The Greatest Recordings EVER! Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition

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The Ultimate Classical Music Guide by Dave Hurwitz

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 47

@bradleylehman4327 2 ай бұрын

I have this Ormandy CD in one of the "original jackets" boxes; the green and pink one with garish text. They put a filler of Scheherazade into that issue. I haven't even got to the Scheherazade yet, because I must keep playing Pictures over and over to marvel at the low brass.

@michaelshulman5068 Ай бұрын

I suppose it's mostly a curiosity, but I have a 3-CD box titled "Tresors de Russie". The first CD is entirely Mussorgsky piano music, including Pictures at an Exhibition in the original piano form (although liner notes said that they had to re-create that score). This composition works REALLY WELL as a piano work!

@michaelpdawson 2 ай бұрын

Love to hear the Ormandy recording praised, as it was my first "real" classical record, over half a century ago.

@stephenschroth3616 2 ай бұрын

While I don't hear Pictures at an Exhibition on the radio as much as I used to, it remains one of my favorites. I have many recordings of the piece, and have a special place in my heart for the Ormandy version.

@johnhoie-hj7cg 2 ай бұрын

I have the Reiner on vinyl, and love it. Guess I’ll have to look for the Ormandy on my streaming service.

@johnnymurgatroyd7393 Ай бұрын

It's interesting that the RCA stereo recording was recorded in 1957. I have long noticed that there are several jazz recordings from 1957 that were recorded in stereo, as if in anticipation of the formal rollout of stereophonic sound the following year. Miles Davis's Miles Ahead is a good example.

@FREDGARRISON 2 ай бұрын

Have Szell and Cleveland in my cd collection. Had the Kubelik recording on Mercury LP back in the day. It's nice to see those pesky jewel cases cause problems with others like they do me. We don't need an exhibition to get the picture on these fine recordings. THANKS DAVE !!!

@stevemcclue5759 2 ай бұрын

Toscanini and Reiner for me, undoubtedly. I also have a fondness for Solti's version with the Chicago, because I remember them coming to the Proms, and being there to hear them perform it was fantastic!

@fabiopaolobarbieri2286 2 ай бұрын

Agreed.

@sbor2020 2 ай бұрын

I was there too in 1981.

@bbailey7818 2 ай бұрын

I first heard the Toscanini on Victrola lp. The beginning of Side 2 (Baba Yaga) with those "gran cassa" whacks can still knock one back in one's seat. I also had the Szell on Odyssey, but for me, the best thing about it was the titanic Richter live solo version on the flip.

@sleepjar7013 2 ай бұрын

Both are excellent, however, between the two I prefer the Ormandy. Any fans of Sinopoli NYPO DG? I love that one.

@Zezahn 2 ай бұрын

One raised hand for Sinopoli.

@graserclassical 2 ай бұрын

So many epic recordings and these two are obviously legendary. Now, as a very biased saxophonist, my version of the greatest is Chicago with Ozawa. If you're not familiar, seek it out and listen to the Old Castle movement, performed by the great Fred Hemke, one of the legends of classical saxophone playing. Also, the CSO brass are pretty good too...

@henrypalmeter1195 2 ай бұрын

Do we know who played the saxophone on Dave's recommended recordings?

@hhk01 2 ай бұрын

Have both. Gilbert Johnson solo trumpet makes the Ormandy my go to.

@michelangelomulieri5134 2 ай бұрын

I bought this Ormandy’s version shortly after having heard your review here on KZbin… and I said: Dave is always right! Mostly..🤗😂

@geertdecoster5301 2 ай бұрын

That piece of music got my attention at primary school already: the "Schilderijententoonstelling" or "Schilderijen van een tentoonstelling". As a very much matured collector I got both recordings already. My favourite is, of course, "Bilder einer Ausstellung" with Fritz Reiner. That's looking past the fact that it has a 'historical value'. Still sounds magical even in its own orginal version. And yes, the re-recording with Ormandy in the 70s was less here

@martinhaub6828 2 ай бұрын

Two great recordings for sure. I still think it's a shame though that Ormandy didn't show a bit more appreciation and loyalty to his bass clarinet player, Lucien Cailliet, who made his own fine arrangement that Ormandy did record in mono, but never saw fit to give the stereo treatment. As good as the Ravel is, there are alternatives that are every bit as compelling. YNS should do it!

