Erwin Schulhoff recording, Ogelala et al
927053
The composer is new to me.  Curiosity and details online led me to hear some of the music.  I am delighted with the recording and its packaging.  The purchase bwo Amazon was quick and efficient, and the product came as advertised.  Frankly, I don't know one vendor from another on Amazon and I don't keep track of my purchases.  Overall I am pleased with the Amazon procedure and policies (to the extent I am aware of them), and can only surmise that I have the opportunity to buy from reliable vendors.
643620
As an orchestral musician, what I look for most in the video (as opposed to the audio) of a concert is how a conductor shares his vision of a piece with the musicians and how the musicians respond.  In the video of <Rienzi> what the director shows us is a conductor who clearly loves this music and, through his body language and gestures and even his perspiration, communicates that to the musicians of the LPO, who respond in kind.  The espirit de corps exhibited by the violins and celli and particularly the brass gives evidence of why many of us play in musical ensembles, whether community or professional, i.e. the opportunity to realize great music.  As for the audio, the orchestra playing is stellar, and whenever I can't muster the enthusiasm to practice, I just cue up any of the trumpet entrances to remind myself why it is all worthwhile.
358337
This is, I am guessing, the German translation (by Dieter Lehmann; Ernst Kuhn, published by Verlag Neue Musik, Berlin, 1985, judging from the date given here?) of a book originally released by Muzyka in 1981.  I have read - well... skimmed, on interloan from a library... - only the German version (within the limits of my understanding of German which is, however, better than my Russian...)  A -very- good book with a whole lot of interesting documentary information about this teacher and composer, about whom too little, I think, has been written (though a new book- the first in English- came out just in the last year or so-- a book I really hope to read.

I should add that for those who, like me, have become fans of the composer (in my case from hearing his cello concerto a few times and then some of his symphonies and string quartets- from LPs at the university library at the time... - and then... well, one does get hooked...) - Alexei Ikonnikov's biography was translated into English (translated in 1946, as "Myaskovsky: His Life and Work") and is well worth reading (it is listed on Amazon too) but is of course incomplete and biased (which also of course is true of no other biography ever written.) More seriously and back to point, Gulinskaia's has at least one issue, probably more, but I'd draw attention to some questions I have specifically- when was his (very fine) symphony 2 (C-sharp minor, Op. 11) premiered (she gives 1913, other reliable and more contemporary-to-the-fact sources give 1912 with a different location and conductor? When was symphony no. 3 in A minor premiered (can't seem to work that out at all, I think...- I gather possibly not until the same concert as symphony 4 some years later, but I'm not positive? If this information is in Gulinskaia's book I missed it alas. But much useful and interesting information is. For those whose German is better than mine I suspect you fill find a lot more than just individual bits of information, of course, e.g. biographical narrative...) I'd like to see a comparison with the most recent book on Myaskovsky highlighting their similarities, differences, and how well they achieve those goals they have in common (and what goals do and don't they have in common?...) but that would have to come from someone who unlike me, could read both languages and has read both books well. Until then, based on what I've read of this book and if you are interested in this composer- recommendable.

(It's also a source for the German Wikipedia articles on Myaskovsky, so I'm not the only person who finds it well-done...)
950001
This is the third recording of the "Oratorio from the Book of Mormon" and was made in 1978 by Columbia Masterworks.

The LP sounds great! Soloists and choir and orchestra are well balanced. Although I'd personally prefer the soloists be placed slightly forward, for the most part, you don't need a libretto to understand what is being sung. I have not heard the subsequent CD release.

For those interested in the history of this composition, I highly recommend reading --
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Volume - 8, Issue - 2, Pages: 4-13. Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 1999.

The Mormon Tabernacale Choir web site indicates this was recorded May 25-26, 1978, in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. A CD of the recording was released February, 1987.

Columbia Masterworks M35148 [LP]; MBPC 403 [CASS]

Jerold Ottley, Director
Utah Symphony; Maurice Abravanel, Conductor

Hervey Hick, (Samuel) Baritone
John Prahter, (Evangelist) Tenor
Clyane Robison, (Jesus Christ) Bass-Baritone
Jo Ann Ottley, Soprano

Salt Lake Boys' Choir
South High School Girls' Choir
Richard Torgerson, Director

Alexander Schreiner, Organist
Produced by Thomas Frost

This composition is overdue for a fresh recording. Online, you can find performances by local talents. I have read that BYU was to record the oratorio a few years ago but nothing surfaced. An official CD remastering of this recording would be welcome.

