Classical music

[GuitarGeek]

So a few weeks ago, this ad pops up on my Facebook page, from Deutsche Gramophone, about a boxset they've put out: Pierre Boulez The Conductor. It's 83 (!!!) CD's and four Blu-Rays of all of Boulez's recordings for DG and Philips. The set arrived on Monday. The discs are arranged alphabetically, starting with no fewer than 8 CD's of Bartok. I listened to two of them on Monday, two on Tuesday, and I'm gonna try and make it through all three CD's of Bartok's concerti tonight before going to bed. I'm also gonna try and squeeze in one of the Debussy CD's (which, i think, I actually borrowed from the library about a million years ago, the one with the Hokusai cover) and of the discs of Boulez's own music before going to bed. I'm off tomorrow, so I'll probably skip around the set and listen to a few other things tomorrow also. Really looking forward to the Mahler symphonic cycle, as well as some of the others. This set should keep me busy for awhile.

[chalkpie]

^ Might be the greatest thing you own. He's pretty much my favorite conductor and some of his recordings are exemplary. He only conducted music he loved.

[GuitarGeek]

^ Might be the greatest thing you own. He's pretty much my favorite conductor and some of his recordings are exemplary. He only conducted music he loved.

One of the reasons I went for it was Amazon had it for $166, or something like that, which works out to something like $3.30 or whatever per CD. And the clincher is I had enough bonus points on my Amazon Prime Visa that I very literally got it completely for free (though I imagine I'm probably paying for it via interest charges on the card).

A few of these I've already got, notably one of the Messaien ones and one of the Ligeti ones, and I'm pretty sure I did borrow the one Debussy disc, the one with La Mer on it (and the Hokusai cover) from the library about a million years ago. Apart from that, I don't really know these recordings.

I generally cite Leonard Bernstein as my favourite conductor, but so far, my classical music listening hasn't been such where I can pick out the differences in conducting styles, beyond the fact that I know there are differences in tempi, dynamics, etc. Same thing with soloists, I've heard a number of violinists, pianists, etc, and I don't really have a favourite as such (though I do own an Itzhak Perlman boxset, and I've got a stupid number of Glenn Gould CD's). And as such, I really haven't compared different recordings of a given piece too much. That's one reason I'm looking forward to the Mahler cycle, as I wish to A/B against the Bernstein recordings I have (and for the matter, I'd probably through the Szell/Cleveland Orchestra of Number 6 into that discussion also), if I'm able to.

[chalkpie]

^ You'll hear big differences in Lenny's Mahler vs Pierre's Mahler. Boulez is always about detail in the score, not overblown pompous textures to fit his personal passion - a "criticism" of Lenny if there was one. I wonder if the Bayreuth Ring is in there too? I'll list some favorites of Boulez on DG and Sony later when I have a chance....one quick one is Mahler 3 (Vienna/DG/2002) with Anne Sofie von Otter...oh my! My favorite version ever.

[Mister Triscuits]

So a few weeks ago, this ad pops up on my Facebook page, from Deutsche Gramophone, about a boxset they've put out: Pierre Boulez The Conductor. It's 83 (!!!) CD's and four Blu-Rays of all of Boulez's recordings for DG and Philips. The set arrived on Monday. The discs are arranged alphabetically, starting with no fewer than 8 CD's of Bartok.

I may need to get this to go along with my Columbia/Sony Boulez box! It did strike me from that one how much Boulez liked composers starting with B...lots of Berg, Berlioz, Beethoven, Bartok, Berio, and of course his own music.

[StarThrower]

I believe there are only 5 discs of Boulez's own music included in that big box. I was hoping all 13 would be included but I'm not sure what he conducted himself? I've already got his complete Mahler recordings, plus several by Bartok, Messiaen, and Stravinsky, so I guess I'll have to pass. But a great box for the uninitiated.

From the DG site: "The four Blu-ray discs present the legendary staging of the unrivaled Bayreuth Centenary Ring!
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/e...nd-decca-12557

[GuitarGeek]

^ You'll hear big differences in Lenny's Mahler vs Pierre's Mahler. Boulez is always about detail in the score, not overblown pompous textures to fit his personal passion - a "criticism" of Lenny if there was one. I wonder if the Bayreuth Ring is in there too? I'll list some favorites of Boulez on DG and Sony later when I have a chance....one quick one is Mahler 3 (Vienna/DG/2002) with Anne Sofie von Otter...oh my! My favorite version ever.

There is a Ring Cycle here, I'm not sure if it's the Bayreuth one, but yes, there's six CD's given over to it, and it's also what's on the Blu-Rays (though a comment I read on Amazon suggested the version that's on Youtube actually has better picture quality than what's on the Blu-Rays).

[GuitarGeek]

I may need to get this to go along with my Columbia/Sony Boulez box! It did strike me from that one how much Boulez liked composers starting with B...lots of Berg, Berlioz, Beethoven, Bartok, Berio, and of course his own music.

Interesting point, this set has, as I said, 8 CD's of Bartok, Berg's opera Lulu (taking up three entire CD's) is in there, there's also as you say his own music, there's I think three or four CD's of Berlioz, etc.

I didn't know there was a Sony Boulez box. I'll have to see if it can be had at a reasonable price.

[StarThrower]

I didn't know there was a Sony Boulez box. I'll have to see if it can be had at a reasonable price.

