Helpful votes received on reviews:
88% (81 of 92)
Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA United States
In My Own Words:
I've been collecting classical recordings since the late 1960s. While my repertoire interests run the gamut from Bach to Dutilleux, my special focus is on historical performances by great conductors and instrumentalists from the past. I studied piano for 9 years with Gretchen Steinbach, who was a cousin of Brahms's favorite conductor Fritz Steinbach (1855-1916). Formerly a portfolio manager and f… Read moreI've been collecting classical recordings since the late 1960s. While my repertoire interests run the gamut from Bach to Dutilleux, my special focus is on historical performances by great conductors and instrumentalists from the past. I studied piano for 9 years with Gretchen Steinbach, who was a cousin of Brahms's favorite conductor Fritz Steinbach (1855-1916). Formerly a portfolio manager and financial columnist, I am now writing classical CD reviews at "Fanfare: The Magazine For Serious Record Collectors." My first 16 reviews appeared in the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of Fanfare. At some point I hope to resume posting CD reviews at Amazon, but right now I'm pretty swamped with trying to meet Fanfare's review deadlines. My sincere thanks to those readers who have expressed appreciation for my Amazon postings.
|
|
Reviews
|
No other complete "Rigoletto" has the same intense level of emotional involvement as this one. Gobbi gives one of the great dramatic performances of any title role in opera. Sure, there are others who brought more resplendent voices to the role (i.e., Taddei and the 55 year old but magnificent Ricardo Stracciari), but neither of them gives a portrayal that is anywhere near as moving as Gobbi's. As for Callas: what is it about the quality of her voice that so causes your heart to go out to her immediately in sympathy? There is something so vulnerable, genuine and three-dimensional about her Gilda - it's hard to put into words. As for di Stefano, has anyone else so perfectly… Read more
|
|
|
While not an opera buff, I have always been attracted to Forza: as a child I was intrigued with my parents' old 78 rpm shellac of Rosa Ponselle singing "Pace, Pace" (still unmatched imho). My reservations concerning this complete Forza set: Del Monaco's tight, loud and unrelenting Alvaro and Molinari-Pradelli's rather directionless conducting. Tebaldi is in warm, full voice, although here and there her intonation causes me to grit my teeth. All in all, I feel that the "live" 1958 Naples recording on Hardy Classic Video is superior to what is heard here, with the same conductor a bit more lively in front of a live audience. Tebaldi is tremendously sympathetic and… Read more
|
|
|
Nielsen's symphonies, like Dvorak's, seem to flourish at their most committed and rhapsodic when played by the composer's fellow countrymen, under conductors who made careers of specializing in this music (in Dvorak's case, I am thinking of the Czech Phil. under Talich, Ancerl and Sejna). This invaluable 3-disc historic CD set of Nielsen's six symphonies (recorded 1952-59, all "live" except for the 6th) features the Danish State Radio Orchestra under its three finest conductors: Launy Grondahl (1886-1960), Thomas Jensen (1898-1963) and Erik Tuxen (1902-57). All three either studied with or played under the composer: these performances are probably the closest we will ever… Read more
|
|
