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Can anyone recommend a good version of Lieutenant Kijé suite? Whats your favorite.
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Both of them left fine recorded performances in good sound (yes, this is one of the few Szell/Cleveland performances that has excellent recorded sound).
I like Slatkin's, too, except that I can't stand his bass baritone.
I've liked the Abbado/CSO DG recording since first acquiring it on LP in the late 1970s. Originally coupled with the Scythian Suite on vinyl, and the DG Originals CD throws in Alexander Nevsky for good measure. If you can get past the aggressive multi-miking, there's plenty of color and drama on offer.
I have to say that that's a pretty big stumbling block for me. ;-)
Seriously, though, I feel your pain. I remember a reviewer in High Fidelity describing the typical DG house sound as "multiple mono." I think we can all relate to that description. But the way Abbado tears into the music still appeals to me, sonic compromises notwithstanding. I still prefer him to Reiner, not for sonics, but for performance.
I was pleasantly surprised he was good with the CSO, it is one of my fave along with Reiner/CSO.
Agreed.
Jim
http://jimtranr.com
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I have that cycle but I confess I haven't listened to it recently. But I recall enjoying the sonics and the performances a great deal. I'll revisit them this week and get back to you. I remember that I preferred Janowski to Bychkov on Avie. I kept the former and got rid of the latter.
I haven't heard the Litton multi-channel performance on the BIS label yet (which I suspect I'd probably prefer most of all), but one of the standard recommendations for this work is the Reiner/CSO recording. I agree that it's a great recording, especially as heard via its Classic Records SACD incarnation:
Another excellent recording that's probably "under the radar" for many listeners is the Fedoseyev recording on the Exton label:
Truth be told, I haven't heard a recording of Lieutenant Kije that I don't like - heck, I even like the Ozawa/BPO version!
Surprised to see you recommending Fedoseyev for *any* recording. His style is amazingly aggressive pointing with a large amount of pulling of tempi. I have too many of his takes on Russian warhorses and have been totally put off by his approach.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
Complete Glazunov Symphonies, lots of good stuff on the Canyon label (and very well recorded too). Yes, in a way, he reminds me of Stokowski in his unpredictable tempos - I haven't noticed the gear shifts so much however. Whatever. He's never less than a very interesting conductor.
I know you're suspicious of Fedoseyev because he made both DVD and CD cycles of the Tchaikovsky Concertos with Pletnev. ;-)
Actually, I'm suspicious of Fedoseyev because I've heard enough of him to last a lifetime. I've got his Prokofiev 5th, his Glazunov 5th, and R-K's Sheherazade by him with two different orchestras. Also his two recordings of Taneyev's 2nd with different orchestras and John of Damascus. (As you assume correctly, I missed his Tchaikovsky.)
I am not averse to conductors creatively interpreting music. I'm not obsessed with the score, tempo markings or interpretive flexibility. I just have not liked Fedoseyev's interventions. I don't find his particular decisions enjoyable. His Glazunov 5 and Sheherazade are really not competitive with other recordings at all in my collection.
And BTW, I love Stokowski's Sheherazade on Decca/London Phase 4. I had to buy a second pristine LP a few years ago because I was concerned about wearing out my original copy.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
One of the first CD's I got was Fedoseyev's performance on JVC directly from Japan - I thought it was very exciting. His Canyon performance was more restrained, but the SQ was even better I thought. Strangely enough, the Stokowski performance on Phase-4 was one that didn't appeal to me at all because of the orchestration uh. . . "touchups" - although as usual, I admire Stokowski's audacity in re-orchestrating perhaps the most notable work of a composer celebrated for his orchestration! And although the SQ is pretty restrained as Phase-4 recordings go, it's still. . . Phase-4! ;-)
As for the Glazunov Fifth, my favorite is the Sinaisky recording, which I believe originally came free with BBC Music Magazine but which later became available in its 24/96 (2-channel) incarnation via The Classical Shop and is the incarnation I have. Fedoseyev not competitive? Well, I'll listen again, but that sure wasn't my first impression.
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"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
Yes, I like this performance on LP.
I heard this conductor/orchestra perform in concert. They didn't play Sheherazade. They played Rachmaninoff's 1st Symphony. Now THAT was a performance to behold. This symphony is so rarely played in concert, the 2nd being much more familiar. And this orchestra got it right (unlike the few other live performances I've seen).
The Kogan Rach Symphony No. 1 is available on CD, but the performance does not have the spontaneity and sheer visceral drive of the live performance I attended. I seem to remember that this recording may have had a life on LP, which could have been better audio than the CD, but I've never seen it.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
He had a great following in Utah while Principal Guest Conductor (assistant conductor, if you will, to a not-very-inspiring Principal in Keith Lockhart)
Lockhart and the Orchestra players new full well who the better conductor was and Anne Ewers, Utah Symphony and Opera CEO, was all about saving money as she ran both organizations (into the ground) and was in charge of finances for both.
What a huge loss!
A little overload in the bass drum though.
My surprise favorite is Boult, (I know), with the Paris Conservatory Orchestra, (I know), recorded in "experimental" stereo by Decca in '54/'55, (I know).
Stunning, uncanny sound at times and very spirited playing.
On vinyl, it can be found on the B side of Decca's "World of Classics" Ansermet Pictures at an Exhibition. It's also available on CD.
Played the damned thing so many times in rehearsals, let alone concerts from Jr. High through Community Orchestras the opening bars make me nauseous. I even made my high school director let me play the Tuba part once; didn't help.
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I have a CD with Boult and the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra on London Weekend Classics. The copyright is given as 1964. The sound is great.I also have it on CD with Dutoit and the MSO, coupled with the a wonderful recording of the Alexander Nevsky cantata.
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"A fool and his money are soon parted." --- Thomas Tusser
Edits: 09/20/16
to the Analogue Productions reissue on--waitaminnit, you guys have given up on that format...
I don't hear overload. Reverberant bass (and do I love the boom!! boom!!), yes...but no audible sign of overtaxing stress.
Now if Abbado had recorded Kije on Decca as he did the [recycled Flaming Angel ] Third Symphony, we might have a real horserace.
Jim
http://jimtranr.com
It turns out I have the JVC XRCD incarnation and not the Classic Records SACD. (Sometimes it's hard to keep these multiple incarnations straight, because, in some cases, I've got more than one myself!) Anyway, during the first track, the sound possibly loses a bit of clarity in the bass drum sections, but I don't think it rises to the level of actual overload distortion, where one actually hears a distinct distortion component. (I listened twice through my Stax headphones.) FWIW, YMMV, and all that.
You do like those splashy special effects, don't you? Malcolm Sargent and the LSO on Everest is good -- of course, we're both giving up on LPs! ;-)
I've never noticed a problem with the bass drum on the Reiner Lieutenant Kije however - I'll try to re-listen later today though and report back! ;-)
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