Classical Music Only | What You're Listening to Now, Or Very Recently | Any Mediums :

[socfan12]

Mofi pressing:

 

[socfan12]

 

[woodlander]

Fire and Ice
Sarah Chang - Placido Domingo
Berliner Philharmoniker

Very nice rendition of Thais Meditation on this CD.

 

[Don C]

Janacek - Sinfonietta
Chicago/Ozawa
Angel 45

Hmmm ... not my favorite performance/recording of this piece. Maestro Ozawa is not known for conservative interpretations, and this one is so fast that I think some of the compositional nuance fly right by too quickly to be noticed and relished. Too bad.

 

[MikeCh]

Mike, you have been discovering some real gems that were never recorded in stereo.

Not sure how I missed your response...but thank you Larry. Like every kind of recording medium, some of the mono LP's aren't very good recordings or the performances lack in some form or another. However, there sure seem to be some pretty special ones in this collection with outstanding performances and sound that knocks your socks off.

PS. Another great series of mono albums are the Westminster chamber music albums done in the '50's, many with the great Barylli Quartet and Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet, two of three string quartets who were members of the Vienna Philharmonic (the other was the Weller Quartet who recorded for Decca).

Larry

Are these the Westminster series typically in a solid white cover with very little type-print on them? Green or blue label?

 

[astrotoy]

Are these the Westminster series typically in a solid white cover with very little type-print on them? Green or blue label?

There are some that are mostly white, others have colorful covers, they have a XWN or WL prefix. Blue labels as I remember. I'm currently in London, so I don't have my records to look at. They were also reissued by Westminster on a series with Orange covers and black print - no photos, with a W prefix.

Some are very expensive - like the Barylli Q. The orange reissues sound quite good - and are generally pretty cheap. You might start with one or two of those to see what you think of the performances and then jump into a more expensive original.

Larry

 

[BobNY]

Holst ~ The Planets

 

[socfan12]

 

[MikeCh]

Nice one Allen! I have this one too and it's quite nice.

 

[MikeCh]

There are some that are mostly white, others have colorful covers, they have a XWN or WL prefix. Blue labels as I remember. I'm currently in London, so I don't have my records to look at. They were also reissued by Westminster on a series with Orange covers and black print - no photos, with a W prefix.

Some are very expensive - like the Barylli Q. The orange reissues sound quite good - and are generally pretty cheap. You might start with one or two of those to see what you think of the performances and then jump into a more expensive original.

Larry

Thanks Larry. Once I get some more free time, I'll dig around and see if I can confirm what I believe are the Westminster recordings in my collection. It may well be that I'm confusing another "series" with the white colored covers and minimalist script/writing.

 

[groovy]

(TAS recommended)

 

[Julot]

Fresh from the press, or almost:

I mentioned his 3rd earlier, which had the big differentiating feature of using the original version, giving a sense of Bruckner's incredible invention while still keeping the architecture right, the discursive movement. So when an 8th came out, which is my favorite symphony, I kinda rushed. Kinda as it's not imported to France, for some reason, even though the chef is French.

Ballot is a Celibidache disciple, and it shows: this recording is not advised if you find Celibidache or his tempi annoying, as I suspect Ballot's adagio is even slower than Celi's. For those of us who don't mind, the articulation, the transparent richness of the score are exciting, maybe never heard before. It never feels long, there's always something going on, no repetition feels formal or vain. You have to like also that this is basically a kids' orchestra (average 17) which again, I don't mind one bit, proving once again that Amsterdam-level virtuosity is pleasant but in no way useful to a great musical experience.

It is an SACD surround recording, but I confess I ripped it to PCM stereo and listened to it that way. The acoustics of the St Florian church is in evidence, instruments are clearly delineated while keeping a sense of the ensemble.

We'll be listening to it at the showroom tonight and tomorrow night, if anyone's interested. There are direct trains from the de Gaulle airport to the showroom ;-)

 

[MikeCh]

Sibelius Symphonies No.3 & No.6, Colin Davis & BSO- Philips Netherlands 9500 142 DE LUXE:

A real fine sounding Philips.

 

[MikeCh]

Mendelssohn Octet, Op.20, String Symphonies No10 & No12, I MUSICI - Philips Netherlands 6580 103:

Another nice Philips. The talent of I MUSICI is spectacular and the music is great!

 

[MikeCh]

Bruckner No.2, Haitink, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam - Philips 802 912 LY:

 

[MikeCh]

Mozart Symphony in G Minor, K.550; Haydn Symphony in D Major, No.104; Karajan & Vienna Philharmonic - RCA Soria Series LDS 2347:

 

[groovy]

45rpm version

 

[Feanor]

45rpm version

Well they certainly look beautiful, at least.

Dvorak's Op. 65 is a great trio; the only version I happen to have is the Joachim on Naxos

 

[socfan12]

 

[Don C]

Beethoven - 5, 3
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique/Gardiner
Archiv Produktion