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The Classical Music Recommendation Thread


Muad'Dib

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It's Richard Strauss's 150th birthday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIW7prQxPS8

Bit macabre perhaps to pick three pieces about death for the occasion, but he just wrote some of his very best music on that subject.

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Indeed. Except for Alpensinfonie and Ariadne, where I prefer Kempe. Though I don't yet know the Karajan version of the latter, but I doubt it can beat the Kempe/Janowitz Ariadne.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Does anyone here listen to alt-rock outfit The Dear Hunter? Its frontman just released a proper classical album, sounds pretty good to be honest, much better than any rock artiste's classical album has any right to be.

https://play.spotify.com/album/6ZBkeShtl3LFhKsc0R3Z9r

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Ludolf Nielsen - Symphony No. 3

Jerry Goldsmith fans might like the stretch of music starting at 14:42, including 16:14.

Is it bad that I get anxiety over the huge amount of music, particularly late romantic symphonies, that is on Youtube and that I haven't heard?

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Hello Classical Fans,

I'm in search of best recordings/performances of Mahler Symphony #5 & #9. Greig - Peer Gynt. Beethoven Symphony #5 & #9.

Thanks in advance!

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Mahler Symphony #5

I have quite a few recordings of this. If I had to discard all but one of them, the one I'd keep would probably be the performance by Benjamin Zander and the Philharmonia Orchestra, which hits the mark for me right across the board. The CD also comes with a bonus disc featuring a long talk about the symphony by Zander, which is enjoyable (though fairly simplistic).

I like all Zander's Mahler recordings that I've heard, and his No. 9 is also a decent choice. Again, the CD comes with a bonus talk by the conductor (though I don't remember finding that one as engaging).

I should say that my taste in Mahler performances isn't shared by everyone: I'm a big fan of the Boulez performances (recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic for No. 5 and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for No. 9), and I don't like Leonard Bernstein's interpretations at all! I find Simon Rattle's to be a mixed bag: his No. 5 with the Berlin Philharmonic is another favourite of mine, while his No. 9 with the Vienna Philharmonic is a recording which I'd forgotten I even had until I looked through the pile just now, so not one which made much of an impression presumably...

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I'm in search of best recordings/performances of Mahler Symphony #5 & #9. Greig - Peer Gynt. Beethoven Symphony #5 & #9.

With Peer Gynt you have to distinguish between the well known suites and the more rare full stage music, with choir and soloists. I have the Järvi recording of that and like it very much. It has some narration from the play, but it's not distracting (considering that the music was in fact written to accompany the text).

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Boulez is solid Mahler but obviously not as free and flowing as others.

Yeah - I'm generally wary of the free and flowing approaches, though. With Boulez you get great clarity, but sometimes the interpretations don't pack quite as much of a punch as they might. I think it's only in the case of No. 6 that the Boulez recording is my clear-cut favourite - it's both polished and exhilarating.

Bernstein's performances of No. 5 break my one essential requirement for this symphony (as about half of the performances I've heard do) which is: don't reduce the tempo going in to the section which begins at 1:13:30 in this video; keep it up until the line beginning at 1:13:52, and then slow down as you see fit. I know it's not fair to judge an entire performance on just a few seconds of music, but when I hear it played as Bernstein does here, it feels as though the pressure has been released too early and the climax becomes a damp squib.

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Mahler Symphony #5

I have quite a few recordings of this. If I had to discard all but one of them, the one I'd keep would probably be the performance by Benjamin Zander and the Philharmonia Orchestra, which hits the mark for me right across the board. The CD also comes with a bonus disc featuring a long talk about the symphony by Zander, which is enjoyable (though fairly simplistic).

I like all Zander's Mahler recordings that I've heard, and his No. 9 is also a decent choice. Again, the CD comes with a bonus talk by the conductor (though I don't remember finding that one as engaging).

I should say that my taste in Mahler performances isn't shared by everyone: I'm a big fan of the Boulez performances (recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic for No. 5 and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for No. 9), and I don't like Leonard Bernstein's interpretations at all! I find Simon Rattle's to be a mixed bag: his No. 5 with the Berlin Philharmonic is another favourite of mine, while his No. 9 with the Vienna Philharmonic is a recording which I'd forgotten I even had until I looked through the pile just now, so not one which made much of an impression presumably...

Ah fantastic! thank you. I will check these out.

Boulez is solid Mahler but obviously not as free and flowing as others. Bernstein and Maazel, and Tilson Thomas are good choices as well.

Also I'd recommend Haitnik's Beethoven 9 with the LSO.

I'll get the Haitnik Beethoven soon, thank you!

I'm in search of best recordings/performances of Mahler Symphony #5 & #9. Greig - Peer Gynt. Beethoven Symphony #5 & #9.

