What are you listening two?

[markof]

A real cracker of an album which includes the great "on the waterfront" suite (performed on the proms last week)

Mark.

[fergus]

A real cracker of an album which includes the great "on the waterfront" suite (performed on the proms last week)

Mark.

Agreed Mark; I have that one on vinyl and played it recently enough.

[fergus]

Sibelius: Violin Concerto....




This is a wonderful live performance with great recorded sound. Technically the playing is superb and I also found it to be very intense emotionally. This exciting performance has really opened my ears to this work, giving me new insights. The heightened emotional tension in the first movement is thrilling. The slow movement is wonderfully played with no sentimentality. The final movement has a wonderful throbbing, pulsating undercurrent in the opening section which disappears but returns later in a less threatening manner. The work does not have a bravura finale but I felt that the conclusion is well worked and planned and ultimately very satisfying.

[DonKC]

A real cracker of an album which includes the great "on the waterfront" suite (performed on the proms last week)

Mark.

Agreed Mark; I have that one on vinyl and played it recently enough.

I have the CD iteration now, but once had the vinyl, it was damaged along with most others in a flood (from a burst hot water tank) many years ago no.

A true classic if there ever was one. This inspired me to get mine out and give it a spin. The CD includes a Gershwin Piano Concerto in F performance with Andre Previn piano and Andre Kostelanetz and "His Orchestra". (truth be known, probably the same musicians as the "Columbia SO" which was NY Phil players and some freelancers.

[Seán]

Building a Library

Rob Cowan compares recordings of Beethoven's 4th Symphony and makes a personal recommendation.

[Seán]

....... (truth be known, probably the same musicians as the "Columbia SO" which was NY Phil players and some freelancers.

Thanks for that snippet of information Don. I have often wondered who they were. They made some splendid recordings with Stravinsky and Bruno Walter.

[Seán]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Divertimento in B-flat major KV 254
Piano Trio in G major KV 496
Piano Trio in B-flat major KV 502
Bart van Oort - Pianoforte
Elizabeth Wallfisch - Violin
Jaap Ter Linden - Cello

The use of a fortepiano is essential in this music and Bart van Oort's playing is exquisite.

[DonKC]

....... (truth be known, probably the same musicians as the "Columbia SO" which was NY Phil players and some freelancers.

Thanks for that snippet of information Don. I have often wondered who they were. They made some splendid recordings with Stravinsky and Bruno Walter.

In that era, orchestra and musician contract obligations often did not allow them to record for another label. Also, royalties were paid to the entire orchestra if used for a recording, so using a "pick-up" orchestra allowed Columbia to get a first class orchestra with less cost and more flexibility. NY Philharmonic, NBC Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra members were used along with freelance musicians. The Bernstein recording was from this orchestra.

Interestingly, Bruno Walter's stereo recordings were recorded in Los Angeles with a different Columbia SO "hand picked" by Walter from LA Philharmonic musicians, area freelancers and movie studio musicians. Some have said this was the finest symphony orchestra ever formed in the USA. They were, whoever they actually were, a truly superb band.

[Seán]

No fortepiano here but the music is gorgeous. The pianist is Mrs Antal Dorati.



Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Trio in E major KV 542
Piano Trio in C major KV 548
Piano Trio in G major KV 564
Ilse von Alpenheim - Piano
Igor Ozim - Violin
Walter Grimmer -Cello

Released under licence from BIS, Sweden

[Seán]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Quartet in G minor KV 478
Piano Quartet in E flat minor KV 493
Bart van Oort - Fortepiano
Tjamke Roelofs - Violin
Bernadette Verhagen - Viola
Jaap ter Linden - Cello