@DavesClassicalGuide 2 ай бұрын

No one beats Ravel. The others may be "interesting," but Ravel's is a masterpiece.

@hendriphile 2 ай бұрын

@@DavesClassicalGuideEspecially in Ansermet’s retouching with the organ pedals thrown in at the end! 😉

@davidmathews4524 2 ай бұрын

My favourite is Riccardo muti With the philadelphia orchestra it should be at top of the list for the greatest Recording

@bbailey7818 2 ай бұрын

@@DavesClassicalGuideAs one critic observed, the other orchestrators made different choices because Ravel had already chosen the best ones.

@steveschwartz8944 2 ай бұрын

Reiner, definitely. I haven't heard the Ormandy. To the internet!

@maximisaev6974 2 ай бұрын

You're in for an outstanding, memorable experience. Enjoy!

@leestamm3187 2 ай бұрын

Both indisputably fabulous. I would make it a trifecta by including Maazel's recording with The Cleveland Orchestra.

@rolandonavarro3170 2 ай бұрын

I love Karajan/BPO

@DavesClassicalGuide 2 ай бұрын

Some do.

@maximisaev6974 2 ай бұрын

@@DavesClassicalGuide But do you Dave? :) Take care!

@MartinSchneider-k3f 2 ай бұрын

Karajan sould be added to the list!

@kingconcerto5860 2 ай бұрын

For such a wonderful piece, I find it odd that the solo piano version doesn't receive more appreciation; just like Stravinsky's "The Firebird". Both works translate to solo piano seamlessly. Steven Osborne made a most wonderful recording on Hyperion, paired with Prokofiev's Op.22 and Op.17.

@waynesmith3767 2 ай бұрын

It was for piano, not orchestra;it’s so established as an orchestra piece that I had never heard the piano original until, long ago, I heard the excellent Fedora Horowitz ( no relation) live and it was delightful. Ravel orchestration is still my favorite and Reiner with the CSO my favorite performance.

@leestamm3187 2 ай бұрын

Great recordings of the original piano work were also done by Richter and Ashkenazy.

@LyleFrancisDelp 2 ай бұрын

My two favorite recordings evahhhhhhhh! My first was actually Ormandy and I've never strayed. A truly fantastic recording. Once I heard Reiner, it definitely joined the fray. However, I never could understand how so many pretty much ignored the Ormandy. IMO, it's easily the equal of Reiner. IMHO, Gil Johnson was easily the equal of Bud Herseth in both, the opening promenade AND the Schmuyle solo.

@leestamm3187 2 ай бұрын

Ignoring and/or disrespecting Ormandy is an unfortunate affectation in recent decades. Old geezers like me, who cut many of their classical music teeth on his recordings, know better.

@tommynielsen7163 2 ай бұрын

No issue with the brilliance of the performances though I tend to listen to Ancerl/ Czech phil. But perhaps there are standard pieces which do not have a greatest recording ever, simply because there’s a crowded field of really good ones.

@kingconcerto5860 2 ай бұрын

It's very difficult to go wrong with Ancerl + Czech Phil.

@ewaldsteyn469 2 ай бұрын

100% agree with you regarding Karel Ancerl and the Czech Philharmonic. They are better in the base line of the strings than Reiner (Ormandy compares better here). But where he outshines both the most is in the woodwind section. Ancerl and the Czech Philharmonic has always been brilliant in the woodwind section (as their many recordings testify) and they are again suburb in this regard in Pictures, even more so than either Reiner or Ormandy.

@kingconcerto5860 2 ай бұрын

@@ewaldsteyn469 Ancerl + Czech Phil - Best Mahler 9 recording ever (Supraphon).

@ewaldsteyn469 2 ай бұрын

@@kingconcerto5860 His Mahler no 1 is also magnificent.

@kingconcerto5860 2 ай бұрын

@@ewaldsteyn469 I'll admit that I've never heard it! I've always done Kubelik + Bavarian Radio for Mahler 1 as per Dave's recommendation. I've already added Ancerl's Mahler 1 to my queue, appreciate the recommendation.

@LyleFrancisDelp 2 ай бұрын

4:18. OK....that's just one reason I despise jewel cases.

@FREDGARRISON 2 ай бұрын

I despise those plastic cases also. The clear plastic breaks too easily and those tabs that hold the cd in place always seem to break causing the cd to move around or fall out of the case if you're not careful. You would think they would have come up with a better way to package these discs.