The reason the Jazz post has gone on forever and a day is they link to You Tube on virtually every post . That makes it easier for someone to know
if that's something they might want to purchase or not . Only poster who has done that on here so far is the respected Mapman .
I would but have neurological problems that prevent my learning small things . It's hard to recommend specific recording knowing that one mans
treasure may be another man's trash .
That said, I will anyway .
Bach is so great that we tend to act as if classical started with him .
Truth is that from the 11th to 15th century there were composers at his level but they wrote things we don't listen to much today, as in religious
music .
My personal choice as best is Josquin Des Prez who was Luther's, no mean composer himself, favorite
Two of his Masses are sung by The Tallis Scholars on Gimell label CDGIM 206, this was a" Gramophone Record of the Year Award" .
To get that from the English Bible is the highest Critical Acclaim !
Claudio Monteverdi is woefully underplayed , his magnificent Vespers are on
a great recording, Virgin 2x1 5 616662-2 starting the greatest singer
of period music alive , Emma Kiirkby . There are many great recording of this , one on BIS has great sound .
Jean Philippe Rameau ,who wrote the book on harmony(literally ) ,
has a nice example of his lighter works on Naxos 8.553746.
Almost anything recorded of him is good really .
Guillaume Dufay a 15th century composer of great eloquence has a fine rendition of his work on Naxos 8.553087 by the Oxford Camerata/Summerly. Not many dogs on Naxos, for sure the leading bang for the buck label .
John Dowland (1563-1626) Is surely one of the greatest writers of song in English.
Sweet recording of that and his lute music on Naxos 8.553326 by Rose Consort of Viols .
Heinrich Schutz(1585-1672) died just before Bach was born .A VERY pious
man who wrote only religious music, he is the equal of Bach in same .
Bach admired him greatly and went to school on him as was usual in those
days and which he freely admitted .
A lovely performance of his Christmas Story()Weihnachtshistorie)
is on Naxos 8.5535514 again with Summerly and his fine Oxford Singers .