[Masolino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears Well there is no doubt that it is doubly hard for the child of an icon to find a way to distinguish himself independant of his father. I don't doubt that if young Serkin and young Levin were putting out cd after cd of the warhorses each effort would be compared to the father's works, and they would always be described as following in the "great tradition" started by the parent. That's quite a deterrent for youngsters who want to be appreciated apart from their families, regardless of career.

Yes, but people like Paul Gulda don't seem to find it
necessary to avoid certain things only because their dad
did them before. Carlos Kleiber was another example
of this in particular.

 

[zumaro]

Surprised you two haven't mentioned Quator Mosaïques two Beethoven disks so far. They have covered Op18 1,4,5 and 6, in what seems to be a very slow traversal of the quartets (well I hope it will lead to this), both disks being very good indeed.

Top for me is the Takacs Quartet however. I just picked up their late quartets set, and it really is among the best I have ever heard (and that includes the Lindsays, Talich Quartet and Quartetto Italiano currently in my collection). My only complete set had been the Emersons but I have no idea why that one survived so long, as it is relatively insensitive, although (as I don't hear intonation problems in it) very well played technically. Certainly the fast movements really can be fast - recklessly so I would have thought.

Just heard the Emersons play Shostakovich, Bartok and Mendelssohn a couple of months ago, and it was a supremely enjoyable concert - the sheer physicality of the playing was breathtaking. But I digress....

 

[Bunnyears]

I've got the Takasc complete Beethoven quartets (all three volumes) and I have to agree that it is done excellently well, and the interpretation is so for lack of a better word, playful. They just seem to enjoy playing so much! Sometimes the Emersons attack something so fiercely it seems as if they are going off to war, but their Mendelssohn quartets are really something else.

As long as we are discussing Beethoven quartets, I also like the Alban Berg recordings which are budget priced by EMI in a boxed set.

 

[Ffodor]

Over the week-end, I picked up the 1951-1952 integral cycle of Beethoven's string quartets by the Budapest Quartet, very recently re-issued in CD by United Archives(??). It is an excellent mono sound, apparently much better than previous CD re-issues of parts of the integral on other labels. It is also quite inexpensive (45 swiss francs or 30 euros).

So far I have only been able to listen to the first four CDs (the opus 18 and the Razumovsky's), but I am very impressed. The Razumovsky's, especially, beat what I have heard from other quartets (I have the Italiano and the Talich complete cycles as well). The strengths of the Budapest Quartet seem to be cohesion and naturalness of the playing. Contrary to the Talich, for example, playing is never strained, although it is energetic at just the right times. The "timbres' are just fantastic (again, very good mono sound and the instruments are all apparently legendary Stradivarii). However, especially in the opus 18, the Budapest do not have the sense of dialogue of the Talich -- it sounds more like a group of people representing the work to an audience (which is what it is, I know) than a 'conversation' between partners that happens to be overheard. I wonder if part of this is due to the mono recording, which of course does not separate the instruments as well as stereo.

Anyways, I will listen to the rest of the set and report back any additional finding!

 

[Masolino]

The Talich integral (on Calliope) strikes me as being quite LAME in many places and let me down badly, after my spending, well, thirty or thirty-five bucks on the box.

What let me down even worse is when I took the box to the used cd store to "cash" them and was quote five for the how many, 9 discs?! (Obviously the store clerks had very low regard for the Talich also, beautifully packaged with William Blake's masterful illustration and award medals as it is. ) I much prefer the Budapest and Takacs interpretatons and would urge anyone interested to hear the Smetana's 1960s recordings of quartets 12-16 on Supraphon (NOT their 1980 integral recorded for Denon/Supraphon). For some reasons I have not used the slimbox set by the Berg a lot. Could it be the harsh early digital sound? Maybe I will find out later.

 

[daycart1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ffodor Over the week-end, I picked up the 1951-1952 integral cycle of Beethoven's string quartets by the Budapest Quartet, very recently re-issued in CD by United Archives(??). It is an excellent mono sound, apparently much better than previous CD re-issues of parts of the integral on other labels. It is also quite inexpensive (45 swiss francs or 30 euros). !

Hehheh, these are great! They have an emotional -rawness- that is rarely heard in studio recordings these days. When you've finished, you need to give their Schubert Quartets a try--and the Brahms chamber music they recorded.

 

[Bunnyears]

Has anyone had a chance to hear the new(ish) release by the Prazak Quartet on Praga digitals (HM) in SACD/Hybrid? I've been hearing very good things about them.

