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The Classical Music Recommendation Thread


Muad'Dib

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I don't find Stromberg's Sea Hawk to be any better - I prefer Kojian's and the original recording.

 

20 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Ah yes, I have a couple of the CPO albums (Orchestral Works 2 and Symphonic Serenade), are the others worth getting? Don't seem to have any of the Capriccio discs, are they worth getting?

 

That's what I'm wondering about. :lol: 

 

What's your verdict regarding CPO vs. Bamert?

 

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3 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

@Marian Schedenig, do you have a favourite CD box set of Korngold's orchestral works?

 

I don't know any, and I actually don't have a lot - mostly the film scores and operas. I've got two of the Chandos Bamerts, and as far as I remember they're find and very "authentic" sounding. Mauceri's recordings are also excellent.

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On 15/12/2021 at 8:05 AM, Disco Stu said:

I must confess I have never listened to a single note of Korngold's pre-Hollywood music.

The Piano Quintet in E is pretty nice.  

 

 

tonight, I am discovering (or really paying attention to) the Elgar Cello Concerto. 

and am in awe

Normally, I dislike Elgar, but this is a masterpiece. 

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53 minutes ago, SteveMc said:

The Piano Quintet in E is pretty nice.  

 

 

tonight, I am discovering (or really paying attention to) the Elgar Cello Concerto. 

and am in awe

Normally, I dislike Elgar, but this is a masterpiece. 

Yes.

It is.

That and Nimrod are his best compositions.

Late works, also

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Next order of business: are there generally best recordings of Liszt's rhapsodies' orchestral versions to recommend? I'm looking at these two for example, slightly preferring the first based on samples:

eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzeyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2Vz

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19 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Masur's great.

Yeah, sounds like it ...but based on the samples on Presto I prefer the other's No.3.

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Concerto for Mother and Orchestra

 

On 14/01/2022 at 2:22 AM, Disco Stu said:

I will be purchasing this Naxos box of Poulenc’s chamber music in March

 

 

 

I recently purchased Warner's box of Poulenc's complete works. Have you checked it out?

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On 15/12/2021 at 4:18 PM, Jurassic Shark said:

@Marian Schedenig, do you have a favourite CD box set of Korngold's orchestral works?

This 4-disk set is quite good.

 

th?id=OIP.bQDruSUlwvmsX8w1w06OsgHaHa&w=1

 

It is more a collection of highlights than a presentation of complete works.

But still 4 hours of very good Korngold recordings.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Could anyone recommend me a recording of Beethoven's 9th conducted by someone who favours Furtwängler's grand and extreme tempos? I want to experience an interpretation of that work in his way, but all his recordings suck quality-wise. So not necessarily one you like, but one that adheres to his romantic philosophy.

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5 hours ago, Holko said:

Speedround: Widely agreed definitive Rite of Spring?

 

Some 20 years ago it (or at least one of the top recommendations) was Rattle/CBSO. Though I haven't listened to the work in years and recently have been wondering what contenders may have come out since then.

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17 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

There's a lot of recordings of the work and many are also considered very good.

k

 

which one here would you pick?

https://www.facethemusic.hu/kereses/reszletes/?searchfor=4&p=&aid=&a=&t=rite+of+spring&f=2&pub=&tl=&p1=&p2=&d=&sd=

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27 minutes ago, Holko said:

 

Interesting CD store! Do they have any particularly good deals I should know about?

 

Regarding Rite, it's never been a favourite work of mine, so I don't really have any personal favourite. Anyway, you can't go wrong with the composer conducting his own works on Sony. I actually prefer listening to The Firebird, and I really like the intensity of the Philips recording with a certain conductor who's now persona non grata in Europe...

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7 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Interesting CD store! Do they have any particularly good deals I should know about?

 

Usually no. They get stock from foreign warehouses, are usually a bit more expensive than some other sites (especially with HUF being weaker and weaker), and I don't think they even ship abroad. I just like supporting them and they have a wider general selection than say, MBR or soundtrackcorner.

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11 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Regarding Rite, it's never been a favourite work of mine, so I don't really have any personal favourite. Anyway, you can't go wrong with the composer conducting his own works on Sony.

 

For something like Sacre, I think the sound is quite important, and I imagine Stravinsky's own recordings must be at least somewhat compromised in that area. I'd be interested in a reasonably modern, sonically detailed recording.

 

11 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I actually prefer listening to The Firebird, and I really like the intensity of the Philips recording with a certain conductor who's now persona non grata in Europe...

 

I've been meaning to check out the complete Firebird for a while, but politics aside, the Gergiev seems to be available only as a Japanese import, overpriced and/or unavailable on Amazon; JPC lists it for about €20, but I'm never quite sure about their availability qualifiers. Any other recommendations for a full recording?

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50 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

For something like Sacre, I think the sound is quite important, and I imagine Stravinsky's own recordings must be at least somewhat compromised in that area. I'd be interested in a reasonably modern, sonically detailed recording.

