Unfinished Business: Schubert
Thu, Feb 7 2013, 4:12PM
#2
RE: Unfinished Business: Schubert
Thanks everyone for these suggestions. Parla I have just raided my old man's collection this afternoon and listened to the 'stormy' Karajan as you nicely put it. Yes, it is stormy!
It's coupled with Dvorak's New World on DG CD. The date of the Schubert is 1965 with the BPO of course which interestingly puts it in the same time-zone as the Bohm with the same orchestra.
I just have one quibble about this Karajan version; the dynamic contrasts in the 1st movement are a bit too dramatic and accentuated for me. The 2nd movement is better in terms of dynamics and the mood is just right.
Not sure yet whether to go for Abbado, Kleiber, Krips etc...The mention of the Furtwangler has got me interested too!
Mark
Fri, Feb 8 2013, 8:19PM
#3
RE: Unfinished Business: Schubert
Today, on the way back from my work, waiting for a traffic light, it's a grey winter day with a bit of wet snow, mp3 of Schubert's Great C-major on the car audio, the 1942 recording with Furtwängler and the BPO.
The moment in the andante where the key changes from A to F major and the horns softly announcing the movement's 2nd theme, one of those marvels in music that makes you wonder how it's possible that four notes of a falling scale (a-g-f-e) can evoke such wealth and depth of emotion... manly tears.
Sound of a car horn behind me breaking the spell.
Sat, Feb 9 2013, 1:18AM
#4
RE: Unfinished Business: Schubert
That's the Greatness of Schubert, 50m, not any modern, post-modern or avant-garde composer. Unfortunately, for all the great endeavours of other more modern composers in the 20th century and onwards, their projects never reached this "marvels" of music of the Great Classics, which, no matter how many times you listen to or how simple they may sound at times, you'll never feel bored or the same.
Parla
Sat, Feb 9 2013, 1:25PM
#5
RE: Unfinished Business: Schubert
Nope, I'm not gonna bite.
Sat, Feb 9 2013, 3:27PM
#6
RE: Unfinished Business: Schubert
You don't have to. There is no "bait"! (Just Schubert's Great).
Parla
Mon, Feb 11 2013, 7:40PM
#7
RE: Unfinished Business: Schubert
Thanks again everyone. I've gone for Kleiber/VPO on DG CD and Harnoncourt with Concertgebouw on Apex. For the moment!
50ml/78 rpm - the Furtwangler is there on Amazon, at a high price of circa £25. It'll be going in the basket at some point!
John - that disc of the other unfinished symphonic works looks like it will be going in the basket as well.
Mark
PS I have to admit I passed up on Abbado boxed set on Friday with COE at M'cr HMV. Not sure about a boxed set just yet!
The 1942 live recording of the 9th is even more electrifying, but the 1951 studio recording may be a tad more balanced, and it has the benefit of a better recording. Choosing between those two legendary performances is impossible, at least for me.