Some Favorite Titles & Recommendations

[RBFC]

I thought it'd be great for us to share some of our favorite recordings and performances in this thread.

Please list enough information so members can locate and purchase the recording (if available). I understand that many of our favorites are on LP and may not be in print.

Here's a starter on CD:

Charpentier: Le Malade Imaginaire This is a recording of a small troupe singing both solo and group parts with early instrumental accompaniment. I use the recording as one of my references for vocal purity and imaging/soundstaging. Les Arts Florissants under William Christie provide dependable quality in all their works, this being no exception.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00099FUX4/click07f-20

I'm looking forward to building my collection with some recommendations from all of you.

Lee

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

Kind of listening to a lot of different music but these are for today >

Mercury Living Presence Mercury 432 012-2 Stravinsky / Firebird, Antal Dorati Conducting. What much can be said on these MErcurys and Dorati's .. Great. THose who tend to be put off by Stravinsky dissonances should listen to this reading .. smooth , yet respect the spirit of Stravinsky edgy composition and its meaning ..

EMI Classics _ Schoenberg / Gurrelieder - Simon Rattle Conducting the Berliner. Those were early Schoenberg, before. One can only suspect the Wagnerian and a little but of Mahler too influence but this is clear that this is musician with a different reading . This was before he went in mostly atonality and the twelve-tone technique. Big, Lush, rousing . The recording is OK, could have been much better. This piece is masterful . Too bad it the GurreLieder is not very much recorded or performed these days. A delight that I am forced to listen on Headphones, this requires, great full range system capable of the widest dynamic swings.. The dream would be serious full range speakers , high efficiency with serious high power amplifier .. This music is to be felt.

Deutsche Gramophon _ Holst - The Planets / Von Karajan conducting .. This recording is among those who will tell you why Herbert became such a star. the Man could really lead the Berliner to incredible heights. I have different reading of this piece .. Some of them have much better sound . The Telarc Telarc - CD80133 Royal Philharmonic conducted By Andre Previn has much better sound but I tend to rpefer the Karajan
EMI Classics _ The Complete Recording of Jacqueline Dupre - Elgar _ Delius _ Cello Concerti .. This woman was simply extraordinary. Her readings of the Elgar Violin Concierto remains THE definitive readings... Her play is somewhat effervescent some would say aggressive but it was never act of aggression per se, rather bursts of pathos, of empathy .. She "digged" it .. Highly recommended .. Recording is multi-mike with often too much emphasis on the Cello and not enough of the room in which it is being played, spotlighting is evident but who cares? The music is gorgeous, sumptuous. A true delight.

Frantz

Post Moved...Thanks RBFC.. I have re-discovered Jacqueline Dupre .. What a talent ... her Sradivarius is being used right now by Yo-Yo Ma... Different technique .. Dupre Could be the best Cellist of the past 200 years. Stellar Carreer cut short by health reasons. She could no lomger perform due to early onset of Multiple Scelerosis in her late 20's and left us at 42 ... I also think she had a Garnieri

 

[FrantzM]

I went on another late listening session , on Headphones ... The tactile sensations were missing .. Anyhow..

Two Very interesting pieces:

Francis Poulenc Piano Concerto in C sharp minor and Concerto for Organ and Tympani > Philharmonia of London - Charles Dutoit Conducting . Available on Amazon . Click HERE. Beautiful piece.. One is always intrigued by the organ in a relatively light piece. The piece is rather joyful . Not Solemn or ominous as the Organ would have led you to believe. And the performance matches the spirit IMO. Good sound, The halls is relatively well captured and the piano is Ok if somewhat highlighted. Beautiful Music .. great melodic sense. An interesting piece of Trivia is that Pascale Dure , the pianist on this recording is an enthusiast of Poulenc Music and works toward making it better known. His mother also a musician, was working on the Concerto for Organ and Tympani while she was pregnant and later he said that he could relate to the music the first time he heard it ...out of the womb... Good workout for the woofers and the sub .. Full Range Recording... Charles Dutoit is subdued , yet in control, Pascal Dure plays with passion but reserve a Music he loves and of which he has an excellent control. Very beautiful late 19th Century Romantic Music.

Frantz

 

[FrantzM]

Hi
I seem to be the only person to populate/post this potentially rewarding thread ... Another recommendation ... Beautiful music, good, decent recording from ECM... Yes this is minimalism. Yes, this is modern classical, but hardly dissonant like you would have expected, entrancing, relaxing but not in that "new-music" way, rather a serene masterful seroies of compositions , that are delectable and flowing .. Please do listen and .. People!! some feedback would be much appreciated ..

Arvo Part:Tabula Rasa on ECM available at Amazon.com click HERE

The pieces are all beautiful and surprisingly so .. Fratres ,, A piece for 12 Cellist !! is simply gorgeous ...

