EMI Icon series - Eugen Jochum

[Karafan]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eugen-Jochum-ICON/dp/B008I157AQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1346697641&sr=1-1

This set includes a Beethoven cycle I see - can anyone who has it please confirm that is is the longtime unavailable LSO set in its entirety, please?

thanks

K.

[Don Petter]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eugen-Jochum...6697641&sr=1-1

This set includes a Beethoven cycle I see - can anyone who has it please confirm that is is the longtime unavailable LSO set in its entirety, please?

thanks

K.

According to MDT, the Beethoven cycle, and overtures, is with the LSO - was there more than one?

[Karafan]

Thank you Don - I think he only commercially released three cycles - BPO/BRSO on DG, Concertgebouw (Philips) and the LSO set. I am pleased that this is definitely the latter as it has acquired mythical status and I am eager to look further into it. His always reliable Bruckner cycle is sadly an unavoidable duplication.....

Karafan

[Barbirollians]

Thank you Don - I think he only commercially released three cycles - BPO/BRSO on DG, Concertgebouw (Philips) and the LSO set. I am pleased that this is definitely the latter as it has acquired mythical status and I am eager to look further into it. His always reliable Bruckner cycle is sadly an unavoidable duplication.....

Karafan

It is indeed - mine arrived yesterday - plus his Brahms symphonies and Bruckner and a Bach Mass in B Minor and some overtures .

[Karafan]

It is indeed - mine arrived yesterday - plus his Brahms symphonies and Bruckner and a Bach Mass in B Minor and some overtures .

Thanks for the confirmation, Barbs!

[Bryn]

A bit of a missed opportunity there by EMI. The Beethoven Symphonies were recorded and originally issued in 4 channel surround (SQ on LP). An SACD issue would have made some sense. As I already have the Bruckner set, and the Beethoven Quadraphonic LP set, I think I will give this Icon box a miss.

[mathias broucek]

Just arrived - very excited about this!

I almost wore-out my LP of the Brahms 1 and the Beethoven from this cycle I have on LP (3rd, 5th, 9th) is top-drawer. B minor mass is also excellent if you don't might "big band" Bach and German pronunciation ("creedo")

However I generally prefer his DG Bruckner (both the cycle and the individual mono recordings from 1949-1955) to the Dresden recordings. That said, the Dresden 9th is outstanding and the Dresden 8th is better than the rather poor Berlin 8th (but not the 1949 Hamburg recording).

[Thropplenoggin]

Any feedback from those who have invested in this set, especially regarding the Beethoven cycle, Bach and Mozart masses would be much appreciated.

[visualnickmos]

Does anyone know if Jochum's LvB sym cycle (EMI) is available outside the Icon series, as I have the Bruckner already and don't want to duplicate such a large body of work.

And to mathias broucek; I have the Jochum Dresden Bruckner set and haven't heard the DG set. From what I can gather, there seems to two camps here; Dresden EMI versus DG...

[Thropplenoggin]

Does anyone know if Jochum's LvB sym cycle (EMI) is available outside the Icon series, as I have the Bruckner already and don't want to duplicate such a large body of work.

My belief is that it's not, hence the ridiculous prices second-hand copies go for on Amazon. Exhibit A. In any case, the Icon cycle has been remastered according to this chap, who notes that complaints about the sound quality had been made of the previous releases.

[mathias broucek]

Any feedback from those who have invested in this set, especially regarding the Beethoven cycle, Bach and Mozart masses would be much appreciated.

I'm thrilled with the performances I've listened to so far (Brahms 1, 3, Beethoven 1-6, Bruckner 3, 8, Bach). The Brahms is very "German" and also gloriously flexible with tempo - for example an extreme but exciting accel into the code of 1 i. The Beethoven is outstanding - there's some particularly special wind playing. The Bruckner has lovely string playing but very East German brass. The B minor mass is truly outstanding with good chorus and soloists and tempi that are short of HIPP but not sluggish by any means - only downside is German latin ("Creedo"). Please note that, as often with Jochum, the ensemble is acceptable rather than HvK-style perfect!

Can't comment on remastering as I've been travelling and listening via iPod.

[mathias broucek]

And to mathias broucek; I have the Jochum Dresden Bruckner set and haven't heard the DG set. From what I can gather, there seems to two camps here; Dresden EMI versus DG...

The DG has a staggeringly good performance of the 5th in surprisingly good sound for late 1950s. The Bavarian brass are truly excellent and for me it's a toss-up between this and the 1986 Amsterdam performance of the same symphony (Tahra) for Jochum's best Bruckner recording. The DG 7th is also rather special but the 8th is spoiled by the extreme tempo fluctuations in the Adagio (the Dresden and Hamburg 8ths and other live Jochum 8ths I've heard are less extreme).

In the Dresden set, I particularly like the 3rd and the 9th - which has a particularly savage scherzo where the rather nasal Dresden brass become rather an asset.

[richardfinegold]

In the Dresden set, I particularly like the 3rd and the 9th - which has a particularly savage scherzo where the rather nasal Dresden brass become rather an asset.[/QUOTE]

I agree with that. The Icon series becomes available her in the States tomorrow. I was tempted because I would really like the Brahms, but since I own the Dresden Bruckner set (am listening to the 7th now as I type), I couldn't justify it, particularly with my shelves groaning under the weight of 9 Brahms cycles currently.
The sound ofthe Dresden Bruckner set is already impressive. I can't imagine how much better it might sound in a new remastering.

[cloughie]

In the Dresden set, I particularly like the 3rd and the 9th - which has a particularly savage scherzo where the rather nasal Dresden brass become rather an asset.

I agree with that. The Icon series becomes available her in the States tomorrow. I was tempted because I would really like the Brahms, but since I own the Dresden Bruckner set (am listening to the 7th now as I type), I couldn't justify it, particularly with my shelves groaning under the weight of 9 Brahms cycles currently.
The sound ofthe Dresden Bruckner set is already impressive. I can't imagine how much better it might sound in a new remastering.[/QUOTE]

I already have the Brahms and the Bruckner. These big boxed sets are fine for the beginner - I would like EMI to issue at, say £10 per set, the Jochum, Kempe and Sawallisch Beethoven Syms.

[mathias broucek]

These big boxed sets are fine for the beginner - I would like EMI to issue at, say £10 per set, the Jochum, Kempe and Sawallisch Beethoven Syms.

Agreed. The Sony Classical Masters works better from that perspective. With EMI, I still resent slightly having "had" to buy the Tennstedt studio Mahler cyxle again just to get the legendary live performances of 5, 6 and 7.