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bombasticDarren wrote:J.S. Bach - Cello Suite No.1, No.2 & No.3 (Pierre Fournier, Archiv)

I know that they are somewhat restrained but I really like Fournier's versions of the JSB Cello Suites Darren. It will be interesting to see how you compare them to the Rostropovich when you get to listen to them!

Mozart/Mackerras: I have been listening to discs 7 & 8....




These discs basically contain the Symphonies nos. 31-36.
No. 31 “Paris” and no. 36 “Linz” were both stand-out performances for me.

fergus wrote:Mozart/Mackerras: I have been listening to discs 7 & 8....




These discs basically contain the Symphonies nos. 31-36.
No. 31 “Paris” and no. 36 “Linz” were both stand-out performances for me.

sounds like this set really delivers Fergus.

DaveF wrote:sounds like this set really delivers Fergus.

I had no modern instruments version of the Mozart Symphonies cycle and I did not particularly want one Dave until I saw this set a few months ago. I pondered over it for a while and finally took the plunge because it was Mackerras (whom I do like). It is a very good and consistent set and I am glad that I bought it as it has not disappointed.

I have always loved the sound and feel of this CD. The line up is baroque flute, harpsichord, viola da gamba and theorbo.

Sergei Rachmaninov
Symphonic Dances
Isle of the Dead
Russian State Symphony Orchestra
Valeri Polyansky conducting.

Wonderful music, I love it. My only misgiving is that classical musicians on the first movement of the Symphonic Dances have the alto saxophone sound like a foghorn: I dislike the tone that they get from the instrument.....do they never listen to Jazz musicans, I wonder? :o

J.S. Bach - Toccata in C minor (Martha Argerich, DG) below

Beethoven - Piano Trio No.2 (Beaux Arts Trio, Philips)

Sibelius - Symphony No.3 (Herbert Blomstedt, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Decca)

J.S. Bach

Cantata BWV 21 'Ich hatte viel Bekummernis' (Katharine Fuge/Vernon Kirk/Jonathan Brown/John Eliot Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir/The English Baroque Soloists, Soli Deo Gloria)

English Suite No.2 (Martha Argerich, DG)

Orchestral Suite No.3 (Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert, Archiv) below

Schumann – Symphonies 1 & 2 conducted by Kubelik....



No. 1: After the somewhat slow opening of the first movement the momentum and drive of the music picks up and is maintained constantly throughout and was played with gusto. The slow movement was a dream-like affair which was very sensitively played. For me the performance of the Scherzo was insipid. The spark reappears however in the final movement which is played with drive and spirit.

No. 2: The opening is glorious and is well played with great conviction as is the rest of the movement. The Scherzo was a very lively affair and was played with lots of vitality and drive. The slow movement is very sensitively played without being melodramatic. The Final movement was a disciplined but expressive performance. The music moves along quite nicely and builds up nicely to a fine conclusion.

These two works were, with the exception of the Scherzo in No. 1, were very fine and most enjoyable performances.