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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John Field was a very interesting composer the precurser to the Chopin Nocturne and wrote some very nice piano concertos also but you already know that but what you don't know is way way back in the seventies my friend and I used to play Field Nocturnes on two classical guitars, but that's all history now. I used to like Fields works and I shall have to revisit him some time.Speaking of Stephen Hough , heard him a few years ago in Glasgow playing Rachmaninov's Paganinni Rhapsody and he really was very good but I haven't heard anything from him lately either.
Listened to Field ## 1 and 2 last night, John O'Conor, and so far I have to say I prefer the Nocturnes, which are absolutely delicious.  We'll see if I like 3-7 better.  1 & 2 were obviously heading in the direction of Chopin, but frustratingly neither quite enough character of their own, and not quite Chopin-esque enough.
Field 3, 4, 5.  Now he seems to be channelling a little bit of Beethoven mixed in with the Chopin.  I like O'Conor as a pianist a lot (on the Telarc label), but I don't think I really like the Onyx recordings very much.  Perhaps O'Rourke is better.
I think of the recordings available that O'Conor does it best for me as I find O'rourke drags the nocturnes out too much. O'connor also imbibesmore life to them and I also find the Terlarc recording to be more imediate and detailed.
Agreed. O'Conor/Nocturnes/Telarc=delicious.  It's the recording done by Onyx, rather than the performance, that doesn't completely convince me.  Anyway, 6 & 7 didn't provide any major revelations.  Onward.  Who's next?