Starting a Classic CD Collection

[tim_j_thomas]

Hello all! About a year ago, I began to put together a classic cd collection. Below is what I have got so far. I'd appreciate anyone's comments on the collection so far. Are there any major holes? Any piecies you'd recommend I'd add?

So far, I like just about everything I've got. Although I must say that I was very impressed with Bach's Cello Suites by Pablo Casals. What a masterpiece!

I know next to nothing about classical music, but am trying to learn. Any suggestions on books or website?

Thanks in advance.

Classical CD Collection

1. Andres Segovia - The Segovia Collection (Vol. 2)
2. Andres Segovia - The Segovia Collection (Vol. 5)
3. Andres Segovia - The Segovia Collection (Vol. 6)
4. Antonin Dvorak - New World Symphony
5. Beethoven - Beethoven Symphonie No. 9 - Herbert von Karajan
6. Beethoven - Favourite Piano Sonatas - Disk 1 – Alfred Brendel
7. Beethoven - Favourite Piano Sonatas - Disk 2 – Alfred Brendel
8. Beethoven - Symphonien Nos. 5 & 7 – Carlos Kleiber
9. Brahms – Brams Pion Trios - Rubinstein. Szering. Fournier
10. Franz Schubert - Schubert Symphonie Nr.3 & 8 - Carlos Kleiber
11. Franz Schubert - Schubert: Trout Quintet and Death and the Maiden Quartet - Amadeus Quartet & Emil Gilels
12. Igor Stravinsky - Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
13. J.S. Bach - Cello Suites - Pablo Casals (Disc 1) - Pablo Casals
14. J.S. Bach - Cello Suites - Pablo Casals (Disc 2) - Pablo Casals
15. J.S. Bach - J.S. Bach: The English Suites - Angela Hewitt
16. J.S. Bach - The Brandenburg Concertos - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
17. Joseph Haydn - Die Schöpfung - Disc 1 - Leonard Bernstein
18. Joseph Haydn - Die Schöpfung - Disc 2 - Leonard Bernstein
19. Joseph Haydn - Haydn's Missa in angustiis, Vivaldi's Gloria & Handel's Zadok the Priest - David Willcocks
20. Joseph Haydn - Sinfonia Concertante, Missa in tempore belli - Leonard Bernstein
21. Joseph Haydn - Wiener Philharmoniker – Symphonie No 88, 92, 94 – Leonard Bernstein
22. Mahler - Mahler, Symphony No. 2 'Resurrection', Klemperer - Otto Klemperer
23. Mozart - Great Piano Concertos - Disc 1 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
24. Mozart - Great Piano Concertos - Disc 2 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
25. Mozart - Mozart Symphonien Nos. 40 & 41 'Jupiter' - Leonard Bernstein
26. Mozart - Requiem : Nikolaus Harnoncourt – CMW - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
27. Ravel & Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
28. Tchaikovsky - Oslo Philarmonic Orchestra - Tchaikovsky Symphonies No 6 - Mariss Jansons

And currently in my queue from yourmusic.com:

1. Tord Gustavsen Trio – The Ground
2. Vilvaldi, The Four Seasons – Anne-Sophie Mutter
3. Bach, Goldberg Variations – Gleen Gould
4. Rachmaninov: Pioano Concertos No. 1 & 2 – Leif Ove Andsnes
5. Mahler, Symphony No. 1 – Michael Gielen
6. Beethoven, Piano Concertos 2 & 3 – Martha Argerich
7. Chopin, Ballades & Scherzos – Arthur Rubinstein
8. Mozart – Richard Goode
9. Shostakovich, Shchedrin; Piano Concertos – Marc-Andre Hamelin

 

[DarkAngel]

Here are some CDs of core popular classical works that I find essential

DA's "desert island" essential picks:

Fleisher/Szell/Sony * Beethoven piano concertos 1-5
Kleiber/DG Originals * Beethoven 5,7
Abbado/DG (2001) * Beethoven 1-9
Zinman/Arte Nova * Beethoven 1-9
Karajan/DG Galleria (1977) * Beethoven 9

Kleiber/DG * Brahms 4
Klemperer/EMI * Brahms 1
Jochum/EMI * Brahms 1,2,3

Klemperer/EMI GROTC * Bruckner 4
Klemperer/EMI GROTC * Bruckner 6
Horenstein/BBC Legends * Bruckner 8,9
Bohm/EMI Great Conductors 20th Century * Bruckner 8
Guilini/DG * Bruckner 9

