Just stumbled upon this thread.
Now I'm in.
Now I'm in.
Classical Music for Aficionados
I would like to start a thread, similar to Orpheus’ jazz site, for lovers of classical music.
I will list some of my favorite recordings, CDs as well as LP’s. While good sound is not a prime requisite, it will be a consideration.
Classical music lovers please feel free to add to my lists.
Discussion of musical and recording issues will be welcome.
I’ll start with a list of CDs. Records to follow in a later post.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Vanguard Classics — Vienna Festival Orch. Prohaska, conductor.
Prokofiev: Scythian Suite et. al. DG — Chicago Symphony Abbado, conductor.
Brahms: Symphony #1. Chesky — London Symph. Orch. Horenstein, conductor.
Stravinsky: L’Histoire du Soldat. HDTT — Ars Nova. Mandell, conductor.
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances. Analogue Productions. — Dallas Symph Orch. Johanos, cond.
Respighi: Roman Festivals et. al. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
All of the above happen to be great sounding recordings, but, as I said, sonics is not a prerequisite.
I will list some of my favorite recordings, CDs as well as LP’s. While good sound is not a prime requisite, it will be a consideration.
Classical music lovers please feel free to add to my lists.
Discussion of musical and recording issues will be welcome.
I’ll start with a list of CDs. Records to follow in a later post.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Vanguard Classics — Vienna Festival Orch. Prohaska, conductor.
Prokofiev: Scythian Suite et. al. DG — Chicago Symphony Abbado, conductor.
Brahms: Symphony #1. Chesky — London Symph. Orch. Horenstein, conductor.
Stravinsky: L’Histoire du Soldat. HDTT — Ars Nova. Mandell, conductor.
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances. Analogue Productions. — Dallas Symph Orch. Johanos, cond.
Respighi: Roman Festivals et. al. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
All of the above happen to be great sounding recordings, but, as I said, sonics is not a prerequisite.
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FWIW, the most loved piano LP I have left is the Great Ivan Moravec playing the Mozart 25th Concerto with what has always has been a top Mozartian Orchestra , the Czech Philharmonic.In many places the piano and the orchestra sound like one and that instrument , to my ears, is a great soprano at her peak . My copy is a Vanguard-Supraphone SU-11 , I just bought the last LP on Amazon , not for me but for gifting to someone who loves LP’s . Amazon has many streams of this to include the original Supraphone .There was one CD of it on A-zon but at 2200 $$ , I dinnae check that out . Of course on Amazon there could be another LP tomorrow . |
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IDAGIO is fantastic for classical. Totally dedicated to it. Easy to search and find virtually any performance recorded of a particular piece. Also composers’works are broken down into categories: orchestral, chamber, choral etc. Plus other niceties. You can choose lossless quality sound for no additional charge. It only costs ten dollars a month here in U.S. and is similarly priced in Europe. It is based in Europe, of course. Not here in the good old U.S.A. I would get a trial subscription if I were you. |
Is anyone familiar with Daniil Trifonov's work? He's a Russian pianist who's quickly becoming a giant that may one day rival the likes of Gilels and Richter, imo. I stumbled upon him 6 years ago when he played Prokofiev's 3rd concerto in Lincoln center NYC. He's been on my radar since. He's got several world class recordings already, check out tidal and youtube. My favorites: Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no. 1 Rachmaninov concerto 2 and 4 with Gergiev (most recent recording) Schubert Quintett Forellen, Trout Chopin Evocations He's touring NJ, NC, VA, NY Carnegie hall this winter Carnegie Hall NEW YORK, NY Feb 9, 2019 BEETHOVEN: Andante in F Major, WoO 57 (“Andante favori”) |
I hate to add a dissenting note regarding Igor Levit, Life. But, unfortunately I find he sleepwalks through disc one. Especially in the vital and exciting Brahms arrangement of Bach’s Chaccone in D minor. Brahms loved to extemporize in the Bach keyboard style on both piano and organ in a rambunctious manner. This Levit performance misses the essential exuberance of the Baroque style. Violinists demonstrate this routinely. I know Levit has a theme for this recording, but this piece does not fit in. In disc two the atmospheric approach works better, but I’m not a big fan of the Liszt-Wagner ethos. |
