Classical Music for Aficionados

For cello lovers, there’s an incredible, but pricey, set by my favorite cellist called the “Art of Maurice Gendron” on Decca. He was certainly one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, with a tone like liquid gold.  The set contains both his solo and concerto recordings.  He was like none other with the possible exception of Emanuel Feurman, with whom I believe he studied.

charles1dad:

For cello sonatas I would recommend:

Piatti: Cello Sonatas Nos. 1-3, samples of which are:
https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8015516--piatti-cello-sonatas-nos-1-3

Beethoven:  Cello Sonatas Nos. 1-5 (complete) and variations,  Andras Schiff & Miklos Perenyi:
https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/7932984--beethoven-cello-sonatas-nos-1-5-comple...

Russian Cello Sonatas, Alexander Chaushian & Yevgeny Sudbin:
https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/7996384--russian-cello-sonatas

Pericoli: Cello Sonatas (cello & harpsichord):
https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8260858--pericoli-cello-sonatas-6

and my favorite cellist Daniil Shafran:
Daniil Shafran plays Franck and Debussy (High Def Tape Transfers):
https://www.highdeftapetransfers.com/products/daniil-shafran-plays-franck-and-debussy-pure-dsd

ghosthouse, 3k remained in Berlin, another 2 k in Vermont , the rest are pushing me out of my small condo in St .Paul .

rvpiano. as a pro I'd appreciate your take . Both of them are spiritual mystics . I always am open to criticism , useful or no .(really) .

Thanks to all the contributors.
After one day, this site seems to have gotten off to a great start!

This thread is off to a rousing start.
I particularly like cello and piano duets and would appreciate all recommendations of this type.
Charles 

I'll contribute with the popular, yet problematic:

Schubert Symphony No. 9 - Sir Charles Mackerras either with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (Virgin Classics 1988) or the  Philharmonia Orchestra (Signum Classics 2006). Schubert's manuscript  wasn't clear on the tempo of the opening movement and you'll find as many variations as there are conductors, but Mackerras nails it with (imo) the perfect tempos.

Bruckner Symphony No. 5 -  Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim (elatus 2009). This is a difficult piece for conductors as there are many musical ideas to wind together to keep your interest going for 75 minutes. Barenboim's account is simply superb and holds you to the very end. (Great 16/44.1 recording also).

Mahler Symphony No. 7 -  SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Michael Gielen ( Hanssler Classic 1993). Arguably Mahler's most clumsy symphony as it changes pace very frequently and seems to lead the listener to nowhere. This recording, when compared to others, clearly hits all the right buttons in terms of orchestra playing, phrasing and timing. The Wagnerian "Star Trek" trumpet theme is spectacular as the harps, violin and piccolos are spot on in their dynamic shading. Yes, even Bernstein takes a back seat to this one. Great 16/44.1 recording as well.

Vivaldi The Four Seasons - Soloists Orchestre National de France, Maazel (CBS Masterworks 1984?). This war horse has been recorded ad naseum with many soloists using it as a platform as an excuse to show off a bit or to read new meaning into it. This version is straightforward without any flair and is simply a delight. Recording is pretty good for its age.

Thanks for that nicely manageable core recordings list, Schubert.  Appreciate your input.  HUGE library you have, by my standards.  How the heck do you manage it?...given you have moved a bit lately or so I think.

Whart:

I still have some of those original Starker recordings (of Beethoven and Brahms) on Period.

schubert:

Based on your rave, I’ve ordered the Chung-Lupu recording of the Frank Sonata.
(other nice repertoire on the CD also)

I’ll just mention a dozen or so works that everyone agrees are basic to the Classical repertoire.
Over the years I’ve noticed that many come to Classical through smaller
pieces so I’ll start with them .
Used to be some PBS stations would have a listener poll of their favorite chamber(small) works every few years .

Time after time the top choice was Schubert’s Quintet in A "The Trout", a complement of sting trio with added piano and double base .
One of my favorite recording is Rudolf Serkin and company on Sony Classic SMK46252, this has the added gift of also having one of the other masterworks, Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet .
As with all I mention there are many good recordings of everything, the listener
reviews on Amazon are usually helpful .

A string Quartet that has some of just plain beautiful music ever written is
Claude Debussy’s Quartet in G minor Op.10 .
A wonderful recording is by the Guarneri Quartet on RCA, coupled with the great Ravel Quartet in F as is often the case with the Debussy .

My favorite work for the Violin and Piano duo(a lot of peoples favorite duo) is
Cesar Franks , Violin Sonata in A .
Of the perhaps 7-8 thousand recordings I’ve owned if I could have only one for the rest of my life, I’d choose the one of this by the great Korean artist Kung Wha Chung on violin and the stupendous Romanian pianist Radu Lupu .
They bring out the French elegance of this masterpiece in a way that is rare .
.I seldom say anything or anybody is the "greatest" , but this is the greatest
recording I’ve ever heard so there -LOL .

