Hanover Band/Nimbus

[NickB]

Just received my set of the Symphonies today, and am working my way through them.

Let's just say HB doesn't disappoint! So far, I've listened to just Op. 67, 68, & 92. The playing is superb (on first listen), and the instrumentation--wow! Yes, there's a lot of reverb, but that's OK.

I'm listening with cheap headphones here tonight, I can't wait to get this into the car in the morning...may have to drive extra far on the way to work.
(http://www.tech.volvo.se/rt/trmag/vtr972/article4/a4no297.html will do wonders with the reverb and stereo separation of these recordings, I think.)

Highly, HIGHLY recommended set for a really, really low price ($32US for 8 hours of music!): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...660084-2557617

I haven't been quite so enamoured of my Nimbus String Quartet set, but I'm newer to the Q's than I am to the Symphonies and Overtures.

So, are the HB from German Hanover?

What's this about Nimbus being bankrupt?

Thanks to those who pushed in the direction of buying this set (you know who).

[Peter]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by NickB:
So, are the HB from German Hanover?

No they're based in the UK at the Old Market, Hove, East Sussex - not more than 20 minutes away from me yet I have only heard them playing Mozart live!

Thanks to those who pushed in the direction of buying this set (you know who).

uhmm....Was it Serge? !


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'Man know thyself'

[NickB]

[quote]Originally posted by Peter:

Originally posted by NickB:
So, are the HB from German Hanover?

No they're based in the UK at the Old Market, Hove, East Sussex -

Whoops...posted that question a little too quickly. I had always wondered about their UK recording sites; never considered that they wouldn't be German for some reason. http://www.hanoverband.com/index2.html

not more than 20 minutes away from me yet I have only heard them playing Mozart live!

Shame!

Thanks to those who pushed in the direction of buying this set (you know who).

uhmm....Was it Serge? !

Some tempi are not what I'd expected, but this just adds to the interest. Nothing TOO SLOW that I've heard yet, and the Marcia Funebre at under 14:00 is very inspired.

Now...I *have* to stop it and go to bed.

Argh! A while ago I posted about a concert programme which referred to B's "syphilis". Now, looking at our local upcoming Eroica performance, I see ANOTHER ONE:

"And while it is almost certain that the disease which robbed him of his hearing (and would eventually claim his life) was tertiary neuro-syphilis, self-pity and resignation quickly gave way to resolution and defiance. " http://www.orsymphony.org/performanc...beethoven.html

I may boycott this concert.

[Rod]

Originally posted by NickB:


Thanks to those who pushed in the direction of buying this set (you know who).

I don't give bad recommendations. The only flaws with these performances are that the first allegro in No3 is to broadly paced, and the march in the Ode to Joy is also too slow. But these problems are minor considering the set as a whole. Certainly I have no problem with the reverb - many recordings these days sound like they were recorded in a vacuum chamber!

I think the HB are so called because they concern themselves principally with the Hanoverian era/school of music. I have a recording of them playing a Handel opera that is first rate. Band was the term for orchestra in those days. Is not the reason for the name in the CD booklet? I think in these performances the orchestra is directed from the first violin rather than by a dedicated conductor.

I read on the internet (that great bastion of truth!) that Nimbus has gone bust, but it could have been bought-up by some other company by now.


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[NickB]

Originally posted by Rod:
I don't give bad recommendations. The only flaws with these performances are that the first allegro in No3 is to broadly paced, and the march in the Ode to Joy is also too slow.

Oh, thanks, now you've just RUINED it for me!

Certainly I have no problem with the reverb - many recordings these days sound like they were recorded in a vacuum chamber!

Actually, it does sound like they're pretty closely mic'd, in that bowing across strings (for example) is very readily apparent, which is a good thing IMO. Sounds like I'm right there in the orchestra, and I can imagine the reverb as what it really sounds like from the stage.

I think the HB are so called because they concern themselves principally with the Hanoverian era/school of music. I have a recording of them playing a Handel opera that is first rate. Band was the term for orchestra in those days. Is not the reason for the name in the CD booklet? I think in these performances the orchestra is directed from the first violin rather than by a dedicated conductor.

I haven't read all of the liner notes yet. I have seen Monica Hugget conduct the Portland Baroque Orchestra (small ensemble, period instruments), and yes, she conducts while standing and playing. Interesting to observe, but...at this performance, she BLOCKED MY VIEW of the keyboard (Op. 15), which also was a period piano. I have no idea what sort of piano it was, though it was white, and the pianist was a young guy from Seattle. (Op. 93 was the second half.)

[Rod]

Originally posted by NickB:
...Interesting to observe, but...at this performance, she BLOCKED MY VIEW of the keyboard (Op. 15), which also was a period piano. I have no idea what sort of piano it was, though it was white, and the pianist was a young guy from Seattle. (Op. 93 was the second half.)

A white fortepiano!? Well, it must be a copy that's for sure! What did you make of this performance? How was the piano? Concerning my critisisms you may disagree anyway, and the remainder of the respective works are excellent.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 02-14-2002).]

