BaL 14.04.18 - Dvořák: Piano Quintet no. 2 in A major

[BBMmk2]

There were some second hand copies of the CD at cheap prices on Amazon, last time I looked. Amazon proper want about £17.

£17? Never? That's vergi9ng on the expensive side for one CD!

[CallMePaul]

There were some second hand copies of the CD at cheap prices on Amazon, last time I looked. Amazon proper want about £17.

Amazon seems to have few bargains these days - not sure what has changed as it certainly does not have a monopoly.

[Beef Oven!]

Amazon seems to have few bargains these days - not sure what has changed as it certainly does not have a monopoly.

I think there are still quite a few bargains to be had on Amazon. For example, all the Philips Duo 2 cd sets at £5.99. Bought a few of those lately.

[visualnickmos]

I think there are still quite a few bargains to be had on Amazon. For example, all the Philips Duo 2 cd sets at £5.99. Bought a few of those lately.

Yes - a question of taking a bit of time to search them out - but this is a cracker

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rachmaninov-Complete-Works-Piano-Orchestra/dp/B000004167/ref=sr_1_122?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1523657585&sr=1-122&keywords=philips+duo

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I notice the original quartet/quintet error has now been corrected on the web page. No reply to my e-mail, of course, though being ignored is infinitely preferable to having one's name read out on air.

[BBMmk2]

I notice the original quartet/quintet error has now been corrected on the web page. No reply to my e-mail, of course, though being ignored is infinitely preferable to having one's name read out on air.

I don't mind that, per se, your name being read out on air. I've had mine read out quite a few times, these past few weeks!

[verismissimo]

What a pity that Morrison wasn't helped with the pronunciation of the composer's name. And that he has nothing much of interest to say about the music, concentrating only picking out details in the playing.

[Beef Oven!]

I was very much looking forward to this BaL, but I found it a disappointment. I did not enjoy it at all. Too much time spent on how not to play this music and the recordings to avoid (it was five to ten before anything properly positive was said).

More emphasis on more recent recordings would have been welcomed too. For example, the Martin Roscoe & Schidlof Quartet is widely available, excellently recorded and well received by the Gramophone reviewer - why no mention? https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/...uartet-no-12-0

It was pretty obvious fairly early on that the preferred recording would be either Schiff or the Pavel Haas.

Not sure why, but I found Richard Morrison boring. Maybe because he said little about this glorious music.

[DracoM]

<< It was pretty obvious fairly early on that the preferred recording would be either Schiff or the Pavel Haas. >>

And, blimey, did he signal it or what! Quite agree. I usually find Mr Morrison pretty interesting, but this RR was .....well, a bit of the tetchy teacher trying to catch everyone out

[Beef Oven!]

<< It was pretty obvious fairly early on that the preferred recording would be either Schiff or the Pavel Haas. >>

And, blimey, did he signal it or what! Quite agree. I usually find Mr Morrison pretty interesting, but this RR was .....well, a bit of the tetchy teacher trying to catch everyone out

RM, clearly enjoyed himself and must have been quite pleased. Shame he didn't try putting his feet in the shoes of the audience ...........

[visualnickmos]

I was very much looking forward to this BaL, but I found it a disappointment. I did not enjoy it at all. Too much time spent on how not to play this music and the recordings to avoid (it was five to ten before anything properly positive was said).

More emphasis on more recent recordings would have been welcomed too. For example, the Martin Roscoe & Schidlof Quartet is widely available, excellently recorded and well received by the Gramophone reviewer - why no mention? https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/...uartet-no-12-0

It was pretty obvious fairly early on that the preferred recording would be either Schiff or the Pavel Haas.

Not sure why, but I found Richard Morrison boring. Maybe because he said little about this glorious music.

I concur with you. I was left at the end of the BaL, feeling - well - a little short-changed. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Usually with a good BaL, I am enthused to sometimes seek out recordings which were mentioned during the presenter's discourse, and more often than not, thinking that I could happily listen to the presenter for much longer than the allowed 45 to 55 minutes. Not this time, however. A pity, as I had been looking forward to this BaL, Dvorak's chamber music being amongst my most-loved music of the genre. It was a tad boring; that word crossed my mind about 15 minutes in!

