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What are your TWO favorite Symphonic Recordings?

Only one would cruel and unusual punishment.

My first would be Joseph Krips 1958 recording of Schubert's 9th on London with the London SO.There was a CD of it as well
which is also OP I believe. If you can find either it or the record at anything under a $1OO its a good buy. Personally
I would give 2K for one if I didn't have a copy.
More than once I've read a critic claim this was the greatest record ever made. The LSO was at the top of its game and gave
this uber- powerful symphony a power-house performance.

My second is the 1976 recording of the Brahms 2nd by James Levine and the Chicago SO in the acoustically wonderful Medina Temple in Chicago. Originally it was on RCA but can be had on Amazon as part of Sony Classical 3 disc set of all Brahm'4 symphonies and his great masterpiece the "German Requiem" for less than 15 bucks ! Very nice sound as well.
Levine does a near-miracle in capturing the 2nd Symphonys combo of power , lyricism and harmonic stability all at the same time.
Of all the great Romantic composers Brahms was the most learned, he literally had the music of 4 centuries at his fingertips, knew every note of Bach, Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven. It took me 30 years of listening before I really
got a glimmer of just how great he is.

A few words of Brahms on Schubert;

"Where else is there a genius like his,that soars with such
boldness and certainty ...he is a child of the Gods...who plays in a region and at a height to which others can by no means attain .
schubert
frogman
7,457 posts
 
Good calls on Kam and Helseth. Both are fantastic young players with beautiful tone and wonderful musicality. There is a wonderful video on Youtube of Kam playing the Mozart clarinet concerto on a basset clarinet with the extended range that Mozart wrote and intended as opposed to how it is usually played (low register passages played one octave higher because of the standard clarinet's more limited range). Helseth in particular has an unusually beautiful trumpet tone with a remarkable ease and lack of tension in her sound. For the geeks: notice the lack of tension in her face and mouth when she plays in contrast to the tightness and contortions that one sees from many brass players; a major contributor to that gorgeous tone. She had a great teacher.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ASB6hFUat4g
schubert OP
7,386 posts
 
Thanks, Frog . I've been to at least 1K, probally closer to 2k, classical concerts, NEVER heard anyone playing anything
with the ease Helseth plays the Trumpet.Well, perhaps Claudio Arrau,I heard him several times in Berlin, seemed like he just looked at the piano and sound issued forth. As I said , its really like she is singing, truly sounds like a female voice in the heavenly choir, as if God was her teacher.
learsfool
1,215 posts
 
@Frogman - you just listed my two favorite recordings of Shepherd on the Rock, too!

@Schubert - Helseth will be soloing with my orchestra very soon. I actually have not ever heard her play yet, so I am really looking forward to it.
schubert OP
7,386 posts
 
Learsfool,Overture Hall in Madison has great acoustics, what is your hall like?
learsfool
1,215 posts
 
The hall I play in is considered world class, especially for opera - it is a multi-purpose venue. Acoustics are good both out in the audience and on the stage for us to hear each other as well - those two things do not always go together.

I can't remember if I have ever played in Overture Hall or not. I have performed in Madison with a traveling opera company, but do not remember the venue. This would have been 1994, I think, possibly 95. I think it may have been on the campus of U of W Madison. Is that Overture Hall?
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