T. Esteban Ayala
2/10/2012 5:53:00 PM
On Feb 10, 5:10 am, FrankB <antonb1...@aol.com> wrote:
> On Feb 10, 6:37 am, "Peter H." <pbho...@gmail.com> wrote:
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> > On Feb 10, 7:11 am, wkasimer <wkasi...@comcast.net> wrote:
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> > > On Feb 10, 1:07 am, Mark S <markstenr...@yahoo.com> wrote:
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> > > > I'm thinking of ordering this set through Amazon (a domestic
> > > > distributor has it for $11).
>
> > > Mark, a couple of the UK sellers are pretty reliable (particularly
> > > Avatar). They obviously take a little longer (some of them a LOT
> > > longer), but I've never had a problem ordering from them.
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> > > Also, these recordings were also issued on United Archive in a 3 CD
> > > set that included some other Brahms conducted by Walter (the two
> > > overtures and some other odds and ends - I don't recall exactly). I
> > > can't tell you how the sound compares, but the sound on the Sony set
> > > is fine.
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> > > > This is Walter's 1951-3 mono set with the NYPO. As I've said before, I
> > > > haven't been much of a Walter fan over the years, but I'm always
> > > > willing to give a re-evaluation the old college try.
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> > > This is among my favorite Brahms sets. I didn't pay a lot of
> > > attention to Walter during my first half century, but have begun to
> > > see what I've been missing.
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> > > > Is this worth getting? I'd sort of like to find a Walter recording
> > > > where the consensus is "if this doesn't allow you to get what Walter
> > > > was about, you never will."
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> > > I doubt that you need another Schubert "Unfinished", but his late one
> > > is among my favorites. And another vote for his Dvorak 8.
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> > > Bill
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> > A quick aside: can someone comment / recommend the Walter Bruckner
> > 8th on M&A? Is this his only version of this work? Thx.- Hide quoted text -
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> > - Show quoted text -
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> It is indeed his only extant version, a pity since he did it again in
> 1948 with the NYP but it was not broadcast. The 1941 recording on M&A
> is from an off-the-air set of transcription discs in variable
> condition, but they did what they could with the source material. The
> performance is the same one mentioned near the end of Walter's
> autobiography. It could be called "fiery" I suppose, but I would say
> that it is both urgent and flexible.
>
> Frank
A real shame about the sound on that CD. Urgent and flexible is an apt
description; a very fine Bruckner 8th. He had been planning to record
it with the Columbia Symphony (as well as the Mahler 4th, 5th, and
possibly 3rd), but didn't live long enough to do so. That would've
been interesting to hear.