In the bigger Orchestral works a piece I have easily heard a thousand
times and yet remains ever fresh in my ears is something Norway’s greatest composer Edvard Grieg wrote as incidental music for the play "Peer Gyynt" by Norway’s greatest playwright Henrik Ibsen .
A great recording of "Peer Gynt’ is the San Francisco Symphony under Herbert Blomstedt , London 425 448-2 .

Two works by one of the greatest and IMO most original modern composers , the great Czech Leos Janacek, that seem to catch the fancy of new listeners are his "Sinfonietta" and his "Slavonic Mass" .
Strong powerful works that go from the beautiful to the brutal in a flash
that always sounds that’s as it should be !
He writes his music to fit the Czech language so you want a Czech band for these , the Czech Philarmonic/Sir Charles Mackerras are the go-to
for these .

A concerto that everyone seems to like is the "Concierto de Aranjuez" by the modern Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo. A guitar work that is just plain fun .
A nice recording of this is Carlos Bonell with the Montreal Symphony under
Charles Dutoit . There are a lot of wind solo’s in this and at the time the Montreal winds were to die for .

Concerto’s they everybody dies for are the "Brandenburg Concertos ’ by J.S, Bach , the daddy of them all .
The 6 encompass the entire Baroque concerto grosso literature with constantly changing patterns and players playing both leading and supporting roles that many of the great jazz artists have gone to school on .
My fave is the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra / Tom Koopman .
.
For solo piano great piece to start with is Robert Schumann’s "Carnaval".
Artur Rubinstein made nice work of this on RCA .

Last by not least is Vivaldi’s " Four Seasons "
If you wish to hear same in magnificent sound try Nils-Erik Sparf;
Drottingholm Baroque Ensemble BIS CD-275

@scott_w
@terry9
That Gorecki #3 is very powerful, thank you (I bought the soundtrack Terry mentioned, but would be interested if there are other performances on vinyl).
Though not similar in style, but theme is the Kol Nidre on this famous old warhorse by Starker with Dorati: https://www.discogs.com/Janos-Starker-Dvořák-Bruch-Tchaikovsky-Antal-Dorati-London-Symphony-Orchestr...
The mono original is good and cheap, and the Speakers Corner reissue of the stereo is fine.
I’m a big fan of cello music, Du Pre, Starker, etc. Often the orchestra seems unnecessary. This famous piece was probably recorded many times by Starker but the early Period Records performances are wonderful: https://www.discogs.com/Janos-Starker-Kodaly-Sonata-For-Unaccompanied-Cello-Opus8/release/6124443
There have been various reissues of this over the years.

Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana, you know, the one with Tebaldi and Bjorling. 

@scott_w

Well, you are starting at a very good place. I know of only one performance on vinyl, soundtrack to the movie, "Police". Do you know of any others?

You might also like "Hearing Solar Winds" by David Hykes and the New Harmonic Choir (Ocora).

Also, "1000 Music for the End of Time" by Anonymous 4 (CD Harmonia Mundi), as many Christians expected the world to end in 1000 AD.

Mahler 5th Lorin Maazel and Cleveland Symph. Telarc
Racmaninov 2 and 3 Horacio Guitierrez Telarc
Anything Academy of ancient music Sir Chris Hogwood
Naxos and Chandos and Mercury living presence labels
Don Giovanni Ricardo Muti EMI
Anything from Neville Mariner or Benjamin Zander
+1 Fritz Reiner 

dweller:

Thanks for mentioning the Living Stereo of Reiner’s Mahler 4.
I’m listening to it now on the XRCD version. Forgot how wonderful it is.

Sorry, one more, and it’s a classical singer crossing to classical-pop:

Anne Sofie von Otter, I Let the Music Speak.

Here are my favorite classical guitar albums:

Carlos Barbosa-Lina and Sharon Isbin, Rhapsody in Blue/West Side Story. (concord ConcertoCCD 42012)

Christopher Parkening, Parkening Plays Bach.  (Angel CDC 7 47191 2).  Well, any Early Christopher Parkening album.

And some great piano:

The Art of Martha Argerich (DG).

Brahms Piano Works, Op. 116, 117, and 119, Stephen Bishop Kovacevich.

A little different, but amazing, mandolin:

Chris Tille, Bach:  Sonatas and Paritas, Vol. 1.

great choral/vocal selections:

Brahms Alto Rhapsody, Gesang der Parkening, and Schicksalslied, Robert Shaw and Atlanta Symphony.

Schubert Songs for a Male Chorus, Robert Shaw 

Mahler Songs of a Wayfarer, Songs on the Death of Children and Ruckert-Lieder, Thomas Hampson and Leonard Bernstein

Every and any contribution is welcome!

rvpiano, FWIW I'll contribute a bit, but since I (and many others) have already posted in the past to lists of best/favorites etc and I'm too old to 
just replicate those recommendations, I'm just going to post about music/performers/genre that I'm currently listening to, without regard to professional competency or audiophile credentials. I really like this stuff and It sounds good to me. That's it folks!

