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In case I never get around to a full review of this, let me say I recommend it!
I recommend it with reservations, but yes, I do recommend it. First what is right about it: THE SOUND!
Oh perhaps the cymbals are a little excessive, but then, given that I do not find the Eschebach Bartok in any way clouded or dull, I may have a different high frequency reference than some of you - I may need to "temper" the intensity of my highs by placement of some absorptive material on the wall behind my dipole tweeters, there may just be too much high frequency energy bouncing around my listening room at times. Of course at other times....
The sound on this disc has a clarity and beauty during string, brass and woodwind passages that is simply excellent. The percussion (apart from what I said about cymbals) is exemplary. The bass is powerful and clear, very well recorded.
What are my reservations? I won't call this a lacklustre performance but it is a little like one of my cats - just a little bit laid back, not quite sleepy, but slightly suggestive of that characteristic. Nevertheless, I listened attentively all the way through, thoroughly enjoying the rich and clear-as-a-bell sound. I know I will return to this frequently, disagreements with the conductor over tempi notwithstanding.
Taken by itself without reference to performances elsewhere on record, it is very beautiful - but until now that is not a characteristic I had associated with this music!
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Post by Edvin May 31, 2006 (2 of 17)
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Windsurfer said:
Taken by itself without reference to performances elsewhere on record, it is very beautiful - but until now that is not a characteristic I had associated with this music!
Why wouldn´t you find this music beautiful? I don´t get it.
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Edvin said:
Why wouldn´t you find this music beautiful? I don´t get it.
Well I always thought of it as being monumental, wild, furious, and funny. The thought of beautiful never crossed my mind until I heard this recording. It really is beautiful - laid back or not.
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Post by Chris June 1, 2006 (4 of 17)
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Windsurfer said:
In case I never get around to a full review of this, let me say I recommend it!
I recommend it with reservations, but yes, I do recommend it. First what is right about it: THE SOUND!
Oh perhaps the cymbals are a little excessive, but then, given that I do not find the Eschebach Bartok in any way clouded or dull, I may have a different high frequency reference than some of you - I may need to "temper" the intensity of my highs by placement of some absorptive material on the wall behind my dipole tweeters, there may just be too much high frequency energy bouncing around my listening room at times. Of course at other times....
The sound on this disc has a clarity and beauty during string, brass and woodwind passages that is simply excellent. The percussion (apart from what I said about cymbals) is exemplary. The bass is powerful and clear, very well recorded.
What are my reservations? I won't call this a lacklustre performance but it is a little like one of my cats - just a little bit laid back, not quite sleepy, but slightly suggestive of that characteristic. Nevertheless, I listened attentively all the way through, thoroughly enjoying the rich and clear-as-a-bell sound. I know I will return to this frequently, disagreements with the conductor over tempi notwithstanding.
Taken by itself without reference to performances elsewhere on record, it is very beautiful - but until now that is not a characteristic I had associated with this music!
Sounds promising.After having heard the 3.59 minutes excertps from Prokofiev's fifth, in truly horrible RBCD sound! from Gergiev and LSO,that came with the June issue of Gramophone,I will certainly stay away from that set.
I only own one SACD from Audite so far, the Schubert mass with Kubelik. And although musically good, the sound on that one is not good, on my equipment.
I hope they have done a better job this time.
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Post by nickc June 1, 2006 (5 of 17)
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Chris said:
Sounds promising.After having heard the 3.59 minutes excertps from Prokofiev's fifth, in truly horrible RBCD sound! from Gergiev and LSO,that came with the June issue of Gramophone,I will certainly stay away from that set.
I only own one SACD from Audite so far, the Schubert mass with Kubelik. And although musically good, the sound on that one is not good, on my equipment.
I hope they have done a better job this time.
Hi Chris
the Gergiev set is available at Discurio in Melbourne for $60 - I was thinking of buying but do you think the sound is terrible? Is it because it is only on CD or because it was recorded at the accursed Barbican?
I must admit I don't like the Barbican sound even on SACD (LSO Live)!
Nick
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Post by tream June 1, 2006 (6 of 17)
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Bruce, where did you get it, by the way - it doesn't seem to be available yet from my usual sources.
Tom
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tream said:
Bruce, where did you get it, by the way - it doesn't seem to be available yet from my usual sources.
Tom
You can obtain this from jpc!
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Post by Edvin June 1, 2006 (8 of 17)
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nickc said:
I must admit I don't like the Barbican sound even on SACD (LSO Live)!
Nick
nickc,
the Prokofiev set from Gergiev was produced by LSO Live for Philips. So you will probably not like it.
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Post by wehecht June 1, 2006 (9 of 17)
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Chris said:
Sounds promising.After having heard the 3.59 minutes excertps from Prokofiev's fifth, in truly horrible RBCD sound! from Gergiev and LSO,that came with the June issue of Gramophone,I will certainly stay away from that set.
I only own one SACD from Audite so far, the Schubert mass with Kubelik. And although musically good, the sound on that one is not good, on my equipment.
I hope they have done a better job this time.
The sound on the two Audite discs of Saint-Saens piano concertos is exemplary, among the very best in my collection. Like the Prokofiev the SS concertos are new recordings, not reissues of older analog recordings like the Kubelik discs.
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Post by nickc June 2, 2006 (10 of 17)
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Edvin said:
nickc,
the Prokofiev set from Gergiev was produced by LSO Live for Philips. So you will probably not like it.
hi edvin
thanks for that.
BTW i just got the new tchaikovsky 6 from Gatti that you liked so much and i agree! he really pushes things along which i like - but sometimes i wish he would allow the music to breathe a little bit more. the end of the 1st. movement and the middle section of the waltz go by a bit quickly for my tastes - i love karajan especially in the middle of the waltz where the soft drums sound like a heartbeat.
if you like the serenade for strings try to get the pentatone serenade/souvenir of florence - it is bigger and bolder with only 21 strings!
anyway review coming
best wishes
nick
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