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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.


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apm18
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@rvpiano, The Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances are also one of my favorite symphonic pieces! Thanks for all the recommendations earlier in this thread: Dallas-Johanos / Minnesota-Oue / Concertgebouw-Ashkenazy / Concertgebouw-Jansons.

I wanted to add the Gardiner / NDR Sinfonieorchester recording to the list... to my ears, it's unmatched in suspense, scale and space. The Dallas/Johanos recording sounds comparably sterile and too measured for my taste, and far less expressive. What are your impressions?
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rvpiano OP
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apm18,

I agree with you that the Johanos recording is very dry and somewhat sterile.  I must admit that I recommended it on the basis of this being an audiophile site. That particular disc has really excellent sonics.  Performance-wise there are many better versions. In general, I like Ashkenazy’s way with Rachmaninoff.
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rvpiano OP
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A lifetime project of mine, consciously started as a teenager, is baring fruits now in my advanced years.  I determined quite early that Mozart’s piano concertos were too precious to spoil by listenIng to them too often.  Hence, throughout my life I’ve listened to them sparingly, so as to discover new sweetnesses every time. I’m happy to say that it’s worked.  I still thrill to each concerto I hear!


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rvpiano OP
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A recording on Idagio inspired the above post:
Alexander Schimpf with the Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie.
Although it’s a version without winds (Mozart’s original draft,) the genius of invention still shines through.
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rvpiano OP
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The works are the 11th and 12th Piano Concertos.
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