Tír Na HiFi

Beethoven - Symphony No.4 (trans: Liszt) (Cyprien Katsaris, Teldec)

^^ now there's something which has lost its allure with me, through complete over-exposure.. ;-)

Not when played like that my friend!!

fergus wrote:Not when played like that my friend!!

I have the perfectly fine Marriner set on Phillips... but it doesn't get much of a play these days. It's not that I don't enjoy it in context, it's just that, like the Blue Danube, you get a bit fed up of it's high profile in popular culture...

Jared wrote:^^ now there's something which has lost its allure with me, through complete over-exposure.. ;-)

For me too, I'm afraid.

bombasticDarren wrote:Beethoven - Symphony No.4 (trans: Liszt) (Cyprien Katsaris, Teldec)

Do you like that set Darren, I should have bought it a long time ago, I'm sorry I didn't.

A beautiful, understated gem of a disc.

The versions of Kindertotenlieder and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen for reduced orchestra (by Rainer Riehm and Arnold Schoenberg respectively) clarify the string textures and highlight woodwind detail and the addition of piano subtly broadens the harmonic palette further. Sara Mingardo is an artist that is very reliable in Baroque repertoire and her rich contralto is beautifully employed here to remarkably telling effect. The performances of the song cycles are augmented by two instrumental pieces, an expanded version of Mahler's Piano Quartet and Busoni's Berceuse elegiaque. There is a subtle, thoughtful approach to these recordings which makes for a very rewarding listen.

Everybody is doing Graupner these days, even the Italians, and with good reason: superb music.