Recent content by PSmith08
  1. PSmith08

    Mahler Symphonies Favorite Recordings

    Much as I like Boulez' work generally, I really kind of have to say that his approach to the big vocal symphonies (at least on record) is probably not for general consumption. I am, however, surprised to hear that the live M2 didn't go well. There was a 2005 boot circulating of the WP...
  2. PSmith08

    Solti's Der Ring des Nibelungen, version differences?

    Quote: Originally Posted by Drosera But I also recently heard the rumour that there would be a third remastering anytime soon. Anyone know if there's any thruth to that? Amazon has an import disc of Rheingold bearing the Decca Originals colors, so to speak. Whether or not it's a...
  3. PSmith08

    Solti's Der Ring des Nibelungen, version differences?

    Quote: Originally Posted by DavidMahler I trust Bohm with Wagner more than any other conductor (including Furtwangler) because I think his conducting brings out the absolute best in the orchestral writing.......if you compare Bohm's Tristan to any other version, it is really...
  4. PSmith08

    Solti's Der Ring des Nibelungen, version differences?

    Quote: Originally Posted by DavidMahler I like the newer version better, its a little clearer and the packaging is great.... That being said, The Bohm Ring Cycle slams Solti But for the not-quite-first-rate Wotan of Theo Adam you'd have a case; also, there is some room for...
  5. PSmith08

    Mozart piano concertos

    I thought I'd throw in a recommendation for Maurizio Pollini's new DG disc of KV. 414 and 491 (nos. 12 and 24 - I guess Pollini has a thing for integers congruent modulo 2, but bad math humor can wait for another thread). In keeping with an earlier disc, Pollini himself directs from the piano...
  6. PSmith08

    Mozart Violin Sonata's and Beethoven Piano Sonata's?

    Quote: Originally Posted by wower Sorry. I'm a bit busy here on the island. Just getting back to the thread now. Thanks for the info. I will be writting down those names and bringing them with me. The Lambert Orkis and Anne-Sophie Mutter Mozart looks espeically good IMO. As far...
  7. PSmith08

    Wagner Operas Favorite Recordings

    Quote: Originally Posted by Facade19 Anyone has the Keilberth Ring released on Testament? Many reviewers believe it to be the Ring cycle to own. I do and it is. The stereo sound is very good and it captures a Golden Age cast that was either over-the-hill for Solti or not on that...
  8. PSmith08

    Wagner Operas Favorite Recordings

    Quote: Originally Posted by mbhaub Here's a seriously great bargain for Wagner fans who maybe don't have a lot of money to spend. Some of the performances are top-notch, and there's not a dud among them. Except for the Ring, I used to own these all on LP and they gave me many hours of...
  9. PSmith08

    Recommend me some classical music

    You might try some Wagner overtures and preludes, such as Der fliegende Holländer, the 3rd act of Die Walküre, and Rienzi. Maybe one or the other of the Tennstedt orchestral excerpt sets. Siegfrieds Trauermusik from Götterdämmerung, which appears consistently in the movie Excalibur is another...
  10. PSmith08

    Which Beethoven String Quartet?

    I am generally a pretty big fan of the Quartetto Italiano sets on Philips, especially for the op. 59 pieces. Like others have said, too, I don't know that starting with the late quartets is a good idea, but if you get a complete set, that shouldn't be an issue.
  11. PSmith08

    Under-appreciated or little known classical music?

    Really, Bruno Maderna's entire oeuvre is pretty under-appreciated, despite the fact that he was a major player on the Darmstadt scene from the 1950s to his death in 1973, which prompted Pierre Boulez to write his Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna, a piece with the distinction of being one of...
  12. PSmith08

    Mahler Symphonies Favorite Recordings

    Quote: Originally Posted by DarkAngel Mahler 8th is almost always the hardest to grasp for most people including myself, it was not discussed in any detail in this thread until much later on. Previously I would rarely listen to it, but after hearing many versions and doing a little...
  13. PSmith08

    Who is the conductor most like Toscanini?

    Reiner sounds like a reasonable proposition. Maybe George Szell fits the bill. It's hard to say who today would meet the standards.
  14. PSmith08

    Mahler question (newbie)

    Quote: Originally Posted by flitflint and the 6th shakes the earth. do you like wagner? i don't. people say if you like mahler you probably like wagner. blah. People say that? I guess I never heard it, since I came to Mahler and Wagner at roughly the same time, but I seem to...
  15. PSmith08

    Mahler Symphonies Favorite Recordings

    Quote: Originally Posted by Facade19 To me Boulez's reading of the 6th, especially in the opening movement is rather slow and sucks out all the drama and dynamics. Compared to my favorite recording of the 6th (Bernstein/VPO), Boulez just does not get the melodrama out of the score...
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