How does my classical CD shopping list look? - Page 4

Impossible task, given numbers of recordings of so much great music... but would be helpful to know for some things whether "classic recordings" regardless of sound quality, or more sound quality, is emphasized (like, Furtwangler's Beethoven could be a separate thread altogether based on "best performance" and "best-recorded performance" and reasons why Furtwangler was/wasn't the greatest Beethoven conductor of all time etc etc).

Or, say, comparing Milstein's Bach with Hilary Hahn's leads to all sorts of discussions about what's desired.

Also, interest in "historically informed performances" or not? (Say, with a Beethoven cycle again, for example.  Early in this thread it seems Karajan was just a given. SO many other options out there... )

Sorry if this is just muddying waters, but the lists can reach thousands of recommendations without anyone blinking!

And if you want something super-simple, then I'll just pick one: Milstein's DG recordings of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for violin solo.

The earlier Milstein has its champions, too, but I'm most moved by the later DG recording. It's a full on "blood on the strings" sort of thing!

My thoughts on the impossibility were really awakened most basically by the listing of von Karajan doing Beethoven -- a 'standard' for sure, but not where I'd go with recommendations.  For a full set of Beethoven Symphonies, I'd suggest Nikolas Harnoncourt, on Telarc.  Like with all sets, some are closer to ideal than others. Among modern sets, this one is really special.

Many of Heifetz's recordings are amazing.

Are you set on Beethoven and the like? If you want to expand your boundaries a bit, Solti and the Chicago Symphony performing Pictures at an Exhibition is absolutely stellar.

Also, many of the Haitink/CSO recordings of Mahler and Bruckner are available on SACD through the CSO Resound label, but if those Symphonies aren't up your alley, my apologies.

It originally was a solo piano piece, but Ravel did an orchestration that is absolutely brilliant, and probably played more widely than the solo piano version.

I would suggest that you should avoid Japanese remaster Heifetz like hell..

The staging is like putting Heifetz with pianist or orchestra from a pair of speaker.....

Those SACDs, on the other hand, are great.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneSec 

Actually Heifetz  were one of the violinist I first listen to - from my father's vinyl collections. Yes he plays to very high precision and perfection. Which explains the high amount of high quality Japanese pressing CDs  for Heifetz - just as many as they are for Arthur Rubenstein :)

 

I listened to Bruch, Mendelsonn, Tchychosekly, Wieniawski and couple other violin concertos from him.

 

He has a very clear signature - and most people would be able to distinguish his playing :)

 

The sound Byron Janis's version on SACD improves a lot.

The old CD version was already a classic.
 

Not to mention that it came with an well played orchestral version by Dorati

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneSec 

Just updated first post with all the recommendations.

 

I thought Pictures at an Exhibition is a piano solo piece Yeah its one of my favorite... Hmm so Solti got an orchestra variation? Interesting.