The Classical Music Recommendation Thread

[crocodile 8,012]

I want to buy Sibelius' symphonies and have been contemplating some of those complete releases. Should I go with LSO? Simon Rattle? Ashkenazy? Something else? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Karol

[TownerFan 4,983]

I want to buy Sibelius' symphonies and have been contemplating some of those complete releases. Should I go with LSO? Simon Rattle? Ashkenazy? Something else? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Karol

According to several music critics, one the best Sibelius is the one released on the BIS label in 2001 featuring Osmo Vanska conducting the Lahti Symphony Orchestra (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-The-Complete-Symphonies-Jean/dp/B00005MIY9). I concur that it's a great interpretation, albeit I'm not expert enough to call it the definitive one.

I have the classic EMI recordings by Paavo Berglund conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic. I enjoy it a lot and it also features a good set of Sibelius' tone poems (http://www.amazon.com/Symphonies-Nos-1-4-Paavo-Berglund/dp/B000B668Z4/ref=pd_sim_sbs_m_2 and http://www.amazon.com/Symphonies-Nos-5-7-Paavo-Berglund/dp/B000B668Y0/ref=pd_sim_sbs_m_3).

I happen also to like a lot Leonard Bernstein's interpretation of both the 2nd and the 7th Symphony with the Wiener Philharmoniker.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

There's also this set by Berglund, if you can find it for a normal price. Probably not the best recordings of the symphonies, but it comes with tons of better and less well known tone poems and other small works - many gems you'd probably not get elsewhere unless you seek them out specifically.

(I also have the Ashkenazy cycle, but I've never been too fond of that)

[crocodile 8,012]

I wonder what this LSO version is like then?

Thanks for your input, chaps. I shall buy one of those probably.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

One of my favourite Sibelius CDs is still this one by Hans Rosbaud and the Berlin Philharmonic by the way. With (good) late 50s mono sound, I'm not sure I've found a superior Finlandia yet.

[nightscape94 965]

Vanska, which was mentioned, is my favorite.

This one is pretty good too

[Bespin 8,481]

@crocodile

I would go with Vanska too. I love his Beethoven Symphony Cycle.

Here are some recommended versions on arkivmusic.com :

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp?name_id1=11179&name_role1=1&comp_id=2833&genre=66&bcorder=195H&album_group=5

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Happy 100th birthday to Britten, who shares his birthday with the feast day of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music.

[Bespin 8,481]

Thanks for the Bach!

Concerto pour violon, No.2, en mi majeur, BWV 1042 - Allegro Assai (Fischer, ASMF)

And a little Tchaikovsky, with Heifetz.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

FYI if you are in the US, you can get the fantastic Sibelius symphonies performance Maurizio described plus additional works for $8 total in Amazon MP3s.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Z4ZN4A/

[Bespin 8,481]

FYI if you are in the US, you can get the fantastic Sibelius symphonies performance Maurizio described plus additional works for $8 total in Amazon MP3s.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Z4ZN4A/

I would never buy classical music by mp3, because when the music is continuous between two files, there is a loss using mp3 format, the sound "cuts".

By example, in the Sieblius-Vanska set, concerning the 2nd symphony, movements 3 & 4 are continuous. Listening this on mp3 is horrible.

Maybe that's why it's only $8 !

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

iTunes handles gap less playback quite nicely.

[Bespin 8,481]

iTunes handles gap less playback quite nicely.

True, but it's horrible on all the other players and non-ipod mp3 player.

[Jay 37,355]

Wrong. There are plenty of playback devices that support gapless playback, it's not just Apple products.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Wrong. There are plenty of playback devices that support gapless playback, it's not just Apple products.

Correct.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

And there are plenty of formats that support gapless playback. Only MP3 doesn't, the players have to fake it. Considering it the licence costs quite a bit as well, I'm beginning to wonder why it's still the de facto standard.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

MP3?

No idea. It's also the worst in terms compression artifacts vs. bitrate.

But, let's all just take a step back and remember that Amazon is offering arguably one of the best recordings of a composer's complete symphonies, as well as additional works, for practically the price of one or two Starbucks mixed espresso drinks. 7.5 hours of music at a respectable but not perfect 256kbps MP3 format.

Are we really going "Nope, I'm too good for that." ?!?!?!?!

Really?!

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Are we really going "Nope, I'm too good for that." ?!?!?!?!

Really?!

Actually, yes. Partly because there's still some switch in my head that goes "I'm still waiting for the CD" when I have only the files on my PC, and makes me forget to listen to them. With losslessly compressed files, I have an easier time of convincing myself that I've actually bought them.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Oh Marian. Marian Marian.

