Reference Level Recording of Classical on CD's?

It would be helpful if you narrowed your inquiry some, at least to composers and or periods of composition (baroque, classical, romantic, modern, neo classical, neo romantic, etc).

BTW, Goode has been one of my favorites with Beethoven's sonatas, but I'm very impressed with Paul Lewis new performances on Harmonia Mundi. And the recordings are excellent!

Of other recent releases that I enjoyed -

Speaking of Beethoven, try Vanska's new performances on BIS, again very good performances and excellent recordings.

If you looking for some traditional composers you might try Wild's performances of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto's as reissued by Chandos. Excellent performances and sound.

A little off the beaten path, but very interesting music from the British Isles by Bantock on Hyperion. Great recordings of excellent performances.

A little further off the beaten path, you might try Hovhaness' Mysterious Mountains on TELARC.

Back on the well beaten path, one of my favorite new releases is Mahler 1 with Zander on TELARC. It includes an excellent rendition of Songs of a Wayfarer which IMHO fits perfectly with the mood of Sym #1.

Chamber music - new to me are Beethoven Piano trios, complete by the Florestan Trio on Hyperion. Very good performances, I think. Excellent sound.

Solo piano music - So much too choose from, actually too much. But I have a real fondness for Frederic Chiu's traversal of Prokofiev's music for solo piano on Harmonia Mundi, including all of the sonatas as well as some transcriptions of his orchestral music like Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella. Absolute clarity of tone in the recordings and excellent performances as well.

Others that have impressed me include-
Dvorak Cello Concerto w/Jean-Guihen on Harmonia Mundi
Rachmaninov Sonata #2 by Olga Kern on Harmonia Mundi
Rachmaninov's All Night Vigil on Harmonia Mundi (outstanding from my POV. Love those basses in the Estonian Chamber Chior.

These are just a few new(er) releases - I have made no attempt to compare with earlier, and perhaps much greater performances on LP's or OOP CD's.

More specifics from you re likes/dislikes, etc will produce a bit more specific recommendations.

Enjoy.

Mozart Piano Concertos - Most recent releases by Phillips with Brendel and the Scottish Chamber Orchesta conducted by Charles Makerras are excellent IMHO.

Jdaniel, I find that sad. But we are all somewhat self limiting in things that are not truly important to us I guess.

But, FWIW, why are you posting such a prideful description of your format choices in a Music forum? Post this in the ditigal forum for some brick's or in the vinyl forum if you want some friends.

In addition to Audiophile1's recommendations I would add a couple of solo piano recordings of Schuberts works which I have found outstanding both for performance and recording. Volodos 'Solo Piano Works' by Schubert on Sony is really outstanding, as is Maria Joao Pires 'Le Voyage Magnifique' on DG.

If you are not familar with Schumann then I would suggest that you hear his Fantasy in C, Op17. One of the most engaging pieces for solo piano - it will sweep you away. There are many quite good versions, but I like Richard Goode's on Elektra Nonesuch as it includes an excellent rendition of Humoreske, Op20, as well.

Re Brahms, I don't know if these are still in print, but if they are you won't be disappointed with Antononin Kubalek's 2 recordings of much of Brahms solo piano music on the Dorian label, especially Vol 1 which has the Sonata #3 and 3 Intermezzi Op117.

By the way, Audiophile1, where did you get the Lupu recording - mine is with #3 on London 417122 and the Intermezzi on 417599. The latter includes 2 Rhapsodies and the Intermezzi. I don't disagree with you comments on Lupu BTW.

Toufu, if you are not familar with Brahms solo piano music, and you want something cheap, very assessible, and by a fine, relatively unknown, pianist pick up Idil Biret's Intermezzi Op117, Piano Pieces, Op118 & 119, and Scherzo.
(In fact, while the recording quality is varible - typical of Naxos, you really can't go wrong using Birets recordings on Naxos as an introduction to solo piano music of Chopin and Rachmaninoff as well as Brahms.

Chopin's Nocturnes and 4 Impromptus by Hewitt on Hyperion.

Lizst's Sonata in B by Nojima on Reference Recordings. This may not be my favorite performance BUT is an 'audiophile' recording of some merit.

Hope that helps a bit.

PS for Toufu, I don't know how I forgot to mention - for something which defies realization but succeeds, two CD's put out by TELARC which are reproductions of piano rolls of Rachmaninoff's own performances of his own music as well as transcriptions of the compositions of others. If you didn't know you wouldn't be able to identify the process and the recording quality is excellent. A Bosendorfer Grand Imperial in full bloom!

PS for Jdaniel, FWIW I have neither misgivings about the CD format, nor (for you at least - if judged by your responses in other threads) the newly discovered 'superiority of vinyl'.
I've been listening to both, with some decent equipment, for many years and each is full of warts. If you can't hear the warts in vinyl you will some day.

While you may not have specifically denegrated the CD format, you certainly imply that vinyl is superior by not only presenting your credentials to support your conclusions, but by limiting your response, without other qualification, to 3 recordings. I can assure Toufu that there are many outstanding recordings in either digital or vinyl. Perhaps you just haven't heard them them all. Yeh, I know, you've been invested in exploring digital for 20 years, and found only three outstanding CD's.

Dude, this is a music forum. Take your digital v analog crap elsewhere. Buh-bye.