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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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." .




Len , I do admire your faith but I grew up in a schooling system that was strict scottish prespyterianism and it was not a nice faith to young people.John Knox was pushed down your throat nearly every day as our savior from darkness. They just ignored the fact that he was responsible for the death of our rightful Queen Mary Stuart and when I stated the fact in class one day I recieved a thrashing from the teacher then a thrashing from the headmaster and worst of all a thrashing from my father. So my friend I will leave you to your faith and I'm afraid I go to the pit, I just hope they have piped Bach !!