BaL 6.04.19 - Mahler: Symphony no. 4 in G

[Nick Armstrong]

A slight confession; much to my own surprise, I really warm to Bernstein's DG recording of this, (Concertgebouw) with the 'boy soprano' It actually works very well.

Raskin still seems the most child-like

The boy on the Bernstein recording beats her in the 'child-like' stakes, I think, for obvious reasons!

Like visualnickmos, I warm to this Bernstein 'experiment' - and it has the additional big advantage of ticking this box:

I always think this symphony cries out for the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

[mikealdren]

I've been invited thrice to fill in a Gramophone survey and I always mention the poor search engine facility for back issues but, so far, no one has paid any attention. I suppose we're lucky in that some of the names we enter are 'unusual' and that certainly cuts down the number of 'hits' but prolific musicians such as Karajan, Solti or Bernstein can provide a huge amount of data to look through. Like Jayne, I find looking up the PRESTO site can be helpful but older recordings don't often have Review dates.

I think I've mentioned that I've recently been purchasing Lps of my big violin hero, Igor Oistrakh, and have been transcribing these discs to cd with very good results. Inevitably, I want to read the original reviews but, boy, it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack! (Some of them are REALLY snippy and I do wonder if there's a bit of 'Cold War' bias there).

Mind you, I do come across some fascinating by-ways and the Correspondence is a hoot! (Tunbridge Wells seems to feature a lot). Fascinating stuff and a real treasure trove of information and attitudes from another time.

Yes, I've just complained about the same in the latest survey. The problem wit the survey is that it's clearly advertising driven, they really only want to know that we all want downloads streaming etc. and not how they can improve the current magazine.

[gurnemanz]

Yes, I've just complained about the same in the latest survey. The problem wit the survey is that it's clearly advertising driven, they really only want to know that we all want downloads streaming etc. and not how they can improve the current magazine.

A while ago I gave up Gramophone after well over 30 years of buying and keeping every issue. I used also to get the Gramophone catalogue which usefully gave a reference to magazine review dates. This eventually became impossible because they stopped publishing these dates. I remember complaining at the time - obviously to no effect. They then stopped publishing a catalogue at all. The mags were just taking up space so I reluctantly sent them for recycling (except my first one from 1972) which I kept as a memento. I have never subscribed to the online catalogue but I find I can still look up reviews by adding "gramophone" to a Google search.

[verismissimo]

[COLOR="#0000FF"]The boy on the Bernstein recording beats her in the 'child-like' stakes, I think, for obvious reasons!

When I said that Raskin was childlike, I didn't mean in any sense childish! She gives a highly sophisticated reading IMO.

[jayne lee wilson]

A while ago I gave up Gramophone after well over 30 years of buying and keeping every issue. I used also to get the Gramophone catalogue which usefully gave a reference to magazine review dates. This eventually became impossible because they stopped publishing these dates. I remember complaining at the time - obviously to no effect. They then stopped publishing a catalogue at all. The mags were just taking up space so I reluctantly sent them for recycling (except my first one from 1972) which I kept as a memento. I have never subscribed to the online catalogue but I find I can still look up reviews by adding "gramophone" to a Google search.

Doesn't that get ever you blocked without a subscription? I do have the digital/print subscription but if I google something via Safari the box appears asking me to log in....
It's OK on firefox sometimes though...(probably OS-dependent..)

Personally I still find the archive essential and sublimely browse-worthy (those wonderful reviews from Jon Swain, Lionel Salter, RO, Layton, Roger Nichols etc...Deryck Cooke or Trevor Harvey further back..Quarterly Retrospect, Sounds in Retrospect..(Oh the classic equipment!), aforementioned frustrations notwithstanding...I would just emphasise that I do usually find a review I search for (sometimes with a degree of patience and a greater degree of search box detail... but serendipity always lifts the mood...)

Last night I read Roger Norrington's piece (10/91) about Brahms Performance traditions, which was a feature in the month of his LCP/Brahms 1st release/review.... and very insightful it remains...no trouble finding that one at least...still can't find No.2-review though! Most odd.

[Pulcinella]

Doesn't that get ever you blocked without a subscription? I do have the digital/print subscription but if I google something via Safari the box appears asking me to log in....
It's OK on firefox sometimes though...(probably OS-dependent..)

