Your Must Have Classical Al***s ?
Posted by: smu on 26 September 2006
Good evening my hifi friends,
I'm trying to expand my classical cd collection so i'm looking for some good discs. What are your must have classical albums ? ?
kind regards, smu from Ulster.
I'm trying to expand my classical cd collection so i'm looking for some good discs. What are your must have classical albums ? ?
kind regards, smu from Ulster.
Must haves, is probably a slightly different list than those listed on any of the threads on my list, so here goes.
Helmut Walcha's recording of Bach's goldberg variations on the harpsichord - the only problem with this disc (which is discussed at length on one of those threads is its availability - still, see the 'Walcha plays Bach, and not on the piano forte' thread for details of how to obtain it).
No classical collection ought to be without Charles Mackerras's cycle of the Beethoven symphonies - the sense of novelty and excitement he brings to these works is really something. Given it can be had for just £8 from HMV there is little excuse for not owning them.
Staying with Beethoven, I wouldn't want to be without a number of the piano concertos, however, I shall confine myself slightly - Solomon's reading of the 5th is wonderful, with a majesty beyond anything I've heard elsewhere. Either of Kempff's recordings of the 4th are also, in my view essential (and quite possibly unique by virtue of his use of his own cadenzas). The earlier mono reading is marginally finer but last time I checked the stereo was the cheaper (though you don't get all the fillers of the mono set, such as the Brahms first concerto).
One last Beethoven, in the form of Donald Runnicles' recording of the 9th symphony with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - the way he infuses his reading with tension (combined with the excellence both of the Atlanta chorus and Telarc's recording) makes for quite something.
Perhaps not to all tastes, and not necessarily for newcomers to classical music, but I love Britten's War Requiem and I do not believe there is a more powerful account than that of Giulini and the Philharmonia (in which the composer led the smaller ensemble) on BBC Legends - true the sound may not be as perfect as the decca studio effort, but that hardly matters.
A second piece of Britten in the form of one of my favourite operas Paul Bunyan. The recording from Brunelle and his Plymouth musicians captures the beauty of Britten's score along what, for my money, is the finest opera libretto ever written (but then, with Auden writing, this is perhaps not such a surprise). That the work doesn't enjoy greater critical regard or sucess is still beyond me. Available at budget price on EMI (albeit without a libretto).
http://www.selections.com/cgi-bin/product/Product.pl?pr...utm_medium=affiliate
(can't comment on the veracity of the seller - but it was the only place I could find that has the budget set - amazon and others have the fuller price issue with libretto though, but that's closer to £20).
Mentioned in Fredrik's recent thread, Haydn was quite a symphonist and the London symphonies are perhaps the pinacle of his achievement. There are many fine sets (e.g. Davis with the Concertgebouw - also very cheap - and Bernstein with the NYPO) but nothing I have heard quite equals the majesty and lightness of touch of Jochum's cycle on DG.
I am a big fan of Janacek, and especially his operas. Again, I certainly wouldn't necessarily recommend these for someone getting started, but they are discs I couldn't bear to be without. No more so than when conducted by Mackerass. Decca have recently reissued this box of his cycle (albeit without librettos, but at the price, it's hard to argue):
I love Mahler and have been working for some time one a thread rounding up my collection. However, despite owning far too many copies of each symphony, the number I genuinely couldn't bear to be without is quite small. The third symphony for me captures everything Mahler is about, and does so wonderfully, but I have only heard to recordings (that are available) which really satisfied me: Haitink with the Concertgebouw (on Philips) and Rattle with the CBSO. I also would want to be without Kathleen Ferrier's Kindertotenlieder which are hauntingly beautiful. I'm not sure either of these are good Mahler starting points though and Szell's incomparable account of the 4th or the first from either Bernstein with the Concertgebouw (which seem to have been deleted) or Mackerras with the RLPO are better jumping off points.
You perhaps can't go wrong with Mozart and so I shall restrain myself. As noted on my Kleiber thread, I think the Giulini account of the Marriage of Figaro (now cheaply reissued on EMI) is wonderful. Similarly, and in a excellent English translation, Mackerras's reading of the Magic Flute, takes quite some beating.
Mozart's piano concertos are also really something and well covered in various of the threads linked to in my 'classical threads worth reading' link. I think I cover my favourite Brendel/Mackerras/SCO discs there. If you look at the Mozart Thread, you will also see some discussion of the Uchida/Tate/ECO survey which has recently been reissued very cheaply and brings an unrivalled (at least so far as I've heard) beauty to these works - you ought to be able to find it cheaper than that link but Amazon search was typically useless.
