One of the...

[Resident Loser]

...cool things about this hobby is the choices...particularly with the music and even more so with classical pieces...In rock/pop they're called "covers" and in classical, simply "interpretations"...

In another thread there was some inquiry as to recordings of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and ultimately the OP chose Seji Ozawa and the BSO on Telarc...OK, but I got to thinking "a conductor and orchestra?"...for a chamber piece? Soooo...I did some sampling and head-to-head comparisons of both the above mentioned disc and one that I had suggested from Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante...

Now I have heard the "Seasons" for more seasons than I care to mention and have always liked the piece...in fact I own two "versions" on cassette (I forget the performers) and other than minor interpretive differences, they're pretty much the same...as is the Telarc disc...

To these old ears all three vintage recordings now sound just too sweet and thick (talk about audiospeak) and the tempo is plodding...the scale of the piece is far overshadowed by the virtual space presented on these discs, no immediacy...Now all of these things were perfectly fine and dandy until I heard Biondi and the boys.

I wanna' tell ya', as one remark in a review stated "...this is not your momma's Seasons..." I'm not sure if it's the manuscripts chosen, the original instrument movement, the players, the producer or what ever, but this version has really breathed new life into the moribund cycle of seasons IMHO.

Some of my other multiples are of solo guitar, Beethoven piano concertos, Mozart and Wagner operas...and two really different versions of Carmina Burana...

Anywho, having said that, I'm curious as to others who have multiple recordings of any classical piece, yet have a fave and why that might be.

jimHJJ(...and no, I don't get a cut for touting FB and EG...)

[3-LockBox]

To these old ears all three vintage recordings now sound just too sweet and thick (talk about audiospeak) and the tempo is plodding...the scale of the piece is far overshadowed by the virtual space presented on these discs, no immediacy...Now all of these things were perfectly fine and dandy until I heard Biondi and the boys.

Have you heard the Anne-Sofie Mutter 'interpretation', which was referred to as a 'modern instrument recording' on another website. Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Vivaldi-Season...e=UTF8&s=music

[Resident Loser]

Have you heard the Anne-Sofie Mutter 'interpretation', which was referred to as a 'modern instrument recording' on another website. Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Vivaldi-Season...e=UTF8&s=music

...As it was only a cursory sampling, my ability to provide any reasonable critique is limited...While I found the sound fresher and more immediate, it still found it to be a bit old school, again not a bad thing as that's the traditional presentation...although playing with the overall dynamics gave it a new twist...I'd hazard a guess that the lowered noise floor provided by digital recording allowed for a wider lattitude in that respect...

The real find, at least to me, is the Tartini sonata...particularly the second and fourth allegro movements...It's sounds like the Devil himself breaks loose with an almost Paganini-like attack...very nice.

While I realize this really has no bearing on the disc per se, Ms. Mutter's come-hither-and-I'll-rosin-your-bow look (which I fully realize is simply a marketing ploy used to make classical more...inviting to the uninitiated), irks me...I realize sex sells, but it's the music that matters...Call me old fashioned.

Anywhichway, judging by the lack of enthusiasm, the thrust of my post seems to have fallen on deaf ears, so I'd like to thank you for your response and the Easter-egg sonata...

jimHJJ(...I love "new" music...)

[bobsticks]

I was going to hold off posting on this one until the weekend, at which point I felt I could devote a bit more time to it. Howeva, your comments on Ms. Mutter come hither, etc. etc. had me laughing so I'll give a quick drop in and rejoin after the workweek's completion.

Off the top of my head I know I have several versions of Beethoven's 5th and 6th, Orff's "Carmina Burana", Dvorak's 8 and 9, most of the Mahlers, Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet", Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade", and Berloiz' "Symphonie Fantastique".

I haven't had all the Tilson-Thomas Mahlers long enough to comment critically on the performances. Anything I would say at this point would be soley based on sound quality which is largely unrivaled (although Ozawa/BSO is pretty darn good)

For RK, my head says Reiner/Chicago but in reality I usually pick the Spano/ASO on Telarc. I find the brass to be a little bolder and I appreciate the "airiness" of the string section. If it matters, it's a redbook cd so anyone can enjoy it (when I have access I'll list the numbers).

I guess I would say that when judging interpretations i'll sacrifice some "correctness" for emotional content, be that the breakneck pace of Bernstein's Mahler 6 or the slower smoothness of Marriner's Schubert 8 (#2 Adante?).

