HELP Classically ignorant, need vinyl insight

Rtenyes,

Here's some suggestions for string music:

Bartok Divertimento Decca SXL 6026 (Has been reissued)

EMI ASD 521 Barbirolli conducts English String Music by Elgar & Vaughan Williams. (Been reissued)

Martinu Concerto for Two String Orchestra, Piano & Timpani on Supraphon. Powerfull work written at the start of WWII in 1939 like the Bartok above.

Frank Martin wrote several pieces for string orchestra: Passacaille for String Orchestra and Etudes for String Orchestra - both on London/Decca

Bloch Concerto Grosso 1 & 2 on Mercury SR90223

Bliss Music for Strings Lyrita SCRS 33

Szervansky Sernade for String Orchestra Qualiton LPX 1085. Mono but nice, especially the middle slow movement.

Ernst Hermann Meyer Symphonie for String Orchestra Nova 885110

Sarai Sernade for Strings Hungaroton LPX 11636 (This is stereo).

David Diamond Rounds for Strings. There's a Columbia recording of this with Bernstein conducting if my memory is correct. I can't lay my hands on the record to be sure.

I have Pye record (GSGC 14042) that has the Rawsthorne Concerto for String Orchestra the Berkeley Sernade for Strings on it. I think Pye is a reissue label and these probably were originally issued on either EMI or Decca.

Have fun and enjoy.

Scott

The thing about Wagner is its not nearly as bad as it sounds. Rccc

That's Woody Allen, the best comedy is usually in bad taste. My favourite comedy film is "the Producers", by Mel Brooks
Who can forget the immortal lyrics
" Springtime for Hitler and Germany, winter for Poland and France"
Just perfect bad taste.

As far as melancholy music, may I suggest the Rachmaninov Elegiac Piano Trios. They're on the Chandos label, Borodin Trio. Also try the Dvorak "Dumky Trio," also on the Chandos Label. Definite "wrist slashers!" Some parts of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet will give you goosebumps and tears at the same time. My version I believe is on the London label with Lorin Maazel.

For Conan music, try some Berlioz overtures, Rob Roy in particular. Very demanding on the brass section. Chandos label again.

Now... string music: that spans a wide range. Do you like solo, concertos, chamber, etc. Time period? Baroque (period pitch and instruments is best IMO), Classical, Romantic, 20th century, Avant Garde? Some things that immediately come to mind are the later Mozart quarters, Brahms Serenades, Brahms Sextets. For starters, you might consider the Bach Brandenburg Concerti.

Oh, and a combination of two of your desires, string and melancholy: try music for string orchestra by English composers e.g. Vaughn Williams, Barber, Elgar, Warlock. There is a version of Vaughn Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Tallis that will make you cry. Its conducted by Morton Gould on RCA Red Seal. It would be great to snag a copy of that. Very cliche' but Barber's Adagio for Strings. Consider Elgar-Intro and Allegro. Oh, Vaughn Williams "The Lark Ascending." - Hugh Bean Solo violinist Sir Adrian Boult conducting.

If you want to hear demanding french horn music, I can't think of any solo or concertos but some symphonies where there are some very prominent and difficult french horn passages in symphonnic music e.g. Dvorak Synphony 8 and 9 (9 I suggest Slatkin on the Telarc label Slatkin conducting, 8 with Kubleik on DGG.

Hope this helps without sounding like a snob. All the best.

(This was posted a while ago, but I have no idea where it ended up)

I was watching Samurai Jack last night when one of the characters appears with bagpipes. I forgot how much I love the pipes.
Yes I admit that I watch cartoons, which gives (some) credence to my mother-in-laws low opinion of me, but I figure any cartoon that features bagpipes is pretty high-brow.
Anyway, I'm looking for suggestions for great bagpipes on vinyl.

Thanks again to all who have responded, I've started w/your suggestions.