[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel Harnoncourt/Teledec Good performance, sound quality issues however.....if you do not have balance control avoid this, sounds like 90% of music coming from one speaker.

I haven't noticed this problem on my set. Are you sure that it isn't a problem with your particular recording, or perhaps it's been corrected since?

 

[Bunnyears]

The von karajan, 1963 is good, but I don't have the SACD remasters. The Gardiner is available at yourmusic for a fairly reasonable price, but the set that seems to be exciting everyone's interest is the Blomstedt, which is also available at a very reasonable price. The Szell/Cleveland Orchestra symphonies are overpriced at this point, as they average $55--$60. Although they are for the most part excellent performances, the sound quality is mixed depending on the date of the recording.

Available for about $22 used and new from Amazon!

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears Available for about $22 used and new from Amazon!

This can also be found as part of the bigger Brilliant Classics Masterworks set - a 40CD box with most of LVB's most important works (Piano Concs, String Quartets, Piano Sonatas...)- the Blomstedt Symphonies are very good by the way - the set can be found on eBay for between $55 and $65

 

[dshea_32665]

Szell/Cleveland = Perfection.

dshea

 

[JayG]

I took the big plunge and drained my bank account for the Zinman set. I listened to some 30-second samples on iTunes, and although I obviously couldn't get any kind of valid read on the overall quality, the clips sounded well worth the price tag of the set. I'm also thinking of investing in either the Harnoncourt or Barenboim set, but I can't decide which. That, and I'm really trying to chill out on CD purchases for a while and instead work on listening to everything in the newly arrived stack. I'm feeling guilty about dropping another $100 on recordings today, so it'll probably be a while before I make any more purchases.

-Jay

 

[Bunnyears]

Jay, how could a $5.00 set drain your bank account? It's the bargain of the century. Forget the Harnoncourt, I have it, but I'm not crazy about it. I've got the Szell on order (original jackets and too pricey) and the Blomstedt which has been reviewed at Classicstoday as 10/10. It's available for about $22.00 used and new through amazon, and that seems a decent pricepoint.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

Hey Bunny, What do you think of Hogwood vs. Gardiner, especially as a counterpoint to Zinman?

 

[JayG]

Well if you wanna be technical, it was a little over $8 with shipping.

Either way, my sarcasm must have gotten lost somewhere in the New Reply window.

What don't you like about the Harnoncourt? Did he go too far with his "concept"? I've heard a lot of Beethoven, but I still don't feel like I've found recordings worthy of being my "favorite" for any but the 5th (Kleiber). So, I'm still on the hunt.

-Jay

 

[Bunnyears]

I have a few of the Hogwood (1,2 and 6), and the 1 & 2 sound good, even if the 6th sounds a trifle rushed. I like the Gardiner set a good deal more. I've been listening more and more to the Zinman and am really beginning to understand them. If they don't have the emotional depth in the fifth and seventh that the Kleiber do, they are still done in a very balanced way and are enjoyable on their own terms. I just listened to the ninth again today, and that seems like a wham-bam, thankyou ma'am version, as it were. It was energetic and fun, even if it didn't move me as deeply as other ninths. Certainly, the Bernstein (with concertgebouw) has more emotional depth. I don't know what to say about the Harnoncourt, I've got to do some more listening, but although I haven't noticed such bad balance problems as DA, I did notice that the brass seem situated too much to the left in the 9th in particular and that is a bit disconcerting. I finally broke down and ordered the Szell (way too expensive for old remastered recordings), but I have the feeling I will really love them as I love the piano concertos. I've also got the Blomstadt on the way, and they are supposed to be excellent. Right now, my favorites are probably the Hogwood 1 & 2, the Kleiber 5&7 and for a general set, the Gardiner. This is still very preliminary. I'm still looking for my perfect B6, but from what I've read, it may end up being the Szell or Dohnanyi. The Hogwood B3 is also supposed to be excellent, but I have yet to decide which I like the best. I've been spending a lot of time listening to Bill Evans and Schubert in the past days, so I'll bring out the Beethoven and start listening again very soon and report back with my findings. I also have to listen more to the even symphonies, especially the B8 and B4.

 

[dirtcheapii]

this version of box set 5cd is very good for me
http://files.bighosting.net/ka16991.jpg

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayG Well if you wanna be technical, it was a little over $8 with shipping. Either way, my sarcasm must have gotten lost somewhere in the New Reply window. What don't you like about the Harnoncourt? Did he go too far with his "concept"? I've heard a lot of Beethoven, but I still don't feel like I've found recordings worthy of being my "favorite" for any but the 5th (Kleiber). So, I'm still on the hunt. -Jay

Well, when it comes to the Harnoncourt, in general I really like them, but I also have his Mozart Requiem, and one of the problems is that he seems to be massing most of the brass on the left, which does give an unbalanced feeling to the sound. Otherwise, the Harnoncourt is really a very interesting set from both the perspective of historic performance and also interpretation. The great surprise of the set is, as I remarked earlier somewhere, the very leisurely pace of the Pastoral. After listening to the Zinman B6 and the '62 von Karajan B6, I felt as if Harnoncourt was sleepwalking through it. As I said before, I'll have to listen to it again when the others aren't so fresh in my mind.

Btw, the Harnoncourt Mozart requiem is also done extremely well with really good detail. Surprisingly (to me anyway) after listening to all of the Eroicas, I think for sound quality and interpretation I am leaning towards the Zinman! His Eroica is probably the gem of the symphonies. After you have them, give it a listen and let me know what you think of it.

Someone I know has Harnoncourt's Mozart Symphony #40 in G minor. Unfortunately it's on vinyl and hasn't been put on cd (or if it has, it's out of print).

 

[JayG]

I also have Harnoncourt's Mozart Requiem, and I like it very much. I will have to listen again and see what I think of the brass placement. Is that the only problem you have with his Beethoven? From your earlier post, it didn't seem like you had much regard for them in general. It's hard to guage people's opinions on the set because it seems like they either love it or hate it. Although I suppose Harnoncourt does tend to have that effect in general.

I have also heard pretty polarized opinions of the Barenboim. They are made out to be opposites as far as interpretational strategy, but both have plenty of people praising them and putting them down. Normally I would just get both, but with them both being at full price, that's an expensive proposition that I'm not prepared to undertake.

*Sigh* It seems that my quest for a Beethoven set with modern recording and top drawer interpretation is not going to be easy to fulfill without spending a fortune.

-Jay

 

[Doc Sarvis]

Just ordered Gardiner - Will report on arrival.

Also ordered the Penny-Arnold set on Naxos, and while I was at it, a few more $6 Zinmans to save and give as Christmas gifts!

 

[Tyson]

The problem with Barenboim is he is just ponderous sounding. He makes Bruno Walter's last set look downright fleet and lean in comparison. This is Beethoven-as-Wagner taken to an extreme. Not my cup of tea.

I like Harnoncourt better, he has some interesting things to say, but the problem I have with his set is that he doesn't properly observe dynamic gradations. Very rarely does he play medium-loud. It is either soft or LOUD, with very little in between. In fact, he plays softly quite a bit more than others, and then punctuates long periods of soft playing with sudden, stabbing fortisimos that quickly fade back to soft playing again. It's interesting, for sure, but not really a reference set.

 

[Bunnyears]

Have you noticed that the brass is placed off to the left so that when they are used the sound seems very unbalanced as well? I don't know if this is Harnoncourt at work or some really nasty sound engineering.