[Chris]

I don't know what the big deal is with the Hanover Band. To me it sounds like they have frequent intonation problems and almost always have balance problems.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chris:
I don't know what the big deal is with the Hanover Band. To me it sounds like they have frequent intonation problems and almost always have balance problems.

Well, these performances are also all done in one take, any mistakes are preserved for posterity! At this point in time this collection is the one I recommend, whether the deal is big or not. I only consider period instrument recordings of these works, and overall the I believe the HB set is the best currently on offer and certainly the best value. Other individual recordings are also of great merit, I have mentioned Jordi Savall's Eroica with the Concert des Nations. But don't offer me a modern instrument alternative. Beethoven's accute awareness of instrumental tone colour makes the use of the old instruments OBLIGATO!

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Michael]

According to BBC Music the Hanover Band has won a six-month stay of execution. It has until June to cover its £150,000 debt and an appeal has been launched for funds. Over forty thousand pounds was donated at the time of going to press. An old lady pledged her £200 heating allowance and a young boy gave his £5 pocket money!
The chief executive, Stephen Neiman, said: "People have been generous but we're still in desperate need."

Michael

[Joy]

The Hanover Band is not the only one in trouble. Just last week in the newspaper it was announced that they are going to have to either cut some of the Phoenix Symphony members or their salaries. They took the cut in pay. I think a lot of classical orchestras are in trouble despite all the donations and ticket sales.

Joy

[Rod]

Originally posted by Joy:
The Hanover Band is not the only one in trouble. Just last week in the newspaper it was announced that they are going to have to either cut some of the Phoenix Symphony members or their salaries. They took the cut in pay. I think a lot of classical orchestras are in trouble despite all the donations and ticket sales.

Joy

Look's like thery're all being mismanaged. Perhaps they should play a bit more Beethoven (and I don't mean the 5th!) instead of the usual rubbish they offer the the listening public.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 02-17-2002).]

[NickB]

Originally posted by Rod:
A white fortepiano!? Well, it must be a copy that's for sure! What did you make of this performance? How was the piano? Concerning my critisisms you may disagree anyway, and the remainder of the respective works are excellent.

I'm sure it would've been a copy. And it may not have been white, now, on further reflection, but it wasn't *dark*.

This performance was several years ago, and my first period instrument concerto...at least to my knowledge. I found both the concerto and symphony great; spirited and lively. I'd highly recommend anyone to check out the Portland Baroque Orchestra, but there's no LvB on this year's schedule, unfortunately.

Now that I think of it, Huggett conducted the symphony from the podium, sans violin! I remember being irritated that she had to conduct with violin during the concerto, but not during the symphony.

I recall being completely impressed with the piano performance, though his cadenza was one that didn't seem to match the two I had (then) on CD. I noticed the guy sitting next to me seemed to be familiar with the piece (he was fingering along with bits of it), and I asked him what he thought the cadenza was at intermission. He didn't think it was a B cadenza, but now I suspect it may have been the cadenza that I DO have a recording of...the same that Ashkenazy did in the Chicago/Solti concerto cycle.

Anyway, it was great, I wish I could remember it better now. I'm getting old...

And I'm still working my way through the Hanover Band set.

[Peter]

Originally posted by NickB:
He didn't think it was a B cadenza, but now I suspect it may have been the cadenza that I DO have a recording of...the same that Ashkenazy did in the Chicago/Solti concerto cycle.

.

There is no excuse for anyone playing anything but the very fine cadenzas Beethoven himself wrote for his concertos. These cadanzas were written in 1808, some years after the first 4 piano concertos were written. I know all the arguments people use today to justify writing their own cadenzas or using others not by Beethoven particularly in regard to Op.15 and Op.19, but they miss the point as to why Beethoven wrote his cadenzas in the first place - because he was fed up with his works being ruined by other people's efforts. The cadenzas may be stylistically more advanced than the concertos they were written for, but at least we know we're listening to Beethoven and not Czerny or Ashkenazy!

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Ironically the Beethoven cadenzas for the first 2 concertos create a problem for the authentic movement, for I believe they require a keyboard beyond the 5 octave instrument B himeself would have used in the 1790s. Thus I have a few recordings with a 5 octave Walter, but none of them use Beethoven's cadenzas. I presume the fortepiano at the current concert must have been at least a 6 octave (probably 6.5) if they used a cadenza by Ashkenazy?

Regarding the issue of the colour of the fortepiano - in Vienna they were natural wood coloured in B's day, and for many years after B's death. I've seen photos of instruments of a very light wood colour, like pinewood, so perhaps the piano was one such as these.



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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:

Ironically the Beethoven cadenzas for the first 2 concertos create a problem for the authentic movement, for I believe they require a keyboard beyond the 5 octave instrument B himeself would have used in the 1790s.

Then surely the authentic movement should recognise this and perform the concertos on a later fp, perhaps from the 1810's? Obviously Beethoven had no objection or he would hardly have written an unplayable cadenza.

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'Man know thyself'