Classical Listening

[Emil Miller]

Wow, for her age she is very good...

Who's your number 1, just out of interest?

My favourite composer for piano is Rachmaninov, as mentioned above, but when it come to pianists the field is often specialised and the number too large to be specific. There are some brilliant young performers on the concert circuit these days.

I think that this girl has the potential to rival the very best pianists since the beginning of the 20th century.

http://youtu.be/NUTMn0uBgxA

[Lokasenna]

My favourite composer for piano is Rachmaninov, as mentioned above, but when it come to pianists the field is often specialised and the number too large to be specific. There are some brilliant young performers on the concert circuit these days.

I think that this girl has the potential to rival the very best pianists since the beginning of the 20th century.

http://youtu.be/NUTMn0uBgxA

Ah, sorry - hadn't remembered you'd mentioned it up there.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

It's always the Asians.

[stlukesguild]

A culture that values education and would not dare to shame their parents. In spite of the success of the Asians as prodigals, few have survived to make it within the world of classical virtuoso performers. Within my entire collection of classical CDs (some 2000+) I have some 6 or 7 discs featuring Yo-Yo Ma, 3 or 4 with Myung-Whun Chung, 2 with Sumi Jo, and one conducted by Seiji Ozawa. At the same time, the only classical composers from Asia to have really broken into the West seem to have been Toru Takemitsu and Tan Dun. The biggest virtuosos (Anne Sophie Mutter, Murray Perahia, Rudolph Serkin, Marc-André Hamelin, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, David Barenboim, Julia Fischer, Hilary Hahn, Rachel Podger, Andrew Manze, Angela Hewitt, Andreas Schiff, Emmanuel Ax, Alfred Brendel, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet) solo vocalists (Rene Fleming, Philippe Jaroussky, Veronique Gens, Anne Sofie von Otter, Cecilia Bartoli, Anna Netrebko, Magdalena Kozena, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Rolando Villazon, Danielle de Niese, Bejun Mehta, Andreas Scholl, Michael Chance, Natalie Dessay, Sandrine Piau, Robin Blaze etc...) and conductors (John Eliot Gardiner, Emmanuelle Haïm, William Christie, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Rene Jacobs, Sir Charles Mackerras, Marc Minknowski, Ton Koopman, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev, etc... although there is the brilliant Maasako Suzuki) all remain dominantly European and American.

[Emil Miller]

A culture that values education and would not dare to shame their parents. In spite of the success of the Asians as prodigals, few have survived to make it within the world of classical virtuoso performers. Within my entire collection of classical CDs (some 2000+) I have some 6 or 7 discs featuring Yo-Yo Ma, 3 or 4 with Myung-Whun Chung, 2 with Sumi Jo, and one conducted by Seiji Ozawa. At the same time, the only classical composers from Asia to have really broken into the West seem to have been Toru Takemitsu and Tan Dun. The biggest virtuosos (Anne Sophie Mutter, Murray Perahia, Rudolph Serkin, Marc-André Hamelin, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, David Barenboim, Julia Fischer, Hilary Hahn, Rachel Podger, Andrew Manze, Angela Hewitt, Andreas Schiff, Emmanuel Ax, Alfred Brendel, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet) solo vocalists (Rene Fleming, Philippe Jaroussky, Veronique Gens, Anne Sofie von Otter, Cecilia Bartoli, Anna Netrebko, Magdalena Kozena, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Rolando Villazon, Danielle de Niese, Bejun Mehta, Andreas Scholl, Michael Chance, Natalie Dessay, Sandrine Piau, Robin Blaze etc...) and conductors (John Eliot Gardiner, Emmanuelle Haïm, William Christie, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Rene Jacobs, Sir Charles Mackerras, Marc Minknowski, Ton Koopman, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev, etc... although there is the brilliant Maasako Suzuki) all remain dominantly European and American.

