classic search
Posted by: scottyhammer on 04 December 2009
Hi all,
Thought i would start a new thread on my new classical journey which started on another thread. I have to be honest and state from the outset that im not a big fan of the genre or at least i thought i wasnt until now that i have spent most of the evening downloading and streaming stuff.
FIRSTLY I must recommend one title that i DO own myself in my limited collection and thats the
Mercury Living Presence pressing of Tchaikovskys 1812 overture with the authentic bronze canons from 1775 which if you have this version you will know that the canons are stunning and the whole thing is so uplifting.
now i will move onto what ive discovered and like up till now (As you can see I prefer the more dramatic stuff than the more sedate classics)
Holst - the planets (especially mars)
Bach - brandenburg concertos (especially no3)
air on g string
Vivaldi - four seasons
Wagner - love - ride of the valkyries
Prokofiev - romeo + juliet
Beethoven - most of it
Heres a couple of nice pieces that i churned up during my search which may interest you.....
The RPO do pink floyd (surprisingly good)
Film score from crash by Mark Ishams
A rather obscure find was a marvellous organ symphony by camille saint saens which is just so powerful it makes the hairs on the back of the neck stand up!
Please feel free to add your finds or recommendations as i feel this could be a longer journey than first anticipated...but a very fulfilling one.
ATB - Scotty
Posted on: 04 December 2009 by mikeeschman
For a long time when I was a young trumpet player I got off on spectacle. I wanted to hear the orchestra make every sort of grand noise it could, and I wanted to hear it all tonight. This sort of music can keep you listening all night when you're in the mood.
You have already found some of these. The Planets is terrific, among others.
Here's some things you might want to look into :
R. Strauss "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"
Boulez/Chicago/DGG available on CD.
R. Strauss "Don Quixote"
Reiner/Chicago/RCA availability unknown
Mahler Symphony No. 5
Barbarolli/New Philharmonia/Angel
available on CD.
Posted on: 04 December 2009 by scottyhammer
Thanks Mike - I will check them out.
Regards, Scotty.
Posted on: 05 December 2009 by stephenjohn
Try Handel's Water Music, and the Fireworks music. They would fit nicely into your original list. You might buy them on one disc.
Posted on: 05 December 2009 by Manni
Just to add a few:
Moussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition, Reiner/Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Saint-Saens: Symphony No.3, Munch/Boston Symphony Orchestra
Dvorak: Symphony No.9 "From the New World", there are many good recordings of this masterwork
@ Mike: For the beginner, Mahler`s fifth is difficult stuff, his first symphony is more accessible.
Best wishes
Manfred
Posted on: 05 December 2009 by droodzilla
How about some Aaron Copland. I'm sure you'll recognise the opening notes of "Fanfare for the Common Man". There's a nice 2CD collection of his orchestral works on Decca:
coplandThen there's Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" if you're in the mood for something brutal.
Posted on: 05 December 2009 by Sniper
If you like that organ music so much check out 'Widor Toccata' by Charles Marie Widor. Give the neighbours some warning and protect your windows.
Posted on: 05 December 2009 by mikeeschman
quote:
Originally posted by Manni:
@ Mike: For the beginner, Mahler`s fifth is difficult stuff, his first symphony is more accessible.
Best wishes
Manfred
The 5th is the first one I heard, and the trumpet roped me in. The 3rd by Berstein/NYPhil is worthwhile as well.
But you're right, the 1st is just beautiful.
I would recommend Berstein/Concertgebouw.
Posted on: 05 December 2009 by {OdS}
Another fine thread for newbees in classical music like me. Thanks all
Christian
Posted on: 05 December 2009 by stephenjohn
Two more accessible ones: Dvorak New World symphony and Tchaikovski No 5
Posted on: 06 December 2009 by mikeeschman
I want to knock things up a notch. The crown jewels of 20th century music are the Stravinsky ballets. Nothing is fresher or more invigorating, and the wealth of color and vitality can add years to your life.
The best value and the best performances I have heard are those of Abaddo and the LPO. There is an $18 2 CD set on DGG with Firebird, The Rite of Spring, Petrouchka, Pulcinella and Jeu de Cartes.
Highly recommended.
