Wow Sam, your a fiend, lol. I have Karajan's '77 recording of Dvorak's 8th and 9th and it's my favorite recording of both. I bought Maurizio Pollini's Chopin Etudes, though. I thought the sound was more crisp.

I bought myself a $50.00 iTunes gift card today and so far I've bought:





I don't know why you all don't like iTunes more! Their music is cheap and when you download it, everything is organized or can be easily organized. Their prices are so much cheaper as well. Mahler's 2nd cost like 10 dollars and on Amazon it'd probably be 20. Give it a shot . I still have 30$ so i'll be picking up more soon. I'm listening to Mehta's recording of Mahler's 2nd now and omg it sounds so much better than MTT's. It's powerfulness and faster tempo is great.

Update, I now have:


I saw this in my little "Rough Guide to Classical Music, which said this particular Karajan recording was the best. I just saw that it had been remastered in 2003 and sounds a lot crisper without the microphones to close to the instruments. Too bad I figured this out after I bought it.

And I haven't decided yet if I want Abbado's Carmen or another Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

__________________


Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend. -- Beethoven

Just installed itunes on the pc, we'll see how it goes, thanks.

I am sure you will really enjoy this recording - it is fantastic!

I usually don't go for these grab-bag "Greatest..." albums, but, in this case, I couldn't resist.

Tonight's purchases were:

Mahler: Symphonie No. 7: CSO & Claudio Abbado



Sibelius Tone Poems & Incedental Music (includes Karelia Suite; En Saga; Pohjola's Daughter; The Swan of Tuonela: Finlandia): Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Yoel Levi



Modest Mussorgsky Pictures at Exhibition & Night on Bald Mountain: NYP & Bernstein



Tchaikovsky Ballet Suites (Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Nutcracker) BP & Karajan



Then, I got some double CD's....

Schuman The Four Symphonies & Overtures Genoveva & Manfred - BPO & Kubelik... couldn't find a pic of it but it's the DG 2CD.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/...?album_id=3139

And finally, Beethoven Symphonies No. 1, 2, 4 & 5 with VPO & Bohm. Same, couldn't find the pic, but here's the link.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/...?album_id=2244

__________________
Remember the 3 SW's: Some Will, Some Won't, So What!

I served as Samguss' partner in crime this evening, and with great glee I am inflicting the following on him:


I heart Chanticleer...

Almost as much as I have a deep and affectionate for Glenn Gould - that's a sentimental, not a critical assessment.


We talked about Gershwin and Ravel the other night, and I simply couldn't decide between these two - so I didn't.

Because we likes us some Karajan, and

I've heard good things about Jarvi, even if I can't type the funny "A" in his name.

For no reason other than I like them, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra playing Handel's Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks (I couldn't find the actual album cover).

And finally, because we managed to milk it for a fairly long time before he caught on:


Have a lovely evening!

It's her way of instilling a sense of humor into my classical passion. In this case it's worked. I've been laughing almost constantly since she put the CD in. My favorite quote - which is from the piece: "Classical Rap"

"... in the city where you have to wait a year to hear Vivaldi one more time!" and then intro Vivaldi's Four Seasons in a very obnoxious way.

Funny stuff. And yes, I am attaining a sense of humor when it comes to classical music.

__________________
Remember the 3 SW's: Some Will, Some Won't, So What!

My copies ('55 and '81) are stuck in the U.S., somewhere, and I wouldn't getting them for a few months.

In a temporary partial break from my Mahler fix, I just recently purchased a Bernstein Century recording:


and an Andrew Manze recording (really good violinist!):


Probably back to buying just Mahler after this, though.

__________________
"Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n
wirst du, mein Herz, in einem Nu!
Was du geschlagen
zu Gott wird es dich tragen!"
-Gustav Mahler

I Treated myself to this one yesterday. My 7 year old daughter were dancing round the living room to the Bacchanal when the mother in law popped in...

That's a great CD!

And I don't think anyone can control themselves from dancing to the Bacchanale.

Went ahead and bought the soundtrack to Prince Caspian, composed by Harry Gregson Williams.



Any positive feedback on this one?


I don't know if I should buy a little CD I found on iTunes that costs $3.49. It has Borodin's Symphony No. 2, Prince Igor: Overture, Polovtsian Dances, In the Steppes of Central Asia, Dance of the Persian slaves, and Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

__________________


Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend. -- Beethoven

On pre-order for June delivery from the "South American River" folks-

Wagner- The Great Operas from the Bayreuth Festival

33 CDs- c. $63.00. Chomp! Tasty!!

Tonight after work, my purchases were:

Mahler Symphony No. 5, conducted by Bernstein:



Since, Mahler 5 was my second version of this, I went next with Mahler Symphony No. 10 conducted by Simon Rattle:



I've been eyeing this for some time and sampling this symphony over on YouTube and decided to finally get it: Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad" conducted by Masur.



Then, because it was the only one of the 9 symphonies I didn't have outside of the old tin can, I went with Beethoven Symphony No. 3 & 5, conducted by Erich Kleiber (any relation to Carlos Kleiber by chance?).



Thanks mainly to my sweetheart, I have become a big fan of Arthur Rubinstein and so picked up this piece which has Piano Concerto No. 2, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Prelude, Op. 3 No. 2 all by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Interesting enough, the second piece on this CD has Fritz Reiner conducting the CSO for the orchestra.



To finish off this week's purchase, I am also a fan (again thanks to my sweetheart) of Vladimir Askenazy and also since one can never have enough of some of Beethoven's Piano Sonata's (this one has Moonlight, Appassionata and Pathetique) I got: (picture sucks but the only one I could find)



Next week is budget week, I will probably be only getting 3 discs and after that the buy 2 get 1 free sale is over at B&N. Whihc means I turn my attentions back to Arkiv Music *grin*.

__________________
Remember the 3 SW's: Some Will, Some Won't, So What!

In my effort to re-collect the Mahler symphonies (as my first Mahler set of Bernstein had too many separated movements with multiple tracks), I have purchased this:



I haven't listened to it much yet, though I have heard that both of these are Bernstein's best recordings of these pieces.

__________________
"Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n
wirst du, mein Herz, in einem Nu!
Was du geschlagen
zu Gott wird es dich tragen!"
-Gustav Mahler