Thread: Keeping Score (San Fransisco Orchestra)

Posts: 9

Post by deckerm October 20, 2009 (1 of 9)
I just saw three titles listed on Blu Ray:

Keeping Score: Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique Blu-ray
Keeping Score: Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 Blu-ray
Keeping Score: Ives' Holidays Symphony Blu-ray

Do you know if these are ports from existing material or represent new content?

Post by Peter October 20, 2009 (2 of 9)
deckerm said:

I just saw three titles listed on Blu Ray:

Keeping Score: Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique Blu-ray
Keeping Score: Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 Blu-ray
Keeping Score: Ives' Holidays Symphony Blu-ray

Do you know if these are ports from existing material or represent new content?

They haven't to my knowledge been issued before: here's an example of one which appeared on DVD (search "keeping score" to find the rest)

http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//82193600149.htm

Avie will most likely tell you what you want to know.

Post by DSD October 20, 2009 (3 of 9)
deckerm said:

I just saw three titles listed on Blu Ray:

Keeping Score: Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique Blu-ray
Keeping Score: Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 Blu-ray
Keeping Score: Ives' Holidays Symphony Blu-ray

Do you know if these are ports from existing material or represent new content?

Keeping Score: Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique

I saw this one on NPR on TV and it was very informative and quite good. Michael Tilson Thomas has a nice speaking voice as well. Oh and the performance of Symphonie Fantastique was excellent, some of the best sound I've heard from TV. And yes I know TV is lossy PCM.

Each of the movements were played complete with the commentary in between. And of course the Blu-Ray disc will have the advantage of high resolution sound.

Post by Peter October 20, 2009 (4 of 9)
DSD said:

And of course the Blu-Ray disc will have the advantage of high resolution sound.

There's no "of course" about this at all - the original recording would have to have been made that way.

Post by Steve Steckel October 20, 2009 (5 of 9)
These are new recordings. They will have, hopefully, information is hard to come by, at least one of the new "lossless" codecs. I have two other older "Keeping Score" discs, Tchaikovsky Symphony # 4 and Stravinsky Rite Of Spring and excerps from the "Firebird". In my opinion they strongly rival any other recordings of these pieces. My first live concert was in 1963 in Orchestra Hall in Chicago by the Chicago Symphony conducted by Walter Hendl. I had bought the best seats available, approx. 7th row from the front and center. The one piece on the program that I was NOT looking forward to was the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, I had always found it boring, until the soloist, Elaine Sukoridan, started playing. I could literally see the rosin flying off her violin! I thought then that it will be a great day when a system is developed that will allow us to experiance that kind of an visual and audio treat in our own homes. With the development of Blu-ray and any one of the "lossless" codecs ( I prefer Dolby True HD 5.1 ) that day is here. I believe that Blu-ray discs with a "lossless" codec are the future of recorded performances. I have already ordered these new Blu-ray discs. Speaking of Elaine Sukoridan (Sp.?), does anyone know her or what became of her? I know that she taught violin in the Chicago area but, I have been unable to find out anything else about her. That night she was MAGNIFICENT!

Post by deckerm October 21, 2009 (6 of 9)
thanks for the replies. I was hoping there would be commentary from the conductor, or something other than just a video of the concert. I love hearing the lectures before going to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra concerts as they help to increase the understanding of the music.

Post by tream October 21, 2009 (7 of 9)
I don't know what Teresa watched, but I just finished watching this (I had recorded it for a more convenient time) but the complete score is not played - there are major excerpts from the movements, quite of bit of analysis from MTT, attempts to relate the music to Berlioz's past and to Harriet Smithson and a passing attempt to relate Berlioz to Beethoven (wish MTT had spent more time on that). I found it interesting, not sure you would want to see it more than once, but there is no complete performance of Symphonie Fantastique, nor of any movement. MTT also talks over quite a bit of what's there, so be forewarned - this is really like a lecture, not a performance.

Post by Peter October 21, 2009 (8 of 9)
tream said:

I don't know what Teresa watched, but I just finished watching this (I had recorded it for a more convenient time) but the complete score is not played - there are major excerpts from the movements, quite of bit of analysis from MTT, attempts to relate the music to Berlioz's past and to Harriet Smithson and a passing attempt to relate Berlioz to Beethoven (wish MTT had spent more time on that). I found it interesting, not sure you would want to see it more than once, but there is no complete performance of Symphonie Fantastique, nor of any movement. MTT also talks over quite a bit of what's there, so be forewarned - this is really like a lecture, not a performance.

The DVDs issued so far have the sort of thing you viewed, followed by a complete performance.

Post by DSD October 21, 2009 (9 of 9)
tream said:

I don't know what Teresa watched, but I just finished watching this (I had recorded it for a more convenient time) but the complete score is not played - there are major excerpts from the movements, quite of bit of analysis from MTT, attempts to relate the music to Berlioz's past and to Harriet Smithson and a passing attempt to relate Berlioz to Beethoven (wish MTT had spent more time on that). I found it interesting, not sure you would want to see it more than once, but there is no complete performance of Symphonie Fantastique, nor of any movement. MTT also talks over quite a bit of what's there, so be forewarned - this is really like a lecture, not a performance.

Sorry I missed that I caught it in the middle, I missed the first two movements and half of the third, I watched the March to the Scaffold, and Dream of the Witches Sabbath. Yes there was a lot about Harriet Smithson, if it replays I will try to watch the whole thing. I thought I heard all of those two movements, maybe my brain filled in any missing music.

I really loved watching the percussion players in the March to the Scaffold, that was really exciting, I never thought TV could be so.

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