What is the last piece of classical music you listened to?

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

Yet the choir sounds unfocused.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

It does, yes. Really weird. I know the 7th from this cycle is fantastic, don't know what happened here. Am I correct in saying he recorded this four times? 59, 63, 77 and 80s? I seem to remember reading about a live 75 recording too.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

1 hour ago, bollemanneke said:

It does, yes. Really weird. I know the 7th from this cycle is fantastic, don't know what happened here. Am I correct in saying he recorded this four times? 59, 63, 77 and 80s? I seem to remember reading about a live 75 recording too.

 

There's (at least) three complete cycles on DG - 60s (the one I have and love, but his 9th isn't my favourite, despite a standout cast), 70s, and 80s. There are also video recordings which may or may not be the same as these (Karajan is (in)famous for his highly stylised playback videos). But with everything that has been made available over the past two decades or so by EMI and Decca and smaller labels, I wouldn't be surprised if there are several more cycles, e.g. an earlier one with the Philharmonia Orchestra, and almost certainly some more versions of the individual symphonies, including live recordings (there must be quite a few of those, but I don't know if any have been released).

[bollemanneke 3,342]

Right, I can't get over how mediocre this 70s 9th was now.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

I don't know his 70s version. The 60s is certainly not bad at all. It's just no Szell.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

Beethoven 6, Karajan 70s. Still lack of reverb, but overall very good, minus that third movement. Stop, repeating, things. And speed it up. 2nd movement was fantastic.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

Beethoven 5 and 7, Karajan 70s. Reverb is back, recording is magnificent, but needless repetitions again.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

5 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

but needless repetitions again.

 

Mostly you've just been complaining about Beethoven recently.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

Wait, what? No, I LoVE most of his symphonies. I just don't like da capo.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

9 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Wait, what? No, I LoVE most of his symphonies. I just don't like da capo.

 

But that's what he wrote.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

And I don't like it since it does nothing to advance the work in any way, it just makes it longer. If you read a book, you also don't just turn back and start from chapter 1.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

3 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

And I don't like it

 

Ergo you're complaining about Beethoven.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

More about Karajan because he has the occasional sense to ignore a repeat.

[Bespin 8,480]

Repetitions... it was a nice idea... before the invention of the phonograph!

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

It is a good idea that affects the structure of the work, but the conductor has to be able to infuse some kind of variation in the repetition to make it interesting and to keep a feeling of momentum.

[Bespin 8,480]

3 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

It is a good idea that affects the structure of the work, but the conductor has to be able to infuse some kind of variation in the repetition to make it interesting and to keep a feeling of momentum.

 

I think we talk about plain repetitions... the kind made to save paper!

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

Yes, they're plain on paper.

[Tom Guernsey 2,282]

2 hours ago, Bespin said:

Repetitions... it was a nice idea... before the invention of the phonograph!

Wasn't it much more a classical/sonata form type of things...? Those very formulaic repetitions were much less common in later work I think.

[Bespin 8,480]

There were a lot of repeats in baroque music.

 

Like I said, it was made for a period where a piece of music was played only once or twice!

[bollemanneke 3,342]

15 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

It is a good idea that affects the structure of the work, but the conductor has to be able to infuse some kind of variation in the repetition to make it interesting and to keep a feeling of momentum.

Exactly, but since nobody does that from Mozart onwards, it's pretty pointless.

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

5 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Exactly, but since nobody does that from Mozart onwards, it's pretty pointless.

 

Listen to Marriner's Mozart recordings.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

I have, but apparently he recorded them more than once. We really need a comprehensive Marriner box set.

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

1 minute ago, bollemanneke said:

I have, but apparently he recorded them more than once. We really need a comprehensive Marriner box set.

 

There's one early, incomplete set on Decca, one complete set on Philips, and one set of the mature symphonies on EMI.

 

Marriner is one of the most recorded conductors in the world, spread across several labels. His main discography is on Decca, Philips, and EMI. 

[bollemanneke 3,342]

Right, but isn't it weird that none of those labels have done what they did with Karajan? I'd love to listen to a huge Marriner set, digitally of course.

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

33 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Right, but isn't it weird that none of those labels have done what they did with Karajan? I'd love to listen to a huge Marriner set, digitally of course.

 

I'd love to do that too, on CD, of course.

 

There's an Argo (Decca) box of 28 CDs, a Decca box of 20th century music with 10 CDs, and a Universal box of 60 CDs (Decca, Argo and Philips catalogues, plus Sony Classical, Pentatone and Onyx). Then there's two Capriccio boxes of about 30CDs in total, and a Hänssler box of 10 CDs. The Universal and the Capriccio boxes are still in print.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

That's... too complicated.

