Classical Music for Aficionados

I'm looking for a recommendation for Benjamin Britten Op. 28 A ceremony of Carols.  We heard a couple of the carols last night at church and my wife fell in love with them.   Me too.  What are your favorite recordings?

newbee , The former is the real name because German is spoken inOsterreich, aka Austria in English .

I must confess I feel the same way about Bruckner.
 I share Brahms’ low opinion of him.

@schubert    Hi Len I'm afraid I have a block on Vaughan William's music. Every year when it comes to Proms time they trundle out that bloody Lark Ascending, I run for cover every time it is on. I can't even stand his symphonies now either. I do quite like The Wasps Overture though.

Bruckner 9 coincides nicely with Christmas Eve.  Again bucking the canonical, I've put on Gerd Schaller with the Philharmonie Festiva playing the (heavens forfend!) completed version with the newly reconstructed fourth movement.  We shall see.

Will never be surpassed  !

https://youtu.be/z92gnN0lDx8?t=2

has / is there a way to consolidate this list with a cross reference capability ?

Also spoke Zarathustra  CSO Solti -has this been mentioned

twoleftears, the recording I was referring to was a DG #419627. The orchestra referred to was the Wiener Philharmoniker, but that's really the same orchestra as the Vienna  Phil. 

Listening to the relatively recent Bruckner 8 with Remy Ballot and the Upper Austrian Youth Symphony Orchestra on Gramola (on SACD).  So far so good.  Very natural sound.  I have Wand and Haitink on hand if I feel like a comparison.

@newbee The Vienna recording and not the Berlin, right?

+1 on Guiliani's Bruckner 7. My favorite. I'm fond of his 9th as well. Try to hear it.

++1 on older recommendation of Rana’s performance of Bach’s Goldbergs.

I heard the LA  Symphony do the Vaughn Williams 6th  yesterday .
First time I ever heard it , very interesting but must be hellish to play !

twoleftears, I highly recommend the Giuliani/Vienna Bruckner 7.  Best performance of it I have ever heard on recordings. 

Jeremy  yes it was me who recommended Grosvenor, I think he is a very fine young pianist and he has a really bright future.

I hope all my friends on Audiogon have a really lovely Christmas.

Benjamin Grosvenor
Now listening to his "This and That" cd.
The 2 Scarlotti sonatas are as fine as anything ever.
The 2 Chopin Nocturnes are lovely (no surprise).
The other pieces (Kapustin and Moszkowsky) are not to my taste.
The label says "Bowers and Wilkins Music Club 7"

So thanks Jim (I think it was you) for recommending Grosvenor.

Up to Bruckner 7 and clearly my favorite so far.
I know this is backwards, but those opening bars of the slow movement sound so Mahler-esque.
I have the Chailly; thinking about getting the Giuliani/Vienna.  Any other strong recommendations?

My Grand mother in particular ,She was 15 when her mother dragged her kicking and screaming , to the US after her dad took the low road in WW II .
Always kept her British passport and refused American citizenship .I can hear her now " I was born British and I’ll die British " !
Hope and pray the SNP will prevail .

Happy Christmas and a healthy New Year .

Len,  I am sorry for your friend my condolences to you , we are now losing friends and colleagues left right and centre as we get older and it is very sad. As to Harry Lauder , yes he was corny but he was a mainstay for ex pats in Canada and America and yes they did go overboard on the whole heather and haggis thing .
Scotia ever more. 

Jim , I had the sad duty  of disposing of the stuff nobody wanted of a good
friend of mine who passed lately .
Came upon  several  LP's of a Scot  I had totally forgotten ,  one Harry Lauder .Was he corny , aye .Did he fill me with joy bringing memories back of the old folks on Saturday
night , aye .
Scotland Forever .

twoleftears
here is some info on that:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_%C3%89tudes
https://www.allmusic.com/composition/harmonies-du-soir-for-piano-transcendental-etude-no-11-s-139-11...

@jcazador  So I'm confused.  Hyperion, Liszt, S. 173~Steven Osborne, but S.154~Leslie Howard.  Identical titles=two different sets of compositions??

Jim,

Yes, I’m aware of Chopin’s admiration and envy of Liszt’s technique.
And, I agree and have always thought Liszt’s B minor Sonata a supreme masterpiece. By a wide margin, the foremost romantic piano sonata, surpassing Chopin’s own and Brahms’ youthful efforts.

