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Was about to pull the trigger on the famous Mercury Starker Bach Sonatas but stopped short: he's never really engaged me. Same issue with Fournier and Casals. My favorite set thus far, the one that always gets my foot tapping, is Kirshbaum's on Virgin.Watkin was lead Cello in Gardiner's Romantic and Revolutionary Orchestra and was also a member of the Eroica Quartet. His release of the Bach Cello Suites, on the Resonance label, has been met with rave reviews. I don't think I could find one negative.
I do indeed like the sound of his Cello, and the myriad colors and textures it can produce. Watkin's articulation and dynamics give even the opening Prelude of Suite 1 an almost symphonic feel; Bach's polyphony remains clear at all times. I'm glad I investigated and so impressed by the label that I may try their Mendelssohn Octet right away.
Karajan's and Rosty's Cello Concerto is an old friend, and the one upon which I imprinted. I've not yet heard another team capture the "inward" spirit of the music better: from the touching cello and flute dialog in mov't 1, to the billowing last measures of mov't 2, to the quiet section that precedes the finale in mov't 3. If you like Szell's more rugged and expedient approach, (Casals, Fournier), that's great. Good so much variety out there.
This Dvorak is my first 96/24 download from Universal/DGG. Is it better than the CD? Goodness, yes! And for a little over $6. The tutti strings are a touch harsh at times, but they were on the Lp as well. That said, my hat off to Universal.
Finally, Vaughan William's "Six Studies in English Folksong," for Cello and Piano, in DSD FWIW. Mundane title, gorgeous music. (Try #4 lento.Link below) A little breezy compared to Hugh Bean on EMI, but in any case, Audiophiles will be in tears.
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Edits: 09/25/16Follow Ups:
I'm a bass player, and in music college had to go through the purgatory of playing parts of the Bach suites on bass. Believe me, this is not something that delicately tuned musical ears want to be hearing..... kind of ruined the cello for me in those. I much prefer the violin partitas/sonatas anyway.I imprinted on Dvorak with Ludwig Hoelscher and Kielberth. Fine performance in good stereo sound for the period. Well worth a listen. In fact I'm listening to it now and really enjoying it - it has survived the test of time. Big noble cello sound and good orchestral playing.
Edits: 09/27/16
Telefunkin tapes?
Who knows, $100 to find out or...
Stream it via QOBUZ which I plan to do later today.
the track.
I'm a big fan of the 1st and 2nd Symphony, esp. the 2nd, the last movt of which hangs together better than anyone's, as far as I've heard. And of course who can't love the VPO strings in the grand melodies of #1?
They also have Beatrice Rana's well-received Prokofiev 2nd in hi rez when the usual suspects--Presto and eClassical-- didn't. Gotta be a smart shopper these days.
Will be downloading the Sibelius soon.
is available for streaming at 16/44.1 if you can figure a way to sign up (I pay in Euros by PayPal and list myself as being in France where we have a place we used to live for about a month or two every year).
I can't prove it but, all other things being equal, I think QOBUZ sounds better than TIDAL A-B testing they sound the same but for some reason I prefer to listen to the QOBUZ stream over the TIDAL stream for the same piece of music.
Strange.
So far, I'm liking the Bach Suites with Isang Enders on Berlin Classics. Great sound and a thoughtful performance. Too bad about the LP surfaces.Edit: Wow, I know the pianist in your video clip. Very fine.
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
Edits: 09/26/16
I find Piatigosky compelling. Hugely famous in his time and married into the Rothschilds. Good chess player like his wife.
Any more fans here?
Gonna be a busy day what with the Living Stereo SACD re-issue being up for streaming at 176kHz 24-bit on ClassicalOnlineHD.
Living Stereo SACD is almost free on Amazon, so '1-click' did it!
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It seems that in his later recordings (Dvorak Concerto with Munch, Brahms Double Concerto with Hefetz and Wallenstein), Piatigorsky couldn't seem to find the center of the pitch in many cases.
One recording of the Dvorak I'm about to order is the Thauer/Kosler/CzPO album on DG. Anja Thauer was a babe cellist from the past who no doubt would have been a rival to Jackie. Tragically, she committed suicide at the age of 28. The performance is (mostly) available on uTube, and, although I don't generally trust uTube SQ, there's enough there so that you can tell that Kosler, typically, did not enforce accurate rhythmic subdivisions of the dotted rhythms in the first few seconds or so. I'm still interested in hearing the performance to see what Thauer did with the solo part, so I'll order a copy.
BTW, there's a connection to Andy's post about Ludwig Hoelscher's recording of the Dvorak: at the age of 14, Thauer studied with Hoelscher for a year before she left Germany and entered the Paris Conservatory to study with Andre Navarra.
YEs?
In Brusilow's book "Shoot the Conductor," he has Piatigorsky saying he wouldn't play chess with his wife because she always beat him.
Yes, I'm a fan, but his recording of the Dvorak concerto with Munch doesn't show him at his best.
Is there another recording of the Dvorak with Piatigorsky apart from the Munch?There are some other fine recordings of the Dvorak:
Rose/Philadelphia/Ormandy - very satisfying
Feuermann/Berlin State Opera Orch/Taube - glorious, from 1929, though he does rush ahead in places
Navarra/Schwarz 1954 - not the greatest sound but excellent playing
Janigro/Vienna State Opera/Dixon 1953 - this one has some eccentric tempi in places, but also some really good playing from Janigro. It's well worth a listen on YT - quite compelling in its way. It's a lot more relaxed and spacious than the Kleiber
Janigro/Koln Radio Orch/Erich Kleiber live 1955 - I like Janigro in this work!
Edits: 09/27/16
There is another recording of the Dvorak concerto with Piatigorsky: with Ormandy and Philly (1946). Here's that recording on youtube in muffled sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQOKqN--DP8
My favorite recordings are broadcasts with Rostropovich that are very hard to find:
--with Leinsdorf Cleveland Orch, 1972, a white-hot reading that easily betters the Rostropvich/Karajan version.
--with Kondrashin/RCO, 1977--a notch below the 1972 version in intensity, but with much better sound.
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