Erich Kleiber

[Ein Heldenleben]

The video of the Decca Gotterdamerung recording on Youtube should resolve the matter of brass section placement, it also reveals that the harps were placed behind Solti and that members of the string section stood to play. Presumably John Culshaw had his reasons.

Just had a quick look - very difficult to be sure but it looks like horns left , other brass right pretty much as they would be in the opera house . And the steer horns in another room. The shocker was seeing a Studer tape machine that I’m just old enough to remember using . All gone the way of the hand loom....

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just to complicate matters I bet at Bayreuth with the orchestral cover you can’t locate the brass if you are sitting centre stalls!

That's very true. It's almost as if Wagner would have preferred mono to stereo. But I've said before that in most concert halls, the placing of the performers is largely irrelevant to the sound heard by listeners. The left-right placing of the violins, for example, may appear to be the way to hear antiphonal effects, but the acoustics of the room largely override this, unless you happen to be an audience member sitting directly behind the conductor on the front row (and heaven help you in a piano concerto).

At home, on stereo recordings, the situation is quite different, unless you have omnidirectional speakers like Sonabs.

[Ein Heldenleben]

That's very true. It's almost as if Wagner would have preferred mono to stereo. But I've said before that in most concert halls, the placing of the performers is largely irrelevant to the sound heard by listeners. The left-right placing of the violins, for example, may appear to be the way to hear antiphonal effects, but the acoustics of the room largely override this, unless you happen to be an audience member sitting directly behind the conductor on the front row (and heaven help you in a piano concerto).

At home, on stereo recordings, the situation is quite different, unless you have omnidirectional speakers like Sonabs.

My preferred place to sit , if I can remember back that far, is about three to six rows back at the RFH (the cheap skate tickets ) slightly to the left so that I can see the piano keyboard . At the ROH , if I can , I sit in row E low numbers - again left hand side and a similar place at the Coliseum. I find any further back is too quiet particularly with , how can I put it tactfully , the more underpowered singers. The disadvantages of sitting that close at RFH is that you can sometimes pick out individual violins ; and Covent Garden the French horns are perhaps over prominent . But that is Greatly to be preferred to the trumpets , trombones and drums on the right hand side . I would agree it is difficult to aurally position. Weirdly the best sound at ROH is (imho) the lower slips ! But maybe a bit quiet ...

[Barbirollians]

My preferred place to sit , if I can remember back that far, is about three to six rows back at the RFH (the cheap skate tickets ) slightly to the left so that I can see the piano keyboard . At the ROH , if I can , I sit in row E low numbers - again left hand side and a similar place at the Coliseum. I find any further back is too quiet particularly with , how can I put it tactfully , the more underpowered singers. The disadvantages of sitting that close at RFH is that you can sometimes pick out individual violins ; and Covent Garden the French horns are perhaps over prominent . But that is Greatly to be preferred to the trumpets , trombones and drums on the right hand side . I would agree it is difficult to aurally position. Weirdly the best sound at ROH is (imho) the lower slips ! But maybe a bit quiet ...

Attempting to return again to Erich Kleiber I have taken delivery of his Rosenkavalier recording today.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Attempting to return again to Erich Kleiber I have taken delivery of his Rosenkavalier recording today.

I used to borrow the VPO/Kleiber Beethoven 9 from the school record library. A fine performance that was amply distributed across 4 LP sides. A little extravagant, but at least it avoided that side break in the 3rd movement.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Attempting to return again to Erich Kleiber I have taken delivery of his Rosenkavalier recording today.

I would be interested to know what you think of that .

[Barbirollians]

I have not got round to that yet but instead have listened again to his recording of Figaro - a splendid recording - though I have to admit to tend generally to listen to the Bohm because of Janowitz in this opera . The VPO/Kleiber combination is as Stanley Sadie once said in Gramophone I think - the true star of this recording.

[Barbirollians]

I was interested to read what EA says above about the VPO/Kleiber Eroica - IMO the greatest recording of the piece I have ever heard . I have never been troubled by the recording at all. It is just an extraordinary shocking and moving recording of the piece .

[richardfinegold]

Returning to Erich Kleiber, his Marriage of Figaro was the first I had on LP and the sound was very good to my ears.

OK, I discovered that Figaro on CD at the bottom of a storage bin.. I had picked it up at a charity shop and as I don’t listen to much Opera it had fallen into deep storage. It is in stereo and Suzanne Danco is one of the singers, and no libretto or notes are present. The sound is listenable—I did most of Act I— but rather shrill, with glassy strings. That could be a function of early CD transfer limitations..it would be interesting to hear the lp and subsequent transfer(s) to compare

[Barbirollians]

Finally got round to listening to Der Rosenkavalier this morning. Judging by the first act I would say it is the best performance of the opera I have ever heard.

[cloughie]

Finally got round to listening to Der Rosenkavalier this morning. Judging by the first act I would say it is the best performance of the opera I have ever heard.

You mean it is better than Kleiber Jr with Lott Bonney and von Otter on DVD? Have you got the Decca Legends or the Naxos?

[CallMePaul]

Browsing the Presto website recently, I was surprised to notice a disc of Borodin's 2nd Symphony in 2 versions, one conducted by Erich Kleiber and the other by Carlos. Have any forumites heard this and if so, do you rate the performances of either or both Kleibers? It is surprising repertory for Erich and totally unexpected from Carlos!

[Barbirollians]

Browsing the Presto website recently, I was surprised to notice a disc of Borodin's 2nd Symphony in 2 versions, one conducted by Erich Kleiber and the other by Carlos. Have any forumites heard this and if so, do you rate the performances of either or both Kleibers? It is surprising repertory for Erich and totally unexpected from Carlos!

I think I have seen it reviewed positively somewhere but I do not have it.

Cloughie I have a second hand copy of the Decca Legends.

[cloughie]

I think I have seen it reviewed positively somewhere but I do not have it.

Cloughie I have a second hand copy of the Decca Legends.

[Pulcinella]

Apologies if already flagged up, but I've just spotted that Presto are releasing a Decca Kleiber recording as part of their own Presto CD offerings:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8873728--beethoven-symphonies-nos-5-6

Beethoven 5 and 6, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
No recording details/date given.