 

 

I've been meaning to check out the complete Firebird for a while, but politics aside, the Gergiev seems to be available only as a Japanese import, overpriced and/or unavailable on Amazon; JPC lists it for about €20, but I'm never quite sure about their availability qualifiers. Any other recommendations for a full recording?

 

I think DG's complete edition includes Boulez' recording, and his recordings usually get high praise. An I right, @Tom Guernsey? I also think there's a box of Boulez' complete Stravinsky recordings.

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As the second most number of recordings of a single work (Mahler 5 being the top) I feel I should have a more informed opinion on The Rite of Spring but I don’t have one that is my absolute go to performance. Having said that I highly recommend the LA Philharmonic version conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. It’s live but the sound is great and the performance thrilling. I have Stravinsky’s own on the extensive boxed set and from what I recall it’s a fine performance and the sound is perfectly good. I still hold the Dorati/Detroit recording in high esteem as the first recording I bought. Great performance of the Firebird too. The performances of Stravinsky’s music conducted by Robert Craft are worth hearing although I think he’s better in the later neoclassical stuff than ROS. On the flip side I’m pretty sure I thought the Karajan version was terrible. If you want a different interpretation the rock version by The Bad Plus is worth checking out.

 

Must given Petrouchka another airing. One of my favourites.

 

By coincidence, currently listening to Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite which some people consider Prokofiev’s answer to ROS. I guess it’s pretty brutal and elemental and was originally written for Diaghilev. I’ve always loved it, particularly the Abbado recording coupled with the best version of Alexander Nevsky (suite) and Lt Kijé. However I’m on the BIS recording conducted by Andrew Litton coupled with a fine rendition of the 5th symphony. The whole Litton cycle of Prokofiev’s symphonies, on first listen, very good indeed. Looking forward to checking out Romeo & Juliet (even if it’s a weird disc that puts the selections from the three suites into ballet order. My go to for the full ballet is the Maazel version although my go to is the highlights conducted by Michael Tilson-Thomas which has all the best bits. I’m sure Thor would approve ;-)

6 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

I think DG's complete edition includes Boulez' recording, and his recordings usually get high praise. An I right, @Tom Guernsey? I also think there's a box of Boulez' complete Stravinsky recordings.

I think there is a set of Boulez conducting Stravinsky but I don’t think I have it. Probably worth a listen though if nothing else as Boulez usually lets you hear every detail which is a bonus in such a complex score. 

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I wouldn't necessarily say it's my favorite or the best, but I'm a fan of Goossens' recording with the LSO from way back.  But I would guess "vintage" classical recordings aren't Holko's thing like they are for me.  I just love how the LSO albums recorded in the 50s and 60s sound.  This was probably recorded at Walthamstow Town Hall like all the LSO albums Copland conducted in the 60s.

 

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On 02/03/2022 at 10:07 AM, Tom Guernsey said:

As the second most number of recordings of a single work (Mahler 5 being the top) I feel I should have a more informed opinion on The Rite of Spring but I don’t have one that is my absolute go to performance. Having said that I highly recommend the LA Philharmonic version conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. It’s live but the sound is great and the performance thrilling. I have Stravinsky’s own on the extensive boxed set and from what I recall it’s a fine performance and the sound is perfectly good. I still hold the Dorati/Detroit recording in high esteem as the first recording I bought. Great performance of the Firebird too. The performances of Stravinsky’s music conducted by Robert Craft are worth hearing although I think he’s better in the later neoclassical stuff than ROS. On the flip side I’m pretty sure I thought the Karajan version was terrible. If you want a different interpretation the rock version by The Bad Plus is worth checking out.

 

Must given Petrouchka another airing. One of my favourites.

 

By coincidence, currently listening to Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite which some people consider Prokofiev’s answer to ROS. I guess it’s pretty brutal and elemental and was originally written for Diaghilev. I’ve always loved it, particularly the Abbado recording coupled with the best version of Alexander Nevsky (suite) and Lt Kijé. However I’m on the BIS recording conducted by Andrew Litton coupled with a fine rendition of the 5th symphony. The whole Litton cycle of Prokofiev’s symphonies, on first listen, very good indeed. Looking forward to checking out Romeo & Juliet (even if it’s a weird disc that puts the selections from the three suites into ballet order. My go to for the full ballet is the Maazel version although my go to is the highlights conducted by Michael Tilson-Thomas which has all the best bits. I’m sure Thor would approve ;-)

I think there is a set of Boulez conducting Stravinsky but I don’t think I have it. Probably worth a listen though if nothing else as Boulez usually lets you hear every detail which is a bonus in such a complex score. 

I have his recording of the COMPLETE FIREBIRD.

Also contains the delightful " Scherzo Fantastique".

 

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IMG_20220303_192354__01.jpg IMG_20220303_192534__01.jpg

 

I attended my first concert since Williams in Berlin today. Before the regular programme, there was a thoughtful speech by conductor Semyon Bychkov, followed by the Ukrainian anthem and a minute of silence - apparently a joint initiative of several major European concert halls today.

