Neat. There is a rhythmic drive that’s internal as well. I really enjoyed playing his works.
I was listening to New World Symphony for the first time a few days ago and found myself nodding, “Yes. This I like.”
Fritz Reiner / Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1957)
Aside from some hiss, this old recording sounds fantastic.
The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection recommends the Vienna Philharmonic/Leonard Bernstein for a complete cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies:
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Here are a couple classical albums that I come back to a lot:
- Andre Previn/London Symphony Orchestra (1971) - Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F, An American in Paris (Gershwin). This is a great recording with a lot of dynamic range.
- I have this old German Maria Callas CD, which is apparently of her first official studio recording. It’s called “Maria Callas, die ersten offiziellen Aufnahmen”. The recordings are from 1949 so there is a lot of hiss, but it’s a nice little collection of wonderful soprano pieces sung by Callas in her prime.
I keep returning to Hélène Grimaud’s many recordings with Deutsche Grammophon. Her Brahms 1st piano concerto is gorgeous, and now I’m savoring her Bach. She’s my favorite contemporary pianist, and it helps that her records are well recorded. Precisely the kind of recordings we buy good audio gear to listen to.
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Amen on Helene. Love her ability to be so delicate, yet powerful when need be. Ck her Beethoven concerto 5…Emperor!
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Totally agree. Her 5th PC is amazing.
She does Bach really well but it’s with Beethoven and Brahms where she’s really at her best. She can bring on the fire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOlc2PAiWUU&t=2093s
She sort of does the same with Bach, making it feel almost Romantic. I enjoy it, but she’s coloring it more than perhaps she should. After all, Bach didn’t even write for the piano…whereas with Beethoven and Brahms it’s precisely the right color.
Try this on for size. Take your time. It’s sort of a meditation on that wonderful Allegretto from Beethoven’s 7th.
Thanks, I will ck those out.
@dcofficehack Wow, that was new to me…VERY interesting. From harplike around 7:30 to Beethoven. She does have incredible touch.
Thanks. btw if you haven’t seen it, there is a short video trailer of her playing and discussing Brahms 2 and 1 (by DG)
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I’ll look for that. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform Brahms 2, and I was blown away. It saddens me to think that I don’t do anything half as good as she plays the piano.
By the way, my new favorite thing is her Bach album. What I didn’t realize until I paid attention to the credits was that she was playing transcriptions of non-piano music done by Romantic composers. The result is glorious. Like here:
I will ck that, thanks. I just started a trial for Primephonic today and listened to part of Mahler 6 with Jansons/London and now Rachmaninov Piano 1 with Valentina Lisitsa/London. I referenced her earlier (above) but I really do like the recordings that Decca did with them of all 4 Rachs. Piano does not get buried in overall sound and the timbre/resonance is spot on. PS she is good too lol! Heard a bit of Grimaud’s Bach on yt and can’t wait to try on Primephonic…so much more depth and clarity, which my month old Sundaras do really well!
@dcofficehack Holy crap!!! Just listened to parts of her Bach album.
Wow she is GOOD. With that technique and spaces between notes I thought I was hearing a harpsichord at times. Thanks for the recommendation.
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FYI, the Frankfurt Radio Symphonie has a fantastic youtube channel, plus live streaming of concerts on Fridays. Great stuff.
Now I’m listening to this Poulenc organ concerto. It’s glorious music, though suddenly I’m conscious of the limited bass I’m hearing on my rig. This is one of the rare classical pieces where stuff gets LOUD and LOW. Could be the HD 650s, not sure. Still, it’s great music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsFsBNAmCd0
Thanks, hope others see these. Also some new “empty hall” performances on Concertgebouworkest. Again youtube.
Will do an update on Primephonic after further use, but so far i like it.
Lots to discover!! They told me today that they will be including the bit rate quality info in the next few months (tho the ears can usually tell.) lol
I used to play violin, so there is a bit more bias in my recommendations
Handel-Halverson - Passacaglia in G min played by Perlman/Zukerman
Monti- Czardas
Sarasate - Zigeunerweisen
Hilary Hahn playing Bach Partitas and Sonatas
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I like Hahn too. Do you like Julia Fischer? Also our orchestra backed Joshua Bell when he was still a teenager! (Dating myself lol)
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An Der Schönen, Blauen Donau, Op.314 Johann Strauss.
https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b27348a1fc6569d827cd87a5494b
My very first classical music purchase. Deutsche Gramaphone did good stuff with the early recordings they put onto CD.
Hahn doing Brahms and Sibelius is fantastic. Oh, and the Beethoven violin concerto. She’s so good.
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Yes they did. Deutsche and Decca were good even back then!