I have currently just embarked upon a survey of "Also sprach Zarathustra", Iggy and I am taking my time about it, but I will put "Tales of Hoffmann" on the back burner, as I wouldn't mind tackling that. Glad you agree about the "Déjà Reviews" feature.
Hi Ralph,
Yes, the Deja-Reviews are indeed interesting, and often shows how well a recording has held up through the years. They also remind me of those I meant to listen to and never got round to! Speaking of Offenbach, is a survey of the recordings of "Tales of Hoffmann" in the pipeline? I can appreciate it won't be easy, what with all the different versions, with or without spoken dialogue, recitatives, etc.
I have recently been prompted by several "Déjà Reviews" to rifle through my shelves and find the classic recordings revisited, the latest being this Offenbach treasure enthusiastically, informatively and entertainingly reviewed by Christopher Howell back in 2003. Despite the rather harsh, tinny mono sound it is indeed very listenable and preserves a vanished tradition.
On a more general note, I wonder if fellow readers are finding our relatively recent initiative to re-post daily a couple of older reviews as rewarding as I do. Viewing figures suggest that they do; there is a such a huge and rich back catalogue now that it is helpful to be reminded of some of its highlights.
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