You forgot to mention Mitsuko Uchida who for many years has been internationally acclaimed as a foremost exponent of Mozart's piano music. There is also Midori and Sarah Chang, who I am going to see this Thursday, both of whom are world famous and have been on the international concert circuit for many years. Tadakki Otaka was the resident conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for some years and also the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Yundi Li and Lang Lang are pianists of the highest calibre, notwithstanding Lang's pop star antics and status in China. Yuja Wang has received rave reviews in the USA and elsewhere and Jung Lin is also being acclaimed as a major pianist.
Of course the field is dominated by European and American performers, how could it be otherwise with Western music? However, given the increasing numbers of star players emerging from the East, one must wonder how long this will remain the case.
For many years, the benchmark performance of Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu was that of Arthur Rubenstein. It was indeed breathtakingly played but Yundi Li's is its equal.

http://youtu.be/tvm2ZsRv3C8

[stlukesguild]

You forgot to mention Mitsuko Uchida who for many years has been internationally acclaimed as a foremost exponent of Mozart's piano music. There is also Midori and Sarah Chang, who I am going to see this Thursday, both of whom are world famous and have been on the international concert circuit for many years. Tadakki Otaka was the resident conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for some years and also the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Most of these performers simply haven't made it to my collection. I already have Brendel's Mozart as well as Serkin's and I'm still looking toward picking up Murray Perahia's which are unsurpassed among "traditional" performance recordings. Among the HIP performances the strongest I've found those of Malcolm Bilson and John Eliot Gardiner. Uchida is certainly quite acclaimed and I have a few solo discs of her Mozart performances as well as her acclaimed late sonatas of Schubert and Debussy's Etudes.

I tend to do a good deal of research in the critical press and listen to samples before purchasing any recording. A good deal of these Asian virtuosos are brilliant technicians... but so were many of those who went before them. At the same time, they haven't really brought anything new to the repertoire... nothing to lead me to wish to purchase yet another Tchaikovsky violin concert or Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto. You mention Rubinstein's Chopin... and indeed he is unrivaled... especially when it comes to the Nocturnes. Martha Argerich, Maurizio Pollini, and Krystian Zimerman are also a must. If one approaches this repertoire as a contemporary performer in the studio, one must recognize that one will be compared with all these predecessors who must be surpassed in some way... or one must offer something unique by way of the interpretation. While I prefer John Eliot Gardiner and Ton Koopman's interpretations when it comes to Bach (Gardiner may be my favorite living conductor and both he and Koopman have the advantages of some of the finest singers) I will freely admit, for example, that Maasako Suzuki and his brilliant Bach Collegium Japan bring something unique and absolute brilliant to the performances of Bach's choral works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j7AWBvat9k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idsdL...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2JRo...eature=related

The crisp, clear, stark... almost minimal approach to Bach by Suzuki is indeed quite brilliant (and I will probably look into more of Suzuli's interpretations after I amass the complete Gardiner cycle). I somewhat suspect, however, that you have allowed your love for Asian culture (and Asian women specifically) to color... or cloud... your judgment.

[Emil Miller]

You forgot to mention Mitsuko Uchida who for many years has been internationally acclaimed as a foremost exponent of Mozart's piano music. There is also Midori and Sarah Chang, who I am going to see this Thursday, both of whom are world famous and have been on the international concert circuit for many years. Tadakki Otaka was the resident conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for some years and also the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Most of these performers simply haven't made it to my collection. I already have Brendel's Mozart as well as Serkin's and I'm still looking toward picking up Murray Perahia's which are unsurpassed among "traditional" performance recordings. Among the HIP performances the strongest I've found those of Malcolm Bilson and John Eliot Gardiner. Uchida is certainly quite acclaimed and I have a few solo discs of her Mozart performances as well as her acclaimed late sonatas of Schubert and Debussy's Etudes.

I tend to do a good deal of research in the critical press and listen to samples before purchasing any recording. A good deal of these Asian virtuosos are brilliant technicians... but so were many of those who went before them. At the same time, they haven't really brought anything new to the repertoire... nothing to lead me to wish to purchase yet another Tchaikovsky violin concert or Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto. You mention Rubinstein's Chopin... and indeed he is unrivaled... especially when it comes to the Nocturnes. Martha Argerich, Maurizio Pollini, and Krystian Zimerman are also a must. If one approaches this repertoire as a contemporary performer in the studio, one must recognize that one will be compared with all these predecessors who must be surpassed in some way... or one must offer something unique by way of the interpretation. While I prefer John Eliot Gardiner and Ton Koopman's interpretations when it comes to Bach (Gardiner may be my favorite living conductor and both he and Koopman have the advantages of some of the finest singers) I will freely admit, for example, that Maasako Suzuki and his brilliant Bach Collegium Japan bring something unique and absolute brilliant to the performances of Bach's choral works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j7AWBvat9k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idsdL...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2JRo...eature=related

