[ComfyCan]

I have started to listen to a little classical again, but I don't have much of a collection. I did use the search function, but got hit with information overload. Basically, I'd like to pick up 5 or so really well mixed classical, orchestral CDs that are generally considered to be excellant. I would prefer Redbook so I can use my MicroDac, but SACD's are ok too if that's the only way to get the best recording of a particular piece.

I don't have much experience or background; I know I generally like Bach, I like Vivaldi's 4 Seasons, and I like most Motzart I've ever heard.

Can you classical fans give me a top 5 favorites list? I will buy them based on your collective reccomendations.

Thanks in advance.

 

[xchagg]

Umm, 5 CDs might be considered cruelty; how about expanding your limit to say . . 10CDs for a start, maybe even 50?

A few suggestions:

Mozart's late symphonies - the 40th/41st if you're keeing it to a single disc. Marriner and the ASMF seem to be a safe choice?

Bach Mass in B minor - Many good recordings; my current favourite being Robert King with the King's Consort & the Tölzer Knabenchor. (This is a sacred vocal work, but I believe it's a strong Top 5, and you did say you like Bach

)

Beethoven's 9th Symphony - mmm . . . I still like Karajan's '63 recording; other excellent recordings are out there too.

Haydn - Harnoncourt's recording of the 'Paris' Symphonies (Nos. 82-87)? It's a 3CD set, which is cheating a little, but is a good place to start.

Mahler's 2nd - Metha/VPO/Decca Legends. You could pick up a box set of Mahler's symphonies, more for the convenience though.

Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3 - Charles Munch and the BSO. RCA Living Stereo SACD Release.

Prokofiev 1st (yum!), Schubet Symphonies, Bruckner 4th, Mozart Requiem, Dvorák 9th Symphony, Bach Keyboard/Violin Concertos etc. etc. etc. Too many good works; 5CDs is just too few ... ...

There will be other more specific and better examples, but the above are works I own and thoroughly enjoy.

 

[Spareribs]

This is kind of a difficult question because the world of classical music is so *enormous*. And there so different categories too like baroque, romantic era, 20th century, etc...

If you love the orchestra and want to see how an orchestra can kick some serious ass, I would recommend Mahler and Aaron Coplend with your headphones. In my opinion, it's primarily the 20th century stuff that has the most interesting and dynamic stuff of the orchestra. You can try other 20th century composers as well. I love Ravel too. The Star Wars Empire Strikes Back soundtrack is excellent even though it's a film score. Be open minded with 21st century composers too. Sometimes I am suprised by new works when I listen to a classical music station on the radio.

One of my all time favorite kick ass recordings is Richard Strauss's Alpine Symphony. This is a monumental work and I love the recording with Karajan conducting. It's overwhelming like a tidal wave!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=glance&n=5174

Sometimes I'm not in the mood for an orchestra and I will enjoy string quartets. The Beethoven String Quartets are one my all time favorite works in classical music. I love it. Many will say that his late quartets are the best. But I love them all. In my opinion, his string quartets are his finest compositions.

Another favorite is the Shostakovich String Quartets. These are very different from Beethoven string quartets but they are the most emotional works I have ever heard. Alot of the music is so deep and tragic. Heart breaking and to me, it's arguebly the most profound works in the classical music world.

When it comes to Mozart, I enjoy alot of his stuff but one of my favorite recordings is the Divertementi CD with Ton Coopman conducting. It's a fun listen and really beautiful.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=glance&n=5174

Also, try to listen to Bach's Brandenburg Concerto's. They are wonderful and very famous.

Generally, when it comes to Bach, Mozart and other early periods of classical music, I usually prefer recordings done with period instruments. Period instruments are the kinds of violins that they used in the old days. They sound warmer and have a more rich tone. They sound less abrasive. But there are good recordings done with the regular violins of today too.

A good way to listen to a bunch of classical recordings it to go to your library and see if they loan classical CDs. My library has a modest selection and I have found lots of great gems. Also, try the Naxos label too. They have a lot of very nice recordings for around $6 I think.

Keep in mind that price has nothing to do with the quality of performance or work. There are many great recordings that are cheap CDs and you can always read the reviews. But keep in mind that it's your ears that decide what's good, not other people's opinions.

 

[ComfyCan]

Thanks guys; keep em' coming--this is very helpful.

My primary motivation here is that my listening preferences have been changing since I acquired quality equipment. So many of my favorite modern rock/pop cd's are so poorly mixed that I can't stand to listen to them on good equipment (recently discovered, here, that the problem is lack of dynamic range).

Thus, I am now making my listening choices based more on production values than anything else. I'm told that classical cd's, in general, are recorded with greater respect for dynamic range. I want music to carry me away, and I do not want to be distracted by distortion.

 

[ayso78]

Definitely Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra (can't go wrong w/Karajan in this repertoire).

 

[swt61]

I'd add Ravel Bolero to the list. And I still love the William Tell Overture by Rossini, even though I'm always looking for Tonto when I hear it.

 

[thrawn86]

no dvorak?

