Classical Music - Comments by LaurenceD

Classical Music - Comments by LaurenceD

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
LaurenceD SUBS 2nd Sep 2022		Classical Item Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham - The Abduction From The Seraglio By Mozart (1959)	The mono version on Angel was released in 1957. Pretty good recording and clean pressing. Very enjoyable performance of this seldom-recorded opera. One bonus is the inclusion of all the spoken dialogue, which was often omitted in recordings from this era.
LaurenceD SUBS 21st Aug 2022		Classical Item Anatole Fistoulari, Fabienne Jacquinot - Poulenc: Les Biches / Aubade (1956)	Original release came in a sleeve with liner notes on the front. My copy is in a generic "MGM Records Classical Reprints" sleeve.
LaurenceD SUBS 9th Aug 2022		Classical Item John Lill - Rakhmaninov: Etudes-Tableaux Op. 33 & Op. 39 (1995)	Regarding the numbering of the etudes in Op.33: Rachmaninoff composed nine pieces for the set, and six were published during his lifetime. Nos. 3 & 5 were published 5 years after his death, and No. 4 in A minor was transferred to Op.39 No.6
LaurenceD SUBS 3rd Aug 2022		Classical Item Frederick Moyer - Edward MacDowell, Clara Schumann (2007)	This was an interesting experiment in recording two piano concertos without the participation of a live orchestra. For the MacDowell recording, the orchestra is provided by a Music Minus One recording (used with permission). For the Clara Schumann recording, the orchestral backing is created from sampled sounds (except for the second movement, in which the accompaniment is provided by a solo cello, performed live). Frederick Moyer includes some interesting comments about the process of using the sampling for the Schumann work, including what he considers the pros and cons of recording pieces using this method. I think that the results, at least for the Schumann, are quite impressive. The technology in 2007 had improved considerably since the time when I had dabbled in scoring some chamber works using MIDI tools back in the 1990s.
LaurenceD SUBS 28th Jul 2022		Classical Item Mischa Maisky, Philharmonia Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli - Elgar: Cello Concerto, Enigma Variations (1999)	Hm, not sure if this release should be USA, or maybe international. It is made in USA...
LaurenceD SUBS 29th Jun 2022		Classical Item Richard Stoltzman, Richard Goode - Schumann: Fantasiestücke, 3 Romances • Schubert: 2 Sonatinas (1988)	This rendition of the Fantasiestücke is from Schumann's manuscript for clarinet and piano. For this recording, Schubert's sonatinas for violin and piano, and Schumann's romances for oboe and piano are performed from transcriptions for clarinet and piano by Richard Stoltzman.
LaurenceD SUBS 12th Jun 2022		Classical Item ORF Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Lamberto Gardelli - Cherubini: Requiem In C Minor (1981)	The reviewers from Audio and High Fidelity both remark on the sub-par sound quality of this recording. Apparently the recording of the Austria Radio broadcast was not supervised by Philips engineers, and so is not up to the usual standards of that label.
LaurenceD SUBS 12th Jun 2022		Classical Item Soloists, Chor Der Festspiele Montreux, Orchestre De Chambre De Lausanne, Vittorio Negri - Domenico Cimarosa: Requiem (1979)	The High Fidelity reviewer questions why this was reissued as part of the Living Baroque series: "Just listen to the Recordare or the Agnus Dei; if that is baroque music, Rachmaninoff is medieval"
LaurenceD SUBS 11th Jun 2022		Classical Item Lorengar, Hoppe, Crass, Hartemann - Charles Gounod: Cäcilienmesse (Messe Solennelle)	Thanks for the info; I've tweaked the entry accordingly.
LaurenceD SUBS 9th Jun 2022		Classical Item Lorengar, Hoppe, Crass, Hartemann - Charles Gounod: Cäcilienmesse (Messe Solennelle)	Previously released in Germany as Electrola STE 91293, ca.1963. I don't have a date for this version as yet.
