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LaoMao

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Posts posted by LaoMao

  3. Posted · Edited by LaoMao · Report reply

    Look for the Sennheiser.... AKG, although is my favourite.... it's means for someone whom is seeking for transparency hidden in the recording ! Great for String quarttet of the classical genre, its's just simply too "honest" an headphone (that even apply to their's dirt cheap K66, although it lacks the ultimate refinement, but this is still an "honest" can) Honestly I owned both K501 and K271, I'm saving to buy a K1000, but I'd not recommend one to pickup a AKG for pop ! On the contrary, the Sennheiser, although, less "honest" to my taste, one can enjoy the music more comfortably with the dynamic diminish, tone sweeten, and I'd not be surprised many would like the way it goes over and "honest" can

     

    Go look for a Sennheiser around that price range !

  8. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks Kube ! I'm amazed, by the changes possible by adjusting the ear pad around, if the position is right, you get wonderful clean bass from it, without having a massive bass boom. Very nice cheap headphone, as always, I'm one of the AKG enthusiats.

  13. Posted · Report reply

    Jiun is sharp in pointing out Bruno Walter. As a disciple/assistant/student sudied under Mahler. And had witnessed Mahler composing his work, and tried it out on the piano.... He is the most authoritive conductor of Mahler's music. The greatest #9 (Both performance and sound) however, is not the mono #9 but Bruno Walter's stereo recording with NYP in the early 60s.

     

    Oh Yes! Almost forgotten.... the stereo Das Lied by Bruno, re-issued by Denon. recorded one month before he died. Too great a Das Lied. I'd heard this copy over a friend's place, but still could not find a copy yet, should any kind soul found this recording, would you kindly notify me, where can I buy a copy ?

    laugh.gif This is version has been recently praised by Hu Wen Yan in Lian He Zao Bao !on July 26th. 2005. Honestly I do not 100% agree to Miss Hu, (please, no offence !) in her view point, particulary, violin playing !! but both Miss Hu and myself would rate this version as our top choice of Das Lied.

     

    Just too great a reading, and Canadian, Maureen Forester singing is upto behold. One of the most neglected great mezzo of 20th century ! Haiiii.... ! no.gif perhaps she had hit a standard so high, few could appreciate ! tongue.gif

     

    I called Miss Hu, and ask her where she bought her's copy, she replied, that it was purchased, in one of the used record shop in London. Anyway, the Denon re-issue is different in cover design as per the one appeard in zbNOW Pg 02.

     

    This is a must for all Mahler's fans !

     

     

     

     

     

  15. Posted · Report reply

    Jiun is sharp in pointing out Bruno Walter. As a disciple/assistant/student sudied under Mahler. And had witnessed Mahler composing his work, and tried it out on the piano.... He is the most authoritive conductor of Mahler's music. The greatest #9 (Both performance and sound) however, is not the mono #9 but Bruno Walter's stereo recording with NYP in the early 60s.

     

    Oh Yes! Almost forgotten.... the stereo Das Lied by Bruno, re-issued by Denon. recorded one month before he died. Too great a Das Lied. I'd heard this copy over a friend's place, but still could not find a copy yet, should any kind soul found this recording, would you kindly notify me, where can I buy a copy ?

  16. Posted · Edited by LaoMao · Report reply

    As for #2, Honestly I don't like Klemperer. He'd suffered a stroke way long before he did this recording. I'd believe, he is a good conductor, if he's not having the stroke, in his early days... He very often had clampped down the climax which he slowly build up, from the quiet passage, leaving the contrast of dynamics really limited. This is no Mahler..... If one had studied the way Mahler conducted his orchestra. Although he had a real stong cast on his singer such as my favorit mezzo Chista Ludwig, or/and on some other performance, my prima donna Scharwazkopf !

     

    As for the 3rd. I haven't found the Horenstein recording... But todate, the best I'd heard is the Bernstein 1960's cycle, re-issued by Sony/CBS

     

    #5 form Sir John, again is not among my favorite. Too dragging on the tempo. There were simply too many great #5 available in the market. The Inbal Denon's recording, is great in his starting, it's announcing to the world on the trumpet solo on it's funeral openning, however, it's getting worse and worse, at the later part.... If I'm "showing off" my hifi, I'd choose Inbal for the first 3 minutes ! That's it.