Kubelik/DG Originals * Dvorak 8,9
Kubelik/DG Originals * Dvorak Slavonic Dances

Harnoncourt/DHM * Haydn 82-87 Paris Symphonies
Jochum/DG Box * Haydn 12 London Symphonies

Bernstein/DG Panorama * Mahler 1,5
Bernstein/Sony * Mahler 2
Ancerl/Supraphon Gold * Mahler 9
Mitropoulos/EMI great conductors of 20th century * Mahler 6
Bernstein/Sony * Mahler 7
Szell/Sony * Mahler 4

Menuhin/Virgin Classics * Mozart 35-41 Symphonies
Pinnock/Archiv Box * Mozart Complete Symphonies
Pletnev/Virgin Classics Box * Mozart Piano Concertos 9,20,23,24

Sawallisch/EMI GROTC * Schumann 1,2,3,4

Abbado/COE/DG * Schubert 1-9
Solti/Decca Legends * Schubert 9

Kondrashin/Aulos * Shostakovich 1-15

Mravinsky/DG * Tchaikovsky 4,5,6
Dorati/Mercury * Tchaikovsky 1-6
Argerich/Phillips * Tchaikovsky piano concerto 1

Stravinsky/Sony * Petruska & Rite of Spring Ballets

Bernstein/Sony * Holst Planets

Davis/Phillips 50 Greatest * Berlioz Symphony Fantastiqe

 

[taoster]

need a big tax refund to buy all that!

 

[Bunnyears]

DarkAngel has really put forth a great list there. Things that I would recommend include David Zinman's Beethoven Symphonies, his Beethoven Overtures and also his recording with Yefim Bronfman of 2 of the piano concertos. His Schumann symphonies are also wonderful and again priced for budget at Amazon.

I am unfamiliar the Brandenburgs you have so I can't attest to their quality. Probably the 2 best sounding Brandenburgs are the new ones from Alessandrini (Concerto Italiano) and Jordi Savall's (Concert des Nations). At this point you really need another version of those, so be prepared to ante up. I tend to recommend the Jordi Savall because he has the best soloists including Mark Hantaï on baroque flute and his brother Pierre doing harpsichord (and what a genius he is!).

You also need a good Goldberg Variations on piano and one on harpsichord. My favorite on harpsichord is Celine Frisch with the Café Zimmermann that also contains a second cd of the 12 canons based on the same theme as the quodlibet. For piano Goldbergs, yourmusic has Murray Perahia's recording which is truly outstanding. See if you can also pick up Angela Hewitt's recordings of the Italian Concerto and the Bach Fantasia both at yourmusic. Her Couperin is less successful. She is primarily rhythmically driven and lacks the sly humor for Couperin. Anyway, I don't know that Couperin is that successful on piano anyway, it is much better on harpsichord. if you decide to get Couperin then look for Pierre Hantaï's recordings, Scott Ross or ofcourse Christophe Rousset who has a budget set of Bach on harpsichord available from either JPC (german company) or from buywell.com, and Australian company that ships abroad. This is a 4 cd set that includes the Goldbergs, partitas and Chromatic Fantasy recordings all of which are top notch. This is a set that everyone should get, newby or old pro. Rousset's recordings of the French and English Suites are also references but extremely expensive right now.

I would also have to recommend the Sandrine Piau recording of arias by Haendel: Opera Seria. Just one of the most ravishing recitals I've ever heard!

Below are strictly yourmusic selections as that seems to be where you are getting most of your cds.

Other great baroque selections at yourmusic include Concerto Veneziano (Carmignola and the Venice Baroque Orchestra), Opera Proibita (Cecilia Bartolli); Janine Jansen's recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. I would cancel AS Mutter's 4 seasons. It is not great baroque but a very mannered performance strictly for Mutter fans. She also has her weird Mozart violin concertos there as well, but again a very mannered performance but better than her Vivaldi. It's worth picking up at the yourmusic price because it is controversial in that Hurwitz loved them and Gramophon damned them with very faint praise (and there is that photo in the booklet with it's (slight) allusion to bondage that has sparked even more talk). Better to pick up the String Trios of Beethoven by Mutter. That is the same as the more expensive Beethoven Edition (half the price) from DG and it is early (young) Mutter and she shines.

Try and get any Mozart by Neville Marriner or Colin Davis.

Horowitz playing Scarlatti

Barbara Bonney's recording of The Other Mozart is just superb.

