[DarkAngel]

Tyson
A few days ago I posted here that MacKerras/Hyperion 9th was so impressive it may make my top 5 all time LVB 9th list.........

There really is no obvious weak performance in the entire set, goes from strength to strength the mark of a great set!

 

[zumaro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Much different sound, Gardiner is faster leaner more transparent textures. Also I prefer the 1977 Karajan set Gardiner/Archiv is best of the 1st wave of original instrument sets for me, better than Norrington/EMI & Hogwood/Lyre

I agree about the 1977 Karajan set being better than the 60s set overall.

However of the original instrument sets Norrington remains my favorite, partly for the obvious relish the players have in tackling Beethoven on original instruments in what seemed quite audacious at the time. Gardiner has never been a favorite of mine, being still more radical than Norrington in portraying the revolutionary side of Beethoven and slightly better played, but uptight and missing some of the humanity of the music. Immerseel is fitting somewhere inbetween these two - more humane than Gardiner, but in his classicism not as exciting as Norrington (and not that much better played either).

The lot of them are beaten by modern instrument versions sorry to say - though Zinman, Vanska (incomplete I know), Harnoncourt and Mackerras might as well be in charge of period instrument orchestras, so well integrated are the performance techniques of the HIP movement. When it is finished I suspect that Vanska's cycle will be the modern one to beat, but for now Mackerras sounds just fine.

 

[DarkAngel]

Zumaro
I agree in general with your comments and said to Tyson here that if Gardiner were to make a new LVB set it would likely sound more like Immerseel who does seem to find a deeper meaning or soul of these works......in retrospect now Gardiner/Archiv can seem a bit superficial although very exciting.

I remember the original Norrington/EMI set was very radical for its time, ceated much discussion back then, even more than the Hogwood

Did you get the new MacKerras/Hyperion yet, what is your take?

 

[Tyson]

Ever notice how some combinations of conductor and orchestra just seem to "work"? I'm talking about Mackerras ever since he hooked up with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, his quality of music making has just seemed to skyrocket. Between this set and his Mozart Symphonies and Mozart Piano Concerto's I don't think there's been a better, more consistent conductor of these pillars of the classical repertoire. His previous works w/other orchestras were OK, but not anywhere near this level. I think the same thing has happened with Barenboim - his recordings in Chicago were always somehow a little underwhelming, but his work with the Berlin Staatskapelle just rises to another level. Bruno Walter and the NYPO was another example of a great body of work that just was never duplicated elsewhere.

 

[Tyson]

Also, I like the Gardiner set just the way it is, very much in the Toscanini/Szell tradition. Fiery, intense, driven. Mackerras is lighter and more varied, while still having a firm hand. I'm glad I have both.

 

[Nick63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Seacard Will have to rest and then give MacKerras another run through, but so far I would say my favorite LVB complete sets since 2000 will be Dausgaard/Simax and MacKerras/Hyperion.......I hesitate to even mention Dausgaard now since they are hard to find and extremely expensive to collect full set. MB mentions the Barenboim set at Berkshire Records, previously I was not big fan of his but his newest Bruckner set and recent Mahler recordings have changed my opinion and I may take a closer look at that set.

I have found a listing of 9 works at Simax by Dausgaard on Simax's site. They have have most of the 1-9, but contain a bunch of his other work. It appears there is one more release needed to complete the cycle. Is this the "full set" you are referring to? There is a pic attached of the first release.

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick63 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have found a listing of 9 works at Simax by Dausgaard on Simax's site. They have have most of the 1-9, but contain a bunch of his other work. It appears there is one more release needed to complete the cycle. Is this the "full set" you are referring to? There is a pic attached of the first release.

