At a used CD store, I got:

Tchaikovsky Serenade for String Orchestra in C major, Op. 48 coupled with Dvorak's Serenade for String Orchestra in E major, Op. 22

(Chamber Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Alexander Titov conducting)

It has a very beautiful waltz, one of my favourites. But works for string orchestras can be a bit too much for me to listen to at times...it's like eating too many sweets.

Does any one have any views on any of those?

-Matt

Yesterday's purchases:

Borodin - String Quartets 1 and 2 (Haydn Quartet, Budapest) Naxos label

Mozart - Horn Concertos 1-4 (Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio, A. Duczmal conducting; Jacek Muzyk, Horn) Naxos label

Elgar - Cello Concerto/Enigma Variations Pomp & Circumstance 1 and 4 (Daniel Barenboim conducting, London Philharmonic for Enigma and P&C, Philadelphia Orchestra for Cello Concerto; Jacqueline du Pre on Cello) Sony Classical Great Performances.

I have much of this material. (Great price.) Boy, does Barenboim take those marches fast. Some hair-splitters advocate the Barbirolli-led Cello Concerto... but I don't think you can go wrong with du Pré in any guise.

Mrs. Philly & I are planning on another foray into New York very soon. I'll have another contribution to "latest purchases" then.

I have actually been thinking of purchasing that one on a CD along with others (different performance, however).

And having returned from that sojourn, I have added: 1) The Keilberth 1955 Das Rheingold, in my ongoing project to acquire this Wagner "Ring cycle" by increments. 2) Karajan/VPO Bizet's Carmen (complete), and 4 discs worth of Brendel/ASMF/Marriner Mozart Piano Concertos.

Nice. Two Philips Duos?

I'm trying to decide between Brendel's Mozart and the Gilels' (Emil and Elena) Mozart and Schubert.

Absolutely correct.
I really enjoy Gilels' work (example: Hammerklavier Sonata), but ultimately, there's something irresistible about being in a "bricks-and-mortar" store and perusing through performances that "talk to you," saying, "take me! take me now!"

How true! I don't have much of choice but to visit any of the three B&M's . Sometimes I go there, browse for an hour (or more!), and finally leave the shop without buying anything and confused.


Silly aside: My post count as of this moment is the same as Schubert's string quintet's Deutsch number.

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Regards,
Navneeth

I just purchased a set of 10 CD's with Mahler Symphonies recorded as far back as 1928. I was actually only looking for a single one of them, the 1950 recording of the Mahler 8 with Leopold Stokowski, but I got all the other Symphonies (other than 7) and the Ruckert Lieder as a bonus. Not bad for $15.00.

I though it was kind of boring at first as I was not really used to classical music, but then I was amazed at how much I fell in love with it. There is a fine balance of sweet melancholy and stormy energy...

P.S. Great thanks to Hexameron for his fine instruction on how to insert images in the post

My latest purchase has not disappointed me.

WOW! Thanks guys, you have given me some great ideas for my next buys.

Yesterday, I bought a new CD of Bach's Inventions and Partitas, with Janine Jansen (Violin), Maxim Rysanov (Viola), and Torleif Thedeen (Cello).

The CD is a mix of two part inventions (Violin and Viola) and three part inventions (Violin, Viola, Cello) and partitas for solo Violin.

This a great CD!

The playing is wonderful, and so is the recording sound quality. This will make a great addition to my ever-growing collection of Bach works.

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"I can't listen to Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata too often. It makes me want to say kind and stupid things to people, and to pat them on the head. But now, in a Revolution, I must beat them on the head, and beat them without mercy."
~Vladimir Ilyich Lenin 1918