I'm currently focusing (mostly) on music for the solo piano and recently discovered a label that supports some newer pianists performing more uncommon/ unusual pieces along with some common ones, some eclectic, but all assessible  and  enjoyable,  in balanced compilations. Happily the audio  is also excellent.

Here are a few on the Steinway & Son's label:

Get Happy - Jenny Lin
Grand Romance - Jeffery Biegel
LaValse - Sean Chen
The Rascal and the Sparrow - Antonio  Pompa- Bald
Exiles Cafe- Lara Downes
American Again - Lara Downes
Siegfried Idyll - David Deveau     

Today I'm having a Gilbert & Sullivan fest! Love that stuff.   Still sing it but now in the shower only. :-)

I bought a London Treasury series copy of this record when I was a teenager, and still listen to the recording, though I have accumulated a variety of different copies, I still do not own the first Decca. But, in its various incarnations, it is a wonderful performance and recording and short of the original Decca copy, can be gotten cheaply:
https://www.discogs.com/master/view/551677

Thanks for starting this, RV and thanks for the acknowledgment, Al.

I’m not a huge classical music aficionado but over the years, some pieces have certainly captivated me. Two that have are:

1) Stravinsky’s "Symphony of Psalms". Another commendable work by IS. The version I own is below as listed in Discogs. Not saying the recording is audiophile quality but I do enjoy the music very much.

From Discogs...
Stravinksky* / Poulenc* - Saramae Endich, The Robert Shaw Chorale and RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Robert Shaw ‎– Symphony Of Psalms / Gloria
Label: RCA Victor Red Seal ‎– LSC-2822

From Discogs...
2) Isaac Stern - Leonard Bernstein - New York Philharmonic* - Barber* / Hindemith* ‎– Two Twentieth Century Masterpieces - Violin Concertos
Label: Columbia Masterworks ‎– MS 6713

The above a gift received many years ago. Everyone knows Samuel Barber’s "Concerto for Violin & Orchestra" (and rightly so) but it was Paul Hindemith’s violin concerto on the same LP that won me over. Here on You Tube is the Hindemith concerto from the same LP. Hope you enjoy it. PH doesn’t get enough love ;-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJoZ1olUphs

Scott_w,

Hopefully you’ll get some ideas on this thread that will turn you on.
Sonically, my recommendations above all are excellent.
You might want to try the Stravinsky L’Histoire du Soldat on HDTT for sonic realism. Maybe the best sound I ever heard. (If you don’t know the site already, Google it.  You can purchase a download or a disc.)

Thanks, Al for your recommendations.
Hopefully many more members will follow.

Great thread idea, RV, and thanks for starting it. Also, kudos to Ghosthouse for suggesting the idea in your "Do classical CDs made from early analog tapes sound better on your system than new CDs?” thread.

A strong +1 re your mention of the Horenstein/LSO recording of Brahms’ First on Chesky. As I said in the other thread, it’s probably my all-time favorite symphony, and this recording is magical.

Some additional favorites of mine. I have all of them on LP unless otherwise noted:

--Any of the recordings of solo piano music by Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert on the French Astrée label, performed on period instruments by Paul Badura-Skoda. Incredible sonics (at least on the LP versions; I have no knowledge of that label’s CDs), and wonderful music beautifully performed.

--Dvorak “New World” Symphony, Horenstein/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on a Chesky CD. Music that I would expect to be immediately appealing even to those who are not by any means aficionados of classical symphonic music; a wonderful performance; and as I said in your other thread:

I find the sonics on this recording to be so amazing that I would expect anyone having a bias against the CD format would find themselves re-thinking their outlook after hearing it.

--Chopin “Piano Sonata No. 3,” Edward Auer on an RCA Japan Direct-to-Disc LP.
--Chopin, “Piano Sonata No. 3,” Hyperion Knight on a Wilson Audio CD.

This beautiful music is perhaps my favorite piano sonata, and these recordings are the best overall combinations of sonics and performance I am aware of.

--"Danses Anciennes de Hongrie" -- Clemencic Consort (Harmonia Mundi France).
--“Musique de la Grèce Antique” [i.e., music of ancient Greece] -- Gregorio Paniagua, Atrium Musicae de Madrid (Harmonia Mundi France)

It’s hard to go wrong with just about any recording on the French Harmonia Mundi label. And the music on many of their recordings that is from the Renaissance and other early times is generally just plain fun to listen to.

Stravinsky “Firebird Suite,” Robert Shaw/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Telarc. This excellent performance of a very likeable work may have the widest dynamic range of any recording I have ever heard, other than Telarc’s recording of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with the notorious cannon blasts.

Best regards,
-- Al

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.