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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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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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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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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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The works are the 11th and 12th Piano Concertos.
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To my hears the greatest rendering of "Symphonic Dances "Is on DG 477 9505 with the Russian National Orch
with Pletnev, It’s in a 4 CD of all his Symphonies which are Russian to the
core , ending of the Dances is an explosion !
A simple one CD is Ashkenazy with the great acoustics of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw .


IMO Rachmaninov’s greatest work is his Vespers Op 37.
A fantastic recording is HM Chant du Monde RUS 788050 St.Petersburg Capella , Chernuchenko
The perfection of the ensemble and blend of the sheer beauty of tone is beyond words .
There are many , many Russian choral works but in Russia itself THIS is considered the greatest of them all !
More to discover