Problem CDs

[pastoralguy]

If you like great performances in great sound in this repertoire (duh! no brainer) then I'd recommend Abbado and the CSO on DG (one of my favourite CDs of all time c/w a complete The Miraculous Mandarin with the LSO)

Many thanks!

[HighlandDougie]

If you like great performances in great sound in this repertoire (duh! no brainer) then I'd recommend Abbado and the CSO on DG (one of my favourite CDs of all time c/w a complete The Miraculous Mandarin with the LSO)

Sorry to be a nit-picking dullard - again - but the Abbado Sinfonietta on DG is the recording he made with the Berlin Philharmonic, although it would have been great if there had been a Chicago version to go with the 1960's LSO recording - and that from Berlin. Wholly agree, though, about the quality of both the BPO Sinfonietta and the LSO Miraculous Mandarin (which I heard him conduct with them in - err, Edinburgh?).

[Sir Velo]

Sorry to be a nit-picking dullard - again - but the Abbado Sinfonietta on DG is the recording he made with the Berlin Philharmonic, although it would have been great if there had been a Chicago version to go with the 1960's LSO recording - and that from Berlin. Wholly agree, though, about the quality of both the BPO Sinfonietta and the LSO Miraculous Mandarin (which I heard him conduct with them in - err, Edinburgh?).

Not at all. Glad to stand corrected! I think I was confusing Solti's Bartok recordings where the orchestras were the CSO and LSO.

[mikealdren]

I can feel a listening session coming on, just checked and I too have the Abbado as well as Mackerras, Neumann, Rattle and, of course, Kubelik.

Mike

[Bryn]

I can feel a listening session coming on, just checked and I too have the Abbado as well as Mackerras, Neumann, Rattle and, of course, Kubelik.

Mike

Ah, but do you have Tennstedt?

[mikealdren]

Ah, but do you have Tennstedt?

No and much as I like Tennstedt, I'm really not in the market for another!

A preliminary listening to the opening movement was interesting. Ignoring the Rattle for now (LP only), Abbado was very smooth and well recorded. Mackerras was rather a harsh (analytical??!?!) recording, not nearly as good as its early fame would suggest with timps very prominent, too hard driven for my liking and the polar opposite of Abbado. Kubelik's recording was ok despite being analogue and the performance had more life than the others with the odd patch of rough brass playing. Neumann was immediately distiguished by brass vibrato, quite a shock to the system, the performance was a little understated.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I gave my son the RPO bronzed CD set of the Handel-Mozart-Mackerras Messiah, several years ago. The first CD still plays perfectly, evidently unbronzed, but CD2 is quite unplayable, and has indeed become a bronze colour. I've replaced it with the Signum reissue, as my son deserved better, but here are the original discs.

[richardfinegold]

I gave my son the RPO bronzed CD set of the Handel-Mozart-Mackerras Messiah, several years ago. The first CD still plays perfectly, evidently unbronzed, but CD2 is quite unplayable, and has indeed become a bronze colour. I've replaced it with the Signum reissue, as my son deserved better, but here are the original discs.

Were these discs intentionally bronzed?

[Bryn]

I gave my son the RPO bronzed CD set of the Handel-Mozart-Mackerras Messiah, several years ago. The first CD still plays perfectly, evidently unbronzed, but CD2 is quite unplayable, and has indeed become a bronze colour. I've replaced it with the Signum reissue, as my son deserved better, but here are the original discs.

Was there a programme booklet housed immediately on top of what became the bronzed disc by any chance? Also, were both made by PDO (which should be indicated in the inscription around the centre of the obverse of each disc).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Was there a programme booklet housed immediately on top of what became the bronzed disc by any chance? Also, were both made by PDO (which should be indicated in the inscription around the centre of the obverse of each disc).

Both were made by PDO, and one of the discs would have been next to the booklet.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Were these discs intentionally bronzed?

Strange question. I’m not in the habit of intentionally destroying my CDs.

Or are you referring to CDs that have been manufactured in a more sepia colour? The EMI 9-CD Elgar Edition has a sepia appearance, rather than silver.