Posted on: 07 December 2009 by Bluetorric
Also as a convert to classical music,
Try -
Elgar - Enigma Variations,
V Williams - Lark Ascending,
Bruch - Violin Concerto,
Posted on: 07 December 2009 by tonym
Good thread Dave! If you really want those SL2s to put the hairs on the back of your neck at full attention, listen to the superb version of Elgar's Cello Concerto on this -
"Sea Pictures" is also very good.
Posted on: 07 December 2009 by FlyMe
Don't forget the 20th C classics-
Shostakovich - symphonies no 5 & 7, jazz suites.
Britten - Young Persons Guide to the Orchestr, Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes ( a personal hair raiser - so evocotive of the North Sea coast where I was brought up).
Be warned - we could cost you thousands.
Enjoy the ride.
Posted on: 08 December 2009 by Richard Dane
Scotty,
some good recommendations here. There is so much that is great but I won't dump a long list on you. Instead I'll urge you to seek out Schubert's "unfinished" Symphony No.8. No doubt unfinished because it's almost impossible to imagine how one could improve what's already there. I have pretty well all the performances of this one and my favourite is Bohm's with the VPO (on DGG - easily found on vinyl but not sure whether it's been released on CD).
Also it's well worth getting some of Wagner's orchestral music (Overtures etc..). The Tannhauser overture is particularly recommended.
Oh, and anything you see conducted by Claude Monteux is usually wonderful.
Oh dear, I'd better stop here...
Posted on: 08 December 2009 by scottyhammer
Thanks to you all for your recommendations and i will let you know what i think of what i bought on good old Amazon when its arrived and ive had time to sit down properly for a listen.
Scotty.
I love this forum !
Posted on: 08 December 2009 by Nathaniel
I guess this isn't really what you were originally asking for, but my recommendation for getting into classical music would be to buy yourself an introductory, sampler box set, and a book.
There are quite a few good classical selection box sets available. Look for one that has a broad spectrum of styles (i.e. a good range of dates), from early to late, and one that doesn't just include extracts from movements, but rather the entire movements. Avoid anything from 'Classic FM' as the only emotion they're interest in emoting is smug wellbeing, and classical music has much more to offer. I can think of two, off hand, that I remember being reasonable: both by Deutsche Grammaphon: The Essential Classics (6CDs), and the Yellow Book (3CDs).
In conjunction with an informative book (I'd recommend the 'Rough Guide to Classical Music', which offers composer biographies, recommended works by those composers, and recommended recording of those works), you can read up on the composers whose music you're listening to, and look for more music by them, or their contemporaries (which are likely to be of a similar style), and work back the frontiers from there.
Posted on: 13 December 2009 by Jeremy Marchant
quote:
Originally posted by scottyhammer:
... I prefer the more dramatic stuff...
Be braver.
I'm not familiar with what's available for download, but try these if they're available
Messiaen Turangalila
Messiaen Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum (if you really want to try a movement first, download the final one)
Varese Arcana
Varese Ameriques
Posted on: 15 December 2009 by ewemon
I am currently starting to buy more classical albums. Will probably need some recommendations from you guys.
I am more interested in the feel of the piece in other words I need to feel connected to the orchestra.
Posted on: 15 December 2009 by Lontano
quote:
Originally posted by ewemon:
I am currently starting to buy more classical albums. Will probably need some recommendations from you guys.
I am more interested in the feel of the piece in other words I need to feel connected to the orchestra.
Ewen - I have been very absorbed in this album recently. Great recording and loving the music.
and this as well
Posted on: 15 December 2009 by mikeeschman
Simon Rattle is one of my favorite conductors. I have nothing by him with Berlin. Berlin is one of my favorite orchestras.
And I love Brahms.
Guess Rattle/Berlin/Brahms Symphonies have to get put on the buy list :-)
Posted on: 16 December 2009 by Dan Carney
How about Zimerman's later Brahms 1 with the BPO and Sir Simon?
Posted on: 16 December 2009 by yeti42
There is a quote from somewhere and I forget where that "Brahms should never be heard for the 1st time" so give them a few listens before judging, they tend to grow on you.
Posted on: 16 December 2009 by Manni
quote:
Originally posted by yeti42:
There is a quote from somewhere and I forget where that "Brahms should never be heard for the 1st time" so give them a few listens before judging, they tend to grow on you.
A few years ago, I didn`t like Brahm`s symphonies very much, they seemed to be boring and dry and I prefered the works of Dvorak or Schubert.
After listening to his symphonies frequently, Brahms is now one of my favourite composers.
Manfred
