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Your Favorite Classical Music Recordings

I've spent too much time reading reviews and buying stuff. I'd like to get back to the music which is the real reason I love this hobby. I'd like to hear what some of your favorite classical music recordings are. I enjoy all types of classical music from early medieval music to experiemental electronic music. I'm very open minded so long as it's good music. I enjoy classical music because of it's depth and complexity. There's so much to listen to and to listen for! I also love jazz, electronic, and alternative music, but classical is the most fun music to listen to on a good sound system (probably because it is mixed the least).

Please rate your favorite classical recordings based on the musicianship and performance as well as the quality of the recording as far as depth, sound stage, etc. If you have the time, please state the orchestra or ensemble, the label, and catalog number. I will start with several really great classical recordings I've picked up recently. Does anyone has a good recording of "The Planets" by Gustav Holst?

copy/past this if it helps:
compose:
album:
Label/catalog #:
Orchestra/Ensemble
Conductor:
Comments:

composer: Camille Saint-Seans
title: Le Carnival Des Animaux
label: Virgin Classics 7243 5 45603 2 3
bought from barnes & noble
Renaud Capucon
Gautier Capucon
Emmanuel Pahud
Paul Meyer
Musicianship is fantastic. This disc makes me feel like a kid again. There is a sweet innocence to the performances that are very engaging. Sonics are 9/10.

Composer:Ernesto Lecuona
Performer: Mario Sollazzo
(bought from www.cdbaby.com)
catalog# KHA004 (KHA is an Italian label)
album: La 32
If you love piano music this is a truly superb album. The sonics are 10/10 and the performances are so full of joy, humor, and pathos. Lecuona is the most famous Cuban composer and he was obviously no slouch b/c these compositions are incredibly complex and sophisticated.

composer: Rameau
album: Nais / Le Temple de la Gloire
label: Harmonia Mundi HMU 907121
(from barnes & noble)
Orchestra: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Conductor: Nicholas McGegan
Sonics 9.5 of 10. This disc beautifully captures all the splendor and simplicity of 17th century and 18th century France . The delicate trills, airy strings, and bouncy melodies are thoroughly engaging. One of my favorite classical discs. The music is presented in a wonderfully authentic mood and spirit that lacks any pretentious air often associated with this type of music.

Composers: Bach, Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Handel
Artist: Wendy Carlos
Album: The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
ESD81612
This is a must have for any audiophile who loves detail. If only to test out how sensitive your system is and how detailed sounds can be. These remastered performances really show off how much of a genius Bach was. The contrapuntal lines of The Well Tempered Klavier are reinvented with synthesizers. Each sound is so specific that it's obvious Wendy Carlos spent thousands of hours perfecting these sounds and tweaking the performance. Hollow, crisp, crunchy,punchy, boomy, bouncy,laser-light, ticky tacky, bubbly, fizzy, round, mellow, wet, and pneumatic are just some of the words that I can find describe the many wonderful sounds on this disc but in the end it is certianl stil music and indeed very musical. 10/10 sonics. 10/10 performance.
j_evege

Showing 4 responses by newbee

newbee
4,751 posts
 
Tough assignment considering that it is likely that most recommendations wouldn't be appreciated (useful).

We really don't know what composers you are attracted to. Nor do we know what periods interest you.

We really don't know what styles of classical music you prefer, such as Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Neo Classical, Modern, Neo Romantic or even simply orchestral, chamber, solo instruments, vocals etc, other than the few you mention. It appears you might prefer chamber and Baroque, but Holst and Lecuona are a bit distant in similarity.

Bottom line you might have set the response level too high for folks who don't even know if they can be of any help to you, me included.

But, if this will help get you out of your equipment reviewing/equipment buying habit.......

You mention Lecuona - You might enjoy music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk. There are 3 Vanguard Classic CD's - Vol 1 is for solo piano by Eugene List, Vol 2 is a combo of orchestral and solo piano with Eugene List and Maurice Abravanel and the Utah OS. Vol 3 is orchestral and includes his A Night In The Tropics and Morton Goulds Latin American Symphonette. Great American music with a Cuban/Latin influence and the recordings are very good as well. Very lively, assessible, stuff!

