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 attended a very interesting concert last night in a local venue with a not very sophisticated audience.
Royal Philharmonic, Wigglesworth conducting.
Soloist was Khatia Buniatishvili, one of my favorite pianists playing Liszt’s 2nd Piano Concerto, my least favorite concerto in the literature. {That’s the nicest thing I can say about it.) She was brilliant, as was expected. Audience barely applauded enough for her to squeeze out one encore (a ravishingly played Schubert impromptu.)
Second half of the program was Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Symphony, in my opinion (possibly aside from Mahler’s,) undoubtably the greatest 20th Century symphony.
Performance  of the great work was so-so, but to my great surprise, the audience who inappropriately clapped after each movement, was wild with enthusiasm at the end, eliciting several returns to the stage by the conductor.The spontaneous reaction of this audience to Rachmaninoff brought tears to my eyes.

Mompou  "Complete Piano Works"
it is Mompou himself playing piano!
a sensitive delight

Simple rv, people who are raised on rock like noise , the louder the better.Thrill yes , refined solo no .
Glad Ragland that you enjoyed the Concert, RVW.  I share your lack of enthusiasm for the Liszt Concerto but fail to have more than a middling interest in the Rachmaninoff Second Symphony.  Nice clarinet solo in the slow movement, rocket theme in the start of the scherzo, otherwise not my cup of borscht.  Ymmv