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.
twoleftears (great handle...) Thanks for the recommendation; just ordered it from Amazon. Here are two lesser known albums I have found mesmerizing: 1. Zelenka: Orchestral Works by Archive and Camerata Bern; pay attention to the Hipocondrie 2. Edgar Meyer: Meyer/Bottesini Concertos by St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Wolff; like the Bottesini in b-minor and Meyer is perhaps the greatest double bassist of his generation.
@sevs Here's one that you might like a lot. Dobrinka Tabakova, "String Paths", on ECM. Mix of chamber music and orchestral. There are a couple of wonderfully melting slow movements.
Lots of great music recommendations to explore which is really the basis of this hobby. Thanks.
Although I am not a classical music aficionado, the one recording I never tire of hearing is “Horowitz in Moscow”, Deutsche Grammophon 419 499-2. I prefer live performances in general as they have a more immediate and less studied quality. The ambient noises from the venue gives a “you are there” experience. To my ear, his telling of Scarlatti’s Sonata in E major is sublime.
@rvpiano Huge Thank You for opening this thread!!! I am torn between reading it/placing more goodies into my Amazon cart and offering my own discoveries. So far I am Shopping!!! Million thanks for all the suggestions!!!!!! beautiful music from my heck of the woods is Giya Kancheli "Light Sorrow" I cannot imagine my collection without it, played here as often as Brahms 1st, Manfred Symphony, Ligetti...
Vindenpar: Have recently purchased a number of ADD sets as large collections from Amazon and been surprised at their superb sound quality. Some of the Columbia recordings by Bernstein have a natural acoustic feel lacking in modern digital efforts. Have also found that removing any original tape hiss found in many inexpensive releases (Sony is notorious in leaving this in) makes a tremendous difference in being able to hear more of the original performance. Purists may want the hiss, but I want to be able to hear the viola section...
Know nothing of vinyl because I abandoned it in the 80s. Have found, however, that you can get a significant amount of air with CDs by upsampling them in JRiver to 192/24 then playing them back with a quality converter. Engineers have explained to me that the improvement happens during the playback conversion when the better SN ratio produces a quieter result that has, consequently, more "air." Have also noticed that higher res digital files (94/24 is the studio standard) have this sense of "air" about them.
There were and I ordered 5 CD’s from Amazon I have on Vinyl . Somebody must agree with me on "The Late LvB Quartets " by the Yale Qt. A vinyl box is available for only $214 .
The best sounding albums I've ever heard, as in the performance is in my living room, are the Vanguard Classical's from the 50's, 60's . Very close to live music The ones with the circle saying"The Bach Guild " are !
I'll have to see if any CD's of them are available .
On a well mastered cd of an excellently produced recording there is air around instruments and in the hall going back to the beginning of the stereo era and even on some mono recordings.
Some of the remastered recordings that have been coming out lately are jaw dropping. You feel like you are in the space with the performers. It's really kind of eerie how much information was captured on those tapes.
Johnny R (audioconnection) used to carry the Belles, but now I see they're gone from the website.
Back to classical. Farrar, Orchestral Pieces, on Chandos, is superb-sounding, a notably deep soundstage and some great bass thwacks. Style is post-Elgar/Vaughn Williams. (Warning: don't set the volume on the basis of the first few seconds of track 1, or you'll be in for a surprise.)
Someone else (audioconnection) recommended the Belles Aria monoblocks, but they are a little out of my price range. Right now I’m considering the Red Dragon monoblocks (at half the price.)
I've found , after about a dozen amps, that Belles has the goods on what is needed for Classical . Neutrality, clarity , instrumental differrentation, depth and a tiny dab of warmth .
The music of Brahms is often referred to as "autumnal". Fifty years ago I thought that meant the color of a leaf or something. Now , in my old age I see it as genius that still draws between the lines, sort of like Rembrandt compared to modern painters who just throw paint unto a canvas . Example #1 is his late piano music that is like comfort food to an old man.
Another composer who is an exemplar, to me anyway, is Faure, the daddy of modern French music .An example is one of his last works the Trio for piano,cello and violin, Op. 120. The recording I have enjoyed the most is the great American/Israeli violinist Gil Shaham and Co. , "The Faure Album" CC03 on the Canary label . I gather Canary is the Family business on the net, though I found mine at Barnes & Noble . I doubt there is a bad recording of it .
That said , the Canary has the advantage of starting with an early great work , Faure’s "Sonata for violin and piano, Op.13 and ending with the Trio Op. 120 showing his progression from a young genius to an old one . Faure , died not long after . His last words were to his son. "I did what I could.Now let God be my judge ".
Half-Price books is good source, here in Twin Cities they must have a dozen stores and the price is right . My secret source is Berkshire Records on net .Don’t tell anyone else !