In the realm of the sublime, I suspect I don't enjoy any of my versions of "Peter and the Wolf" to the fullest because I know there exists a narrative with Sir John Gielgud which, in my twisted mind, surely cannot be surpassed

[Resident Loser]

...now we've gone and done it...

I took a look at Tartini and now there's at least three CDs that have The Devil's Trill...and I want 'em...They all contain the piece in question, but also have other things going for them...

This one seems to be a great Hallowe'en disc, violin and piano:

http://www.amazon.com/Instrument-Dev...e=UTF8&s=music

This solo work has another theme with multiple variations:

http://www.amazon.com/Tartini-Devils...e=UTF8&s=music

And this one is done by a trio, and I'm a big fan of counterpoint:

http://www.amazon.com/Tartini-Devils...e=UTF8&s=music

And this one bears no relationship to the rest other than being Italian sonatas and I'm a sucker for string ensembles:

http://www.amazon.com/Italian-Sonata...e=UTF8&s=music

Since I recently dropped a hunnert smackers on some CDs including Miles Davis and Dylan discs and really, really, really want the Europa Galante Seasons these will have to wait a bit...In the meanwhile I'll have to get me to a Border's and camp-out at one of their listening stations...

jimHJJ(...who says classical is static and boring?...)

[3-LockBox]

While we're talking classical and Vivaldi - there was (maybe still is) a jewelry commercial on the telly that uses a Vivaldi piece (or so I am told); the commercial itself usually shows diamond necklaces or bracelets overlapping silouettes of peoples' hands and profiles instead of live persons (you know, like those swankier jewelry stores that use black velet, feminine shaped hands for display).

Anyone remember? I'm wondering if anyone could tell me what piece that was.

And this one's for ResLoser: what do you mean buy counterpoint?

My DIY fullrangers are great for string ensembles.

[3-LockBox]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouTd8hNxyEk

Here's what I got from another forum: Four Seasons on classical guitar -
http://www.amazon.com/Vivaldi-Season...e=UTF8&s=music

and I don't mean to tell tales outta school, but I read (on another forum) that there is a version of Vivaldi's Four Seasons done entirley on Japanese Koto.

[Dusty Chalk]

Once you've gotten beyond standard interpretations of the Vivaldi, look up "8 Seasons" as done by Gidon Kremer and Kremerata something...Baltica.

[Resident Loser]

While we're talking classical and Vivaldi - there was (maybe still is) a jewelry commercial on the telly that uses a Vivaldi piece (or so I am told); the commercial itself usually shows diamond necklaces or bracelets overlapping silouettes of peoples' hands and profiles instead of live persons (you know, like those swankier jewelry stores that use black velet, feminine shaped hands for display).

Anyone remember? I'm wondering if anyone could tell me what piece that was.

And this one's for ResLoser: what do you mean buy counterpoint?

My DIY fullrangers are great for string ensembles.

...it's Debeers, the Diamonds are forever folks...this disc may be the ticket:

http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Music-.../dp/B0000029OP

Specifically the first track...

Re: counterpoint...first there is un-accompanied melody...think solo violin...or any instrument that can generally produce only one note at a time

Then there's harmony, two or more simultaneous harmonious notes that can make up a chord...Piano, guitar...

Then there's counterpoint, two or more seemingly diverse melody lines within a measure that tend to support each other as a whole...multiple instruments...

A solo pianist (keyboardist) or guitarist (using double-stops) can play all three: counterpoint, harmony, melody...A violinist (or other string player) can play harmony in limited situations due to the physical parameters of the instrument/bow...other instruments can only play melody as they are limited to one note at a time...and before someone chimes in, yes some players can effect psuedo harmonics, but that, I believe, is a whole 'nother thingie...

Re: the you tube link: Yes, interpretation can be that, even though other than using non-conventional instruments, it's pretty much as per manuscript...but that guitar is a hoot...seven strings with a fretboard that extends to at least two full octaves...The Hendrix hat and the new-age verbiage does send it over the top a bit IMO...

Re: the Amazon link: Yep, guitar trio can do it too...might require some re-working of the parts or other transcription to suit...Much like Vivaldi's mandolin concertos for guitar or JS Bach's violin partitas also for guitar...You could do it on harmonicas if you chose to...

jimHJJ(...where are the Harmonicats when you need 'em?...Why right here:

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/...ssom+White.htm

Click on Malaguena or Galloping Comedians...not Vivaldi but I doubt Lecuona or Kalabesky ever envisioned these interpretations...)

[Heywood Djahblomie]

Classical

a genre that sucked for 200 years

[3-LockBox]

How do about Paganini?