Lastly a mention to the symphonies - the Mackerras (basically - as you will no doubt have gathered by now, I pretty well regard any disc with his name on it as a must have) Prague Chamber Orchestra is also well discussed on the thread mentioned above - but the sparkle he brings to the early works in particular is really something. It is also available as individual discs. However, Mozart's finest symphonic works are probably his last and a finer reading of 40 and 41 I've never heard than Bernstein with the VPO (it probably doesn't hurt that this was the first classical disc I ever owned).
I realise I've mentioned very little solo piano music here, despite my great love for it. With Kempff it is hard to go far wrong, but one disc I treasure most (more so even than his wonderful Beethoven recordings) is his reading of Schubert's wonderful D960 sonata in b flat major (worryingly it may have been deleted).
Staying with Schubert and there is his magnificent great C major symphony (commonly the 9th). One the discs this year I cannot stop playing is Simon Rattle's new Berlin account (and yesterday HMV were flogging it off for just £5). It is possibly not to all tastes - if you don't mind mono sound, Erich Kleiber's reading is magnificent as is Giulini's on BBC legends. However, my second choice probably goes to Mackerras and the SCO as it is paired with a very fine account of the unfinished 8th symphony.
I am currently surveying my Sibelius for another thread, and while that includes several sets on my 'to be listened to shelf' I doubt any will surplant my favourite disc - Colin Davis and the LSO (on their own label) playing numbers 3&7. Some might perhaps argue that Sibelius is not good getting started material - possibly, but with this disc nothing could be further from the truth.
A work I've come to only recently is Verdi's Requiem (some of the music - in particular the fierce Dies Irae - will probably be recognisable even if you haven't heard the work in full). However, only one conductor (on disc) I have ever heard has ever truly convinced me in it: Giulini. Fortunately he has three recordings to choose from. While the EMI studio issue (with the likes of Schwarzkopf singing) might seem the sure bet, it in fact isn't (not least for the rather poor standard of the recording - where the in the loud passages, distortion blurs the music). The other two are on BBC Legends - one from a 1963 prom the other from a 1964 festival hall concert in mono. The second is probably marginally finer musically and certainly has more famous singers (though not significantly better). However, sound is better in 1963 - more so, the lack of an interval makes in a little more engaging. I wouldn't want to be without either, but if push came to shove I would take the earlier. However, the 1964 is also available of a DVD and seeing Giulini enraptured by the music takes the performance to another level entirely.
Lastly, I would mention Wagner. There are many fine recordings of his operas that I wouldn't want to be parted from, however, since they are about the least suitable 'getting started' fare I can imagine I shall not list them. Instead, I shall point to two very fine discs of 'chunks' of orchestral music from his operas which ought to whet the appetite nicely: Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra and Tennstedt with the LPO. If you can find it Runnicles in Dresden is better still (but Warner have inexplicably deleted it - I got mine from Amazon.de's marketplace).
There are many more discs besides these that I couldn't bear to be parted from and they may be found in Fredrik's library thread (perhaps he will bump it for us later) - there are perhaps my absolute favourites amongst my favourites.
regards, Tam
p.s. lastly I would not that in almost all cases the Amazon price can be bettered (often dramatically so by recourse the 'market place').
Helmut Walcha's recording of Bach's goldberg variations on the harpsichord - the only problem with this disc (which is discussed at length on one of those threads is its availability - still, see the 'Walcha plays Bach, and not on the piano forte' thread for details of how to obtain it).
No classical collection ought to be without Charles Mackerras's cycle of the Beethoven symphonies - the sense of novelty and excitement he brings to these works is really something. Given it can be had for just £8 from HMV there is little excuse for not owning them.
Staying with Beethoven, I wouldn't want to be without a number of the piano concertos, however, I shall confine myself slightly - Solomon's reading of the 5th is wonderful, with a majesty beyond anything I've heard elsewhere. Either of Kempff's recordings of the 4th are also, in my view essential (and quite possibly unique by virtue of his use of his own cadenzas). The earlier mono reading is marginally finer but last time I checked the stereo was the cheaper (though you don't get all the fillers of the mono set, such as the Brahms first concerto).
One last Beethoven, in the form of Donald Runnicles' recording of the 9th symphony with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - the way he infuses his reading with tension (combined with the excellence both of the Atlanta chorus and Telarc's recording) makes for quite something.
Perhaps not to all tastes, and not necessarily for newcomers to classical music, but I love Britten's War Requiem and I do not believe there is a more powerful account than that of Giulini and the Philharmonia (in which the composer led the smaller ensemble) on BBC Legends - true the sound may not be as perfect as the decca studio effort, but that hardly matters.
