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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
schubert
4,867 posts
 
My favorite is whatever Schubert or Schumann is closest at hand .That said , here is 3 of the best seldom mentioned .

From a great not noted for his Schubert, Rubinstein with Wander Fantasia
in C and the great sonata D.960 with a few Impromptus thrown in .RCA 63054-2
Kempff on DG 459 412-2 another of the great D. 960 with the most
Germanic rendition possible of the Impromptus and Moments musicaux D.780
IMO one of Brendal’s best was Schumann on Phillips 434 732-2
in very good sound which he did not always get .Fantasiestucke Op.12 . Kinderszenen Op.15 and a near perfect Kreisleriana Op 16 .

 I take that back, it is perfect !
jim204
207 posts
 
Hi Len,I do agree with you about the Rubinstein Schubert and I would like to make a suggestion regarding D960, Arrau made a wonderful version of it perhaps even more Germanic than Rubinstein. He also played it with the long section in the first movement that all other pianists cut and when you hear it I am quite sure you will want other pianists to want to keep it also . What Brendel had to say about Schubert was a lot of his work had what he termed heavenly lengths ( pity he didn't stick to his guns and keep the D960 to the original manuscript himself ) . I do remember going to see Brendel in Glasgow in the 70's and beyond and he played the last three sonatas of Schubert and although he didn't shock and thrill as the big vitrtuosos would do his musical taste and commitment were above reproach, he was very well respected and popular in Scotland and when he played up here the houses were always full.
brownsfan
1,238 posts
 
As an add on to Len's comments above regarding Heinrich Schutz,  I'd like to recommend the Ars Nova Copenhagen recordings on deCapo.  There is a boxed set of the Johannes, Lukas, and Matthias Passions, along with the Christmas and Resurrection histories, and finally Die Seben Worte.   https://www.amazon.com/Schutz-Narrative-Ars-Nova-Copenhagen/dp/B005MJDVWI/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=music&a...   $25 for the set, and these have pretty much become my standby recordings for these works.  They are sonically and artistically superb in my opinion.  Also the Vox Luminis recording of Musicalishche Exequeien on Ricercar is in the same league.  https://www.amazon.com/Musicalische-Exequien-Schutz/dp/B004S7ZZ5Q/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&...
If works such as these are of interest, and you aren't familiar with the works of Heinrich Schutz, it would be hard to do better than to start with these recordings.    My love and respect for Schutz is deep.  But he is more of an acquired taste, I suppose.   
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schubert
4,867 posts
 
Jim, When you went to hear Brendel play Scubert, you got Schubert, with many you got/get them . The "heavenly lengths" bit came from Schumann in reference to the Great C major Symphony .
Few musicians were/are as learned as Brendel .I’ll look for the Arau.I had it once .

I saw a clip with Rubinstein saying the adagio to Schubert’s Quintet in C,d.956 , is the most beautiful music ever written .Lot of folks like Schubert because he wrote so many melodic " little pieces" . True enough, but according to Brahms anyway, everyone was a masterpiece .At 2 am this morning our local BBC 3 played both sides of a new Hyperion  CD with Steven Isserlis on Cello,Denes Varjon on pf .One side was the Chopin Cello Sonata Op.65, the other Schubert's Arpeggione SonataD.821 .

I doubt anyone could walk away from this great recording with any opinion other than both pieces are masterworks .

.
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