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.


rvpiano
One of the greatest pianists I have heard in person who is all but forgotten, Is the American John Browning, born in Denver in 1933 .
Truth be told , I had all but forgotten him myself till I found a mint recording
by him yesterday at Goodwill .Ravel: Concerto in D for the Left Hand and Prokofiev : Concerto No 3 in C .Seraphim/ S- 60224 / Erich Leinsdorf / Philharmonia Orch .
FWIW , only others I have heard live that impressed me as much were Claudio Arau , Radu Lupu ., Mitsuko Uchida and Brendel .

And strickly for Haydn, Angela Hewitt ,who cemented my feeling that the Haydn piano works are played far less than they should be .



Jim 204I really love "Life", have listened to it almost every morning,and yes, that old Bill Evans tune "Peace piece" is great.
I also downloaded some Sudbin (had never heard of him),and love his Haydn.Thank you very much.J
schubert
You are fortunate to have heard such great pianists.The only great one i have actually heard live was Ashkenazy,at a high school auditorium, back in the 70's when he was stillon a leash held by USSR.
Richter said he greatly preferred Haydn to Mozart, so you are in good company. Angela Hewitt, Arrau, and Brendel are my favorites too.
I have a video of Brendel, "Man and Mask"  BBC (2000).  Post concert in London there is a long line of beautiful bejeweled women patiently waiting for his autograph, hoping for a word from the man.  Shades of Mick Jagger.He played his last recital in 2008 (age 77), but his lecture/discussion/demonstrations continued, and are so excellent, in both content and tone.Love that soft refined Viennese accent.
Alfred Brendel 2018 lecture about Beethoven last period, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFgfRZXsYVQ
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/08/the-writer-who-makes-perfect-sense-of-clas...