BaL 22.01.11 - Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Eine Alpensinfonie and ostuni,

Thanks for your comments. I am normally a big fan of Mravinsky and the Leningraders and I hope to have a proper listen this weekend. I will look forward to the organ part!

I'd be very interested in your comments.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And just when I thought I'd heard the best and the worst performances, I have finally heard another that I may come to rate as the finest of them all. A real surprise:

Horst Stein conducting the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra on Europa Disc. It has everything: energetic and virtuosic playing, stunning sound, a magnificent thunderstorm, flutter tonguing without cheating and an epilogue to die for. I even compared it with the RPO/Kempe version, which I've always rated as the best of all. There's little to choose between them, except for more polished playing by the Bamberg SO and a more dramatic thunderstorm (Kempe's only section that isn't quite the best).

I never expected this. I now have 55 versions. Can I get the remaining few without Frau Alpensinfonie noticing?

[BetweenTheStaves]

To whet your appetite for BaL, here's a snippet from a live performance by the BPO conducted by Miles Malleson, oh I apologise, Semyon Bychkov

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK7z2NhUrsQ

If an important criterion is that the performance should blow your socks off, I have to report that my slippers wind up behind my computer and my socks don't come back to earth for at least 4 hours whenever I watch this clip

Amateur51....many thanks for the link to this superb excerpt. Tingles down the spine throughout. Bravo, Sir!

[BetweenTheStaves]

And just when I thought I'd heard the best and the worst performances, I have finally heard another that I may come to rate as the finest of them all. A real surprise:

Horst Stein conducting the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra on Europa Disc. It has everything: energetic and virtuosic playing, stunning sound, a magnificent thunderstorm, flutter tonguing without cheating and an epilogue to die for. I even compared it with the RPO/Kempe version, which I've always rated as the best of all. There's little to choose between them, except for more polished playing by the Bamberg SO and a more dramatic thunderstorm (Kempe's only section that isn't quite the best).

I never expected this. I now have 55 versions. Can I get the remaining few without Frau Alpensinfonie noticing?

EA...can you recommend a good source for this? £28 on Amazon seems a tad pricey although I admit I have not been able to find out if it is part of a boxed set to justify the price. Thanks

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

EA...can you recommend a good source for this? £28 on Amazon seems a tad pricey although I admit I have not been able to find out if it is part of a boxed set to justify the price. Thanks

I had the same difficulty as you in tracking it down, but I found it here:
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=169912
The problem with this source is the cost of postage from the USA, so it may end up costing as much as on Amazon.

[Petrushka]

And just when I thought I'd heard the best and the worst performances, I have finally heard another that I may come to rate as the finest of them all. A real surprise:

Horst Stein conducting the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra on Europa Disc. It has everything: energetic and virtuosic playing, stunning sound, a magnificent thunderstorm, flutter tonguing without cheating and an epilogue to die for. I even compared it with the RPO/Kempe version, which I've always rated as the best of all. There's little to choose between them, except for more polished playing by the Bamberg SO and a more dramatic thunderstorm (Kempe's only section that isn't quite the best).

I never expected this. I now have 55 versions. Can I get the remaining few without Frau Alpensinfonie noticing?

I bought this disc when it first came out after reading a rave review in Gramophone from Michael Kennedy. It is indeed a very fine recording (MK thought the storm the best one ever recorded) and my only surprise is that you hadn't got it already.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... and my only surprise is that you hadn't got it already.

I don't even remember the Gramophone review, or the original release, but I wish I had. All those wasted years!

[Petrushka]

All those wasted years!

I know this feeling. Bought JEG's 1989 recording of LvB's Missa Solemnis only last week and heard it for the first time tonight. Don't usually care much for JEG but this is a great recording.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Don't usually care much for JEG

but this is a great recording.

[BetweenTheStaves]

And just when I thought I'd heard the best and the worst performances, I have finally heard another that I may come to rate as the finest of them all. A real surprise:

Horst Stein conducting the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra on Europa Disc. It has everything: energetic and virtuosic playing, stunning sound, a magnificent thunderstorm, flutter tonguing without cheating and an epilogue to die for. I even compared it with the RPO/Kempe version, which I've always rated as the best of all. There's little to choose between them, except for more polished playing by the Bamberg SO and a more dramatic thunderstorm (Kempe's only section that isn't quite the best).

I never expected this. I now have 55 versions. Can I get the remaining few without Frau Alpensinfonie noticing?

Just got my copy from Arkiv and what can I say other than 'Wow'! Totally bowled over.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just got my copy from Arkiv and what can I say other than 'Wow'! Totally bowled over.

That just about sums it up. A terrific performance.

[visualnickmos]

I wish I could justify adding this (Stein/Bamberg) to my 'Alpens', but I can't, so I won't.

However, one of my favs is Mehta/LAPO on Decca, along with Solti's, too.

[Barbirollians]

I have played the Haitink on Newton a number of times now and it strikes me as a very satisfying performance and in cracking sound too. There is a real shape to the piece in this recording. I think I shall stick to Haitink and Kempe tempting as the Stein sounds.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I wish I could justify adding this (Stein/Bamberg) to my 'Alpens', but I can't, so I won't.

You are wiser than I am, being completely broke, having bought 44 more recordings since the BaL broadcast early this year.

[Barbirollians]

Gracious - does that top pastoralguy's set of the Beethoven Violin Concerto ?