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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.


128x128rvpiano
jcazador
417 posts
 
My Favorite String Quartet

Fifty years ago, the Alban Berg Quartet was founded. A huge box set, comforting yet daring, is an immersive celebration.

The two occasions on which I saw them, however — a Bartok-Mozart program in London and a gripping Schubert concert at Carnegie Hall — are highlights of my musical life. Those performances also confirmed that the Berg sounded just as immaculate live as on record.

quoted from NYT behind paywall
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/14/arts/music/alban-berg-string-quartet.html
schubert
7,386 posts
 
I agree with you , Jim !
MacKerras  with the BBC Scottish was as good as music gets ,
But as you say , hard to find .

Also with jcazador ,  As a fan of Schubert I have all their outings of him .
edcyn
1,876 posts
 
I just reached into my vinyl collection and dragged out a British EMI Eminence reissue of the Beet's Eroica Symphony played by the London Symphony Orchestra under Eugen Jochum.   The performance is uniformly loud and in-your-face.  Good imaging but the sound is a bit gritty.  I'm betting I got the LP from a record store's used bin.
jim204
881 posts
 
@schubert Len, yes I used to love MacKerras with the BBC Scots in fact I have been to many of his outings with the band at City Hall Candelriggs as I used to have subs. for the BBC Scots and the SNO before they became the RSNO. MacKerras did some really great Mozart Symphonies with the Beeb band and they were highly thought of . He also brought Janacek to the Glasgow crowd and i heard wonderful playing of Taras Bulba , Four Preludes and Sinfonietta. Great pity he is gone now as I really enjoyed anything he played and the BBC orchestra were really upset when he passed.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Yes Jim , I remember when he brought a great favorite of mine, Janacek ,to Scotland .I thought he would do well in Scotland !
MacKerras was one of the first who knew the language of the composerwas an element not to be forgotten . He could go czech in the blink of an
eye .
More to discover