News:

BEFORE POSTING read our Guidelines.

Main Menu

CDs that stay in the box!

Started by Pengelli, Wednesday 26 August 2009, 17:20

Previous topic - Next topic

Paul Barasi

Never mind Unsung; my confession is: Unheard.

Worse or better than CDs that stay in the box: CDs that never even escape from their cellophane wrapper?  If the Unplayed Hit Squad raided me I'd be in some trouble. It's hard getting through all the music - never developed the skill of listening to more than one at a time!  Part of my problem is bad indexing and chaotic stacking. Still, I get something of a kick whenever I do manage to find something. I'm better with books: I have a new purchases shelf. Should really do the same with CDs as just having a pile of new ones only works up until I move them out the way.

sdtom


Ilja

I'm surprised to see the anti-Wetz sentiment here. Actually, I rather like most of his symphonies, at least. But then, I regularly listen to Furtwängler...

Alan Howe

As do I, Ilja - e.g. Barenboim in Furtwängler 2 is just magnificent. Perhaps we should both get out more...

Pengelli

There is no doubt that cds of Wetz have had allot of very
good reviews,love them or loathe them!

Syrelius

I often get disappointed when buying ballet music, also by composers that I normally like. For instance, I am very fond of the symphonies and symphonic poems of Arnold Bax, but I have so far only played The Truth About the Russian Dancers once.

I also have to defend poor Boehe. Of course, he is not one of the great masters of the history of music, but I still think his music is quite enjoyable. Am I the only person on this forum to think so? :o

Alan Howe

No, I'll stand up for Boehe. A really good wallow - thoroughly enjoyable, both cpo CDs.

I'll also stand up for Wetz and d'Albert. I've been listening to the latter's Symphony in F a lot over the past couple of days and it's a very fine piece - with memorable themes and some really fine passages, such as the climax of the slow movement. But, as I've said before, I'm a sucker for all this expansive late-to-ultra-late Romanticism.

What I would say is that a lot of music requires a bit of hard work - and that includes sung as well as unsung composers. How many people 'get' the whole of the Ring cycle at the first hearing?

Mark Thomas

Or, in my case, umpteen hearings. I'm afraid that I'm with Rossini: "Wonderful moments but dreadful half hours".

I do agree about needing persevere with some music. The best example which I can think of is most of Draeseke's output. He's a hard nut to crack but so rewarding when you do.

Ilja

And it rather explains why Draeseke fell into such neglect in a time when people couldn't give a piece more than one or two hearings. The luxury of being able to listen to a piece many times is something we don't share with most romantic composers' original audiences, of course.

Pengelli

The 'Truth about the Russian dancers', is also, the only Bax cd I've only ever played once! Might give it another try though.

Pengelli

My guilty cd pleasure, the Tikhon Khrennikov symphonies! The string playing of
the old soviet orchestra is incredible.Fear,possibly!

Hovite

Quote from: Amphissa on Wednesday 26 August 2009, 23:28And some of them, like the 6th, are just embarrassingly poor.

I'm currently listening to that one. It is on disc 13 of 16. I think the strongest disc in the set is disc 9, with symphonies 24 and 27.


Pengelli

An old thread,I know,but I'd go for No 21.The old Unicorn recording with Measham conducting should be reissued forthwith! Wonderful!