession which I must endeavour to emulate.

[fergus]

Fergus, there are real differences between Haydn and Mozart (as Beethoven was quick to point out). Haydn was remarkably prolific and all of his symphonies - from 1 to 104 - are models of formal perfection which became ever more stylistically daring as the man grew older.  Mozart was different.  Like Schubert -  perhaps the closet parallel I can think of - the formal quality is, dare I say it, more variable, but the emotional quality is something deeper, more profound, which resonates in the mind.  Little musical motifs scamper between operatic and chamber and symphonic work, subtly embellished here and there, but which are foregrounded immediately in the mind's eye.  With Haydn, his sense of formal development appears to be more cerebral, whereas with Mozart, all is channelled with pure emotion.  The repetitious - as opposed to repetitive - quality of Mozart's great string quintets offer us a window into a great man's train of thought where formal perfection is eschewed in favour of a deep and personal emotional engagement.  This leads directly on to Schubert's late chamber work and piano sonatas and from there to Bruckner's symphonic cathedrals of sound.

And yes, Fergus, I do have Fischer's set of Haydn's symphonies and have enjoyed them immensely side by side with Dorati's more traditional interpretations for many years.  It's impossible to generalise here - both conductors have different interpretative viewpoints but both are equally valid.  Neither represents "the last word" because such a a concept is purely subjective and does not exist.  Each generation of conductors will produce its own set of windows into the soundworld of the composer with their own respective insights and every time we will listen to a new interpretation, we marvel anew.

Yes I agree with you on the obvious difference between the cerebral vs emotion in Haydn and Mozart respectively and of the obviously difference in approach required for both composers. What I was trying to establish was a correlation between the interpreatations and performances (albeit with a different ensemble) by the same conductor i.e. Fischer in this case. However you have answered my question in the latter part of your post. Thank you for bring the box set to our attention and I will definitely do more research on it.

[fergus]

More Brahms, this time his wonderful Piano Quintet....

[fergus]

A powerful Bruckner 4 from BPO/von Karajan....

[Jose Echenique]

Don Carlo was one of Karajan´s favorite operas, he conducted lavish productions both in Salzburg and in Vienna. The present production was recorded in the studio by EMI with a major cast change, Nicolai Ghiaurov as the King instead of Ruggiero Raimondi. I never warmed too much to that recording, Mirella Freni as Elisabeth de Valois sounded over parted with a role too heavy for her, and in general everything sounded luxurious but lifeless. As it usually happens, this contemporary live recording is a completely different thing. Mirella Freni, who was meant by nature as a light lyric soprano, sounds more comfortable live than in the studio, and she does deliver the goods. José Carreras who was also a size too small for the title role, but here gives everything he has as if his life depended on it, and Piero Cappuccilli, needless to say, is a glorious Posa, with the kind of rich Verdi baritone voice that is now almost extinct. But the most stunning performance is from Greek mezzo Agnes Baltsa as Eboli, in her second aria she brings down the house and covers herself in glory. Ruggiero Raimondi doesn´t possess Ghiaurov´s magnificent voice, but he understands that King Philipp is after all a weak character who can´t rule neither his Empire nor his household, and fits well in the cast. Karajan too, gives a more idiomatic and theatrical performance than in the studio, drawing sublime sounds from the Vienna Philharmonic. I never liked his idea of the 4 acts version, but even incomplete this is an historical document. The ORF engineers as usual did a splendid job back in 1979.

[fergus]

Finally, Szell's great version of the wonderful M4....

[Jose Echenique]

La Fanciulla del West is the most forward looking opera by Puccini, the more modernist, but it still is 100% Puccini. Vocally it´s a nightmare for both the soprano and the tenor, who have to struggle with some of Puccini´s less vocal friendly writing. Some of the greatest sopranos who sang Minnie on stage never recorded the role, like Magda Olivero and Dorothy Kirsten. For decades the only available recordings were with Birgit Nilsson on EMI and Renata Tebaldi on DECCA, both good but for different reasons, Nilsson certainly had the heft for the role, but she lacked the vulnerability of Minnie. The great asset of the EMI is the lively and exciting conducting of Lovro von Matacic, if the only had hired Dorothy Kirsten and Franco Corelli it still would be the greatest recording of Fanciulla. Tebaldi recorded the role in the late 50´s when she had never sung it on stage, but you´d never know it, it´s one of her finest recorded performances. Mario del Monaco too is more subtle and lyrical than in many other of his DECCA recordings. Franco Capuana is a stylish conductor.
It took almost 20 years before Fanciulla was taken back to the studios, courtesy of DG who were there to record the much admired Covent Garden production with Zubin Mehta conducting and Plácido Domingo and Carol Neblett in the leads. Everything was excellent but Neblett, who although very much looked the role, her voice was not up to the murderous demands.
Now the enterprising Ohems label brings us an interest production from the Frankfurt Opera with the fine German soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek who has been singing Sieglinde everywhere, and is an interesting artist. Her Minnie is not as smoothly sung as Tebaldi´s, but it´s more secure than Nebblet´s and more interesting than Nilsson´s. Her Dick Johnson is Carlo Veltre, a good tenor granted that he is no Corelli nor Domingo. The rest of the large cast and the orchestra do very well. Sebastian Weigle is always a sound and lively conductor, his Die Walküre in the same label is also very enjoyable. Since Fanciulla is not recorded that often we can welcome this new release.

[Jose Echenique]

Finally, Szell's great version of the wonderful M4....

For many, many years the Szell and the Reiner were the choice recordings for the Mahler 4.