Classical Music for Aficionados

newbee,

I just got the Sheppard disc.  Very enjoyable.  Great program.
The Gershwin especially, is played with great panache. 
He has a phenomenal technique.  I don’t see why he’s not better known.

Here are some of my favorites:

Charles Ives Symphony No. 2 - NY Philharmonic conducted by Bernstein

Bernstein’s Mass - Sony Classical remastered 1971 recording conducted by Bernstein at the Kennedy Center

Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 - Royal Philharmonic conducted by Charles Mackerras

Respighi’s Pines of Rome - Tokyo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Norichika Iimori on the Exton label.  

Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis - NY Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein on Deutsch Grammophone

Rarely, you will get a recording that has a composer, a soloist , a conductor
and a orchestra all of whom are both Great and at the very peak of their artistry .

One of these is Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, played by Kyung Wha Chung with Charles Dutoit conducting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra .

London 410 011-2

Have been listening to symphonies and concertos by J.J. Raff, a composer who produced a number of orchestral masterpieces, was popular (even dominant) during his lifetime (romantic period) but is hardly known today.
A recording of his 5th symphony on Chandos is available from HDTracks at 96/24 by the Suisse Romande and Neeme Jarvi; typical Jarvi in being very, very fast and emphasizing the larger lines and gestures. Makes the 5th sound like a masterpiece but races through the 2nd Andante movement so quickly it loses its sublimity.
And I would offer a "Dives" award to this symphony's 2nd movement but, frankly, it's even better than that...
So this HDTracks download has sounded strange from the gitgo and I checked it out in the studio and there is noise in certain portions of the file -- noticeably in crescendos and other dynamic transitions.
E-mailed HDTracks about this and they responded with an "it's not our fault" e-mail. Third time I have tried HDTracks and they continue to disappoint. Surprise to get this kind of audio disappointment from Chandos. The promise of HD downloads continues to elude me.
So have settled on the 2000 Carthy recording of the 5th with the "Orchestra della Svizzera italiana." This "dynamic" recording is available from Amazon and has better tempi than the Jarvi.
Have, as well, the older Bamert recording with the RSOB and it is OK but a bit too sedate.
Raff's piano concerto is, similarly, a major work worth investigating.

Since there have been a number of string concertos mentioned in this thread, I figured I'd recommend something a bit different:

Tuba Concerto by Edward Gregson - John Fletcher on Tuba with the Besses o' th' Barn Band (Chandos Label 1982 Recording)

It's a great piece, fun, upbeat, with some jazz influence especially in the third movement.  The recording sticks the soloist far to the left of the soundstage, which is a bit odd, but maybe that's where he was standing when they recorded it.  It's the original ensemble and soloist the piece was commissioned for though, and most of the other recordings are orchestrations for full wind ensemble or orchestra instead of the original brass band as accompaniment.