Tír Na HiFi

fergus wrote:My first venture into the Brandenburgs played on modern instruments....

Do you like them?

Seán wrote:In my humble opinion Solti is the most underrated conductor of Mahler's works....

I have not been disappointed by anything conducted by Solti that I have bought Seán....he is a good all rounder.

Seán wrote: I love Klemperer's Big Band Beethoven.

I still do not have his Beethoven symphonic cycle!!!
But it is on my Wish List!

Seán wrote:Have you got the Solti recording that Ciaran recommended to us some time ago? It is awesome!

Nope....please refer to the interminable Wish List again!!!

Seán wrote:

fergus wrote:My first venture into the Brandenburgs played on modern instruments....

Do you like them?

The “feel” of this set by Britten is different Seán; it is thicker, heavier, louder and neither better nor worse than period performances....simply different. The exception to this is the first movement of no. 6 which, I feel, suffers from these thicker and heavier textures of the modern instruments because of the sonorities of the instruments being so closely related. I just feel that the music gets a bit lost in there. Perhaps a little thinning out of the instrumentation may have solved the problem (as in the slow movement).
One of the dislikes I have in general of modern instrument performances of Baroque music is the substitution of flutes for the original recorders. This obviously occurs in no. 4 (one of my favourites) and, for me, it takes away some of the overall enjoyment of the work.
However, in general, the performances are well paced and most enjoyable. The two discs would get a high recommendation and are most certainly worth having.

Inspired by Dave I decided to listen to my favourite version of Mahler's Second:

This morning....Haydn - String Quartets Op.1 Nos. 1 & 2....



....Lovely, simple and inventive music.

fergus wrote:

Seán wrote:

fergus wrote:My first venture into the Brandenburgs played on modern instruments....

Do you like them?

The “feel” of this set by Britten is different Seán; it is thicker, heavier, louder and neither better nor worse than period performances....simply different. The exception to this is the first movement of no. 6 which, I feel, suffers from these thicker and heavier textures of the modern instruments because of the sonorities of the instruments being so closely related. I just feel that the music gets a bit lost in there. Perhaps a little thinning out of the instrumentation may have solved the problem (as in the slow movement).
One of the dislikes I have in general of modern instrument performances of Baroque music is the substitution of flutes for the original recorders. This obviously occurs in no. 4 (one of my favourites) and, for me, it takes away some of the overall enjoyment of the work.
However, in general, the performances are well paced and most enjoyable. The two discs would get a high recommendation and are most certainly worth having.

That's a lovely comprehensive response Fergus, thank you. My thoughts on the Vanska/MO recordings will follow shortly.

Seán wrote:Inspired by Dave I decided to listen to my favourite version of Mahler's Second:

Intrigued by the last couple of posts on Solti's M1 & M2 I went to my shelf convinced that I had this sitting there....



....and I just discovered that I do not actually own it....a major Senior Moment!!!!

Seán wrote:.... My thoughts on the Vanska/MO recordings will follow shortly.

I look forward to that Seán.