Tír Na HiFi

J.S. Bach - Cantata BWV 10 'Meine Seel erbeht den Herren' (Lisa Larsson/Daniel Taylor/James Gilchrist/Stephen Varcoe/John Eliot Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir/The English Baroque Soloists, Soli Deo Gloria)

Schumann - Piano Concerto (Maurizio Pollini/Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, DG) below

Shostakovich - Symphony No.9 (Mstislav Rostropovich, National Symphony Orchestra, Warner Elatus)

bombasticDarren wrote:

fergus wrote:

bombasticDarren wrote:It's a set I am very fond of Fergus. Tbh I am looking to invest in another set (at least of the later quartets) next payday

What are your thoughts on that next investment Darren....do you have a shortlist or even a preference?

I am thinking of either Alban Berg Quartet or Quartetto Italiano

I think you should consider the Talich Quartet and the the Vegh Quartet (favourites of mine!).

bombasticDarren wrote:

fergus wrote:

bombasticDarren wrote:It's a set I am very fond of Fergus. Tbh I am looking to invest in another set (at least of the later quartets) next payday

What are your thoughts on that next investment Darren....do you have a shortlist or even a preference?

I am thinking of either Alban Berg Quartet or Quartetto Italiano

I own the Alban Berg complete cycle and I enjoy it but I could not recommend it simply because I have nothing to compare it with.

Those are interesting comments from Ciaran above, Darren. Ciaran is a Wise One who does not speak that frequently but when he does those of us around here tend to listen because we have been richly rewarded when having bought on his previous recommendations!

On a recent visit to Seán’s home we listened to some Sibelius played by Vanska. Seán has posted more Sibelius on Monday and as I have been neglecting Sibelius for quite a while I played his Symphonies No. 1 & 2 tonight....




These are good, strong, solid performances which tend to emphasise the drama in the works as opposed to the cold bleakness that is often portrayed; these performances definitely have a different approach.
These are beautiful recordings made in a lovely warm acoustic.

fergus wrote:

bombasticDarren wrote:

fergus wrote:Those are interesting comments from Ciaran above, Darren. Ciaran is a Wise One who does not speak that frequently but when he does those of us around here tend to listen because we have been richly rewarded when having bought on his previous recommendations!

I will be keeping an open mind 'til I can afford them ;-)

J.S. Bach - Cantata BWV 76 'Die Himmel erzahlen die Ehre Gottes' (Lisa Larsson/Daniel Taylor/James Gilchrist/Stephen Varcoe/John Eliot Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir/The English Baroque Soloists, Soli Deo Gloria)

Liszt - Piano Sonata & 'Hungarian Rhapsody No.6' (Martha Argerich, DG) below

Schumann - Piano Sonata No.2 (Martha Argerich, DG) below

Sibelius - Symphony No.2 (Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra, Decca)

Piston – Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2....



Violin concerto no.1 I find enjoyable and easily accessible but I especially liked the Violin Concerto no.2.

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No 7
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Charles Mackerras conducting

As a tribute to the late, great Charles Mackerras tonight I listened to what is probably my favourite version of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony from a real gem of a set. Everyone should have this Beethoven cycle in their collection.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/c ... kerras.htm

fergus wrote:On a recent visit to Seán’s home we listened to some Sibelius played by Vanska. Seán has posted more Sibelius on Monday and as I have been neglecting Sibelius for quite a while I played his Symphonies No. 1 & 2 tonight....




These are good, strong, solid performances which tend to emphasise the drama in the works as opposed to the cold bleakness that is often portrayed; these performances definitely have a different approach.
These are beautiful recordings made in a lovely warm acoustic.

I love the music of Jean Sibelius and listen to his music several times a week. I am not familiar with the Ashkenazy recordings and I have had my heart set on getting a copy of the Bernstein and Maazel cycles and hadn't considered that one.

Today was my first listen to:

Mahler: Symphony No 2 'Resurrection'
Simon Rattle/ CBSO

my immediate reaction is that there is something about this performance which Rattle's performances of 1, 4 & 5 lack, to a greater or lesser degree. Firstly the recording of the above, in Watford Town Hall in 1986 seems to be very clear and high quality. There is a sense of urgency about the tempi which grabs you by the lapels and urges you to take notice, whereas the later Berliner performances seem to be strangely pedestrian at times... with No 5 suffering the most in the respect. I can't work out whether the problem lies completely in the performance, or in the mixing and acoustics, but Tennstedt's No 5 is certainly a more bombastic if perhaps idiosyncratic performance, whilst Maazel's accounts of 1,4 & 5 with the Wiener Phil are the most refined, if at times slightly underplayed...

Seán wrote:I love the music of Jean Sibelius and listen to his music several times a week. I am not familiar with the Ashkenazy recordings and I have had my heart set on getting a copy of the Bernstein and Maazel cycles and hadn't considered that one.

I have the older set Seán but there is a modern reissue which also contains the Violin Concerto....