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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
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,688 posts
 
I have both the Sony and DG Bernstein/Mahler sets. I have to listen to them more often. I like Abbado for Mahler and in general.  George Szell has wonderful recordings of the 4th and the 6th, and of, course, I like him for everything else. Von Karajan is up there with Mahler. And, believe it or not, my favorite Mahler 9th is conducted by Kiril Kondrashin  with the Moscow Symphony. The aforementioned Solti is great in Mahler as well as Horenstein.
Off the top of my head, these conductors come to mind.
I’ll look through my collection and come up with more later.

btw, What’s your favorite Mahler symphony?  Mine is the 9th.  After that, it’s a toss-up.  Each is so unique and wonderful.
newbee
4,775 posts
 
First I must admit that I prefer my Mahler big, bold, full of angst, etc. Don't care much for the soft romantic approach preferred by many. My favorite symphony is his sixth. I'm partial to Thomas Sanderling and the St Petersburg PO in this symphony but there are others equally enjoyable.

Next I enjoy  the 9th - my favorite is probably Leonard Bernstein and the Berliner Phil in a live performance recorded in 1979 on DG. But there are so many others.....(not all his :-)_

Probably what has gotten the most listening over the past few years is  his 1st in a performance by Benjamin Zander on Telarc. What I really enjoy about this disc is the coupling of his Leider eines fahrenden Gesellen. Love it!

I probably have 200+ recordings of Mahler - it can be tough to choose. This is one body of music where performances really can really critical to the listener. Generally I found I enjoy Tennstedt, Solti, Levine, Boulez, and of course Bernstein as much as any.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 

Whole symphony: 2nd.

Cherry-picked slow movements: 5th, 6th, 9th, 3rd.

Least liked: 8th; second least-liked, 7th.

Overall, I'll put in a vote for Sinopoli.

Individual recordings:

Kaplan 2 should be heard

Welser-Most delicious 4 (I recommend the 4th as a gateway symphony to Mahler)

Barbirolli 5

Rattle 10

rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,688 posts
 
I also like Barbirolli in 5, Leinsdorf as well. It’s hard to find a bad performance of 5.
The 7th is a tough nut to crack.  I hated it for years, but now love it.
Abbado recording finally did the trick.  Maazel also has a delicious 4th with Kathleen Battle ideal in the final movement.  Besides Kondrashin, there are almost too many good 9ths to name, but Rattle does a good job. In the 6th, von Karajan is my favorite. Solti in the 1st, 3rd and 8th. Mehta is a surprising choice in the 2nd with the Vienna Phil., NOT the Israel Phil.
These are favorites at the moment. Like most Mahler lovers, I have to go through myriad performances of the others I own to come up with more.

rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,688 posts
 
Let’s get this forum rolling again!

Who are some of your favorite pianists, violinists, cellists?
What about your favorite composers, concertos, sonatas, symphonies, tone poems, etc.?

Horowitz, Rachmaninoff, Pletnev and Glenn Gould top my list of pianists.
Violinists include Milstein, Bell, and, of course, Heifetz.
As for cellists, there’s Maurice Gendron, Janos Starker and Wallerstein.
Composers are a hard one.  I love so many. But aside from the obvious Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and Brahms, there’s Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Stravinsky, et al.
Favorite symphonies are Beethoven “Eroica”, Rachmaninoff 2nd, Mahler 9th, Mozart “Prague”, Prokofiev and Shostakovich 5ths, Stravinsky “Symphony of Psalms” and many more.
Favorite Concertos: Any Mozart Piano Concerto, Glazunov Violin Concerto, Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto, Prokofiev’s 2nd Piano Concerto, Rachmaninoff’s 4th Piano Concerto.
Any Strauss Tone Poem.
Beethoven’s 2nd and 3rd Cello Sonatas, and just about any of his piano sonatas.

This is just a partial list.
As you can see, my taste is quite conventional.
More to discover