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
Every time I hear a young composer expound upon composition , and I hear or read a lot of them, I come away with the same conclusion .
People who grow up in a rock culture simply rarely make good instrumental composers of classical music .
I was in a famous French philosopher’s class once upon a time .She said , "There will never be another Mozart. No one growing up in a modern society can ever have the concentration of mind available to him in the 1700’s ." Stuck in my mind for last 50 years .
now listening to
The Complete Recordings Box Set Moriz Rosenthal
Rosenthal was a student of Liszt, made few recordings, and they
have been resurrected with new technology.
I am enjoying them, a lot.
I will not attempt a critique, I defer to others who know far more.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Recordings-Moriz-Rosenthal/dp/B006ICUJ8M
@jcazador, I found your link and wanted to play it through my Bluesound, but only the Chopin Concerto #1 came up.
I have to say it is unbelievable. How they got rid of all the noise, yet keep the sonic atmosphere is a testament to human ingenuity. Though when I listen to music recorded in pre WWII Germany, I am stunned by the sound quality they captured even then. 
@twoleftears ,
Steven Hough is one talented guy. 
Richard (RVpiano) came to listen to my system and I played the Hummel Concerto #2- something he played in his earlier years- and we both enjoyed his performance- Mr. Hough's, that is.
Bob
@jcazador

JC I have been listening to Radu Lupu’s boxset and must say it is most enjoyable. At this very moment I am listening to Schumann’s Kinderzenen and it is stunning to listen to , the extrovert movements are gloriously virtuosic. Although it won’t supplant my version by Claudio Arrau it is most definitely able to stand side by side to it. It is very nice to hear the digital transfers that have been expertly cleaned up , there is not a trace of tape hiss anywhere. I don’t know about the rest of you but I always thought Decca didn’t serve him too well as the record pressings I had of him were noisy and had an opaque cloud over them but these digital transfers now do him justice. Also a lot of the recordings were produced in the Kingsway Hall in London one of the best halls in the world for recording but how Decca could fog that glorious acoustc I fail to understand. I shall return to these performances with regularity.I have been reading your comments about Moritz Rosentahl and did you know that he was never recorded until he was in his 70s but the playing never sounded tired. Although Liszt said that his best pupils were Tausig and d’Albert he always refered to Rosentahl when one of his students was flagging and then Rosentahl would take control of the keyboard to spectacular affect. I feel that Rosentahl was the precursor to Godowsky as when he was young difficulties in execution just didn’t exist. Unfortunately Tausig died when he was very young so we don’t even have acoustic performances to guage from but from statements from other pupils who heard him they said his tecnique was even better in some areas than Liszts. d’Albert lost his concert tecnique because he only wanted to write operas and the handful of piano rolls he left are very poor.Once again thanks for the tip about Lupu.