This is the decade when Deutsche Grammophon discovered America. Though the label's motherland is still well represented by Herbert von Karajan's unveiling young Anne-Sophie Mutter in Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 and Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 (both played with the freshness of youth), Carlo Maria Giulini brought the yellow label to Los Angeles in a much-heralded return to opera with Verdi's Falstaff. The mellifluous though not always dramatically attuned dream cast features Barbara Hendricks (Nannetta), Katia Ricciarelli (Alice Ford), and Renato Bruson as the most poetic Falstaff on record. Leonard Bernstein's all-star but problematic Candide and West Side Story recordings are heard in well-chosen excerpts, and the one-act opera Trouble in Tahiti is reconstituted from his opera A Quiet Place (in which it was dispersed and imbedded). Elsewhere, Ivo Pogorelich's early Chopin Sonata No. 2, Ravel's "Gaspard de la nuit," and Prokofiev's Sonata No. 6 show a musician of staggering imagination limited by unrefined technique. Horowitz in Moscow, Krystian Zimerman's Chopin Ballades and Daniel Barenboim's Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 have all aged well, though Gidon Kremer's Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and Giuseppe Sinopoli's Mendelssohn "Italian" Symphony paired with Schumann's Symphony No. 2 have surprisingly little to say. Mischa Maisky's Bach and Vivaldi recordings (many with Martha Argerich on modern piano) have lots to say, but not to the historically informed performance crowd. --David Patrick StearnsCustomer Review: Superb Schumann, etc.
Seven years ago I was in a Vienna music shop and passed on the opportunity to buy the original Sinopoli recording of the Schumann Second - my favorite musical work - with the Vienna Philharmonic. Until this collection was released, I had never heard this particular 2nd Symphony recording which is now truly my favorite (and I have them all). It even led me to find the original release (which includes the Manfred Overture) by searching the Internet for used CDs. Sinopoli and Vienna beautifully convey the struggle and ultimate triumph of this great symphony. The other recordings are also among DG's best and helped to fill in several repertoire gaps in my collection. I highly recommend the entire set. Thanks to DGG for reissuing these great recordings, especially Sinopoli's Schumann.
Customer Review: Who says there was nothing good in the 1980s?
Not enough can be said for this marvellous compilation of some of the finest recordings from 1978-87! Nevertheless, I will try to do some justice and start at the beginning. Anne-Sophie Mutter's Mozart concerto and stellar Bruch set the tone for this set. Very few recordings have the depth of insight into the Mozart that she does, and for such a young woman! The next disc is dedicated to another violinist par excellence: Gidon Kremer, whose Tchaikowsky concerto will blow you out of your chair, even compared with the Perlman recording of the same work. Disc three focuses on Daniel Barenboim the conductor, although the last track features one of his finest recorded piano works, the paraphrase of Rigoletto by Liszt. The two recordings featured are (brace yourself), the Perlman/Paris recording of the Lalo Symphonie Espagnole, the likes of which have not been known before or since, and the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony with Chicago and the organ of Chartres. The little catch in the Saint-Saens is that the organ part and orchestral work were recorded a month seperate from each other and across the Atlantic, but if you didn't read the liner notes, it would be impossible to tell; the editing is so well done! Ivo Pogorelich's Gaspard de la Nuit gives the work new meaning, not to say any less of his Chopin Second sonata. Giulini's conducting of Verdi's Falstaff is a force not to be reckoned with, with flawless casting to boot. I would expect more from Sinopoli than the Schumann delivers, however this is partly DG's fault for picking one of his least successful recordings. The Bernstein disc is all of his own music, including highlights from the splendid Candide and Trouble in Tahiti. Have a laugh over Carreras' pronunciation in West Side Story (why cast him as the American! ) and the other thoroughly inappropriate voices for this work, but remember that Bernstein was given the cold shoulder on this work and was trying to make it appeal to the classical crowd that had unfortunately shunned it on Broadway. Maisky's cello playing is next, with the three sonatas originally for harpsichord and viola da gamba being played on modern cello with Martha Argerich at the piano. These are excellent recordings if inauthentic, but are certainly the best modernizations available, as are the two Vivaldi concerti with Orpheus. Saving the best for last, Vladimir Horowitz's landmark 1986 return to Moscow is no less breathtaking on the 1000th listening than on the first. There may be no better single CD of piano music in existance; the simplest track "Träumerei" from Schumann's Kinderszenen is utter perfection and emotion molded into one. Zimerman holds his own beautifully, though, with some of the best Chopin Ballades to be had. True, they lack some of the momentum and drive of the Rubinstein recordings, but the sheer technical ability displayed along with absolute control (and they're not at all skimpy on the emotion either!), they are in the top five recordings of these works ever. Add to this his recording of the Liszt E-flat concerto with Seiji Ozawa/Boston Symphony, which is flawless. The cherry on top (!) is the Liszt Totentanz, which is so often played as an overly flashy, bangy, loud and raucous showpiece. Not so here, even in such a murderously difficult and crashing work, Zimerman displays control, even if it means wrestling the work to the floor. This set is pricey, no doubt, but well worth it (and the sore arms you'll get carrying it home, another good reason to mail-order it) for the unmatched brilliance.
