My Hurwitz I just got my Schwartz box from UK yesterday. I have gone through the first two disks and I am blown away. Thank you thank you thank you thank you I never heard of half of this shit. You are the man! I am spending this weekend going through every disk one by one with some wine. Perfection!! You rock dude don’t have one record from this guy
As a classical music enthusiast from Romania I am always glad to see that the legacy of Constantin Silvestri is still catching attention. As you very well mentioned Silvestri is most of the time forgotten as one of the greatest 20th century conductors even in Romania. Here (in Romania) there is a strong cult for the personality of Celibidache (which was a legendary conductor with all it's "pluses and minuses") while Silvestri is regarded as another romanian conductor. I hope that sooner or later the Silvestri box will equal the balance not just here but evrywhere in the world. Mean while I'll keep listen and folow your chanel.
Another box that falls into this category of unsung conductors is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Eduardo Mata Years. From what I've listened to, it seems that the DSO took several steps forward under Mata's leadership, including a new concert hall. The recordings in that box on Dorian are well-recorded and are notable for Mata's attention to color and crisp rhythmic articulation.
I love the Warner Icon conductor boxes. Collects good stuff from many overlooked conductors. Silvestri is Exhibit A for that. I didnt know much about him until I took a chance on this box (which is hard to find). Is this the only Silvestri box around? I've never seen any other collection by him. I also have and love the Kempe, Kubelik, Schuricht, Markevitch, Martinon Icon boxes, in addition to the Bohm, Walter, Jochum ones.
Have the Cantelli box and agree it is wonderful. What a loss!! Also, the Monteux boxes on RCA and Decca are really terrific. Munch and Reiner are superb but huge and expensive. Will look into the others you mentioned, but I'm running out of shelf space.
@Dave Hurwitz Thank you so much for this video. Most of these recommendations are new to me and I am going to definitely pick up the Groves and Schwarz !! I would be interested in you doing a video on the most recommended (greatest hits) Maestro Seiji Ozawa recordings. Such a great conductor. I had the Mahler 1 from DG as a kid. His shock of long hair made for a truly iconic maestro profile and made quite the impression on an 8 yr old boy! Unfortunately (maybe it's just me?) it seems that as time has gone on he's in danger of becoming a forgotten conductor as his name no longer seems to be in the conversation as opposed to contemporaries of that same era like Bernstein, Karajan, Abbado or even Barenboim. 😞
A Gen X'r who listened to Karajan in HS and owns practically every album in every iteration. I like/own Boulez and Abbado, but need to hear the others. Thanks for the recommendations.
Fantastic list. I'm very grateful to Schwarz for his devotion to American composers - I know you're not crazy about William Schuman, but the Schwarz recordings are superb. I'm glad you brought the Paavo Järvi Cincinnati box to my attention, that's a pretty great box too.
Hi Dave, just a short question about the indeed fabulous Silvestri box: What the heck happend to the rhythm of the famous "fate motiv" in the Tchaikovsky 4 in this exciting recording? Clearly not what T wrote - what was Silvestri thinking?? I wonder whether you might have any insight. In general you seem to value performances that play the notes written by the composer accurately... Thank you and keep posting your fantastic videos!
David, your Boulez comment. "It's too big to be a coaster........a great door stop". ROFL. Oh joy! I'm not alone. So reassuring. 'Concrete' muzak. Pretentiousness reigned. Go to a supermarket for some relief. Our own has its own song, & it is still miles better than Phekin Pierre! - The Max Bygraves/Cliffy-Whiffy Richard of .....??something?
I thought at least one Bernstein box would make the cut. Bernstein conducts Bernstein (Sony or DG)...Still don't understand why Sony didn't give LB the luxury box- as they(Sony controls the RCA archive?) did with Rubinstein, Toscanini, and Heifetz. Instead we got that dog's breakfast of a box-Leonard Bernstein Remastered.
I think the idea was to highlight more overlooked and under appreciated conductors. Bernstein , along with Karajan, are probably the 2 most well known conductors of the 20th century.
David, thank you so much for mentioning Gerry Schwartz’s stuff. A wonderful musician; he was my brass quintet coach when I was a horn student at Juilliard back in 1969. All great choices! Good stuff. Thanks again
Long time Cantelli fan, his Brahms 3rd made me a believer. Silvestri..beyond compare. I found a Silvestri Shostakovich 5th Angel LP for a dollar. Clean copies go for much,much more. Not selling mine.
Thank you for recommending the Kuchar box. Like ‘the Scientific Musician’, I love his Prokofiev symphonies on Naxos. In fact, I prefer his readings to those of Järvi and Weller.
One of my favourite boxes is the Carlo Maria Giulini Centenary Edition - The London Years. 17cds of pure joy at some ridiculously low price at Amazon and other good record shops.
I wish Supraphon would get on the boxed set bandwagon, and give us a complete Karel Ančerl. I’ve noticed he pops up (deservedly) on quite a few recent talks of yours.
At least Ancerl got his Gold edition, though in singles, and hopefully Supraphon will keep them in print. But the neglect of conductors like Sejna, Smetacek, Chalabala, Krumbholc, Klima is a crime.
I've gotten a great deal of pleasure from the Stokowski box sets from Sony and RCA. Both sets don't have a lot of his truly killer recordings on other labels but if you're a Stoky freak like I am I think both offer many rewarding performances.
