Audiogon "RECORDINGS TO DIE FOR" list


I've been listening to some of my favorite recordings this weekend and was wondering what others on Audiogon felt were there favorites. We have all seen the Stereophile "Records to Die For", The Absolute Sounds recommended list, Music Directs' list, The Golden Ear, etc. now I'm hoping to assemble the Audiogon "Recordings To Die For". Please list your five favorite recordings, the ones you listen to over and over or play for friends. I would assume the sonic quality is excellent in that this is an audiophile site. The performance and enjoy ability should also be excellent. Please leave your top five, even if they are already chosen so we can discover the very top for the Audiogon listeners. ALSO PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CRITICIZING OTHERS OPINIONS AND JUST LEAVE YOUR FAVORITES!

August 2002: I have compiled a summary and a full printer-friendly list of all of the recommendations below.
click here to view summary
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I'm at my office, not at home where the music is, therefore my list will be somewhat short on exact titles, etc., but I think I can still provide enough information to be useful. I've been beaten to the punch on a lot of titles already mentioned by others, so I'm concentrating on items that may be somewhat less obvious, but still meet the criteria of first rate performance & recording quality.

1) Cherish the Ladies (That's the group name, not a title!):
The most recent release of Irish/Celtic folk music-the real (reel?) thing, not the New Age type-performed by an all female vocal/instrumental group with guest artists, including members of The Chieftains (to whom some of the ladies are related). HDCD encoded, beautifully realized recording/performance
2) Bill Cunliffe: Jazz piano trio recording of music written by/associated with the great Bud Powell by pianist Cunliffe who is not well known, but has a real grasp of the bop great's essence without being imitative. On the Naxos label, thus dirt cheap, and extremely well recorded.
3)Beethoven Symphonies 1-9 (+ several shorter works): David Zinman, cond., Tonhalle Orch. This is cheating a bit, because there are, I believe, 5 separate CD's, not in a boxed set, but releases on the Arte Nova label are only $5 or $6 (I got mine at Border's for $4.99 per), so I feel OK about calling it one item! There may be better performances of each of the symphonies available, yet as a set, these superbly recorded ones stand up well, and not just because of the price.
4) Mingus Big Band, The Essential...: On the Dreyfus label, the recording quality varies a bit, because this is really a "Best of..." compilation recorded at different times at different locations by different engineers, but it is never less than very good. If you haven't heard this big band that was formed in the early '90's to play arrangements of the music of Charles Mingus on a weekly gig at a NYC night club, you're in for a real treat. Despite varying personnel resulting from the nature of the engagement, the band is still an immensely coherent bunch with excellent soloists that can blow the roof off.
5) Vivaldi: Concert for the Prince of Poland. Features the Academy of Ancient Music on original instruments led by Andrew Manza, who also does some great work on the violin, on a variety of pieces by the composer (No, NOT The Four Seasons!) This is not Vivaldi to doze by, but a lively, sparkling assortment of concertos that will hold your interest, especially with the typically front rank Harmonia Mundi recording. (Or you could substitute Vivaldi's Concertos for Diverse Instruments, a Reference Recordings HDCD issue that may be a marginally better recording, but not quite as well played by the Philharmonia Baroque under Nicholas McGhegan
Just saw the thread and off the top of my head I came up with:
- Laura Love: Fourteen Days. Great recording and the vocals just absolutely soar. Amazing harmonies.
- I really enjoy the new Lucinda William's Essence.
- I agree with the other poster, the latest Clapton, Reptile, is a really nice recording, well done, and it just sounds wonderful.
- Steely Dan's Two Against Nature is a reference.
- Of course, Davis' Kind of Blue. What can I say?

Way too many to mention.
My top 5 list
Dave Brubeck-Take 5
John Coultrane- Blue Train
Cannonball Adderley- Something Else
Miles Davis-Kind of Blue
Art Balkey-Moanin
1. Gillian Welch-- "The Revelator" (such a good recording, you can practically see them playing!)
2. Louis Armstrong and Duke ELlington -- "The Great Summit"
3. Louis Armstrong -- "Best of the Columbia Years" (particularly the first track, "I Got a Right to Sing the Blues")
4. Edgar Meyer, et al. -- "Uncommon Ritual"
5. Joni Mitchell -- "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" (HDCD reissue. A bit overblown, performance-wise, but a kick-ass recording.)
1. Bach, Keyboard Concertos 1,2,4 - Murray Perahia with Academy of St. Martin in the Fields on Sony Classical

2. Beethoven, Symphonies 1-9 - Herbert Von Karajan with Berlin Philarmonic(1963)

3. Mahler, Symphony 5 - Sir John Barbirolli with New Philharmonia Orchestra Or Leonard Bernstein with Wiener Philarmonic

4. Dvorak, Symphony 9 - Nikolaus Harnoncourt with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on Teldec

5. Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto 2 - Sviatoslav Richter with Stanislaw Wislocki Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra