BaL 1.06.13 - Brahms Symphony no 2 in D

[BBMmk2]

PG - no, all you need is a DAC with different filter choices!

Is this thread becoming Brahms Eternally or Brahms Integrale or something...? OK, the Serenades... Wand/Cologne RSO in No.1, for 1&2 together Mackerras/SCO or Philharmonia/D'Avalos... gorgeous pieces, whomever...

I could start a Brahms thread?

[pastoralguy]

PG - no, all you need is a DAC with different filter choices!

Thanks, Jayne. I have a Meridian Amp which was, 20 odd years ago. their flagship Amplifier. I bought it second hand from a friend who was upgrading and I liked the sound so much that I've never had the courage to fiddle with it! Perhaps I should be more willing to experiment...

[visualnickmos]

I actually very much enjoy Barbirolli's Brahms second symphony (Wiener Philharmoniker) which is part of a Royal Classics set I found in a charity shop years ago. Particularly well recorded - possibly remastered(?) It wasn't mentioned yesterday, but I wonder if other posters on here have any other particular Brahms favourites - that are not so readily available, or even a little off the beaten track, so to speak...

PS I did warm to the brief extracts of Boult's recording. Made me want to investigate further, but I just CAN'T!!!

[Alison]

Remarkably little fallout from this BaL after quite a formidable forum build up.

For once it seems nobody is feeling cheated, bemused or otherwise offended.

Well done Mr J !

[Thropplenoggin]

Remarkably little fallout from this BaL after quite a formidable forum build up.

For once it seems nobody is feeling cheated, bemused or otherwise offended.

Well done Mr J !

There's so much love in the room right now it could be an Oprah Winfrey show. I suggest a group hug followed by a 'full circle moment', or something.

SJ pulled it out the bag - even his off-hand dismissal of firm favourites has been taken on the chin. What a charmer!

[Tony Halstead]

Hmm... sorry to be ( or appear to be) the blaspheming enemy.
Although I loved SJ's final choice there were one or two underwhelming things in his presentation along the way, which I shall refer to in numbered order of the examples that he played:

2. He praised the 'flow' and lyricism of this gorgeously played, wonderfully conducted/ interpreted extract from mvt.1, certainly whetting my appetite, but neglected to mention its conductor and orchestra.
Apologies, of course, if he DID. and I simply missed it.
I do hope it was Jurowski/ LPO.
3. The somewhat monumental Giulini ( 1st mvt) conducted an unnamed orchestra.
6. Although (Toscanini BBCSO 1938) the horn solo at the start of the development ( Aubrey Brain?) was praised, the extract let us hear only the last few notes of that solo!
7. The interesting and somewhat controversial Harnoncourt conducted an unnamed orchestra. COE? Concertgebouw?
17. The wonderful Boult mvt 3 extract let us hear an unnamed orchestra ( presumably LPO?). BTW I HAVE to get this recording!

In common with some other MBoarders I was sad that there was no mention of Barbirolli, nor the magnificent Szell/ Cleveland version.

[Thropplenoggin]

Hmm... sorry to be ( or appear to be) the blaspheming enemy.

In common with some other MBoarders I was sad that there was no mention of Barbirolli, nor the magnificent Szell/ Cleveland version.

Alison spoke to soon.

As to your last point, it simply isn't possible with a work where there are so many recordings to mention them all. The programme would end up being several hours long; that would be no bad thing in my opinion, but obviously such things aren't tolerated on R3, where BaL feels like some vestige of serious Arts programming from another era in comparison to, say, 'Breakfast'. Last night, I heard the previous week's late-night Essay series on Wagner - I was stunned. High-brow intellectualism that didn't condescend to spoonfeeding gaga-googoo factoids to some imaginary braindead listener. It was the aural equivalent of the TLS. Oh, for more of the same!

[Barbirollians]

LSO/Haitink for BaL. Dawn Approach might be the favourite but I like Ruler of the World. Each way bet on Libertarian.

I hope you did the exacta Petrushka.

[Barbirollians]

The sort of day to confirm that horseracing and music provide the greatest pleasures in life.

And with Stephen Johnson giving Bernard Haitink a more favourable run in BAL than I might have done
myself, all seems well with the world.

I agree - together with wine and parenthood !

On the other hand no Walter or Barbirolli !!!

[Petrushka]

I hope you did the exacta Petrushka.

'Fraid not. Win and each way plus win on Duke of Firenze in previous race. I do hope you aren't about go and tell me I could have won a fortune. To be honest, I find a lot of betting terms pretty mystifying and could do with an idiot's guide.

On topic, will play Haitink's Boston Brahms 2 tonight.

[BBMmk2]

Waldhorn, yes, you are right, there was no mention of the Cleveland/Szell. It's still available?

[Barbirollians]

Petrushka

An exacta or a computer straight forecast (CSF) ( albeit I have never got the difference the former being a part of pool betting rather than a direct calculation ) is a bet on getting the 1st and 2nd in a race - a reverse exacta being a split of your stakes

Hence a £5 reverse exacta sees 2.50 going on Horse A to beat Horse B and 2.50 on Horse B to beat Horse A

Yesterday the Ruler of the World-Libertarian exacta paid £65.40 to a £1 stake and the CSF £94.54. Hence a £10 CSF would have paid £945.40 !

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Waldhorn, yes, you are right, there was no mention of the Cleveland/Szell. It's still available?

Hmm - I can't find any new versions of it, but Amazon have copies (from the SONY "Essential Classics" release, which were excellent) - indeed, you can get the whole cycle for less than a tenner, which is probably the best value set available!

[BBMmk2]

Thanks Ferney! I do rather like this conductor. One of the old school buit always worth hearing.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Thanks Ferney! I do rather like this conductor. One of the old school buit always worth hearing.

Yes, but fiery and with rhythmic precision, incisive tempi - and America's greatest orchestra (at the time) impeccably balanced. The original CBS LPs didn't have the greater warmth or depth of sound that the CD remasterings revealed, so his interpretations were often laden with the epithet "dry" over here - a reputation that is completely unwarranted these days.

I think Karafan has a copy of the biography from a couple of years ago ... ?