[russdog]

Well, "heathen" might be too strong a word. Let's just say that I'm a casual fan of classical music, but don't know much about it. I fully trust that some people here are infinitely more knowledgable about classical music than I am. Rather than spend time and money on unguided trial-and-error, I'd really like to have the benefit of knowing what your "must have" CD's are for wonderous listening, both through cans and speakers. I know there's at least 3 different aspects: the music, the performance, and the recording/mix. If you take all 3 together and stir them around, what CD's ring *your* bell? (Thanks in advance to all.)

 

[Hell_Gopher]

Well, you're right about the elements that go into the mix bar one - cost. So here's some discs I love, with cheap alternatives in some cases!

I assume you mean classical in the widest sense. Also, I'll try and keep it small and relatively accessible. These are some of the "warhorses", with a few others.

Bach - Brandenburg Concertos

Concerto italiano on the Naive label - fresh, lively performances in marvellous, clear sound. Not cheap though.

Bach - St Matthew Passion

Phillipe Herreweghe on Harmonia Mundi. This is, IMO, the best piece of Western music ever written, and the best "big band" recording. Great sound. There is a very good version on Naxos also that goes for a lot less, if you are on a budget. This is *not* an accessible piece of music, but it is one that will reward you for the rest of your life if you make an effort.

Beethoven - Symphony no. 9

David Zinman on Arte Nova Classics is good and very cheap. Roger Norrington for period instruments. I don't own a definitive recording of this one, so I'll let others chip in. The music, though, is among the first rank of the classical repertoire, whatever your preferences.

Mozart - Requiem

Phillipe Herreweghe on Harmonia Mundi again. Currently available cheap as part of their 2006 Mozart Edition. An amazing work: all Mozart's rich, tuneful genius properly channeled through study of the old master, Bach. This recording on period instruments does not hold back on chunky, throbbing power and the choir is, as always with Herreweghe, superb. The alto soloist is a bit crummy, but her solo parts are quite minor in this anyway.

Monteverdi - Vespro della beata Vergine

Rene Jacobs on Harmonia Mundi (Robert King on Hyperion is also supposed to be amazing, though I don't have it yet).

Another choral work, one that seems to look back from the end of the renaissance to every strand of Western music before it, and wind them all together into a beautiful tapestry that also innovates and looks to the future, with an emphasis on the simplicity and power of singing.

 

[milkpowder]

This one:
http://www.deccaclassics.com/music/m...travinsky.html
especially "the Firebird"

and this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?redirect=true

Hell_gopher's choices are good too.

 

[Masolino]

Mozart Concertos for Violin and Orchestra Nos. 3-5
Andrew Manze/ The English Concert (Harmonia mundi)
Graceful performances of these concertos that are
among the loveliest ever in the repertory.

Get the SACD hybrid version (807385),
http://stereophile.com/recordingofthemonth/406rotm/
which has wonderfully realistic multi-channel sound
that has won resounding praise from many a headfi'er
both as something to listen to and something to test one's
audio gear with.

 

[milkpowder]

People here seem to like Harmonia mundi a lot. I suggest you look at their discs. Proprius also seems to have a very high consistency in quality.

 

[K2Grey]

For The Ninth, I'll chip in with Gunter Wand's rendition with the NDRSO:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...946454?ie=UTF8

While I don't own 20 recordings of the same work like some others do, I prefer this one to Furtwangler's 1951 Bayreuth one and the 1963 Karajan one. The sound quality is very good, as well.

 

[hciman77]

Some of my Favourites:

Schubert: String Quintet D956 - unearthily beautiful

Strauss: Four Last songs

Dvorak: Symphony No 9 "New World"

Beethoven: Symphonies 5,7,9

My personal favourites include Mahler and Bruckner but some may consider them a bit too hefty for starters. As for recordings/performances - far too subjective, it takes a lot of effort to ruin a great work but several "great" performances I have bought I have disliked big time. I read Amazon reviews and music review sites but it is still hit or miss.

Welcome to a wonderful world with an enormous back catalog.

 

[Hell_Gopher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder People here seem to like Harmonia mundi a lot. I suggest you look at their discs. Proprius also seems to have a very high consistency in quality.

I think for early music and the baroque, Harmonia Mundi is pretty much on top of the field right now. Herreweghe and Jacobs are arguably the best modern Bach interpreters (McCreesh and Gardiner might have something to say about that); there's also Andrew Manze, Fretwork, Anonymous 4, Andrew Lawrence-King, Paul O' Dette, the Orlando Consort...the list goes on. With names like these, performance quality is almost always first-class, and HM's sound quality is generally outstanding too. Other great labels that show the art of classical recording isn't dead include Alpha (early music), Naive, and Soli Deo Gloria (Gardiner's "garage" label).

Edit: Also, Masolino's recommendation is perfect: great performance, great sound, and great, accesible music.

 

[mbhaub]

I am more interested in newer music; of course in classical terms newer can still be very old compared to pop music. Some of the things I can't be without:

1) Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade. Kiril Kondrashin on Philips.
2) Ravel, orchestral music. Claudio Abbado on a DG Trio.
3) Ernest Bloch, Symphony in c#. Lev Markiz on BIS.
4) Franz Schmidt, Symphony No. 4. Franz Welser-Most on EMI.
5) Edward Elgar, Symphony no. 2. Handley on EMI.

Those are all large-orchestra works, some people consider them "heavy". I consider them life-giving, wondrous creations of the human spirit. Only the last one will cause any difficulty in assimilation.

 

[milkpowder]

Here are some amazing recordings:

Living Stereo Rhapsodies (Liszt, Enesco, Smetana, Wagner).
Stokowski/RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
BMG Classics 09026-61503-2

Mercury Living Presence Stravinsky Firebird, The Song of the Nightingale, Tano, Scherzo a la russe.
Dorati/LSO
Mercury Living Presence 470 643-2

EMI Romance de Armor (v. nice guitar stuff)
Xue Fei Yang
EMI Classics 0094635677225

opus 3 Pathfinder
Bert "East" Ostlund
Opus 3 CD22061

 

[Tyson]

Check my sig below. Has direct links to inexpensive but very good performances.