The crisp, clear, stark... almost minimal approach to Bach by Suzuki is indeed quite brilliant (and I will probably look into more of Suzuli's interpretations after I amass the complete Gardiner cycle). I somewhat suspect, however, that you have allowed your love for Asian culture (and Asian women specifically) to color... or cloud... your judgment.

Here in the UK, the Bach Collegium Japan is a big deal and gets a lot of coverage on the BBC radio music channel. It does surprise me that Bach, whose music is often of an intensely religious character, has registered with the Japanese who have a very different religious disposition founded on Shintoism/Buddhism. As for Asian women affecting my judgement, I won't dispute that I view them favourably as women but that wouldn't explain why those I have mentioned draw large numbers of people to their concerts around the world unless their musicianship has something to do with it.

[stlukesguild]

I think the Bach Collegium Japan is equally well respected here. I would suspect that the John Eliot Gardiner cycle...performed with the Monteverdi Choir and the English Chamber Orchestra in a single year in cathedrals across Europe and in the US... and upon the dates of the ecclesiastical calendar for which they were written... and brilliantly packaged... is an equally big deal:







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgidzvJN4Yo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJUxz...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axofm...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48dUc...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9BGp...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilpR4...eature=related

To say nothing of Ton Koopman's performances:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hh7i...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU6HSQJGBQ4

Listening to these performances and watching the documentary has me just itching to complete my entire cycle of Bach's cantatas. As much as I love Wagner, I must admit that the Ring has nothing on the Bach cycle of cantatas when it comes to the argument about the single greatest musical achievement in the history of Western music.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I just feel the need for the ruggedness and power of Beethoven's 5th. Back to "basics".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4IRMYuE1hI

[Emil Miller]

Does it get better than this?

http://youtu.be/6-lEsXVAjas

[Patrick_Bateman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx8t5...embedded#at=19

Nobody handles Handel like they handle Handel!

[ralfyman]

I followed books like Libbey's and references like The Penguin Guide to put together a basic library of classical music. It also helps when there are annual sales, with collections offered at 60 pct off or better.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Gerswin again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U40xBSz6Dc

[Patrick_Bateman]

I think the Bach Collegium Japan is equally well respected here. I would suspect that the John Eliot Gardiner cycle...performed with the Monteverdi Choir and the English Chamber Orchestra in a single year in cathedrals across Europe and in the US... and upon the dates of the ecclesiastical calendar for which they were written... and brilliantly packaged... is an equally big deal:







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgidzvJN4Yo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJUxz...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axofm...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48dUc...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9BGp...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilpR4...eature=related

To say nothing of Ton Koopman's performances:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hh7i...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU6HSQJGBQ4

Listening to these performances and watching the documentary has me just itching to complete my entire cycle of Bach's cantatas. As much as I love Wagner, I must admit that the Ring has nothing on the Bach cycle of cantatas when it comes to the argument about the single greatest musical achievement in the history of Western music.

This is an extremely voluminous collection and extremely worthwhile

[mal4mac]

I'm currently listening to Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli's absolutely thrilling performance of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no. 4. One of those "desert island" discs... the only version of the Ravel you will ever need. Insanely, this recording is currently out of print in the EMI catalog... although it is still available as a download.

This is a remarkable recording, one of the favourites in my collection. they must have heard you StLuke's! It's now available for a pittance at Amazon UK...

I just heard this the other day by Vivaldi. I haven't really gotten into much pre-Romantic classical yet, but I really liked this--loved the unusual instruments like the mandolins and recorders.

It helps that it's performed by Pinnock and "The English Concert" - trail blazing HIPsters second to none. Type Pinnock into Amazon and check out his fabulous DG box bargains. I have the Vivaldi box and it is truly wonderful. I also have the Mozart symphony box - also fantastic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KI1lkt1v80

Next Haydn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhC4yu-7hmo

... and Bach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4bueaFp7JI