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CD-1018(4) [Reissue] FURTWÄNGLER AT THE LUCERNE FESTIVAL: 1947-1953 RECORDINGS AND BROADCASTS. CD 1 (71:42): BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, op. 15 with Adrian Aeschbacher, piano (27 Aug. 1947). BRAHMS: Concerto for violin and violoncello, in A minor, op. 102 with Wolfgang Schneiderhan, vn., Enrico Mainardi, vc (24 Aug. 1949). CD 2 (77:08): BRAHMS: Symphony #1 in C minor, op. 68 (27 Aug. 1947). SCHUMANN: Symphony #4 in D minor, op. 120 (26 Aug. 1953). CD 3 (67:03) BEETHOVEN: Symphony #3 in E flat major, op. 55 (26 Aug. 1953). WAGNER: Lohengrin Prelude, (Unissued HMV recording, 15 Sept. 1949). BEETHOVEN: Symphony #7 in A major, op. 92, (rehearsal of mvt 2 (exc.) 15 Aug. 1951). CD 4 (60:21) BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture #3, (27 Aug. 1947), and Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 with Yehudi Menuhin, vn, (Kreisler Cadenzas), from HMV DB 6574/9, 28 & 29 Aug. 1947. All performances are with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. (ADD) UPC# 0-17685-10182-3. Regularly $44.85; now through February 5, 2008 only $29.85BUZZ: A superb collection of Furtwängler's Lucerne appearances, digitally refurbished in the best possible sound. The Eroica and the Schumann Symphony #4 as well as Wagner's Lohengrin Prelude appear for the first time on a commercial recording here and the Brahms' Double Concerto has been tremendously improved sonically compared to the long unavailable AS Disc version. "...the Brahms First Symphony [is presented ] in a fiery performance which ranks with Furtwängler's grandest of the work...[as well as] the sublime account of Beethoven's Violin Concerto with Menuhin..." "The 1947 studio Beethoven Violin Concerto with Menuhin has more thrust and vibrancy than both artists' 1953 Philharmonia remake..." |
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CD-1014(4) [Reissue] THE 1952 BAYREUTH MEISTERSINGER WITH "KNA". Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. The 1952 Bayreuth Festival production conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch, with Otto Edelman as Sachs, Hans Hopf as Stolzing, Lisa Della Casa as Eva, Heinrich Pflanzl as Beckmesser, and Kurt Böhme as Pogner. Special bonus: The Siegfried Idyll with the WDR (Köln) Radio Orchestra conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch, from a 7 May, 1953 broadcast performance. Timings: CD 1: 73:12; CD 2: 79:02; CD 3: 72:33; CD 4: 70:29. (AAD) UPC #0-17685-10142-7. Regularly $44.85; now through February 5, 2008 only $29.85BUZZ: The late Harold Rosenthal, OBE, wrote in Opera in his review of this production: "The orchestra under Hans Knappertsbusch played beautifully for the most part...The orchestral tone was lustrous, the string playing being especially fine. There was much to admire, and the orchestral accompaniment to the Sachs-Eva duet in Act II and the Wahn Monologue were moments to treasure...Edelmann was the Sachs. A warm, human kindly Sachs for whom David's affection seemed as natural as did the welcome given him by the Nurembergers in the last act...He never forced his tone which retained its beautiful quality until the end of the evening...Gerhard Unger was a wholly delightful David; he sang well and displayed a far more pleasing voice than most German spieltenors possess..." "...this is the reading of his now to choose." |
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CD-1013(1) [Reissue] GIESEKING PLAYS SCHUMANN. Robert Schumann: Etudes Symphoniques Op. 13; Waldscenen, Op. 82; and Romances, Op. 28: Nos. 1 & 2 (all recorded 9 July 1951 in Saarbücken) and Sonata No. 1 in F# Minor, Op. 11 (Grosse Sonate) (recorded in 1942 for RRG, the German radio system). Total time: 74:41. (AAD) UPC# 0-17685-10132-8. Regularly $14.95; now through February 5, 2008 only $10.95BUZZ: A phenomenal technician and colorist who made melody communicate to a unique degree and played with great stylistic differentiation, Walter Gieseking was one of the most individual and consistently inspired pianists of our time. This collection brings together some of his finest broadcast performances of works by Schumann. "This may well be the finest recording ever made of this sonata, and I recommend it highly to anyone who loves music." |
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