Classical music recommendations

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 4:35 pm

I've got about 200 bucks to spend on some classical music as of now, and I need some recommendations. I've already got Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, and I'm going to get Beethoven's symphonies, but, aside from that, I'm pretty clueless. So any clues would be helpful! Preferably specific albums/artists/pieces and what you consider the best recordings of them. Thanks!

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:15 pm

Damelon got me into Schubert's string quartets and quintets...the thirteenth quartet and the one called "Death of the Maiden" are wonderful, along with the Trout quintet...I have no idea what the definative recordings of them are, though...

Mozart's Requiem is great. If you can find a one disc "highlights of" Don Giovanni, I also like that. Again, I have no clue as to which the definitive editions would be.

And some of Beethoven's piano sonatas and concertos rock...

Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:01 am

Thanks Duchess! I'll look into those ASAP.

Post by **FizbansTalking_Hat** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:51 am

Vivaldi's 4 Seasons, it literally blows your mind away that someone could compose in suhc a way, cheers.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:52 am

*sigh* Sorry, Foul One, I haven't gotten around to mailing you your cd's yet. You've probably lost all Faith in me by now.

Anyway, you won't need Bartok's quartets or sonata for solo violin, nor Bach's unaccompanied violin music or Musical Offering.

As I've likely said a few times, the best music ever written in the history of the world is Beethoven's string quartets. I won't even bother trying to describe the different kinds of joy and passion in them. But you can get them on the Naxos label, played by the Kodaly Quartet. You can also get Beethoven's complete piano music on the Naxos label, played by Jeno Jando.

And duchess mentioned Schubert's cello quintet. That's one of the supreme masterpieces of chamber music, by everyone's standards. And yes, you can also get that on Naxos.

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000001 ... 76-5868138

FYI, Naxos is a budget label. If anyone charges more than maybe $8/disc, they're ripping you off. There are various good reasons why they are so inexpensive, but you don't need to be afraid of the performances. They've won many awards, as well as the praise of "professional critics" and fans alike. So you can get a good bunch of incredible music for your $!

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 4:00 am

Fist and Faith wrote:Anyway, you won't need Bartok's quartets or sonata for solo violin, nor Bach's unaccompanied violin music or Musical Offering.

Why not?! I thought you said Bach is God!

Hrmph.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 4:07 am

Because those are the cd's I'm mailing to you!

Post by **matrixman** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 5:53 am

I used to keep informed about the latest classical recordings, but not lately. It was too depressing looking at all the music I couldn't afford. I envy ya, Lord Foul.

Anyway, I do have clear favorites that I don't hesitate to recommend:

J.S. Bach: Violin Concertos / Isaac Stern (w/Itzhak Perlman & Harold Gomberg; English Chamber Orch.--Alexander Schneider, cond.; New York Philharmonic--Leonard Bernstein, cond. & harpsichord
Sony Classical/Legacy SK93017

This is a newly remastered reissue of one of my all-time favorite Bach recordings. Someone (I forget whom) once said that Isaac Stern possessed the greatest tone of any violinist, and I'm not going to argue with that in these performances, mostly recorded in the late 70's. And hey, it's on Sony's budget label, so even I can afford it!

Bela Bartok: Concerto For Orchestra; Music For Strings, Percussion & Celesta / Montreal Symphony Orch.--Charles Dutoit, cond.
Decca/London 421 443-2

I think Bartok's Concerto and Music For Strings are among the greatest musical works of the 20th century. They capture the turmoil and angst of modern times, but also the era's restlessly creative energy. (You should recognize the Music For Strings when you play it, Lord Foul. Its creepy and mysterious 3rd Movement is used in Kubrick's The Shining: Danny alone on his bike in the hallway, staring at Room 237; Wendy and Danny strolling in the maze...

) There are plenty of recordings of these works available, but I love Dutoit's version because it seems to bring out the compassionate, humanist quality of Bartok, rather than the brutality other conductors see in his music. (Incidentally, Kubrick used a recording by Herbert von Karajan for The Shining. Karajan seems to have been Kubrick's favorite conductor, judging by how often his films cited Karajan's records as sources of music. That's pretty cool, because Karajan is also my favorite, though not in this instance.)

Holst: The Planets / Berlin Philharmonic--Herbert von Karajan, cond.
Polydor/Deutsche Grammophon 439 011-2

Listen to The Planets closely and you'll realize this work must have been the template or at least inspiration for much of the "space music" composed for many sci-fi films (the ones I've seen, anyway). The Planets is such a well-constructed work (i.e. idiot-proof) that it's almost impossible for any conductor to botch it up. Nevertheless, few conductors were as commanding as Karajan in this music, and almost no other orchestra in the world can unleash the massive sound the Berliners are capable of. (Which is also why this is such a perfect orchestra to play Beethoven, IMO.)

It's getting late. I'll inflict more stuff on everyone later.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 3:28 am

Richard Strauss's opera Salome. You need a soprano who is also an actress, to do justice to a passionate and original piece.

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 5:27 pm

Update:

Fists's treasure trove of CDs landed in my mailbox. What a miraculous, musical offering (pun intended). Much thanks, Mr. Faith

Of the CDs you sent me, I've enjoyed Bach's Musical Offering the most. Harpsichord stuff is great. Listening to Bartok right now. Like Matrixman estimated, I recognized that creepy 3rd movement right away. And yes, I agree Matrixman, it's among the greatest works of the 20th century--if not, the greatest.

