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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.


128x128rvpiano
schubert
7,386 posts
 
To the Czechs and Slovaks Rudolf Firkusny is THE man for Janacek’s piano works and I wouldn’t argue with them.
There is something right about smaller forces for many composers , their
music was written for same . My local St.Paul CO is world class and they can knock out Mozart , Haydn and Schubert symphony’s as well or better
than anyone this side of Vienna .The Scottish Orchestra’s show up on FM here often and they are all as ship-shape as a Clydeside built Frigate . I haven’t listened to any LvB symphonies in a long time , still play his String Qts a lot though.

Just grew weary of them , but for whatever reason every time I put on a Brahms or Schubert Symphony its like hearing them for the first time .Ditto plus for
Peer Gynt, I imagine I’ve heard that more than any other piece of music and I’m always happy in" The Hall of the Mountain King" .
jcazador
417 posts
 
Schubert
I share your weariness of Beethoven Symphonies.
But recently I listened to Idil Biret playing the Liszt transcriptions, and it was deja vu all over again.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Well ,   you have  better taste than me jcazador.
There are 3 people in music I just plain don't like .

First and foremost , Wagner, followed by Miles Davis and Liszt .But I will try to listen to the Biret if it doesn't cost me any money .Thank you .
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,693 posts
 
Schubert,

+1 for your dislike of Liszt (except for the spectacular exception of the B minor Sonata.)
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Thanks rv .I did hear a rumor in Paris that Saint-Saens , kind soul that he was, wrote the B minor Sonata for Liszt just to make his life worth something .

Hitler did his best for the composer that made his efforts so much easier , but the German people thought the country needed more than one composer .
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