Recordings ---
First  > 1953: LP&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Oratorio-from-the-Book-of-Mormon/dp/B003KL39R2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Oratorio from the Book of Mormon</a>&nbsp;Studio Records 5303-RC
Second > 1961: LP&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Oratorio-from-the-Book-of-Mormon/dp/B001QO2BM4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Oratorio from the Book of Mormon</a>&nbsp;Vanguard VRS 1077 (mono); VSD 2099 (stereo)
Second > 1961: CD&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Oratorio-from-the-Book-of-Mormon/dp/B003XRN6K8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Oratorio from the Book of Mormon</a>&nbsp;Musica Sacra v. 27; 08 9302 71; UPC 3 351479 302711 (1995 Vanguard/Arcade, Netherlands release)
Second > 1961: CD&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Oratorio-from-the-Book-of-Mormon/dp/B0000254I8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Oratorio from the Book of Mormon</a>&nbsp;Vanguard Classics 08 5041 71 (1996 Vanguard, Europe release)
Third  > 1978: LP&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Oratorio-from-the-Book-of-Mormon/dp/B0018NG5G6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Oratorio from the Book of Mormon</a>&nbsp;Columbia Masterworks M35148; MBPC 403 (Cassette)
2548094
A small quibble with this recording:

The other volumes in this series are readings of the standard English translation by Scott Moncrieff (this is also true of the equally excellent recordings by John Rowe, which, alas comprise only the first two volumes of _Remembrance of Things Past_).

Moncrieff died before he could complete this last volume (_Time Regained_), and the accompanying English translation is usually that of Frederick Blossom.

However, this recording is of a translation by "David Whiting".

While I personally  would have preferred the use of Blossom's translation, I have, in principle, no strenuous objection to this change.  But that said: 1] this change of translators is not made clear (i.e. so far as I can tell it is indicated only during the introduction on the recording itself --for example, neither Audible nor Amazon mention it in their blurbs for the recording); and 2] I wish that the original publisher (Naxos) and/or reader (Jason) had selected a published version of a translation for this recording (that is, so far as I can determine, Whiting's translation is not otherwise available aside from this recording).
1136403
Is there some humor in Erich Kleiber's refusal to go all in for the bells and whistles of the last movement of his 1953 Fifth with the Concertgebouw?  All these little hesitations and deliberations in the building-up of suspense . . .?  I like to think so, for it's clearly deliberate, and it's very effective.  After all, he shows in the first movement that for motoric excitement he can match Toscanini (and in better sound) and his son Carlos.  For all that I prefer, Carlos's more recent (1975) VPO account -- but I can see the validity of a more playful view.  What there's no doubt about is the ability of Erich Kleiber to maintain a lean sound (contrast Karl Bohm), a control over gradations of dynamics that are made audible quite amazingly in recordings from 1953 and 1950 (The "Eroica").  We can hear too the distinctive texturing of the individual instruments and groups, and a forward propulsion that seems absolutely natural, whether we're off to the races at the end of the "Eroica" or in the mellow relaxation of the second movement of the Fifth.  I think the "Eroica" is a great performance, in the Klemperer class, though a touch warmer or more humane.  And some credit must go to Victor Olof, the producer, whose ear was impeccable and who deserves to be mentioned with Legge and Culshaw.  I like to think that George Szell heard these recordings and said to himself, "I want to record for Decca in the Concertgebouw,"  and he did, and produced some of his finest recordings there.  As for these of Erich Kleiber's -- they are no less indispensable than Carlos Kleiber's Beethoven Fifth and Seventh.  Great stuff.
4091342
This was originally released as Columbia Masterworks set M-581, recorded 15, 18, and 22 May 1945.  It features Helen Traubel (soprano), Herbert Janssen (baritone), Irene Jessner (soprano - singing both Sieglinde and Ortlinde), The Vocal Ensemble of the Metropolitan Opera Association and the Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York.  This is the complete Act III of Die Walkure, with the second track labelled 'Scene 2', actually containing scenes 2 & 3.  This is the first complete recording of Act III ever made.  Taken together with Victor Set M-298&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Die-Walkure-Act-1/dp/B000005GMW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Die Walkure, Act 1</a>&nbsp;and Victor Set M-582&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Die-Walkure-Act-2/dp/B00000DOAT/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Die Walkure, Act 2</a>&nbsp;it was possible to hear the complete Die Walkure on 78 RPM records for the first time.

