Thanks for the suggestions!

[Beyond Within]

I bought:
Handel - Messiah ( Bernstein)

Haydn - symphonies 99-104 (Beecham)

Haydn - Piano Sonatas 23, 8 and 49 (Horowitz)

Beethoven - 9th symphony (Bernstein)

I have the Wilhelm Furtwangler, and Stokowski versions of the 9th symphony. The Furtwangler is by far the best of the three. I like his tempo choices for all four movements (the first is slower, resulting in a heaviness lacking in the other two). The Stokowski is the worst. His second movement tempo is so slow that it sounds like someone artificially slowed it down with computer program, absolutely horrible, and the drums are used in an inferior manner to the other two. The famous dissonant opening chord to the fourth movement is weak and uninspired in the Bernstein version. The Furtwangler opens with violent passion, the Bernsteins is just a whimper of a presentation in comparison. So basically overally Furtwangler is the best.

The Messiah is awesome. I have listened to the "Christmas" section and its very moving. The Overture at the beginning is one of the most beautiful things I have heard in a long time.

The rest I havent listened to much yet. The Haydn Piano sonatas seemed kind of flat next to Mozarts and Beethovens. But maybe I need to listen more carefully.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Beyond Within:

The rest I havent listened to much yet. The Haydn Piano sonatas seemed kind of flat next to Mozarts and Beethovens. But maybe I need to listen more carefully.

Well except for no.49 you haven't picked the finest Haydn sonatas! No.23 is a very slight work and no.8 is of little consequence. You have to be very selective with Haydn sonatas (don't forget not all of Mozart's sonatas are of equal quality either). I recommend nos.20,32,34, and 48-52.

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'Man know thyself'

[Steppenwolf]

Originally posted by Beyond Within:

The rest I havent listened to much yet. The Haydn Piano sonatas seemed kind of flat next to Mozarts and Beethovens. But maybe I need to listen more carefully.

If you still have some cash left over after your shopping spree, you really must get a copy of Haydn's opus 76, a group of three string quartets (Naxos does a very good version, which I can recomend). In my own humble opinion, this is Haydn at his very best. The string quartet is a medium in which he excelled even more, IMO, than in symphonies (which are overshadowed, in hindsight, by Beethoven). I have got into opus 76 recently, and it truly is awesome. Forget the image of 'papa' Haydn as an overly polite, mild-mannered, fuddy-duddy, old fashioned classicist (by contrast to the fiery and more exciting romantics) - this music - forgive the cringe-worthy expression - really rocks! It is incredible how Haydn, who wrote this well into middle age, could it invest so much vibrant, thrilling, racy, youthful energy. Played well and it can make your hair stand on end.

[spaceray]

Originally posted by Steppenwolf:
Forget the image of 'papa' Haydn as an overly polite, mild-mannered, fuddy-duddy, old fashioned classicist (by contrast to the fiery and more exciting romantics) - this music - forgive the cringe-worthy expression - really rocks! It is incredible how Haydn, who wrote this well into middle age, could it invest so much vibrant, thrilling, racy, youthful energy. Played well and it can make your hair stand on end.

I read that Haydn was having the time of his life in later middle age.He had a roaring great time in England ,away at last from the Esterhazys and from his awful wife .

[ruudp]

Originally posted by spaceray:
I read that Haydn was having the time of his life in later middle age.He had a roaring great time in England ,away at last from the Esterhazys and from his awful wife .

quite,
He didn't refer to his wife as that infernal beast for no reason.His comeback to Austria was quite a dissapointment for Haydn, He had gotten used to the english enthousiasm

[Tony John Hearne]

Originally posted by Steppenwolf:
If you still have some cash left over after your shopping spree, you really must get a copy of Haydn's opus 76, a group of three string quartets (Naxos does a very good version, which I can recomend). In my own humble opinion, this is Haydn at his very best. The string quartet is a medium in which he excelled even more, IMO, than in symphonies (which are overshadowed, in hindsight, by Beethoven). I have got into opus 76 recently, and it truly is awesome. Forget the image of 'papa' Haydn as an overly polite, mild-mannered, fuddy-duddy, old fashioned classicist (by contrast to the fiery and more exciting romantics) - this music - forgive the cringe-worthy expression - really rocks! It is incredible how Haydn, who wrote this well into middle age, could it invest so much vibrant, thrilling, racy, youthful energy. Played well and it can make your hair stand on end.

