review33.com: 影音天地: What are you listening to? ( classical music)

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[#4051] Karajan's new years concert Thanks to the recent sale of Karajan's recording, I am able to get some rare recording by Karajan at a resonable price. Listened to Karajan's New year's concert 1987 last night, the string of Vienna philharmonic was the most silky I have ever heard of. Under the baton of Karajan, Vienna philharmonic was better than ever, I was especially impressed by the beautiful strings in slow movement of the `Blue Danube'. Compare with the new year's concerto lead by Carlos Kleiber two years later was most interesting, Kleiber was more energetic and hard driven when compared with Karajan. The warm acoustic of Musikverein Golden Hall was captured most vividly by DG.		chankaiming 正式會員 220.xxx.xxx.69	2008-05-05 12:07

[#4052] Shostakovich, Schnittke Cello Sonata
Just got a box set of Shostakovich complete symphonies by Russian conductors directing Russian orchestra. Listened to his Symphony no.1 played by Kyril Kondrashin and Moscow Philharmonic. Shostakovich composed this symphony when he was 19 and it was this work that made him famous.Though relatively young, he showed exceptional talent and maturity, and
his style had already established. Playing by K.K. and Moscow Phil. cannot be faulted. there is drama, intensity and passion that made this recording attractive, besides, the recording quality is surprisingly good for a Melodya production.

kh33

正式會員
219.xxx.xxx.233

2008-05-05 12:22

[#4053] Shostakovich, Schnittke Cello Sonata
A must for every shostakovich's symphonies lovers, comment given by a music fan in Amazon:

Aulos
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Kyrill Kondrashin was principal conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1960 to 1975. A friend of the composer for 40 years, he saw him as "the moral conscience of music in Russia" and made a close study of his symphonies, which he insisted were "inseparable from the events of the composer's life". Formerly available on Le Chant du Monde and now reissued on Melodiya, Kondrashin's cycle offers a vital insight into Shostakovich's world.

Symphonies Nos. 1 and 12 [Melodiya 7432119848-2] **(*)
Russian productions are often oddly balanced and the giant clarinet that leaps out at the listener at the beginning of Kondrashin's 1973 recording of the First is typical - although none of these discs suffers from the spotlighting inflicted on Rozhdestvensky's Olympia series. Fortunately, Kondrashin's fader-aided soloists are always characterful, his general line being, where necessary, to trade beauty of tone for dramatic expression. Within these parameters, his First is one of the best, the finest current alternative being Bernstein [Sony SMK 47614]. While some conductors try to impose sincerity on its ambiguous Adagio, no version of the Twelfth attempts much in the way of unusual interpretation. Kondrashin drives the fast music as furiously as Mravinsky on Praga [PR 054217]; it's a toss-up as to which is top of the list. (Ignore recommendations for Ogan Durjan's Philips version, which squares the rhythms and falls flat in the Adagio).

Symphonies Nos. 2 and 14 [Melodiya 7432119844-2] **
Kondrashin's remains the sharpest Second, with more impulse and closer detail than his rivals. Igor Blazhkov's l965 premiere recording [Russian Disc RDCD 11195] moves as propulsively, but is comparatively prosaic. The securest Fourteenth is still Barshai's 1970 studio version, currently unavailable. Surpassing it in intensity, although roughly recorded and slightly blemished in accuracy, is the same conductor's superb live version with Vishnevskaya from 1969 [Russian Disc RDCD 11192]. Kondrashin comes in a fair third, his main attraction being the dramatic bass of Yevgeny Nesterenko.

Symphonies Nos. 3 and 5 [Melodiya 7432119845-2] *(*)
Kondrashin's Shostakovich is marked by rapid tempos and his Third Symphony drives the fast passages hard. Fortunately he is sensitive to the ominous mood of the slower music, and his recording is the best of a field which otherwise offers only Rostropovich [Teldec 4509-90853-2] as competition. Kondrashin's Fifth, though, is rather too impulsive, thwarting penetration and preventing atmosphere. In this symphony, Ancerl and the Czech Philharmonic [Supraphon 1110676-2] ideally combine clarity and passion, while Rozhdestvensky [Olympia OCD 113] is, theatrically, in a class of his own.

Symphony No. 4 [Melodiya 7432119840-2] ***
No need to hesitate. This premi鋨e recording is a historic document - an untamed masterpiece resurrected after 26 years of suspended animation in a blazing performance unmatched since it was made in 1962.

