On Saturday, May 27, 2006 at 8:20:16 AM UTC-7, Michael Schaffer wrote:
I have been "rediscovering" Igor Markevitch and his fairly rich
recorded legacy recently. In the sense that I always knew he was there
and heard some very interesting recordings from him, but somehow it
never occurred to me to investigate further until in a recent
discussion, his Schubert recordings with the BP were mentioned. I
looked it up and saw how much there is actually available from him, so
I ordered some of the discs - the DG set "un veritable artiste", EMI
GCOC, individual discs like PAAE and Rimsky-Korsakov works with the BP
and Orchestre Lamoureux, and a fantastic recording of Symphonie
fantastique with Lamoureux which for me was also a sort of rediscovery
- I have never been too fond of the piece, but Markevitch' extremely
lively and musically alert performance made me see it in a new light.
I already knew his great recording of Beethoven 5 and 8 with Lamoureux,
but even that I hadn't listened to for a long time before it was
brought back to my attention by an online discussion.
Amrkevitch combination of slender transparency with attention to
lyrical lines and fine detail makes for a lot of great listening, so
right now, I am ploughing my way through that DG box.
According to the Chatbot BARD:
My favorite Markevitch recording is his 1959 recording of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Markevitch was a master of Stravinsky's music, and he brings out all of the drama and intensity of The Rite of Spring in this
recording. The Philharmonia Orchestra plays with great passion and commitment, and the recording quality is excellent.
Here are some other Markevitch recordings that I recommend:
Igor Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms (1958)
Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird (1959)
Igor Stravinsky: Petrushka (1960)
Sergei Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet (1957)
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 (1956)
Markevitch was a versatile conductor, and he recorded a wide range of music. His recordings are known for their energy, precision, and musicality. If you are looking for recordings of classical music that are both exciting and musically satisfying, I
highly recommend checking out Markevitch's recordings.
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