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THE DECCA CLASSIC SOUND
Decca (ADD/DDD) 478 2826 (50)
Decca’s Classic Sound box set comprises many of their classic recordings of the stereo era. Selecting which recordings to include must have been an all but impossible task, and, while we will all have a particular favourite recording which we feel should have been included, it is best to enjoy what actually has been included. The CDs are discussed in the alphabetical (by artist) order they appear in the set. A handsome booklet is included with many pictures and an excellent note by Decca’s own Raymond McGill. The CDs are housed in their original artwork. Ernest Ansermet was one of Decca’s most important conductors in the 1950s and ’60s and the best of his recordings – of which two are included here – impress today: his vibrantly colourful Three-Cornered Hat is coupled with his meticulous and finely etched Debussy Images, both recorded in 1961, though you would never guess it from the immediacy of the sound. Ataúlfo Argenta made a series of lively recordings for Decca before his untimely death, the most famous of which, España, is included. Moszkowski’s endearingly old-fashioned and tuneful Spanish Dances remain favourites of ours, and, along with equally successful performances of Capriccio espagnol and España, sound as fresh as the day they were first released (1958). The inspired coupling on this CD is of Alfredo Campoli’s surprisingly little-known recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto: a performance full of style and imagination, with Argenta building up the climaxes with masterly skill and providing a finale which dazzles in its brilliance. The 1956 sound amazes in its vividness and warmth. Vladimir Ashkenazy is represented by his earlier recording of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3, accompanied by another stalwart of Decca’s early stereo days, Anatole Fistoulari, always a superb conductor of concertos as well as ballets.
This account is fresher than his later account with Previn. Ashkenazy shows his full rapport with Rachmaninov in a highly sympathetic account of the original version of the Second Piano Sonata as a coupling. Ashkenazy is also a fine Sibelian, and, while his account of the First Symphony is not among the very finest, it is very good by any standards, and the same applies to his Pictures at an Exhibition, which follows. Cecilia Bartoli is one of Decca’s stars of the digital era and, while some of her more recent recordings are marred by vocal mannerisms (usually related to her coloratura), the disc selected here of Beethoven and Schubert songs, accompanied by András Schiff, is delightful. Joshua Bell is represented by superb recordings of the Walton and Barber Violin Concertos, while, also from the 1990s, Herbert Blomstedt’s impressive recording of the Alpine Symphony – one of the best of his San Francisco series – has been selected. Karl Böhm’s classic account of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony had to be included, recorded in 1973 and still glowing as a performance and in richness of sound. Decca’s first digital recording, the Vienna New Year’s Day Concert 1979, conducted by a master of that repertoire, Willi Boskovsky, is always a joy to hear, with the audience participation in the Radetzky March possessing almost uncanny presence. Benjamin Britten’s legendary recording of his own War Requiem (now on a single CD, lasting over 80 minutes), remains a classic of the recording age, with the shattering Libera me overwhelming in impact.
Riccardo Chailly made many successful recordings for Decca, and his powerful 1992 account of Messiaen’s Turangalîla-symphonie remains one of the most impressive this work has received. The violinist Kyung Wha Chung was an artist who never put a foot wrong in the studio, and her excellent Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (with Charles Dutoit), coupled with recordings of Bruch’s equally popular G minor Concerto and the rare but gorgeous Scottish Fantasia (conducted by Rudolf Kempe), are together most enjoyable, though perhaps not quite as impressive as her Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Sibelius concerto recordings. Clifford Curzon, one of the great pianists of the twentieth century, is represented by two classic recordings of Mozart piano concertos, Nos. 20 and 27, conducted by Benjamin Britten. Inspired performances, recorded in 1970 but not released until 1982. Christoph von Dohnányi is represented by a triptych of twentieth-century works: Schoenberg’s Erwartung (searingly intense music and performance, dating from 1979), Berg’s Symphonic Pieces from ‘Lulu’ (a brilliant recording, from six years earlier 1973) and Webern’s Im Sommerwind (from 1991) completing the portrait. Antal Dorati, especially famous for his Mercury repertoire, made many impressive recordings for Decca, not least his complete Haydn symphony survey.
