Record Review: non-BaL discs reviewed, etc.

[Ferretfancy]

I'd just like to recommend a marvellous CD of Scarlatti Sonatas played by Yevgeny Sudbin on BIS.

Yes, I know they are played on a piano instead of a harpsichord. I have quite a few of these pieces on older recordings by harpsichordists Valda Aveling, Blandine Verlet and others, not to mention Horowitz and Murray Perahia in piano versions, but Sudbin has a special magic in this beautifully balanced recording.

I was very struck by the wide emotional range in these sonatas, and the range of colour that Sudbin achieves, this is the most satisfying CD I have bought for some time.

[pastoralguy]

I'd just like to recommend a marvellous CD of Scarlatti Sonatas played by Yevgeny Sudbin on BIS.

Yes, I know they are played on a piano instead of a harpsichord. I have quite a few of these pieces on older recordings by harpsichordists Valda Aveling, Blandine Verlet and others, not to mention Horowitz and Murray Perahia in piano versions, but Sudbin has a special magic in this beautifully balanced recording.

I was very struck by the wide emotional range in these sonatas, and the range of colour that Sudbin achieves, this is the most satisfying CD I have bought for some time.

Yes! That's on my wish list. I was ever so slightly disappointed with Angela Hewitt's recent survey.

[Nick Armstrong]

I'd just like to recommend a marvellous CD of Scarlatti Sonatas played by Yevgeny Sudbin on BIS.

Yes, I know they are played on a piano instead of a harpsichord. I have quite a few of these pieces on older recordings by harpsichordists Valda Aveling, Blandine Verlet and others, not to mention Horowitz and Murray Perahia in piano versions, but Sudbin has a special magic in this beautifully balanced recording.

I was very struck by the wide emotional range in these sonatas, and the range of colour that Sudbin achieves, this is the most satisfying CD I have bought for some time.

I agree!!

... I was enthralled by the new Sudbin Scarlatti disc illustrated on the most recent programme, and have invested. Amazing pianism, and rather in the Sofronitzky tradition, it seems to me.

However, it wasn't until I heard the second item on the recording - the A major sonata K.208 - that I realised quite how much Sudbin adds - as he says, to be fair, these are arrangements for piano, really. In the case of K.208, what makes me realise it is that I play that piece, and it's the only one I know well. I'm not sure it's improved by the florid additions - and maybe those who know Scarlatti's pieces better would find the same with the others. Anyone else heard this recording?

I do however think, following repeated listening, that YS's quite florid, pianistic amplifications of a couple of the simpler sonatas - esp K.208 mentioned above - are less to my taste than the 'originals' - their very simplicity is a big part of what makes them touching, however impressive Sudbin is in his own versions....

[teamsaint]

2nd April, 10.50am - David Owen Norris on Russian Pianists

Youri Egorov: The 1980 Ambassador Auditorium Recital
FIRST HAND FHR44 (CD)

Vladimir Sofronitsky: Concert Recordings (Live)
MELODIYA MELCD1002312 (5 CD + DVD Video budget)

Lazar Berman: The Complete Sony Recordings
SONY 88875168362 (6CD supra-budget)


I really enjoyed this section of yesterday's programme - once DON had imposed himself and stopped AMcG chuntering on a bit too much early on, I learnt a lot and was fascinated by the examples.

Lazar Berman was big when I was just getting into music, but I never got on with his playing... and that remains the case. There's something about his 'steel-fingered' style and approach to expression which I find completely unsympathetic, I just want it to stop, by and large. Although his 'wall of sound' way with the big solo in the first movement of Rachmaninov's 3rd PC was pretty breathtaking - might have to investigate further. Amazingly, it was with Abbado (& LSO) - Berman/Abbado seems like the definition of a meeting of opposites.

What it came down to in my mind, was that there's a big element of 'horses for courses'. I loved Sofronitsky in Schumann and Scriabin but really disliked his way with the Schubert Impromptu where the rubato, the 'unmetronomic' playing style which DON stressed, sounded to my ears to spoil the music. Whereas a similar style in the dreamier Schumann Fantasie was entrancing. (I find to my delight that I have Kreisleriana by Sofronitsky, from a Diapason cover disc - look forward to playing that).

I enjoyed all the Egorov extracts - especially the Debussy Reflets dans L'Eau encore. (Impossible to imagine what Berman playing a Debussy piece of that kind might sound like ....)

As it goes, Just listening to that Rach 3, ( from the Abbado Sony box)and the first movement certainly does grab the attention.

and it is a LOT more fun that arguing about the EU.

[Nick Armstrong]

As it goes, Just listening to that Rach 3, ( from the Abbado Sony box)and the first movement certainly does grab the attention.

and it is a LOT more fun that arguing about the EU.

All that is unarguable, ts!

[aeolium]

I thought the discussion about Menuhin between AMcG and Daniel Hope, with extracts from the newly released box set of YM recordings, was very enjoyable. It did inevitably go over some of the ground covered in the recent BBC4 programme but there was some interesting additional material, such as the way YM went out of his way and at some personal cost to himself to help Furtwängler with his denazification process. The anecdote Hope told about Roger Norrington's praise for Menuhin's use of portamenti in the Mozart G major violin concerto recording was also illuminating. One thing I have long thought about Menuhin's playing, even when (perhaps especially when) it is difficult to listen to, is that he is never concerned merely with beauty of tone but with the meaning behind the music and the tension involved in bringing that meaning out.

