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.


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I find Bernstein's Mahler too sentimental for me but I do like him in many other things though.
Now listening to Francsco Piemontesi, Liszt 2 Legends, also  Annees.
Very nice
Has anyone heard him?
Yes I love his playing , I have heard him live a couple of years ago.He played Beethoven's 4th Piano concerto which was wonderfull and certainly a very big risk in one who is relatively young. I have a few recordings of his playing a host of things. He has recorded the first and second Anees and made a wonderful job of them and instilled a beautiful wistfulness in them with crystaline playing also.
If you like Piemontesi there is another player you should listen to  it.s Jan Lisieki a Canadian of Polish extract with a beautiful technique the same as Piemontesi. He is in his early twenty's and already he has produced a full set of the Beethoven piano concertos` which I have to say he makes a very good job of and he certainly has illuminated passages that other pianists just smudge. Yes certainly two pianists to watch.
Yes Jim, I also like Piemontesi's Debussy Preludes.
Also listening to Imogen Cooper's Iberia and Francia cd, just out this year. 
I am stunned by the beauty of Mompou's Cançons i danses (Excerpts) : No. 1 in F-Sharp Major

Thanks for the tip on Lisieki, will give him a listen.
jim , I can understand you feelings about religion . Heaven knows it is often the first choice of scoundrels of every stripe . I was agnostic myself in my youth.
What the light for me was I had two near-death bouts .In both ,as I came back, I realized that it was not that I was not afraid, but  that
I had been in a place where fear did not exist .There were other signs as well , but that peace was beyond words .
The phrase most used in the Bible is "be not afraid." .