To me the LP always sounds better and easy to find here in stores plus the 10 Goodwill stores within 8 miles of my abode, I’ll like some feedback this, to ME the difference I hear is there is no air in the hall on CD and there is on LP, and for ME, that makes all the difference . Of course , I might be nuts .
Access to product. Having purchased Classical CDs since they first started appearing in the early 80s, have seen the many changes that have taken place in the retail environment. These days there are no music stores left that sell new product (remember Tower records?) and you are facing first a decision to follow streaming or acquisition options and then how to find the music you want. Classical recordings are notable for their ageless qualities. A great performance from the 60s still pleases. Sure there are remarkable improvements in fidelity throughout the last 50 years but ADD recordings can sound convincing on even the best audiophile systems. So I prefer to buy CDs and have a hard copy even though I rip them into JRiver immediately and just store the original. With this preference, I am currently ordering new product from Amazon and scouring the two used media outlets in my city for used CDs. We all know that used CDs are as good as new ones and, in conjunction with the ageless quality of classical performances, represent a genuine bargain for the classical aficionado. Have tried HDTracks and other downloading services and not been pleased. Presto in England has most of the new offerings but their shipment to my state is uncertain and they have not downloaded to the US in the past. DG is moving into the downloading area and I suspect some other companies are also active. But I find that most downloading options are limited in the pieces made available. So I am still visiting the used bins and using Internet reviews to identify new CDs to order from Amazon. Suspect some of you on this site have found better access to CD product and would appreciate your knowledge.
Schubert Trios arrived today. Very nice recommendation! Gorgeous Schubert, expertly played. At first, fortepiano took some getting used to. After that, sounded very natural. Beautifully recorded.
Not to worry, anyone who loves the Western Worlds greatest artistic triumph gets carried away with the passion of it all ,be strange if they did not. .
Upon reflection, my comment about the sound of the Gershwin record has to be qualified to reflect my system and, to a certain extent, my taste. Of course, I can’t guarantee it will sound superlative on all systems.
On the lighter side, is an LP titled “Gershwin on Broadway,” with a very young Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the Buffalo Philharmonic in Gershwin overtures. The panache of the playing is infectious and the sound is world class: One of the best renderings of an orchestra on any medium. It appears from time to time on Amazon used, also on eBay. Well worth searching for. Interestingly, there’s a half-speed mastering of it that does not sound as good as the original.
Schubert, If you want to explore more Malcolm Arnold you are in luck, in spades. You can get complete sets of Arnold’s music, including all his symphonies initially appearing on Conifer Records in a huge set by Sony and a set of just his symphonies by Chandos, on Amazon for less than $30. I have some of each - the original Conifer seems a tad brighter and more forward, the Chandos a bit more ’relaxed’. Either set though is an huge bargain in any event, and the Conifer by Handley might be a bit more in line with the Composer’s intent if that is important to you.
Here is a disc to fool your ’knowledgeable’ friends. A Stravinsky symphony (#1) which sounds more like Glazunov or Rimsky-K etc than the Stravinsky we all know. I have a Decca recording of the Detroit SO conducted by Dorati. This was Stravinsky’s 1st published music and well worth knowing and having in your collection. It can be found in many set’s of his other works.
A couple of English pieces that sound "Irish", pieces by off the beaten path composers that I enjoy. Arthur Sullivan - "The Irish Symphony" by Hickox on Chandos and Granville Bantock - Celtic and Hebridean Symphonies by Handley and the Royal Phil on Hyperion.
Now for some Finnish music not composed by Sibelius, but quite enjoyable non the less. Uuno Klami’s Karelian Rhapsody et al by Petri Sarkari and the Iceland SO on Chandos. If you enjoy this I can recommend his 2 symphonies(#1 &2) on Ondine by Tuomas Ollila and the Tampere PO. I think I prefer #1 more. If you like these his other works are self recommending I think.
Well I’ll have to buy a new one myself . Saturday a couple dropped in to wish me Merry Christmas , the wife is German, from Hamburg .and a teacher of German . I played the Hampson for them and in one of the German sung pieces she started to cry . Natch, I had to give it to her and was happy to do so.
newbee, Thanks for the heads-up for the Malcolm Arnold "Dances and Overtures" on Reference . I has that once upon a time but he had slipped off my radar . Yesterday I ran across his Symphonies 5 and 6 on Naxos by the National Symphony of Ireland in a local store . Some of the best "modern" music one could hope to hear very well played + great sound . Real power with something to say .