I love Cantelli. I don't believe they ever told Toscanini that he was killed. The old man died two weeks later, if I'm not mistaken. David, I'm wondering if you can do a talk about the current state of the record industry and physical media in particular. Are we really seeing the slow death of physical media? For a while, Universal started re-issuing the classic recordings on blu-ray audio, then that seemed to have died down, although there are still new releases, but weird ones (Karajan's Die Walküre is the latest). In Japan, they started releasing really expensive SACDs of classic recordings, a while back, but that seems to be slowing down too. It all seems oddly directionless, like Sony and Universal are randomly trying new things, but not really committed to seeing any of it through. I'm interested in your thoughts on what's going on.
The combination of Groves and the RLPO was just amazing. That box really highlights them at their best. They play with swagger and energy and you can hear their enthusiasm. Shame Groves didn't record more non-English works: that Mahler cycle could have been something.
Dave, a fascinating and entertaining talk, as always. I acquired the Cantelli box a couple of weeks ago, and it's a gem. I was familiar with Cantelli's Beethoven 7th and Brahms 3rd from the old Seraphim LP days, but don't think I had ever encountered any of the other recordings. His Schumann 4th Symphony is a knockout. Also bought the Silvestri box a couple of years ago, and completely agree about its many virtues. The Penguin/ Gramophone chaps were always going on about his recording of Elgar's “In the South,” but I don't recall them talking about much of anything else he did. As it turns out, there's an astonishing breadth of music in the box. Frankly, some are pieces that I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to buy on an individual cd, but Silvestri's performances are so compelling that you really sit up and listen even if you don't particularly care for the music in question-and that's a considerable achievement. By the way, the accompanying booklet is a model of what such a booklet should be-it's not the usual PR piffle, but gives fascinating insights into this conductor and his way of making music. Thanks for the heads-up on the Groves, Kuchar, and Schwartz boxes. Every so often over the years I've bought the odd individual Groves recording, and have always wondered why he received so much less attention than the Big-Name usual suspects among British conductors. Perhaps it was because he seemed content to flourish in lesser-known musical byways rather than challenging on the standard-repertoire highways? Apart from his forays into lesser-known British music, there's a nice double-cd set of Sibelius tone poems and such, and a one-off cd of “city name” symphonies by Mozart (“Paris”) and Haydn (“Oxford” and “London”) - a gimmicky concept, but the performances are all first-rate and hugely enjoyable. You scared me when you held up the Boulez box. That would be a nifty trick to play on your friends on Halloween! ~ John Drexel
That Silvestri box is a winner - mostly. I enjoyed it very much and it would made a great box for classical music beginners. BUT: what the hell was he thinking for the motto statement in the Tchaikovsky 4th? Makes no sense and wrong. Other than that, brilliant.
The Kuchar box really intrigues me. Dvorak’s tone poems and non-symphony orchestral works are very much my bag (as is Smetana) andthat clip from the Variations is marvelous. Of course, I love all the Shostakovich and Nielsen too, and the Spanish works sound very fun. I almost feel like Brilliant Classics designed this box just for me. Thanks for touting this recording!
I also like the Guilini and Fremantle boxes on Warner. Any comments on Karajan’s Warner remastered sets. I have the Brahms, Bruckner,etc., and the Berlioz, Franck, etc. boxes.
Sad to see such an entertaining and erudite critic as Hurwitz just dismiss Boulez' complete works as a doorstop. I understand if the music of Boulez', Cage, Stockhausen, Webern, etc. may not be for everyone and to everyone's taste, but Boulez has written some outstandingly great compositions of the 20th century. It's okay if one does not like it, I can see why not everyone would, but I sure much rather listen to Boulez than to Rossini. (Does not mean I don't like to listen to Rossini at all, but I find Boulez' music way more gripping and involving.)
If everyone has a right to enjoy what they wish then why is it sad when a critic expresses an opinion that happens to be contrary to yours? Like so many avowed supporters of free thought, you are simply a hypocrite who will not accept the intolerable fact that your opinion of Boulez is not held generally or (in this case) by me specifically. My personal belief is that the music of the 20th century would be no poorer had Boulez never existed. If you disagree, good for you, but at least have the integrity and honesty to grant others the right to feel differently and express their opinions accordingly without wagging a sanctimonious finger at them--even "entertaining and erudite" people.
Now, now, do not construct a straw argument here. Do you feel my position threatens your right to free thought? I don’t think so. Do I impair on your right to express your opinion in any way you see fit? I don’t think so. Do you have the right to dislike Boulez? Certainly you do. Do you have the right to diss him on your TH-cam channel? Certainly you do. I would estimate that 99.9% of the people in the world couldn’t care less about the music of Boulez. (Probably more.) So I certainly find nothing intolerable about the fact that my opinion of Boulez is not held by you specifically or most others. And so what? But why should you have the right to diss Boulez, but no one else the right to diss you for dissing him? I state that I find it sad that you just dismiss his music in a blanket statement, and that is true. Who was it who once said: “I find your lack of faith disturbing”? (Rhetorical question to get in a STAR WARS quote.) So why should I not say so? Who is the hypocrite who will not accept the intolerable fact that your dismissal of Boulez is not held by everyone, in this case by me specifically?
Thanks for this great video! I agree about everything you say about Rossini. Glad someone thinks like me! Much harder than Beethoven!!! On a different note, the Groves box seems to be out of print, at least in Germany :(
I just caught this and was wondering if Gerard Schwarz, the conductor of our local symphony orchestra which has a subscription series (Palm Beach Symphony) was worth attending. The answer apparently is yes.