Yes Jim, Godowsky is legendary for his technique, agree.I was referring to the technical aspect of the recordings that I have heard (not to the way the piano was played).I have read that Godowsky's small audience performances were the best of anyone ever, but that he did not play as well in a concert hall, or when recording.  Call it stage fright?  Not for me to say, never heard him, wish I could have.
I have also read that many accomplished pianists do not perform some of his works because they are so difficult. 

@jcazador     Jeremy I have just read your account of the Chopin Godowsky Studies. By not being up technically to Bolet's recordings do you mean Godowsky's technique or the technical imperfections of the recorded sound then. I have read of Bolet going back to his young days when he was a student of Josef Hoffman and how everyone was in awe of Godowsky's technique even Hoffman an Rachmaninov had said that he could do things on the piano that no normal human being could do.

RV,   I am so glad you are giving Liszt a try as he wrote ( in my opinion ) some of the most beautiful piano music of all time and yes he also wrote some bombastic show pieces to show off his technique. After all it was an age when everyone was vying for the top rung of the ladder and Liszt had to do the same if he wanted to be up there with the rest. A little piece to note is a letter Chopin wrote to a friend and it goes something like " I don't know how I am writing on this page but I am totally consumed by Liszt a few meters away playing my Etudes , Oh how I wish I could steal his technique and way he plays my music". That was Chopin's Op.10 Studies dedicated to Liszt. On the century's most inspired music, in the 18th century it has to be Bach's Goldberg Variations and for the 19th century I would have to go for Liszt's Sonata in B Minor. All I can say just now is thank goodness we now have young pianists of the Calibre of Volodos and some of these young lionesses that can safely surmount the enormous difficuties of his music and present it in a way that gives us a coesive whole that does not look like they are just trying to get through it with as many notes as intact as possible.

Jcazador,

I must admit, even as a pianist, I’ve given Liszt a wide berth.  Aside from the Mephisto Waltz, which I performed as a concession to audiences but disliked, i played almost no Liszt.  
I am listening to some of your suggestions and finding some gems.
Thank you.

rvpiano
re Liszt
I am not into the "crash and bang" side of classical music, including some of Liszt.  But Liszt wrote some of the most beautiful peaceful music ever.

suggestions:

Barenboim, Notturni - Consolations - Sonetti de Petrarca
https://www.amazon.com/Liszt-Consolations-Petrarca-Rigoletto-Paraphrase/dp/B000V6Q7SC

Nelson Freire, Franz Liszt 1811-1886Harmonies du soir, S 139/11
decca 478 2728

Leslie Howard, Harmonies poetiques et religiieuses
on hyperion

Barenboin, On My New Piano includes Harmonies P&R
on DG

Mariam plays a kinder and gentler List.  Evidently the album showcased by Idagio  is inspired by Chopin.  Not as shallowly bombastic as the Liszt I’ve grown to dislike.

Chopin/Godowsky/Bolet
now listening to Bolet playing Godowsky's arrangement of Chopin Etudes
wonderful
I have listened to others play this (eg Hamelin) but vastly prefer this recording by Bolet
It is included in the 55 cd compilation "Decca Sound - The Piano Edition"
The recordings that I have by Godowsky himself are not as satisfying technically

Jim204,

I listened to Mariam’s Liszt Benediction, and find it quite beautiful.
Maybe she’s the one to turn me around about Liszt.

David_ten,

While on vacation, i never received emails from this thread.  So here is a belated recommendation:  On HDTT, is  sonically the best Gerswin disc and maybe the best sounding CD of any kind I own: Jerome Lowenthal with Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony Orchestra. It can be obtained as a download, but I bought It as a gold disc from them.  It will really show off a high resolution system.
Now, I have to figure out why I’m not getting emails from Audiogon.
I’ve missed some interesting posts.

Bruckner retrospective.  Missing the student symphony in F, I started with no. 0 and am up to no. 3.  Have to say he hit his stride with no. 2 and continued with 3.  Looking forward to the "Romantic".

Want to add that I’m really enjoying the Gershwin Plays Gershwin solo piano version from 1924.

Here is additional information for those who, like myself, are not at aficionado levels.... : )

http://www.openculture.com/2016/02/the-original-recording-of-rhapsody-in-blue-1924.html

http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/gershwin.html

To all who addressed my query regarding Rhapsody in Blue...

