[scottder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by adhoc so.. anyone have anything particular to recommend me for the mendelssohn?

Joshua Bell

(see first post in this thread)

 

[adhoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottder Joshua Bell (see first post in this thread)

hmm. ok - i'll give it a listen in hmv before i buy then.

you see - i had a pretty bad experience with 'romance of the violin'. his playing seemed somewhat over-exaggerated (but i can live with that). what did it for me was the sound. it sounded like some rookie engineer had a field day with the EQ. harsh highs and impossibly mellow lows.

 

[MTL]

adhoc:
I quite like the Mullova recording (with Gardiner and his Orchestre Révolutionaire et Romantique) of Mendelssohn. The other concerto on this 2003 release is the Beethoven, which is also among the better recordings of this work (though maybe not quite as convincing as the Zehetmair / Brueggen recording).

 

[scottder]

Today I ordered "Prokofiev/Shostakovich No.1" by Vengerov. Look forward to hearing it.

Scott

 

[Tyson]

Oh man, you are in for a treat

Curious what you think about the Shosty item as well (another GREAT performance by Vengerov). IMO the Shosty is better than the Prokofiev, from a purely musical standpoint. I mean, the Prokofiev has some crazy moments in it, but the Shosty has some CRAZY moments, if you get my drift.

 

[aos]

Quote:

You didn't identify the recording of the original version of the Sibelius coupled with the final revision. The one I have is on BIS with Kavakos as soloist. Is that it?

Yes, that's the one - and only, so there was no possibility of mistake anyhow.

I have however made a mistake - Perlman's version is not what I heard first and it's not as good as the third one I have (though I like the interpretation of Tchaikovsky on that same disc). I don't know who is the soloist, I believe it's with Boston SO and it comes in a pack with a few of the symphonies (on another CD) - it may be "complete symphonies part 2" or something like that. On that CD there's Finlandia and Tapiola and Swan of Tuonela. Really the performance and the sound quality is outstanding.

By the way I have that Mullova SACD that was mentioned. I have only one other Beethoven VC performance which I haven't listened to much so the Beethoven was a relevation to me as well last week (again, I love the 3rd movement). I don't think Mendelssohn performance is quite that good but
that may just be my bias towards the first one I heard, which is I believe one of CBS classics, that yellowish-greenish series of LP's "Great Performances", of which I had a few. I am very attached to timpani play in that concerto so if it's not as I remember, I tend to dislike the performance

.

 

[Tyson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aos I don't know who is the soloist, I believe it's with Boston SO and it comes in a pack with a few of the symphonies (on another CD) - it may be "complete symphonies part 2" or something like that. On that CD there's Finlandia and Tapiola and Swan of Tuonela. Really the performance and the sound quality is outstanding.

I have that set, and the violinist is Salvatore Accardo with Sir Collin Davis conducting. It's quite good, the one I "grew up with", and it still has a special place with me. However I recently got Mutter doing the concerto and it is now my favorite. If you have not heard it I recommend it strongly.

 

[aos]

Yeah that's the one!

Keep in mind that I'm sucker for 3rd movements of violin concertos... is Mutter performance better in that respect?

By the way it really is very interesting to observe differences between the original and the "official" versions of the Sibelius concerto. While most of the changes were for the better, and it is now architecturally more sound, I feel like the orchestration in several instances has suffered, that it was better in the original version. For example, the timbre of the main theme of the concerto's 3rd movement is more intimate to me than the revised ("official") version.

 

[Leporello]

Berg by Mutter & Levine. Great bittersweet music, BIG-toned playing, lush orchestral sound. And the album cover, of course.

Regards,

L.

 

[Norbert]

Blatantly hijacking the thread. But if you like violin you'll love Yo Yo Ma on the cello. the Cello has a richness that makes violins sound shrill. Try anything by Yo Yo Ma, they are all excellently recorded and wonderful. I had the privilege of seeing him in concert from the 3rd row, I could hear him breathing! He literally dances with with the cello, moves it around, smiles, frowns, makes sounds I could not imagine possible. Check it out.

 

[scottder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norbert Blatantly hijacking the thread. But if you like violin you'll love Yo Yo Ma on the cello. the Cello has a richness that makes violins sound shrill. Try anything by Yo Yo Ma, they are all excellently recorded and wonderful. I had the privilege of seeing him in concert from the 3rd row, I could hear him breathing! He literally dances with with the cello, moves it around, smiles, frowns, makes sounds I could not imagine possible. Check it out.

Oh I love Cello as well, have yet to listen to Yo-Yo Ma, though I have Du Pre which I absolutely love, shame she passed away.

Scott

 

[scottder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyson Oh man, you are in for a treat Curious what you think about the Shosty item as well (another GREAT performance by Vengerov). IMO the Shosty is better than the Prokofiev, from a purely musical standpoint. I mean, the Prokofiev has some crazy moments in it, but the Shosty has some CRAZY moments, if you get my drift.

I can't wait for this one to arrive, everywhere I have looked has given it great reviews.

Scott

 

[jamont]

In addition to those already mentioned, it's certainly worth hearing Heifetz in the Sibelius. And there's also a nice recording by Oistrakh (coupled with Francescatti/Walter in the Beethoven) on a cheap Sony CD.

 

[aos]

Everybody loves cello, or they have no heart.

Jacquelinne Du Pre's performance of Dvorak's / Elgar concertos is really a must. Sonically, Dvorak performance by Yo-Yo Ma on Sony SBM is one of the best recorded CDs I have (and it's a great performance too, but Du Pre has an entirely different feel to it, she sounded more involved with the music).

 

[Tyson]

aos,
regarding the sibelius, Mutter does not have the best finale of the versions that I have. I think Kyung-Wha Chung the best on the finale. But I've alwas been more of a 1st movement kinda guy, and IMO, Mutter has the best first movement in this concerto.