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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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mayoradamwest
429 posts
 
It matters what you mean by destroyed. If you mean popularity, I’d say if anything there seems to be an uptick in that due to orchestras finally coming to their senses and playing more pop music like movie scores. If you mean the craft of making new classical/orchestral music, that was ruined in the middle of the 20th century with the advent of atonal music (which also destroyed jazz as well). I’m afraid we’ll have lost at least 2 generations to atonal music due to professors in colleges over emphasizing it currently. A bigger issue, tbh, is the way Hans Zimmer has destroyed movie music, which has enjoyed 80 years of success. 
So if you mean popularity, then all is as well as could be given classical will never become “pop” again. If you mean the music being written today sucks, then blame 20th century composers for a shift to atonality which was never going to be popular and drove the most talented composers away. 
jcazador
417 posts
 
Interesting piece by John Helmer on popularity of classical music in Russia, on radio and online.  Helmer is longest serving english speaking correspondentin Russia, originally from Australia, but also lived in USA.  He usually writes about politics and economic/business.
http://johnhelmer.net/radio-orfei-can-still-pull-the-state-budget-strings-but-can-it-stream-to-save-...
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twoleftears
5,315 posts
 
Just as the novel went all the way to Finnegans Wake and then came back to chronologically organized coherent narrative, so I think we're well back from the atonal period.  Look at the popularity of Arvo Part or Goreki.  My own favorite from the youngest generation is Dobrinka Tabakova.  Check out her album String Paths on ECM.
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twoleftears
5,315 posts
 
Dohnanyi PC #1 #2.  Hadn't listened in eons.  Quite impressive.  
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mayoradamwest
429 posts
 
We’ve come back but the damage was done. And the music of today isn’t built on the epitome and peak of orchestra with early 20th century romantic music. The music of Arvo Part is no more approachable than the trash being spewed by John Cage or the even worse, Philip Glass. Even more respected composers like Higdon aren’t going to gain much long term traction. I suspect the symphony format died with Shostakovich. The future of the symphony is movie music (which of course Hans Zimmer has tried his best to destroy, but there are still some wonderful composers in that space).
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