Classical Music for Aficionados


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.


128x128rvpiano

 

Thanks Jim!

 

I'm new to all this audiogon stuff but was really pleased to find this particular discussion! Thank you for the recommendation.  Now that I have things mostly set up I have been looking for more and more things that I can sit back and listen to. 

 

I will definitely check out Pletnev! 

The Art of the fugue of Bach is one of the rare pieces of music where i cannot stand and stay or vouch by only one interpretation....I collect them all...It is the greatest piece of music ever written... Not the most beautiful piece of music ever written no, think about Vivaldi four seasons or the Barber adagio or the 14 th Beethoven quatuor or a Nikhil Banerjee raga... But the Art of the fugue is the deepest one ....

It is a work of cosmic proportion and of deep mathematical meaning....

One version i like among others without being able to choose only one is this one:

 

 

Why this version?

Because the brass fill the room encompassing me....

If the horn sound especially, coming from the right speaker, outside of it and dont feel like a wall of sound closing on you, there is a room acoustic problem, if this horn dont fill your room enveloping you, you have a room who need acoustic treatment and mechanical acoustic control, sorry....Dont upgrade, think about acoustic...In the meantime enjoy the music anyway because music is not only good sound after all...

The Everest of Occidental musical history....

@likat   You are very welcome, if there are any more music suggestions you feel you need please do not hesitate as most anyone on the thread will be pleased to chime in with their favourites. Happy listening Jim.

Barber is so great! He is able to redefine what a violin concerto must be in his own term... Poetry rule over music here, like spirit rule over music in his quatuor adagio ...

If not, why am i able to put these pieces all along with Bach, Beethoven , Mozart and few others giants ?

Isaac Stern so much of a poet here....

And Bernstein the right maestro so much times, here too...

Incredible original creation... With all other musicians sounding like walking gods...

 

My favorite composer is Bach for sure for my day to day life...

But nothing can beat the Barber adagio with Bernstein if someone dream about the meaning of death...Listen to it ....