Best classical recordings...ever! - Page 9

Bach: Easter Oratorio, Ascension Oratorio - Retrospect Ensemble

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra etc. - Zoltan Kocsis

Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas - Peter Takács

Mahler: Symphony No. 3 - Honeck

Mahler: Symphony No. 6 - Fischer

Mozart: Requiem - Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Mackerras

Mussorgsky: The Power of the Orchestra - Leibowitz

Prokofiev: Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2, Solo Sonata - Steinbacher, Petrenko

Stravinsky - Paavo Järvi

Stravinsky: Petrushka, Pulcinella, Symphonies of Wind Instruments

Save some time and get this bad boy:

That Decca Sound box is spectacular

Anyone here into more contemporary/modern orchestral music?

Relatedly, I've been on a huge early 20th century British kick-- the genius of SIR ARNOLD BAX, and Clifford, Bainton, Ireland, Delius, Rubbra, Walton, Holst, Vaughan-Williams, Alwyn, Arnell, Howells, Rutland, Moeran, Bantock, Jacob, Lloyd, Warlock, Butterworth, Gough, Simpson, Hart, McCabe etc...(notice I didn't mention Elgar or Britten ;-)) ...

So much distinctive richness there, that we don't normally hear in the greater collective/common canon of performed orchestral music. And that's just one cultural locale...

I've also been loving the symphonies of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu. He absorbed a bit of the American energy in his work while staying there, I think. I've been enjoying the Chandos/Bryden Thomson recording of his complete symphonies--fabulous. Like any classic, they are open to multiple interpretations-- and this is one of them. Recommended.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcamera 

Anyone here into more contemporary/modern orchestral music?

 

Relatedly, I've been on a huge early 20th century British kick-- the genius of SIR ARNOLD BAX, and Clifford, Bainton, Ireland, Delius, Rubbra, Walton, Holst, Vaughan-Williams, Alwyn, Arnell, Howells, Rutland, Moeran, Bantock, Jacob, Lloyd, Warlock, Butterworth, Gough, Simpson, Hart, McCabe etc...

OMG so much british composers  I've never heard about.

The only ones I've heard about ;-) But what about Purcell (actually I've heard of him only because it's played on  Clockwork Orange)

I can't listen to everything anyway, so I  prefer to focus on most famous composers ;-)

The only classical I was interested recently was regarding military march.

One highly rated by classsicstoday "fennel conducts Sousa" :

And an other one played by Karajan "Preussiche & Osterreichische Marsch"

There are other more "realistic" cd, played by true "military bands", but I find it's better when played with orchestras (except ambiance that is different).

Oh, I like also to hear "Fanfare for the common man" played by Zubin Meta :

arcamera: you did not mention ARNOLD - exceptional recordings: Flute Concerto; Peterloo; and symphony No 5!

extrabigmehdi: try Purcell's Dido and Aenes again exceptional.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kolyas 

arcamera: you did not mention ARNOLD - exceptional recordings: Flute Concerto; Peterloo; and symphony No 5!

 

extrabigmehdi: try Purcell's Dido and Aenes again exceptional.

kolyas-- you are right-- Malcolm Arnold is wonderful. Though I sometimes find his symphonies a little strange/demented. Not always my cup of tea, but I agree his work is very worthwhile.

The complete symphonies of Sir Arnold Bax, conducted by the late Vernon Handley-- possibly my favourite musical purchase of the last decade. Recommended. To say the least.

Arcamera

'The complete symphonies of Sir Arnold Bax, conducted by the late Vernon Handley-- possibly my favourite musical purchase of the last decade. Recommended. To say the least.'

Bax very underrated. And Handley the perfect interpreter. Handley made recordings on vinyl 'Classics for Pleasure' the cheap version of HMV and real recording gems. I also have his Elgar symphonies 1 and 2 which topped the best recordings list for years. 

If you find Arnold's symphonies  demented how about Maxwell Davies and Tippet?

Ha, yeah-- Maxwell Davies and Tippett are pretty wild too.

"Demented" was probably the wrong word choice for the Symponies of Arnold, sorry. Rather, he can be very unpredictable, and often uses an intentional 'pastiche,' somewhat like Shostakovich did, I'd say. Originally many critics thought Arnold was indulging in 'light music', but I think he was misunderstood in what he was doing, saying. Complex, he was.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anoxy 

Save some time and get this bad boy:

 

I recently bought The Decca Sound set, it's great.

I've also heard good things about this set:

As a Karajan fan, I think I'll probably end up buying it. Although I do own some of the individual records (the more famous ones), most of them I don't own.

The classical cd I've heard the most is "Music For Glass Harmonica"  (with various composers , and played by Bruno Hoffmann)

It's something exceptional you don't hear everyday. It's .... glass harmonica.

How the instrument looks like :

It's sounds a bit like "crystal" glass.

Here a track I found on youtube :

Quote:

Originally Posted by extrabigmehdi 

OMG so much british composers  I've never heard about.

 

The only ones I've heard about ;-) But what about Purcell (actually I've heard of him only because it's played on  Clockwork Orange)

 

 

I can't listen to everything anyway, so I  prefer to focus on most famous composers ;-)

 

 

The only classical I was interested recently was regarding military march.

One highly rated by classsicstoday "fennel conducts Sousa" :

 

 

And an other one played by Karajan "Preussiche & Osterreichische Marsch"

 

 

There are other more "realistic" cd, played by true "military bands", but I find it's better when played with orchestras (except ambiance that is different).

 

Oh, I like also to hear "Fanfare for the common man" played by Zubin Meta :

 

you're taking me way back.  the eastman cd was one of my first cds, and the marches with the berlin winds was soon after.  several years after i bought that cd set, Eugene Corporan highly recommended it after giving a march concert with the North Texas Wind Symphony while I was studying there.

My favorite recording of Copland's Fanfare is from the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble.  I've found that the intonation is very off on most recordings, especially the premier recording with the London Symphony.  The Philip Jones recording has the best tone quality from the brass, and the tuning is nearly perfect

Quote:

Originally Posted by extrabigmehdi 

The classical cd I've heard the most is "Music For Glass Harmonica"  (with various composers , and played by Bruno Hoffmann)

It's something exceptional you don't hear everyday. It's .... glass harmonica.

 

 

How the instrument looks like :

 

 

It's sounds a bit like "crystal" glass.

 

Here a track I found on youtube :

 

You do realize that Glass Harmonica music was supposed to drive people mad back in the day.