SPOTLIGHT The classical music general discussion thread

[humprof]

Always nice to have an excuse to listen to one thing instead of another. I have those two. Any opinion of this one?
View attachment 61734

Don't know that one. (And didn't know of it, either!) In my limited experience, some Chandos recordings have more "active" rear channels than others.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Always nice to have an excuse to listen to one thing instead of another. I have those two. Any opinion of this one?
View attachment 61734

An Excellent album superbly recorded.

Read the Review at HRAudio.net

HRAudio.net - Adams: Doctor Atomic Symphony, Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Harmonielehre - Oundjian

High Resolution Audio

www.hraudio.net

 

[mkt]

Don't know that one. (And didn't know of it, either!) In my limited experience, some Chandos recordings have more "active" rear channels than others.

The rational view would be that two versions of any piece is enough, but here we are.

 

[4-earredwonder]

The rational view would be that two versions of any piece is enough, but here we are.

Tell that among us QQers who have multiple versions of Beethoven, Mahler, Sibelius, Bruckner, et alia COMPLETE SYMPHONIES.

 

[humprof]

The rational view would be that two versions of any piece is enough, but here we are.

"Reason not the need. . . ." Besides, that's the only one of the three with the Doctor Atomic symphony. And consequently it has an awesome cover.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Always nice to have an excuse to listen to one thing instead of another. I have those two. Any opinion of this one?
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I downloaded this one to find out. The performance is OK, to be sure, but the sound is not competitive with the MTT. You only have to listen to the opening minute of "Short Ride" to realize that you can barely hear any of the woodwinds that are so clear and delectable on the MTT.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

An Excellent album superbly recorded.

Read the Review at HRAudio.net

HRAudio.net - Adams: Doctor Atomic Symphony, Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Harmonielehre - Oundjian

High Resolution Audio

www.hraudio.net

I read it and I must say that in comparing this with the MTT and saying "Direct comparison between the two recordings does marginally favour the latter" is an unfortunate use of the word "marginally." OTOH, I do agree with his later statement that "Nevertheless, the Chandos trump card for many listeners could well be the inclusion on this disc of Adams's 'Dr. Atomic Symphony' making its first appearance on SACD. "

 

[humprof]

This week's discounted new title at eClassical is Allan Pettersson's 12th Symphony, part of Christian Lindberg's cycle with the Norrkoping Symphony.

Is anybody here a Pettersson fan? If so, can you "testify" (about his symphonic music and/or about these recordings on BIS)? I've done some quick Google-reading, but otherwise I don't know the first thing about him.

eClassical - Allan Pettersson - Symphony No. 12 ‘The Dead in the Square’

In more ways than one, the Twelfth Symphony forms an exception in Allan Pettersson’s output. When he agreed to compose a work for the 500th anniversary of Uppsala University,

www.eclassical.com

 

[halbroome]

New surround SACD from Tacet! Seems they can do no wrong, so I guess I'm buying it . Oh, who am I fooling, I have all their others

 

[humprof]

New surround SACD from Tacet! Seems they can do no wrong, so I guess I'm buying it . Oh, who am I fooling, I have all their others

View attachment 62042

Good to know they're still active. (I hope this shows up at ImportCDs soon, though. Direct from Tacet, it's €30 shipped to the US.)

 

[Kal Rubinson]

New surround SACD from Tacet! Seems they can do no wrong, so I guess I'm buying it . Oh, who am I fooling, I have all their others

View attachment 62042

I am going to be a complainer: Aside from the surround immersion, is there any reason to acquiring yet more versions of these familiar pieces and from comparatively minor artists?

 

[humprof]

I am going to be a complainer: Aside from the surround immersion, is there any reason to acquiring yet more versions of these familiar pieces and from comparatively minor artists?

For some of us, the reason is precisely the surround immersion! (I know that's emphatically not your thing...)

But as it happens, the 9th is also a case of a Shostakovich symphony I don't have in a performance by a more prominent orchestra. For the 5th, I'll probably stick with Ormandy and Honeck.

 

[halbroome]

I am going to be a complainer: Aside from the surround immersion, is there any reason to acquiring yet more versions of these familiar pieces and from comparatively minor artists?

While I played classical piano in my youth, my later teen years, college, and onward involved rock of all sorts. Surround sound brought me back into listening to classical, so I have no non-surround classical (!) previous to the surround ones. So this is rather fresh for me!

 

[GOS]

Unless I'm misunderstanding Vocalion's website, there may a couple new titles for classical.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

For some of us, the reason is precisely the surround immersion! (I know that's emphatically not your thing...)
But as it happens, the 9th is also a case of a Shostakovich symphony I don't have in a performance by a more prominent orchestra. For the 5th, I'll probably stick with Ormandy and Honeck.

While I played classical piano in my youth, my later teen years, college, and onward involved rock of all sorts. Surround sound brought me back into listening to classical, so I have no non-surround classical (!) previous to the surround ones. So this is rather fresh for me!

Granted but I gather there is no reason for me to want to hear it.

 

[ubertrout]

I am going to be a complainer: Aside from the surround immersion, is there any reason to acquiring yet more versions of these familiar pieces and from comparatively minor artists?

It is fair to point out that there's been a lot of Shostakovich 5ths on SACD: HRAudio.net - Recordings. And I feel like most people have the Kitajenko cycle, and other recordings as well. I'm intrigued but the way Shostakovich can be really percussive has the potential to be kind of unpleasant in a active surround setting.

 

[ubertrout]

Unless I'm misunderstanding Vocalion's website, there may a couple new titles for classical.

To say the least. Seriously exciting Day 1 Order stuff.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

To say the least. Seriously exciting Day 1 Order stuff.

I count 5!

 

[humprof]

I count 5!

All great ones. Very excited to hear more Boulez. As for the others: Kal's point about still more versions of familiar pieces (not minor conductor/ensembles) applies. But I'll snap 'em up anyway.

Does anyone know who the mixers are on any of these?

[Edit: partial answers below.]

 

[humprof]

Boulez-Falla:

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDLX7384

Mixed by Ray Moore.

Boulez-Ravel:

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDLX7381

Mixed by Ray Moore.

Bernstein-Stravinsky:

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDLX7383

Mixed by Larry Keyes.

Stokowski-Beethoven:

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDLX7380

Mixer unknown?

Stokowski-Mahler:

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDLX7382

Mixer unknown?