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

Give me any pianist name that play at the same level or better i will buy his album right now...If i dont already know him ... 😊

Moravec is one of my FEW gods on piano....All his album are TOP artistic playing with none musically underpar with the others...I listen to them all...If he is not the best he is beside the best interpreter of a piece...This pianist is not so well known because probably he is too great to be true...

His color sense is astounding and his mastery of the flowing "hues" unsurpassed save by few other gods....he dont play piano , he is a painter...

Do you want to SEE the "cathedral engloutie" under water?

I was in love with Debussy after listening him....Never before...

When your eye catch what look like a cathedral under water you never forgot it...

I discovered Moravec because of a friend who wanted to cure me at all cost of my Sofronitsky and Nyiregyhazi serious disease for months....He succeeded...I was able at last to listen to another pianist....😁😊

 

«Only a diamond can replace a diamond»-Lazare Kaplan diamond cutter

 

 

 

listen to it at 4m41s.

I would like to say that Claudio Arrau and Vladimir Horowitz were fully up to and in certain ways passed Moravec with their playing. As far as Arrau is concerned you only have to look on Idagio at the moment and he is playing the 4 Ballades and the 4 Scherzi. which was a stupendous disc when it came out at first. I went through a couple of LPs by constantly playing them. It was so strange for a lot of people to believe that a South American who trained in the Germanic tradition could play Chopin so well. He had a repertoire that ranged from Bach to Schoenberg. His Debussy was beautifully liquid and his rubatos were wonderful. And now of course we have Mr Horowitz who I think got better as he got older and thank goodness he still had a reasonable technique left to give us some wonderful recordings for us to savour. Get your wallet out !!!

Jim

please give a listen to Moravec and Sasa Vectomov (cello) playing Ravel's Habanera.

if you have ever heard anything prettier, please let me know

 

@jcazador    

Hi Jeremy,

I have looked for the recording you mentioned but cannot find it on Idagio. I have consolidated my streaming now , I have given up Qobuz because of this dammed decision to play music by female composers, before any of you jump on me I have not got it in for female musicians or composers in fact my third favourite pianist is Martha Argerich so I am just saying that I am fed up with each month taken up by lesser musicians so I stopped Qobuz. What I will ay there is a disc with Yuya Wang and a cellist ( forget his name ) doing the rounds and she is playing Rachmaninov and it is really special. I would have a look out for it if I was you as I am sure you will enjoy it . Another very special female musician is Maria Joao P Pires which at the moment I am listening to her Chopin - Piano Concerto No 1, It is absolutely beautiful as is all things from her.

Here is a pianist who is doing the best of Schubert ,

which is to say the best . Never heard her but she is up to it and in to it!