This is a historically important recording, and if you own the above sets you will likely want this to supplement them.  Stylistically, it is very different from them however.  Rodzinski was an early Modern conductor, not a Romantic.  This performance is very much in line with what you would expect from Toscanini or Szell - brisk and to the point.  Like Szell, Rodzinski was an obsessive perfectionist, and there are no serious gaffes or ensemble lapses in the performance, though one could wish for more warmth and imagination.  The singing is adequate to the task.

The transfer is mediocre, and sounds like it comes from the early LP reissue of this set.  There is a skip in the Magic Fire Music that causes a brief section to be repeated.  Surface noise has been effectively eliminated however.  The recording has the constrained dynamic range and frequency response that you would expect in any recording of this time period.

There are better versions of Act III available now, notably Karajan's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Die-Walkure-Act-3/dp/B000MX7SUK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Die Walkure Act 3</a>&nbsp;and Solti's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wagner-Die-Walk-uuml-re-Act-3-Solti-Flagstad/dp/B00004XQ8L/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wagner: Die Walk&uuml;re, Act 3 / Solti, Flagstad</a>&nbsp;but this is definitely worth its low price, especially for fans of Rodzinski, whose recordings have virtually disappeared from the catalogue.
1453895
The bass soloist is misidentified for this performance. While the label and booklet give the name of Gottlob Frick, the bass in the recording is undoubtedly Kurt Boehme. If this mistake originated with the BBC that would not surprise me, but I would have thought the folks at Testament, having issued so much 50's Wagner, would have caught the error.

Otherwise this is a hot performance, with considerably more electricity than the EMI studio version with Klemperer that followed.
691943
The Lyric Suite and its secret program led to the discovery of the scholar George Perle: the version with voice of the last movement. Some years ago the Kronos Quartet with Dawn Upshaw recorded this version for the first time. Later an excellent version, perhaps the best,  was done with the Diotima Quartet and Marie-Nicole Lemieux. This new recording does not exceed the above despite being of a high level. The Emerson Quartet perform an excellent version of the Lyric Suite, but Ren Fleming does not impress in the final movement. Good idea to put the two versions of the last movement, with and without voice. This CD is really indispensable for a masterpiece of Egon Wellesz, one composer unjustly unknown. Here Ren Fleming is amazing. I did not understand the inclusion of a work of Erich Zeisl, a simplistic work. The same interpreters might have recorded the Quartet 2 of Arnold Schoenberg. Maybe a next time.
3747328
The reviews here are of another, also excellent, recording, not of the recording by Yuri Ahronovitch and the Stockholm Philharmonic.

The Ahronovitch recording, which I own, is very, very good indeed. The very competent musicologist (and sometimes Amazon reviewer) David Hurwitz thinks very highly of it: he included it in his book on Shostakovitch, and it well deserves the five stars I have given it.

Added in January, 2010: I see that two readers found this warning - that all these rave reviews were for a completely different recording - "unhelpful"!!
2116323
A few years ago, the competition performances of the Tchaikovsky First and Rachmaninov Third concertos were released to CD by Testament. The performance of the Rachmaninov Third was the most intense that I have heard and, here, Van Cliburn repeats that performance in the Winner's Concert.  This is one of the earliest surviving telecasts from Soviet TV. The performance of the Rachmaninov Third is not only historic but an amazing performance by Van Cliburn and the Moscow Philharmonic. Certainly, the recording quality is not what we expect today and the picture suffers from some distortion and black spots, but it is wonderful to see part of an event that had such an impact. There are man shots of the audience in the broadcast and their affection for Van Cliburn is apparent and heartwarming at the end of the concert.

