BaL 24.04.21 - Stravinsky: Violin concerto in D

[Cockney Sparrow]

You could burn CDs from the download files. That's what I used to do before I had satisfactory arrangements for playing downloads through my main system.

Being Lazy (I can Google as well as the next man...) - what programme did you use to burn a CD? And importantly, did it preserve the tracks, titles etc to produce a CD equivalent on the CD-R disc?
(I've never done it before - not to produce a CD equivalent of a commercial disc, from the purchased download. I've rarely burnt an audio CD for any reason....)

Any other suggestions welcome. I'm using Windows10.

[cloughie]

Being Lazy (I can Google as well as the next man...) - what programme did you use to burn a CD? And importantly, did it preserve the tracks, titles etc to produce a CD equivalent on the CD-R disc?
(I've never done it before - not to produce a CD equivalent of a commercial disc, from the purchased download. I've rarely burnt an audio CD for any reason....)

Any other suggestions welcome. I'm using Windows10.

I use Windows 10 and burn using either Windows Media Player or itunes - depending on the download source - sometimes itunes is easier but does not burn more than 78 mins whereas WMP will go to over 79.40. - useful recently with Van Zweden’s Bruckner 5 and 8 - at £8.49 for the 9 symphonies from 7 digital very good! As to the retaining of the disc information on CDR this sometimes happens but not always, but I always write on the disc and the info is recorded in my EXCEL index in any case.

[Barbirollians]

I see that Amazon (strictly speaking a Marketplace seller) has the Mullova for the "bargain" price of £48.35. AMcG said it is download only, which is confirmed on the Presto0 site. However, as the CD is on Philips, can we expect a presto CD at any time soon? This was my favourite as well as Nigel Simeone/ Makropulos's but I don't buy downloads for reasons I have explained in other posts. Mutter's is a Presto CD (or exorbitantly priced on Amazon) and Frang, a performance I also enjoyed, is "out of stock at the UK distributor". As I have said before, it is becoming harder to find CDs of good performances of too many pieces and I cannot be the only listener who prefers to buy CDs, either singly or in small sets (not 50-disc anthologies).

There is a secondhand copy of the Mutter with the Lutoslawski for £4.98 plus postage

[Bryn]

I use Windows 10 and burn using either Windows Media Player or itunes - depending on the download source - sometimes itunes is easier but does not burn more than 78 mins whereas WMP will go to over 79.40. - useful recently with Van Zweden’s Bruckner 5 and 8 - at £8.49 for the 9 symphonies from 7 digital very good! As to the retaining of the disc information on CDR this sometimes happens but not always, but I always write on the disc and the info is recorded in my EXCEL index in any case.

I also use Windows 10 but opt for Nero Burnin ROM (a free version that came with an external disc burner). WIth compatible burner (most fairly modern ones) it will burn up to around 81'30" on a standard '80 minute' CD-R and up to 99 minutes (dependant on the particular burner) on overburn CD-Rs. However, not all CD players can handle overburn CD-Rs.

[rauschwerk]

I use Windows 10 and burn using either Windows Media Player or itunes - depending on the download source - sometimes itunes is easier but does not burn more than 78 mins whereas WMP will go to over 79.40. - useful recently with Van Zweden’s Bruckner 5 and 8 - at £8.49 for the 9 symphonies from 7 digital very good! As to the retaining of the disc information on CDR this sometimes happens but not always, but I always write on the disc and the info is recorded in my EXCEL index in any case.

I often tidy up the metadata with mp3tag (free).

[CallMePaul]

I hope this might help –it's actually available now, but not where anyone would expect to find it. The Stravinsky/Bartók CD is in a set of three separate discs in a slipcase called "Viktoria Mullova: Three Classic Albums". There's a copy here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393250114...MAAOSwKZBgezLH and it's also on Amazon (cheapest on amazon.fr but that might involve palaver these days).

I've just had a look on eBay and the offer is now "ended", which I assume to mean that the set has been sold, but thanks for the info.

[Bryn]

I hope this might help –it's actually available now, but not where anyone would expect to find it. The Stravinsky/Bartók CD is in a set of three separate discs in a slipcase called "Viktoria Mullova: Three Classic Albums". There's a copy here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393250114...MAAOSwKZBgezLH and it's also on Amazon (cheapest on amazon.fr but that might involve palaver these days).

Thanks for the reminder. I had quite forgotten that I bought that 3-disc set in a reopened HMV Bond Street sale (for a pittance). After several years, I had only got round listening to the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius (which I did not find that inspired, at the time - must listen again). I have now recovered it from an 'also ran' black plastic storage box.

