Tír Na HiFi

Jared wrote:

I did ponder that set for a while; the cellist Janos Starker being the attraction there. Let me know how you get on with it when you eventually get to listen to it Jared.

^^ Julius Katchen is the principle attraction for me... he is a superb Brahms pianist.. do you own this?



along with Josef Suk, these are still my favourite versions of the Violin Sonatas... there is a wonderful fluidity to them, no doubt built on years of understanding through playing together...

Jared wrote:

I struggle with that music: it bores me to tears.

^^ I didn't buy it for the Slavonic Dances actually because although I quite like them, I am happy enough with the Kubelik version I already own. I wanted a decent version of the Czech Suite (which I like) and the American Suite (which I've never heard) and at £4, I couldn't argue, being as the Dorati is top of the admittedly rather slim field when it comes to recordings.

funnily enough, I much prefer Dvorak's Slavonic Dances to Brahms' Hungarian Dances, which I wouldn't really mind if I never heard again... Brahms for me, was a genius at most things he touched, but his HD are nothing more than re-hashed, mushy romantic idealism of a series of Hungarian folk tunes, viewed through a heavily Germanic prism... I really rather wished he hadn't bothered. At least Dvorak's works contain more than an element of authenticity...

Jared wrote:^^ Julius Katchen is the principle attraction for me... he is a superb Brahms pianist.. do you own this?



along with Josef Suk, these are still my favourite versions of the Violin Sonatas... there is a wonderful fluidity to them, no doubt built on years of understanding through playing together...

No I don't Jared....you make a compelling case. Are you endeavouring to keep my Wish List alive?!?!

^^ only with quality, benchmark recordings Fergus... and that is certainly one, imho..

fergus wrote:

Jared wrote:^^ Julius Katchen is the principle attraction for me... he is a superb Brahms pianist.. do you own this?



along with Josef Suk, these are still my favourite versions of the Violin Sonatas... there is a wonderful fluidity to them, no doubt built on years of understanding through playing together...

No I don't Jared....you make a compelling case. Are you endeavouring to keep my Wish List alive?!?!

That recommendation is a good call by Jared, but I fell in love with the Brahms sonatas via this disc:-



I'd recommend it to anyone

Note: I was ushering last night at the local arthouse cinema and struvk up a conversation with a fellow usher re: Brahms. She is just now dipping her toe into the classical minefield (!) and has started with Brahms. I have offered to lend her one of my orchestral compilation sets: I think Abbado or Harnoncourt, don't you? ;-)