Frantz

 

[Steve Williams]

Frantz

I for one always await your recommendations and then buy them because they always prove to be just as you say. I just ordered it

 

[Kal Rubinson]

EMI Classics _ Schoenberg / Gurrelieder - Simon Rattle Conducting the Berliner. Those were early Schoenberg, before. One can only suspect the Wagnerian and a little but of Mahler too influence but this is clear that this is musician with a different reading . This was before he went in mostly atonality and the twelve-tone technique. Big, Lush, rousing . The recording is OK, could have been much better. This piece is masterful . Too bad it the GurreLieder is not very much recorded or performed these days. A delight that I am forced to listen on Headphones, this requires, great full range system capable of the widest dynamic swings.. The dream would be serious full range speakers , high efficiency with serious high power amplifier .. This music is to be felt.

You should experience the Gielen Gurrelieder in MCH SACD: http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/4615

Kal

 

[RogerD]

There is nothing like the full power and majesty of a orchestra and these recordings have it, I highly recommend Nielsen's Aladdin and Sibelius's Kullervo.

http://www.amazon.com/Nielsen-Recor...=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1275331805&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.com/Sibelius-Kull...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1275332191&sr=1-2

 

[RogerD]

A dear friend and fellow audiophile played this unknown tenor to me, in the early 70's, I've been hooked ever since.

Fritz Wunderlich

http://www.amazon.com/Fritz-Wunderlich-Great-German-Tenor/dp/B000002S0N

http://www.amazon.com/Eine-Stimme-Eine-Legende-Fritz-Wunderlich/dp/B0033HKDEA

The 2nd album set is a wonderful buy at 14.74.

I ordered one.

 

[Monkeyboy]

I usually prefer single instrument concerti or orchestral pieces, but two vocal recordings stand out for me. One is sadly only available on cd, Cecilia Bartoli's "Impatient Lover" and on record is Jaque Offenbach's Orphee Aux Enfers on Renaissance Records or Disques Festival (either 0ne) both with Claudine Collart as Eurydice.

I used to have two outstanding recordings of Mozart's Jupiter symphony and the Requiem on Deutsche Grammophon cassette, but both were lent to someone who never gave them back and I have long forgotten who the performers were. Oh, the pain.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

How interesting you ,mention Jacques Offenbach.. I have , never seen his name mentioned in anything opera in the USA ... Granted his style was very close to what they called Opera-Bouffe but it is a very nice piece ...I have a french pressing mid-70 LP.. You guys are bringing some childhood memories :'-) ..

Frantz

 

[The Smokester]

Hi

... I have re-discovered Jacqueline Dupre .. What a talent ... her Sradivarius is being used right now by Yo-Yo Ma... Different technique .. Dupre Could be the best Cellist of the past 200 years. Stellar Carreer cut short by health reasons. She could no lomger perform due to early onset of Multiple Scelerosis in her late 20's and left us at 42 ... I also think she had a Garnieri

She was married to Daniel Barenboim, wasn't she?

I've got her Elgar on vinyl, too.

 

[Old Listener]

Obscure favorites

I have way too many favorite recordings to pick a few. I thought I'd mention some performances that are rather obscure.

two LPs

Haydn: Guitar Quartet Op. 2 No. 2 and Paganini Guitar Trio in D major - John Williams, Alan Loveday, Amarylis Fleming, Cecil Aronowitz
Columbia Masterworks MS 7163 LP (I don't think either performance made it to a CD.)
These works are not major masterpieces but the players make the music seem first rate.

Shostakovich: Ballet Suites 1,2&3 - Maksim Shostakovich, Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra
Melodiya Angel SR-40115 (LP)
I don't care much for serious Shostakovich but his light music is witty and often very beautiful.

Some CDs

Bizet-Shchedrin: Carmen Ballet suite - Rozhdestvensky, Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra
Melodiya 74321 36908 2 (A good sounding CD. The earlier Eurodisc CD was made from a lousy tape. The Melodiya Angel LP was fine too.)

Beethoven Violin Romances, Dvorak Romance, Schubert Konzertstuck, Rondo and Polonaise - Pinchas Zuckerman, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Philips 420 168-2
(A CD of minor works played with skill and conviction)

Haydn: Symphonies 88,89, 90 - Hans-Peter Frank, Helsingborgs Symfoniorkester
Ben Ben Digital (611) 871-008
I looked for years for this CD mentioned in a Penguin Guide. It was worth the effort and the wait.

Haydn: Trumpet Concerto - Helmut Wobisch, Anton Heller, Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Mozart: Posthorn Serenade - Wobisch, Jonathan Sternberg, Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Music and Arts CD-1050
This 1950 Haydn Society recording of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto has the best performance I've heard but the sound is harsh, gritty and noisy. The life and vigor in the performance makes it worthwhile. The Posthorn performance has the same virtues and vices. Szell is better for the Posthorn but this one is worth repeated listenings too.

