Orchestral Fletch

[dvtuba]

I just did a couple advanced searches for John Fletcher's orchestral stuff and got a myriad of hits. Does anyone have a catch-all "here's everything" sorta list?

[Billy M.]

Don't have a catch-all but three I recommend are these:

1. Previn, Ralph Vaughan Williams - Symphony No. 5 and Tuba Concerto. His playing on the grand-daddy of tuba concertos is superb. If I recall he was asked why he didn't play the piece on an F-tuba in an interview to which he replied, "Because I haven't got a bloody F."

2. Previn, Prokofiev - Symphony No. 5 and 7. Fletch's sounds wonderful and very present in the 5. It's a very good representation of blending well with the basses and yet still having a distinctive sound on which the rest of the low brass can build. Plus the recording in general is considered one of the better ones for the entire performance and not just tuba.

3. Abbado, Prokofiev - Alexander Nevsky. A lot of people like Mr. Jacobs and Chicago under Reiner for this one, while I respect that one, I prefer this one. Another great recording in general and Fletch sounds spectacular.

[MTFULRUTUBA]

In addition to those previously mentioned:

1. Prokofiev Complete Cinderella with Andre Previn/LSO

2. Prokofiev Complete Romeo & Juliet with Andre Previn/LSO

3. Mahler Symphony 2 with Leonard Bernstein/LSO (DVD ONLY, also includes sym1,3)

[dvtuba]

Excellent, thanks. I never saw a "first list", I just saw a bunch of different posts mentioning this, that and the other. I was really just looking for an Audition-style list of everything best recommended. Anyway, thanks for these recommendations. I've just ordered the Prok and I'll get the others soon.

[happyroman]

I would get any of the EMI recordings of the LSO with Previn. In addition to the Prokoviev, there is a set of the complete Rachmaninoff Symphonies and a great recording of the Planets.

There is also a (I believe recent) reissue of the Levine Mahler recordings from the late 1970s-early 1980s. He did not record #2 or #8, but all of the rest are split between Chicago, Philly, and London. The CSO did #3, #4 and #7, LSO did #1 and #6, and Philly did #5, #9, and #10. I'm not a huge fan of Philly from that era (before Charlie Vernon and Joe Alessi), but for $15.99 on Amazon, you get Fletch doing two of the great Mahler tuba works, plus possibly the best of the CSO Mahler 3rd recordings. The rest is gravy.

http://www.amazon.com/James-Levine-Cond ... B0041LXX2G" target="_blank

[dvtuba]

Wow, @happyroman. Jackpot! Thanks for that.

[barry grrr-ero]

In addition to all the ones above, for Fletch, you've got to hear Mahler 2 with Stokowski on RCA. It's from the mid '70's. Stokowski was in his 80's but it sounds younger than many performances by conductors half that age. Fletch is totally off the hook, too.