Celibidache

[hafod]

I have always been fascinated by Celibidache's music making - stimulating, extreme, unpredictable and glorious are some of the adjectives that spring to mind - and have picked up a number of performances mainly on obscure and cheap labels. The EMI recordings even on the S/H market however are very often quite pricey and are vastly under-represented in my collection. This I hope will change with the issue in October of four boxes from EMI at what I regard to be more sensible prices. All that is now needed is a full contents list (and perhaps an even lower price possibly at HMV although they are less generous with new issues these days).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=sr_st?qid=1314980643&rh=n%3A229816%2Cn%3A!520920%2Cn%3A697386%2Cp_33%3Aemi%2Cp_54%3Acelibidache&sort=-releasedate&ajr=1

[Osborn]

I used to possess a lovely VHS tape of him .... My young son thought he looked terribly grumpy until about two minutes in a huge grin spread across Celi's face...

I have a VHS of Celi & the young Barenboim playing both Brahms Concertos live in concert. DB is often spontaneously combustible but here, one moment he is taking tremendous risks, producing great torrents of sound at fearsome velocity & the next moment spinning the silkiest, gossamer-like phrases you can imagine.

And again & again the old & frail Celi turns to his pianist with a huge smile of surprise, pleasure & admiration - but effortlessly keeps control. Their embraces & obvious affection is quite moving at the end of each concerto.

[Dave2002]

There's quite a lot of Celibidache on Spotify. I've not checked Napster yet. According to the search engine on Spotify some of the Bruckner symphonies are with the Stuttgart orchestra, whereas the soon to be be released EMI boxes are with the Munich orchestra. Streaming and or download services may be the way to get to hear alternative performances by this conductor.

Just went back to check Napster. There there are performances of Sibelius and Hindemith, for example, with the Swedish Radio SO.

I don't know if eMusic has anything. I don't want to check, as I'm on a "holiday" from them, and don't want to go anywhere near their site for a while to keep my costs down.

[Dave2002]

PS: For 1 euro per rcording, CMM has these http://www.classicalmusicmobile.com/..._search=Search

[umslopogaas]

Post 7, Paul N.

"An alternative to the Klemperer [Mahler symph 6] would be welcome". There are several.

Solti (Decca)
Horenstein (Unicorn)
Flipse (Philips, mono)

Above three are all on vinyl, but I have the Solti on CD as well; dont know about the other two.

In addition, the Penguin Guide 2010 lists:

Abbado (on DVD)
Boulez
Wit
Chailly
Gergiev

Given the deluge of recordings we have experienced in the last few decades, that is comparatively few options for a major work by a major symphonist. But ... its enough to be getting on with, for me, anyway.

[umslopogaas]

Post 7, Paul N.

"An alternative to the Klemperer [Mahler symph 6] would be welcome". There are several.

Solti (Decca)
Horenstein (Unicorn)
Flipse (Philips, mono)

Above three are all on vinyl, but I have the Solti on CD as well; dont know about the other two.

In addition, the Penguin Guide 2010 lists:

Abbado (on DVD)
Boulez
Wit
Chailly
Gergiev

Given the deluge of recordings we have experienced in the last few decades, that is comparatively few options for a major work by a major symphonist. But ... its enough to be getting on with, for me, anyway.

[mathias broucek]

How did that happen? We've been hijacked by Mahlere obsessives! Post 7 is clearly about Bruckner!

Since I started this thread I've purchased quite a bit of Celi / Munich, not all of which I've heard yet. For anyone looking to explore more I can particularly recommend his La Mer and Haydn 92 as well as the Bruckner 4 / 6 and Brahms 2-4 discussed above.

I also had the rare experience of hearing him do something I've conducted (badly) myself - Milhaud's Suite Francais. Couldn't believe the way he creates such transparent textures and clear lines!

[Pabmusic]

Celi's former assistant at Munich continues to preach the gospel: http://www.musikmph.de/artist_manage...omenology.html

(The amazing selection of study scores is worthwhile, too.)

[PJPJ]

New budget boxes from EMI

Vol. 1 14 CDs
Haydn: Symphonien Nr. 92, 103, 104
+Mozart: Symphonie Nr. 40
+Beethoven: Symphonien Nr. 1-9
+Brahms: Symphonien Nr. 2-4;Haydn-Variationen op. 56a
+Schumann: Symphonien Nr. 2-4
Künstler: Soffel, Donath, Jerusalem, Lika, Auger, RO München, Sergiu Celibidache

Vol. 2 12CDs
Bruckner: Symphonien Nr. 3-9;Te Deum;Messe Nr. 3
Künstler: Price, Soffel, München PO & Chor, Sergiu Celibidache

Vol. 3 11CDs
Debussy: La Mer;Iberia
+Milhaud: Suite francaise op. 248;Konzert für Marimba,
Vibraphon, Orchester
+Roussel: Petite Suite op. 39;Suite F-Dur op. 33
+Mussorgsky: Bilder einer Ausstellung
+Ravel: Bolero
+Tschaikowsky: SymponienNr. 4-6;Nußknacker-Suite op. 71a
+Rimksy-Korssakoff: Scheherazade op. 35
+Prokofieff: Symphonien Nr. 1 & 5
+Schostakowitsch: Symphonien Nr. 1 & 9
+Barber: Adagio for Strings
+Bartok: Konzert ür Orchester
RO München, Sergiu Celibidache

from several pp on jpc.de

[mathias broucek]

Spotted those on Aazon last night. There's also a choral box + Wagner excerpts.

Having spent the last few months hunting down Celi online and on trips abroad I'm pretty frustrated that these are now available so cheaply (£30 per box) and conveniently :-(

[amateur51]

Spotted those on Aazon last night. There's also a choral box + Wagner excerpts.

Having spent the last few months hunting down Celi online and on trips abroad I'm pretty frustrated that these are now available so cheaply (£30 per box) and conveniently :-(

That's a pain isn't it, mathias - but good for the rest of us!

[HighlandDougie]

One for Mathias B really (and anyone else with views on the recordings) but if one was to buy only one of the boxes, which one? As they are even cheaper in France (amazon.fr - and free postage to my French house), I'm tempted to buy the lot but my head tells me that that would be a bit much (it would mean petrol-pump wine rather than the better stuff out the bottle for a month). I already have - and greatly like - the Brahms symphonies so I am particularly tempted by the Bruckner or by the French/Russian box. Any advice greatly welcome as my credit card quivers with anticipation.

[mathias broucek]

If you like the Brahms, get the Bruckner box. (Assuming you already have mainstream performances of the symphonies.)

French and Russian also good. Phenomenal (if s-l-o-w) Debussy and Tchaik 6. The Bartok's supposed to be good but I don't have that :-(

The symphonies box albeit at the price of duplicating your Brahms. However the Schumann 2-4 are excellent and the Haydn 92 is phenomenal. Beethoven 4 (two performances) also pretty good.