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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
jim204
881 posts
 
@twoleftears
No as far as I'm concerned your Radu Lupu recording is very safe I would rather that they both sat side by side because Radu Lupu when on form is trully magical in introspective works like the late Brahms piano music. I was at an Edinburgh Festival performance of his many years ago and he was off on that day but from the recordings of his I have heard he's had a good few good days as well. If you are really into Brahms late works I used to have a disc of Willhelm Kempf doing Op 117 and Op 119 and they were trully atmospheric and I did love them but lost it when I stopped using Vinyl, don't know what happened to most of my vinyl in the eighties ( I have a sneaking suspicion my wife weedled them down by trashing a small amount each week from the garage but she never did admit it ).
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 

@jim204 Thanks!

I embarked recently on a listening journey through piano concertos.  Started with Dussek, worked through Beethoven, and last night was three from Hummel.  Beautifully played by Stephen Hough.  What happened to him?  I remember he made a splash with a number of recordings and those two "Piano Albums".  Then.... ?

Who's up next.  Chronology will decide.  John Field must be approaching.

jim204
881 posts
 
John Field was a very interesting composer the precurser to the Chopin Nocturne and wrote some very nice piano concertos also but you already know that but what you don't know is way way back in the seventies my friend and I used to play Field Nocturnes on two classical guitars, but that's all history now. I used to like Fields works and I shall have to revisit him some time.Speaking of Stephen Hough , heard him a few years ago in Glasgow playing Rachmaninov's Paganinni Rhapsody and he really was very good but I haven't heard anything from him lately either.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 
Listened to Field ## 1 and 2 last night, John O'Conor, and so far I have to say I prefer the Nocturnes, which are absolutely delicious.  We'll see if I like 3-7 better.  1 & 2 were obviously heading in the direction of Chopin, but frustratingly neither quite enough character of their own, and not quite Chopin-esque enough.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 
Field 3, 4, 5.  Now he seems to be channelling a little bit of Beethoven mixed in with the Chopin.  I like O'Conor as a pianist a lot (on the Telarc label), but I don't think I really like the Onyx recordings very much.  Perhaps O'Rourke is better.
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