It's been out of print for several years. Used prices are well over a grand. The only hope is a re-issue.

[GuitarGeek]

I believe there are only 5 discs of Boulez's own music included in that big box. I was hoping all 13 would be included but I'm not sure what he conducted himself? I've already got his complete Mahler recordings, plus several by Bartok, Messiaen, and Stravinsky, so I guess I'll have to pass. But a great box for the uninitiated.

From the DG site: "The four Blu-ray discs present the legendary staging of the unrivaled Bayreuth Centenary Ring!
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/e...nd-decca-12557

Looking up Boulez on Amazon and Discog reveals there's a 13 disc box, also on DG, of his complete works (which I assume is what you're referring to). According to Discogs, there's two pieces not conducted by Boulez himself, for a grand total of circa 37-39 minutes. But there's also things like three piano sonatas, and several other solo pieces and small ensemble pieces which I imagine make up the balance of the 8 CD's in the the Boulez Complete Works sets.

[StarThrower]

According to Discogs, there's two pieces not conducted by Boulez himself, for a grand total of circa 37-39 minutes. But there's also things like three piano sonatas, and several other solo pieces and small ensemble pieces which I imagine make up the balance of the 8 CD's in the the Boulez Complete Works sets.

I was wondering if they expanded the playing times on the big box CDs? I don't know? I'm not sure what the playing times are on the 13 CD set? But I've got a couple of the single CDs on DG, as well as his recordings of his own music in the Erato Boulez box.

[GuitarGeek]

It's been out of print for several years. Used prices are well over a grand. The only hope is a re-issue.

Yeah, I saw that. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything.

[GuitarGeek]

I was wondering if they expanded the playing times on the big box CDs? I don't know? I'm not sure what the playing times are on the 13 CD set? But I've got a couple of the single CDs on DG, as well as his recordings of his own music in the Erato Boulez box.

Mentioning Erato reminds me that I have a CD of Boulez conducting Berio's Sinfonia, with the New Swingle Singers, on that label.

[StarThrower]

Mentioning Erato reminds me that I have a CD of Boulez conducting Berio's Sinfonia, with the New Swingle Singers, on that label.

It's in the 14 disc box which is a really nice set. I think it can still be had for around 30 bucks.

[chalkpie]

This is totally fascinating and unbelievable! Worth the watch if you are into The Ring/Solti/Wagner! The Gotterdammerung sessions from 1964 in Vienna.

[StarThrower]

^^^
Watching now, Frank!

[chalkpie]

^^^
Watching now, Frank!

Nice! Not sure if you made it through yet but seeing Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau smoking butts in the green room was hilarious! How on Earth?! Solti was such a passionate bugger too. Those entire sessions were just incredible.

[StarThrower]

Nice! Not sure if you made it through yet but seeing Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau smoking butts in the green room was hilarious! How on Earth?! Solti was such a passionate bugger too. Those entire sessions were just incredible.

I watched the whole thing. That was fascinating. I looked up Fischer-Dieskau on Wiki and he said that he smoked for 35 years and quit cold turkey one day. He made it to age 86 so not a bad life. Solti looked like he was going to throw his shoulders out of socket while conducting those sessions.

[GuitarGeek]

Windows Media Player identifies Boulez's Pli Selon Pli as "crossover". WTF?!

[chalkpie]

Windows Media Player identifies Boulez's Pli Selon Pli as "crossover". WTF?!

"Alternative"...

Alternative to Haydn and Mozart.

"Oh dear, that's just awful! You call that music? I demand a full refund!"

[chalkpie]

On the hifi right now:

Ravel "Ma mere Suite" (Sir Neville/Academy of St Martin/Haenssler)....my fav suite version and also my absolute fav Le Tombeau ever). Desert island disc.

[progmatist]

Windows Media Player identifies Boulez's Pli Selon Pli as "crossover". WTF?!

It's not WMP itself, it's the information WMP pulls off the CDDB Database. The information for which is submitted by anyone and everyone. I've seen some pretty wacky ID3 tags.

[wideopenears]

NP: Rautavaara Symphony No. 1

[chalkpie]

NP: Rautavaara Symphony No. 1

mice. I mean nice.

[GuitarGeek]

It's not WMP itself, it's the information WMP pulls off the CDDB Database. The information for which is submitted by anyone and everyone. I've seen some pretty wacky ID3 tags.

Well, yes, I know that. I just want to know who the dumbfuck who thinks Pierre Boulez constitutes "crossover" music. And yes, I remember sometimes seeing ID tags for CD's that were completely off. I think it was a Glass Hammer CD that I was playing one day, and the tags were for a different album, still Glass Hammer, but not th eone I was listening to. I also remember the same with some of the Grateful Dead Dick's Picks things (no pot jokes, please).

Anyway, back on topic: I decided to skip over a few CD's in the Boulez box (I've been listening to one or two a night, except for last night), because I was anxious to listen to the Boulez pieces here. This evening I listened to Boulez's Grammy winning Répons, which is combined on CD with
Dialogue de l'ombre double, another solo piece that apparently requires no conductor. OK, I can sort of see what's going on here. DG simply took the existing albums as they were originally released and just bundled them together. OK, fine, but I feel like maybe the "complete recordings" thing is a bit of a misnomer, given that I think there might be some pieces that Boulez conducted, of his own music I mean, that aren't here.