A second piece of Britten in the form of one of my favourite operas Paul Bunyan. The recording from Brunelle and his Plymouth musicians captures the beauty of Britten's score along what, for my money, is the finest opera libretto ever written (but then, with Auden writing, this is perhaps not such a surprise). That the work doesn't enjoy greater critical regard or sucess is still beyond me. Available at budget price on EMI (albeit without a libretto).
http://www.selections.com/cgi-bin/product/Product.pl?pr...utm_medium=affiliate
(can't comment on the veracity of the seller - but it was the only place I could find that has the budget set - amazon and others have the fuller price issue with libretto though, but that's closer to £20).
Mentioned in Fredrik's recent thread, Haydn was quite a symphonist and the London symphonies are perhaps the pinacle of his achievement. There are many fine sets (e.g. Davis with the Concertgebouw - also very cheap - and Bernstein with the NYPO) but nothing I have heard quite equals the majesty and lightness of touch of Jochum's cycle on DG.
I am a big fan of Janacek, and especially his operas. Again, I certainly wouldn't necessarily recommend these for someone getting started, but they are discs I couldn't bear to be without. No more so than when conducted by Mackerass. Decca have recently reissued this box of his cycle (albeit without librettos, but at the price, it's hard to argue):
I love Mahler and have been working for some time one a thread rounding up my collection. However, despite owning far too many copies of each symphony, the number I genuinely couldn't bear to be without is quite small. The third symphony for me captures everything Mahler is about, and does so wonderfully, but I have only heard to recordings (that are available) which really satisfied me: Haitink with the Concertgebouw (on Philips) and Rattle with the CBSO. I also would want to be without Kathleen Ferrier's Kindertotenlieder which are hauntingly beautiful. I'm not sure either of these are good Mahler starting points though and Szell's incomparable account of the 4th or the first from either Bernstein with the Concertgebouw (which seem to have been deleted) or Mackerras with the RLPO are better jumping off points.
You perhaps can't go wrong with Mozart and so I shall restrain myself. As noted on my Kleiber thread, I think the Giulini account of the Marriage of Figaro (now cheaply reissued on EMI) is wonderful. Similarly, and in a excellent English translation, Mackerras's reading of the Magic Flute, takes quite some beating.
Mozart's piano concertos are also really something and well covered in various of the threads linked to in my 'classical threads worth reading' link. I think I cover my favourite Brendel/Mackerras/SCO discs there. If you look at the Mozart Thread, you will also see some discussion of the Uchida/Tate/ECO survey which has recently been reissued very cheaply and brings an unrivalled (at least so far as I've heard) beauty to these works - you ought to be able to find it cheaper than that link but Amazon search was typically useless.
Lastly a mention to the symphonies - the Mackerras (basically - as you will no doubt have gathered by now, I pretty well regard any disc with his name on it as a must have) Prague Chamber Orchestra is also well discussed on the thread mentioned above - but the sparkle he brings to the early works in particular is really something. It is also available as individual discs. However, Mozart's finest symphonic works are probably his last and a finer reading of 40 and 41 I've never heard than Bernstein with the VPO (it probably doesn't hurt that this was the first classical disc I ever owned).
I realise I've mentioned very little solo piano music here, despite my great love for it. With Kempff it is hard to go far wrong, but one disc I treasure most (more so even than his wonderful Beethoven recordings) is his reading of Schubert's wonderful D960 sonata in b flat major (worryingly it may have been deleted).
Staying with Schubert and there is his magnificent great C major symphony (commonly the 9th). One the discs this year I cannot stop playing is Simon Rattle's new Berlin account (and yesterday HMV were flogging it off for just £5). It is possibly not to all tastes - if you don't mind mono sound, Erich Kleiber's reading is magnificent as is Giulini's on BBC legends. However, my second choice probably goes to Mackerras and the SCO as it is paired with a very fine account of the unfinished 8th symphony.
I am currently surveying my Sibelius for another thread, and while that includes several sets on my 'to be listened to shelf' I doubt any will surplant my favourite disc - Colin Davis and the LSO (on their own label) playing numbers 3&7. Some might perhaps argue that Sibelius is not good getting started material - possibly, but with this disc nothing could be further from the truth.