His recordings of Stravinsky’s The Firebird and The Rite of Spring, from the early 1980s, remain impressive both for the energy of the music-making and for the sonic impact of the early digital recording. Charles Dutoit was in some ways the digital equivalent of Ernest Ansermet and covered much of the same repertoire. Although, at times, his recordings could seem a little bland, his Ravel records were especially famed, and the selection included here shows the beauty of detail and warmth of sound for which his partnership with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal was famous. Renée Fleming’s recording of ‘Great Opera Scenes’ confirms her status as one of the great opera stars of today, and she is accompanied by one of the most significant conductors in Decca’s history, Sir George Solti. Nelson Freire’s account of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1, while excellent, does not quite equal Decca’s famous Curzon/Szell recording in searing intensity, but it is impressive enough, and the Schumann Carnaval which follows is most enjoyable. Bernard Haitink’s Shostakovitch symphony cycle, though always brilliantly recorded, did not always possess the white-hot excitement this music ideally needs. But his accounts of the Fifth and Ninth Symphonies do convey the artistic excellence of his performances, and the recordings have always been maintained by Decca in their catalogue. Dame Janet Baker’s classic account of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas is supreme, but Decca have chosen Catherine Bott’s 1992 version, with the Academy of Ancient Music, directed by Christopher Hogwood. While it offers many excellent qualities, it does not quite have the magical intensity of the earlier recording, though, of course, it is more ‘authentic’ in approach.
Janine Jansen, a rising Decca star, is represented by excellent versions of the Beethoven and Britten Violin Concertos. Undoubted classic issues next, all dating from 1961: Herbert von Karajan’s account of Holst’s The Planets (with the VPO), a superb reading in every way, full of atmosphere and drama, is coupled with recordings by Sir Adrian Boult (with the LPO) of Holst’s delightful Perfect Fool ballet and the more mysterious Egdon Heath, both full of character. Julius Katchen made many superb records for Decca, all noted for the boldness and vibrancy of the music-making; the three concertos included here, by Bartók, Ravel and Prokofiev, all conducted by István Kertész with the LSO, display the tremendous vitality for which both artists were renowned. Kertész died very young, but not before leaving us, among other things, a superb Dvořák cycle: included here are the glorious Eighth Symphony, with the LSO, and the earlier recording of the New World, with the VPO, in both cases, exhilarating, fresh, music-making at its most inspired. The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, under Sir David Willcocks, is represented (with the LSO) in a famous performance of the Nelson Mass of Haydn, while the St John’s College, Cambridge, Choir, under George Guest, is represented by the dramatic Missa in tempore belli, both performances surpassed in scholarship, but not musicianship.
Alicia de Larrocha, one of the most delightful and enchanting pianists of the modern age, was famous for her recordings of Spanish music, of which some of her finest solo 1970s performances of Granados are included here, as well as her 1983 account of De Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain (with the LPO under Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos). Quite a contrast of style comes in the music-making of Ute Lemper, whose vibrant accounts of ‘Berlin Cabaret Songs’ won her many fans across the world. Radu Lupu has maintained admirable integrity throughout his long career, partly by making comparatively few recordings. However, when he does enter the studio, something special is assured, as can be heard in his 1970s accounts of Beethoven’s Moonlight, Pathétique and Waldstein Sonatas, along with the 32 Piano Variations. Peter Maag also made comparatively few recordings, but his accounts of Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony and A Midsummer Night’s Dream music are undoubted classics, famous for both the zest of the music-making and the delicacy of musical nuance, and the 1950s/60s sound remains superb by any standards. Lorin Maazel made the majority of his finest records during the 1960s and ’70s, and his vivid accounts of Respighi’s Roman Festivals and Pines of Rome, coupled with a recording of Rimsky-Korsakov’s dazzling Le coq d’or suite, are impressive examples. Sir Charles Mackerras, who made many famous records for various companies, was at his finest in the music of Janáček: his accounts of the Sinfonietta and Taras Bulba (with the VPO), coupled here with a recording of a suite from The Cunning Little Vixen, in their time helped to make Janàček as popular as he is today.
Sir Neville Marriner made countless recordings for Argo/Decca – his records of Vivaldi being notable for their freshness and fine musicianship. He is represented here by glorious accounts of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and Souvenir de Florence (slightly cut), as well as a recording of Grieg’s Holberg Suite, repertoire ideally suited to this artist and his orchestra. The performances, like the sound, glow with radiant warmth. Jean Martinon made some memorable records for Decca. Included here are his electrifying (both sonically and musically) account of Borodin’s Second Symphony (with the LSO), and his account of Ibert’s Divertissement (with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra), which receives a performance of unique vividness. The Saint-Saëns and Bizet items which complete the disc are hardly less successful. Zubin Mehta’s heyday (recording-wise) was the 1960s/70s, and his sumptuous recordings of the Varèse orchestral works and Ives’s Second Symphony remain an impressive tribute to the engineering of the 1970s. Pierre Monteux made many fine records, but none finer than his 1958 account of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, one of the great recordings of the stereo era. His Daphnis et Chloé of Ravel (along with Munch’s RCA account) is also one of the finest of this work ever committed to disc. All this music-making, with the LSO in the late 1950s, remains as fresh as the day the discs were made. Karl Münchinger’s style may seem rather old-fashioned by today’s standards, but his performances are blessed with innate musicianship, and, in planning his choral works, he often included superb soloists.
