Does the world need another blog? Probably not, but I'll start mine anyhow...

[Musicophile]

After attending a Keith Jarrett live solo concert last night, I decided I finally start the blog I've been toying with for a while. I will just write about music I like and I want to share. Not sure if anybody will ever bother to read it, but in the end it is kind of a personal diary in any case, helping me to organize my thoughts. I appreciate any feedback you guys may have.

 

https://musicophilesblog.wordpress.com

[Holowlegs]

Hello there

 

Thanks for posting, enjoyed the read.

 

Cheers Frank

[Guidof]

Well, I read it, with pleasure. Being of advanced age and in precarious health, I can no longer attend concerts, but I treasure many wonderful memories of "firsts": my first La Scala opera (Tristan, no less!), Maria Tipo's inaugural all-Chopin Argentine recital in the fifties in Buenos Aires, my first (of many) Beaux Arts Trio concerts at the University of Illinois, my friend Ian Hobson's Saint Saens 2 with Slatkin and the Baltimore Symphony at the Meyerhof, and many others.

 

Nothing, of course, substitutes for the real thing, but I'm so grateful that we have the technology to recreate such musical moments at home, not to mention the ability to listen to pieces rarely performed in public, or by musicians who are no longer with us.

 

I will check back on your blog from time to time, and hope that you will continue to share your love for music with those of us who also share it.

 

Bes regards,

 

Guido F.

[Melvin]

The world is most certainly in need of passionate and capable bloggers! I enjoyed the read and hope you continue. Well done.

[coot]

Read it, Musico. Nicely done. Keep it up!

I agree with Guido - thank goodness for a good music system at home. Sadly, my live concert days are in the past. Wish it were not so.

I look forward to YOUR next concert! :-)

[Musicophile]

Thanks for all the kind words. Encouraged by that, I've just posted my 2nd entry on the blog.

[Musicophile]

Wow, 127 visitors in the first two days, never expected that. By the way, I've now simplified my blogs address to:

 

musicophilesblog | From Jarrett to Brahms – My Favorite Things

 

Feel free to comment on the site directly if you're interested.

 

I'll try to do regular updates, so feel free to check back regularly.

[Nikhil]

Enjoyed reading your blog musicophile!

[Boris75]

After attending a Keith Jarrett live solo concert last night, I decided I finally start the blog I've been toying with for a while. I will just write about music I like and I want to share. Not sure if anybody will ever bother to read it, but in the end it is kind of a personal diary in any case, helping me to organize my thoughts. I appreciate any feedback you guys may have.

 

https://musicophilesblog.wordpress.com

 

Congratulations on the nice blog and posts! Thanks for the Klemperer Brahms I recommendation. I was totally unaware of it; not anymore; I am eager to find time to listen to it.

[Musicophile]

Congratulations on the nice blog and posts! Thanks for the Klemperer Brahms I recommendation. I was totally unaware of it; not anymore; I am eager to find time to listen to it.

Thanks.

 

To be fair, these days it is not such a secret recommendation any more, I'm certainly not the only one advocating it:

 

Classical CD Guide -- Top 10 Essential Brahms CDs and MP3s to Start Your Classical Music Collection

Brahms: Symphonies, etc./Klemperer - Classics Today

 

But to my credit, I fell in love with Klemperer on Brahms long before the internet was invented, and had to find my own way through the maze of recordings in my local record shop (probably good training).

[Boris75]

Thanks.

 

To be fair, these days it is not such a secret recommendation any more, I'm certainly not the only one advocating it:

 

Classical CD Guide -- Top 10 Essential Brahms CDs and MP3s to Start Your Classical Music Collection

Brahms: Symphonies, etc./Klemperer - Classics Today

 

But to my credit, I fell in love with Klemperer on Brahms long before the internet was invented, and had to find my own way through the maze of recordings in my local record shop (probably good training).

 

Brahms' first symphony is one of my favourite pieces of music, and I own 11 recordings of it, so it is a very fortunate surprise that I am yet to listen to a version that might best them all

[Musicophile]

Brahms' first symphony is one of my favourite pieces of music, and I own 11 recordings of it, so it is a very fortunate surprise that I am yet to listen to a version that might best them all

Please report back.

 

BTW, do you already have Furtwängler?

[Boris75]

BTW, do you already have Furtwängler?

 

Yes, on three discs: the 1952 version with the BPO (as a gift CD included with a music magazine), the 1951 version with Hamburg on redbook CD and the 1951 Hamburg on SACD. This is probably one of the few SACDs I own for which I seriously doubt the SACD brings anything on top of CD quality: the limitations of the original tape are such that redbook is probably far enough to reproduce all the information. Anyway, Furtwängler's 1951 recording with Hamburg is definitely my favourite recording of the symphony. However, I am yet to listen to Klemperer...

[Musicophile]

Yes, on three discs: the 1952 version with the BPO (as a gift CD included with a music magazine), the 1951 version with Hamburg on redbook CD and the 1951 Hamburg on SACD. This is probably one of the few SACDs I own for which I seriously doubt the SACD brings anything on top of CD quality: the limitations of the original tape are such that redbook is probably far enough to reproduce all the information. Anyway, Furtwängler's 1951 recording with Hamburg is definitely my favourite recording of the symphony. However, I am yet to listen to Klemperer...