Symphonies Nos. 6 and 10 [Melodiya 7432119847-2] *(*)
Kondrashin's Sixth is controversial. Stressing its anger and tension, his Largo is far from the gloomy icescape favoured by his slow-moving Western rivals. If Mravinsky is definitive here, Kondrashin beats him in the fast movements, revealing their irony by pushing them less frantically. Mravinsky's l965 recording is deleted, though a fair facsimile, made in Czechoslovakia in 1955, is available [Praga PR 254017]. Kondrashin's live 1968 version with the Concertgebouw ([Philips 438283-2], coupled with Nielsen's Fifth) intensifies the tempo traits of his studio date. Perhaps because of his anxiety to reproduce every nuance of the score (he is almost alone in stressing the squeezed crescendos in the scherzo), Kondrashin's deeply engaged Tenth lacks his usual spontaneity, though it's well worth studying. Mravinsky's 1954 mono version [Saga EC3366-2] is uniquely masterful, while Skrowaczewski [IMP Classics PCD 2043] leads the digital field.

Symphony No. 7 [Melodiya 7432119839-2] ***
For Kondrashin, Shostakovich s music was "essentially about the struggle against fascism - that eternal evil which, though it may change its name, seems indestructible, sustained by the impulses of brutality". By this, he meant not just Nazism but also Stalinism and similar political abominations. "One can no more ignore this background in the Seventh and Eighth symphonies," he insisted, "than one can overlook the programme of Tchaikovsky's Fourth." The last of his cycle to be recorded (in 1975), Kondrashin's Seventh is a sombre, introspective performance in which the pointedly faux naif voice of the yurodivy features strongly - a real experience rather than a showpiece or pseudo-tragedy. The best CD Seventh is Karel Ancerl's 1959 studio version [Supraphon 111952-2] - though the disc's ambience lacks the immediacy of the original LPs. Kondrashin's is a thoughtful and illuminating second choice: the best Russian Seventh.

Symphony No. 8 [Melodiya 7432119841-2] ***
This is quintessentially one of Mravinsky's symphonies; of his three versions, only the 1982 one [Philips 422442-2] is currently available. From 1961, Kondrashin's studio recording of the Eighth was the first in his cycle and remains among the finest of the alternatives. An angry - and very fast - live performance, taped in Prague in 1969, is available on Praga [PR 250040].

Symphonies Nos. 9 and 15 [Melodiya 7432119846-2] **(*)
Kondrashin "owns" the Ninth almost as much as the Fourth and Thirteenth, each of which he premiered. His studio reading of 1965 is a classic, while his live version with the Concertgebouw - his conception virtually identical after 15 years - is only slightly less tight and incisive, for which a more rounded sound and an outstanding bassoonist readily compensate [Philips 438284-2]. These are the best Ninths on disc. (Avoid Istvan Kurtz's often-praised version which fatally distorts the second movement.) Probably charged by his father's presence, Maxim Shostakovich's 1972 premi鋨e recording of the Fifteenth remains top choice and his finest 45 minutes. Sadly, it's deleted. Kondrashin doesn't match Maxim in the first Adagio's climax and pushes the first Allegretto to the limit of articulation. The rest, while very good, lacks his usual compelling quality, as if he hadn't completed his inner picture of what it meant.

Symphony No. 11 [Melodiya 7432119843-2] **(*)
Kondrashin believed the Eleventh and Twelfth were "associative as well as illustrative; that is, they throw out a bridge between historical events and the present". By "the present", he meant things happening around the time they were composed - in the case of the Eleventh, the Soviet repression of the Hungarian Revolution and the (ironically, simultaneous) release of millions of political prisoners from the Gulag. His Eleventh - very fast - comes third behind Mravinsky's great 1960 studio version (Melodiya, deleted) and the same conductor's live 1967 date in Prague [Praga PR 254018].

Symphony No. 13 [Melodiya 7432119842-2] ***
Like his Fourth, Kondrashin's 1967 version of Shostakovich's first openly dissident symphony remains unequalled, although his live 1962 recording [Russian Disc RDCD 11191] runs it close. His 1980 performance with John Shirley-Quirk (Philips, deleted) is of lower intensity but offers better sound.

*** = worth buying, ** = worth trying, * = completists only

http://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-complete-Symphonies-Kirill-Kondrashin/dp/B00094H7KS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1209961298&sr=1-1

george1977

正式會員
220.xxx.xxx.11

2008-05-05 12:28

[#4054] Shostakovich, Schnittke Cello Sonata
Just got a box set of Shostakovich complete symphonies by Russian conductors directing Russian orchestra.
___________________________________________________________

kh,

A LP box set? Any CD box set available?