A great thread, indeed - it's encouraging to know there are (still?) many classical music enthusiasts here! I would like to throw a few names into the mix. I will add more to this thread as my time allows (quite possibly with some Hindemith, a favorite of mine). A recent favorite of my listening has been English string and symphonic music by 19th and 20th century composers: Bax, Moeran, Elgar, RVW, Allwyn, to name a few. Here's a tip (I almost hate giving out secrets, but it may not be THAT much of a secret).... any Lyrita recording is superb, and if on LP, a fantastic UK pressing with Decca lineage. Another suggestion from the english music world is the Reference Recordings release of the Kansas City Symphony, with Michael Stern at the helm, playing Elgar's Enigma Variations (and The Wasps is also included). A very fine performance, heartfelt and moving Nimrod (it IS the litmus that these recordings are judged on, is it not? :) ). I have the 'audiophile 2x45rpm' album; the pressing is superb, as is the sound. (I would assume the SACD would be equally good; I have not heard it, however)
This is a good opportunity to say it again--there's no better bargain than the 60 disc box set of the Beaux Artes Trio commemorating their 60th anniversary. You can find it for around 100 dollars on ebay. It will give you a life time of great listening.
I'm very fond of Philips orchestral recordings from the 1970's, especially those recorded in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. They are a near-perfect blend of both the recording and musical arts.
Some favorites include those with Colin Davis including the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique and Beethoven Violin Concerto with Grumiaux, Mozart Symphonies with Joseph Krips, Haitink's Tchaikovsky symphony cycle and French music, including a disc of Bizet and classic recordings of Debussy and Ravel, among many others.
Outside of the Concertgebouw, explore Philips' recordings of early Verdi operas with stellar casts (the young Jose Carreras for example) mostly led by Lamberto Gardelli, all in excellent sound. Also check out Haitink's Bruckner with the Vienna Philharmonic (some in early digital that also sound very good). Another fave is Puccini's Tosca led by Davis and his hardly noticed version of Haydn's The Seasons with the BBC Symphony.
If you're interested in a deep dive, there is a 50 CD set devoted to Philips' stereo analog years available for a bit over $2 a disc, as well as a Haitink "Symphony Edition".
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll definitely order it. Polyansky’s recording of “The Bells” is among the best. One of the great musical experiences of my life was at a live concert with him conducting Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony. Truly extraordinary.
I've been plugging through the Hyperion 19C piano concerto series, with many worthy but ultimately forgettable pieces. Last night listened to some Scharwenka concertos, that were surprisingly good. On Collins, though I see he's on Hyperion as well. If you're tired of Grieg, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, etc., give it a try.
rvpiano, I only have two performances of 'The Bells' - I'm intrigued by your recommendation of Askenazy on Decca. I have his other Decca recordings and have always enjoyed them, often preferring them. I'll see if I can find his version of 'The Bells'.
Since you seem to like this type of music I have a recommendation for you - Alexander Grechaninov, a Russian who's best music (IMHO) is his choral output. Assuming you are not familiar, but interested, I suggest you listen to his 'premier recordings' of Symphony #1, Snowflakes, and Missa Sancti Spiritus by Valery Polyansky with the Russian State Symphonic Cappella and the Russian State SO on Chandos. I'd buy this disc for "Snowflakes' alone. You've got to hear it!
Now if your interested in more Gretchaninov try his Passion Week by the Phoenix Bach Choir and the Kansas City Chorale on Chandos.
veriwide100, great post and right you are ! The Lutoslawski -Concerto for Cello is a fave of mine too . A truly great recording is Rostopovich on one of the EMI " Great Recordings of the Century " .
For me, a part time classical lover, I'll never forget one of the first pieces that I was introduced to as a young boy. I must have been 7 or 8 years old, and a family friend use to play Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major for me on his turntable. I would get super enthusiastic and move my hands like a conductor of an orchestra, the music playing nice and loud :-)
To this day, it is a favorite of mine. I have tried a few versions, but the one I like most this far, with a wonderful performance as well as great sonics is this one:
Hello everyone. I thought perhaps some "Contemporary Music" would be of interest as well. I have about 3000 Lp’s. Some rock, jazz, folk rock but the bulk of my collection is Classical with about 800 being 20th Century only. I enjoy almost all forms oof music but get a particular thrill discovering music that I have never hear of, much less heard.
Starker doing the Kodaly unacompanied Cello Sonata on Period Pecords is a killer of gigantic proportions. I wish you could all hear it in the original in mono. Here is Starker playing it at a much later date:
Re: Rachmaninoff “The Bells”. I based my recommendation of Simon Rattle in this piece because of a live telecast of him on the Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall site— a truly exciting rendering. Sadly, his Warner Classics CD, IMO, is leaden with the sound to match. I did a comparison of 12 recordings of “The Bells” and came to the following conclusions: Ashkenazy on Decca/London was my favorite along with Kondrashin on RCA. The former had among the best sound, the latter, unfortunately, the worst. Surprisingly, the non-Russian Jose Serebrier on Warner was among the best performances, with some of the best sound. Semyon Bychkov on Hanssler was similarly good.
