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Buidling a Classical Library - MUST HAVES!

I started a r2d4 thread last week and am so impressed with the depth of music knowledge on this site that I'm going to start this one too. My knowledge of great classical recordings is so limited it's embarrassing to call myself a music lover. I've tried following some of the reviews in Stereophile, TAS and Golden Ear, but they all seam to have some agenda other than great sound, great performance and great material in mind. The fact that my system can resolve the subsonic activity of an earthquake during the highschool bands performance of Nutcracker or what ever Stereophile is about does nothing to help me find great music. My request, if you choose to accept it, is to identify the must have recordings to build library from scratch. PLEASE CONSIDER SONIC QUALITY, PERFORMANCE AND MATERIAL EQUALLY. As a lover of music I believe all three should be superior. Also, in the spirit of my last post, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CRITICIZING OTHERS SELECTIONS. IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE A SELECTION START A THREAD, LEAVE THIS ONE FOR KNOWLEDGE FOR THOSE OF US WHO NEED IT. THANK-YOU. Finally, please list a maximum top ten and even if your favorites already appear, list them anyway. This will help me figure out the first ones to buy. Vinyl and/or digital are acceptable as long as the material is still avalible.
128x128jadem6
davebones
4 posts
 
Interesting suggestions. Two replies mention getting information from radio stations. My local PBS has several hours of classical music weekly. As well as collect suggestions, you might want to listen to FM classical stations with notepad handy to write down the music publisher and CD number when you hear something that appeals to you. You will certainly be exposed to more obscure offerings as well as better known works, and some of them may really appeal to you. Also, check out the Penguin Guide to Compact Disks (about $25). It's an excellent resource listing recordings and providing great information about their quality.
jadem6's avatar
jadem6 OP
1,074 posts
 
I would like to take a second to thank all the postings for the great information. I've already ordered a few from the above list. I'd like in particular to thank Sugarbrie who has been most helpful here and in a email. Thanks again!
jnye
12 posts
 
One way to get a handle on sound quality is to remember the names of top engineers. Not a guarantee, but usually indicates good sound. If performance is good, then you have what you want. Ex. RCA and Decca/London Kenneth Wilkinson EMI Christopher Bishop/C. Parker team RCA Layton/Mohr or Layton/Pfeiffer Vox Aubort/Nickrenz modern cds Tony Faulkner Peter McGrath, etc.
kencalgary
45 posts
 
Two great sources of information are:
Gramophone on-line archives (reviews back to 1923) at http://www.gramophone.co.uk/

and available from used book dealers the "Penguin Stereo Record Guide" for those looking for vinyl recordings rather than CDs.
brownsfan
1,508 posts
 
I'm going to limit my choices to recordings of recent vintage. You can assume that all of the recommendations will meet all three of your criteria.

First, I'd recommend all of Fabio Luisi's recordings on Sony with the Staatskapelle Dresden. Especially noteworthy are the Strauss Don Quixote and 4 Last songs. In those recordings he captures the lyrical beauty of Richard Strauss in a way that only Rudolph Kempe has done previously. Also I recommend Luisi's Bruckner 9th symphony. I own a bunch of Bruckner 9's, and have heard plenty more, and I think this one is head and shoulders above them all. Luisi has ended his relationship with the Dresden Orchestra, and I fear we will have no more of these extraordinary performances. If not, what a pity. Keep your eyes open for these recordings as they seem to sell pretty quickly and go on backorder.
I also very much like Till Fellner's recording of the Beethoven piano concerto's 4 & 5 on ECM. I've always loved Beethoven's 1st and 4th, but I never really loved the 5th until I heard this one. Now I can't get enough.
Try Hillary Hahn's Brahms violin concerto on Sony. Its my favorite version of my favorite violin concerto.
Finally, try the Queyras account if the Dvorak Cello concerto on Harmonia Mundi Happy listening!
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