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.
Schubert, FWIW, I can’t imagine a context which makes your comments about someone growing up in the age of ’rock’ relevant to the music they might like, or appreciate, nor, for that matter, detract from the obverse. Sophomoric drivel, I think, even if it came from, or affirmed by, some mystical musician playing for a great orchestra in Germany. But pontificate if you will. That seems to be what you do best.
Best I check with my horse, but he is momentarily detracted by a sudden gas attack.
I'm not unappreciative! Some of favorite Beethoven is his chamber music. My introduction to his chamber music was the Archduke, as well as his Kreutzer and Spring sonatas for piano and violin. I'm currently listening to the Florestan Trio on Hyperion. A complete set on 4 CD's. This is excellent stuff.
I don't have a copy of your Beaux Arts disc - I thought I did. If It is an LP I probably gave it away with all my vinyl some years ago. :-(
But, not to be overlooked, are his sonatas for piano and violin. A current set of the complete sonatas by Faust and Melnikov are available on the Harmonia Mundi label. An excellent place to start, I think.
An under appreciated genre of Beethoven’s output are his magnificent piano trios, crowned by the renowned “Archduke” trio. The sparkling genius one finds in the string quartets can be found in the trios as well. I’m now listening to the complete set recorded by the Beaux Arts Trio on Philips. Highly recommended.
If you can’t see how your comments are prejudicial and offensive to an American (“rock culture”) music lover or musician, there’s nothing more I can say.
Which happens to be true . And happens to not meet any known definition of xenophobia .My friend was speaking of the entire World . What do you have against Germans ?
It's common for those who grew up in a rock culture to like music that does something for them and not for the music itself .A German principal in a great German orchestra said to me , " their hearts are blind to beauty " .
RVpiano, I'll have you know I happen to have a very smart horse! It is a real challenge to compete with him when he's having a good day. But I digress (or is it regress? I'll have to ask my horse.) :-)
CARLOS Kleiber’s 5th (I haven’t heard his father Erich’s 5th lately) is indeed a very exciting performance. I concur that the Schubert Symphonies sound more alive with a lighter touch.
And my horse likes a muddy course. More fun getting all fouled up in the process than having to cross the finish line all prim, prissy, and politically correct.
FWIW, I reflect a bit on my early experiences with Beethoven (and Schubert) symphonies. At that time I found the most venerated performances were over orchestrated, dense, slow, forced grandiose, etc, and IMHO, ultimately boring (or, alternatively, perhaps I was too just too dull to absorb them). I tried various HIP recordings, often using original instruments. No answer for me there.
Then I heard; 1) Kleibers 5th - It blew me away, still does, that man really got the beat down! Exciting as all hell; then, 2) Harnoncourt's performances of the symphonies which were just influenced by original performances/instruments, not just replications. Now I began to hear something that made sense to me and really opened up my mind for subsequent performances without historical restraints.
To paraphrase a famous line, I just find it more fun to follow the road less traveled. :-)
The horse that thinks Beethoven is better than Mozart and that Schuberts Great 9th a "if you must have" and Haydn out of hand , must prefer mud over oats and 400 lb jockeys . And likely has heard little live music in his stall.
We apparently live in different time zones. While I occasionally listen to Bruckners 7th, 8th, or 9th, time is becoming too precious for me to do it often. I'll also listen to Schubert's 8th & 9th performed by the OAE conducted by Mackerras. Great symphonies sans over orchestration. If one must have some of that then Mackerras provides it with the Scottish SO on Telarc. I grew up with Solti's Weiner Phil performance but lost interest in it after I heard Mackerra/OAE version. I'll pass on Haydn entirely, and for that matter most all symphonies pre-existing Beethoven.
The Ninth Mahler Symphony is not only my favorite of his, but maybe my favorite of any composer. The first movement, especially, is heartbreaking. I just listened to the 3rd Symphony with Bernstein on DG with the NY Phil. Magnificent interpretation and state of the art sound on my system. Having multiple versions of all Mahler’s symphonies, this interpretation is one of the best.
As with others here, Mahler 1 was my introduction to Mahler. (Solti and the CSO). Next was the 7th with Levine and the CSO (still my favorite version, and I think this may be due to Levine’s association with the opera, he brings an aspect of more ’theater’ to it.
Then came the 2nd. I still have problems getting really interested the the first couple of movements except as a road to take getting to the last movement which is my all time favorite climax (of anybody). It really is emotionally moving. It just wrings me out!!!!
Then came the 6th (Sanderling and the St Petersberg PO). At last, for me, a complete, coherent, symphony full of moments great beauty alternating with moments of great angst right thru the final movement. This has always been, for me anyway, Mahler’s best.
The 4th is excellent especially if you want to just relax. It is almost too accessible. :-)
The 3d is just too long for me. But as with all of Mahler the use of chorus or solo vocals, makes it worth while.
