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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
gdnrbob
4,421 posts
 
@jcazador,
Nice post. I hope it is true.

To All,
I subscribe to Spotify and despite its' lack of high fidelity streaming, it has one of the most complete and easily accessible catalogs (unlike Tidal).
I only mention this as I have discovered a huge cache of recordings of the early/mid romantic period from Naxos (mostly). I only thought Hummel was famous for his Trumpet Concerto, but now find he composed a lot of great music-including piano concertos.
The nice thing about Spotify catalog is that it has 'Related Artists'.
Click on that and you get similar composers-Ries, Witt, Flotow, Wilms, etc.
I never heard of these composers before, and I feel I have discovered another facet of classical music.
Sorry if I am saying something you all know, but listening to composers who were famous in their time, yet now almost forgotten, is very exciting.
B
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Jcaazodor ,

What a lovely description of Arrau ! As well done as can be done .

He played an all Brahms program one time I saw him .
I swear, and not as a figure of speech , one could feel Brahms in the hall .

If you haven’t already try Perahia's Bach "French Suites" .
stargazer3's avatar
stargazer3
135 posts
 
In the past I have quite often collected Cds of Wagner which contain his mastepieces or highlights.  One such Cd (an old one) is  called 'The Classical Collection' by Orbis De AGostini Group, this cd is special, not so much because of the technical sound or any interpretations of the music, its special because of the  choice of music.  It has masterpieces from Lohengrin, Tanhauser, The Mastersingers of Nuremberg and The Flying Dutchman but the unusual inclusion is the choir of the Pilgrims' Chorus (Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir Ljubijana Conductor Marko Munh). To hear this chorus is so moving to me and the way Wagner has added the orchestration at the latter  part of this music is nothing but sheer magic.  It does not surprise me that Prince Ludwig of Bavaria became obsessed with Wagner's music and even built a  Wagnerian Castle to live the dream...
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 
If you enjoy Chopin and Liszt piano concertos (as I do), check out John Field.  There are a couple of recordings, both good.  Also, get his Nocturnes.  I like John O'Conor's recordings on Telarc.  Enough to buy also, back in the day, the set of Beethoven sonatas.  Good balance of performance and recording quality.
jcazador
417 posts
 
twoleftears
I downloaded a 10 cd collection of Staier last night, listening to it now, Scarlotti and Bach so far, harpsichord.
Excellent, thanks.
Another story?
This one was told by Edward Said, famous Columbia professor who rewrote the meaning of literary criticism, and then was drawn into advocacy for Palestinians, and throughout was the nyt critic of piano recitals/concerts in nyc, and yes he played classical piano, tho I never heard him.
Anyway, story goes
Saint Saens won some piano competition in Paris as a child, and was given a visit to Wagner in Germany.  This was horse and buggy days, no trains from Paris to Germany in those days.  So he arrived at Wagner's and was greeted by both Wagner and Liszt, (they were buddies, hung out together, Wagner married Liszt's daughter).  St Saens sits down at the piano, and there is an orchestra score of Tannhauser Overture, which Wagner was working on. As you probably know, that is one of the most complex orchestra scores ever written.  St Saens sight-transposes it to piano and plays it through.
More to discover