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.


rvpiano

Schubert:

The Bernstein recording of the Metamorphosis has always been my favorite and prefer it over Levi and other more recent offerings.

Schubert,

 It’s funny how just randomly picking something is like making a new discovery.
 I’ve been finding the same phenomenon this week in auditioning  a new piece of equipment and ferreting out new facets of old recordings.
It makes you listen to the musical message more closely.
schubert,

Apropos of our conversation, I just randomly picked a fabulous recording I would probably not consciously have ever selected:  Bernstein: Fancy Free, Age of Anxiety and Candide Overture with Andrew Liston on Virgin Classics.
Wonderful performance and sound.
Litton is a favorite of mine , seen him several times in Mpls .
I’m not questioning the greatness of Bernstein , I just didn’t like his , in fact hated his, histrionically .

As a musician you can comment on this . I could not see how anyone could follow his MANY superfluous gestures and grimaces without studying tape on him 3 hours a day or rehearsing ten times the average .