Once more a great talk. Always for me something to learn and explore, e.g. Kuchar and Silvestri. Perhaps some day you might do a piece on Sergiu Celibidache and his magnificent (and controverse) Munich recordings. Never a moment of boring music-making. IMHO it is Impossible to be indifferent to "Celi" and his recordings.
@@DavesClassicalGuide The talk about Celi Munich boxset shoud last for an hour at least or I'll have to watch it at 0.5x speed. (joking, I love Celi's Bruckner except for that B9 Scherzo. Meh.)
I agree about the Groves box, but regret that EMI / Warner have left some very good recordings Groves did on non-British music unissued on CD - in particular an excellent Schubert Unfinished in a completed version by Gerald Abraham, with Liverpool orchestra and Dvořâk 6 with RPO. They could fit on one CD.
Some great recommendations here. I would love more on top conductors and lesser known conductors worth exploring. My East German father-in-law prefers Karajan and Kurt Masur. I'd like to recommend someone for him that suits his taste that he may have missed behind the wall.
Apparently the British didn't care about the Groves Box too much because within 4 months it's out of print without even a used copy to be found on any of the 2nd hand websites. Amazing how quick some of these boxes disappear yet others hang around for years before selling out.
Silvestri had flown almost completely under my radar. I couldn't tell you what recordings he made, although I heard at least one of them. David's recommendation encouraged me to seek out the conductor's box, and it blew my socks off. It's not that he does these pieces better than everybody else, but they are definitely HIS interpretations. Even if I don't agree with them, they always intrigue me and compel me to consider his choices. He commits to every score, with almost always electrifying results (sometimes, as in the Prince Igor Overture, even too electrifying). He sloughs off nothing. The Tchaikovsky -- indeed, almost all of the Russian stuff -- is particularly wonderful. What a find! Thank you, David.
Agreed - I love Charles Groves! I NEVER talked about C. Groves to anybody, because NOBODY took him seriously. Thank you for pointing him out. I like Kuchar too. For my needs, I should look at that Gerry Schwarz box.
Good grief, I had totally forgotten about Sir Charles Groves, who, for a period (when I was still living in England, in the early 80s) became (a bit like "Andrew Preview" in the 1970s) ubiquitous on UK TV arts programming (along with percussionist, James Blades, who also had a late-in-life period in the spotlight on the BBC). But Groves had completely gone out of my head for about 40-odd years. Thanks for the reminder!
Very interesting as usual ,I don't share your criteria many times but It worths watching.Two names,two suggestions:Michael Gielen who was an outstanding conductor.He recorded a lot and most of what he did was wonderful!.And a composer, Rochberg! ,What a composer,he deserves more attention! what Naxos has done with his músic is glorious!.Thanks Mr.Hurwitz and keep you strong.
😂 Please excuse me Dave but you wouldn't happen to be related to the great Charles Groves because with another few years on the clock wearing a shirt, tie and jacket - there you are. (11:16)😂 PS words fail me when I try to express my thoughts about your channel other than, well, its exceptional and you are an inspiration. And I thank you.
Many years ago, a review on ClassicsToday by Dan Davis was responsible for introducing me to Constantin Silvestri through that old Disky box of licensed EMI material.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Still speaking of Silvestri, one of my favourite recordings with him as an accompanist is the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto played by Leonid Kogan and your dear Paris Conservatory Orchestra.
A real challenge given that so much quality is available. My current list (recognizing that I may change my mind in a few days) is: 1. Pierre Monteux on RCA - his versatility in repertoire was second to none. RCA was so shortsighted in not recording him in more German music (and incredibly careless in losing portions of a stereo La Mer.) 2. Ferenc Fricsay - volumes 1 and 2 - again a conductor of amazing versatility and intensity - like Cantelli a premature loss. 3. Carl Schuricht - so distinctive in Beethoven and Bruckner. His Stuttgart boxes are also worth many hours of listening. 4. Constantin Silvestri - you said all that one needs to know. 5. Louis Fremeaux - an underrated conductor in French repertoire who performed wonders with a less than first-rate orchestra.
Thanks for mentioning the various Fricsay and Schuricht boxes--I absolutely agree with you about both conductors. And of course, for Monteux, one needs both the RCA and the Decca recordings. (I acquired most of the Monteux recordings piecemeal over the years, so don't have the boxes.)
The Boulez-box isn‘t weighty enough as door stopper, I fear. Is there are a Norrington-box? To be earnest: No Bernstein? Or do you think the New-York-Box too big? The Silvestri I own already - and it is the result of one of your videos. I‘m really grateful to you! It‘s fantastic!
No Bernstein because, well, I thought other things had a greater priority. Obviously I love Bernstein, the way his stuff has been issued (on Sony) has been strange and I have issues with all of them. The complete set on DG is great, but a complete Sony box would be better still.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I like Bernstein - but I buyed the 100-CD-Sony-Box because of the repertoire. I think, this is a perfect starter for a classic-CD-collection, and even if one or the other performance is not absolutely first-rate, it's at last quite okay. I got some works, I hadn't already or at least not in a good performance (Goldmark, Hindemith, Holst aso). In my opinion, one gets nearly the whole music history for a reasonable good prize. But you're right, of course, even in the 100-CD-Box there are things I miss, f.e. the "Messiah" and the St. Matthew Passion (not so good as Klemperer, but interesting, I think), and I do not understand, what the incomplete Mahler-cycle matters. But perhaps Bernstein recorded too much for one person to listen to...