LaurenceD SUBS 18th Apr 2022		Classical Item Robert Taub - Schumann: Davidsbündler-Tänze (1987)	Release date of 1987 estimated. The disc is a product of LaserVideo, Inc., which manufactured audio discs from late 1986 up until January 1988.
LaurenceD SUBS 16th Apr 2022		Classical Item RCA Victor Chorale And Orchestra - Mass In B Minor (1950)	Looks like it is John Barrows; see here also (search the page for Barrows).
LaurenceD SUBS 4th Apr 2022		Classical Item Veronica Jochum, Bamberger Symphoniker, Joseph Silverstein - Clara Schumann: Klavierkonzert, Piano Trio, 3 Romances (1992)	© Intersound International, Roswell GA (USA), 1988 (previously released in USA by Pro Arte in 1988)
LaurenceD SUBS 30th Mar 2022		Classical Item Grumiaux Trio - Mozart: Divertimento KV 563 (1987)	The Fugues in K. 404a are selections from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, scored for string trio by Mozart: - No. 1 adapted from Book 1, No. 8 in D sharp minor, BWV 853 - No. 2 adapted from Book 2, No. 14 in F sharp minor, BWV 883 - No. 3 adapted from Book 2, No. 13 in F sharp, BWV 882 The Adagio preludes are original compositions by Mozart.
LaurenceD SUBS 15th Mar 2022		Classical Item E. Power Biggs - Bach Organ Favorites Vol. 6 (1974)	Hi Eric, I think that the problem is that we had some transposed digits (I tweaked the track entry); the concerto in question is actually BWV 592, and that number would have led you to Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar.
LaurenceD SUBS 28th Feb 2022		Classical Item Alfred Drake With Jane Wilson And Supporting Cast - Down In The Valley (1950)	Weill and Sundgaard conceived this work as a "folk-opera", so I have included it here. The notes state that four American folk-songs are woven into the work: "Sourwood Mountain", "The Little Black Train", "The Lonesome Dove" and "Hop Up, My Ladies".
LaurenceD SUBS 16th Feb 2022		Classical Item Gidon Kremer, Kim Kashkashian, Valery Afanassiev - Mozart: Kegelstatt-Trio ⸱ Duos Für Violine Und Viola (1985)	This is the 'alternate' version of the Kegelstatt, substituting a violin for the original clarinet part. The transcription was provided by the publisher (presumably to increase sales), possibly with Mozart's consent. The purported story of the duos for violin/viola is that Michael Haydn was assigned the task of composing a set of six such pieces for the Archbishop of Salzburg, but due to illness was only able to complete four in time. As a favor Mozart provided the additional two duos. One detail that could conflict with this anecdote (from pupils of M. Haydn) is that Mozart's two compositions were published in 1782, one year prior to the four by Haydn. For those who would like to compare the duos from both composers, M. Haydn's are catalogued as MH 335-338 / P120, P127-129
LaurenceD SUBS 19th Jan 2022		Classical Item Various Artists - The Divine Tragedy	I don't know when this set was pressed, but based on the liner notes it was some time after Hugh Newsom's passing (in 1978) at the request of his widow (Marjorie Brunton Newsom, who signed this copy).
LaurenceD SUBS 4th Jan 2022		Classical Item Eudice Shapiro, William Kraft - Lou Harrison's Concerto, Robert Linn's Concertino (1972)	I have entered the title of Lou Harrison's concerto as he preferred it: in Esperanto.
LaurenceD SUBS 21st Dec 2021		Classical Item Aaron Rosand - Joachim, Hubay, Enesco: Works For Violin (1973)	In this performance, Aaron Rosand omitted some portions of Joachim's concerto. It runs about 10 minutes shorter than recordings of the full score, for example if you compare it with those by Elmar Oliveira or Suyoen Kim. Rosand spoke about this in a 1997 interview with Robert J. Sullivan: "It's too repetitious. I think I made some judicious cuts in that thing. Because the whole thing doesn't hang together. It has wonderful thematic material but when you rehash it fifteen times in the same movement it just gets boring."
