Roger Hecht replies to me:

>>If you hurry, you can still get the 4-CD cpo set of Korngold from Berkshire
>>Record Outlet for an absurdly small sum.  It contains all of his major
>>orchestral music.  If this is a bit daunting, I can recommend the following:
>
>This is one of the few times I find myself disagreeing with Steve.
>That CPO set, in my opinion, is, though loaded with most of the Korngold
>orchestral works, also loaded with mediocre performances.  The orchestral
>playing is not great, and Werner Albert's conducting is just not up to the
>competition in any work where there is competition, which is most of them.

I agree wholeheartedly with this assessment.  The performances aren't all
that good.  On the other hand, if you're a Korngold enthusiast, you have
almost everything in one place and certain things no one else has recorded.

>>Violin Concerto - Heifetz, Shaham
>>Symphony - Kempe, Welser-Moest
>>Piano Concerto (lh) - Shelley/Bamert
>
>At the risk of acting like some kind of annointed, I do think the above
>are all fine choices, better than the CPOs in every case where comparison
>applies.  I would add Hoelscher to the Violin Concerto list.

Is Hoelscher available on CD? I have the LP and also think it a fine
performance.

>As for Mauceri, if you avoid him, you avoid a London disc that to my
>knowledge has the only recording of Between Two Worlds.

In my opinion, no big loss.  The individual cues are wonderful.  The suite
that's been cobbled together is not.  I don't know who put it together, but
it wasn't Korngold.

>More seriously, if you avoid MAuceri, you avoid Korngold's
>Das Wunder der Heliane, his largest opera.

Good point.  I would also recommend the Ring of Polykrates, conducted by
Seibel.

Steve Schwartz