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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Just heard yesterday of the death of the grear Jessye Norman , she will be sadly missed . Hers is the best rendition of Strauss's Four Last Songs I have ever heard and I have my daughter primed to have Im Abendrot at my funeral. My first live encounter with her was when my pal and I went to the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow to hear Mahler's 2nd Symphony with the SNO.Miss Norman sang the Urlicht and I shall never forget the experience when her voice rose above the orchestra the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Yes she was a one in a million voice.
Just heard the most incredible performance of the Rachmaninoff First Concerto there is to my knowledge.  Krystian Zimerman with Seji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony, on Idagio.  I don’t know how this recording ever eluded me over the  years.
Brilliant beyond imagination, with recorded sound to match. 
You owe it to yourself to listen to this interpretation.
Rachmaninoff shines!
I overlooked these PC's by Zimmerman and Ozawa as well. Wild and Horenstein's performances of all four have been my 'go to' versions for years. Yet, I've not hesitated to order a new CD on your recommendation.  I have Liszt's PC's by the same forces which I also recommend as you did the Rachmaninoff.

Thanks for posting you thoughts on this.

















My pleasure.
i too have loved the Wild-Horenstein interpretations of the Rachmaninoff concertos, Ever since they appeared on LP.