| Belatedly, A Good Mozart List [message #6389] |
Tue, 31 January 2006 05:34  |
elektratig
Messages: 348
Registered: May 2009
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Grand Master |
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MB, Sorry I didn't respond the other day to your post for Mozart suggestions. Belatedly, I've run across a pretty good list at Jack Balkin's site, Balkinization. His tastes seem to run pretty much identical to mine. Jack Balkin, by the way, is an extremely liberal Professor at Yale Law. Although his site is not otherwise devoted to music, you may enjoy his views.
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| Pick A Genre [message #6392 is a reply to message #6390] |
Tue, 31 January 2006 12:11  |
elektratig
Messages: 348
Registered: May 2009
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Grand Master |
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You want orchestral? Concertos? String Quartets? Vocal? Opera? If you want to start with something really cheap so you're not making too big an investment while you're first dipping your toe in the waters, the Walter Klien (and it is "Klien", not "Klein") Piano Sonatas on VoxBox are superb, really! There are two sets, each of which consists of 2 cds for all of $10.98 currently on Amazon. Hell, that's less than Naxos these days (and I don't mean to dis Naxos). I'm linking Volume 2. In general, the problem with Mozart recordings (and those of other famous composers) is that there are so many to choose from that it's hard to decide. The flip side of the coin is that, because there are so many choices and so much competition, there are a number of outstanding older recordings (generally late 50s through mid 70s) that are mid-priced or less. There is rarely any need to pay anything close to full price for a fantastic performance of any "name" composer, unless you insist on a "DDD" recording.
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| Alright, Try the Violin Concertos [message #6395 is a reply to message #6393] |
Tue, 31 January 2006 16:46 |
elektratig
Messages: 348
Registered: May 2009
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Grand Master |
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Balkin's choice, and mine, and that of many many others, for Mozart's five violin concertos features Arthur Grumiaux. Although you've probably never heard of him, Grumiaux was a highly-regarded and well-known Belgian violinist in the late 50s through early 70s (these recordings are mostly from the early 1960s). Grumiaux was known for his beautiful, well-rounded tone, rather than flashiness, but Mozart is not a sturm und drang romantic composer whose music requires excessively flashy and dramatic ostentation. On the other hand, this is not to suggest that Grumiaux is at all heavy or boring. The performances (with Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra) have the sprightliness, sparkle, vitality and humanity that are essential to Mozart. The performances are now conveniently available on a Philips "Duo" set -- 2 ceedees for the price of one. The set is even more of a bargain because it also includes equally fine performances of the Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra and the Adagio and Rondo for Violin and Orchestra, so you wind up with virtually Mozart's entire output for violin and orchestra. The current Amazon price is $13.49.
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