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
@jcazador    Johnathan I see you are a fan of Uchida and yes she is great in Mozart but I remember the first concert of hers I attended, it was Mozart piano sonatas in the first half and Schubert impromptus and the little A Major sonata in the second half. Yes it was a beautiful concert but I could not keep my eyes off her face, the faces and mannerisims were all over the place I was mesmerised. I did not even watch her fingers as I just kept staring at her face and my pal was the same. I since have enjoyed lots of her Mozart but from the comfort of my armchair and hi fi system.
@twoleftears

Yes I am glad you like her program she surely is a poet of the piano and with a fearless technique to boot. There certainly is no shortage now of young women who can keep up with and very often beat the men at their own game. Now I see a time upon us where men and women can take on Liszt,Alkan and Godowsky and make something of the masses of notes in front of them and turn it into a cohesive whole . As a phrase of Busoni comes to mind , "Bach is the Old Testament and Beethoven the new and together they make Liszt possible"

Speaking of whom, I see the new recording of the Busoni concerto by Kirill Gerstein and the Boston SO popping up in people's end-of-year best lists.
I must look that one up , it's the Marc-Andre Hamelin one I have. I must admit I find it heavy going like most of Busoni's original compositions.