Personally I still find the archive essential and sublimely browse-worthy (those wonderful reviews from Jon Swain, Lionel Salter, RO, Layton, Roger Nichols etc...Deryck Cooke or Trevor Harvey further back..Quarterly Retrospect, Sounds in Retrospect..(Oh the classic equipment!), aforementioned frustrations notwithstanding...

Last night I read Roger Norrington's piece (10/91) about Brahms Performance traditions, which was a feature in the month of his LCP/Brahms 1st release/review.... and very insightful it remains...

Do you perhaps mean John Steane?

[jayne lee wilson]

Do you perhaps mean John Steane?

Absolutely not, no! My interest in The Gramophone and the Voice was always minimal at best.

Jonathan Swain's Orchestral reviews and Collection surveys (La Mer, Franck D minor etc), especially about French Repertoire, are some of the most insightful and literate to ever feature in the magazine. He's always extremely accurate as to Sound Quality too, often in great and telling detail. He writes extremely well; I learnt a lot from him. I recall a discussion across several issues, where he and Layton were concluding that the Janowski Roussel Symphonies might at first seem lacking in detail or ultimate impact, but "at higher levels it does open up"... the recording is a little recessed and reverberant, but whack up the volume and it's a treat - one of the best Roussel sets...

I used to love that audio-based commentary in S-I-R too, so helpful in the replaying...

[Pulcinella]

Absolutely not, no! My interest in The Gramophone and the Voice was always minimal at best.

Jonathan Swain's Orchestral reviews and Collection surveys (La Mer, Franck D minor etc), especially about French Repertoire, are some of the most insightful and literate to ever feature in the magazine. He's always extremely accurate as to Sound Quality too, often on great and telling detail. He writes extremely well; I learnt a lot from him. I recall a discussion across several issues, where he and Layton were concluding that the Janowski Roussel Symphonies might at first seem lacking in detail or ultimate impact, but "at higher levels it does open up"... the recording is a little recessed and reverberant, but whack up the volume and it's a treat - one of the best Roussel sets...

I used to love that audio-based commentary in S-I-R too, so helpful in the replaying...

I hadn't realised that Jonathan Swain was a contributor to Gramophone.

[Bryn]

I hadn't realised that Jonathan Swain was a contributor to Gramophone.

His route to CD Mastery.

[Nick Armstrong]

When I said that Raskin was childlike, I didn't mean in any sense childish! She gives a highly sophisticated reading IMO.

I understood and completely agree! The kid's not bad for Bernstein though!

[pastoralguy]

I think I have Fischer and his Budapest Orchestra but can’t find it...anyone familiar with it?

Oh yes! The fact that the wonderful Miah Persson was involved made purchasing it an inevitability! In fact, I'm lucky enough to have a copy signed by both Mr. Fischer and Ms. Persson!

[Barbirollians]

I understood and completely agree! The kid's not bad for Bernstein though!

Marmite version I think . I have problems with it - Mahler wanted childlike not a child . Shame as the first three movements are wonderful.

[cloughie]

Marmite version I think . I have problems with it - Mahler wanted childlike not a child . Shame as the first three movements are wonderful.

It’s Flicka for me - gets it just right.

[mikealdren]

Doesn't that get ever you blocked without a subscription? I do have the digital/print subscription but if I google something via Safari the box appears asking me to log in....
It's OK on firefox sometimes though...(probably OS-dependent..)

Personally I still find the archive essential and sublimely browse-worthy (those wonderful reviews from Jon Swain, Lionel Salter, RO, Layton, Roger Nichols etc...Deryck Cooke or Trevor Harvey further back..Quarterly Retrospect, Sounds in Retrospect..(Oh the classic equipment!), aforementioned frustrations notwithstanding...I would just emphasise that I do usually find a review I search for (sometimes with a degree of patience and a greater degree of search box detail... but serendipity always lifts the mood...)

Yes you do need a subscription. What I find frustrating is that the Gramophone website search doesn't seem to find older reviews. We really need a better search or, as Gurnemanz says, the return of the old comprehensive Gramophone catalogue and we certainly need a catalogue or search of the Gramophone Collection.

[gurnemanz]

Yes you do need a subscription. What I find frustrating is that the Gramophone website search doesn't seem to find older reviews. We really need a better search or, as Gurnemanz says, the return of the old comprehensive Gramophone catalogue and we certainly need a catalogue or search of the Gramophone Collection.

You can't read online but copying and pasting to a word processor works