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Failed to connect to MySQL: (1203) User howardkn already has more than 'max_user_connections' active connectionsPath: ...!news-out.netnews.com!postmaster.netnews.com!us8.netnews.com!not-for-mail X-Trace: DXC=KFld_gG]>9N756^8Dnlf4GHWonT5<]0TMQ;nb^V>PUfF5[gZBW6J?LL>8J_kK>kdRIYR=RLLPDEVG3k]F1Cm8 Content-Language: en-GB From: Graham In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Lines: 82 Message-ID: <6733be1d$0$2873016$882e4bbb@reader.netnews.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 127.0.0.1 X-Trace: 1731444253 reader.netnews.com 2873016 127.0.0.1:50251 Bytes: 3858 On 2024-11-12 11:46 a.m., DeepBlue wrote: > On Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:06:57 +0000, Roland van Gaalen wrote: > >> Addendum to my message of 26 January 2009 (see below): >> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Last_Songs >> >> https://www.pristineclassical.com/products/pasc407 >> -- >> Roland van Gaalen >> The Netherlands >> =============================== >> On 26 January 2009 I wrote: >> >> << To those who can tolerate the sonic limitations of historical >> recordings, I >> recommend a 2007 Testament release >> (which has already been discussed here, albeit briefly): >> (1) R Strauss -- Four Last Songs >> (2) Wagner -- Tristan & Isolde -- Prelude and Liebestod >> (3) Wagner -- Goetterdaemmerung -- Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey >> (4) idem -- Finale (starting with "Starke Scheite..."; 19 minutes) >> >> (1) is my favorite recording of this piece. >> >> It appears to be an improvement over all previous releases, which (if my >> information is correct) all lacked the final 30 seconds or so of the >> fourth >> song. >> >> Key features: gorgeous old-fashioned heldensoprano, dramatic orchestral >> playing, wonderful interpretation >> >> (3) an (4) are equally magnificent. >> >> After all, Furtwaengler, Wagner, Goetterdaemmerung, Flagstad, >> Philharmonia >> Orchestra, Live ... enough said! . >> >> I haven't listened to (2) yet. >> >> At any rate (1), (3) and (4) are already sufficient for my conclusion: >> >> highly recommended, and definitely not only to Furtwaengler completists >> >> This is a perfect example that explains why some people develop a >> lifelong >> addiction to historical recordings. >> >> The performance has enormous intensity, by the way; (3) resembles >> wartime >> Furtwaengler; I have never heard a Rhine Journey like this. >> >> It all sounds like a life-and-death matter, as it should. >> -- >> Ref.: Testament SBT 1410 >> Wilhelm Furtwaengler / Philharmonia Orchestra / Kirsten Flagstad >> Live broadcast 22 May 1950 >> EUR 20 (here) and worth it >> [END OF MESSAGE 26 JANUARY 2009] >> =============================================================== > > Unfortunetaly, "historical sound" > ain't good enough for this work. > > Personally, I do not like Flagstad > in this work. Her voice is too thick > and heavy. In the Vier letzte Lieder > I prefer lighter, more luminous voices > such as Lisa Della Casa, and lighter > superkonduktors like Fritz Reiner. > > A chacun son (dé)goût. > > Cheers! > > PS. In general I do not like Flagstad at > all. I also do not like Birgit Nilsson at > all. Wagnerian sopranos with thick heavy > voices should have been sent to Gulag. IMO, the most over-rated version is by Bessie Blackhead. But then, I can't stand her honking voice in anything.