A work I've come to only recently is Verdi's Requiem (some of the music - in particular the fierce Dies Irae - will probably be recognisable even if you haven't heard the work in full). However, only one conductor (on disc) I have ever heard has ever truly convinced me in it: Giulini. Fortunately he has three recordings to choose from. While the EMI studio issue (with the likes of Schwarzkopf singing) might seem the sure bet, it in fact isn't (not least for the rather poor standard of the recording - where the in the loud passages, distortion blurs the music). The other two are on BBC Legends - one from a 1963 prom the other from a 1964 festival hall concert in mono. The second is probably marginally finer musically and certainly has more famous singers (though not significantly better). However, sound is better in 1963 - more so, the lack of an interval makes in a little more engaging. I wouldn't want to be without either, but if push came to shove I would take the earlier. However, the 1964 is also available of a DVD and seeing Giulini enraptured by the music takes the performance to another level entirely.
Lastly, I would mention Wagner. There are many fine recordings of his operas that I wouldn't want to be parted from, however, since they are about the least suitable 'getting started' fare I can imagine I shall not list them. Instead, I shall point to two very fine discs of 'chunks' of orchestral music from his operas which ought to whet the appetite nicely: Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra and Tennstedt with the LPO. If you can find it Runnicles in Dresden is better still (but Warner have inexplicably deleted it - I got mine from Amazon.de's marketplace).
There are many more discs besides these that I couldn't bear to be parted from and they may be found in Fredrik's library thread (perhaps he will bump it for us later) - there are perhaps my absolute favourites amongst my favourites.
regards, Tam
p.s. lastly I would not that in almost all cases the Amazon price can be bettered (often dramatically so by recourse the 'market place').
I'd second Tam's recommendation for
I'd always loved the music of Leos Janacek. I was introduced to it by music teacher at school when he noticed I had an Emerson Lake Palmer with a track called Knife Edge, which was Sinfonietta - it is even credited as Emerson Lake Janacek.
I had some Janacek - a Mackerras performance on cassette that I used to play in the car and an English version of Cunning Little Vixen.
Tam recommended this box set - it was inexpensive - and absolutely superb. I much prefer the Cunning Little Vixen on this set.
I still don't believe in the distinction between classical and non-classical music. I just believe there is lots of music, ancient (e.g. Dowland) and modern, that is there to enjoy.
Music what ever category you care to classify it in doesn't get much better than this set.
Fantastic and at less than £3 per CD
I'd always loved the music of Leos Janacek. I was introduced to it by music teacher at school when he noticed I had an Emerson Lake Palmer with a track called Knife Edge, which was Sinfonietta - it is even credited as Emerson Lake Janacek.
I had some Janacek - a Mackerras performance on cassette that I used to play in the car and an English version of Cunning Little Vixen.
Tam recommended this box set - it was inexpensive - and absolutely superb. I much prefer the Cunning Little Vixen on this set.
I still don't believe in the distinction between classical and non-classical music. I just believe there is lots of music, ancient (e.g. Dowland) and modern, that is there to enjoy.
Music what ever category you care to classify it in doesn't get much better than this set.
Fantastic and at less than £3 per CD
There are, of course, lots. If I had to choose two, the Hogwood Messiah would be there. But ultimately I have to say this:
It's not actually my favourite Classical work, but this is the first record I can remember my music-nut Uncle playing to me, when I was 3 or 4 around 1967-8 (the original magenta-sleeved vinyl, which I still have).
As a child, I was particularly taken by 'No 4' and I think it is still a wonderful recording of a master, Dennis Brain.
And it is to my Uncle and this record that I have to thank for instilling in me a love of music, ultimately of all genres. Which is why it is my 'Must Have Classical Record'.
James
It's not actually my favourite Classical work, but this is the first record I can remember my music-nut Uncle playing to me, when I was 3 or 4 around 1967-8 (the original magenta-sleeved vinyl, which I still have).
As a child, I was particularly taken by 'No 4' and I think it is still a wonderful recording of a master, Dennis Brain.
And it is to my Uncle and this record that I have to thank for instilling in me a love of music, ultimately of all genres. Which is why it is my 'Must Have Classical Record'.
James
I must have dozens and dozens of must-haves, but since I don't see any Ravel listed so far, I must have some here:
Maurice Ravel: Orchestral Works - Dutoit/Montreal
To my ears, the best recorded performances of Ravel's complete orchestral works.
Un Coeur en Hiver
Stellar performances of Ravel's less well-known later trios and sonatas. Sublime stuff.
Finally, I highly recommend the Ysäye Quartet's recording of the Ravel and Debussy string quartet's, the best I've heard. Unfortunately, not only is it out of print, I couldn't even find an image of the CD cover anywhere on the web. They still record for Decca, and these are very popular works, so I really don't understand why they're not in print.
Fred
I still in nappies wrt classical but this is a magical album, one of my best purchases of 2006.
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 6, 17 & 21 / Géza Anda
SJB
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 6, 17 & 21 / Géza Anda
SJB