I have accumulated pretty much every Wand Bruckner recording he's done individually, fantastic Bruckner interpreter. I've noticed most of his box sets have been pushed up to crazy prices, he's now much more popular I guess than he was when I first got into his recordings in the 90s.
I'm going with the following 6 Conductor boxes: 1. The jumbo Stravinsky box (Columbia/Sony) 2. The Toscanini box (RCA/Sony) 3. The Szell box (Columbia/Sony) 4. The Boulez box (Columbia/Sony) 5. The most recent Bernstein box "Bernstein Remastered", 100 discs (Columbia/Sony) 6. The Stokowski Columbia stereo recordings box (Columbia/Sony). I chose this box over the Decca Phase 4 box because the repertoire is more interesting in the sony box and the performances are better; although the Decca box has my favorite recording of L'Ascension. I really do believe these are my favorite boxes. They seem to be the ones I access most often. Way to go sony!
Curious about your view of Cluytens Beethoven box. Somewhat surprisingly, his name came up neither in the Beethoven box set talk or the ideal Beethoven symphonies talk. Yet - deservedly - he did find his way into the "Greatest Box Sets in the History of the Universe." As far as complete sets of the Beethoven with the Berlin Philharmonic, I'd pick him over anyone else (yes, ALL of the Karajan ones). No one's perfect, of course, but he seemed a surprising omission on both go rounds.
I'm not hugely impressed by his Beethoven, good though it is, but much of the rest of the box is fabulous and the Beethoven certainly doesn't take anything away from that.
Cluytens Beethoven recordings on the cheapo "Classics for Pleasure" label were my introduction to the symphonies. I bought them in a CD box-set a couple of years ago, and they've stood up very well.
Perhaps all the remaining copies have been snapped up by Dave Hurwitz fans. They're in for a disappointment when they find out that the photo on the box isn't his.
Fricsay DG recordings is also a sublime 2-part box! And I love my Kempe-Strauss-box since you mentioned his Don Quixote a few days ago. Third place would be Erich Kleiber Decca recordings with his still very fresh Beethoven recordings and his astonishing Rosenkavalier and Figaro performances even if I noticed you're not the Kleibers' biggest fan :) Thank you for your great videos (mostly, as long as no Liszt bashing takes place...)!
Yes... Silvestri! I have two of those Icon boxes (leaving one unopened as surely it will be worth something one day ;-) ). A truly magnificent box set. I will be investigating the Charles Groves one, thanks Dave!
My Hurwitz I just got my Schwartz box from UK yesterday. I have gone through the first two disks and I am blown away. Thank you thank you thank you thank you I never heard of half of this shit. You are the man! I am spending this weekend going through every disk one by one with some wine. Perfection!! You rock dude don’t have one record from this guy
As a classical music enthusiast from Romania I am always glad to see that the legacy of Constantin Silvestri is still catching attention. As you very well mentioned Silvestri is most of the time forgotten as one of the greatest 20th century conductors even in Romania. Here (in Romania) there is a strong cult for the personality of Celibidache (which was a legendary conductor with all it's "pluses and minuses") while Silvestri is regarded as another romanian conductor. I hope that sooner or later the Silvestri box will equal the balance not just here but evrywhere in the world. Mean while I'll keep listen and folow your chanel.
Thank you!
I adore Rossini, and Abbado's box set of his operas is one of my absolute favourites. Glorious music, wonderfully performed.
Another box that falls into this category of unsung conductors is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Eduardo Mata Years. From what I've listened to, it seems that the DSO took several steps forward under Mata's leadership, including a new concert hall. The recordings in that box on Dorian are well-recorded and are notable for Mata's attention to color and crisp rhythmic articulation.
Dorian also has a terrific 6 disc box of Mata recordings with the Symphony of Venezuela titled "Latin America Alive: The Eduardo Mata Sessions."
Good video. I think I'm going to get Kuchar for the Nielsen cycle. If the other stuff is great it's a bonus!
Presto Music is selling the Kuchar set as FLAC downloads right now for $9. Equivalent of 13 CDs. Seriously.
I had no idea who Theodore Kuchar was, but I came across the box for less than 15 euros and I took the risk. It's well worth it.
Gerard Schwarz!! What a great conductor!!
His recordings of American symphonies is glorious. One of the wonders in the whole world of classical music.
I have the Silvestri box set and agree with the comments made. Great value.
Bought the Kuchar a couple weeks ago as a download (£9.75 from Presto Classical); really is fantastic....the Dvorak particularly!
Thank you for mentioning the Boulez box. 👏🏻👏🏻
I love the Warner Icon conductor boxes. Collects good stuff from many overlooked conductors. Silvestri is Exhibit A for that. I didnt know much about him until I took a chance on this box (which is hard to find). Is this the only Silvestri box around? I've never seen any other collection by him.
I also have and love the Kempe, Kubelik, Schuricht, Markevitch, Martinon Icon boxes, in addition to the Bohm, Walter, Jochum ones.
Have the Cantelli box and agree it is wonderful. What a loss!! Also, the Monteux boxes on RCA and Decca are really terrific. Munch and Reiner are superb but huge and expensive. Will look into the others you mentioned, but I'm running out of shelf space.
@Dave Hurwitz Thank you so much for this video. Most of these recommendations are new to me and I am going to definitely pick up the Groves and Schwarz !!
