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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Jim, our "Syracuse Scottish " wasn't all that much. We did have one VERY good Piper , a 18 yr old lad who wandered in the Stadium in Syracuse during our Highland Games . He had never head a pipe but in two years my uncle, Dan McGill , a good technical piper, had him winning solo in real Highland Games and us the odd ribbon . And oh , he was 100 % Italian from a wealthy family who took the lad to Scotland and bought him the best pipes in the land ! |
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Lots of good recordings out there: Toscanini/ Philadelphia in Schubert's 9th Sym; his Brahms 1st Sym with NBC; all the Pierre Monteux on London/Decca, RCA, and Philips, especially his Swan Lake excerpts, Elgar/s Enigma Variations, and Brahms Sym 2 and Franck D minor Sym; Rubinstein in the Chopin Scherzos; Karel Ancerl and the Czech Phil in Dvorak's New World, Sym 9; Dvorak's Slavonic Dances with Szell and Cleveland; Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet with Maazel and Cleveland orchestra. and so forth....... |
This Lady really suffered in the "Worker's Paradise" during the "Cultural Revolution". They know how to destroy the meaning of words. Bach: Goldberg Variations Zhu Xiao-Mei -- piano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqrhGsB80Mk&list=PLr0MsaDpKsY9Rx6Mkk3mGuYnBPFx3UnfW Cheers |
@schubert I found my copy the other day tucked away in a record store for $6.99. Cleaned it and was impressed by how enfolding the music was, not to mention the organic precision of von Karajan's conducting. https://www.discogs.com/Edvard-Grieg-Berliner-Philharmoniker-Herbert-von-Karajan-Peer-Gynt-Suiten-1-2-Sigurd-Jorsalfar/release/2537818http:// |
I knew Pipers and Drummers that did and more ,Jim . My youngest Aunt was an excellent Highland dancer . Came in 2nd at the greatest Highland Games in North American , Maxwell. Ontario , damn near deaf . I would think a Band from Ayr must be a good one. God Blessed me in all that , hear well as ever and have 20/20 no glasses well in my eighties , was 20/10 in my youth , came in handy as a Infantryman . simao, I need to get after that . I’m clueless why , but I have heard "Peer Gynt" a least a thousand times and yet every time seems like the first time . Only piece that does . |
@schubert Hi Len I have just got round to good old Alfred's Emperor concerto and must say he and Mazur were certainly enjoying the experience. I also listened to some of your pipe band records and it took me back to the sixties when I used to play in the Ayr Pipe Band but gave it up because I was always getting tinnitus so I stayed with the guitar and lute. |
Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas: Get it while you can, it will soon be in the clutches of "these sellers". 9CD Box. Sony. Excellent packaging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWpLVh6IIRA Cheers |
Jim , IMO this is Classical Music . My favorite when I hung around some lad’s from the Argyll and Sutherland in Germany . Still play it ! https://youtu.be/PDzP37DOhD0?t=1 Many of the National Service men stayed in Germany when they found out how well off the other side was. And how the German lass’s had all their teeth . More Classical . https://youtu.be/XPcnZLeextk?t=2 |
Every year towards Easter I play most of the greatest Religious Pieces. On here 2 hours + will not fly . This Great Vesper from perhaps the Greatest Russian composer of modern times solves that and is fantastic . https://youtu.be/XfDreatXYeU?t=3 Start https://youtu.be/U2NSfTXjEPI?t=2 All Vesper |
More "entry level", i.e. a good place to start. My favorite, because of the Chorus. Also available on SACD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Vpb9mRsOM Cheers |
I used to say what was the difference between an American house -painter and a German one . Ans . Neither knew LvB ’s music from a rock , but the American says he doesn’t listen to that uppity trash, and the German said , O’ Great man, Great man ! When you get into the German grove, hard to live anywhere else , you always know where you are and where you are likely to be. I did know that about Arrau . My wife and I often went down to Liepzig in the DDR to hear the Gewandhaus and Masur , About 3 bucks US . Americans could do that anytime . At times we had been at the Berlin with von Karajan the day before . Many the day we both thought Masur and company the better of the two. Every man in the Gewandhaus was trained in the Leipzig School and with the original Mendelssohn scores , Now . that’s old school ! Cheers . Len P.S., Jim , here is another Piano man who liked Masur . https://youtu.be/76DXQLbXEks?t=1 I've said it and I don't regret it , You just don't need more . |
