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NP:

Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 6 in E minor
Utah SO
Abravanel

 

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NP:

Bartók
Contrasts for violin, clarinet & piano, BB 116, Sz. 111
Chantal Juillet (violin), Michael Collins (clarinet), Martha Argerich (piano)

From this excellent set -

 

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Fiesta

Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel


Bernstein: West Side Story: Mambo
Bernstein: West Side Story: Symphonic Dances
Carreño, I: Margaritena
Castellanos, E: Santa Cruz de Pacairigua
Estévez: Mediodía en el Llano
Ginastera: Estancia - complete ballet, Op. 8
Ginastera: Estancia - dance suite, Op. 8a
Márquez: Conga del Fuego
Márquez: Danzón No. 2
Revueltas: Sensemayá
Romero, Aldemaro: Fuga con Pajarillo from from Suite for Strings No. 1 (Orchestral version)
Romero, Aldemaro: Suite para cuerdas (version for orchestra)

One thing is wrong with this tracklisting --- this recording does not contain Ginastera's Estancia in its entirety. There are only two recordings of the complete ballet: Ben-Dor on Conifer (reissued on Naxos) and Mena (Chandos). This Dudamel is only of the dances.

 

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NP:

Bartók
Bluebeard's Castle, Sz. 48, Op. 11
Olga Szönyi (soprano), Muhaly Székely (bass)
London Symphony Orchestra
Antal Doráti

From this OOP set -

This is quite good! Thanks for the nudge @Enthusiast.

 

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Strauss: Tod und Verklarung, Vier letzte Lieder

Gundula Janowitz
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

I recently bought Karajan's complete DG analog Strauss recordings, which has all of his analog Strauss recordings plus the digital Alpensinfonie, a live Rosenkavalier from 1960, and a couple of early 40s recordings with the Concertgebouw. The main reason I got it was to listen to the Blu-Ray, since I've read that Karajan's recordings always sound much better in the Blu-Ray remasterings. I'm happy to report that the remastering for all of the works on the Blu-Ray are incredible, so I'm glad I got this set instead of buying the individual CDs. For the music on this disc, both of these recordings are classics. I actually prefer Karajan's analog Tod to his digital one because I like the more expansive tempos (especially the last 7 mins) and the more immersive sound in the analog version.

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I bought that set years ago and I've been a happy camper ever since. Sublime performances throughout. I actually prefer Karajan's earlier Strauss recordings to his digital remakes with the exception of Eine Alpensinfonie, which, unfortunately, he never recorded during the analog era.

The box set in question for those who may not be aware of what we're talking about:

 

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Just wanted to tell all the members here:

 

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A fine set - it includes a fine violin concerto (Menuhin's best of ... three?) and I really like the atmosphere of Dorati's Concerto for Orchestra. Of course, we have had a lot of fine Bartok since Dorati recorded these but many of these accounts belong among the best of the past for me.

Yeah, I actually own these recordings twice as I bought the Mercury Living Presence box sets when they came out. Yep, Doráti is quite good in Bartók, indeed. We're in no shortage of great Bartók performances on record, though. We also all have our favorites. I'm still rather partial to Boulez, Solti and Iván Fischer when it comes to the orchestral music.

 

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Oh don't get me wrong. I've nothing against Boulez, Solti and Fischer in Bartok. I think I probably prefer Dorati to Solti but they are different and I like variety. As for Fischer ... he is special but Kocsis trumps him as his game, I think: his Bartok recordings are astounding.

Yeah, Kocsis is great, but so was Ormandy, Szell, Reiner et. al. It's too bad Kocsis couldn't finish his orchestral series on Hungaroton. Speaking of Hungaroton, there are many fine conductors who graced their label who have conducted Bartók. They're quite well-represented in this marvelous set:

If you ever see this box set for a reasonable price then jump on it. I bought mine off eBay from a guy who received this set from a Hungarian friend of his --- everything was mint condition. It's one of the best musical purchases I ever made. Of course, I didn't really "need" it as I own a ton of Bartók on CD (single issues, Complete Decca box set and, more recently, the Warner set - The Hungarian Soul), but the price was right and it was too good to pass up. Plus, I didn't have much Hungaroton in my collection prior to this. I also ended up buying many of the Kodály recordings on this label as well, which are just amazing. Lucky to own all of these CDs.

