Tír Na HiFi

bombasticDarren wrote:
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? ;-)

That is one of the sets that I have Darren.

I would loan her the Harnoncourt set myself.

Your friend would be most welcome to join us here if she was so inclined.

^^ starting with CM and with Brahms? Blimey... brave girl, I like her!

Abbado over Harnoncourt for me at this stage... Abbado is accessible without being particularly mushy. Strange as it sounds, I also think the HvK 1970's set would be worth a try. Also, do you have the Boult orchestral work with Baker's Alto Rhapsody on? Fab disk all round.

Not heard the Osostowicz/ Tomes disk, which seems interesting... Tomes' Mendelssohn is very good. I also have and like the Perlmann/ Ashkenazy set here which is very good, but the Suk/Katchen has long been my fave here... it speaks to me with a similar warmth that the Serkin/ Rostropovich Cello Sonatas do... but as you know Darren, these things can be highly personal.

fergus wrote:
I would loan her the Harnoncourt set myself.

OK, so I've never heard it... but he seems to wring every bit of emotion out of the Schumann to render it practially sterile to my ears... I don't want to overstate the case here, but Harnoncourt did me about as much damage with Schumann as Sean believes Tennstedt did to him with Mahler... like we say Fergus, if you're going to go down the HIP route with Brahms, it would ideally be MacKerras or Gardiner... unless Harnoncourt somehow played a blinder on his Brahms, which I am unaware of.

Jared wrote:

fergus wrote:
I would loan her the Harnoncourt set myself.

OK, so I've never heard it... but he seems to wring every bit of emotion out of the Schumann to render it practially sterile to my ears... I don't want to overstate the case here, but Harnoncourt did me about as much damage with Schumann as Sean believes Tennstedt did to him with Mahler... like we say Fergus, if you're going to go down the HIP route with Brahms, it would ideally be MacKerras or Gardiner... unless Harnoncourt somehow played a blinder on his Brahms, which I am unaware of.

He absolutely did Jared!

OK, this is absolutely me done with until after New Year now... I promise!!







Sorry about the last picture... can't find a better one, but it is Schumann: Violin Sonatas 1-3: Isabella Faust.

bombasticDarren wrote:
Note: I was ushering last night at the local arthouse cinema and struck 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? ;-)

Hi Darren, Harnoncourt first and foremost. Harnoncourt's BPO set of Brahms Symphonies converted this Brahms cynic who had had a bad dose of the Sawallisch's and could not determine what all the (Jared) fuss was about, now I know, so it has to be Harnoncourt lad. Levine is very good too.

^^ Well, I will lend her the Harnoncourt in that case. It has a great reputation on this forum and in the CM press. However, I side with Jared on this one: I have never taken to it personally. That's despite me being a fan of Harnoncourt...

bombasticDarren wrote: However, I side with Jared on this one: I have never taken to it personally. That's despite me being a fan of Harnoncourt...

my opinion counts for nothing here really, being as I've never heard the set... my feelings were based on what I thought of his Schumann and how in general, I like my Brahms.. so, please ignore me.

Seán wrote:

bombasticDarren wrote:
Note: I was ushering last night at the local arthouse cinema and struck 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? ;-)

Hi Darren, Harnoncourt first and foremost. Harnoncourt's BPO set of Brahms Symphonies converted this Brahms cynic who had had a bad dose of the Sawallisch's and could not determine what all the (Jared) fuss was about, now I know, so it has to be Harnoncourt lad. Levine is very good too.

Levine documentary on sky arts last night was interesting, I like his attitude and approach.

jaybee wrote:

Seán wrote:

bombasticDarren wrote:
Note: I was ushering last night at the local arthouse cinema and struck 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? ;-)

Hi Darren, Harnoncourt first and foremost. Harnoncourt's BPO set of Brahms Symphonies converted this Brahms cynic who had had a bad dose of the Sawallisch's and could not determine what all the (Jared) fuss was about, now I know, so it has to be Harnoncourt lad. Levine is very good too.

Levine documentary on sky arts last night was interesting, I like his attitude and approach.

I do like Levine, his Mahler recordings are very good indeed.