I would be interested in you doing a video on the most recommended (greatest hits) Maestro Seiji Ozawa recordings. Such a great conductor. I had the Mahler 1 from DG as a kid. His shock of long hair made for a truly iconic maestro profile and made quite the impression on an 8 yr old boy! Unfortunately (maybe it's just me?) it seems that as time has gone on he's in danger of becoming a forgotten conductor as his name no longer seems to be in the conversation as opposed to contemporaries of that same era like Bernstein, Karajan, Abbado or even Barenboim. 😞
Love Sir Charles Groves!!!!!
A Gen X'r who listened to Karajan in HS and owns practically every album in every iteration. I like/own Boulez and Abbado, but need to hear the others. Thanks for the recommendations.
Fantastic list. I'm very grateful to Schwarz for his devotion to American composers - I know you're not crazy about William Schuman, but the Schwarz recordings are superb. I'm glad you brought the Paavo Järvi Cincinnati box to my attention, that's a pretty great box too.
Cool, thanks!
Hi Dave, just a short question about the indeed fabulous Silvestri box: What the heck happend to the rhythm of the famous "fate motiv" in the Tchaikovsky 4 in this exciting recording? Clearly not what T wrote - what was Silvestri thinking?? I wonder whether you might have any insight. In general you seem to value performances that play the notes written by the composer accurately...
Thank you and keep posting your fantastic videos!
Insight? Me? Sorry, not a one. It is very odd, but it doesn't bother me.
David, your Boulez comment. "It's too big to be a coaster........a great door stop". ROFL. Oh joy! I'm not alone. So reassuring. 'Concrete' muzak. Pretentiousness reigned. Go to a supermarket for some relief. Our own has its own song, & it is still miles better than Phekin Pierre! - The Max Bygraves/Cliffy-Whiffy Richard of .....??something?
I thought at least one Bernstein box would make the cut. Bernstein conducts Bernstein (Sony or DG)...Still don't understand why Sony didn't give LB the luxury box- as they(Sony controls the RCA archive?) did with Rubinstein, Toscanini, and Heifetz. Instead we got that dog's breakfast of a box-Leonard Bernstein Remastered.
That's why...
I think the idea was to highlight more overlooked and under appreciated conductors. Bernstein , along with Karajan, are probably the 2 most well known conductors of the 20th century.
Guido, it's Gweedo not Geedo!
Not where I come from.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Well, GOLLY! Why should you even try to get it right then.
@@darylgimmillaro7149 I did
You know David, you look exactly like Charles Groves on that boxset 😎.
Haha! He really does!
Holy crap!
I paused that part. It makes for a pretty hilarious screenshot, really.
OH, I was going to say this. :)))
I quite agree.mi was conducted by Sir Groves Groves, at a brass band summer school course, back in 1975. Yes Dave you look like him!
I need that Schwarz box! I have all the Diamond discs as singles and some of the other stuff he did. He really knows how to pick repertoire.
David, thank you so much for mentioning Gerry Schwartz’s stuff. A wonderful musician; he was my brass quintet coach when I was a horn student at Juilliard back in 1969. All great choices! Good stuff. Thanks again
No problem!
Long time Cantelli fan, his Brahms 3rd made me a believer. Silvestri..beyond compare. I found a Silvestri Shostakovich 5th Angel LP for a dollar. Clean copies go for much,much more. Not selling mine.
I'm so glad you included the Kuchar box! He's the most brilliant conductor nobody's ever heard of. His Prokofiev cycle on Naxos is really impressive.
Seconded. I enjoy his Prokofiev set, also.
Thank you for recommending the Kuchar box. Like ‘the Scientific Musician’, I love his Prokofiev symphonies on Naxos. In fact, I prefer his readings to those of Järvi and Weller.
Theodore Kuchar is a fabulous conductor oh and the Claudio Abbado Rossini box set is beyond compare.
... thoughts about doing a Stanislaw Skrowaczewski review?
One of my favourite boxes is the Carlo Maria Giulini Centenary Edition - The London Years. 17cds of pure joy at some ridiculously low price at Amazon and other good record shops.
I wish Supraphon would get on the boxed set bandwagon, and give us a complete Karel Ančerl. I’ve noticed he pops up (deservedly) on quite a few recent talks of yours.
That would be nice...
At least Ancerl got his Gold edition, though in singles, and hopefully Supraphon will keep them in print. But the neglect of conductors like Sejna, Smetacek, Chalabala, Krumbholc, Klima is a crime.
I've gotten a great deal of pleasure from the Stokowski box sets from Sony and RCA. Both sets don't have a lot of his truly killer recordings on other labels but if you're a Stoky freak like I am I think both offer many rewarding performances.
Great David. I believe that you must have rare recordings in your gallery. Why don't you make a list of "Recordings that nobody has"?
Because I can't be sure that nobody has them--and believe me, if I say that, I'll be proven wrong within seconds.
I love Cantelli. I don't believe they ever told Toscanini that he was killed. The old man died two weeks later, if I'm not mistaken. David, I'm wondering if you can do a talk about the current state of the record industry and physical media in particular. Are we really seeing the slow death of physical media? For a while, Universal started re-issuing the classic recordings on blu-ray audio, then that seemed to have died down, although there are still new releases, but weird ones (Karajan's Die Walküre is the latest). In Japan, they started releasing really expensive SACDs of classic recordings, a while back, but that seems to be slowing down too. It all seems oddly directionless, like Sony and Universal are randomly trying new things, but not really committed to seeing any of it through. I'm interested in your thoughts on what's going on.
I think you just explained it as well as I could!
Oh my, when Columbia, Angel, and DG put out those glossy catalogs every year...