With Peer Gynt you have to distinguish between the well known suites and the more rare full stage music, with choir and soloists. I have the Järvi recording of that and like it very much. It has some narration from the play, but it's not distracting (considering that the music was in fact written to accompany the text).

Oh I had no idea, you've taught me something today. Thank you i'll look into it.

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We all neglected:

Beethoven Symphony #5

Coincidentally, I have a recording of this again by Benjamin Zander and the Philharmonia Orchestra (along with Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 and, again, containing a bonus disc with Zander discussing the music). It's well worth hearing, as Zander brings a very fresh approach to one of the best-known of symphonies. You can hear him conduct the first movement in this public performance:

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Hello Classical Fans,

I'm in search of best recordings/performances of Mahler Symphony #5 & #9. Greig - Peer Gynt. Beethoven Symphony #5 & #9.

Thanks in advance!

Let's do this

Mahler 1 - Kubelik/BRSO, Fischer/BFO, Boulez/Chicago

Mahler 2 - Tennstedt/London Phil (live version), Blomstedt/SFO

Mahler 3 - Honeck/Pittsburgh, Chailly/RCO

Mahler 4 - Reiner/Chicago, Fischer/BFO, Boulez/Cleveland

Mahler 5 - Bernstein/Vienna, Barshai/Junge (youth orchestra), Nezet-Seguin/Philadelphia (live)

Mahler 6 - Eschenbach/Philadelphia, Bernstein/Vienna

Mahler 7 - Gielen//SWR Sinfonieorchester

Mahler 8 - Solti/Chicago, Chailly/RCO, Nagano/DSO,

Mahler 9 - Karajan/Berlin, Gielen/SWR Sinfonieorchester

Das Lied von der Erde - Oue/Minnesota, Nezet-Seguin/London Phil, Bernstein/Vienna (if you want to hear the Tenor/Baritone rendition)

Beethoven 9 - Bernstein/Vienna, Gardiner/ORR (The polar opposite of Bernstein and on period instruments)

Greig - Peer Gynt

I have the Järvi recording of that and like it very much. It has some narration from the play, but it's not distracting (considering that the music was in fact written to accompany the text).

Class recording.

If you just want the suites then you can't go wrong with Karajan/Berlin.

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Let's do this

Let's!

Mahler:

  • No. 1: Solti / Chicago SO ; Boulez / Chicago SO
  • No. 2: Rattle / CBSO ; Solti / Chicago SO ; Boulez / Vienna PO
  • No. 3: Rattle / CBSO ; Abbado / Vienna PO
  • No. 4: Boulez / Cleveland ; Zander / Phil
  • No. 5: Zander / Phil ; Rattle / Berlin PO
  • No. 6: :drool:Boulez / Vienna PO :drool: ; Zander / Phil ; Karajan / Berlin PO
  • No. 7: Solti / Chicago PO ; Boulez / Cleveland ; Abbado ; Chicago SO
  • No. 8: Solti / Chicago PO ; Boulez / Staat. Berlin
  • No. 8.5: (Baritone) Rattle / CBSO ; (Alto) Boulez / Vienna PO
  • No. 9: Karajan / Berlin PO ; Boulez / Chicago SO

P.S. I'm in favour of the idea that performing the Sixth Symphony in such a fashion that the Andante is heard before the Scherzo should be regarded as a felony in all countries.

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We all neglected:

Beethoven Symphony #5

Coincidentally, I have a recording of this again by Benjamin Zander and the Philharmonia Orchestra (along with Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 and, again, containing a bonus disc with Zander discussing the music). It's well worth hearing, as Zander brings a very fresh approach to one of the best-known of symphonies.

If you like your Beethoven #5 fast may I suggest Chailly/Gewandhausorchester (whew!)

My recommended version: Mackerras/Scottish Chamber Orchestra (or his first version with Royal Liverpool), also Kleiber/Vienna

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If you like your Beethoven #5 fast may I suggest Chailly/Gewandhausorchester (whew!)

Ah, I haven't heard that yet; will look out for it.

Incidentally, I'd mention Chailly in connection with Mahler's Symphony No. 5, because his recording (with the Concertgebouw) sounds absolutely amazing. From what I remember, my main gripe with it was my earlier complaint about slowing down too soon near the end.

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I'd heard a lot of his later works are quite difficult to get one's hands on. Might account for the whole situation, and why he isn't often recorded.

It's strange. When I was studying, he was always being talked about and analyzed and praised. Certain well known composers hold him in very high regard. Then years later, outside of those inner circles, I felt like I was the only person who had ever even heard of him.

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Not an often mentioned work, but Paul Hindemith's Concert Music for Brass and Strings is a great listen. I'm a huge fan of Hindemith in general, he was an incredibly unique composer. So much of what he wrote was so uniquely him. This piece is very close in style to his various sonatas.

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