The 1972 performance of the Rachmaninov Second is beautifully played and the recording is better than the 1958 broadcast. It was also interesting for me to see Kirill Kondrashin in performance as I have many of his recordings but was never able to see him conduct. Picture quality is better for the Rachmaninov Second is better. Both performances are in black-and-white. This DVD is a must for anyone who is interesting in Van Cliburn.
3301419
I own the vinyl LP recording of Berstein conducting the Symphony No. 1 and find it uncanny in its insight into the work.  I am amazed by it every time I listen to it.  I am a big fan of Szell generally, but Bernstein takes the blue ribbon for the First Symphony.  I had planned on buying the CD reissue of Bernstein's recording.  If, however, as one reviewer suggested, it is not the same, or not entirely the same as the LP recording, I'll wait until I've saved my pennies for a high quality digital audio converter and make a CD of my LP.  I haven't heard Bernstein's recording of the Symphony No. 7.  I like the Szell and Karajan recordings very much.  Kleiber was mentioned regarding the Seventh Symphony.  I cannot offer an opinion on his Seventh, but his Beethoven Symphony No. 5 is one of the greatest Beethoven recordings ever, essential to any classical music collection.  [[ASIN:B00007KMOX Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7] Bernstein's affinity with the First Symphony is on a level with Kleiber's and the Fifth.
2727450
ein paar Klicks und ber diverse andere, ebenfalls empfehlenswerte kulturgeschichtliche Betrachtungen von W.Schwerdt bin ich bei den Drachen gelandet. Der Trailer gab einen ersten (guten) Eindruck. Dieser wurde in dem Buch besttigt. Kurzweiliger kann man trockene Wissenschaft kaum an den Mann oder die Frau bringen. 5000 Jahre Drachengeschichte - Schlangendrachen und Plschfiguren, Echsen und Dinos, Geister und Gtter...
1174702
Still listening to this but,so far, this will have to be a major recording that will have to be seriously considered. ONE major question that I have is the piano used in this recording. Certainly it is not a pianoforte contemporary to Beethoven's lifetime and nor is this recording deep into historically informed performance. It is NOT a soft grained sound. Ben-Pienaars's approach seem to be similar to Schiff and Serkin(whom I think has been sadly and unjustifiably ignored) and it seems to be a counter-weight to the Wilhelm Kempff approach. I own Kempff,Schiff,Kodama,and the sonatas recorded by Rudolf Serkin and a few other individual recordings. I do own one SACD from Ronald Brautigam and which I am disinclined since it does delve deeper into HIP but it can be a worthy set if you want a good HIP set.
4743390
As one of the persons who is quoted by Maurice Osborn as a promotor of his book I find it necessary to add the following statement: Neither FIGU nor I (as a FIGU member) do promote his book, because it is based on a non-authorized translation from a non-corrected old version of the Contact Notes. Nevertheless, I think that the book is interesting reading stuff to many people because there is still only a tiny fragment of Billy Meier's and FIGU's texts available in English. However, the readers must be aware of the fact that Maurice Osborn's summary of Wendelle Stevens' "Message from the Pleiades" books has not been checked regarding its accordance with the information from the revised new German edition of the Contact Notes which have been and still are being published as "Plejadisch-plejarische Kontaktgespr&auml;che" (up to now more than 4500 pages). Therefore, it can be said that certain passages of "The Essence of the Notes" quite probably will not correspond with the actual information conveyed to us by the Pleiadians/Plejaren and Billy Meier. Interested persons may find additional information here: [...]

Christian Frehner, FIGU Switzerland
2687026
This appears to be a reissue so I have copied my review from the first release.

As Luisa Tetrazzini said "either ya gott-a da voice or ya don't gott-a da voice" Varnay had-a da voice. The only regret I have is that this performance takes cuts, as almost all do but it would have been great to hear Varnay sing the whole "Was bluten muss?" Does anyone out there know if Varnay every did a studio recording of Elektra, if so I would really like to have a copy. Rysnaek is young here and sounds like a younger sister and already has the part all sewed up. I heard the Solti recording first and listened to it a hundred times before trying other conductors and Kraus does have a different take on the music than Solti but I now find it is interesting to hear different versions. One of the main parts I listen for is the end of "Was bluten muss?" where Elektra sings "der jauchtz" most singers disappear into the orchasrta here, only Nilsson and Varnay can be distinctly heard.
453927
Walter was a genius who, at this very late stage in his career, inspired admiration and love from what was largely a pick-up orchestra of some of the most talented musicians in California in mid-twentieth century.  Recording quality and production was excellent.  There are many recordings of the First and the Variations, and most are good if undistinguished, with the musicians laying down a track of music that they have played dozens upon dozens of times.  This is not one of those recordings; my understanding is that the musicians on this recording had been hand-picked.  They knew that Walter was old...very old...and they wanted to give him their best.  They did just that.  The woodwind tutti playing is phenomenal, and the brass (particularly the horn section) is similarly outstanding, as are the solo violin lines. I wish there was a listing of the first desk players in the orchestra; I have tried in vain to find such a list.  I put this one up there (and maybe above) the legendary Brahms recordings that Szell did with Cleveland at roughly the same time period.