The combination of Groves and the RLPO was just amazing. That box really highlights them at their best. They play with swagger and energy and you can hear their enthusiasm. Shame Groves didn't record more non-English works: that Mahler cycle could have been something.
I love the way you tap on the boxes! That is TLC.
The Martinon Chicago box is also incredible. Best Bizet Farandole I’ve ever heard. And the Nielsen 4!
Well, there's the Silvestri box! And my god is he brilliant!
Dave, a fascinating and entertaining talk, as always. I acquired the Cantelli box a couple of weeks ago, and it's a gem. I was familiar with Cantelli's Beethoven 7th and Brahms 3rd from the old Seraphim LP days, but don't think I had ever encountered any of the other recordings. His Schumann 4th Symphony is a knockout.
Also bought the Silvestri box a couple of years ago, and completely agree about its many virtues. The Penguin/ Gramophone chaps were always going on about his recording of Elgar's “In the South,” but I don't recall them talking about much of anything else he did. As it turns out, there's an astonishing breadth of music in the box. Frankly, some are pieces that I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to buy on an individual cd, but Silvestri's performances are so compelling that you really sit up and listen even if you don't particularly care for the music in question-and that's a considerable achievement. By the way, the accompanying booklet is a model of what such a booklet should be-it's not the usual PR piffle, but gives fascinating insights into this conductor and his way of making music.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Groves, Kuchar, and Schwartz boxes. Every so often over the years I've bought the odd individual Groves recording, and have always wondered why he received so much less attention than the Big-Name usual suspects among British conductors. Perhaps it was because he seemed content to flourish in lesser-known musical byways rather than challenging on the standard-repertoire highways? Apart from his forays into lesser-known British music, there's a nice double-cd set of Sibelius tone poems and such, and a one-off cd of “city name” symphonies by Mozart (“Paris”) and Haydn (“Oxford” and “London”) - a gimmicky concept, but the performances are all first-rate and hugely enjoyable.
You scared me when you held up the Boulez box. That would be a nifty trick to play on your friends on Halloween!
~ John Drexel
That Silvestri box is a winner - mostly. I enjoyed it very much and it would made a great box for classical music beginners. BUT: what the hell was he thinking for the motto statement in the Tchaikovsky 4th? Makes no sense and wrong. Other than that, brilliant.
Completely agree with the Cantelli box. The Dukas is just wonderful....so quick yet so clear!
Dave - I’d love to see a general review of conductors. Their strengths and weaknesses, their best composers and their best recordings.
Watch this channel!
The Kuchar box really intrigues me. Dvorak’s tone poems and non-symphony orchestral works are very much my bag (as is Smetana) andthat clip from the Variations is marvelous. Of course, I love all the Shostakovich and Nielsen too, and the Spanish works sound very fun. I almost feel like Brilliant Classics designed this box just for me. Thanks for touting this recording!
I also like the Guilini and Fremantle boxes on Warner. Any comments on Karajan’s Warner remastered sets. I have the Brahms, Bruckner,etc., and the Berlioz, Franck, etc. boxes.
Also have the EMI Stokowski box that is full of treasures.
Sad to see such an entertaining and erudite critic as Hurwitz just dismiss Boulez' complete works as a doorstop. I understand if the music of Boulez', Cage, Stockhausen, Webern, etc. may not be for everyone and to everyone's taste, but Boulez has written some outstandingly great compositions of the 20th century. It's okay if one does not like it, I can see why not everyone would, but I sure much rather listen to Boulez than to Rossini. (Does not mean I don't like to listen to Rossini at all, but I find Boulez' music way more gripping and involving.)
If everyone has a right to enjoy what they wish then why is it sad when a critic expresses an opinion that happens to be contrary to yours? Like so many avowed supporters of free thought, you are simply a hypocrite who will not accept the intolerable fact that your opinion of Boulez is not held generally or (in this case) by me specifically. My personal belief is that the music of the 20th century would be no poorer had Boulez never existed. If you disagree, good for you, but at least have the integrity and honesty to grant others the right to feel differently and express their opinions accordingly without wagging a sanctimonious finger at them--even "entertaining and erudite" people.
Now, now, do not construct a straw argument here. Do you feel my position threatens your right to free thought? I don’t think so. Do I impair on your right to express your opinion in any way you see fit? I don’t think so.
Do you have the right to dislike Boulez? Certainly you do. Do you have the right to diss him on your TH-cam channel? Certainly you do.
I would estimate that 99.9% of the people in the world couldn’t care less about the music of Boulez. (Probably more.) So I certainly find nothing intolerable about the fact that my opinion of Boulez is not held by you specifically or most others. And so what?
But why should you have the right to diss Boulez, but no one else the right to diss you for dissing him? I state that I find it sad that you just dismiss his music in a blanket statement, and that is true. Who was it who once said: “I find your lack of faith disturbing”? (Rhetorical question to get in a STAR WARS quote.) So why should I not say so? Who is the hypocrite who will not accept the intolerable fact that your dismissal of Boulez is not held by everyone, in this case by me specifically?
For those looking like me, the Kuchar box is available for download CRAZY CHEAP on Amazon (mp3) and presto (FLAC).
yes
I already purchased on Amazon. I think for 8.99. Unreal bargain. Amazing box set. Dave - the Spanish works are actually really interesting.
Thanks for this great video! I agree about everything you say about Rossini. Glad someone thinks like me! Much harder than Beethoven!!! On a different note, the Groves box seems to be out of print, at least in Germany :(
Sigh...God forbid they should sell some.
