I bought these cds after reading reviews &
found them all crashing disappointments:
Ernst Boehe: Vols 1 & 2 cpo
(Made me realise just how good Holbrooke is)
Richard Wetz: symphonies 1-3 cpo
(Bruckner?Don't make me laugh!)
York bowen: Symphony No 2,etc Classico
(One theme sounds like,Fry's Turkish Delight!)
Stanford: Songs of the Fleet,etc Chandos
(Maybe Luxon would do them better)
Villa Lobos: Symphony No 10 & Choros No 11
(They don't half meander!)
Bantock Thalaba the Destroyer Hyperion
(Great title. I normally like Bantock)
Parry: The Souls Ransom,etc Chandos 2 cds
(Ruined,for me, by one simply terrible singer)
Villa Lobos may be too 'modern' for this forum!
Oops! Wrong board. My apologies for this.
I'm afraid Boehe is a bit of a bore - so is Wetz. I'm surprised you don't like York Bowen though. Parry certainly had his off days - I don't know 'The Soul's Ransom' but some of the choral music can be a bit pedestrian. Villa-Lobos is prone to rambling and was not as good a composer as he thought he was (IMHO). I like Thalaba and Songs of the Fleet, though.
Songs of the Fleet get a big thumbs up form me too, but then I'm a Stanford groupie. My vote for the box that's gathering dust? Someone here's not going to like this, I know, but it's the complete Miaskovsky symphonies from Svetlanov on Warner.
I'm not so sure you-know-who would disagree with you about Svetlanov's Myaskovsky, Mark. Surely the music may be due for a reappraisal, but I think even Amphissa would admit that Svetlanov's set is a rather hit-and-miss proposition. I'm sure that a more modern traversal is overdue.
I had the Uncorn LP of his 21st & I was impressed by it,
but not by anything else,so far.
It deserves a reissue. Loved the Kabalevsky 2nd it was
coupled with (tut! tut!),and now have the cpo box set.
OH NO! Someone said something unkind about Myaskovsky!
Jim is right. I am grateful to Svetlanov for his effort, especially recording the symphonies that had not been recorded before. But although his heart was in the right place, his musical decision making was often awry. Of the symphonies that had been recorded by others as well as Svetlanov, I cannot think of a single one that I would choose the Svetlanov recording as the best. And some of them, like the 6th, are just embarrassingly poor.
But then, I've sought out all the recordings, most of which are on Melodiya LPs, and have a good turntable rig to play them. Most people do not have that luxury. Svetlanov is the only option for most people.
That said, even Svetlanov's recordings can serve adequately for many of the symphonies. But Myaskovsky is not one of those composers who just slaps you down from the first listen. He's one of those composers who takes awhile to warm up to. He has his own unique voice. Very different from anyone else.
Not everyone likes every composer's music. That's fine. I don't take it personally.
I like Myaskovsky.
I loathe Prokofiev !!!
;D
Yes, sadly many of the disks Pengelli mentions are boring. But was there any composer who hit the mark 100% of the time? Then, if Wetz's best work is on cd and it's dull, how boring is the rest of his output? I wrote on some other thread that some of the cpo disks are getting dull, predictable and uninteresting. I'll still keep buying because I just know that the undiscovered masterpiece of all time is just waiting to get out there.
There are just some of the "masterworks" that I just find deadly boring. Such as, any opera by Mozart. Brahms double concerto. Schubert 9th. Beethoven Missa Solemnis and Christ on the Mount of Olives. Handel, yes the Messiah. Sibelius Nightride and Sunrise. Bach: mass in B minor, and much more.
Miaskovsky is a strange case. I can appreciate the technical skill he brings to his vast symphonic legacy, but there isn't much there that moves me or thrills me in any way. It's too tame or something. The humanity is missing, thank you Mr. Stalin. HIs violin concerto is great, and I like symphonies 6, 19,& 21. Maybe I need to listen to them more often. I wouldn't count on ever getting a newer cycle.
Quote from: Mark Thomas on Wednesday 26 August 2009, 21:57
Songs of the Fleet get a big thumbs up form me too, but then I'm a Stanford groupie. My vote for the box that's gathering dust? Someone here's not going to like this, I know, but it's the complete Miaskovsky symphonies from Svetlanov on Warner.
We'll agree to disagree but I will say mine has gathered no dust.