[makropulos]

Thanks for the reminder. I had quite forgotten that I bought that 3-disc set in a reopened HMV Bod Street sale (for a pittance). After several years, I had only got round tistening to the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius (which I dod not find that inspired, at the time - must listen again). I have now recovered it from an 'also ran' black plastic storage box.

Now there's a coincidence. I think I got mine in exactly the same place for ridiculously little money. The Stravinsky/Bartók disc is by far the best of the three, I think. The Brahms concerto with Abbado is particularly disappointing given that her Brahms violin sonatas with Andrzewski are so good. The Stravinsky is a gem.

[Richard Barrett]

This is all very interesting to read. I have Mullova lined up for a listen as soon as I can manage it.

[Maclintick]

This is all very interesting to read. I have Mullova lined up for a listen as soon as I can manage it.

It's extremely fine, and an excellent library choice. Chung has been my go-to in this piece, but I realise that's semi-historic, though I'm slightly miffed that Nigel Simione didn't give it a mention. We're now blessed with an extraordinary roster of mostly female violinists that I'd be hard-pressed to choose between Mullova, Hahn, Kopatchinskaja. Vilde Frang is on Medici next Fri -- BFO/Fischer, though I'm not sure she's recorded it :

https://www.medici.tv/en/concerts/ivan-fischer-conducts-enescu-stravinsky-and-prokofiev-vilde-frang/

[Pulcinella]

It’s a shame that the. Hung/Previn didn’t go down well.

It's extremely fine, and an excellent library choice. Chung has been my go-to in this piece, but I realise that's semi-historic, though I'm slightly miffed that Nigel Simione didn't give it a mention. We're now blessed with an extraordinary roster of mostly female violinists that I'd be hard-pressed to choose between Mullova, Hahn, Kopatchinskaja. Vilde Frang is on Medici next Fri -- BFO/Fischer, though I'm not sure she's recorded it :

https://www.medici.tv/en/concerts/iv...v-vilde-frang/

It DID get a mention (as did the Perlman in the same breath, iirc), but didn't make the shortlist.

[CallMePaul]

Thanks for the reminder. I had quite forgotten that I bought that 3-disc set in a reopened HMV Bod Street sale (for a pittance). After several years, I had only got round tistening to the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius (which I dod not find that inspired, at the time - must listen again). I have now recovered it from an 'also ran' black plastic storage box.

Her Sibelius recording (which I have) was chosen some years back in a BAL. As there have been several fine recordings of the piece in recent years, it may not be chosen were the concerto to be reviewed now.

[Richard Barrett]

It's extremely fine, and an excellent library choice.

Listening to it now I am inclined to agree, although, despite the highly colourful and vibrant performance I'm a bit disappointed by the unnecessary spotlighting of the violin in the recorded balance, as I've mentioned probably too many times with regard to violin concerto recordings in general. Why (rhetorical question alert) can't we hear the kind of balance the audience in a concert would hear, that is to say the kind of balance the composer wrote into the score?

[Petrushka]

Listening to it now I am inclined to agree, although, despite the highly colourful and vibrant performance I'm a bit disappointed by the unnecessary spotlighting of the violin in the recorded balance, as I've mentioned probably too many times with regard to violin concerto recordings in general. Why (rhetorical question alert) can't we hear the kind of balance the audience in a concert would hear, that is to say the kind of balance the composer wrote into the score?

My experience of hearing a violin concerto in concert has been enough for me to realise that it's the last way I'd want to hear it in a recording. Of course, a lot depends on seating position, hall acoustics and the like, but all too often the solo violin sound in concert can sound too distant with lost detail and it is sometimes the case that the visual impact compensates for the lack of audibility. Others may feel differently, but I am generally glad of the help given to the soloist from the engineers where hearing the solo part is of paramount importance. I would cite the Berg Violin Concerto as well as the Stravinsky (among others) where I prefer a more forwardly recorded violinist.

[ardcarp]

Listening to it now I am inclined to agree, although, despite the highly colourful and vibrant performance I'm a bit disappointed by the unnecessary spotlighting of the violin in the recorded balance, as I've mentioned probably too many times with regard to violin concerto recordings in general. Why (rhetorical question alert) can't we hear the kind of balance the audience in a concert would hear, that is to say the kind of balance the composer wrote into the score?

Surely that aspect of modern recordings is much better now than, say, 40 years ago when any soloist was spotlighted and the orchestra became a mere backing?