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
David Oistrakh Edition Vol 3 / Oistrakh, Richter
here
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=93218&album_group=14
includes
19. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 2 in A major, Op. 100 by Johannes Brahms
Performer:  David Oistrakh (Violin), Sviatoslav Richter (Piano) 
20. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 3 in D minor, Op. 108 by Johannes Brahms
Performer:  Sviatoslav Richter (Piano), David Oistrakh (Violin) 
21. Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, M 8 by César Franck
Performer:  David Oistrakh (Violin), Sviatoslav Richter (Piano) 
22. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 1, Sz 75 by Béla Bartók
Performer:  David Oistrakh (Violin), Sviatoslav Richter (Piano)

23. Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 134 by Dmitri Shostakovich
Performer:  David Oistrakh (Violin), Sviatoslav Richter (Piano)

also includes
16. Raymonda, Op. 57: Entr'acte by Alexander Glazunov
Performer:  I. Kollegorskaya (Piano), David Oistrakh (Violin)

@schubert Len you are dead right about Fischer she is a stunning violinist. Have you heard her on the piano she is superb, I’m of the opiion she could have made it on either instrument she is that good. A few years ago she was concertising with the Grieg Piano Concerto in the first half of the concert and the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in the second. Not so long ago she did a concert in I think The Wigmore Hall with her on piano and accompanying Alina Ibragimova who is no mean fiddler herself. One of my memories going back I think about five years ago was her on The Proms and she played a spellbinding Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. When it was over she came back onstage to play an encore and tha place went hushed and after a good pregnant pause of about 20 seconds she suddenly said "I am sorry for taking so long but there are twenty four of these and I am trying to decide what one to play" . No guessing what it was she was deciding on the Paganini 24 Etudes. Playing one of those finger twisting devilish things is bad enough but deciding from the twenty four that you have up your sleeve is surely rubbing it in.
Sergei Lyapunov, Etsuko Hirose
I read that Lyapunov's Trancendental Etudes were incredibly difficult to play.  They are a continuation/completion of Liszt.
So I tried to find a recordning, and found Etsuko Hirose.
Fabulous recording, highly recommended.
Hirose was born in Japan, and gained fame first in France.
Most recently she has studied with Brendel.
I cannot find any other of her recordings.