The 8th is two different symphonies, in style at least. I like the first, the second not so much. But I do prefer Solti’s and the CSO when I do get it out.
Then comes the 9th. Much as I like it I’ve never put is all together. Bernstein’s 1979 live performance with the Berliner PO brings me as close as I’ve ever come. The 9th fascinates me none the less.
Needless to say Mahler competes only with Sibelius and Beethoven in my pantheon of the greatest composers of symphonies.
What EVERY Classical lover should have is IMO the greatest recording ever made . Puccini’s" La Boheme " with the greatest singer of the last century,Jussi Bjoerling, with his two favorite partners, also greats, Victoria De Los Angeles and Robert Merrill . Sir Thomas Beecham never made a bad recording and this is his very best , a true masterpiece . Every one involved was at the acme of their art .
As Robert Greenfield ,the great Gramophone critic said "rarely if ever directed a more glowing opera performance on record .......the norm against which all other performances have to be judged ."
The sound was remastered from mono from the 1956 recording from the original two track tape and is very natural and spacious . My two copies are Seraphim SIB-6099 which means it was an EMI recording , a good thing . I know it is on CD and also know I would pay a lot more for vinyl .
Even if you hate opera perfection has a beauty all its own .
P.S . There are CD recordings both on Naxos and Great Performances of the Century on Amazon . I'd buy Naxos , same thing , less money . Read the reviews folks !
I was actually introduced via the Second; the classic Solti Chicago SO on vinyl is imprinted on my teenage memory patterns. After I got to know all ten, it just seems to me that the Fourth captures a lot of the mature Mahler and is at the same time highly approachable.
I agree that the First is also approachable, but parts of it still sound a little as if written by a Mahler still learning the craft.
I have multiple, multiple recordings of all except of 7 and 8--one each I think. I never even remotely warmed to 8. 7 I never understood, and apparently I still don't. To me it just doesn't seem to move beyond anything that he achieved in 2, 3, 5, 6. Kind of drab or not really knowing where it's going. He's back on form in a big way in 9. And there are some excellent completions of 10.
I’m impressed you got to know the 7th so early. It took me years to crack it. But now that I did, I love it. I think most people (including me) were introduced to Mahler through the First Symphony.
I just found another composer I never knew existed: Woldemar Bargiel. It seems he was step brother to Clara Schumann. Wikipedia posts that they became close and Clara tried hard to get his music recognized. A little nepotism never hurts... Nevertheless, he seems to have very good structure and is very listenable. A bit of Mendelssohn, a bit of Schumann- nice. B
@rvpiano, I got into Mahler through the 1st symphony, then the 6th (which you know) then the 7th, Lied von die Erde last. I never warmed to the 4th. I know Bernstein was supposed to be a great interpreter of Mahler, but I never cared for his renditions. I guess I was stuck on Bruno Walter- those CBS Masterwork recordings were discounted heavily in the old Barnes and Noble in Manhattan. $1.99, if I recall. Just me, I suppose... @twoleftears , I suggest listening to Pascal Roge's Saint Saens recordings. One of my favorite. Bob
Speaking of Mahler, although I have both the early (Sony) and late (DG) sets of Bernstein’s renderings of the symphonies, for some reason have avoided listening to them lately. I just recently selected the DG set to listen to again and WOW! What wonderful interpretations. The sound is first rate as well. I guess I took for granted they would be great, but hearing them again I’m more impressed than ever. I highly recommend this set as a great introduction for the novice. I’ll return to the earlier Sony set when I’m finished with the DG set for comparison.
I agree Mahler 4 is the gateway, but I would posit Symphony 1 as the next step in the quest for Mahler prehension. And it’s last movement will certainly be a challenge for any system.
@pete23 I strongly recommend Mahler 4 as the gateway drug to Mahler fanaticism. Thereafter the world's your oyster: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10. There are passages in all that will test a system.
Dances from Il Gattopardo. I see old man Burt Lancaster dancing with beautiful young Claudia Cardinale and jealous Alain Deloit watchinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb0IlSBFVt0
Pete23, As far as showpieces go, the Mahler 6 would be fine if the person whom you are showing has the patience. It is long!!! but never boring. It is my favorite Mahler by far (though I like them all).
Now if you really want to show off your system I can't think of a better recording than that of Copland's 3d Synphony on the Reference Recording Label. The first piece is Copland's Fanfare for a Common Man. The brass and drums will light your fire for sure. And it is a pretty good version as well.
I don't know the Wood Works you refer to, but if you like Nordic folk music, for something off the beaten path you might try/like Greirr Tveitt's 100 Folk-tunes from Hardanger on BIS. Caveat though, this is not warmed over Greig or Halverson.
And something rarely mentioned, but which I really enjoy a great deal it movie music by Nino Rota. My first Rota recording was by Muti on the Sony label, which is still my favorite by some margin. It includes an ear worm you just can't resist, Dances from Il Gattopardo.
