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
Britten: Peter Grimes, conducted by Britten/Decca. An outstanding 1959 recording of the popular opera.
Since today is Lenny Bernstein's 100th Birthday, I'm listening to his  Mahler 2nd Symphony
I started typing a post, went back to refer to an earlier one, and then my text disappeared! So retyping, and apologize if this gets posted twice somehow. 

Just catching up on the thread. rvpiano, the Brahms horn excerpt you mentioned (from the 4th symphony) is in this case actually a duet, not a solo, unlike the Ravel one Al mentioned. But it is a very nice choice for favorite horn excerpt, nevertheless. All of us horn players wish that Brahms could have gotten over his musical conservatism enough to actually write the horn concerto he wanted to. But at least we have the Trio! 

fynnegan, another great recording of the Peter Grimes is the one with Jon Vickers in the title role, with Colin Davis conducting. That one and the one you mentioned are the two representatives in my collection. 

brayeagle, I celebrated yesterday by re-watching the film On The Waterfront, which is one of my very  favorite Bernstein scores. 
Learsfool,

I knew I should have re-listened to the Brahms 4th before, off the top of my head, I cited the example as being a solo. Laziness!