I agree entirely - check out if you can the E flat major Hob XV1/52 played by Vladimir Horovitz It will astound you!!

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Love from London

[Joy]

Originally posted by Peter:
Well except for no.49 you haven't picked the finest Haydn sonatas! No.23 is a very slight work and no.8 is of little consequence. You have to be very selective with Haydn sonatas (don't forget not all of Mozart's sonatas are of equal quality either). I recommend nos.20,32,34, and 48-52.

What Mozart's piano sonatas would you recommend Peter?



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'Truth and beauty joined'

[spaceray]

I love Mozart's K311, And the Fantasy K475

[Peter]

Originally posted by Joy:
What Mozart's piano sonatas would you recommend Peter?

The wonderful and anguished A minor K.310 (one of his finest, written in Paris 1778 at the time of his mother's death). The sunny Bb K.333. The C minor sonata and fantasia (K.475 and 457), the F major K.533 and the very fine D major (Trumpet)K.576.

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'Man know thyself'

[Tony John Hearne]

Originally posted by Peter:
The wonderful and anguished A minor K.310 (one of his finest, written in Paris 1778 at the time of his mother's death). The sunny Bb K.333. The C minor sonata and fantasia (K.475 and 457), the F major K.533 and the very fine D major (Trumpet)K.576.

Peter, as always, perfectly chosen



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Love from London

[Joy]

Originally posted by Peter:
The wonderful and anguished A minor K.310 (one of his finest, written in Paris 1778 at the time of his mother's death). The sunny Bb K.333. The C minor sonata and fantasia (K.475 and 457), the F major K.533 and the very fine D major (Trumpet)K.576.

Many thanks, Peter.

Joy



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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Beyond Within]

Peter - Where is 545 in that list of Sonatas? Is this a slip of the mind, or do you truly not like it? To me its one of the most beautiful little nuggets of music ever composed.

I suggest buying Volume 2 of Glenn Goulds set of Mozart Sonatas. His performance is by far the best I have heard. He does do some things which may be considered "liberal" with his own interpretation, but its so full of life...really his C Minor Sonata is fantastic.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Beyond Within:
Peter - Where is 545 in that list of Sonatas? Is this a slip of the mind, or do you truly not like it? To me its one of the most beautiful little nuggets of music ever composed.

I suggest buying Volume 2 of Glenn Goulds set of Mozart Sonatas. His performance is by far the best I have heard. He does do some things which may be considered "liberal" with his own interpretation, but its so full of life...really his C Minor Sonata is fantastic.

I only selected those I consider to be the great sonatas, K.545 though charming doesn't fit into that category. There are of course other delightful sonatas I didn't mention such as A major K.331, F major K.332 and the Bb K.570.

I'm afraid I don't share this Gould enthusiasm - give me Murray Perahia any day!

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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

Originally posted by Peter:
I only selected those I consider to be the great sonatas, K.545 though charming doesn't fit into that category. There are of course other delightful sonatas I didn't mention such as A major K.331, F major K.332 and the Bb K.570.

I'm afraid I don't share this Gould enthusiasm - give me Murray Perahia any day!

I agree on both points. Gould doesn't do much for me either especially his incessant humming throughout the songs is quite annoying. I also enjoy Murray Perahia greatly. As you know I have his Chopin's Etudes Cd and it's excellent. By the way, how are your Chopin Etudes, etc. coming along Peter?


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'Truth and beauty joined'

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited 07-07-2004).]