I just caught this and was wondering if Gerard Schwarz, the conductor of our local symphony orchestra which has a subscription series (Palm Beach Symphony) was worth attending. The answer apparently is yes.
Once more a great talk. Always for me something to learn and explore, e.g. Kuchar and Silvestri. Perhaps some day you might do a piece on Sergiu Celibidache and his magnificent (and controverse) Munich recordings. Never a moment of boring music-making. IMHO it is Impossible to be indifferent to "Celi" and his recordings.
I actually find much of Celi to be exceptionally boring, but it would be fund to talk about the big box. Thanks for the suggestion.
@@DavesClassicalGuide The talk about Celi Munich boxset shoud last for an hour at least or I'll have to watch it at 0.5x speed. (joking, I love Celi's Bruckner except for that B9 Scherzo. Meh.)
I love C.Groves Elgar recordings. Do you know anything about his Sibelius recordings - Tempest Suites etc? Are they good?
Yes.
I always knew Gerard Schwarz as a trumpeter. I never knew he conducted so well!
I agree about the Groves box, but regret that EMI / Warner have left some very good recordings Groves did on non-British music unissued on CD - in particular an excellent Schubert Unfinished in a completed version by Gerald Abraham, with Liverpool orchestra and Dvořâk 6 with RPO. They could fit on one CD.
Some great recommendations here. I would love more on top conductors and lesser known conductors worth exploring. My East German father-in-law prefers Karajan and Kurt Masur. I'd like to recommend someone for him that suits his taste that he may have missed behind the wall.
Apparently the British didn't care about the Groves Box too much because within 4 months it's out of print without even a used copy to be found on any of the 2nd hand websites. Amazing how quick some of these boxes disappear yet others hang around for years before selling out.
Silvestri had flown almost completely under my radar. I couldn't tell you what recordings he made, although I heard at least one of them. David's recommendation encouraged me to seek out the conductor's box, and it blew my socks off. It's not that he does these pieces better than everybody else, but they are definitely HIS interpretations. Even if I don't agree with them, they always intrigue me and compel me to consider his choices. He commits to every score, with almost always electrifying results (sometimes, as in the Prince Igor Overture, even too electrifying). He sloughs off nothing. The Tchaikovsky -- indeed, almost all of the Russian stuff -- is particularly wonderful. What a find! Thank you, David.
I just ordered the Kuchar and Schwarz boxes. What a salesman you are. And hurrah!!! I found the Groves for under $100!
I knew of Guido Cantelli historically, but discovered his phenomenal conducting through your videos. Thank you!
Agreed - I love Charles Groves! I NEVER talked about C. Groves to anybody, because NOBODY took him seriously. Thank you for pointing him out. I like Kuchar too. For my needs, I should look at that Gerry Schwarz box.
Good grief, I had totally forgotten about Sir Charles Groves, who, for a period (when I was still living in England, in the early 80s) became (a bit like "Andrew Preview" in the 1970s) ubiquitous on UK TV arts programming (along with percussionist, James Blades, who also had a late-in-life period in the spotlight on the BBC). But Groves had completely gone out of my head for about 40-odd years. Thanks for the reminder!
Wow - that Schwarz box is really something; Kuchar 8.99 mp3 at Amazon. Groves is gone (sigh…)
Very interesting as usual ,I don't share your criteria many times but It worths watching.Two names,two suggestions:Michael Gielen who was an outstanding conductor.He recorded a lot and most of what he did was wonderful!.And a composer, Rochberg! ,What a composer,he deserves more attention! what Naxos has done with his músic is glorious!.Thanks Mr.Hurwitz and keep you strong.
Boulez: Le Marteau sans maître is so hard to listen too. I do not hate it, but it is hard to understand , and like. And I tried. So much...
Ordered some months ago but finally got a chance to listen to the Groves box. WOW to both selections, performance and audio!
Kuchar’s Dvorak extract you played, came alive!
Amazon is. Now listing the rca Reiner box at $200.00 for those interested
Thank you David the Kushar is marvelous marvelous marvelous
Regrettably, any of these boxes are no longer available or perhaps just hard to find.
Allez! No Fricsay?
Why must there be?
Finally: A big Rodzinski box just get out on Sony. I can't wait to have it.
Don't forget the Stokowski Columbia Box. Lots of fun stuff in it!
Don't ever retire, Hurwitz... you're needed!
One additional note on the Groves box - it deserves better liner notes!!
😂 Please excuse me Dave but you wouldn't happen to be related to the great Charles Groves because with another few years on the clock wearing a shirt, tie and jacket -
there you are. (11:16)😂
PS words fail me when I try to express my thoughts about your channel other than, well, its exceptional and you are an inspiration. And I thank you.
Thanks! No relation, sadly, but I'm flattered by the resemblance.
Many years ago, a review on ClassicsToday by Dan Davis was responsible for introducing me to Constantin Silvestri through that old Disky box of licensed EMI material.
I remember that vividly because I told Dan he had to cover it for us. I knew he would love it too.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Still speaking of Silvestri, one of my favourite recordings with him as an accompanist is the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto played by Leonid Kogan and your dear Paris Conservatory Orchestra.
A real challenge given that so much quality is available. My current list (recognizing that I may change my mind in a few days) is:
1. Pierre Monteux on RCA - his versatility in repertoire was second to none. RCA was so shortsighted in not recording him in more German music (and incredibly careless in losing portions of a stereo La Mer.)
2. Ferenc Fricsay - volumes 1 and 2 - again a conductor of amazing versatility and intensity - like Cantelli a premature loss.