Has anyone heard Denis Matsuev? I personally think he's the best all around concert pianist currently in the world and has been for at least past 5 years. Just curious what others think. He's recorded most of the Russian piano masterpiece repertoire. I think his recordings are a perfect gateway into all major Russian masterpieces. Everything available on Tidal. Most impressive works: (all available on tidal with superb sound quality as versions of SACD) Prokofiev piano concerto no 2, easily bests everything out there including Michel Beroff, Toradze, Horacio Gutierrez, Vladimir Krainev etc. Listen to that Cadenza in first movement, mesmerizing. Tchaikovsky piano Concerto 1 and 2. His second concerto is less well known and played, Matsuev kills it. Shostakovich piano concerto 1 and 2. Not very profound pieces, yet he squeezes everything he can out of them. Prokofiev PC no 3, right up there with all the best imo. Rach 2 and 3 excellent. Check out youtube versions. First movement cadenza at 10:10 is one of my favorites. Few versions on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRYSuGQfiqE&t=682s thoughts? |
Yes, Matsuev, the “Siberian Bear” as he’s sometimes called, is a formidable player, especially of Russian music. He’s actually a weight lifter and body builder, as his powerful playing attests to. A female version of him, I believe, is Khatia Buniatishvili. Also a very powerful pianist with a brilliant technique. Listen to her very original rendering of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition or Ravel’s La Valse either on disc or streaming service for a real treat. Highly recommended. |
Has anyone heard the new disc from Arkady Volodos of the late Brahms works. Beautiful playing and recording. My favourite Trifonov discs are Liszt Transcendental Etudes and Paganinni Etudes. Stunning playing and very mature playing also from one so young.He has also just released Rachmaninov Piano Concertos no's 2 and 4.Superb playing and piano tone . |
I'm so sorry you guy's didn't like the playing on Levit's new disc as I really did like it. You know that it was a tribute to his best friend who had died and maybe that explains some of the hesitant playing. I'm also sure you know that the Brahm's arranged Chaconne was for the left hand alone and that may be producing the stilted effect. I must admit I greatly prefer the Busoni arrangement of the same work this time for two hands as the piano can now portray more of the work without that hellish jumping about everywhere. I have seen that piece played twice live, Pletnev and Kissin and both electrifying performances . |
Volodos is, to my mind, the most impressive technically of pianists today, the modern day Horowitz. Others may be impressive, but he combines absolute mastery of the keyboard with great taste. Lately, he’s eschewed the virtuoso fare and demonstrated he’s also a very probing musician. The Brahms disc is beautifully rendered. Pletnev is also one of my favorite current day keyboard masters. |
I would agree with rvpiano on Trifonov. He is a huge talent, I have worked with him before. It was a few years ago at least that he played with my orchestra. I am not as familiar with his recordings, but the one or two I have heard confirm that impression. I think he will grow up, though. Let us hope so. Too many competition winners don't. |
@jim204 I listened to disc 2 last night and liked it even more than 1. I found the playing meditative--perhaps matching my mood. I also think the recorded piano sound is superlative, at least I was really liking what I heard on my system. Also, does this new recording outdo one of my desert-island-discs, the Radu Lupu recording of late Brahms? Hard to imagine that it could. |
RV i have seen Pletnev live quite a few times the latest being in The Queen's Hall in Edinburgh a couple of years ago. An all Rachmaninov program and it was wonderfull. I think that pianists who graduate from the piano to the podium learn such an awful lot musically, just think of Pletnev, Ashkenazy and Barenboim to name but three and you have the cream of the crop. I'm afraid that some pianists go off because they can't juggle the two careers but the three I've mentioned have really broadened out as musicians especially Barenboim who just gets better year on year. I agree on the comment RV made about Volodos his technical displays are beyond belief and it is so nice to see he really can play non virtuoso fare as only Horowitz in his day could ( Just think of Kinderzenen, just magical). Let's just hope the Trifonovs, Kolestnikovs, Levits and Sudbins are allowed to mature at their own pace and we shall have some glorious players of the future. |
Speaking of Horowitz, the other day I randomly picked from the shelf a Sony disc of his titled “Late Russian Romantics,” Volume IX of The Complete Masterworks Recordings. On it he plays Scriabin, Medtner and Rachmaninoff, including the latter’s Piano Sonata #2. (Other works include Scriabin Etudes, and Rachmaninoff Preludes and Etudes-Tableaux.) If there ever was any doubt of his being the greatest pianist (at the very least technically) of the 20th century or perhaps of all time, listen to this disc. Blazing intensity! Something unique to him and missing from just about every other pianist, especially today’s. I’m still recovering from the frisson. |
