The classical music thread

Yes, indeed, I think that’s the best one to get.

It’s probably the fullest, and it’s useful that it included LPs and CDs. (It also had cassettes, but they can’t be played back on a Naim player, so we don’t need to concern ourselves with them.)

I only use it for LPs as I don’t collect CDs. I have maybe a few hundred CDs that I ever acquired.

Listening to Beethoven’s last piano trios, by the Wanderer Trio, on CD. Never really enjoyed this, as in particular the piano as recorded lacks clarity in the upper octaves, which robs the performance of some personality. The new Sabrinas are still breaking in and their sound is still evolving but can’t do much to improve the experience.

As a performance, Trio Wanderer are characteristically fast. Their readings stay a bit on the superficial side for my taste, but overall to be preferred to the coziness of the Beaux Arts Trio.

I’m still looking for a really good modern performance / recording of the trio’s. My current favourites are individual discs by Trio Goya, Isabelle Faust and friends, and the Hamlet Piano Trio - all on period instruments.

Cheers
EJ

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It’s not music that I know at all, and I think that I have heard most of Beethoven’s music.

Hi Graham - overall, I don’t hold the trios amongst Beethoven’s best music, but a really good performance can still stir the soul. I’ve switched listening to this:

A wonderful disc, which gives the sense of the performers encouraging one another to give their best. What helps perhaps is that yesterday’s more modest pianos allow Melnikov to be placed closer to his colleagues.

Cheers
EJ

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Plus his first recording of the etudes, also for EMI, later reissued on Testament.

Thank you @anon70766008 for the suggestion of this recording.
It arrived this morning and is playing now.
Sounds so much warmer and symphonic on Vinyl than it did streamed, when I first listened and decided to buy it.
Immaculate copy, never played or even opened.
WONDERFUL!:blush:

Strangely enough, I like Beethoven’s piano trios. Two other recordings I have (and like) are by the Sitkovetsky and the van Baerle trios.


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You’re right, I had forgotten about that. I might see if I can find a copy. I have virtually all other of his recordings.

Im pleased that you’re enjoying the set - on his day, and particularly early in his career, Karajan was pretty unbeatable.

But, if I didn’t say before, you should supplement it with Carlos Kleiber’s Vienna PO recording of the Fourth.

I generally don’t buy those large collection boxes with hundreds of CDs but I did make an exception for DG’s in hindsight rather premature Pollini ‘complete recordings on DG’. Had to separately add the discs that came afterwards :slight_smile:

EJ

Yes, you did. I will look into Kleiber’s back catalogue on Qobuz in the New Year and purchase those that appeal😊

These get a lot of plays in my neck of the woods… :slightly_smiling_face:

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I stopped being that impressed with this recording of Petrushka when I bought the CD to replace the vinyl. I could hear multiple bad edits in the recording that were masked by the less revealing LP.

Isabelle Faust is generally a safe bet — a wonderful musician.

I was lucky enough to see Pollini in the Royal Festival Hall on a few occasions when he was at the height of his powers, and I can assure you that his playing was superb - whatever his engineers were getting up to in the recording studios.

As I have said, he and Claudio Abbado were great friends and often appeared together. I remember in particular a wonderful performance of Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto.

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You had already some good recommendations with Isabelle Faust and Van Baerle Trio…., can I suggest also the Smetana Trio…., a good choice as well…

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Sorry for using two posts for this while I could have done it with one as well. Also this trio recordings are recommended from my view….

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Re the Penguin Guide, being a vinyl lover, I tracked down a copy of the 1982 edition, primarily because it’s the last one (I think) that doesn’t review CDs. The preface mentions this new invention called the Compact Digital Disc, which reads a bit like a Tomorrow’s World segment. To their credit, they also say, in effect, “well and good, let’s wait and see if this lives up to the hype.”

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That would make sense, as the first CDs (from Japan?) hit our shores in 1984.