3. Carl Schuricht - so distinctive in Beethoven and Bruckner. His Stuttgart boxes are also worth many hours of listening.
4. Constantin Silvestri - you said all that one needs to know.
5. Louis Fremeaux - an underrated conductor in French repertoire who performed wonders with a less than first-rate orchestra.
Thanks for mentioning the various Fricsay and Schuricht boxes--I absolutely agree with you about both conductors. And of course, for Monteux, one needs both the RCA and the Decca recordings. (I acquired most of the Monteux recordings piecemeal over the years, so don't have the boxes.)
The Boulez-box isn‘t weighty enough as door stopper, I fear. Is there are a Norrington-box?
To be earnest: No Bernstein? Or do you think the New-York-Box too big?
The Silvestri I own already - and it is the result of one of your videos. I‘m really grateful to you! It‘s fantastic!
No Bernstein because, well, I thought other things had a greater priority. Obviously I love Bernstein, the way his stuff has been issued (on Sony) has been strange and I have issues with all of them. The complete set on DG is great, but a complete Sony box would be better still.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I like Bernstein - but I buyed the 100-CD-Sony-Box because of the repertoire. I think, this is a perfect starter for a classic-CD-collection, and even if one or the other performance is not absolutely first-rate, it's at last quite okay. I got some works, I hadn't already or at least not in a good performance (Goldmark, Hindemith, Holst aso). In my opinion, one gets nearly the whole music history for a reasonable good prize. But you're right, of course, even in the 100-CD-Box there are things I miss, f.e. the "Messiah" and the St. Matthew Passion (not so good as Klemperer, but interesting, I think), and I do not understand, what the incomplete Mahler-cycle matters. But perhaps Bernstein recorded too much for one person to listen to...
Knowing how much you love Gunter Wand, David, do you think the big LP-sized GREAT RECORDINGS Wand box is worth shelling out for, it's quite pricey.
That is your call. As I once said, artists don't matter and I can live without any of them in basic repertoire, however much I respect their work.
I have accumulated pretty much every Wand Bruckner recording he's done individually, fantastic Bruckner interpreter. I've noticed most of his box sets have been pushed up to crazy prices, he's now much more popular I guess than he was when I first got into his recordings in the 90s.
I'm totally stoked by the Kuchar and Silvestri boxes. So now its time for a big box: would you pick Kubelik, Cluytens, or Celibidache?
Cluytens
Word.
I'm going with the following 6 Conductor boxes:
1. The jumbo Stravinsky box (Columbia/Sony)
2. The Toscanini box (RCA/Sony)
3. The Szell box (Columbia/Sony)
4. The Boulez box (Columbia/Sony)
5. The most recent Bernstein box "Bernstein Remastered", 100 discs (Columbia/Sony)
6. The Stokowski Columbia stereo recordings box (Columbia/Sony). I chose this box over the Decca Phase 4 box because the repertoire is more interesting in the sony box and the performances are better; although the Decca box has my favorite recording of L'Ascension.
I really do believe these are my favorite boxes. They seem to be the ones I access most often. Way to go sony!
There's a Szell/Warner box due out in a couple of weeks. I'll be sorely tempted to get it.
@@ftumschk I noticed that, but I am going to pass on that one.
@@ftumschk If only EMI had figured out how to record them in Severance Hall. :(
Hello, today I was in a record shop and I saw the Jean martinon s CD box of debussy and ravel orchestral works. What do you think about it?
It's great although the Debussy is sonically better than the Ravel. It's a set as classic in its way as the Kempe/Dresden Strauss box.
Thank you very much!
Curious about your view of Cluytens Beethoven box. Somewhat surprisingly, his name came up neither in the Beethoven box set talk or the ideal Beethoven symphonies talk. Yet - deservedly - he did find his way into the "Greatest Box Sets in the History of the Universe." As far as complete sets of the Beethoven with the Berlin Philharmonic, I'd pick him over anyone else (yes, ALL of the Karajan ones). No one's perfect, of course, but he seemed a surprising omission on both go rounds.
I'm not hugely impressed by his Beethoven, good though it is, but much of the rest of the box is fabulous and the Beethoven certainly doesn't take anything away from that.
Cluytens Beethoven recordings on the cheapo "Classics for Pleasure" label were my introduction to the symphonies. I bought them in a CD box-set a couple of years ago, and they've stood up very well.
@@ftumschkabsolutely agree - Cluytens' Beethoven cycle is one of the good ones in my honest opinion.
I can't find the Charles Groves box online anywhere. I think it is out of print, unfortunately.
Perhaps all the remaining copies have been snapped up by Dave Hurwitz fans. They're in for a disappointment when they find out that the photo on the box isn't his.
Shhhhhhhh!
Fricsay DG recordings is also a sublime 2-part box! And I love my Kempe-Strauss-box since you mentioned his Don Quixote a few days ago. Third place would be Erich Kleiber Decca recordings with his still very fresh Beethoven recordings and his astonishing Rosenkavalier and Figaro performances even if I noticed you're not the Kleibers' biggest fan :) Thank you for your great videos (mostly, as long as no Liszt bashing takes place...)!
I like Erich better than Carlos.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Me too. Every time I compare the two (Beethoven, Weber, R Strauss) I prefer Erich.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Carlos himself did, too!
Yes... Silvestri! I have two of those Icon boxes (leaving one unopened as surely it will be worth something one day ;-) ). A truly magnificent box set.
I will be investigating the Charles Groves one, thanks Dave!