[saisunil]

Mercury Living Presence's Firebird is a definitive recommendation

[jimdgoulding]

Don't doubt that is a gem.  Did you get that recently per chance?  If so, where?  Thanks.

[Marius]

live concert by @BerlinPhil conducted by Simon Rattle

http://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/play/3401-3

Marius

[dB Cooper]

Bartok's "Concerto For Orchestra" is a no-brainer.

I looked it up on wikipedia and the most recent release they listed was 1970 
Anybody have release suggestions?
In the olden days, I would have asked the person in the record store... Those don't exist anymore and iTunes doesn't have a  "helpful salesperson"

[*Scotty*]

dB Cooper, try the same search on amazon.
Scotty

[dB Cooper]

Threw a dart at the wall and it landed on this Firebird. Hope it's a good one:



Now will look into the Bartok. Who knows a good classical/chamber music user review site (kind of an imdb/rotten tomatoes type)?

[dB Cooper]

Hmmm... I did like the Bernstein "Rite"; anybody familiar with this?

[Ericus Rex]

Threw a dart at the wall and it landed on this Firebird. Hope it's a good one:



Now will look into the Bartok. Who knows a good classical/chamber music user review site (kind of an imdb/rotten tomatoes type)?

That's the Suite.  I thought you were looking for the Complete version?  At any rate, that recording is not bad but it doesn't hold water compared to my copy of Boulez/NYP.

As for Bartok, Boulez is a very good interpreter of his music.  You can't really go wrong with Boulez with anything as long as the piece was written after 1900 or so.

You could peruse the Amazon reviews of individual recordings.  Some pretty knowledgeable guys post on there.

[saisunil]

Reiner on RCA is definitive Bartok
http://www.amazon.com/Bartok-Concerto-Orchestra-Percussion-Hungarian/dp/B000003FEJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1353333791&sr=1-1&keywords=bartok+concerto+for+orchestra

[firedog]

Concerto for Orchestra



got this turned into a 24/96K digital file from HDTT.  Old recording. Very good performance. The recording is really interesting, as it was originally recorded n 3 tracks on 35mm film, adapted for audio use . The idea back in those days was that you could could get a lot better sound recording on 35mm film as opposed to standard audio 1/4 " audio tape of the time b/c the sheer physical size and added thickness of the film enabled more dynamics, frequency response, etc.

It appears to have worked. Again, old recording, but very dynamic and good frequency response. Not quite the extreme frequency response of a modern recording, but sounds really good. Not like an old recording at all. Really like this one.

[dB Cooper]

Ericus- Am still looking for the complete one, but there's a "1910 Ballet Score", a "1911 Suite", a "1919 Suite", and a "1945 Suite", so I dunno... Is it the "ballet" I'm looking for? 

[Ericus Rex]

The complete ballet was written first, then he wrote the suites off it, so I'd guess the 1910 is the complete ballet.  You can look at the track listings too.  The suite is approx. 20 minutes and 6 or 7 tracks.  The complete ballet is about 45 minutes and 15-23 tracks (depending on how it's divided).  I've never heard the 1911 or 1945 suites.  Of the complete 1910 score the NYP/Boulez is the only recording I've heard.  I can say it's a keeper but I don't know how it compares to the other recordings mentioned already.  I'm sure they are all good interpretations.  But I have few discs that were recorded as well as the version I have.  Hope this helps!

As for other 'off the beaten track' composers from last century to try out; I think Shostakovich has been mentioned already.  His 5th symphony is monumental though I usually pull out others to hear more often; 7, 9 and 11 usually.  Any of those would be a good place to start.  Bartok, Concerto for Orch is good.  His string quartets are amazing.  I also really like Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste (it's a little less accessible than his concerto for orch - if you ever saw "Being John Malkovich" the music Jon Cusack makes his puppets dance to is this piece).  Of course there's Mahler.  You either love him (like me!) or 'meh'.  Mahler's 5th is his most famous but I pull out 2,4,6 and 9 just as much.

I'm sure you can find all of these on youtube so you can peruse without breaking the bank.

Happy Hunting!

[Tyson]

Got my Bernstein CD and have listened to the Firebird selections (it was late  ) Nice sound for a 54yo recording (digitally remastered, according to the SPAR code- remember those?)
Really liked that stuff. Had a similar reaction as I did listening to Brubeck the first time: I didn't understand what was going on, but I thought to myself: There is something going on here.
Will listen to the Rite of Spring sections probably over the weekend.

Also per another suggestion got a Kronos Quartet CD. Started with "Monk Suite" as I am already a Monk fan. Haven't had a chance to listen yet.

Tyson, thanks for the suggestions. Any particular releases you have in mind? Maybe I will become a classical fan yet.

Sooooo.... Any suggestions on the "complete" Firebird?

Oh man there is so much awesomeness to be had!!  I tend to like box set as a way to get a lot of great music for little $$.  But there are also awesome single disks worth picking up too.

Shostakovich - you have to hear Oistrakh and Rostropovich in the violin concerto and cello concerto:



Staying with Shostakovich - the Borodin Quartet's performance of his complete string quartets is madcap gallows humor and clownlike insanity.  Absolutely love it:



And last, but not least! is the symphonies - Kondrashin continues the razor blade intensity.  Not the greatest sound ever, but Jesus Christ this guy is off the hook intense:



For Bartok, I think Piano Concerto 2 is the height of his work, and there are tons of great performances to choose from.  If I had to pick just one, it would be Kovacevich for it's good sound, brutal intensity, and the bonus of having all 3 concerto's on one disc:



And who wants to be without Bartok's string quartets?  I call it music of pure agitation!  Lots of good sets to choose from, but I think the polished perfection and cold intensity of the Emerson Quartet captures this music perfectly:

[saisunil]

Don't doubt that is a gem.  Did you get that recently per chance?  If so, where?  Thanks.

I have the SACD version that I picked up several years ago ... dynamics galore

[jimdgoulding]

Thanks for the reply.  Cheers

[dburna]

Found a Bernstein "Rites of Spring" at my local library, but it is a 1972 recording (paired with a 1957 "Firebird").  Does anyone have any idea how the 1972 "Rites" compares to Bernstein's 1958 recording?

Thanks, -dB

[sbrown]

Try the Muti on EMI -very dynamic performance

[Ericus Rex]

Old thread, I know but I just saw this:


http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4783729


Why not get them all?