Yes that is the Daugaard set, for some unknown reason the piano concertos, overtures, and other minor works are combined with the symphonies. Only first CD contains two symphonies 1, 2 the rest only have one symphony combined with other works, 8 CDs need for set I believe...........I am still missing symphonies 6, 9

 

[Nick63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes that is the Daugaard set, for some unknown reason the piano concertos, overtures, and other minor works are combined with the symphonies. Only first CD contains two symphonies 1, 2 the rest only have one symphony combined with other works, 8 CDs need for set I believe...........I am still missing symphonies 6, 9

From the clips on the site the performances are really nice. I wish they would release the 9 symphonies on one set. Maybe, they will when all are finished. The quality seems such that I might get them as they are now. I have some Vanska and I do like it, but I certainly think the Dausgaard may be a perfect compliment to the larger sounding orchestral performance.

 

[Nick63]

I was almost ready to order the Simax Dausgaard set when I read something about the cycle possibly being unfinished at this forum ... HIP Beethoven .
In that forum someone wrote,
"Surprisingly, the best 6th I've heard recently is the Vänskä which is big band (the complete unscaled down modern orchestra is used) Beethoven. However, not many here care for his cycle -- although I'll bet than in another 10 years it will be held up as one of the first great cycle in "modern" digital sound. The only other modern cycle that is as good is the Dausgaard, and I am beginning to wonder if that one will be completed because Dausgaard and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra seemed to have jumped labels (Simax to Bis)...".
As much as I would like to get this it would be a big let down to know that it would not be completeted. Does anyone, esp. Dark Angel, know anything about this?

 

[Nick63]

Double Post

 

[DarkAngel]

I wonder if that was one of Bunny's posts since she is fan of the Vanska set, but I am not sure if the Dausgaard/Simax Beethoven orchestral works set will ever be fully completed.

Actually the full Simax set of orchestral works would have been larger than 8CDs which is all we have now.......perhaps 10-12 Cds total. They do include some lesser known orchestral works you don't often see. I don't really mention it much anymore since it seems to be in limbo state

 

[Nick63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wonder if that was one of Bunny's posts since she is fan of the Vanska set, but I am not sure if the Dausgaard/Simax Beethoven orchestral works set will ever be fully completed. Actually the full Simax set of orchestral works would have been larger than 8CDs which is all we have now.......perhaps 10-12 Cds total. They do include some lesser known orchestral works you don't often see. I don't really mention it much anymore since it seems to be in limbo state

After digging I found what seems to be current news on the cycle at this link.
Thomas Dausgaard - IMGArtists.com

A quote from the info there says: "This season they will record Beethoven Symphony no. 9, the culmination of their Beethoven season for Simax."
I think I'll trust that they will complete the set and go ahead and get what is already released. The last recording should be out this year if what they say is true.

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick63 /img/forum/go_quote.gif After digging I found what seems to be current news on the cycle at this link. Thomas Dausgaard - IMGArtists.com A quote from the info there says: "This season they will record Beethoven Symphony no. 9, the culmination of their Beethoven season for Simax." I think I'll trust that they will complete the set and go ahead and get what is already released. The last recording should be out this year if what they say is true.

Very good news indeed! The world needs more and more and more Beethoven.

When the 9th is released, it will be Volume 10 of the series, so it may very well be the end. I hope the 9th is considerably better than the lackluster 7th. I also wonder if there will be a recording of the Missa Solemnis forthcoming from those forces as well, although I tend to doubt this. It would have been quite interesting, though.

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick63 /img/forum/go_quote.gif After digging I found what seems to be current news on the cycle at this link. Thomas Dausgaard - IMGArtists.com A quote from the info there says: "This season they will record Beethoven Symphony no. 9, the culmination of their Beethoven season for Simax." I think I'll trust that they will complete the set and go ahead and get what is already released. The last recording should be out this year if what they say is true.

Good detective work................we shall do our duty when the Dausgaard 9th surfaces!

 

[Nick63]

I decided to order the six cds that have the symphonies. I did not order the other 3 with the piano and other works. I may get those when the last disc is released if I like the other works that are on the six I ordered. Would it be better if I want these other works to get them by other performers that focus on them?