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January 9, 2008
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Once again Szell and the Cleveland work their magic, and the result is spirited and emotionally involving Schumann. I have just a small nit to pick with the performance of the Second Symphony's adagio, one of the most beautiful in the entire symphonic repertoire: I have heard it played slightly ... more |
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January 9, 2008
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Szell and the Cleveland produced a lot of beautiful music, and this is no exception. These performances are ideal interpretations, and the orchestra is faultless. However, the old CBS recordings are brittle, with very little air and quite a lot of harshness in the upper registers of the strings. No ... more |
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October 25, 2007
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This has long been a favorite performance of me and many critics. Davis is certainly in touch with the spirit of Berlioz, and, with this piece, he wrings every bit of emotion out of it, from dark humor to sheer terror and despair. Every element of an ideal performance seems to be in place: perfect ... more |
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September 30, 2007
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Heifetz seems as though he can hardly wait to get these performances over with. I guess a lot of people believe that fast playing is great playing, but I find them rushed to the point of spoiling this great music. Sure, Heifetz is technically marvelous, articulating all the notes perfectly, but he ... more |
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September 30, 2007
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These are excellent performances, and I really wanted to like this disc. However, there is a very low frequency content on many of the tracks, and, during quiet sections of music, it is very prominent and completely ruins my enjoyment of the music. I don't mind tape hiss at all, but this rumbling is ... more |
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