His 1968 accounts of Bach’s Magnificat and Cantata BWV 10 are two of his most impressive ventures, and, if in the later, digital recording of Cantata BWV 140 (1984) a hint of pedantry is more apparent, it remains enjoyable. Birgit Nilsson and Sir George Solti are synonymous with Decca, and a CD of highlights from the seminal recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen is understandably included. Equally synonymous with Decca is Luciano Pavarotti, and he is included in the famous 1990 concert with José Carreras and Plácido Domingo, certainly a part of Decca history and a resounding commercial success. But perhaps he is better heard in the highlights from Puccini’s Turandot (also conducted by Mehta), an undoubted classic of the opera catalogue, with one of Joan Sutherland’s finest portrayals in the title role. Philip Pickett’s recording of Tielman Susato’s Dansereye is one of the few early music performances included here. Pascal Rogé, a master of the French repertoire, is represented by Saint-Saëns’s delightfully tuneful piano concertos, while Christophe Rousset combines both drama and expressive intensity in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and two Salve Reginas, with Andreas Scholl and Barbara Bonney. András Schiff’s 1982 recording of the Goldberg Variations of Bach remains very impressive indeed. Although the piece is performed on a modern piano, and Schiff’s style is undoubtedly scholarly, the playing is imbued with a sense of wonder at the music’s continued inspiration, and Schiff readily conveys his joy in the music-making.
Have the Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture, Prince Igor Overture and Polovtsian Dances ever sounded more exciting than in the recordings by Sir George Solti with the LSO? We doubt it. Nor have there been more electrically charged recordings of the four Suppé overtures, recorded with the VPO. True, Solti may not bring out all the charm of these works, but they have never sounded more exciting! Another Solti classic is included in the form of his Chicago SO recording of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, dating from 1971, an inspiring performance, still packing a sonic punch. A more impressive trio of singers than Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti and Marilyn Horne is hard to imagine, and they appear together on ‘Live from Lincoln Center’, dating from 1981, all in superb voice, largely performing the bel-canto repertoire in which they all excelled, well supported by Richard Bonynge. The Takács Quartet offer thoughtful, beautifully performed and recorded accounts of two Beethoven string quartets from their complete cycle, and their stylishness makes one think anew about repertoire we know so well. Renata Tebaldi dominated the Decca catalogue in the 1950s and 1960 – a lovely soprano whose many fine recordings have stood the test of time. She was especially renowned for her Puccini arias, and highlights from one of her most successful opera recordings, La Fanciulla del West, are included here; her ‘usual’ tenor, the full-blooded Mario del Monaco, is hardly less impressive. The Wiener Oktett made a series of remarkable recordings in the 1950s and ’60s for Decca, and many of their sessions remain supreme achievements.
Their accounts of the Mendelssohn Octet and Beethoven Septet radiate both warmth and colour, with a glorious Viennese glow which seems to come from another age. The final CD, listed under Winchester Cathedral Choir, comprises stirring accounts of Walton’s Coronation Te Deum, Parry’s I Was Glad and Blest Pair of Sirens and Elgar’s masterful orchestration of Jerusalem, all conducted by David Hill. The bulk of the CD, however, consists of a superb performance of Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, conducted by Andrew Litton. All in all, a most impressive box set and certainly worth its bargain price tag.
