Eugen Jochum and the LSO on EMI

[vinteuil]

... the Bach B minor Mass? That's a lovely performance, albeit with German pronunciation ("Creedo")

... do we know what pronunciation Bach might have expected?

German??


.

[HighlandDougie]

I have the ICON set and the Beethoven is terrific - especially the odd numbered symphonies, assuming you like Jochum's flexible approach to tempo. The LSO doesn't **quite** have the right Beethoven sound relative to what the BPO/BRSO/RCO in his other cycles but that's setting the bar pretty high

Brahms is reasonably good but I agree with Jayne about the sound.

Does the set also include the Bach B minor Mass? That's a lovely performance, albeit with German pronunciation ("Creedo")

No B minor Mass - they are Tower Records Japan sets so, in that slightly purist Japanese way of keeping things roughly as they were when first issued, no lumping together of diverse works à la Icon. Anyway, having dithered over the Brahms then gone to Beijing for a few days, it had gone when I went back to the shop this morning so, as a consolation, I bought the Previn/LSO 1970s Rachmaninov 1, 2 & 3 from the same "Definition" series (Hybrid SACD). Not as good as Ashkenazy IMV but a more than acceptable alternative.

I hope to be going to Japan in September so that will give me a chance to look out the Brahms (and others in the series).

[BBMmk2]

No B minor Mass - they are Tower Records Japan sets so, in that slightly purist Japanese way of keeping things roughly as they were when first issued, no lumping together of diverse works à la Icon. Anyway, having dithered over the Brahms then gone to Beijing for a few days, it had gone when I went back to the shop this morning so, as a consolation, I bought the Previn/LSO 1970s Rachmaninov 1, 2 & 3 from the same "Definition" series (Hybrid SACD). Not as good as Ashkenazy IMV but a more than acceptable alternative.

I hope to be going to Japan in September so that will give me a chance to look out the Brahms (and others in the series).

I think the Previn is miles better than the Ashkenazy, by a long chalk!

[Stanfordian]

I think the Previn is miles better than the Ashkenazy, by a long chalk!

A bit of a genius with the baton was our Andre!

[Dave2002]

I think the Previn is miles better than the Ashkenazy, by a long chalk!

Possibly - though the replay equipment can have an effect. There is a section in Ashkenazy's 2nd last movement which for some reason is really "fabulous" on good kit, but merely OK on more mundane outfits. I believe I have both Ashkenazy and Previn in various formats. Versions should be compared with the best media and kit appropriately. Of course fundamental differences - tempi, adherence to the score etc. should still be clear enough.

[cloughie]

Possibly - though the replay equipment can have an effect. There is a section in Ashkenazy's 2nd last movement which for some reason is really "fabulous" on good kit, but merely OK on more mundane outfits. I believe I have both Ashkenazy and Previn in various formats. Versions should be compared with the best media and kit appropriately. Of course fundamental differences - tempi, adherence to the score etc. should still be clear enough.

Both are excellent as are their Symphonic Dances. Maybe Ashkenazy's are slightly more rugged Russian, where Previn's are more Westernised. Both valid, Rachmaninov being a Russian in America for a fair chunk of his time! ...and, of course, Ashkenazy and Previn came together for recordings of Rachmaninov's music!

[BBMmk2]

A bit of a genius with the baton was our Andre!

Very much so!

[HighlandDougie]

I think the Previn is miles better than the Ashkenazy, by a long chalk!

Having just listened to the OK (but really not all that wonderful) Previn 3rd, closely followed by Ashkenazy in Amsterdam to remind me why I love this symphony so much, I'm sorry, BBM, but VA is in every way more engaging. I always think of this symphony as Rachmaninov's love letter to the country where he was born but which he knew he would never see again - and Ashkenazy, as a fellow Russian-in-a-country-other-than-Mother-Russia, just understands this better.

[BBMmk2]

Having just listened to the OK (but really not all that wonderful) Previn 3rd, closely followed by Ashkenazy in Amsterdam to remind me why I love this symphony so much, I'm sorry, BBM, but VA is in every way more engaging. I always think of this symphony as Rachmaninov's love letter to the country where he was born but which he knew he would never see again - and Ashkenazy, as a fellow Russian-in-a-country-other-than-Mother-Russia, just understands this better.

Being the native here, Ashkenazy would have it in his blood but Previn has always been my favourite.