CREATIVE BEAUTY
'... clearly thought through and, as everything under Graham Johnson's direction, entirely convincing.'
A visit to the Hyperion Schubert Edition -
with DAVID WILKINS
As the hair turns a touch greyer, there are mixed feelings about the
supposed privilege of having lived through the great monuments of the recorded
archive. Well -- for better or worse -- what are they? The Solti 'Ring',
of course. Bernstein's and Tennstedt's Mahler symphony cycles,
Karajan's 1962 Beethoven symphonies. I'd describe their reputation
as incontestable. Others are a bit more subjective, perhaps. A personal
list would have to include a youthful Barenboim's startling majesty
in the Beethoven piano sonatas, Katchen's Brahms and Rubenstein's
Chopin; Kertesz's vital Dvorak symphonies and Dorati's Haydn series;
the Fitzwilliam's way with Shostakovitch quartets and most of Muti's
with Verdi operas. There are more, of course, and -- after a while -- it becomes
a personal indulgence (best left, therefore, to you ....) There is no doubt,
however, that the Hyperion Schubert songs edition deserves to join the pantheon
as, at least, a 'primus inter pares' : with mastermind instigator,
accompanist and annotator -- Graham Johnson -- as First Lord of a very wealthy
Treasury.
Continue >>
Copyright © 19 November 2000
David Wilkins, Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK
CD INFORMATION - HYPERION CDJ 33034 (VOLUME 34)
PURCHASE VOLUME 34 FROM AMAZON
PURCHASE VOLUME 34 FROM CROTCHET
CD INFORMATION - HYPERION CDJ 33035 (VOLUME 35)
PURCHASE VOLUME 35 FROM AMAZON
PURCHASE VOLUME 35 FROM CROTCHET
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