Probably more than you wanted to know about this piece.😊
The Eiji Oue/ Minnesota "Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances " recording on Reference is , as Frogman has said , a magnificent recording . The woodwinds on the first 5 minutes make me play just that over and over. My other favorite , Simon Rattle with the Berlin Phil. has more drive but the Minnesota winds play better, IMO than the Berlin ones which surprised the hell out of me , and the Minnesota is more lyrical and refined . Berlin percussion is better but its always better than anyone. That said, there is a triangle bit that the MN player played better than any triangle piece I ever heard .
Excellent thread idea, RVPiano. Thought about this a while as I have been collecting since the 70s and have too many favorites to list. So here are three "fives" that are extraordinary for both their performances and recording quality (for their day, of course): 1. Karajan’s 1963 recording of the Beethoven 5th for DG and recently issued in HD digital formats. The third and fourth movements (played without pause) are a test for the bass and dynamics of any audiophile system. The orchestral playing defines the nature of "kick-@@@" performance. 2. Chailly’s 2013 recording of Mahler’s 5th with the Leipzig Gewandhaus. Sometimes cited by engineers as the best orchestral recording ever made (from a technical standpoint) its extreme transparency mirrors Chailly’s performance style of adherence to the composer’s score. And speaking of scores, the Blue-ray visual is so accurate you can read the scores of the performers in front of them... 3. Davis’s 2014 of Nielsen’s 5th with the London Symphony Orchestra. This hybrid issue has multiple recording formats presented and I find the 96/24 FLAC the best for my stereo system and the DTS-HD MA 192/24 best for a 5.1 system. If you enjoy locating instruments as they sit in an orchestral soundstage, this should be one of your friends. Might also be interesting to consider the reverse: the best recording ruined by terrible fidelity... ...and I suggest one candidate would be the Furtwangler Brahms Symphonic recordings ranging from 1947-51 and released by Major Classics. The first disc (and symphony) is fine and shows how well radio broadcasts can be presented in modern digital form. It also shows the personable and innovative style of Furtwangler, which is very enjoyable and hints at why he was such an influence on Karajan and others. Then the rest of the discs (and symphonies) are laughably bad as regards fidelity. But the performances are just as good. So there is this huge tension between trying to like the performance while being disgusted with the sound. Worth trying once for the laughs...
rvpiano, Re the Bells, don’t forget All-Night Vigil. My favorite Rachmaninoff choral. I like Paul Hiller and the Estonian Phil Chamber Choir.
Folks have been mentioning the standard VC’s by the Greats. Some what off the beaten path, yet both enjoyable and memorable, and pretty well done as a group, by Julia Fisher on Pentatone, are the VC’s of Khachaturian, Prokofiev, and Glazunov. I especially like her Khachaturian.
For something in the VC group rarely ever mentioned in these forums, regrettably I think, but then who wants to hear a ’Hollywood’ composer - Miklos Rozsa’s VC on Koch . If anyone likes Rozsa, Chandos has three CD’s which in addition to a lot of Hungarian music is a Cello Concerto I like a great deal.
Now if you like the possibility of some good stuff coming out of Hollywood I can’t resist recommending some of the music of Nino Rota. As an introduction I would recommend Riccardo Muti’s CD on Sony "LaStrada". It contains "Il Gattopardo" which has the potential to become an earworm, an incredible peice.
Next, a recommendation for Malcolm Arnold Dances and Overtures on both Reference and Chandos. The Reference is great ’audio’ as well.
Lastly, speaking of Ballet - how about the Carmen Ballet for strings and perecussions. No Brass! No kidding, great stuff. Put together by a Russian by the name of Shchedrin. I like the LP by Gerard Schwartz, but the same on his CD is pretty good too. Both are quite spacious.
All my life I've tried to have the aha classical moment. Has never happened, with one exception: Gorecki #3. I own four versions. I find it profound. I own ten records by others, I try each annually to see if I'll warm up to them. One other contender maybe: Saint-Saens #3.
Anyhoo - I'll keep eye on this thread for ideas.
To scott_w. You said you liked Gorecki #3. It is a musically unique and very profound work whose subject is death and torture. In terms of subject matter you might try a group of songs by Mahler: Kindertotenlieder, songs on the death of children. It is very haunting and profoundly sad. I like the version by Janet Baker, Leonard Bernstein, and the Israel Philharmonic.
It was interesting to me that your other favorite was Saint Saens #3. Your might call this absolute music without a theme. It is a sonic spectacular show piece, but not profound in the way the Goredki is.
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