From an impressive opening day draw with champions Manchester United, to an embarrassing defeat away to West Ham in their most recent match, it is just as unbelievable as it is ridiculous that Newcastle United have bridged the gap between ecstasy and despair in a matter of weeks. No one would have envisaged such a situation just one week into the season, when the second coming of the messiah, Kevin Keegan, appeared to be gathering pace. With a full pre-season under his belt spent with the squad, and some sparkling performances from new summer acquisitions, the signs were that Newcastle United might finally be able to challenge the Big Four in English football.
Unfortunately, it has all come unstuck at the North East club from England, since Keegan decided to abandon his beloved club after disagreements with owner Mike Ashley and sporting director Dennis Wise. The man established that it was mission impossible to lead a club to success when he had no control over the hiring and firing of players, and every player in his squad seemed to be on sale during the transfer window at the start of the season. With such turmoil becoming a constant every season, it is no wonder that many critics are predicting certain demise for the famous Newcastle United, which in short, means relegation next summer.
There are many reasons that have led the pundits to come to such a conclusion. First and foremost, is the state that the club is in right now, without a new manager installed in the post. Mike Ashley has appointed assistant manager Chris Hughton as cover in the interim, but the man is clearly not suitable for such a position. Two matches have passed since the move, and the expected two defeats have also followed. The club needs a strong manager to take the reins and lead it to safety and stability. But that is unlikely to happen, as no one qualified enough would want to be faced with a similar situation that Keegan himself had given up hope on.
The owner is also trying to get rid of the club as soon as possible, with the price the only stumbling block. Mike Ashley has accused fans of driving him out of bankrolling his beloved club to success. But with his move to abandon Newcastle United, it only means that the club no longer has access to funds required to improve, until there are new owners established. But the rich are avoiding the club that is now compared to the toxic assets that American banks are trying to get rid of without success in the current economic gloom, and without willing parties to bankroll them, Newcastle as a club will be unable to move forward. Existing players that might still have value on the transfer market might have to be sold to raise funds to support a bloated payroll. Without quality players to play them out of their current plight, it could only point to a season of struggle.
And finally, Newcastle United fans are also proving to be an obstacle to success. It is a widely acknowledged fact, outside the club, that the Magpies fans are one of the most deluded in English football. They believe that their club is a giant in English football, which cannot be further from the truth. The last time they lifted a competitive trophy was in the 1950s, and since then they have enjoyed extended spells in the lower divisions. That has not stopped the fans from being one of the most vocal, and threatening the club management whenever they attempt something that might bring pain to the sentimentality that has so often blocked their path to glory, instead of being clear to the realization that football is now a business. Painful decisions might have to be made in order for long term success. With all these factors in place, and seemingly unsolvable in the current climate, it might not be too far fetched to expect Newcastle United spending next season against the likes of Barnsley and Blackpool, instead of Manchester United and Liverpool.
Ross Howard provides analysis on every Manchester United vs Liverpool live match and will also be looking forward to live streaming English Premiership football with the new 2008-09 season.
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