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
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