Favourite Bernard Haitink recordings

[PJPJ]

Released on 4th June, in Germany at least (on both jpc.de and amazon.de). Doesn't yet seem to be on the BR Klassik website. I'm assuming that it'll have been recorded last December at the BRSO's concerts in Munich.I'll be bunging in an order forthwith as this particular marriage of a great conductor and great orchestra seems to me to produce outstanding results e.g. their Bruckner 5th.

Yes, the Bruckner 5th is very fine. What a pity BR Klassik has given up on SACD - well, it won't matter to those who are not equipped, but it does to some of those few who are.

[PJPJ]

What about that Mahler DVD box from the Concertgebouw on the back of the programme ?

Shame Bernard only doing 9 but I could still be up for this one.

Is this an excuse to invest in Blu-Ray ?

Should be out before Christmas, and should appear on the Concertgebouw's website soon.

I do have a little collection of BD discs but no player as yet as I do need a further excuse to get one.

[PJPJ]

I enjoy Bernstein too and have his DG set. It's just that Gramophone has had an unvarying slant on Mahler for as many years as I can recall. Maybe the new editor will shake things up a bit to provide greater balance.

And I used to be such a fan when I was young. Even later, I thought his 5th terrific. But taste changes, and I do find too much Bernstein and not enough Mahler in both cycles, and a live Mahler 2 from Paris to me sounds a travesty. I've probably bored you with all this before.

On the other hand, in those early days I couldn't get on with Haitink as he seemed so understated and tedious - I wanted instant gratification and Bernstein provided that. Revisiting all those Haitink recordings from the 60s and 70s (Brahms, Mahler, Bruckner and the rest) has been an ear-opener and a pleasure.

PS All those live recordings from the Concertgebouw available in so many boxes from RN on CD and DVD are well worth tracking down. Probably come under the heading "bargain", too, as they're not full-price, but, if you love them as much as I do.........

[HighlandDougie]

PS All those live recordings from the Concertgebouw available in so many boxes from RN on CD and DVD are well worth tracking down. Probably come under the heading "bargain", too, as they're not full-price, but, if you love them as much as I do.........

Alas, some of the "Anthology of the RCO" volumes now come at eye-watering prices (I covet Volume 4 for the Kondrashin Shostakovich 4 but not at any price, e.g $300). However, the good news is that as part of next year's celebrations by the Orchestra, all 6 volumes are being re-released in a single box. I hope that it's not too expensive but somehow I don't think that I'll be holding my breath .....

[Barbirollians]

No doubt deleted and reboxed now but I have been enjoying Haitink's disc of other VW works this morning . A wonderfully crisp yet not matter of fact Tallis Fantasia and excellent performances of the Norfolk Rhapsody No1 and In the Fen Country . Now listening to his account of the On Wenlock Edge songs with the young Ian Bostridge .

[akiralx]

No doubt deleted and reboxed now but I have been enjoying Haitink's disc of other VW works this morning . A wonderfully crisp yet not matter of fact Tallis Fantasia and excellent performances of the Norfolk Rhapsody No1 and In the Fen Country . Now listening to his account of the On Wenlock Edge songs with the young Ian Bostridge .

Yes, the BH Norfolk Rhapsody is superb. Of the symphonies his Pastoral and Sixth are incomparable.

[Ferretfancy]

It's a pity that some of his early recordings for Philips seem to have disappeared. I particularly love his performance of the complete Incidental Music to Rosamund, which to my mind has never been bettered

[teamsaint]

On a search , I can't find any mention in this thread of his 1973 Rite of Spring with the LPO, which seems to get good reviews, and which I have just bought, and on first listen sounds excellent.
Any thoughts?

[richardfinegold]

No doubt deleted and reboxed now but I have been enjoying Haitink's disc of other VW works this morning . A wonderfully crisp yet not matter of fact Tallis Fantasia and excellent performances of the Norfolk Rhapsody No1 and In the Fen Country . Now listening to his account of the On Wenlock Edge songs with the young Ian Bostridge .

BH recordings of Antartica and London were my introductions to RVW

[Maclintick]

It's a pity that some of his early recordings for Philips seem to have disappeared. I particularly love his performance of the complete Incidental Music to Rosamund, which to my mind has never been bettered

A rhythmically-fleet account from the Concertgebouw & BH, on a Philips recording which belies its 50 years. I have it on much-played vinyl, but there does appear to be a CD transfer available...( I can't find it on Presto, unfortunately)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schubert-Rosamunde-Symphony-No-8/dp/B000024XII

[bluestateprommer]

No idea if this came up in another thread, but if not, one major gap in Uncle Bernie's discography now is filled, LvB's Missa solemnis with the BRSO and friends. Some reviews:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/beethoven-missa-solemnis-21

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2015/June/Beethoven_missa_900130_JQ.htm

The Bavarian Radio's page on the issue: http://www.br.de/radio/br-klassik/or...itink-100.html

Too bad CSO Resound didn't see fit to issue an edited version of the performances that BH did with the CSO a few years back. They would have been first past the post.

[Barbirollians]

Enjoying his Das Lied this evening - Dame Janet Baker however very much the star of this recording

[BBMmk2]

Enjoying his Das Lied this evening - Dame Janet Baker however very much the star of this recording

Very true. I don't think he recorded another?

[richardfinegold]

Haitink: Favorite Recordings

I don’t quite know where to start so this will be a jumble. If I had to do the Desert Island thing, it would be his seventies Debussy and Ravel with the Concertgebouw, which was the first time I had heard this French music with just a touch of Mittel Europa suavity, with the Orchestra beautifully recorded in the peak of analog by Phillips. I also love his Schubert Nine (Eight?) from the same time with the burnished sound of that superlative Orchestra, and superb pacing that doesn’t make the piece seem overlong.
His Shostakovich and RVW Symphonies were formative experiences for me. Many of them were my initial acquaintances with the works. I will single out his DSCH 4 (I have both his LPO and CSO recordings, which are remarkably consistent, I purchased the latter after attemding the Concerts from which it is culled), which blew me away with it’s ferocity, and the RVW Antarctica, which opened my eyes to RVW as a Symphonist.
His Beethoven PC cycles with Perahia are long term favorites.
And yours?

[bluestateprommer]

Per RF's comment in the 'Bernard Haitink at 85 - and beyond' thread, here's an earlier thread on fave BH recordings, bumped up. Don't know if this set was mentioned elsewhere, but BH features on Symphonies 5 & 6 in this Bruckner set with the BRSO:

https://www.br-klassik.de/orchester-und-chor/br-klassik-cds/symphonieorchester/br-klassik-9-cd-bruckner-symphonien-100.html