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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I see Audite has Jacquline Du Pre playing the Cello Concerto.
Geza Anda, too. 
I never heard of this label before.
B
Ranking of 1 or 2 - best-recorded violin masterworks in my humble opinion, the first part (TMI) - I was told to move this post here

Folks-

I come from a different era, so this list is biased, and I have to correct what I may have posted earlier because I finally have a system that is amazing and can render PCM Redbook as DSD or DXD (dcs SACD/CD player ---> Audio Research GSPre ---> Audio Research GS150 ---> Wilson Audio WattPuppy 7). What is odd is that it corresponds what I loved most when I was a violin student at New England Conservatory / Berklee.

1. Brahms Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77:
1.1. David Oistrakh, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell;
1.2 Hilary Hahn, Academy of St. Martins in the Filed, Sir Neville Mariner (SCAD or High Resolution) tied with Itzhak Perlman, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Carlo Maria Giulini;

2. Brahms Double Concerto for Violin & Cello in A Minor:
2.1 Cleveland Orchestra, David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich & George Szell;
2.2 Mstislav Rostropovich, Itzhak Perlman, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra & Bernard Haitink;

3. Beethoven Violin Concerto in D, Op. 61:
3.1 Itzhak Perlman, Maria Giulini, & Philharmonia Orchestra;
3.2 Heifetz & Charles Münch;

4. Bach Violin Concerto in D Minor (after Harpsichord Concerto, BWV 1052):
4.1 Itzhak Perlman & Israel Philharmonic Orchestra - III. Allegro is one of the most amazing I have ever heard if you like baroque. Just astonishing, it sounds like he is breathing the music.

5. Bach Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D minor:
5.1 Akiko Suwanai, Chamber Orchestra of Europe & Volkhard Steude;

6.Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major;
6.1 Leonid Kogan, Philharmonia Orchestra & Kirill Kondrashin (if you can find the recording with the Orchestre de Paris it is incredible - best rendition in my opinion, I bet he is playing one of his Guarneri Gesù violins - just incredible sound;
6.2 Michael Tilson Thomas, Joshua Bell & Berlin Philharmonic - Phenomenal recording!;

7. Mozart Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Major, K. 211; Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, K. 207; Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219;
7.1 Anne-Sophie Mutter & London Philharmonic Orchestra;
7.2 Arthur Grumiaux, Sir Colin Davis & London Symphony Orchestra;

8. Niccolò Paganini: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Opus1;
8.1 Michael Rabin;
8.2 Ruggiero Ricci;

9. Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
9.1 Nathan Milstein (1975);
9.2 Henryk Szeryng.

Thank-you - Gerry
Great list Gerry !

If i had only one violin concerto to keep on the proverbial desert island , It would be the Elgar  with Menuhin/Boult  in mono or the later stereo .

Another very fine recording of the Elgar is Kang/Polish National Orch. on Naxos .
Ranking of 1 or 2 - best-recorded violin masterworks in my humble opinion, the second part (TMI) - I was told to move this post here

10. Mendelssohn Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64
10.1 Viktoria Mullova, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields & Sir Neville Marriner
10.2 Anne-Sophie Mutter, Kurt Masur & Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

11. Aram Khachaturian, Concerto in D Minor
11.1 Itzhak Perlman, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra & Zubin Mehta
11.2 David Oistrakh, Philharmonia Orchestra

12. Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, K. 364
12.1 David Oistrakh and Igor Oistrakh, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin
12.2 Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta & Pinchas Zukerman, Philharmonic Orchestra

13. Vivaldi Violin Concerto 1 in E Major, Four Seasons
13.1 Itzhak Perlman, Philharmonic Orchestra
13.2 Sarah Chang & Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

14. Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47
14.1 Jascha Heifetz, Walter Hendl & Chicago Symphony Orchestra
14.2 Midori, Zubin Mehta, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

15. Camille Saint-Saëns, Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61
15.1 Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Barenboim & Orchestre de Paris
15.2 Gil Shaham, Giuseppe Sinopoli & New York Philharmonic

16. Max Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26
16.1 Sarah Chang, Philharmonie, Kurt Masur  
16.2 Rachel Barton Pine, BBC Symphony Orchestra & Andrew Litton
16.3 Joshua Bell, Sir Neville Marriner & Academy of St. Martin in the Fields;

17. Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto, op. 14
17.1 Hilary Hahn, Hugh Wolff, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
17.2 Gil Shaham, André Previn & London Symphony Orchestra

18. Dvorak Violin Concerto A Minor, Op. 53
18.1 Julia Fischer,  Zinman, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich  
18.2 Anne-Sophie Mutter, Manfred Honeck & Berlin Philharmonic

More to follow, unless no one cares. Kind regards - Gerry