Quote from: mbhaub on Thursday 27 August 2009, 00:36Miaskovsky is a strange case. I can appreciate the technical skill he brings to his vast symphonic legacy, but there isn't much there that moves me or thrills me in any way. It's too tame or something. The humanity is missing, thank you Mr. Stalin. HIs violin concerto is great, and I like symphonies 6, 19,& 21. Maybe I need to listen to them more often. I wouldn't count on ever getting a newer cycle.
Myself, I wouldn't do without the 5th, 15th and 27th. Different strokes and all that.
Parts of Wetz 3 sounds strangely like the William Wallace
'Creation Symphony',which also stays in the box.
Stanfords Irish rhapsodies are rather lovely. I think like
Villa Lobos he was better in smaller pieces.
There is a lot of good Stanford in the larger-scale forms - e.g. symphonies (even his No.1, virtually unknown, thrills me on account of its breadth) and concertos (PC2 is heart-warming).
For some reason I tend to remember either the magnificent or the truly awful - but not drab mediocrity until I play it again and remember why I didn't make it to the end last time.
Some things I would put in this category are Eugen d'Albert's Symphony, the Burgmüller Symphonies, almost anything by Diepenbrock, the Malipiero piano concertos and Mendelssohn's string symphonies. All pieces I that failed to meet my expectations (they're not bad pieces in themselves, of course). And while I have my problems with, for instance, Nielsen and Martinu, I can see the point and enjoy them on a more cerebral level.
On the other hand, there are some pieces which I recognise as being slightly trashy but which I enjoy tremendously - such as Stavenhagen's First Piano Concerto or Carlo Giorgi Garofalo's Romantic Symphony.
Never mind Unsung; my confession is: Unheard.
Worse or better than CDs that stay in the box: CDs that never even escape from their cellophane wrapper? If the Unplayed Hit Squad raided me I'd be in some trouble. It's hard getting through all the music - never developed the skill of listening to more than one at a time! Part of my problem is bad indexing and chaotic stacking. Still, I get something of a kick whenever I do manage to find something. I'm better with books: I have a new purchases shelf. Should really do the same with CDs as just having a pile of new ones only works up until I move them out the way.
Perhaps stop buying so much?
I'm surprised to see the anti-Wetz sentiment here. Actually, I rather like most of his symphonies, at least. But then, I regularly listen to Furtwängler...
As do I, Ilja - e.g. Barenboim in Furtwängler 2 is just magnificent. Perhaps we should both get out more...
There is no doubt that cds of Wetz have had allot of very
good reviews,love them or loathe them!
I often get disappointed when buying ballet music, also by composers that I normally like. For instance, I am very fond of the symphonies and symphonic poems of Arnold Bax, but I have so far only played The Truth About the Russian Dancers once.
I also have to defend poor Boehe. Of course, he is not one of the great masters of the history of music, but I still think his music is quite enjoyable. Am I the only person on this forum to think so? :o
No, I'll stand up for Boehe. A really good wallow - thoroughly enjoyable, both cpo CDs.
I'll also stand up for Wetz and d'Albert. I've been listening to the latter's Symphony in F a lot over the past couple of days and it's a very fine piece - with memorable themes and some really fine passages, such as the climax of the slow movement. But, as I've said before, I'm a sucker for all this expansive late-to-ultra-late Romanticism.
What I would say is that a lot of music requires a bit of hard work - and that includes sung as well as unsung composers. How many people 'get' the whole of the Ring cycle at the first hearing?
Or, in my case, umpteen hearings. I'm afraid that I'm with Rossini: "Wonderful moments but dreadful half hours".
I do agree about needing persevere with some music. The best example which I can think of is most of Draeseke's output. He's a hard nut to crack but so rewarding when you do.
And it rather explains why Draeseke fell into such neglect in a time when people couldn't give a piece more than one or two hearings. The luxury of being able to listen to a piece many times is something we don't share with most romantic composers' original audiences, of course.
The 'Truth about the Russian dancers', is also, the only Bax cd I've only ever played once! Might give it another try though.
My guilty cd pleasure, the Tikhon Khrennikov symphonies! The string playing of
the old soviet orchestra is incredible.Fear,possibly!
Quote from: Amphissa on Wednesday 26 August 2009, 23:28And some of them, like the 6th, are just embarrassingly poor.
I'm currently listening to that one. It is on disc 13 of 16. I think the strongest disc in the set is disc 9, with symphonies 24 and 27.
An old thread,I know,but I'd go for No 21.The old Unicorn recording with Measham conducting should be reissued forthwith! Wonderful!