[sounddog]

I am so envious; it must be amazing to hear her in a live performance. Hewitt is our favorite Bach pianist and her 2008 recording of the WTC is great (even better than her 1998 recording IMHO). As one reviewer said, her 1998 recording dances but her 2008 recording sings.

[andolink]

W. A. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 11 in F major, K. 413

[andolink]

[LesterSleepsIn]

I am so envious; it must be amazing to hear her in a live performance. Hewitt is our favorite Bach pianist and her 2008 recording of the WTC is great (even better than her 1998 recording IMHO). As one reviewer said, her 1998 recording dances but her 2008 recording sings.

Ditto on her live performance. I’ve seen her twice, once at a small private function in Guelph and then again with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Wonderful!

[Randy]

[Randy]

[Tyson]

The 24/192 downloads of Szell and Cleveland doing the Beethoven symphonies is very good.  BUT, I picked up the Japanese SACD set from Amazon and it's holy shit amazing!  Loving these, the jump in sound quality is hugely beneficial to Szell.  You hear way more nuance and (finally) real pianissimos.  Szell comes off as way more sensitive of a performer.  Man, he was badly served by the Epic engineers in the record releases, and by the early digital remasters in the 80s and 90s.  Now we can hear these performances in all their glory:

[Randy]

The 24/192 downloads of Szell and Cleveland doing the Beethoven symphonies is very good.  BUT, I picked up the Japanese SACD set from Amazon and it's holy shit amazing!  Loving these, the jump in sound quality is hugely beneficial to Szell.  You hear way more nuance and (finally) real pianissimos.  Szell comes off as way more sensitive of a performer.  Man, he was badly served by the Epic engineers in the record releases, and by the early digital remasters in the 80s and 90s.  Now we can hear these performances in all their glory:

Thanks for posting. Price is breathtaking and a rip off by Sony.  However, as an alternative I ordered the equivalent one-disc Szell/Beethoven overtures as a sampler.

[LesterSleepsIn]

The 24/192 downloads of Szell and Cleveland doing the Beethoven symphonies is very good.  BUT, I picked up the Japanese SACD set from Amazon and it's holy shit amazing! 

Tyson,
Do you have a link to the Japanese SACD set? I searched but didn’t see it.
Cheers,
Lester

[Randy]

Tyson,
Do you have a link to the Japanese SACD set? I searched but didn’t see it.
Cheers,
Lester

Not Tyson but here it is via amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Nine-Symphonies/dp/B01EB6PMB0/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1534261152&sr=1-2&keywords=szell+beethoven+symphonies

[Tyson]

Thanks for posting. Price is breathtaking and a rip off by Sony.  However, as an alternative I ordered the equivalent one-disc Szell/Beethoven overtures as a sampler.

If you have good DSD playback capabilities then you'll be ordering the full set soon!   For it's age, the remastering they've been able to accomplish is amazing.  One of the best remasters I've heard.

One other note about the set.  Normally I only listen to Symphonies 3-9 because I always felt like the Eroica is where the "real" Beethoven emerges.  But the Szell performances treat Symphony 1 and 2 as fully mature Beethoven and really let things rip in those 2.  Very nice!

[Randy]

If you have good DSD playback capabilities then you'll be ordering the full set soon!   For it's age, the remastering they've been able to accomplish is amazing.  One of the best remasters I've heard.

One other note about the set.  Normally I only listen to Symphonies 3-9 because I always felt like the Eroica is where the "real" Beethoven emerges.  But the Szell performances treat Symphony 1 and 2 as fully mature Beethoven and really let things rip in those 2.  Very nice!

Here's a #2 that knocked my socks off with excellent sonics as well.

 

[LesterSleepsIn]

Not Tyson but here it is via amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Nine-Symphonies/dp/B01EB6PMB0/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1534261152&sr=1-2&keywords=szell+beethoven+symphonies

Thanks Randy and Tyson. I noticed an odd comment in the Amazon reviews:
“Since I don't read Japanese, the brochure is useless. The discs were labeled SACD, but I have not been able to get an Oppo BD105 to decode anything other than 2 channel stereo, so the set is overpriced. Of course I had to open the box to find this out so it's not returnable, otherwise I would ask for a refund. I do not recommend purchase. Buy the domestic Columbia stereo release instead.”

Not SACD?

Also, another reviewer suggested to buy direct from Amazon/Japan; the set is only $90 including shipping.

[Tyson]

Thanks Randy and Tyson. I noticed an odd comment in the Amazon reviews:
“Since I don't read Japanese, the brochure is useless. The discs were labeled SACD, but I have not been able to get an Oppo BD105 to decode anything other than 2 channel stereo, so the set is overpriced. Of course I had to open the box to find this out so it's not returnable, otherwise I would ask for a refund. I do not recommend purchase. Buy the domestic Columbia stereo release instead.”

Not SACD?

Also, another reviewer suggested to buy direct from Amazon/Japan; the set is only $90 including shipping.

The set I got is SACD.  I suspect that the other reviewer is just technically challenged

Yes, the text in the booklet is in Japanese.  On the other hand, on the back of each SACD case is the original text, in English, that was on the original LPs.  You need a magnifying glass to read it though!  Haha.

[Randy]

cdjapan is an excellent outlet for buying Japanese issues of classical (and others) CDs and SACDs.  I have ordered from there many times. Easy to use since it's all in English and you can use paypal. Good service and good prices.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/music/classic/

[Randy]

Three terrific Hewitt Bach recordings, two in tandem with other performers.

[andolink]

[Tyson]

Vivaldi, for the wife:

[andolink]

Per Nørgård: Symphony No. 8

[andolink]

L. van Beethoven: String Quintet in C, Op. 29