[vinteuil]

... on Saturday there was discussion of the big complete period performance box from Decca of the Haydn symphonies.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BHFPU3S

This 'harlequin set' has been mentioned here before -

... this cycle is a composite of three different sets: reissues of AAM/Hogwood for 1-77, and O.18thC/Bruggen for 82-104; and the new Accademia Bizantina/Dantone for just the rarely recorded 78-81..!
So the cover's "finally finished! The first full Haydn Symphony set on period instruments" is well, literally true but stretching an overexcited point, sadly...

Those of us who may have felt smug bicoz they already had the Hogwood, Bruggen, and Dantone -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009LNI0T0

.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00006YXOR

.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017MZSL74

... may have to think again : the 'new' box seems also to contain [CD 35] Hogwood's performance of the Salomon/Haydn 94, 100, 104. If you have the demon of completeness you may need to acquire this as well -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000025EIL

.





.

[Bryn]

... on Saturday there was discussion of the big complete period performance box from Decca of the Haydn symphonies.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BHFPU3S

This 'harlequin set' has been mentioned here before -



Those of us who may have felt smug bicoz they already had the Hogwood, Bruggen, and Dantone -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009LNI0T0

.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00006YXOR

.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017MZSL74

... may have to think again : the 'new' box seems also to contain [CD 35] Hogwood's performance of the Salomon/Haydn 94, 100, 104. If you have the demon of completeness you may need to acquire this as well -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000025EIL

.





.

Well, the bit about Symphonies 1 to 77 being conducted by Hogwood is inaccurate. In his notes for the set, David Threasher also wrongly implies Nos. 1 -77 are conducted by Hogwood. In fact, where there is a recording of any of those works conducted by Bruggen, that is normally chosen over the Hogwood. This applies to Symphonies 26, 25, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 58, 59, 65 and 94. Still, at least the new box costs far less than buying the Bruggen recordings in their earlier manifestations. I ordered the Hogwood box for £40.83 including p&p at the end of March (I already had the BBC Music Magazine disc of 76 and 77). Since the Hogwood recordings missing from the new box, taken as the sole content of the Hogwood box, appear to work out at a pro rata price of around under £4, I won't complain too much about the duplication between the recent boxes. Symphonies 96, 100 and 104 are represented by both Bruggen and Hogwood in the new box, that's in addition to the AAM Chamber versions of Nos. 94, 100 and 104. Also, while the Hogwood box tends to follow the disc by disc compilations of the original releases which opt for a modern chronological order, the new box follows a broadly numerical presentation.

[aeolium]

The set of Haydn symphonies on period instruments I prefer to the various sets in the "harlequin" box mentioned above is the recording of Paris symphonies by Kujiken and the OAE, really superb and vivid performances. There are also some very good recordings by Goodman and the Hanover Band. But then I'm not really a completist when it comes to these works - I'd rather pick and choose between different performers.

I also liked the discussion on recent wind recordings between AMcG and Sarah Devonald, with some lovely extracts. The only fly in the ointment imv was the section on Vivaldi recorder concertos, but perhaps that is just due to my hard-to-erase distaste for the instrument derived from horrible memories of school recorder concerts. I so wish there had been a discussion on a new recording of Vivaldi bassoon concertos instead.

What with the excellent BaL by Jonathan Swain and a vivacious account of the Mendelssohn PC no 1 by Ingrid Fliter and the SCO under Antonio Mendez, it was a really enjoyable Record Review.

[mathias broucek]

This is a very beautiful Elgar 1 from Barenboim . Is beauty everything though ?

Only £11 from Qobuz in 24/96 hi res. Have only heard so far in 16/44.1 (CD quality) via headphones and am very impressed indeed. Love the quasi-Wagnerian opening of the finale in particular. Need to hear in full-fat quality and in better surroundings than the office: am very much looking forward to doing so!

[vinteuil]

The set of Haydn symphonies on period instruments I prefer ... is the recording of Paris symphonies by Kujiken and the OAE, really superb and vivid performances. .

... yes, those are lovely. If you like Kuijken/OAE in the 'Paris' symphonies you might like Kuijken/la Petite Bande in 88-92 :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00000J2PW

[richardfinegold]

... on Saturday there was discussion of the big complete period performance box from Decca of the Haydn symphonies.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BHFPU3S

This 'harlequin set' has been mentioned here before -



Those of us who may have felt smug bicoz they already had the Hogwood, Bruggen, and Dantone -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009LNI0T0

.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00006YXOR

.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017MZSL74

... may have to think again : the 'new' box seems also to contain [CD 35] Hogwood's performance of the Salomon/Haydn 94, 100, 104. If you have the demon of completeness you may need to acquire this as well -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000025EIL

.





.

Who is Dantone? An unfamiliar name for me.
The Pinnock set, not included in the box here, of the Sturm und Drang Symphonies is very strong, and is my favorite current Haydn collection. I had bought the Adam Fischer box set of the complete just so that I could have a completest box, and wish that I hadn't, as there is a fair number of indifferently performed clunkers in it.

[Bryn]

Who is Dantone? An unfamiliar name for me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottavio_Dantone

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Dantone-Ottavio.htm

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottavio_Dantone
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Dantone-Ottavio.htm

... and, not long ago on this very Forum, we had a "Caption Competition" for the sleeve photo of the Haydn release:

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'll be interested to hear about Rattle's new Beethoven Symphony Cycle. I wasn't at all impressed by his Vienna version.