Forgotten Collection

[Todd]

Over decades of collecting, I have amassed a ridiculously large collection.  I don't  know exactly how many recordings I own, and I don't really care.  At this point, with streaming, I can listen to more music than I have time in a day, week, month, or the remaining years of my life.  My purchased collection is sometimes an afterthought.  That written, sometimes I randomly scroll through it, sometimes with my eyes closed, and just stop and listen to what I land on when I open my eyes.  Something else has also started occurring recently: I've been surprised by some of the recordings I own.  Some I can't really remember buying.  Some forgotten recordings are part of giant mixed rep boxes (eg, the Sony Vivarte box), others were acquired as part of artist deep dives, some as part of repertoire deep dives, and some were acquired as BRO or Amazon closeouts.

So, for no particular reason, I'm going to start an occasional thread covering recordings I kinda or actually forgot I even owned. 




To start things off, I'll go with an artist deep dive purchase.  This Pearl reissue of Robert Casadesus' HMV recordings from the 1920s* and 30s contains works he recorded later for CBS, except for the Severac piece.  Casadesus' playing throughout his recorded career is mostly cool and unromantic and more about digital dexterity and clean playing than gauche flourishes and excess.  That means that in the many ardent, passionate romantic masterpieces, something goes missing.  Whatever is missing is offset by elegance (usually) and great good taste (always). 

I recently relistened to the CBS Chopin Ballades, and they have a somewhat intense, always forward driven impulse, whereas these earlier recordings have a more flexible, relaxed feel, though they remain taut in comparison to some other versions.  That greater sense of flexibility and more relaxed feel (in relative terms) pervades all the selections here.  The Schumann Symphonic Etudes could benefit most from extra oomph and swagger and romantic excess, as is always the case with Schumann, but everything here nonetheless sounds high end, if not standard setting.  Listening again jogged my memory as to why I bought this recording.



* How cool is it that now the 1920s is properly needed when referring to recordings from a century ago?

[George]

Love those old Pearl CDs!

[Todd]

I'm not sure if this disc of three Haydn symphonies from Sigiswald Kuijken and his petite band came as part of a big box or if it was a closeout.  Either way, it's been a good while since I last listened to it.  It's certainly nice enough, with pep and/or spunk enough, and a sense of fun.  Thing is, when it comes to Haydn's symphonies, I prefer modern instruments in almost all cases – Harnoncourt's Paris symphonies being the most obvious and notable exception.  In the London symphonies, I also invariably prefer big bands.  So, a nice enough disc, but not one to return to frequently, if ever again.

[Jo498]

Which recordings do you turn to for symphonies before the Paris set where modern instrument recordings are not that common?

[Todd]

Which recordings do you turn to for symphonies before the Paris set where modern instrument recordings are not that common?

Typically, Dorati (streaming), Adam Fischer, or Dennis Russell Davies.  Other than the Sturm und Drang symphonies and the time of day symphonies, I don't really listen to pre-Paris symphonies with much regularity. 

[Todd]

When I spotted Edna Stern's new Schumann release, I figured I might as well go back and revisit something by her.  Her Bach and Mozart PC disc stand out in memory, but this Chopin disc had faded from memory entirely.  Relistening, it's easy to hear why.  Stern uses a period instrument and she's not a natural period instrument player.  The Trois Nouvelles Études and the lullaby section of the Funeral March of the B Flat Minor sonata come off very well, but the remainder of the disc kinds of just moves along, muted and small scaled.  With each passing year – month, really – I become less enamored with period pianos predating the 20th Century.  This recording reminds me of why.  YMMV.

[Todd]

I had forgotten I owned this recording, and I can't even recall how I purchased it.  I can't remember if it was a closeout or a reissue or a download.  I just don't know.  The disc blends Bartok with Debussy and Ravel, not your typical discmates.  The Bartok Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythms deprioritizes nuanced rhythm and goes for a Bartok is brutal style playing, and Out of Doors is just plain cold.  Coldness pervades the six selections from Debussy's Etudes, but that hardly hurts matters.  The coda of the third, for instance, has bright color and tapered dynamics and sounds nifty.  The Ravel choices fare best, with the coldness and direct rhythms, combined with fine dynamic gradations, more or less delivering the goods.  The disc does not set standards or even come close to matching the best available recordings of any of the works, but it's a decent enough surprise element of my collections.