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

7 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

That's... too complicated.

Many of his recordings are on Spotify.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

I'll pass, thanks, and wait for a downloadable edition. Just found the Stuttgart Recordings and London Recordings on Presto, and another 14CD set that I have to buy physically, not happening. Oh, and 20th century classics can also be downloaded.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

Stockhausen's Kontakte, with no repeats.

 

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I think of Stockhausen as like an alt-comedian.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

What, like Ben Elton or somebody?

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Like the kind of comedian where the joke is how they're not funny but they're very funny at being not funny?

[bollemanneke 3,342]

Mozart 38, Karajan. Unexpectedly disliking this take. Marriner it is! 36 much better, only 38-1 was off really.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

I'm wanting to purchase the Mozart Requiem. I've narrowed it down to two: John Eliot Gardiner, from 1986, or Charles Dutoit, from 1988. I am a big fan of both conductors.

Can any one of you lovelies at JWfan advise?

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

My go-to recordings is Marriner's on Philips.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

Would that be with The Academy Of St. Martin's, from 1991?

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

Yes indeed. You'd also want Hogwood's recording for the singing of Emma Kirkby. There's lots of other good recordings of this great work, and many different versions of the completion, so it doesn't hurt to have several recordings.

 

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

I think I'd rather listen to an old piece by Boulez than another symphony from the Philip Glass factory

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

The only Philip Glass that I like, is on PLATINUM 

 

Thanks for that, @Jurassic Shark. Gardiner, and Dutoit are two of my very favourite conductors. Gardiner does wonders with Mozart's operas, while Dutoit's recording of THE PLANETS in the mid-'80s is, simply, stunning. I'll check out both Marriner, and Hogwood.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on Fauré's REQUIEM, and Bartok's CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA?

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

4 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Thanks for that, @Jurassic Shark. Gardiner, and Dutoit are two of my very favourite conductors. Gardiner does wonders with Mozart's operas, while Dutoit's recording of THE PLANETS in the mid-'80s is, simply, stunning. I'll check out both Marriner, and Hogwood.

 

I'll take out Dutoit's recording and re-evaluate Gardiner's.

 

Regarding Faure: Lisa Beckley, the soloist on Naxos' recording conducted by Jeremy Summerly, is simply stunning.

[A24 4,331]

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

The only Philip Glass that I like is on PLATINUM 

 

 

Mike Oldfield covered Philip glass? 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

1 hour ago, AC1 said:

 

Mike Oldfield covered Philip Glass? 

Yeah, he covered North Star, on PLATINUM.

 

 

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I'll out Dutoit's recording...

 

Does that mean that you like it?

(edit) Hold on! Are you talking about the Requiem, or the The Planets?

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Does that mean that you like it?

(edit) Hold on! Are you talking about the Requiem, or the The Planets?

 

For a moment there I thought he had recorded the requiem, but it seems he hasn't. I find his Planets very good, but it's not very neighbour-friendly.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

16 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

For a moment there I thought he had recorded the requiem, but it seems he hasn't. I find his Planets very good, but it's not very neighbour-friendly.

I like "not very neighbour-friendly" .

The double basses at the end of Saturn, are bone-crunching!

Yes, Dutoit has recorded the Requiem.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

7 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

I'm wanting to purchase the Mozart Requiem. I've narrowed it down to two: John Eliot Gardiner, from 1986, or Charles Dutoit, from 1988. I am a big fan of both conductors.

Can any one of you lovelies at JWfan advise?

 

I've long been recommending Gardiner's 1987 recording. Ever since we last sang it (some 10 years ago) and I compared various versions, it has been my clear favourite:

 

6 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Thanks for that, @Jurassic Shark. Gardiner, and Dutoit are two of my very favourite conductors. Gardiner does wonders with Mozart's operas, while Dutoit's recording of THE PLANETS in the mid-'80s is, simply, stunning. I'll check out both Marriner, and Hogwood.

 

While we're at it, Gardiner's Planets are outstanding, too!

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

I like "not very neighbour-friendly" 

 

I meant that as a positive thing - one of my neighbours has it coming.

 

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Yes, Dutoit has recorded the Requiem.

 

Under the artistic name of Fauré?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

6 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Under the artistic name of Fauré?

Oops! My bad. He's recorded the Fauré, but not (tmk), the Mozart.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

9 hours ago, AC1 said:

 

Mike Oldfield covered Philip glass? 

😳??????

[A24 4,331]

That's what he says! And it's on Platinum!

 

 

I know it has some Gershwin but Glass?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

The arrangement, and performance, of I GOT RHYTHM is absolutely stunning.