Re Holst's Planets - I think Dutoit's with the Montreal SO on London is outstanding, both in the performance as well as the recording. This has been widely acclaimed - I'm sure you can find refined reviews on line if this interests you. It is my favorite version -

Refine your requests to composers and/or individual pieces, or at least periods/styles and I'll bet you'd get a lot better response.

:-)
newbee
4,751 posts
 
J_evege, Your post is clear, but evidentially mine was not.

It was not my intent to discourage anyone from responding to your thread. IMHO your thread was all too effective in doing that within its own construction.

The purpose of my post was to encourage others to respond inspite of what I percieved, and I even created a path that could be followed. I commented on one of your inquiries and I tried to expand on one of your other selections, but not within your construction.

BTW a recording company, BIS I believe, catalogued all, or at least most of, Lecuona's music. I have some of these recordings but I've misplaced them. His granddaughter also recorded much of his music in a Dynamic CD.

I have no affinity for Baroque so I took a pass on the other two.

What I suggest, if you want to be successful in expanding your collection of classical music is to set about by posting over time a series of threads inquiring in the music of composers of interest to you and try to do so in a way that opens up an opportunity for dialogue about recommendations. I would offer this for example:

"I heard some music by Sibelius on the car radio and I found it incedibly beautiful. I believe that it was his 2d Symphony. Can anyone share with me their views of this piece and give me some recommendations?", or

"I would like to explore the music of Sibelius and Mahler, can anyone point the way for me to their more assessible music as well as any recommendations for specific performances".

Either post will get you some answers sufficient for the purpose at least for establishing a point for further research. Note you have two references for highly regarded performances/recordings of Holst Planets. Now since you know neither poster nor recording it's time to start doing research on Google or in any of the good books of reviews of classical music, and see what critic's or other enthusiasts have to say about them, or some others that they consider better.

Hell someone might even give you a numerical evaluation of recording/performance. Hur(l)witz does this on Classic's Today - it is in that web's sites methodology. FWIW I think its fallible more often than not and would not buy a recording just because it has a 10/10 rating. But I guess, in retrospect, I'd probably be unlikely to buy one that had a 6/6 rating :-).

Speaking of dialogue, what did you think about my recommendation of Gottschalk. Of any interest to you?
newbee
4,751 posts
 
Rushton, Thanks for the reminder about the '"Best Recommendations" list. I looked at the first list for classical beginners and still consider it an excellent starting point. In the future I'll simply refer folks new to classical, and looking for general recommendation, there.

BTW, for your benefit at least, but also for anyone else including J_evege if he is up to Mahler, I must upgrade my Mahler 1 recommendation. Zander on TELARC. Excellent as it is, I think it is surpassed by, and perfectly balanced by, the preceeding rendition of Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen by Christopher Maltman. They really blend and compliment each other so well. I couldn't be more enthused. If you haven't already picked this up, do so and treat yourself to something really!!! special.
newbee
4,751 posts
 
Based on your comments about solo piano music I would suggest that you consider the following for exploration -

1)Brahms Intermezzi Op117 (etc) by Idit Biret on Naxos
2)Chopin Nocturnes by Ivan Moravec on Non-Such
3)Debussy Preludes by Paul Jacobs on Non-such (or Ogawa on BIS)
4)Liszt - Annees de perlerinage (especially Suisse Anne) by Lazar Berman on DG
5)Schumann - Fantasy in C. One of the most beautiful pieces for solo piano in the Catalog. Essential. Perahia does a good job on a CBS/Sony disc and includes a good version of Schuberts 'Wanderer Fantasy'. Combined they make this an excellent addition to your collection.

These recordings are all of a more reflective and beautifulgenre than they are 'barn storming'.

Have you explored any of the more modern composers music for solo piano, original or transcriptions?

For Bizet, something different to explore when you get bored with standard versions of Carmen, the Symphony in C, and L'Arlesienne. The Bizet-Shchedrin version of the Carmen Ballet performed by Schwartz and the LA Chamber Orchesta on EMI. This is Carmen without brass - a heresy perhaps, but a lovely, facinating version with a slightly modern flavor. Highly recommended if you have any sense of adventure.

Hope that helps you a bit.
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