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/...album_id=45025

I have this recording, its very good. the 9th is also good as well.

 

[qaam]

I don't know about an all time 5 favorite list, but here's some "classical" albums I've really enjoyed recently.

* Ligeti - Works for Piano: Etudes and Musica Ricercata played by Aimard
* Messiaen - Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jesus played by Aimard (probably my favorite solo piano work ever)
* Rachmaninoff - Symphonic Dances conducted by Eiji Oue
* Vasks - Concerto For Violin And String Orchestra with Anthony Marwood as the soloist
* Messiaen - Éclairs sur L'Au dela conducted by Simon Prattle

I'm showing my obvious bias for modern classical music. To me, modern classical is just so much more interesting than the earlier stuff. Alas, it is much harder to get into, but if you're looking to try something very different than Bach or Mozart, I'd suggest any of the above.

 

[K2Grey]

Get a CD of the named Beethoven piano sonatas (it will probably end up consisting of Moonlight, Waldstein, Appassionata, and then either Pathetique or Les Adieux). There are a bunch of CDs with this selection.

 

[jagorev]

This question is much too personal to give any real answers...I'm completely indifferent to plenty of well-known and popular repertoire (eg., Strauss or Vivaldi, and all operas other than Mozart's). Nevertheless, here are some of the CDs I personally couldn't live without (not all of these have the best sound quality, but the performance is much more important than the recording anyway):

Copland - Appalachian Spring (Bernstein on Sony Classical)
Beethoven symphonies (Furtwangler on the Music & Arts box set)
Famous Overtures (DG Panorama) - I'm not a fan of compilations, but this has a decent selection of fairly exciting pieces.
Mozart - Clarinet Concerto (Stoltzmann & Tokyo Quartet on RCA Red Seal)
Beethoven and Brahms - Violin Concertos (Heifetz/Munch/Reiner on RCA Red Seal)
Bach - Brandenburg Concertos (Pinnock on Archiv)
Beethoven - Piano Sonatas (Kempff box set on DG - there's also a decent sampler CD with some of the more popular pieces)
Beethoven - Middle String Quartets (Takacs on Decca)
Haydn - London symphonies (Bruggen on Philips)
Bach - Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould on Sony Classical)
Beethoven - Missa Solemnis (Shaw on Telarc)
Schubert - Symphonies no. 3 & 8 (Kleiber on DG)

EDIT: Another must-have for me is the Archduke and Ghost piano trios by Beethoven...the Perlman/Ashkenazy/Harrell recording on EMI Classics is pretty good.

 

[PSmith08]

Just five you say?

Mozart - Requiem (Hogwood, AAM)
This is a fantastic recording, despite some textual weirdness, of Mozart's last and probably best piece.

Wagner - Parsifal (Thielemann, DGG)
This is really the culmination of Wagner's theories on music, drama, and religion. It is weird in its own way too, but the music is among the most perfect ever written.

Bruckner - Symphony no. 4 (Celibidache, EMI)
Of all Bruckner's massive symphonies, this one is probably most easily approached and most easily digested. Celibidache, despite some crank-ish beliefs about music, managed to create the perfect performance of this symphony.

Bach - Goldberg Variations (Gould '59, Sony)
Live from the Mozarteum during the 1959 Salzburger Festspiele, these Variations are less wild and idiosyncratic than the 1955 studio version, but also more spontaneous and less mannered than Gould's valedictory 1981 Goldbergs.

Beethoven - Symphony no. 9 (Tennstedt '85, BBCL)
This recording, at the boomy Royal Albert Hall, was captured during the 1985 BBC Proms. Tennstedt manages to bring about a performance solidly in line with earlier, apocalyptic versions. It might not have the best band or cast, but it certainly has the sort of world-shattering view that Beethoven would want. Despite the HIP crowd.

 

[ComfyCan]

Continuing thank you's to all!

I arbitrarily picked the number "5" because I realize how difficult it is to narrow down such a broad genre, but hoped to get a manageable list I could use as a starting point. It seems to be working.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

Here are five composers that have not already been mentioned:

1. Tchaikovsky - Symphonies 4, 5 and/or 6 - If you can find the Mravinsky-Leningrad version, grab it
2. Hanson - Symphonies # 1 and/or # 2
3. Brahms Symphony # 4
4. Schumann - Piano Concerto in A minor.
5. Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos # 2 and 3 - Try to find the Janis or Cliburn recordings if you can

 

[dvallere]

I'm currently stuck on Chopin's Ballades & Scherzos (Rubinstein). I find piano music to be perhaps less elegant, but more technical, and love to just sit and listen and imagine one man's (or woman's) dedication to learning an instrument to such a level of perfection.

Most of my stuff is Chopin and Liszt for this reason but the Rubinstein CD is a standout imho.

I notice nobody's mentioned Chopin or Liszt so far...are they not considered classical? Or just, no one is sticking up for them?

D.

 

[ayso78]

Would anyone other than a pianist actually put Liszt in their top 5?

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvallere I notice nobody's mentioned Chopin or Liszt so far...are they not considered classical? Or just, no one is sticking up for them?