     

    Safe bet is Karajan on the #5.

     

    I'm sorry but, Fuwen !

     

    Karajan had never ever completed the Mahler cycle, although he had left a real great #5 #6, but a lacklustre #4. His #9 no doubts is a great reading. Alongside with His Das Lied von de Erde on DG which is one of my most treasured Das Lied ever. The third Hammer blow is not only ommited by Karajan, too many conductors had ommitted the 3 hammer blow, because this blow is syndicating "Death" and ommited it for "Pantang" reasons ! biggrin.gif

     

    #7 is one of the most difficult to me, It will take another few year for me to study alongside with the score. This is the only Mahler I cannot understand.

     

     

    I'd just heard the news Giulini had passed away about a month ago. at the age of 83 or 93 ?Aiiiiii..... ! One more of the great conductor had gone !

  17. Posted · Report reply

    Hi all,

    Glad to find some Mahler's music lover here. Haven't been listening to Mahler's music for quite some time actually, as i felt the music can be quite depressing and stressful at times, but do not get me wrong they are great pieces of music and I love them.

     

    I'd like to share with you some great performance I've listened to, and hope to hear some comments from you.

     

     

    Symphony No.2 "Resurrection" -

    Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer (EMI)

    I would prefer this to Sir Simon Rattles' with CBSO

     

    Symphony No.3 -

    CBSO, Sir Simon Rattles (EMI)

     

    Symphony No.5 -

    New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli (EMI)

     

    Symphony No.6 -

    Royal Concertgebouw, Riccardo Chailly (Decca)

    this is the only copy i have, not too satisfied with it though.. =(

     

    Symphony No.8 -

    Chicago SO, Solti

    anyone knows if Jascha Horestein had recorded this symphony before?

     

    Symphony No.9 -

    Berliner Philharmoniker, Karajan (live recording)

    New Philharmonia, Klemperer (double cds with R Strauss' Siegfried Idyll)

    Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Walter (1938, new Naxos Historical version restored by Mark Obert-Thorn is better)

     

    That's all. Cheers

    Yes ! Jascha Horenstein #8 alongside with Lorrin Mazzel Sony's #8 and Bernstein Sony #8 are among the greatest #8. Ever found on recording...

     

     

    The Horenstein #8 is available for borrowing at the Esplanade library. Very interesting. It's a live recording, in 1954. Of course, mono, but reproduced as man made stereo. Interm of performance, this is my #1 choice ! Especially the final climax. Too great a reading !

  19. Posted · Report reply

    We can basically break classical music into 3 different period...

     

    1. The Baroque Era, great composer such as Bach, Corelli, Vivaldi....

     

    2. The Romatic Era, The baroque has just too much of rules, such as the seizure of use of vibrato on a violin, The thrill has to start with the sharp note follow by the original note.... The romatic era, has basically discared all this limitation in baroque, the greatest composer of this period, I'd vote Beethoven. He is so futuristic, especially his string quarttet, very often, I'd reard them having a higher height than his symphonies in terms of level of art.

     

    3. The late romatic era, this is the period closest to out living time, and the artistic level in symphonic composing has escaelate to a whole new level, the composition, very often requires a much bigger size orchestra, than the romatic era. and This is the end of human's classical music after Mahler's death at 1911. Although Richard strauss lives many many more years, but he had seized himself from composing. The gretatest composers are Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler, Richard strauss, And Rachmaninov.

     

    Since than, classical music had been transformed into impressionist, and later 20th century music.

     

     

    Violin playing is of special interest with me...

     

    I particularly like the Frank Sonata composed for violin.

     

    Anyway, although I'm still very busy, I'd an very interesting DVD, performed by Yehudi Menuhin, and his sister Hephzibach Menuhin. I guessed not too many had watch this program. I'd watch the Frank Sonata playing, both of them played without score. It's simply fantastic. Hephzibach's piano playing is simply too good to be true. Her playing excelled alot of proffesional playeres !

     

     

    Hi, CMK

     

    can we organize to watch this program over your's place ? for our small group of friends having the common interest here ?

     

     

  23. Posted · Report reply

    Hello, Dave

     

    Happy new year ! You had sent me an email.... Thanks! Sadly my HDD was damaged by a raid card... And I swear I won't use the raid card again !

     

    With regard to the headphone amp, you can now try out at Hung's brother at SLS !

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