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
I have Kenneth Gilbert's recordings of Rameau, very nice.
And I used to have Wanda Landowska's 1933 recording of the Goldbergs.
But these days I prefer piano to harpsichord.
Perhaps if it were LIVE I would appreciate harpsichord more.
The dean of U of Oregon Music School played a clavichord, and I liked that, especially fine when accompanied by recorder or guitar.
I’m not getting email notifications of this thread’s posts anymore.
Anyone else having that problem?
RV    I really do hope you enjoy Gilbert and on the E Mail side I am getting notifications fine.
One thing I do NOT like , is artists saying well if Bach or LvB etc had this or that he would have wrote for this or that . I just want what they did write, but I understand why others think otherwise .

One thing I do like is every note that Schumann ever wrote.About a year ago I bought a 2 CD set of all his Symphony’s on a Warner that started life as a TELDEC in 1990 with Kurt Masur and the London SO.
I saw Masur live many times , his wheelhouse was the early romantics
and he ruled there . These 2 CD’s are still on Amazon when I looked last night at the same price I paid , 5 bucks .
His clarity and tempo and just plain what he knew of Schumann is ahead of Karajan,Bernstein etc . In particular the 2nd . In any event you can’t have too much Schumann !

Only better I have heard is Gardiner with period instruments on DG .If you want modern instruments Masur is as good as any and better than most .Though I haven’t heard any critics say it .
He is also very good with Brahms among others.