Building an essential library ?

[Barbirollians]

It is as said above it is “records we really like” .- has nothing to do with an essential library.

[smittims]

At one time 'essential ' would mean Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, with perhaps some Mozart and Handel. But with the vast opening-up of early music and the growing realisation that twentieth-century music isn't as bad as it sounds I suppose they felt they'd give some guidance to the beginner all at sea. Inevitably, though, it does end up as 'stuff I like'.

It reminded me of 50 years ago, Philip Hope-Wallace reminiscing about a radio programme he hosted which he admitted was just an excuse to play his favourite records.

[Barbirollians]

No Bruckner,Mahler,Wagner ,Tchaikovsky,Schumann,Schubert,Elgar ,Handel ,Haydn etc etc

[gurnemanz]

perhaps some Mozart

Controversial.

[french frank]

Probably because the two piano sonata is up there with the greatest of the solo sonatas e.g the A minor or the late D major . Actually I think it’s greater than any of them - one of the finest expressions of classical sonata construction in the repertoire.

That surely encompasses my point. I wonder who the essential library is being compiled for? If you were starting with someone who described themself (!?) as a 'clean slate' you would probably start off with something by the 'acknowledged greats' (I won't attempt to name them), but if you gather a group of knowledgeable classical music enthusiasts, you ask them "What for you would make up an essential library?' you get what I presume this programme was: the 'experts' choices/favourites'.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes indeed, reduced vocal support was a Micheau 'feature' at this stage of her career, and the intonation is not consistent. But I love her open, full-hearted approach to this (and all) music. She makes the Chabrier Ode sound as if it really matters, where my go-to versions of the piece risk mere efficiency and/or prettiness. Perfection - in sound or technique - can sometimes seem paradoxically imperfect.

As to the recording, I offer the Joanna MacGregor response!

Don’t get me wrong - she has a lovely voice.Callas could sing both out of tune and make ugly sounds but there’s something extraordinary about her that no other singer has quite attained.I’ve got no problem with imperfection.

[Ein Heldenleben]

That surely encompasses my point. I wonder who the essential library is being compiled for? If you were starting with someone who described themself (!?) as a 'clean slate' you would probably start off with something by the 'acknowledged greats' (I won't attempt to name them), but if you gather a group of knowledgeable classical music enthusiasts, you ask them "What for you would make up an essential library?' you get what I presume this programme was: the 'experts' choices/favourites'.

They could just as easily chosen the Dinu Lipatti A minor Mozart which is a much greater performance of another truly great piano sonata. The whole review thing rapidly became a tad ridiculous after a promising start.

[Ein Heldenleben]

No Bruckner,Mahler,Wagner ,Tchaikovsky,Schumann,Schubert,Elgar ,Handel ,Haydn etc etc

No Bernstein /Mahler, no Barborolli /Elgar , no Karajan or Kempe / Strauss.No Kleiber (either one in anything ). JEG is a talented man but he’s not in the same league as any of the aforementioned.

[french frank]

The whole review thing rapidly became a tad ridiculous after a promising start.

Surely, for a review there needs to be enough time allowed for the reviewer to go into some detail, both factual - and opinion, on each work? Otherwise it all becomes My Top Tunes (sounds too much like R3's good idea for its next refreshed schedule.)

[Master Jacques]

Don’t get me wrong - she has a lovely voice.Callas could sing both out of tune and make ugly sounds but there’s something extraordinary about her that no other singer has quite attained.I’ve got no problem with imperfection.

Nor I. There's something about the human frailty of a Callas, a Micheau - or a Wilfred Brown, on the male side - which makes the experience of hearing them all the more powerful.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Nor I. There's something about the human frailty of a Callas, a Micheau - or a Wilfred Brown, on the male side - which makes the experience of hearing them all the more powerful.

Harry Plunket-Greene

[Master Jacques]

Harry Plunket-Greene

Precisely so! Has anyone who's ever heard his Hurdy Gurdy Man been able to get it out of their head, when listening to anyone else doing that song? Not me, for one.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I think today’s “Not Building a Library” is some kind of senior moment.

If you’re starting from scratch, perhaps the best option would be to choose a moderate-sized box set, with a mixture of performers. Something like the 40 CD Decca Phase 4 box would suffice (though perhaps not that particular set, as the over-engineered sound is tiresome).

[pastoralguy]

Looking back to my early days as an impecunious collector, I found that budget usually played a part. Sometimes the picture on the record cover swayed my choice when I had to chose between one CfP disc or another. And so I’d end up with Shostakovich’s Fifth symphony! (A few pupils at my school were allowed to use the Music department’s excellent Hi-Fi UNSUPERVISED (!) and so I’d take a record in to listen to very loud. One day, I was listening to the DSCH when my Polish modern studies teacher came in to listen. He told me he’d met Shostakovich when he was introduced by an acquaintance in Princes Street Gardens!)

Let’s face it. For most of us it was a pretty serendipitous start to collecting. A radio programme here, a television advert there or a piece that was on a concert programme where we’d gone to hear something else.

[Nick Armstrong]

I think the problem with this BaL is simply the title. It’s not an ‘Essential Library’ - it’s just ‘stuff I really like’. Quite interesting as that, but the title raised expectations not met by the actual programme.

My thought exactly (having listened to about an hour so far). I have no problem with knowledgeable people swapping favourite recordings - happens a lot round here! - but it’s a bit daft to dress it up as something it isn’t.

The live Richter Appassionata in Prague was the performance that gripped me - absolutely fantastic.

(But it would have been helpful - having played an issue with no applause, lamented that fact and suggested we find an issue of the performance with applause - to have said which issue (if any) does )