 

I'm torn between Hamburg and Berlin on Furtwängler. By the way, a have one more with the Concertgebouw, also quite nice. SQ is pretty poor though.

[coot]

Musicophile,

 

Aside from sq, what is your criteria for a recording to be great? Do you follow a score while listening and making note of how well the conductor does the details? Is it in his/her interpretation of it? Do you have a subliminal tendency toward favoring the old-school guys?

 

Just curious.

 

-Al

[Musicophile]

Musicophile,

 

Aside from sq, what is your criteria for a recording to be great? Do you follow a score while listening and making note of how well the conductor does the details? Is it in his/her interpretation of it? Do you have a subliminal tendency toward favoring the old-school guys?

 

Just curious.

 

-Al

Good question, I've tried to answer it here:

 

What good looks like

 

SQ by the way is one of the least important criteria for me, as long as it is decent, I can live with it. I love labels like Channel Classics who get both SQ and interpretation right, but would always prefer interpretation.

 

And on favoring the old-school guys, actually I don't think so. I love contemporary recordings. I'm a big fan of young up and coming conductors such as Yannick Nezet-Séguin, Thomas Dausgaard, Paavo Järvi (well he's not THAT young any more but still), Daniel Harding (although his recent recording of Beethoven with Yundi Li was only average), Andris Nelsons etc.

 

It is just on Brahms 1 that I wasn't able to find anybody to even closely match Furtwängler.

[Boris75]

I'm torn between Hamburg and Berlin on Furtwängler.

My preference goes to Hamburg, because of the timpani; I may also be biased by the fact that I discovered the Berlin version only recently. This conversation entices me into listening to the Berlin again soon.

By the way, a have one more with the Concertgebouw, also quite nice. SQ is pretty poor though.

I was not aware of this version - interesting it is out there. The question is, which is the remastering to get: Idis, Tahra, or another one?

[AnotherSpin]

Just checked your blog. Oh, all topics are very well selected! Will read all through with great interest.

[Musicophile]

Just checked your blog. Oh, all topics are very well selected! Will read all through with great interest.

Thanks AnotherSpin. I appreciate all feedback, positive or negative.

 

I plan to publish new posts every 2-3 days, so feel free to check in regularly or just follow the blog directly for updates on new publications.

[Musicophile]

My preference goes to Hamburg, because of the timpani; I may also be biased by the fact that I discovered the Berlin version only recently. This conversation entices me into listening to the Berlin again soon.

At the end of the day, why choose when you can have both? (and by the way +1 on the timpani)

 

I was not aware of this version - interesting it is out there. The question is, which is the remastering to get: Idis, Tahra, or another one?

Can't really help here, have this on an old 2 CD set that i bought back in the late 90s (coupled with Beethoven 1), and the SQ on the version is pretty poor, so only for enthusiasts.

 

 

Amazon.com: Beethoven, Brahms, Wilhelm Furtwangler, Concertgebouw Orchestra: Furtwangler a Amsterdam: Beethoven and Brahms: Music

 

I have in my iTunes comments that this must have been recorded in 1950, unfortunately the booklet is in storage.

 

Following my blog entry, I went on a quest on several internet fora, and in the end got another recommended several other versions I didn't have, including this one:

 

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Jan13/Brahms_Tennstedt_LPO0068.htm

 

I strongly suggest you check it out.

[Musicophile]

 

I was not aware of this version - interesting it is out there. The question is, which is the remastering to get: Idis, Tahra, or another one?

To make matters worse, I just subscribed to Qobuz Sublime, and they even have a version with the Vienna Philarmonic as well:

 

Well played, but 1947 SQ...

 

Brahms 1 Furtwangler 8110998 [JW]: Classical CD Reviews - July 2007 MusicWeb-International

[Holowlegs]

Hello there

 

Just another word of thanks just caught up, and enjoyed the two blogs Is the Jazz Piano Trio the ideal art form of the 21st century? and Autour de Nina – an outstanding Vocal Jazz compilation.

 

Cheers Frank

[Musicophile]

Hello there

 

Just another word of thanks just caught up, and enjoyed the two blogs Is the Jazz Piano Trio the ideal art form of the 21st century? and Autour de Nina – an outstanding Vocal Jazz compilation.

 

Cheers Frank

 

Frank,

 

Thanks for the note. Please check back regularly, I'll certainly be writing more about similar albums in the future.

[Holowlegs]

Frank,

 

Thanks for the note. Please check back regularly, I'll certainly be writing more about similar albums in the future.

 

A bit worried as it may cost me

 

As jazz is quite new to me, and I have already brought some of your past recommendations, all good by the way. Really stated to enjoy this form of music. As for classical, I don't think I am ready yet, but have even read these blogs.

 

Whether high-res files are better than the regular CD format (called 16/44 or “red book”) is a debate I’m certainly not going to start here, you’ll have enough sites to get that discussion going.

 

Can't agree more, I prefer reading about the music.

 

So keep it up.

 

Cheers Frank

[Musicophile]

A bit worried as it may cost me

 

As jazz is quite new to me, and I have already brought some of your past recommendations, all good by the way. Really stated to enjoy this form of music. As for classical, I don't think I am ready yet, but have even read these blogs.

 

 

 

Can't agree more, I prefer reading about the music.

 

So keep it up.

 

Cheers Frank

 

Well, obviously I decline any form of financial liability... :-)