BaL 14.09.13 Bartok's Dance Suite

[LeMartinPecheur]

I only caught the last half of the BAL - did he play any of Solti's 1960s LSO account ? That was splendid IMO .

He certainly did - but only to illustrate his view that the brass was in general far too prominent, partly he said as a result of the 1960s Decca recording house-style with over-prominent brass but also because Solti completely overdid the trombone rasps in the 2nd dance - see ardcarp above - which I've always loved, but will now have to learn to unlove

He felt Solti's early 50s LPO recording was better musically but totally let down by recording quality (maybe transfer?). He was kindest about the last, Chicago, disc, but still didn't love it very much.

[visualnickmos]

........trombone rasps in the 2nd dance - see ardcarp above - which I've always loved, but will now have to learn to unlove

I also like the rasping brass here; gives the whole thing that sort of peasant roughness, and as for UNloving it, don't, don't, don't! Solti got it right, most definitely. I get the impression that it's become fashionable to put GS through the mill sometimes.

[visualnickmos]

I thought the Solti extracts he played were really exciting music-making!

YES, YES, YES!

[gurnemanz]

I thought the Solti extracts he played were really exciting music-making!

Haven't listened to BaL yet, but Solti LSO was one of my first classical LPs as a teenager and I have very fond memories of it. I've just checked the LP section of my garage and it's still there. Mono, well used and dated 1965.
My CD version is Iván Fischer on Philips which is pretty good as far as I can recall.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's all rather puzzling that RC focused so much on the analogue/digital division. The sound is always analogue to the listener. How it gets there is hardly important, as long as the sound quality is OK.

[Bryn]

Unless I managed to miss it, there was no mention of the chosen recording being spun during next Monday's CD Classics, and there is no sign of it on the schedule listing for that programme either. Is this another change for the autumn schedule? The SACD is shown as out of stock at amazon.co.uk (have BaL listeners already cleared Amazon's stocks?) but Presto Classics have it listed at £9.95 plus p&p.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I also like the rasping brass here; gives the whole thing that sort of peasant roughness, and as for UNloving it, don't, don't, don't! Solti got it right, most definitely. I get the impression that it's become fashionable to put GS through the mill sometimes.

Rob Cowan's point wasn't all his own subjective taste: he said that a lot of what Solti does is demonstrably wrong according to the score (e.g. quiet backround details pushed right up the front of the audio picture). I think he said that this is the case with the trombone rasps.

Yet he was much more tolerant about Fricsay doing demonstrably wrong stuff with tempi - getting faster or slower where the score says precisely the opposite.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Rob Cowan's point wasn't all his own subjective taste: he said that a lot of what Solti does is demonstrably wrong according to the score (e.g. quiet backround details pushed right up the front of the audio picture). I think he said that this is the case with the trombone rasps. .

More often than not, this is a result of the engineers' tinkerings.

[Barbirollians]

I could not understand his wittering on about a digital version - it seemed very old fashioned to me .

If the Dorati was his first choice the sound was more than acceptable . Very odd .

He does know his stuff but he comes across as rather bumptious - both here and especially on Essential Classics

[soileduk]

The exact same recording of Kocsis version is also available on the Hungaroton SACD of his BAL winning Concerto for orchestra from 2012, HSACD32187.

[Bryn]

The exact same recording of Kocsis version is also available on the Hungaroton SACD of his BAL winning Concerto for orchestra from 2012, HSACD32187.

From the Presto Classical site:

"This item is currently out of stock at the UK distributor. You may order it now but please be aware that it may be six weeks or more before it can be despatched."

Fortunately I already have the Dorati (in the 2nd Mercury box).

[soileduk]

Other retail outlets do exist,MDT have it listed at £9.95 +postage and quote no availability issues for example. I just thought that the information may of benefit to those considering a purchase. Sorry.

[BBMmk2]

I quite enjoyed RC's BaL. I thought, to that he paid too much attention to the analogue versions. Perhaps he prefers the to SACD? And not Solti? Although I did loike the Dorati 1955 version. I can see his point.

[Bryn]

Other retail outlets do exist,MDT have it listed at £9.95 +postage ...

Indeed, as mentioned in message #36.

[soileduk]

Unless I managed to miss it, there was no mention of the chosen recording being spun during next Monday's CD Classics, and there is no sign of it on the schedule listing for that programme either. Is this another change for the autumn schedule? The SACD is shown as out of stock at amazon.co.uk (have BaL listeners already cleared Amazon's stocks?) but Presto Classics have it listed at £9.95 plus p&p.

Ah, my mistake, I could have sworn you mentioned Presto Classical not MDT.