Also, I picked up a few Beethoven sonata sets recently: the Friedrich Gulda (includes the piano concertos) and Annie Fischer (Hungaroton). Enough has already been written about the Guldas which are excellent, but less has been said about Fischer's Beethoven. If you have a chance to get them, the Annie Fischer set has gone to the top of my list as one of the best, if not the best complete set around. If you have the opportunity to pick up any of her sonatas which are still available in single volumes as well, do not hesitate! They are just superb.

 

[Masolino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears Also, I picked up a few Beethoven sonata sets recently: the Friedrich Gulda (includes the piano concertos) and Annie Fischer (Hungaroton). Enough has already been written about the Guldas which are excellent, but less has been said about Fischer's Beethoven. If you have a chance to get them, the Annie Fischer set has gone to the top of my list as one of the best, if not the best complete set around. If you have the opportunity to pick up any of her sonatas which are still available in single volumes as well, do not hesitate! They are just superb.

I think more people are familiar with Annie Fischer's EMI recordings of Beethoven sonatas - not sure how many are there in total as I only have the "les introuvables de" box dedicated to her which contains, apart from Beethoven, music by Schubert and Schumann. I am thinking about picking up Stephen Kovacevich's Philips re-release boxset (all concertos with Colin Davis, selected sonatas, bagatelles etc., 4cd's) Anyone here heard it?

 

[Bunnyears]

Hi Masolino,

Actually, I have heard of the Kovacevich and it's one of the things that I am thinking of picking up as well. It's supposed to be excellent. I've been looking at this set:

Along with these piano concertos:

I take it you are referring to the Philips set: Stephen Kovacevich Plays Beethoven?

Btw, the Fischer on Hungaroton is wonderful, but the accoustic is just a touch harsh (very closely miked piano). The interpretations, however, are just first rate -- personal and intense and just so very intelligent.

 

[Masolino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears I take it you are referring to the Philips set: Stephen Kovacevich Plays Beethoven?

Hi Bunnyears,

Yes indeed I was referring to the set you pictured above. Kovacevich later made another set of LvB piano concerto recordings with the Australian Chamber Orchestra (on EMI eminence label) which seems to be as good as his earlier set on Philips. With regard to Kovacevich's Beethoven sonatas, the internet reviews that I read seem to suggest that his Philips set has more even recording quality even though the EMI has greater maturity interpretation wise. (Wasn't he married to Martha Argerich at one time - a pair of superb Beethoven pianists!) I used to hear that Annie Fischer's Hungraton set is quite expensive and hard to obtain when I still lived in the US; perhaps that has changed?

 

[Bunnyears]

Hi Masolino,

Yes, it's still expensive, but much more available. I ordered from Amazon. Here's the link.

Actually, it's a bit less than the Ross Scarlatti. Packaging is very basic -- box with individual cds in glassine lined envelopes, but the music is far from.

 

[Tyson]

Picked up the Freidrich Gulda set of sonata's and am enjoying them very much. Gulda has a bit of a steely sound to his piano, and stylistically his playing reminds me quite a bit of Szell's conducting style - quick, forthright, rock steady, propulsive. Very good and a nice alternative to the sets I already have.

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyson Picked up the Freidrich Gulda set of sonata's and am enjoying them very much. Gulda has a bit of a steely sound to his piano, and stylistically his playing reminds me quite a bit of Szell's conducting style - quick, forthright, rock steady, propulsive. Very good and a nice alternative to the sets I already have.

If you have the chance, pick up the Fischer as well, they are up at the top of my short list now that I have spent more time with them. Next set to acquire: the Kovacevich sonatas.

I also have acquired the second volume of Brautigam's continuing cycle of Beethoven sonatas. Also excellent!

I've also been shopping for Malcolm Bilson's Beethoven sonata project, but they are impossible to find. If I only had someone at Cornell who could acquire these at the budget price for me.

Interestingly enough, Bilson's students included David Breitman and Bart van Oort, both making names for themselves in the field today.

 

[Tyson]

The Fischer set is definitely on my list, I'm just trying to be a bit patient and get it for less than $80, but it's looking bleak.....

I've got a few of Kovacevich's sonatas and I'm fairly underwhelmed, I probably won't get any more.

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyson The Fischer set is definitely on my list, I'm just trying to be a bit patient and get it for less than $80, but it's looking bleak..... I've got a few of Kovacevich's sonatas and I'm fairly underwhelmed, I probably won't get any more.

You've got more patience than I! I just couldn't bear it, so ordered it as soon as I found it in the $90 price range.

Too bad about the Kovacevich. I have heard so many really good things about that. Which release do you have?

Also, I'm considering getting the complete O'Conor cycle as my recording of the Waldstein, Tempest, and Les Adieux has been getting more and more play. I'm enjoying his Opus 53 (Waldstein) more and more. It's one of the things I downloaded onto my ipod and it has become a good friend.