I have the Sony boxed set of the Horowitz celebration CDs and at least once a week something from it is listened to. That Scarlatti disc of his is legendary and no wonder the playing is superhuman and if you look at him playing there is hardly a flicker from his face. I don't know about you people but I hate all this swaying and gesticulating on the piano stool. I went years ago to the Edinburgh Festival to see Mitsuko Uchida oops sorry ( Dame ) now. I could not look at her the faces and gesturing from her really put me off and I wasn't pleased because it was an all Schubert recital and at the time I had a few of her records but watching her I don't even know how she played that day because I was so off. Go back to earlier times and you had Horowitz , Richter, Arrau , Gilels and others who sat at the piano and the only thing you could see moving was their arms and hands and hardly a grimace from them and those men were superlative at technique as well . |
Having seizure like activity seems to be in style for a modern pianist. Matsuev reminds me of Gilels in that sense, minimal upper body movement. I totally agree with jim about Mitsuko, quite distasteful. As for Khatia Buniatishvili, I don't think she's even in the same universe with Matsuev. All these young Russian women get on stage half naked and get praised for their "technique". How about Lola Astanova? Nearly a million views on youtube. Check out this talent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdDLvED_4E |
As I mentioned in an earlier post, her recordings of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Stravinsky’s Three Scenes from Petrouchka and Ravel’s La Valse, all on one disc are really imaginative, especially the “Pictures,” unlike any other interpretation. She begins the “Pictures” like a stroll through the gallery rather than a bold statement of the theme. |
@twoleftears No as far as I'm concerned your Radu Lupu recording is very safe I would rather that they both sat side by side because Radu Lupu when on form is trully magical in introspective works like the late Brahms piano music. I was at an Edinburgh Festival performance of his many years ago and he was off on that day but from the recordings of his I have heard he's had a good few good days as well. If you are really into Brahms late works I used to have a disc of Willhelm Kempf doing Op 117 and Op 119 and they were trully atmospheric and I did love them but lost it when I stopped using Vinyl, don't know what happened to most of my vinyl in the eighties ( I have a sneaking suspicion my wife weedled them down by trashing a small amount each week from the garage but she never did admit it ). |
@jim204 Thanks! I embarked recently on a listening journey through piano concertos. Started with Dussek, worked through Beethoven, and last night was three from Hummel. Beautifully played by Stephen Hough. What happened to him? I remember he made a splash with a number of recordings and those two "Piano Albums". Then.... ? Who's up next. Chronology will decide. John Field must be approaching. |
John Field was a very interesting composer the precurser to the Chopin Nocturne and wrote some very nice piano concertos also but you already know that but what you don't know is way way back in the seventies my friend and I used to play Field Nocturnes on two classical guitars, but that's all history now. I used to like Fields works and I shall have to revisit him some time.Speaking of Stephen Hough , heard him a few years ago in Glasgow playing Rachmaninov's Paganinni Rhapsody and he really was very good but I haven't heard anything from him lately either. |
Listened to Field ## 1 and 2 last night, John O'Conor, and so far I have to say I prefer the Nocturnes, which are absolutely delicious. We'll see if I like 3-7 better. 1 & 2 were obviously heading in the direction of Chopin, but frustratingly neither quite enough character of their own, and not quite Chopin-esque enough. |
Hi RV I looked at IDAGIO on your recomendation but is it right that it is only CD quality ? If that really is the case I think I shall just stick to Qobuz as I can get up to 24/192 on it. You say it is really meager for classical lovers but what can't you get as I can get all the music I need on it as I nowadays I am only interested in high quality recordings. If you are interested in historical recordings then yes I can see where the others may score. |
RV if you do that you will i promise hear far more, just imagine as you know the frisson from a harpsicord or hearing overtones from the orchestra that are cut off by the brick wall filters in CD players. I have listened to master tapes made by the BBC at 24 / 192 and they are trully awesome and when the resulting concert when broadcast although really good but a pale reminder of it's sire. |