Lastly, another outstanding piece of music you rarely hear, by another 'Hollywood' composer, Miklos Rozsa. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. I like the recording on the Koch label but there is an excellent series of this and his other orchestral music on the Chando label.
Guys who never wrote a bad note; Mozart , Schubert, Brahms .
Bach is a given .As are Schumann’s chamber pieces .
Among modern composers Leos Janacek excels in everything .His string quartets are to die for ! If you like long , sweeping symphonies that are just plain beautiful , Sibelius is your man . Mahler is someone you either like or you don't . No shame either way .
Phillip Glass Partitas for Solo Cello-from what I recall, I need to try it again. I honestly must have just gone by reviews on this I don’t have much Glass.
Vivaldi --Concerto per violino VI ’La boemia’ - very nice, naive disc.
I am reading the Brahms book before I tackle the Bach. Listened to the first two movements of Mahler’s 6th on the way to work yesterday, I guess I’ve had it forever. Is that considered a good showpiece or is there a better one? I mean for main system experience.
pete i gave up on lp's, too much trouble to keep clean and i gave up on cd's because i could not keep track of them i keep everything on a hard drive and it easy to locate a composer, a musician, a particular piece of music I use a program "qBittorrent" to handle the downloads to the hard drive there are a number of free peer to peer (p2p) sites that are good sources of recordings these sites remove any recording if/when a copyright holder objects they specify the quality of the recording, so i don't bother with mp3 unless it is some song i am trying to learn and there is no better source there are lots of dead and incomplete links, so it takes a bit of fishing but there is a universe of free high quality music out there
No. 2 seems much more put together, if still very "virtuoso" in style. I'm really enjoying Cecile Licad's playing, beautifully delicate in the quieter passages, accompanied by Mr Previn.
Amazon has it under 'Schubert Grigory Sokolov' Sonatas D 894 and 960. A two disc set which only contains the two sonatas, one on each disc. A Naive disc OP30387. BTW the 894 ain't chopped liver! :-)
This set is also part of the "Complete Recording" set referred to above so if you want to hear more from him this set is certainly worthwhile.
jcazador, I agree and for folks who want to explore on the cheap there is a 10 CD set (on Amazon) title ’Complete Recordings’ for $44. Only a couple of nits: 1) it isn’t complete; 2) These are excerpts from live performances so the recordings aren’t really SOTA but they are fine none the less. The music though is truly outstanding. And for me his Schubert 960 is transcending - hard to describe, but it is musical poetry of the highest order.
pete23, I get weekly e-mails from Presto Music in England - they are both an excellent source for classical music as well as reviews and alerts for new recordings. Prestomusic.com.
A new acquisition from Chandos that I really love. "Old American Dances" by Robert Russell Bennett. Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra by Clark Rundell. An excellent break from all the ’serious’ stuff.
After a major hiatus [aka work] I resumed my survey. Right now Saint-Saens piano concerto #1. First movement very showy, flowery, second movement didn't really seem to know where it was going.
Is it my imagination or do newer release box sets seem to go out of print fairly soon? I've seen a few only a couple years old already gone from amazon except from high-priced resellers. What do people use as a resource for upcoming releases? A long time ago I used to subscribe to BBC Music Magazine but I'm not sure what is best now. Thanks for any advice.
Bonus question: does anyone use a website or program to keep track of their collection? I used to use a program years ago that was discontinued but it was not very good at tracking classical if there were multiple composers and many compositions on the same disc. So I am a few years behind in cataloging now. Mainly looking to avoid acquiring too many duplicates of the same composition, unless a deliberate "upgrade".
newbee Sokolov is perhaps my favorite of all pianists now performing, have never heard him live. I have downloaded dozens of his recordings including the two you mention. I never tire of some of his recordings, e.g., Couperin. Unfortunately, most of his old soviet era recordings are not commercially available, but have found them free online on a russian website.
Interesting! Reminds me of Shchedrin's Carmen Suite - only in that there are no (!!!) horns. I really like that piece. There are several in print for anyone interested in a really enjoyable take on an old chestnut.
I recently discovered this recording of a few pieces by the Wranitzky brothers. a violin concerto, a symphony and a cello concerto. They are contemporary of Mozart. I have shown it to many ppl and everyone likes the music. The music is lively and dynamic. Feels like a mix of Mozart and Haydn. The Sony recording is great sonically too.
A couple of CD sets some of you may like, a lot. I do anyway.
Sokolov The Salzburg Recital and Sokolov Schubert //Beethoven. The former is mainly Mozart and Chopin and the second, as the title suggests, Beethoven and Schubert. Both live recitals with encores as well. Very high level of performances. Both DG CDs.
Right, I have read every book I could find on Brahms , not just because his music is so great , but because his mind and manor are fascinating to me as I grow old .
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