Len my friend thank you for your words , you are very kind. We seem to be on the same planet regarding lots of things and especially music. I have always loved Kurt Masur and did you know that none other than Claudio Arrau revered Masur especially when going over Europe concertizing. We are in good company then. I also love deep in my heart the German Romantic tradition, Wagner excepted. I am glad that music in Germany is still in rude health. The new German Baroque Orchestras that have sprung up in the last 10 years has been so great with the Freiburg band a notable example. I hope you are feeling a bit safer now you have had your 2 jabs. Be safe my friend , slangevar Jim. |
All the elites smirked, even Ravel, but it’s still around, and is his most popular work. This is my favorite performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI73PK06MQc Cheers |
Jim , after your elegant post , I bow to you. With being almost 20 years in Germany , this is my German as it gets group . https://youtu.be/CfjG5ybOS2Q?t=19 P.S . ETERNA was a DDR label . |
Since it seems I may never see my beloved Germany again , I have to get as close to my Heaven as possible . "Peer Gynt" , Perfect German Voices , with Masur and his Gewandhausorchester. https://youtu.be/o4ed-5p2Efs?t=1 |
Well rv, old buddy and Great Leader , if there is any little bit of Bruckner you might tolerate , my guess it might be this little bit .(for Bruckner) . https://youtu.be/iOTzCgMxy_o?t=1 |
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I like Bruckner , not in love like Bach or Brahms , but enough to listen now and then . This is my favorite recording . The Maestro had come home to his Orchestra of 20 years for his last time.https://youtu.be/Az-kHLRQhsk?t=45 He was on deaths door in his 90’s and all , including him, knew it . He was beloved by the Minnesota and they gave him ALL they had and in a few months he passed . Just opening with Minnesota . For whatever reason the label has a clip for every page. I have a full recording on second paste , about 6 months before with the Frankfort Orchestra , you can see how frail he was yet he still was the most sought after Bruckner Conductor in the world . https://youtu.be/JNRzpASlh00?t=2 https://youtu.be/Az-kHLRQhsk?t=45 |
This guy is probably known to you guys, but I just recently discovered him. Love his attitude. He is not too fond of Bruckner either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHAiA1ud_uM Check out his 'Best _______' vlogs. Cheers |
I really have to say that for me the greatest 5th is Beethoven's ,it exploded onto the scene in Vienna in 1808 and nobody had heard such audacity and daring in a symphony before. It goes through every emotion unimaginable despair to absolute joy. It to me is the most perfect symphony of the 19th century and beyond. When I was very young I burned myself out from playing it too often but now as I am old with lots of time on my hands I spend most of my time now streaming and have found lots of original instrument bands from Germany and the bring a crisp rawness to the sound that I like to think the folks heard at the premier of the symphony. I also love the Sibelius symphony again conducted by "Glorious John". |
I've never gotten anything but harrumphs and eyeball rolling, but my favorite Fifth Symphony is Tchaikovsky's. Maybe it all started when, as a kid, I'd watch a TV show that recreated great moments in history...recreations doctored to make them look like aged, silent newsreel footage. The theme music for the show was the second tune of the Second Movement. |
We can all beat our own character.... But in music it is very slowly like in life.... We cannot change our inclination and taste, but we can open our mind.... It is difficult i confess... For example Stravinsky is evidently a genius in music but dont spoke to me deeply... I was a dreamer nothing will change that then i perfectly understand what you just said about your soldier character... |
