What is the most amazing Chester recording?

[jimgray]

Looking for something that conveys the crazy impact that his live sound has always had. Those lucky enough to have heard him live with the BSO know exactly what I am talking about...

Any recommendations?

thanks-
Jim

[Matt Good]

The two that come to my mind right away was the old Leinsdorf/Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet and and a Wagner Meistersinger and Flying Dutchman Overture recording with the same conductor on RCA. The Wagner recording was discontinued after only a few years (I have two copies) .

There was an early RCA Ozawa recording of Petrouchka that is fabulous. I liked the old Steinberg Hindemith: Concertmusic for Strings and Brass and Mathis der Mahler on DG.

-Matt

[jimgray]

Thanks for the suggestions, Matt-

I will definitely seek out the Wagner and Petrouchka.

I was just listening to the Hindemith - classic Chester on his Alex...

I will admit to a preference for Floyd's recording of that stuff, though. That is transcendental, IMO - absolutely amazing...

What I am really looking for is something that captures Chester's later Yorkbrunner years. Not sure if there is anything quite like being there, though...

Jim

[bisontuba]

HI-
Check out Steinberg conducting Planets-with Chester playing the tenor tuba parts on his F Tuba!

For Chester on his Yorkbrunner, check out John Williams conducting Boston Pops recordings of 'The Reivers' on something titled like 'Spielberg something blah blah..' and 'Jabba The Hut' on Return of the Jedi..

Regards-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com" target="_blank

[EdFirth]

I've been listening to Chester since 1971 and have taped alot of the BSO and Pops stuff from the radio. Those early recordings that you guys mention are mabye the best due to the increasing involvment of the sound engineers over the years. The one later recording that I think is great is a Pops album, something like Pops in Hollywood where it sounds like the live recordins that I have. I don,t know for sure which horn he uses but suspect it's the Alexander. There may be a way to find the live stuff from over the years. In particular Sylvia, Spring is Here, the various Jabba the Hut renditions,he played a Jet tone on the Hirsbrunner on one of them, and the Wizard of Oz. I've heard the CD's of alot of these tunes and IT AIN'T THE SAME! When I played some of them for him he said the mic placement was a little off. To which I responded Then it was off for 25 years because all the live stuff sounds the same. Incredible! One of the best vinyl records in my opinion is Mahler 3 with Leinsdorf. He says it was the first session he did with the BSO and boy, did he make a statement. Listening to Chester is what kept me in music since 1973 while I slogged it out in circus and jazz bands always thinking " if I could just get a sound more like that I would acomplish what I want to do". Mabye someday. Ed

[Tom Gregory]

Sibelius 2. Live recording from March of '92. Askanazy is the conductor. I was at one of the concerts and all I can say is WOW! Finlandia is also on the CD (he might have been playing the Alex on that one).

Also, there was a Bruckner cycle of recordings done ca. '86. Damn!

[poomshanka]

Having not heard him live, I can't say what recordings might capture the energy of that sound. One I do like, however:

http://www.amazon.com/Salute-Hollywood- ... 320&sr=8-2" target="_blank

Very hot in the mix, and on the first note of track one, he literally swallows the entire orchestra.

...D

[jimgray]

this one?
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/alb ... _id=171787" target="_blank

[jimgray]

update, and with a nod of thanks to Matt-

I just spent the last 25 minutes and 49 seconds with the 1979 recording of Chester with the BSO playing Mathis der Maler (on a serious set of AKG headphones), and am now being lavished with "Concert Music for Strings and Brass".

Holy crap - this sure is the real deal! I have never listened to it this closely, and am awfully glad that I did...

Totally complete package - gorgeous sound of Chester on his Alex, amazing immediacy of sound (I theorize that one of the greatest things about Chester is his timing/response), superb line/phrase, etc.

Very strongly recommended listen...

Does anyone know when Chester's Yorkbrunner period began?
I can't wait to hear that Sibelius...

Jim

[jimgray]

By the way-

One of my personal favorite Chester snippets is from a lovely recording of the Berg violin concerto (Perlman, Ozawa).
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/alb ... um_id=4437" target="_blank

Check out movement 1, ~7:50
Holy cow - hard to believe that is even the same instrument I play.
Simple enough lick, but...

Jim

[jimgray]

Or the very first note of the 2nd movement, same recording.
Almost dropped my laptop (listening now...)
wow-

[EdFirth]

Sibelius1, Colin Davis, Phillips records. Ed

[Matt Good]

Does anyone know when Chester's Yorkbrunner period began?

To my best recollection, Chester started playing a Yorkbrunner in the BSO sometime during the 1982-83 Season (The BSO purchased one also). Mike Sanders acquired Chester's original Yorkbrunner that was made during the first run of those so he would definitely know what date that instrument was made. Mike later sold that tuba back to Chester a few years ago. I was in the Tanglewood Fellowship program in 1984 and Chester played everything on his Yorkbrunner that summer.

The aforementioned Berg Violin Concerto was recorded on his Alexander. The Ozawa/Mahler 8th on Phillips was one of the last recordings made during his Alexander days.

-Matt

[tubaguy9]

my immediate thought when seeing this was "chester? I hardly knew her..."

[ZNC Dandy]

There are so many, but one I listened to recently is the Tchaikovsky Symphony No.1/Tilson-Thomas. Some amazing playing. Also the Boston Symphony has an archive set available that has a Bruckner 8 on it that will drop your jaw.

[jimgray]

how can I get the Bruckner 8 individually? Any idea?
When was recorded?

thanks...
Jim

[ZNC Dandy]

how can I get the Bruckner 8 individually? Any idea?
When was recorded?

thanks...
Jim

http://www.bso.org/bso/shop/productDeta ... at12170002" target="_blank

That is a link to the disc, that is part of the set. Everything on that is just an absolute clinic in orchestral musicianship, not to mention orchestral tuba playing. All on the Alexander too I assume, but I know what happens when I do that...

[jimgray]

Thanks - that looks good.

What I really want to find is:
http://www.abruckner.com/recordings/3205/notes.htm" target="_blank

[ZNC Dandy]

Also the Boston Symphony has an archive set available that has a Bruckner 8 on it that will drop your jaw.

Downloaded it yesterday.... It does drop your jaw... I've never heard playing like that...

RC
(smileys fail)

Glad you enjoyed it! Found another that I missed, which is odd since I have the entire set. The Mathis der Maler with Giulini from 1974. The "Alleluia" is astonishing.

Also the Ozawa/Elektra with Chester on contrabass trombone and Warren Deck on tuba.

[jeopardymaster]

Well, now I know what to ask Santa to bring me -- the Bruckner 8 and the VW 4 recordings in particular. I have a great recording of Bruckner 8 (Columbia, Cleveland, Szell, Bishop) and a so-so of VW 4 (Columbia, NY, Bernstein, Novotny) but they're on vinyl. Joe Novotny is no less brilliant than usual on the VW, of course, but the overall reading isn't 100% and the sound is a tad woofy. Also features an uneven live performance of the drop-dead gorgeous Serenade to Music.

As I've posted before - the DG/Boston/Steinberg/Chester Mathis recording is a near-perfect pearl, in my opinion. LIsten for his one miscount in Mvt 3 - the best-played misplaced note in history. It's like Marilyn Monroe's birthmark. Remove it and the effect is diminished.