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
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.
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.
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.
Benjamin Grosvenor
I was searching for young pianists, and found Grosvenor.
His album "Dances" is very nice, and the finale is superb:
Bach's sonata for flute and harpsichord BWV 1031, as arranged by Kempff.