Building a Library - General Discussion

[Pulcinella]

I have drawn up a list of available recordings (to my knowledge) of Stravinsky's Symphonies of wind instruments, and have done some basic comparative listening to the 11 versions I have, whittling them down to three preferred versions purely on a personal 'I like A better than B' basis without recourse to the score.
Happy to post the list and my superficial comments next week (if Alpie confirms that regular BaLs have ended for the season) as the first of this year's Summer Building a Library, if there are no objections. I have a concert coming up on Saturday so need to concern myself with getting my OWN notes right before following the score with my three preferred options just now.

[HighlandDougie]

I - and I am absolutely sure that I am not the only forumista who would think the same - would be delighted to read your conclusions. Good luck with the concert!

[BBMmk2]

Record Review usually ends the Saturday before the Proms starts, this is when our Ummer BaL begins.

[gradus]

I enjoy BAL but I think that whose recording is 'the best' is not that important, much more interesting to hear different interpretations sans value judgements of the 'best' kind.
Are there really recordings so awful that they should be rejected out of hand. Really?

[Zucchini]

I agree with that

[visualnickmos]

I agree with that

And so do I - except perhaps for one; has anyone heard Adrian Boult's 'The Planets' with him conducting the Vienna SYMPHONY Orchestra? I am gobsmacked that he allowed his name to be associated with it….

[HighlandDougie]

And so do I - except perhaps for one; has anyone heard Adrian Boult's 'The Planets' with him conducting the Vienna SYMPHONY Orchestra? I am gobsmacked that he allowed his name to be associated with it….

Apologies for the nit-picking but it's the Vienna State Opera Orchestra (Westminster XWN 18919; Whitehall - cheapo UK label for Westminster - WH/WHS 20033). In the Universal Westminster box as CD 6 - and in earlier CD incarnations.

[visualnickmos]

Apologies for the nit-picking but it's the Vienna State Opera Orchestra (Westminster XWN 18919; Whitehall - cheapo UK label for Westminster - WH/WHS 20033). In the Universal Westminster box as CD 6 - and in earlier CD incarnations.

It's not nit-picking, at all; I made an error of ident. My fault for not rechecking.
Although, I do seem to remember from way back, (on here, I think) someone saying that the VSOO, is sometimes marketed as the VSO...?

Thing is - it still sounds dreadful!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Although, I do seem to remember from way back, (on here, I think) someone saying that the VSOO, is sometimes marketed as the VSO...?

I don't think so, visnick. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra is a discrete orchestra, in existence since the early 20th Century. The Vienna Philharmonic is the concert-giving name of the same ensemble that plays for the Vienna State Opera. When the VPO had exclusive recording contracts, other record companies could get round the legalities by billing them on covers (as in this case) as the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. So Boult would record The Planets for Westminster with the VSOO, but would have exactly the same people in front of him when they recorded Mahler for Decca, billed as the VPO.

[Rolmill]

It's not nit-picking, at all; I made an error of ident. My fault for not rechecking.
Although, I do seem to remember from way back, (on here, I think) someone saying that the VSOO, is sometimes marketed as the VSO...?

Thing is - it still sounds dreadful!

I believe the VSOO is the pool from which members of the VPO are recruited (they must be members of the VSOO for 3 years before they can audition for the VPO).

Which raises the question: what is so awful about that recording? Hard to believe it's the quality of the orchestral playing, but ditto Sir Adrian's conducting!

Ah - crossed with fhg's more informative post!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Which raises the question: what is so awful about that recording? Hard to believe it's the quality of the orchestral playing, but ditto Sir Adrian's conducting!

Indeed. Mars is youTubable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjLzYBQN2TM

Ah, yes - some moments when the ensemble ain't ensemble, and some rather "farty" brass. (Recorded sound not attractive - but I never know that's the fault of the original, or the youTube "transfer".)

[HighlandDougie]

Indeed. Mars is youTubable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjLzYBQN2TM

Ah, yes - some moments when the ensemble ain't ensemble, and some rather "farty" brass. (Recorded sound not attractive - but I never know that's the fault of the original, or the youTube "transfer".)

Actually, the recorded sound on the (remastered) CD in the Westminster box (and on an earlier MCA 1990s issue) isn't that bad. It's a Kurt List 2-channel effort so the balance is sometimes a bit unsubtle, just like some of the rather "Viennese" brass (ok, flatulent if you like). Unlike Decca, which recorded Karajan in the same work a couple of years later, Westminster weren't flush with cash so I suspect couldn't afford many rehearsals. The RVW couplings on the CD are, though, rather fine. The TT Fantasia, played by Viennese strings, while a bit rough round the edges at times, sounds glorious - recorded in the Mozartsaal. A reminder that Boult conducted the VPO at the 1935 Salzburg Festival in, inter alia, "Job".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Unlike Decca, which recorded Karajan in the same work a couple of years later, Westminster weren't flush with cash so I suspect couldn't afford many rehearsals.

Yes - that thought had occurred to me, too.

The RVW couplings on the CD are, though, rather fine. The TT Fantasia, played by Viennese strings, while a bit rough round the edges at times, sounds glorious - recorded in the Mozartsaal. A reminder that Boult conducted the VPO at the 1935 Salzburg Festival in, inter alia, "Job".

Yes - the string playing in that Mars is pretty good. Boult and the VPO got on well with each other - a pity that the Mozart Symphony was never recorded where, to clarify a point in the score, Boult sent for the composer's autograph score kept in the archives of the Hall in which they were rehearsing.

[Pulcinella]

From the BBC R3 website for Record Review next Saturday morning (14 July 2018): I rather like the concept but hope there is no objection if forumites occasionally launch a new Summer BaL thread as well.

9.30
Proms Composer: Debussy
Each Saturday over the next nine weeks a different Record Review stalwart chooses five indispensable recordings of a great composer featured in the Proms. Today, Jeremy Sams kicks off the series by playing his top five Debussy discs and tells us why you need to hear them.

11.00
Katy Hamilton picks the plums from a 14-CD box bringing together the complete concerto and sonata recordings of renowned American cellist Leonard Rose in his centenary year.

11.45
Proms Recording: Also new for Summer Record Review, each week we select a major work from the Proms and play the current Building a Library recommendation, beginning with Mozart's Clarinet Concerto with Julian Bliss and the Royal Northern Sinfonia, conducted by Mario Venzago.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

No objections from me, Pulcie - as the "official" feature is on its annual Summer holiday (I've never understood why: as we see from the programme you've detailed, there's no shortage of critics available to continue the feature - and they could always record them even if there weren't) it'll be good to have our own annual series.