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Related: Culture Forums, Support Forums"As if Hamlet died in the first act..." = TCHAIKOVSKY's Piano Concerto #1 - help me pick:
Last edited Sat Jan 9, 2016, 09:35 PM - Edit history (1)
My kneejerk choice from 40 year memories would be that HOROWITZ was the best, and I'm totally out of touch with all recent musicians, so in listening to a half dozen YouTubes I was surprised to find the HOROWITZ/TOSCANNI version to be *hamhanded* and cloddish, with the orchestra sort of muted, and everything about the performances to be mechanical and calling-it-in. I wouldn't go near VON KARAJAN. The LANG LANG dude is flamboyant fun to watch. The unknown/non-credited version was great, both pianist and orchestra, but is truncated (only part of the first movement) and one of the Comments there was that VAN CLIBURN can't be beat and sounds like it to me. ON EDIT: Added KISSIN for the extra slow, MAJESTIC rendition, every precious note given its FULL gem value!1
HOROWITZ/TOSCANNI:
Martha ARGERICH: (slow opening)
LANG LANG: (rushed opening)
Unknown: (brilliant opening. INCOMPLETE!1 the most comments)
VAN CLIBURN: (best orchestra, KONDRASHIN/RCA
Evgeny KISSIN, Seiji OZAWA, Boston: Evgeny KISSIN, Seiji OZAWA, Boston:
1 vote, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited | |
HOROWITZ | |
0 (0%) |
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ARGERICH | |
0 (0%) |
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LANG LANG | |
1 (100%) |
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Unknown | |
0 (0%) |
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VAN CLIBURN | |
0 (0%) |
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KISSIN | |
0 (0%) |
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The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,271 posts)was "heavy-handed," especially with respect to the so-called "Romantic" composers starting with Beethoven. The trend for most of the 20th century, at least until maybe the '80s, was toward huge orchestras, ponderous tempi (the worst offender with regard to the latter was Otto Klemperer), and lots of volume and drama, with the result that any subtlety a composer might have intended was lost. More recently - fortunately - we are getting performances that are authentic with respect to orchestra size, instruments, and, to the extent possible, composers' true intent. Conductors like John Elliot Gardner and Edo de Waart have produced brilliant, nuanced recordings of performances where you can actually hear the internal orchestration. The same is somewhat true of pianists, too. Van Cliburn was of the old school. Some of the younger ones are, I think, much better in terms of preferring subtlety to flash.
UTUSN
(70,496 posts)BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)..at the time? Over the past 40 years the electronics have greatly improved regarding sound reproduction. The Mics have better dynamic range (they should at 2 thousand bucks each) and the advent of superior compressors/limiters and other equipment able to faithfully recreate "what was there"
Not telling you...just asking?
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,271 posts)Newer recordings do a much better job of accurately capturing all of the instruments and the dynamic subtleties. Even so, conductors now seem to prefer cleaner sounds and more brisk tempi. You can tell the difference in live performances as well.
UTUSN
(70,496 posts)and looked at their Wiki: So DE WAART worked under Lennie and GARDINER refuses to play WAGNER - both PLUSes!1
What I hear in these samples: Clarity, everything given its own integrity (instruments; phrasings). I hate sloppy phrasing, where themes lumber in already expected. Clean phrasing, notes and motifs - and SILENCES in between - coming in fresh without being muddied together. Feel free to add names for me to do a little catch up!1
GARDINER:
BERLIOZ, Sym.Fantastique, Finale:
DE WAART:
RACHMANINOFF, P.Concerto3, Joyce YANG:
ROSSINI, William Tell O. Finale:
TCHAIKOVSKY, Violin C., Finale, Janine JANSEN:
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,271 posts)He did a phenomenal performance of Beethoven's 5th and won a Grammy for another recording of Sibelius' symphonies. And another cool thing about him is that he stuck up for the musicians when the management locked them out during a protracted labor dispute. He resigned when they wouldn't raise the musicians' pay, but then he got rehired when the musicians finally got a decent contract.
elleng
(130,126 posts)even tho I probably grew up with the Toscanini/Horowitz. I DO like the Cliburn/Kondrashin a lot!
THANKS!
UTUSN
(70,496 posts)At this stage I'm overloaded, so I just listened to the "Hamlet" beginning, but this is so different, much slower (because, MAJESTIC), every precious note given its FULL juiciness!1 I'm adding it to the Poll.
Evgeny KISSIN, Seiji OZAWA, Boston:
My radio has too much interference now, so the timing is great!
The 'kid' is GOOD!