 

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Speaking of Kodály...NP:

Háry János Suite
Philadelphia Orchestra
Ormandy

From this 2-CD Japanese import -

 

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Maybe you are not getting how highly I regard Kocsis. Of course, there are many fine Bartok recordings that came out over the decades on Hungaroton and the big three US conductors of the 50s and 60s made some fine Bartok records. I agree. But for me Kocsis achieved something altogether and uniquely wonderful with the Bartok recordings he made (including as a pianist). I like that so many of our greats have made great Bartok recordings and it seems mean spirited to compare them. But still ....

Perhaps you're not getting how highly I rate all of the aforementioned conductors in my previous posts. But, it's really pointless that we seem to be arguing about our preferences in performances when the reality is that no one is right or wrong in these said preferences.

And, yes, Kocsis was great in Bartók as I said, but there are so many other conductors that I prefer over him --- his recordings as pianist in the solo piano works and PCs, however, are where I think more highly of him.

 

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I didn't think of it as arguing and I must have missed it if you said that you prefer many to Kocsis in Bartok. But we both agree that all conductors named are great and have given me a lot of pleasure. With works like these I need several recordings (as do you, clearly) and all of them have to have something special to offer. Where we disagree is on Kocsis - something that I had not been expecting!

Oh, don't get me wrong, Kocsis' recordings are excellent, but I just can't shake the performances that I cut my teeth on like Boulez or Solti. For me, these two conductors got me to love the music more than I had previously. So, for these reasons, they have a special place in my heart that takes precedence over others that came before and after them.

 

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Alberto Ginastera
Violin Concerto
Salvatore Accardo
Hopkins Center Orchestra
Mario di Bonaventura
Rec. 1968 Live
Dynamic

Absolutely stunning!

Have you heard the new Hilary Hahn recording of the Ginastera Violin Concerto? As much as I liked Accardo's performance, compared to Hahn, he doesn't sound as convincing to me. Add in stunning DG sonics to Hahn and you have a win/win all-around.

 

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Now playing two Soviet Era cello concerti of great contrasts:

Kabalevsky
Cello Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 77
Marina Tarasova, cello
Symphony Orchestra of Russia
Veronica Dudarova

Schnittke
Cello Concerto No. 1
Alexander Ivashkin, cello
Russian State Symphony Orchestra
Valery Polyansky

 

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Closing the night out with some back-to-back Scriabin:

Piano Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major, Op. 30
Maria Lettberg, piano

From this magnificent set -

Le Poème de l'extase
New York Philharmonic
Sinopoli

 

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Now for some back-to-back Martinů works:

Les Fresques de Piero Della Francesca, H. 352
Czech Philharmonic
Ančerl

Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4
Scottish National Orchestra
Thomson

Three Fragments from the Opera 'Juliette'
Magdalena Kožená, Steve Davislim, Frédéric Goncalves, Michéle Lagrange & Nicolas Testé
Czech Philharmonic
Mackerras

String Quartets Nos. 2, 4 & 5
Kocian Quartet

 

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Now playing Brahms' 3rd and Dvořák's 8th from the 2-CD set with Hrůša/Bamberger Symphoniker:

 

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NP:

Brahms
Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115
Thea King, clarinet
Gabrieli String Quartet

From this OOP set -

Something about Brahms is finally clicking with me or so it seems. This work is so gorgeous and it absolutely goes with the winter weather right now as the rain continues to fall.

 

[Neo Romanza]

NP:

Vaughan Williams
Dona Nobis Pacem
Sarah Fox, Christopher Maltman
Colorado Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Andrew Litton

Followed by:

Khachaturian
Masquerade Suite
Iyad Sughayer, piano

 

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John Adams, Nixon in China, from Collected Works, released by Nonesuch last year. I have only just started with the box set and was surprised and disappointed to realise that libretti are not included; it seems an incredible oversight. Are there any published (physically, if possible) libretti for Adams's operas?

View attachment 181369

I own this box set as well, but I also own the most of the individual releases that came out on Nonesuch. All of the opera releases had libretti, it's a shame this box set does not (my set is still sealed).

Anyway, here's a cool site that has libretto of many works, but here's a direct link to Nixon in China:

John Adams' Nixon in China libretto

 

[Neo Romanza]

NP:

Strauss
Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24
Vier letzte Lieder
Gundula Janowitz (soprano)
Berliner Philharmoniker
Karajan

From this set -