Decca的《经典之声》套装收录了立体声时代众多标志性录音。尽管选曲过程近乎不可能完成，且乐迷们或许各有心仪版本未被纳入，但欣赏现有精选才是上策。本评述按套装内艺术家字母顺序展开。随盒附赠的精美手册内含大量图片及Decca御用撰稿人Raymond McGill的精彩解说，所有CD均保留原始封面设计。
指挥家欧内斯特·安塞美作为Decca五六十年代的中流砥柱，其入选的两份录音至今仍令人叹服——1961年录制的《三角帽》以绚烂色彩见长，搭配精雕细琢的《意象集》，录音鲜活度完全超越时代印记。阿陶尔福·阿根塔生前为Decca留下的生机勃勃录音中，最负盛名的《西班牙》自然入选。莫什科夫斯基充满旧日风情的《西班牙舞曲》始终是我们的挚爱，与同样出色的《西班牙随想曲》《西班牙》共同焕发着1958年初版时的鲜活魅力。本碟点睛之笔是阿尔弗雷多·坎波利鲜为人知的柴可夫斯基小提琴协奏曲：充满风格想象力的演绎中，阿根塔以大师手法构建高潮，终章璀璨夺目，1956年的录音在生动性与温暖度上仍令人惊叹。
弗拉基米尔·阿什肯纳齐的代表作是其与Decca早期立体声时代支柱安纳托尔·菲斯托拉里合作的拉赫玛尼诺夫第三钢琴协奏曲（较之与普列文后期版本更显清新），搭配对原始版第二钢琴奏鸣曲的深刻诠释尽显作曲家共鸣。其西贝柳斯第一交响曲虽非顶尖，但仍属上乘，《图画展览会》亦保持水准。塞西莉亚·巴托莉作为Decca数字时代的明星，这张与安德拉斯·席夫合作的贝多芬/舒伯特艺术歌曲精选规避了她近年炫技唱段的做作痕迹，堪称愉悦之作。约书亚·贝尔以精湛的沃尔顿/巴伯小提琴协奏曲录音入选，赫伯特·布隆姆施塔特旧金山时期最杰出的《阿尔卑斯交响曲》同样来自90年代瑰宝。
卡尔·伯姆1973年录制的布鲁克纳第四交响曲作为必选经典，演绎与录音丰度历久弥新。Decca首张数字录音——1979年维也纳新年音乐会由权威威利·博斯科夫斯基执棒，《拉德茨基进行曲》中听众参与的临场感堪称奇迹。本杰明·布里顿自导的《战争安魂曲》（现为超80分钟单碟）仍是录音史上的核爆级经典，"Libera me"的震撼力无与伦比。里卡多·夏伊1992年震撼的《图伦加利拉交响曲》诠释，堪称这部作品最令人难忘的录音之一。
郑京和与夏尔·迪图瓦合作的门德尔松小提琴协奏曲，搭配鲁道夫·肯佩指挥的布鲁赫g小调协奏曲与绝美《苏格兰幻想曲》，虽不及其普罗科菲耶夫/斯特拉文斯基/西贝柳斯协奏曲录音惊艳，仍属赏心乐事。二十世纪钢琴巨匠克利福德·柯曾以与布里顿合作的两部莫扎特协奏曲（K.466 & K.595）入选，这些1970年录制、1982年才面世的演绎充满灵思。克里斯托夫·冯·多纳伊呈现二十世纪作品三部曲：1979年令人窒息的勋伯格《期待》、1973年辉煌的贝尔格《露露组曲》及1991年韦伯恩《夏日风》，共同构成时代肖像。
安塔尔·多拉蒂除水星唱片传奇外在Decca亦有建树，其1980年代初的《火鸟》《春之祭》数字录音仍以演绎活力与音效冲击力称奇。夏尔·迪图某程度是数字时代的安塞美，虽偶显平淡，但其与蒙特利尔交响乐团合作的拉威尔精选尽显声部精妙与音色暖意。芮妮·弗莱明在"伟大歌剧场景"中印证当代歌剧天后地位，搭档Decca史上重要指挥家乔治·索尔蒂。内尔森·弗莱雷的勃拉姆斯第一钢琴协奏曲虽不及柯曾/赛尔版那般灼热，但搭配舒曼《狂欢节》仍属佳作。伯纳德·海廷克的肖斯塔科维奇交响曲全集虽录音精良，但第五、第九交响曲最能体现其艺术造诣。
对比珍妮特·贝克经典的《狄朵与埃涅阿斯》，Decca选择了克里斯托弗·霍格伍德指挥古乐学会乐团、凯瑟琳·博特1992年更"本真"的版本。新星雅尼娜·扬森以贝多芬/布里顿小提琴协奏曲亮相。1961年三大经典：卡拉扬与VPO震撼的《行星组曲》（充满戏剧氛围）搭配博尔特指挥LPO的《完美的傻瓜》芭蕾音乐与神秘《埃格敦荒野》。朱利叶斯·卡琴与伊斯特凡·克尔提斯展现巴托克/拉威尔/普罗科菲耶夫协奏曲的澎湃活力，后者早逝前留下的德沃夏克交响曲全集中，第八与"自新大陆"（分别与LSO/VPO合作）堪称灵感迸发的典范。