Sokps

正式會員
218.xxx.xxx.193

2008-05-05 12:58

[#4055] Russian
hi doctorjohn,

According to DG's news online, it seems so far that the album is an 'isolated' gem in its catelogue. Perhaps it'd buy other sources/ copyrights of great pieces and issue them in good quality.

I do look forward to hearing the 3 Russian giants play Russian chamber music.

wal

正式會員
202.xxx.xxx.5

2008-05-05 14:28

[#4056] Russian
sokps,

Mine is the lp box set. I'm sure there is a CD set as posted by george a review from Amazon. These symphonies, when played through your full Cellosystem, will be spectacular. Not to be missed. Another set of demonstration quality is the string quartets of Shostakovich played by Borodin Quartet.

George, Thanks for the clips from amazon. I only had time to listen to 1st sym. and it's worth the money.Kondrashin is a much under-rated conductor and of all the Russian Maestro, I like him most.

kh33

正式會員
219.xxx.xxx.3

2008-05-05 20:29

[#4057] Russian
My incomplete Shostakovich Symphony boxset.
Symphony No.6 and No.8 were recorded in 1967; No.7 in 1975.

erictang

正式會員
203.xxx.xxx.162

2008-05-06 00:24

[#4058] Melodiya

Interestingly, we read here about the "usually poor" recording of Melodiya. That is as much nonsense as truth.

There is no doubt the sound quality of Melodiya varies all over the place, but it has its fair share of excellent sounding recordings. Over the years, as a fan of Russian music and musicians I have collected a large number of Angel/Melodiya LPs and Russian Melodiya LPs. Also during Shun Cheong's liquidation of Melodiya CDs many years ago I bought a crateful of them (still haven't finished listening to them!). Actually almost ALL of the chamber music recordings, not just the Borodin's, sound very good. The orchestral recordings, due to hall variations, vary a lot in sound quality, but many are good too. I have to say the Russian LP pressings sometimes are not the best. It's not at all always that LP is superior to a good CD transfer, especially with Melodiya.

This Rozhdestvensky LP is much coveted by audiophiles. Actually many Melodiya recordings of Rozhdestvensky (as well as Bolshoi) sound as good.

The Kondrashin recordings are justly or unjustly famous for being the first cycle. They are also quite famous for their mediocre sound, nothing to write home about. No reason to spend big bucks for them. As for the performances, like many other cycles, they are quite uneven. Sonically, and musically as well, I'd rather listen to a modern cycle, be it Haitink, Barshai, Ashkenazy or Jansons.

doctorjohn

正式會員
61.xxx.xxx.221

2008-05-06 07:50

[#4059] Melodiya

Borrow a photo for the famous Melodiya.

doctorjohn

正式會員
211.xxx.xxx.9

2008-05-06 07:51

[#4060] Melodiya
Doctorjohn,

As per my previously limited listening experience, Melodiya sounds best with the recordings of chamber works, piano, violin and string orchestral works, but the recordings of big-scaled orchestral works sound a bit edgy and audibly suppressed, the best example would be Kondrashin conducting Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra to play Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6 and Prokofiev "Romeo & Juilet" Overture, although texture and intensity are great.

My personal favourite for Melodiya will be those gem recordings made by Borodin Quartet which played the chamber works of Haydn, Ravel, Debussy, Shostakovich, Borodin and Tchaikovsky. Especially the following boxset of complete string quartet cycle of shostakovich, still immaculate and unrivaled in terms of sonic quality and artistic value.

MEL CD 1001077

george1977

正式會員
218.xxx.xxx.170

2008-05-06 20:45

[#4061] Russian
kh33 & sokps,

The CD boxset I posted was reissued by Aulos Classics (Korean brand) and a bit cheaper than the original reissue of Melodiya, also Aulos adopts a DSD digital transfer but I have not heard nor compared.

A must buy for all shostakovich symphonies lovers!
George1977

george1977

正式會員
218.xxx.xxx.170

2008-05-06 21:35

[#4062] Russian
Thanks george!