[Mal]

Amazon seems to have few bargains these days - not sure what has changed as it certainly does not have a monopoly.

Marketplace sellers are quite aggressive in their price cutting. Maybe Bezos has decided to let them fight it out, he gets a cut of their sales anyway. Once they run out of discs he can sell them at top price!

[Mal]

Too much time spent on how not to play this music and the recordings to avoid...

I found this very useful, I'd quite like to know which recordings to avoid before spending £50 on them.

More emphasis on more recent recordings would have been welcomed too. For example, the Martin Roscoe & Schidlof Quartet is widely available, excellently recorded and well received by the Gramophone reviewer - why no mention? https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/...uartet-no-12-0

Why should he emphasise recent recordings? Maybe he thought it was beneath consideration, and kindly left it out rather than slamming it? He mentioned more than ten performers, mostly with a couple of useful clips. They can't pack everyone into a programme. Favourites of mine were missed in previous programmes.

Not sure why, but I found Richard Morrison boring. Maybe because he said little about this glorious music.

I found him more interesting than most BAL presenters, maybe because he stuck to the point. If he'd said more about the music there would have been less time to hear it, and less time to talk about the performers. This respects our intelligence - it's BAL, not "Obscure Music to Bore You With", it's a given that the music is glorious.

[Beef Oven!]

I found this very useful, I'd quite like to know which recordings to avoid before spending £50 on them.

Can't quite put my finger on what's wrong with this rationale!

Why should he emphasise recent recordings?

There's something backward looking, almost by definition in classical music and any form bringing any of it up to date would be a bonus, IMV.

I found him more interesting than most BAL presenters, maybe because he stuck to the point. If he'd said more about the music there would have been less time to hear it, and less time to talk about the performers. This respects our intelligence - it's BAL, not "Obscure Music to Bore You With", it's a given that the music is glorious.

He managed to bore me, even without the help of 'obscure music'! Just goes to show that it's all subjective and down to individual preference. Although I found it the worst programme of its kind I have ever heard, I'm genuinely pleased that you enjoyed this BaL

[Barbirollians]

9.30
Building a Library: Dvořák's Second Piano Quintet with Richard Morrison.
Written amid the wooded countryside at Dvořák's summer house to the south west of Prague, the A major Piano Quintet mixes laughter and poignancy.



Available versions

Leif Ove Andsnes, Sarah Chang, Alexander Kerr, Wolfram Christ, Georg Faust (D)
Jonathan Biss, Elias String Quartet
Bruno Canino, Salvatore Accardo, Franco Petracchi
Dana Ciocarlie, Psophos Quartet
Boston Symphony Chamber Players (D)
Clifford Curzon, The Budapest Quartet (D)
Clifford Curzon, Vienna Philharmonic Quartet (D)
Rudolf Firkusny Ruggiero Ricci, Zara Nelsova,
Boris Giltburg, Pavel Haas Quartet
Martin Kasik, Wihan Quartet
Stephen Kovacevich, Berlin Philharmonic Octet
Piers Lane, Goldner String Quartet
Jacob Lateiner, Gregor Piatigorsky, William Primrose, Jascha Heifetz, Israel Baker (D
Philip Ledger, lberni Quartet
Elisabeth Leonskaja, Alban Berg Quartett
Jean Marc Luisada, Quatuor Talich (D)
Menahem Pressler, Emerson String Quartet
Sviatoslav Richter, The Borodin Quartet
András Schiff, Panocha Quartet (D)
Schubert Ensemble
Kathryn Stott, Škampa Quartet
Susan Tomes, The Gaudier Ensemble (D)
Oliver Triendl, Vogler Quartett

The winner is very fine. For me the Curzon /VPO deserves its status . Coupled with the Franck Quintet on an Ovation LP I think and I wore it out .

Didn't listen to the BAL as was on holiday but Mr Morrison is always a reason to switch off in my view .