 

I've been meaning to hear Smetana's Ma Vlast live for yearsdecades. Despite the popularity of Vlatva (The Moldau), the full cycle seems to get performed very rarely in Austria and I think mostly elsewhere (although at least not in Czechia, where it traditionally opens the annual Prague Spring International Music Festival). After recently getting Fricsay's recording of Dvorak's 9th, which is paired with an excellent Vltava, I dug out my Kubelik recordings of the full cycle again (Vienna and Boston, but I have my eye on the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra recording, which is supposed to be extra special - incidentally the same orchestra I heard today, just some 25+ years apart) and lamented that I still haven't had a chance to hear it live - only to discover a few days later that a performance was in fact scheduled for today (as the opening concert of a cycle of Czech music - I also have a ticket for Janáček's Glagolitic Mass on Sunday).

 

It's really a brilliant cycle, one that would deserve being at least half as popular as Vltava. In six pieces taking up slightly more than one hour, Smetana manages to combine (style wise) the full range of Dvorak's symphonies, tone poems, and dances, along with some touches of Wagner's Ring, some Strauss, and more, into a very organic whole that's not just operatic but almost works like a film score. Unlike most "proto film score" works (like operas, incidental music, and ballets, or even Sibelius's tableaux), it was written as "pure" concert music, yet each piece has a strong narrative that's much more "pictorial" than the more character based or "philosophical" tone poems by e.g. Strauss - but without compromising the musical content or integrity. It's a feature-length symphonic work of high musical quality, with very accessible melodies, much drama and contrast in colours, and actual stories that officially are what the music is supposed to convey - I really wonder why it isn't much more popular with orchestras and audiences.

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Just listened to a very interesting podcast episode about the narrative templates we use for aging composers.  The writer uses Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Copland, and Elliott Carter as his examples.  It would be interesting to apply these templates to the last 20 years of JW's career.

 

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  • 1 month later...

I'm posting here since Talk Classical just became totally user-unfriendly, aka I  have no patience with the new forum lay-out.

 

There is a set of 240 CDs with Karajan's complete DG recordings. Was this ever available physically? If so, would one theoretically be possible to ship individual CDs for me? Meaning, were there individual cases in it or is it some fancy packaging thing?

 

Then there’s a complete Decca set. Does this one not overlap with the DG one at all? Is there a digital version one can buy?

 

Then they combined DG and Decca into one physical set. Is that just the two aforementioned ones rolled in one?

 

Finally, there’s an EMI set (orchestral and vocal). Does this exist physically? Is there any overlap between that one and Decca/DG?

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8 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

 

Finally, there’s an EMI set (orchestral and vocal). Does this exist physically?

 

Yes, it exists physically. It's a collection of 10+ smaller boxes. Now this big box is OOP, but most of the smaller boxes are still available. 

 

I reckon there's a lot of overlap in repertoire, but I doubt any of the recordings were licensed from other labels, so it's different recordings.

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1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I reckon there's a lot of overlap in repertoire, but I doubt any of the recordings were licensed from other labels, so it's different recordings.

 

With Karajan, there's overlap in the repertoire even within a single label, often multiple times. Then again, you get stuff on EMI and Decca that, as far as I know, you don't get on DG, even though that ended up being his main label where you can find stuff from the 60s and remakes from the 70s and more remakes from the 80s.

 

And yet there still is important stuff that's not available at all, like the Salzburger Alpensinfonie that apparently was released only once on an impossible to find Japanese CD.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Wonder if someone can help me here, both Presto and Discogs are failing me.

 

I used to own a CD, single disc, of pieces from Bach's notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach and WF Bach. It started with AMB pieces and was played on a modern piano, in stereo, and was notable for its slight reverb. Can anyone think of who performed it? I'd love to re-buy it but just can't find anything.

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  • 4 weeks later...

@bollemanneke

 

For instrumental arrangements of somes pieces from the scrapbook of AMB (which collects works not only from J.S. Bach, now we know it), I love The Little Suite recorded by Ormandy.

 

Now for piano good recordings, I have to watch my archives...

 

image.png

Bach's Greatest Hits Vol. 1

https://www.discogs.com/release/3300887-Various-Bachs-Greatest-Hits-Vol-1

 

 

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(suite)

 

For good piano interpretations of these lessons (which professional piano players tend to play horribly and too fast, because they think... they are just lessons for beginners, so I can fuck them because I am a PRO!... well, they are ALL as wrong as stupid).

 

ONE NAME: João Carlos Martins

 

Make sure to check for the 12 Little Preludes too (BWV 924–930, 939–942 and 999), another great collection of "easy" works wrote by J.S Bach.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you are able to watch BBC TV or have access to the BBC iPlayer, I thoroughly recommend the broadcast of Prom 2 from this season's BBC Proms at 20:00 this evening on BBC Four.

 

I went to the concert last night and it was fantastic - a programme of music from the Sinfonia of London under John Wilson, including Arnold Bax's Tintagel and William Walton's Partita for Orchestra.  The concert was bookended by Ralph Vaughan-Williams's Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis and Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations and I will be very lucky if I ever hear either piece played better.  Huw Watkins, whose entertaining flute concerto we heard performed by Adam Walker, was in the audience.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0019dsf

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