Forthcoming & new releases

[GL]

A new (?) Fifth:

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3859501

I guess that RPO means Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but who is Mr. 西本智実? 

L.

[barry guerrero]

He's a cubist. A Rubrick's cubist, to be precise.   

[Russ Smiley]

A Google search of 西本智実 eventually led to this:

http://japansclassic.com/artists/kojima_02/tomomi_nishimoto.html

[GL]

He's a cubist. A Rubrick's cubist, to be precise.   

Uhm.. Rubrick..Rubrick...I think that Rubrick the cubist is a czech conductor (a former painter, perhaps), probably a pupil of Neumann or Ancerl. I make enquiries around and I'll let you know. Anyway, the one I was looking for is Japanese. Apropos-thank you very much Mr. Smiley!!!

Regards,
Luca

[GL]

CT's reviews of the EMI:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=12883

and DG collections:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=12884

L.

[barry guerrero]

Whatever. I have the EMI, and I'm quite happy with it. I'm not all pleased with the selections on the UNI set. In particularly, I don't want to have the badly played and bizarrely interpreted Sinoopli M7 (with an extremely slow mvt. IV), followed by the fast and brittle sounding Solti M8. If others want that, they're welcome to it.

[GL]

Whatever. I have the EMI, and I'm quite happy with it. I'm not all pleased with the selections on the UNI set. In particularly, I don't want to have the badly played and bizarrely interpreted Sinoopli M7 (with an extremely slow mvt. IV), followed by the fast and brittle sounding Solti M8. If others want that, they're welcome to it.

I'm with you. I think that the weak performances choosen for the EMI set are less weak than the weak ones of the UNI set. And I find this bad because UNI has more recordings among which making choices.

Luca

[GL]

Nott's M2 (http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Gustav-Mahler-Symphonie-Nr-2/hnum/1119745) is not exactly a "new release", but I report about it here and now in connection with the recent attention accorded to it by Mr. Hurwitz:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=12896

and by Mr. Huss:

http://www.classicstodayfrance.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=3666,

two reviews with some insightful considerations about critcism.

Luca

[barry guerrero]

I recently heard Nott's "Rite Of Spring", and felt that it pretty much typified what my impressions are about Nott's work in general. It was nicely recorded (sacd/cd hybrid) and fairly well played. But it was also interpretively faceless, and lacked sufficient forward propulsion to make it stand out from the crowd. In short, it was just sort of "there". Those are my feelings about Nott in general. For Bamberg, he must certainly be good news. But if he's going to keep recording standard literature, then I must also complain that his recordings don't compete with the very best.

[GL]

Nott seems an honest professional, like a student that always comes to school only after having done his homework as best as he can. The problem is that his best is not always up to my expextations. He did very well in the field of contemporary music (among other things, I have some very good Ligety with BPO). He is currently conducting a (not complete) cycle in Bamberg (M3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10-Adagio, Das Lied) and perhaps we will see some of these performances on CD.
I think his connection with Mahler goes back to the establishment of a competition for conductors dedicated to Mahler, in 2004, in Bamberg (http://www.bambergsymphony.com/dirigentenwettbewerb1.html?&L=gcerieiceexh). The three symphonies that he recorded until 2008 (the Fifth, the First and Fourth) were the same ones that had to be conducted by the candidates of the competition. I listened to these three symphonies, and I must admit that they have their moments (probably the musicians also benefited from their work with contest's candidates), but at the end of each it is like if I left the dinner-room with some residue of hunger.

.....................................

 
Speaking of faceless interpretations: in Japan they are going to reissue 3 among the Symphonies Dohnanyi did in Cleveland for Decca:

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/search/index.asp?target=MUSIC&category=1&adv=1&keyword=Mahler+cleveland+Dohnanyi&site=&type=sr
 
I admire Dohnanyi and his former band very much and my expecations were very high. Alas, the Fifth and the Sixth proved to be cold, almost soulless. Experiencing these two renditions and reading poor reviews about the First and the Fourth made me stay aloof from what I have not yet listened to. I read a positive review about the Second you can find in the Box-set dedicated to Dohnanyi at the end of his tenure in Cleveland. I never heard or read reviews about the Ninth, but I think that it does not deviate much from the rest, isn't it?

Luca

[Leo K]

I haven't been able to describe why Nott's M9 is among my top choices now...if I could I would try to defend it better!  In the meantime, I haven't heard his other Mahler, but his M9 really grew after numerious listenings.  Some recordings take time and patience, and have qualities not heard after the first hearing.  I hope those dissapointed at least keep it in their collections for another rainy day.

--Todd

[John Kim]

I haven't been able to describe why Nott's M9 is among my top choices now...if I could I would try to defend it better!  In the meantime, I haven't heard his other Mahler, but his M9 really grew after numerious listenings.  Some recordings take time and patience, and have qualities not heard after the first hearing.  I hope those dissapointed at least keep it in their collections for another rainy day.

--Todd

I think I know exactly why some critics have dismissed Nott's M9th. Let's face it. For such an ambitious reading and recording, the BSO may lack the last degree of lung power and refinement that other world class orchestras have. It's like an amateur singer who knows how to interpret a great song hits all the right marks in his singing and yet is criticized for lacking the technical prowess that is required to measure up to his ambition. I feel that way whenever I listen to the Nott. You know, we human beings always try to be nasty to each other at our most subconscious level. Wouldn't you agree? Why can't we just look on the bright side and give them a praise that they deserve?

John,

[GL]

I haven't been able to describe why Nott's M9 is among my top choices now...if I could I would try to defend it better!  In the meantime, I haven't heard his other Mahler, but his M9 really grew after numerious listenings.  Some recordings take time and patience, and have qualities not heard after the first hearing.  I hope those dissapointed at least keep it in their collections for another rainy day.

--Todd

This is what I'm used to do with controversial recordings: I put them aside, I let time pass, even months, I let discussions and disputes fade away, then I pick them up again and listen to them with more impartial ears. Sometimes I change my opinion (for better but also for worse), sometimes not, but I always find this way to reconsider things healthy for my critical skills.

L.

[GL]

Back to the main topic: 14 SACDs, RCA Red Seal: could it be Zinman's complete cycle?

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/lang/en/currency/EUR/hnum/1239978/art_hex/472d4d61686c65722d53796d70686f6e6965732d4e6f2d312d3130

 

If yes, would it mean the Tenth will be only available within the box set?

Luca

[John Kim]

It must be Zinman's cycle.

John,