lordsummit
Moderator
I'll have a go at the classical tomorrow.....
Classical questions and recommendations
- Thread starter Tony L
- Start date
lennyw
Still throwing Eephus pitches
I read somewhere recently that the best Grieg on record was by Sviatoslav Richter, though I now can't find where I read that. Oh yes, here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03t0034
Of course, I always return to this version:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03t0034
Of course, I always return to this version:
Last edited by a moderator:
lordsummit
Moderator
Well, it's only taken me a week...... sorry
Hmmmmm well.
The Magnard Box set, he's a hugely underrated French composer, a proper symphonist with hints of Bruckner and Mahler. Really interesting stuff, and I think there are only two box sets, this one is highly recommended.
The Nielsen box set is also a great one. Ole Schmidt is an extremely odd character, but he has a real affinity with these pieces. They're a 70's recording if I recall correctly, but the sound is good, and very natural. They flow beautifully. The music ranges from the Mahlerian to a little more modern. If you've done Mahler and Bruckner, then these two boxes are a good place to carry on.
The Stravinsky box has lots of good stuff on. Only bettered in my opinion as an introduction to a 20th century master by the complete Stravinsky recordings box that was around a few years ago. The sound is second to none, and some very exciting recordings of the ballets. A nice symphony of psalms as well if I remember rightly.
Then, there's some really interesting stuff in the single CDs
I love this CD:
J. S. Bach - Stokowsky's Symphonic Bach, BBC Phil / Bambert, Chandos. Bad taste possibly, but quite remarkable in his transformation of some Bach pieces. The fugues are simply amazing. This one is a stunner.
I'll try and choose a few others to have a look at.
Baroque:
J.S. Bach - The Well Tempered Clavier Book I, Gould, Sony 2xCD £6.00. Not the most authentic, but certainly an exceedingly unusual and personal interpretation of these pieces. I'd certainly recommend a listen.
Biber - The Rosary Sonatas, Manze, Egarr, Harmonia Mundi 2xCD £8.50, staggering music. Biber is an extraordinary man, and he played around so much with timbre and scales, that his music can sound like that of the 20th century. This is his masterpiece, and really good performance to boot.
Corelli - 12 Concerti Grossi OP6, English Consort / Pinnock, DGG Archive Gramophone Awards Collection, really good fun these.
Classical period
Aside from the obvious, there are one or two interesting recordings here:Haydn - Six Popular String Quartets (Sun, Joke, Bird, Razor, Lark, Emperor), Lindsays, ASV 2xCD £5.50. Lovely recordings, and great performances. One of the discs I always came back to.
Schubert - Trout Quintet / Death & The Maiden, Vienna Octet, Curzon, Decca. My favourite trout. An awesome recording, both musically and sonically.
Then more romantic leaning:
Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem, Schwarzkopf / Philharmonia / Klemperer, EMI. This is a gorgeous piece, and a really exciting recording. Klemperer doesn't really deserve his reputation as a plodder. Schwarzkopf was on form as well.
Schumann - Piano Concerto In A / Fantasy In C, Brendel / Philharmonia / Sanderling, Philips. Really lovely stuff. If you like Grieg, Rachmaninov piano concertos, this is for you.
R. Strauss - Eine Alpensinfonie, BPO / Karajan, DGG. A piece that has a huge orchestra, a wind machine, and the best depiction of a sunrise in all musical history. A great recording too.
Schoenberg - Gurrelieder, Boston SO / Ozawa, Philips 2xCD £5.00. Just jawdropping. It's really the last busted flush of romanticism. So huge forces, luscious harmonies and textures. and a sound world you wouldn't expect from Schoenberg. This was what he wrote and realised there was nowhere else to go, so then set about recreating the rules. It's an amazing piece, one of classical musics staggering achievements.
Hope these help. There's plenty else in there that's good, but these stand out to me, they're pieces that you might miss, or may not have heard of.
Hmmmmm well.
The Magnard Box set, he's a hugely underrated French composer, a proper symphonist with hints of Bruckner and Mahler. Really interesting stuff, and I think there are only two box sets, this one is highly recommended.
The Nielsen box set is also a great one. Ole Schmidt is an extremely odd character, but he has a real affinity with these pieces. They're a 70's recording if I recall correctly, but the sound is good, and very natural. They flow beautifully. The music ranges from the Mahlerian to a little more modern. If you've done Mahler and Bruckner, then these two boxes are a good place to carry on.
The Stravinsky box has lots of good stuff on. Only bettered in my opinion as an introduction to a 20th century master by the complete Stravinsky recordings box that was around a few years ago. The sound is second to none, and some very exciting recordings of the ballets. A nice symphony of psalms as well if I remember rightly.
Then, there's some really interesting stuff in the single CDs
I love this CD:
J. S. Bach - Stokowsky's Symphonic Bach, BBC Phil / Bambert, Chandos. Bad taste possibly, but quite remarkable in his transformation of some Bach pieces. The fugues are simply amazing. This one is a stunner.
I'll try and choose a few others to have a look at.
Baroque:
J.S. Bach - The Well Tempered Clavier Book I, Gould, Sony 2xCD £6.00. Not the most authentic, but certainly an exceedingly unusual and personal interpretation of these pieces. I'd certainly recommend a listen.
Biber - The Rosary Sonatas, Manze, Egarr, Harmonia Mundi 2xCD £8.50, staggering music. Biber is an extraordinary man, and he played around so much with timbre and scales, that his music can sound like that of the 20th century. This is his masterpiece, and really good performance to boot.
Corelli - 12 Concerti Grossi OP6, English Consort / Pinnock, DGG Archive Gramophone Awards Collection, really good fun these.
Classical period
Aside from the obvious, there are one or two interesting recordings here:Haydn - Six Popular String Quartets (Sun, Joke, Bird, Razor, Lark, Emperor), Lindsays, ASV 2xCD £5.50. Lovely recordings, and great performances. One of the discs I always came back to.
Schubert - Trout Quintet / Death & The Maiden, Vienna Octet, Curzon, Decca. My favourite trout. An awesome recording, both musically and sonically.
Then more romantic leaning:
Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem, Schwarzkopf / Philharmonia / Klemperer, EMI. This is a gorgeous piece, and a really exciting recording. Klemperer doesn't really deserve his reputation as a plodder. Schwarzkopf was on form as well.
Schumann - Piano Concerto In A / Fantasy In C, Brendel / Philharmonia / Sanderling, Philips. Really lovely stuff. If you like Grieg, Rachmaninov piano concertos, this is for you.
R. Strauss - Eine Alpensinfonie, BPO / Karajan, DGG. A piece that has a huge orchestra, a wind machine, and the best depiction of a sunrise in all musical history. A great recording too.
Schoenberg - Gurrelieder, Boston SO / Ozawa, Philips 2xCD £5.00. Just jawdropping. It's really the last busted flush of romanticism. So huge forces, luscious harmonies and textures. and a sound world you wouldn't expect from Schoenberg. This was what he wrote and realised there was nowhere else to go, so then set about recreating the rules. It's an amazing piece, one of classical musics staggering achievements.
Hope these help. There's plenty else in there that's good, but these stand out to me, they're pieces that you might miss, or may not have heard of.
Heyho thanks for your suggestions. Been away since early in the year and just slowly getting into gear again.
Started with one of your suggestions.
J. S. Bach - Stokowsky's Symphonic Bach, BBC Phil / Bambert, Chandos
lordsummit
Moderator
That's great. I think it has an amazing version of the Chaconne on.
I'll be working through your recommendations over the next few months. Many thanks