Things we'd like to see recorded by people we'd like to record them
In the vain hope that some record label bods might visit the forum - or just for sheer entertainment - let's play A&R chiefs for a moment and hire some artists for imaginary but realistic and semi-business-savvy recording sessions.
(I don't think this duplicates any other topic but do put me right if so...)
Here are five to start (coloured by personal taste, obviously) - please add your own:
- Katerina Chrobokova to record the Guilmant's symphonies for organ and orchestra with the Toulouse Capitole Orchestra live at St Sernin, Toulouse
- Susanna Malkki to record the Nielsen symphonies (AND symphonic rhapsody) with the Helsinki Philharmonic in the old Finlandia Hall, before it shuts
- Tine Thing Helseth to participate as trumpet soloist in a recording of Henze's Requiem, with members of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Daniel Harding
- Norwegian Soloists' Choir to record Spanish and Portuguese polyphony alongside traditional Spanish folk song - Grete Pederson to conduct
- Carlo Rizzi and WNO orchestra and chorus to record Janacek's The Eternal Gospel, with whatever (Czech) fillers they like!
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Some of these more practical - possible? - than others:
1. A Vaughan Williams symphony cycle from Mark Elder and the Halle (I'm assuming an Elgar Apostles is on the way... if not, why not?).
2. Martha Argerich in Brahms opp. 116-119.
3. Rozhdestvensky in the Schnittke Dead Souls suite (the DVD of it is a joy... endlessly diverting: though perhaps, on reflection, watching 'Noddy' is half the fun!).
4. Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra in the West Side Story Symphonic Dances - DG really missed a trick here... (they make Lenny's recording sound a bit square).
5. Abbado and the BPO in Sibelius 4, 5, 6 and 7 (why Abbado has never conducted Sibelius - ditto Haitink - is beyond me).
6. Pappano and his Santa Cecilia Orchestra in the Elgar Symphonies.
John
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Marc-André Hamelin having a go at Liszt's 12 Grands Etudes (the 1838 version) and Balakirev's Islamey wouldn't be bad either... And why does the Vienna Philharmonic actually play Shostakovich - I've been to a terrific performance of the 4th Symphony under Gergiev in the Musikverein in 2007 - but never records him ?
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And why does the Vienna Philharmonic actually play Shostakovich - I've been to a terrific performance of the 4th Symphony under Gergiev in the Musikverein in 2007 - but never records him ?
The Vienna Philharmonic did record (albeit live, so your point is supported, Carlos!) the 5th under Mariss Jansons for EMI and also under Georg Solti for Decca. Both recordings are enjoyable, but neither is to my mind a great forerunner, when listened to in the cold light of day. 'Cold' may be the key thing: I wonder if the strings can't help being just a bit too warm, the brass just a bit too sonorous?
John
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Thanks for the heads up, John ! These two recordings have certainly passed me by. I'll try to get them (hoping they're not out of print), but I can see your point: the famed warmth and sheen of the Vienna strings may not be the most adequate element for a convincing Shostakovich performance. All the same, that 4th under Gergiev's baton worked fine, perhaps because the Russian's jagged-edged conducting style managed to push the orchestra out of their comfort zone, and effectively so. I'm really anxious to hear those versions !
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Abbado and the BPO in Sibelius 4, 5, 6 and 7
I don't know of any Italian, apart from Toscanini in n°2, who has shown any interest in Sibelius.
Adrian
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Not so much a performer-specific request, but a repertoire one: why has no label ever issued a coupling of the Elgar and Finzi Cello Concertos?
Oh, but while I'm at it, I think I wouldn't mind Mark Elder and the Halle being the conductor/orchestra for it... maybe Heinrich Schiff could be persuaded to return to Manchester and his existing Elgar concerto be reissued in a new coupling?
John
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Sticking with Manchester - Seems to me we desparately need a new taping of Tchaikovsky's Iolante - I can only find one available version, Rozhestvensky, which is a pretty poor recording (in a technical sense).
Perhaps Gianandrea Noseda could return to his BBC Philharmonic and make a recording thrusting with the sort of knife-edge atmosphere that made his Rachmaninov Miserly Knight so enjoyable.
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The symphonies etc of Kalliwoda, a Bohemian who worked in Germany.
Once either of the Howards, Shelley and Griffiths, have finished their survey of the Sbohr symphonies, either one, or both, could turn their attention to a much more rewarding composer, imo.
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Much as I like Martin Galling's recordings which introduced me to the charms of Hummel, if only George Mendelsohn had got his young up and coming pianist Alfred Brendel to record them....
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I am really hoping that Gardiner and the ORR will get round to doing the Mendelssohn symphonies soon. As someone who has loved his overhauls of the Beethoven and Brahms symphonies I've longed for him to tackle the Mendelssohn as an extension to his exploration of 19th-century music with the ORR. I know this economic climate is not good for classical recordings and I know he has already recorded the Italian and Reformation symphonies with the VPO, but I would be exceedingly happy if he and the ORR could put out a CD of the Scottish and Italian symphonies with the Hebrides overture all ine one place. I'm also longing to hear his treatment of the complete Midsummer Night's Dream music and even the Lobgesang symphony and it might be an auspicious occasion to include the original Gutenberg Festgesang cantata with the original version of the tune of Hark! the herald-angels sing.
I do hope that one day Myung-whun Chung might do the real 1897 version of Rimsky-Korsakov's Antar to pair with his 1993 DG recording of the Shahrazad (Sheherazade) suite. Most recordings of this piece use the 1903 version even though the publishers mislabelled the 1903 Antar as the 1897 version. There aren't many good versions of the genuine 1897 version available beyond Svetlanov and Bakels.
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Good post - although it does slightly duplicate the "New Years Wishes" post - nevertheless I shall offer:
a new Bellini Norma is badly needed and I suggest Renee Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Jonas Kaufmann and Rene Pape conducted by Antonio Pappano or perhaps someone like Vladimir Jurowski.
a recording of a concert performance of I Vespri Siciliani conducted by Pappano with Kaufmann again and perhaps Angela Gheorghiu before she passes her prime.
some live recordings of the Mahler cycle being undertaken by Vassily Petrenko in Liverpool
Abbado conducting Cosi Fan Tutte