剑桥国王学院合唱团与LSO合作的《纳尔逊弥撒》，以及圣约翰学院合唱团《战时弥撒》虽学术性被超越，音乐性仍熠熠生辉。西班牙钢琴女王阿莉西亚·德·拉罗查70年代格拉纳多斯独奏与1983年德·法雅《西班牙花园之夜》（弗吕贝克·德·伯格斯指挥LPO）展现其魔力。乌特·兰普的"柏林卡巴雷歌曲"则以迥异风格风靡全球。拉杜·鲁普以极低产量保持艺术纯粹，其70年代贝多芬"月光""悲怆""华尔斯坦"奏鸣曲及32变奏曲录音皆属神品。
彼得·马格罕见的门德尔松《苏格兰交响曲》与《仲夏夜之梦》录音以细腻 nuance 著称，五六十年代录音至今仍属极品。洛林·马泽尔六七十年代巅峰期录制的雷斯庇基《罗马节日/松树》搭配里姆斯基《金鸡》组曲炫目耀眼。查尔斯·马克拉斯以扬纳切克《小交响曲》《塔拉斯·布尔巴》及《狡猾的小狐狸》组曲助推作曲家声望。内维尔·马里纳与圣马丁乐团演绎的柴可夫斯基《弦乐小夜曲》（略删节）与格里格《霍尔堡组曲》散发着维也纳式的温暖光辉。
让·马蒂农令人难忘的鲍罗丁第二交响曲（LSO）与伊贝尔《嬉游曲》（巴黎音乐学院乐团）以电光火石般的生动性入选。祖宾·梅塔六七十年代鼎盛期的瓦雷兹管弦乐作品与艾夫斯第二交响曲录音，至今仍是工程学奇迹。皮埃尔·蒙特1958年录制的埃尔加《谜语变奏曲》是立体声时代伟大遗产，其与LSO合作的拉威尔《达芙妮与克罗埃》同样名垂青史。卡尔·明兴格1968年巴赫《尊主颂》与BWV10康塔塔展现其内在音乐性，1984年BWV140数字录音虽略显刻板仍具魅力。
比尔伊特·尼尔森与索尔蒂的《尼伯龙根的指环》精选自是必选，帕瓦罗蒂则通过1990年"三大男高音"音乐会（商业奇迹）及普契尼《图兰朵》精选（祖宾·梅塔指挥，琼·萨瑟兰惊艳献唱）双重亮相。菲利普·皮克特编订的苏萨托《舞曲集》是少数入选的早期音乐录音。帕斯卡尔·罗热演绎圣桑钢琴协奏曲的迷人旋律，克里斯托夫·鲁塞则在佩尔戈莱西《圣母悼歌》中融合戏剧性与抒情深度。安德拉斯·席夫1982年现代钢琴版《哥德堡变奏曲》在学术严谨中透出对音乐神性的惊叹。
索尔蒂与LSO合作的《鲁斯兰与柳德米拉》序曲、《伊戈尔王》序曲及《波罗维茨舞曲》的兴奋度至今无出其右，其维也纳爱乐版苏佩序曲集同样带电。1971年马勒第八交响曲（芝加哥交响乐团）仍保有震撼音效。萨瑟兰/帕瓦罗蒂/霍恩1981年林肯中心现场展现美声黄金时代风采，塔卡克斯四重奏对贝多芬弦乐四重奏的沉思性演绎令人重新审视经典。雷娜塔·泰巴尔迪50-60年代主宰Decca目录，其《西部女郎》精选中，男高音马里奥·德尔莫纳科同样热血沸腾。
维也纳八重奏组五六十年代录制的门德尔松八重奏与贝多芬七重奏，散发着旧时代的金色暖意。压轴之作是温彻斯特大教堂合唱团演绎沃尔顿《加冕感恩赞》、帕里《我欣喜》及埃尔管弦乐版《耶路撒冷》，安德鲁·利顿指挥的《伯沙撒王的宴会》更显恢弘。
这套超值合集堪称Decca录音宝库的璀璨明珠。
（源于DeepSeek翻译）
https://115cdn.com/s/sww7pf73hq9?password=3377&#
Decca Sound [2011 50CD]
这是DECCA Sound 第一个50张CD的大包，绝大多数乐友应该都有。看着评论来听，是不是会更有感觉一些呢？
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狗仔卡
发表于 2025-6-23 08:17
显身卡
楼主