[nightscape94 965]

I'm a materialist, so I prefer to own the CD whenever possible. Amazon has that nice audio-rip feature that downloads an mp3 version right away and then they ship you the CD.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

[Bespin 8,481]

Currently into the cycle of Mozart's Piano Concerti played by Murray Perahia.

 

[Bespin 8,481]

I heard somewhere it was the Bach Friday.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jay 37,355]

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Bach Friday... now that I can get behind. Nice choices, too.

[Bespin 8,481]

Good morning in Versailles...

 

<iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" src="http://www.deezer.com/plugins/player?autoplay=false&playlist=true&width=700&height=240&cover=true&type=tracks&id=16798049&title=&app_id=undefined" width="700" height="240"></iframe>

 

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mN9I8jdEJmQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eVIcV6eLFlk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I don't know how you guys put those Grooveshark players right in your posts, but it seems like a very useful site. That performance was exactly the one I wanted to post, and there are precious few Youtube videos of that piece at all.

 

[Bespin 8,481]

I don't know how you guys put those Grooveshark players right in your posts, but it seems like a very useful site. That performance was exactly the one I wanted to post, and there are precious few Youtube videos of that piece at all.

They provide the code when you click on the share button in grooveshark.

Copy the code they suggest ("embeded link"), then paste it here.

Then click on the "More reply options" button of your post, then check "enable HTML".

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

That doesn't sail quite so cleanly over my head as I thought it would; thank you!

[Bespin 8,481]

@TheGreyPilgrim

When a post is converted in HTML, it's the same for Youtube, you'll have to use the "embeded" code instead of the link.

You should redo your Grooveshark link, it does'nt work.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

[Bespin 8,481]

 

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

Pierre Boulez: Sur incises.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr0i9c21H2Q

[nightscape94 965]

Arensky, Piano Trio No. 1

Lili Boulanger, D'un matin de Printemps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5iG1dyYo18

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Ah Lili Boulanger. Fantastic!

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Fantastic Stokowski orchestration of this piece by my often favorite composer. It's a bit like seeing a gorgeously shot black and white film skillfully and tastefully colorized. This arrangement evokes an even more broad and numinous vision than the original piano piece when treated by a master colorist like Stokowski.

In that same vein, orchestration by Percy Grainger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Qsp7YfBFg

And some of his lesser known pieces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuUa1-WqzZw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3HEh7nmjeQ

[Bespin 8,481]

Bach's inventions... Always had a crush for these... Rare to find good piano interpretations.  They are mainly style exercices and experimented players tend to over-play them.

 

I've uploaded these excellent versions by Till Fellner.

 

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,524]

Bach's inventions... Always had a crush for these... Rare to find good piano interpretations. They are mainly style exercices and experimented players tend to over-play them.

I've uploaded these excellent versions by Till Fellner.

Didn't he invent the bicycle? Brilliant.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Very interesting film about the avant-garde scene, specifically in New York - Glass, Reich, Zappa etc.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

Elliott Carter's one of my favourite composers; good to see him here.

(Edit: I mean in the video, not on JWFan.)

[Bespin 8,481]

The rendition of The Well-Tempered Clavier of Bach by Vladimir Ashkenazy is superb. Unfortunately, exceprts from this CD Set seems very rare on the net!

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

When pressed to specify something as my favourite piece of music ever, my answer for the last fifteen years or so has consistently been Mahler's Symphony No. 6. I prefer Boulez's recording or, failing that, Zander's. But Bernard Haitink does alright.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvfh_mjPLlQ

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Nice. I went through phases where the 2nd or 8th could easily be named my overall favorite. These days I wouldn't even know where to begin answering that. Maybe in late 19th/early 20th century France.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

There was a long period (when I was first making a serious effort to acquaint myself with a broad range of orchestral music) when Mahler was the one and only composer who I actively disliked. There's no zealot like a convert!

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Poor guy. He seems to get that treatment a lot, from individuals and the musical world as a whole. I think when you know something about the man himself, his music becomes more understandable.

[nightscape94 965]

Same thing happens with Bruckner.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Was it just on here that I read someone say learning Bruckner was an organist made his music much more comprehensible?

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Was it just on here that I read someone say learning Bruckner was an organist made his music much more comprehensible?

His instrumentation and movement structure is often based on the organ. General pauses followed by different instrumentation (i.e. registers), for example. And the finale of the 6th just sounds like one massive organ work.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Exactly. 

[crocodile 8,012]

Listened to Krzysztof Penderecki's Credo last night on the plane. Forgot how good it is. Definitely his most accessible piece - warm and melodic.

Karol