LaurenceD SUBS 21st Dec 2021		Classical Item Zoltán Kocsis - Debussy: Suite Bergamasque (1985)	Also found a NY Times review from July 14, 1985. Adjusted release date.
LaurenceD SUBS 15th Dec 2021		Classical Item Grumiaux Trio, Arpad Gérecz, Max Lesueur - Mozart: The String Quintets (1986)	In addition to review in Jan 1987 High Fidelity, there was this sidebar: "As this issue went to press, HF received news of the death of the Belgian violinist Arthur Grumiaux on October 15, 1986, from a heart attack, at the age of 65."
LaurenceD SUBS 31st Oct 2021		Classical Item Consortium Musicum, Wolfgang Gönnenwein - Bach: Matthäus-Passion	Thanks for the comments, I have adjusted things accordingly.
LaurenceD SUBS 31st Aug 2021		Classical Item Kiri Te Kanawa - Kiri (1966)	Most of these selections are show tunes, but there's a bit of classical stuff here, so I thought it might be worth posting...
LaurenceD SUBS 22nd Jun 2021		Classical Item Figuralchor Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart - W.A. Mozart: Krönungsmesse, Vesperae Solennes	This appears to be a reissue of Saphir 25 769-1 SB, from 1974. Estimated release for this item is 1980s.
LaurenceD SUBS 7th Jun 2021		Classical Item Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan - Haydn (1991)	Fritz Wunderlich had recorded most of the solo parts for the role of Uriel before his fatal accident in September of 1966. The remaining parts, mainly trios and recitatives, were later completed by Werner Krenn. There is a 1965 recording of this work from the Salzbug Festival also featuring Wunderlich for those who would like to hear him sing the role in its entirety. A page containing various reviews of this recording: Haydn: Die Schöpfung Hob. XXI:2
LaurenceD SUBS 28th Apr 2021		Classical Item Roger Norrington, London Classical Players - Haydn: London Symphonies 101 "Clock" & 102 (1994)	The normal (non-BMG) cat# is not present on this release, but I think it would be CDC 5 55111 2
LaurenceD SUBS 20th Apr 2021		Classical Item Alfred Brendel - Haydn: 11 Piano Sonatas (1987)	For those who appreciate Brendel's interpretations of sonatas by Beethoven and Mozart, but have not heard these from Haydn, I can recommend this collection without hesitation. It has been reissued, but unfortunately not at a budget price. I was lucky enough to find this at a charity resale store.
LaurenceD SUBS 14th Apr 2021		Classical Item Luisa Tetrazzini - Luisa Tetrazzini (2005)	Hi Gill Sans, I enjoy a good puzzle so... I'm pretty sure the composer in question is Luigi Venzano (1814-1878). The composition is apparently also known as "Grande Valse". I could find no mention of him in my reference books, but there is a page for him at DAHR, plus there is this brief entry from The Violoncello and Its History by Joseph von Wasielewski, ca. 1894, at Project Gutenberg: "Luigi Venzano must be mentioned as one of the first distinguished Italian cellists of this century. He was born in Genoa about 1815, and was solo cellist in the orchestra of the Theatre Carlo Felice, as well as teacher at the musical institute of his native town. He died on January 27, 1878. As a composer he devoted himself to vocal and stage compositions."
LaurenceD SUBS 24th Mar 2021		Classical Item Eugene List, Utah Symphony, Maurice Abravanel - The World Of Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1988)	The Eugene List tracks were originally released on Vanguard LP VRS-485 "The Banjo", ca. 1956. The orchestral tracks were originally released on Vanguard LP VSD-2141, ca. 1963. (Note: the timing for track 11 "Grand Tarantelle" shown on the insert/inlay is incorrect; actual CD duration is about 7:26.)

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