As you know , the hardest person to understand is yourself . I like the Mahler lieder but his symphonies (except 1st) seem like a waste of time to me , often like a dog chasing its tail . I realize I most be wrong , so many others can’t be. I recently listened to his 5th trying my best to like it . Even with one of favorite bands , Orchestre symphonique de Montreal . What seems to be beautiful to others seems nothing to me . I’m of the straight -ahead Brahms is A + Mahler C- club, even if I’m only one in it . I suspect it is largely because I was a soldier for many years and of my own doing was an Infantryman , aka aggressive |
Very great choice.... Thanks for the link.... Barbirolli is the proof that some of the highest genius are not enough known.... Sibelius is a great poet like Mahler.... If Mahler is a poet, Bruckner is more a mystic and a projective geometer.... I love the 2 but Bruckner changed my life.... Mahler make it more beautiful....i am in love with all his lieder tough more even than with his marvellous movements in his symphonies... There is a unity of thinking in Bruckner 5 for me that override anything save Bach affine geometry.... |
Seriously , the greatest 5th I have heard from the greatest Conductor of the last Century is this . The sound is nothing to write home about , but the perfection of tempo and every detail brought in just as written on the score blew me away as I followed it ! The musicians of the Halle did not like him , they truly loved him and it shows . The Sibelius is uplifting , what is better from music ? . https://youtu.be/-rnFyg_pWj0?t=14 I agree that Bruckner is better than Mahler . century |
For me the greatest 5 is Bruckner.... Some French critic named it the "art of the symphony" like Bach has written the art of the fugue... The final movement is for me the greatest fugue written after Bach... An astonishing powerful fugue resuming all preceding themes like all life is resumed in one singular multidimensional vision after death.... Astonishing when we learned that Bruckner study counterpoint with Schubert old master at the time with complete interdiction to wrote anything save counterpoints for the time of the study... I think Bruckner was pass his thirty years...After the 5 Bruckner wrote master pieces after masterpiece but this 5 was more "modern" in so much aspect paradoxically than the remaing next 4.... The perfect fusion of the past ancient music and the future of music perhaps...For sure this 5 changed my life, 35 five uears ago.... Bruckner is indeed my supreme master symphonist and i think Beethoven spoke and said to me that i was right but immediately he boast about his chamber music to change a tactful delicate subject.... 😁😊😊😊😊 |
There was a guy named Sit Thomas Beecham who made the best recording of a 5th I have ever heard written by a guy named Franz Schubert . It is on the EMI Great Recordings of The Century . Some folk think the best ever 5th was written by one Shostakovich and recorded by a Bernstein with the NYO . Another group think a heavy drinking Swede named Sibelius is the greatest 5ther . I know , fact certain , his 5th is the best sounding and played by the foremost Finn conductor , one Osmo Vanska , at the helm of the Lahti Symphony . Said 5th is found on the BIS label in superb sound . There are many in Moscow that are certain this and that Russian composer wrote THE greatest 5th . I would not know about that . I am sure those in Wien that claim Mahler or Brucker is the best 5er are wrong . LvB is FAR above those . |
This week's, Greatest 5th in the World, the whole world, since time began. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPp3ltH80WU SACD also. Cheers |
Schubert, Thanks for the tip about Julia Fischer playing Bach’s Partita in D Minor. I airplayed it on my home theater system (don’t have streaming on my main stereo rig) and thought it elegantly and beautifully played. I’m going to look for other recordings by her. When that was finished, YouTube began to auto play Itzak Perlman playing the entire Partita in a BBC concert in a church in London, back when he was a young man (20’s?). I had never heard that version, and I sat mesmerized for the entire piece. Art, beauty, emotion...I do not have the words to describe it. Much more than just a listening session, it was a very moving experience. I also listened to Jennifer Koh’s version that you linked to. I am curious as to what others more knowledgeable than I think about it. |