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February 10, 2005
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This recording of Wagner's Tannhäuser (Dresden version) was released on CD only a couple of years ago (at a bargain price). While the conductor is relatively unknown (he was Karajan's assistant in a number of projects), the cast is very strong, and the same can be said for orchestra and chorus. ... more |
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January 31, 2005
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There are only a few good recordings of Bruckner's Fifth around (Klemperer, Jochum-EMI, Wand), and this is surely not one of them. Karajan once remarked that it had taken him over 20 years to develop a feeling for the pulse of Bruckner's music. This is absolutely essential to build suspense and keep ... more |
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January 19, 2005
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Deutsche Gramophon has set a completely new standard for live recordings from the Musikvereinssaal in Vienna. I was never quite satisfied with recordings of the New Year's Concert regardless of the label. The sound was never as open, natural and spacious as I would have liked it to be. But this ... more |
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January 16, 2005
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A magnificent recording in every way. Both interpretatively and sonically, this barnstorming performance can stand comparison even with the legendary account of Byron Janis in the Mercury Living Presence series. The outer movements of both concertos, especially the Third, are apt to sweep you off ... more |
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January 16, 2005
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Eugen Jochum was clearly one of the great Brucknerians and his authority is not in doubt, but he is let down here by rather poor acoustics (the recording was made in a church). In the redbook version the sound was constrained and harsh, i.e. hardly acceptable. Now there is a greater sense of space ... more |
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