Sokps

正式會員
218.xxx.xxx.193

2008-05-06 21:56

[#4063] Russian
An excerpt from Gramophone Good CD Guide 2000 (P.901) about the Symphony No. 9 & 15 played by Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Kyrill Kondrashin:

"After Mravinsky's politically motivated refusal to undertake the premiere of the Thirteenth in 1962, Shostakovich found a stalwart interpreter in Kyrill Kondrashin. Shostakovich recordings don't come any more authentic than this. Objectively speaking, the playing of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra is not uniformly distinguished. Kondrashin can be startlingly brisk, the panache and brilliance hardening into mannerism. The transfers are no more than serviceable and the badly translated accompanying notes are untrustworthy at best. That said, here is unbeatable music-making, and these are arguably among Kondrashin's greatest recordings. The classic Ninth (from 1965) is conveniently paired with a superbly vivid Fifteenth (from 1974), generally hard-driven a la Mravinsky but far more convincingly poised. The first movement goes at a frightening lick, deserting the toy shop for the asylum, the slow movement lacks only the very last ounce of desolation and the finale, always intelligently conceived, is suitably emotive at the close. The sound has immediacy and just enough depth. Though of earlier vintage, the Ninth enjoys a more generous acoustic,the tape a little prone to distortion at moments of stress (which for Kondrashin come more often than usual). Both interpretations have a tonal weight and sarcastic intent which cannot fail to shock the uninitiated.

To sum up: he finds in these scores an unrivalled degree of dramatic tension, bringing to the surface raw emotions that more smoothly executed Western accounts play down. We may be impressed by the diligent literalness and sobriety of Haitink, but to what extent should we worry if he illuminates aspects of the music the composer himself thought unimportant? It isn't simply a matter of "authentic" orchestral timbre . Kondrashin's versions document a very special kind of insight.

The following boxset is an reissue of Melodiya, however still unavailable!

george1977

正式會員
218.xxx.xxx.170

2008-05-06 22:39

[#4064] Russian
a review has been fervently written by me in any classical fans thread, I just could not figure out why this muscially charming and intensive reading has been deleted from the online melodiya catalogue. Grab it immediately if you see it.

Rostropovich simply sings along with the melody with effortless poetry and infinite introspection, a kind of transcendental and mesmerizing listening journey, sound quality remains fresh and lifelike from start to finish.

Unreservedly recommended!

george1977

正式會員
218.xxx.xxx.170

2008-05-06 22:55

[#4065] Russian
Apart from Kodaly Quartet's famous reading in Naxos, the following CD is also indispensable infused with profoundness and inevitability!

george1977

正式會員
218.xxx.xxx.170

2008-05-06 22:59

[#4066] Russian
Earlier account for Rostropovich playing Tchaikovsky Rococo Varaition and String Septet with the earlier Borodin Quartet, still available in the following online shop:

http://www.russianDVD.com

george1977

正式會員
218.xxx.xxx.170

2008-05-06 23:11

[#4067] Tchaikovsky: Sextet "Souvenir de Florence"

erictang

正式會員
203.xxx.xxx.162

2008-05-07 00:01

[#4068] Tchaikovsky: Sextet "Souvenir de Florence"

Thanks george for the russiandvd link. I was surprised when I saw their phone area code is (718), which means it's in NYC, either Brooklyn or Queens! Price is expensive though.

The Borodin discography is confusing to say the least. Even their own website does not have some of the Melodiya CDs:

http://www.borodinquartet.com/discog.php?sort=desc&pageno=1

george, if I read you correctly, the sextet version you said was removed from website is the earliest one, with Dubinsky as leader? If so, it could have come into conflict with this Chandos release. The Chandos does say it has copyright. You know how these things are with the Russians. As the Chandos is available and Rostropovich's Roccoco can be had in other better sounding iterations, the situation is good.

doctorjohn

正式會員
211.xxx.xxx.5

2008-05-07 08:23

[#4069] Tchaikovsky: Sextet "Souvenir de Florence"

Pardon me, I read george wrong. The Chandos release is the same one as the Melodiya still available.

However, the deletion lamented by george may not be a real deletion, as it is likely the same performance in this 2-CD set by the Kopelman led Borodin:

http://www.russiandvd.com/store/product.asp?sku=43276&genreid=

This is likely a more essential buy, as the coupling is better and Rostropovich's Roccoco can be had in other versions.

doctorjohn

正式會員
211.xxx.xxx.3

2008-05-07 08:31

[#4070] Tchaikovsky: Sextet "Souvenir de Florence"

A review of the Chandos release:

http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/c/cha09871a.html

These quartets (don't remember whether the sextet is included) were once on a cheap Columbia Oddysey 2-LP set too, which is what I have. You can probably buy that set second-hand cheaper than what Melodiya asks for the CDs.

The Kopelman-led second version used to be on EMI, coupled also with the 3 quartets. I have that box, but it looks like it has been deleted.

Even the Teldec version may be difficult to find!

One day it'd be great if we can sit down and compare the various incarnations of the Borodin quartet.