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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
jcazador
417 posts
 
Sergei Lyapunov, Etsuko Hirose
I read that Lyapunov's Trancendental Etudes were incredibly difficult to play.  They are a continuation/completion of Liszt.
So I tried to find a recordning, and found Etsuko Hirose.
Fabulous recording, highly recommended.
Hirose was born in Japan, and gained fame first in France.
Most recently she has studied with Brendel.
I cannot find any other of her recordings.
ei001h
275 posts
 
Just discovered Grigory Sokolov. Not very well known in the US, and not many recordings to choose from. But his live performance of Schubert and Beethoven on DG is unparalleled. Full video available on Amazon prime. I can not stop listening to this guy. His sound and tone are truly unique. 
Also, check out his Mozart Salzburg recital, also a live performance. 

Has anyone heard this guy live? 
jim204
881 posts
 
I had the pleasure of listening to Grigory Sokolov a number of years ago at the  Edinbugh Festival in the Queen's Hall. He came on and did a medley of Wm. Byrd pieces.That one set was enough for me to see how great he was / is. He then played Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op.2 No 3. and unfortunately I can't remember the rest of his progam except for an encore a Brahm's intermezzo Op.117 which was absoloutly divne. What made me love his playing was that no matter what he played in the repeats when thing can get a little taxing he did not slacken the pace any and he just threw the decorations as if flicking a piece of fluff off his sleeve. Last year I purchased his CD of Beethoven's Hammerklavier and Schubert's Piano sonata D960.  l love the  Schubert but hate his Hammerklavier as I find the playing slow and leaden which is very unlike him but I am afraid he does polarise opinions.
jcazador
417 posts
 
Love Sokolov.
Have a ton of his recordings, never heard him live.
So many superb recordings, cannot choose a favorite.
His many recordings of live performances stand out.
Here's a nice collection (9cds):
https://www.amazon.com/Sokolov-Complete-Recordings-GRIGORI-SOKOLOV/dp/B005OZDXR8
He follows Gilels in the procession of great russian pianists.
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,413 posts
 
Any Prokofiev lovers out there might want to investigate a set of his compositions (mostly ballets) recorded in the sixties by Ernest Ansermet and the Suisse Romande on Decca Eloquence.  Incredible performances AND sound.
More to discover