I’ve been able to find all of your recommended recordings. Next up, sorting through album recording quality (access is via Tidal and Qobuz).

I’ll report back in a few days.

Thanks again for your help.

Yes Jeremy as you say "the real deal" and I was listening to BBC broadcasts of her in the seventies and eighties. A great tecnique and sumptuous tone.

Elisabeth Leonskaja 
wow, the real deal
listening to her Chopin nocturnes
never heard of her until today
originally from Tblisi, studied in Moscow
recorded with Richter
married to Kagan
http://www.leonskaja.com/home1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Leonskaja

Helen Grimaud, Memory ECHO
ugh
Hélène Grimaud Releases ‘Memory Echo’ Remixed by Nitin Sawhney

Pianist Hélène Grimaud collaborated with Nitin Sawhney on ‘Memory Echo’ featuring remixes of Satie, Debussy, Rachmaninov and new works.

Published on

November 7, 2019

Pianist Hélène Grimaud collaborated with composer and producer Nitin Sawhney on their new digital release Memory Echo. Sawhney and Grimaud returned to music and ideas they began exploring in 2018 for Grimaud’s Memory album where she explored piano miniatures. On Memory Echo Sawhney has woven together four of his original compositions performed by Hélène Grimaud – The Fourth Window, Picturebook, Time and Breathing Light – with remixes of Satie’s ‘Gnossienne No.1’, Debussy’s ‘Clair De Lune’ and Rachmaninov’s ‘Vocalise’. By refining the essence of his collaboration with pianist Hélène Grimaud Nitin Sawhney has developed her extraordinary Memory album even further.

Sawhney’s remixes and new works complement the lyricism of Hélène Grimaud’s artistry. Each track evokes echoes of Memory with a subtle blend of electronics, acoustic sounds, mantra-like vocals and minimalist melodic riffs.

thanks Jim
i love Bolet's renditions too

Jeremy I too like The Biret Schubert/Liszt transcriptions but have to say I love the Jorge Bollet ones even more ,he injects an old world charm to them but make no mistake he could always keep up with the big boys as his Earl King will testify.

@jim204  @twoleftears  @newbee   Thank you very much. I'm excited and looking forward to listening to all of your recommendations.

Idil Biret
Listening to her Schubert/Liszt transcriptions, so beautiful.
I am not a fan of leider (or opera) so really appreciate these "naked" melodies.
It is on a 9cd compilation that Biret did for the 200th anniversary of Liszt.

I enjoy Michael Tilson Thomas's version with the LA Phil. Reminds me more of the sound of music as it was played in the 20's. That aside, I really enjoy Litton's with the Bergen Phil. Recording quality is excellent and the sound is more forward than some of the others, alive and dramatic. 

Of (some of) the others I have, and briefly listened to, I like Bernstein's with the NY Phil, Previn's with the LSO (not the PSO, for acoustic reasons). Much as I like Earl Wild I didn't care for the recording with Feidler. 

I'd be happy with just the first two, but I would include Litton's version with the Dallas SO where he plays and conducts (as does Thomas). I just like  this program a lot. 

Hi David you may like to try this one out it's from Benjamin Grosvenor and I say this as it is full of explosive Virtuosity and I find it very satisfying and it has some nice fill ups from Saint-Saens and Ravel. Grosvenor is a very young man but don't let that hold you back because he has a stunning technique.

@jcazador Thank you.  Previn, based on my prior reading, is recommended given his jazz roots. I will look into Julius Katchen II's recordings of Rhapsody. Thanks for your response!

[Side note...I just missed the Previn years with the Pittsburgh Symphony...lived there during the Maazel years]

Andre Previn recorded it, also Julius Katchen II.
Earl Wild recorded an acclaimed album of his Gershwin
transcriptions, but I don't think it includes Rhapsody in Blue.

Classical Aficionados: Which recording / version of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue do you recommend?  I'm looking for two standout (and different) versions for system evaluation. Thanks!

[I have searched online, but would love feedback from those active in the thread / knowledgeable about this composition]

As we  go into Christmas  I would like  to play what I consider one  of the
greatest Carols of modern time that  is underplayed as are many  pieces
by this great composer .
It's not easy to sing but the American choir  does so very well .
https://youtu.be/SE0aIQp9V4s?t=3