BaL 24.07.21 - Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

[visualnickmos]

I have a few recordings of this, but it has never really quite 'done it' for me, in the same way the four stunning piano concertos do. That was until I came across (in a charity shop) the Philips Duo set with Rafael Orozco, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Edo de Waart. Wow! Absolutely dazzling performance, and superb recorded sound quality.

[Braunschlag]

Or even Edo de Waart with Kocsis. If Wild hadn’t done it then it would be the next best. https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/cat...an-kocsis-9096

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And - it’s analogue, no digital trickery…

Really? So it’s cylinder, 78, vinyl or tape? Once you transfer it to a digital platform, there has to be some element of digital processing.

[Braunschlag]

Really? So it’s cylinder, 78, vinyl or tape? Once you transfer it to a digital platform, there has to be some element of digital processing.

Ah, apologies, crossed wires. What I meant was a reference to over-edited productions, the Hough being a good case. Sold as a ‘live’ recording but stitched together from more than one performance. Nevertheless it has its followers and he is a fine pianist.

As for the Earl, I have had four different iterations of his set - the original RD LP set, nice heavy vinyl and well pressed, sounded good to me. Then the Chandos LP set, thin as a rizla, not a patch on the RD. Chesky followed but I default now to the Chandos set. It just seems to be a slightly better incarnation but I’ve no real idea why I prefer it over Chesky.

The Isle of the Dead was put into the session as they had spare recording time. Testament to all concerned in that studio that they could get all that music recorded so superbly and still end up with a session to spare.

[Bryn]

Ah, apologies, crossed wires. What I meant was a reference to over-edited productions, the Hough being a good case. Sold as a ‘live’ recording but stitched together from more than one performance. Nevertheless it has its followers and he is a fine pianist.

As for the Earl, I have had four different iterations of his set - the original RD LP set, nice heavy vinyl and well pressed, sounded good to me. Then the Chandos LP set, thin as a rizla, not a patch on the RD. Chesky followed but I default now to the Chandos set. It just seems to be a slightly better incarnation but I’ve no real idea why I prefer it over Chesky.

The Isle of the Dead was put into the session as they had spare recording time. Testament to all concerned in that studio that they could get all that music recorded so superbly and still end up with a session to spare.

I remain somewhat confused. Were the recording sessions for the Wild/Horenstein of complete movements? Compiling a recording for release from edits of multiple takes has a long history, dating back well into the analogue era. One of the tasks when transferring old analogue recordings to the digital domain for commercial release involves trying to tidy up the analogue edits. A prime example is the Dorati recording of Messiaen's Chromchronie. It has had at least three CD issues, each with cleaner digital corrections of such analogue edits.

[Braunschlag]

I remain somewhat confused. Were the recording sessions for the Wild/Horenstein of complete movements? Compiling a recording for release from edits of multiple takes has a long history, dating back well into the analogue era. One of the tasks when transferring old analogue recordings to the digital domain for commercial release involves trying to tidy up the analogue edits. A prime example is the Dorati recording of Messiaen's Chromchronie. It has had at least three CD issues, each with cleaner digital corrections of such analogue edits.

I can see your point of course. In the case of the piece here it must be a relatively easy task to record, lots of ‘edit points’ already inherent in the actual music.

I think I wast trying to say that the sophistication of digital editing arouses my suspicion often - it seems to me that the ability to simply drop in one note or bar at the click of a mouse opens up the field for the engineer/editor to artificially create ‘a false perfection’ at the expense of a more spontaneous performance.

Tidying up old analogue edits is of course a good thing although it’s fun to find some old analogue howlers still there (Gavrilov’s Islamey is a case in point, I only spotted them when it was reissued on CD).

Anyhow, this is straying towards a different thread so I’ll leave it that for now.

[Bryn]

I can see your point of course. In the case of the piece here it must be a relatively easy task to record, lots of ‘edit points’ already inherent in the actual music.

I think I wast trying to say that the sophistication of digital editing arouses my suspicion often - it seems to me that the ability to simply drop in one note or bar at the click of a mouse opens up the field for the engineer/editor to artificially create ‘a false perfection’ at the expense of a more spontaneous performance.

Tidying up old analogue edits is of course a good thing although it’s fun to find some old analogue howlers still there (Gavrilov’s Islamey is a case in point, I only spotted them when it was reissued on CD).

Anyhow, this is straying towards a different thread so I’ll leave it that for now.

Ah yes, 'Nige' discussed this in his notes for his 'live' recording of the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Tennstedt.

[makropulos]

I haven't got as many versions of the Rhapsody as I might have thought.

My favourite for a long time was the Ashkenazy/Previn but when I heard the Fleisher/Szell it knocked me sideways. It's a stunning performance and would now unhesitatingly be my first choice.

I feel exactly the same: Fleisher/Szell is a fabulous record and definitely my first choice too.

Incidentally, in Eine Alpensinfonie's list, there should be two entries for Katchen/LPO/Boult as they did it twice, in mono (May 1954), then in stereo (May 1959).

[visualnickmos]

Or even Edo de Waart with Kocsis. If Wild hadn’t done it then it would be the next best. https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/cat...an-kocsis-9096

I have that set too, but Orozco is my preferred 'go to' out the two sets. I find that the whole piece just sings and flows beautifully.

[Darloboy]

IIRC, in 2003 DoN recommended Orozco/de Waart.

Yes, you recall correctly - with Glemser/Wit on Naxos as budget choice & Rachmaninov/Stokowski as historic choice.

I think there's a fair chance that M F-W will go for Trifonov.

[Darloboy]

Does it begin to look as if BaL will continue throughout the summer?

I was wondering about this - maybe they're compensating for having cancelled more than a third of the 2019-20 programmes?

[Goon525]

Yes, you recall correctly - with Glemser/Wit on Naxos as budget choice & Rachmaninov/Stokowski as historic choice.

I think there's a fair chance that M F-W will go for Trifonov.

The Trifonov is a bit of a cracker. But I don’t know the Wild and will give it a listen soon. (I’ve relied on the stereo Katchen for too long - frankly it does sound its age.)

[Barbirollians]

The Trifonov is a bit of a cracker. But I don’t know the Wild and will give it a listen soon. (I’ve relied on the stereo Katchen for too long - frankly it does sound its age.)

I seem to have missed the Fleisher, Wild and Trifonov off my list - all cracking recordings of the piece.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I’m assuming this will be the last BaL of the season. On the following Saturday, the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts will be underway.

[richardfinegold]

Earl Wild, job done

My favorite as well. I also like the composer recording.