Music For Strings, Percussion and Celesta

[richardfinegold]

I had praised the Dorati recordings of Wooden Prince and Mandarin in the large second Mercury box set, but I had found his Detroit recording from the 1980s of MFSPC weak and his earlier version contained here as being little different. THe main failing in both recordings is in I, where the climax fails to grab one's attention.
My introduction to MFSPC was the Reiner/Chicago recording and it was a life changing experience for me as a teenager. I begins so eerily and then as the various fugal strands come together it astounded me. I also have enjoyed Solti's recording, also with the CSO. I was equally astounded when I heard those forces performed the piece at a concert that I attended in my thirties. I had no idea from recordings just how spatial the piece is, how various string choirs will pass themes off to each other. truly this is a piece that was meant for multichannel recording, although the one that I own, Alsop on a Naxos Blu Ray disc, is pretty tame and the engineering fails to realize the spatial potentials.
I seem to remember hearing a Dorati recording from Amsterdam many years ago that I liked better, but his Mercury and Decca recordings sound remarkably similar.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Reiner/Chicago was my introduction too. It was an A level set work in 1968, and I remember my music teacher proudly demonstrating the recently issued Boulez recording, which sounded quite special too.

[BBMmk2]

Solti was mine on LP.I was playing percussion quite a bit back in those days, so it was a great learning curve, as well.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Solti here too for starters in LP days. On CD I've added a somewhat off-piste BaL recommendation, Camerata Academica Salzburg/ Sandor Vegh on Orfeo http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bart%C3%B3k-...ds=vegh+bartok

I'm surprised I don't have other recordings as it's a favourite work which I've even managed to hear three times live, under Kempe, Howarth and Dohnanyi.

It's the Kempe performance I remember best, but perhaps that's because it was the first...

EDIT A belated check on the LP shelves reveals ECO/ Barenboim too, bought more for the Divertimento. Of these three recordings of MFSPC I'd perhaps go to the Solti for sentimental reasons but would probably reach for the Vegh to sell the work to someone who didn't know it.

[Madame Suggia]

I remember taking time out from a prom queue to go to Tower Records to find a recording of this piece which I was about to hear for the first time.
I chose Kubelik conducting the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks on Orfeo.

My neighbour in the queue told me I should have gone for the Solti double decca but I rather like the Kubelik.

[BBMmk2]

I remember taking time out from a prom queue to go to Tower Records to find a recording of this piece which I was about to hear for the first time.
I chose Kubelik conducting the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks on Orfeo.

My neighbour in the queue told me I should have gone for the Solti double decca but I rather like the Kubelik.

Fair enough! There does noit look as though there are many on amazon?

[gurnemanz]

I also started with Reiner, but got to know the Marriner ASMF version via their 10CD 20th Century box a couple of years ago. It turns out to be excellent - lean and flexible with chamber forces and in great 1969 Argo sound.

[amateur51]

I also started with Reiner, but got to know the Marriner ASMF version via their 10CD 20th Century box a couple of years ago. It turns out to be excellent - lean and flexible with chamber forces and in great 1969 Argo sound.

It was the Marriner/ASMF set that introduced me to this piece. Thanks for reminding me that it is still available, gurney

[HighlandDougie]

Ansermet on a Decca 10" LP (in mono) - which kind of misses the point in this work - shortly followed by a parental 15th birthday present of the Karajan/BPO (on Columbia) in stereo. Nowadays, it's

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000BW7ZHI/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=05YX3BA3XXE3JM7H32R2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294

A very fine disc all round

[Nick Armstrong]

The Ozawa/Boston recording was my first, an early cassette of mine c/w the Miraculous Mandarin suite. Seemed great to me - supplemented subsequently with Reiner and Solti.

I've just this morning started listening to the podcast of the France-Musique CD critics' blind-tasting programme about this piece (it was broadcast back in May), so when I've made my way through the two-hour analysis, I'll report back

[amateur51]

Ansermet on a Decca 10" LP (in mono) - which kind of misses the point in this work - shortly followed by a parental 15th birthday present of the Karajan/BPO (on Columbia) in stereo. Nowadays, it's

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000BW7ZHI/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=05YX3BA3XXE3JM7H32R2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294

A very fine disc all round

Is it just me being careless when sifting through British concert listings or is it a fact that Michael Gielen doesn't appear in UK concerts these days?

Much of what I've heard of his music-making is very impressive

[amateur51]

The Ozawa/Boston recording was my first, an early cassette of mine c/w the Miraculous Mandarin suite. Seemed great to me - supplemented subsequently with Reiner and Solti.

I've just this morning started listening to the podcast of the France-Musique CD critics' blind-tasting programme about this piece (it was broadcast back in May), so when I've made my way through the two-hour analysis, I'll report back

Yes please, Caliban - I look forward to that report

[BBMmk2]

I'll second that too!

I reckon either Solti or Reiner. A pity Abbado hasnt recorded this. I dont think that oltan Kolciss ahs made one?

[amateur51]

I'll second that too!

I reckon either Solti or Reiner. A pity Abbado hasnt recorded this. I dont think that oltan Kolciss ahs made one?

Kocsis? Here you go Bbm.

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Hungaroton/HSACD32510

Has anyone heard the Harnoncourt recording?

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/RCA/82876603532

[Sir Velo]

I've still not heard a performance to generate the same sense of excitement as the legendary Reiner offering. Harnoncourt comes close in a disc c/w the criminally underperformed Divertimento.