Much more fun to talk about recordings than about high priced gear.

Bill

 

[RBFC]

Renaissance Choral Music

Here's a special recording of Allegri"s Miserere, an exceptionally beautiful choral piece formatted in the "call & response" dialogue common in sacred texts. This recording's distinction lies in the use of a female solo lead in place of the usual boys' choir. Alison Stamp sings the part with more power in the upper registers, and the effect is chilling. The acoustics of Merton Chapel are on full display, as the engineers set up the choirs to hold a dialogue with distant "heavenly" responses coming from your neighbor's yard....

Probably one of the overall finest vocal discs in my collection:

IMPORT VERSION:

http://www.amazon.com/Allegri-Miser...=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1285248783&sr=1-5

DOMESTIC VERSION:

http://www.amazon.com/Allegri-Miser...r_1_16?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1285249364&sr=1-16

It can also be found on eBay a bit cheaper.

I could swear I saw this available as an XRCD or SACD at one point, but I can't seem to find it in the catalogs anywhere.

Any recording by the Tallis Scholars will be well-sung, well-recorded, and meticulously researched (although Peter Phillips, director, occasionally takes a few liberties).

Great music! Highly recommended.

Lee

 

[RBFC]

Old Warhorse

Probably one of the most famous of all RCA Living Stereo recordings, Fritz Reiner's version of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade justifiably earned its reputation by virtue of its colorful orchestration and Reiner's smoking performance. Coupled with a technically magnificent recording, this piece should be in the library of any audiophile worth his/her salt.

Here's one of the audio steals of the century, at about $10:

http://www.amazon.com/Rimsky-Korsak...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1286164482&sr=1-1

The original LP pressings from RCA sell for obscene amounts of $$$. Chesky Records released LPs of this recording that were quite good, but are also now out-of-print. Good luck to all in finding copies of either; hopefully you already have a copy if you have a TT.

The SACD (hybrid, so fully compatible with 2-channel systems) also contains the original 3-track version of the recording. Many of the venerable RCA shaded dog recordings were actually "fold-downs" from 3-track tapes. The inclusion of the center channel offers better center-fill to the soundstage, and certainly doesn't detract from the excellent sonic qualities of this recording (in my opinion). The stereo version on the disc is the best 2-channel rendition available in digital medium as well.

Just sit back and be transported to Orchestra Hall in Chicago in 1960, when Reiner led a performance that would be immortalized in the annals of classical music. I can't imagine anyone listening to this piece on a good system and NOT being blown away. Yes, it's half a century old, but that fact doesn't seem to matter much compared to what RIGHT stuff is going on.

The Stravinsky piece is from 1956, and is more than just a filler on the disc, too. Also very good.

Highly recommended.

Lee

 

[ulf]

My best classical CD is by far Jascha Heifetz playing (RCA - I got a japanese pressing rccd-1011):
Mendelssohn Violin Concert op 64/ Charles Munch/ Boston SO (1959)
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto op35/Fritz Reiner -Chicago SO (1957)

The way Heifetz plays the violin is utterly dramatic and beautiful. Both concertos is also for a rock/blues guy like myself very easy to love with with strong and easy "melody".
Yesterday I played the CD for my very old parents who know nothing about classical music and they where absolutly thrilled.

 

[muralman1]

Please keep bringing them in.

 

[microstrip]

Any recording by the Tallis Scholars will be well-sung, well-recorded, and meticulously researched (although Peter Phillips, director, occasionally takes a few liberties).
Great music! Highly recommended.
Lee

Surely - but after reading your nice reccomendations I am sure you will like Diego Ortiz: Ad Vesperas, Cantar Lontano with Marco Mencoboni

http://www.amazon.com/Diego-Ortiz-Ad-Vesperas/dp/B000JJ5H78

It was spinning in my player yesterday.

 

[RUR]

Can anyone recommend a nice edition of Liszt's Mazeppa (or a complete collection of his symphonic/tone poems)? Preferably good performance and AQ, but I'll settle for the former, if I must.

 

[flez007]

I keep n heavy rotation at least three from this genre:

Igor Stravinsky - L'Historie du Soldat - Reference Recordings - RR17
Ottorino Respighi - Pines/Fountains of Rome - Reiner/Chicago symphony - RCA Living Stereo
The Polish Chamber Orchestra - A Live Recording - Linn Records (Mozart, Vivaldi, Bach, Bartok, Elgar)

 

[jazdoc]

My friend Joel Durand (of Talea tonearm fame) is a classical composer with exquisite taste and encycopedic knowledge of all genres of classical music. I've been 'drafting' off his recommendations for to build my collection. He has recently posted some recommended recordings on his website:

http://durand-tonearms.com/Support/Greatrecordings/Classical Music/classicalmusic.html