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.


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Alfred Brendel, Glenn Gould, Artur Rubinstein.
Aaron Rosand, Milstein, Heifetz, Itzhaak Perlman.
Guitarists Segovia, Bream, Williams, Oscar Ghiglia, Eliot FIsk, Manuel Barrueco, Jorge Caballero, Ana Vidovic, Adam Holzman, Eduardo Fernandez
all the obvious composers, plus:  D. Scarlatti, Ravel, Debussy, St. Saens, Prokofiev, Bartok--too many to list but those are favorites
Beethoven symphony #5, 9, 7, Mahler 1st
Beethoven violin concerto, Ponce guitar concerto
Prokofiev violin sonata #2, St. Saens #2, Bach unaccompanied violin partitas 1 and 3, sonatas 2 and 3, cello suites 1, 3 and 5
too many Beethoven piano sonatas to list  but Waldstein probably the favorite

I'd be lying if I said Mahler's Symphonies were down my alley but his vocal
works are .
The greatest recording  I know of is his "Ruckert-Lieder " with the incomparable Janet Baker and the New Philharmonia Orchestra/ Barbirolli .
Warner Classics 566 9812.

To list everyone I like would go into the hundreds/thousands .
 To make it easy for an old man I'll just list my favorite 3 composers of the last century in no particular order .
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Leos Janacek
Bela Bartok
Oh, on a closing note, my candidate for most unappreciated and underplayed Master of the last century is Paul Hindemith .
Here are a few that I’ve enjoyed (all stereo):

Mozart PC #25 Brendel/Marriner Philips

Prokofiev VC #1, 2 Chung/Previn London

Prokofiev V Son. #1, 2 Perlman/Ashkenazy London

Stravinsky Rite of Spring Dorati/Detroit London

Horowitz "Late Russian Romantics" (Rachmaninoff, Scriabin) Sony CD

Mozart Complete P Sonatas Eschenbach DG

Haydn "London" Symphonies Davis/Concertgebouw Philips

West Side Story/Porgy and Bess Suites Bennett RCA

Brahms PC #2 Ashkenazy/Haitink London

Stravinsky Firebird complete 
von Dohnanyi/VPO London

Shostakovich Sym. #5 Bernstein/NY Columbia/Sony (’59?)

Beethoven Sym. #5 Kleiber/VPO DG

Debussy Nocturnes Monteux/BSO RCA

Holst Planets Mehta/LAPO London

Brahms Sym. #2 Munch/BSO RCA

Respighi Pines/Fountains Reiner/CSO RCA

Copland Appalachian Spring Dorati/LSO Mercury