In other news, the book Gates of Fire arrived in the mail as well. I'm a happy Foul, I am. But a restless one. For now I must forge onward. Onward, to Art of Fugue and Beethoven's symphonies! *gallops off to Amazon.com*

Post by **Cate** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 1:14 am

One of the loveliest pieces I ever heard is the Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch. I love the soft flowing melodies like that.

Post by **matrixman** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 5:18 am

Handel: Suites For Keyboard / Keith Jarrett, piano
ECM 1530

Very beguiling, less well-known music from Handel as interpreted by one of today's most thoughtful musicians. Jarrett's reputation is in jazz, but he has made several classical recordings, and there's nothing shabby about them either. This is perfect summer afternoon music for me.

Debussy: 12 Etudes / Mitsuko Uchida, piano
Philips 464 698-2

I'm really not a fan of Debussy, but these 12 short "studies" for piano are amazing to listen to, full of quick and mercurial changes. It's a showcase for virtuoso piano, and Uchida plays like lightning over the keys. To me, this is perfect music for rainy or misty summer mornings.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 11:24 am

I'm a pretty good fan of Debussy. One of the most unique composers ever, inventing his own musical language. But, imo, a MUCH more beautiful language than, say, Schönberg's. And yes, Uchida's recording is amazing!!!

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:40 pm

Update Numero 2:

Art of Fugue and the Organ Toccatas and Passacaglia came in today. Both are great, great, great. Christopher Herrick plays on the organ one, and man, Fist, you were right about it being the "one organ disc to own".

Now I await Beethoven's 9th and Bartok's concerto for orchestra/Music For Strings/Hungarian Sketches.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:55 am

WOO HOO!!!!

Ain't Herrick something else??? The Passacaglia & Fugue, which I imagine you've heard in one form or another in movies (the opening of White Knights, for one), boggles my mind!

And BWV 540!!!! Listen a couple minutes into it, when the theme is played in a deep register, without accompaniment. THAT is being played with the feet! Can't you just see somebody pounding that out on those foot pedals??

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 11:44 pm

Even more news:

I got Fricsay conducting Beethoven's 9th, spent a lot of time listening to it over and over. Not that I needed any convincing, but I've decided Beethoven's worth a deeper look, so I bought ALL 9 symphonies. Now here's what'll blow you away: I bought Karajan's 1963 cycle for 24 bucks. And that's WITH expedited shipping. Har har! A steal!

Post by **matrixman** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 2:00 am

Aaarrgh. I'm hoping the Fricsay version appears at my local record store before I resort to ordering on-line.

The '63 Karajan set is a great one...of course, I'm biased. I think his readings of the 3rd, 5th and 7th Symphonies in that set are especially powerful.

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 2:02 am

Yeah, I'm most looking forward to the 3rd, which I've never heard. Or maybe I'll recognize it from somewhere else. But anyway, really excited. I'm pretty sure this is the 9th Kubrick used in Clockwork Orange, too.

Post by **matrixman** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 7:41 am

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3 / New York Philharmonic--Leonard Bernstein, cond. (1987 Live Recording)

Mahler's Third is a monumental construct (the longest symphony, according to the Guinness Book of World Records). It's most remarkable for its gigantic half-hour opening movement. Four shorter movements occupy the middle. The grand concluding movement is nearly as long as the first. Six movements in total. With this symphony, Mahler aimed at nothing less than "constructing a world"--an all-embracing vision of creation.

This particular recording may be my ultimate "desert island" disc. It's an enthralling live performance from the last years of Bernstein's life, part of his final Mahler cycle (he did his first in the Sixties). I feel this peformance of the Third is the crowning glory of the final cycle. Other conductors have emphasized the music's rustic charm and performed it as a breathless portrait of Nature. There is that here, but there is also a gravity to Bernstein's interpretation that I simply don't sense in other, lesser versions. His impassioned vision of this music stands alone. Bernstein was arguably Mahler's greatest champion, and he delivered with this performance. The New York Philharmonic is awesome here, helped by a recorded sound that makes transparent every detail of Mahler's complex score. It could be said that Mahler's symphonies were made for the digital medium because of the music's huge dynamic range.

Sadly, as far as I can tell, the individual CD's of this last Bernstein-Mahler cycle have been deleted from the catalog. If you're willing to empty your wallet, you might be able to get the boxed version, Bernstein/Mahler: The Complete Symphonies & Orchestral Songs (Deutsche Grammophon 459 080-20). It's very handsome, but I don't know if it's still available. Sony Classical re-released Bernstein's 60's-era Mahler records on its midprice label, so that's another option for a great journey through this music.

And, no, I don't trust Solti in Mahler either.

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:13 am

I ordered this from Amazon tonight. I am extremely geeked!!!!

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000641 ... 61-3027845

I am also going to be able to go to a concert by the New York Philharmonic in a couple of weeks when they come to Ann Arbor.

They will be playing Mozart's Symphony #29 in A Major (K 201) and Mahler's Fifth Symphony in C Sharp Minor.

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Classical music recommendations

Classical music recommendations

classical music recommendations