Dawn Upshaw's recording of Goliov's Ayre is a recording that will demonstrate just why Bjork is for kids. This is adult modern music that is totally breathtaking.

Martha Argerich's debut recording Chopin-The Legendary 1965
Recording is a must for anyone's collection.

Boris Berezovsky: Chopin: Godowsky Etudes

Artur Rubinstein: Chopin, 19 Nocturnes (remastered and excellent)

Mark Minkowski: Rameau: Une Symphonie Imaginaire

Christophe Rousset: Rameau: Six Concerts en Septuor

Nikolaus Harnoncourt: Dvorák: Slavonic Dances

Pierre-Laurent Aimardvorak: Piano Concerto, Golden Spinning Wheel (Also Nikolaus Harnoncourt)

Nikolaus Harnoncourt: Dvorák, Symphony No. 7

Charles Mackerras: Suk, Summer Tale

Harnoncourt: Bruckner, Symphony No. 5 (SACD Hybrid)

Any of the Mercury Living Presence SACD/hybrid recordings offered

Anna Netrebko & Rolando Villazón: Verdi: La Traviata (Opera, but what a bargain here! and Netrebko is the greatest Violetta)

Sharon Isbin: Bach, Complete Lute Suites (definitely for a guitar lover! Actually all of Sharon Isbin's recordings will please you.)

Belcea Quartet: Brahms String Quartets and their other recording of Debussy, Dutilleux and Ravel.

Emerson Quartet: Complete Mendelssohn Quartets and Octet; Bach: The Art Of Fugue (transcription of the keyboard work to string quartet that was a grammy winner.); Shostakovich String Quartets; Bartok String Quartets; Schubert, The Late String Quartets; Haydn: The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross (no words, an arrangement based on Haydn's work of the same name).

Robert Spano: Del Tredici: Paul Revere's Ride

I'll try and go through the site again later. Right now I think you have enough to start ordering.

 

[JohnFerrier]

Ravel, Debussy, Berlioz, Bartok.

 

[Masolino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears Other great baroque selections at yourmusic include Concerto Italiano (Carmignola and the Venice Baroque Orchestra), Opera Proibita (Cecilia Bartolli); Janine Jansen's recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

The OP will probably need several years' tax refunds to buy everything Bunnyears suggests in her list.

The Scott Ross complete Couperin (on the private Stil label) alone is forbiddingly expensive - priced at 180 Euros and only available in France. Anyways, just to direct the OP to the right title, shouldn't the Concerto Italiano above be Concerto Veneziano (archiv)??

BTW, Carimignola's two Four Seasons recordings are both very nice. (Did I hear, "sorry for your wallet"?

)

 

[Bunnyears]

Hi Masolino,

I edited my post to say Concerto Veneziano.

Btw, I certainly don't want to suggest that anyone start an orgy of buying at yourmusic. My thought was to point out things that represent great performance at bargain prices. At $5.99 per cd (includes S&H in USA) those suggestions are just how someone can pickup a bargain or two on top rated cds that somehow always fly under the radar there. Those are works that they don't necessarily publicize but are so good that it would be a shame to let them go unremarked. That place is such a treasure trove -- the Loehman of the CD stores along with Overstock.com and Berkshire record outlet which reminds me, the Bruno Weill Mozart Requiem is at Berkshire for about $5 or $6 and that is a great requiem.

 

[Masolino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears Hi Masolino, I edited my post to say Concerto Veneziano. Btw, I certainly don't want to suggest that anyone start an orgy of buying at yourmusic. My thought was to point out things that represent great performance at bargain prices. At $5.99 per cd (includes S&H in USA) those suggestions are just how someone can pickup a bargain or two on top rated cds that somehow always fly under the radar there. Those are works that they don't necessarily publicize but are so good that it would be a shame to let them go unremarked. That place is such a treasure trove -- the Loehman of the CD stores along with Overstock.com and Berkshire record outlet which reminds me, the Bruno Weill Mozart Requiem is at Berkshire for about $5 or $6 and that is a great requiem.

Yes yes I know I know

Everybody should make best use of yourmusic, BMG music service,
Berkshire etc. if they happen to live in the U.S..

Makes
building a classical collection much less painful, but, still, the cheaper
it goes the more one buys, so again, sorry for your wallet.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears For piano Goldbergs, yourmusic has Murray Perahia's recording which is truly outstanding.

I don't think it is available anymore.

 

[Bunnyears]

It appears that it's not available! What a pity, but I'll bet Sony will reissue it in a newly remastered "expanded" edition (or something like that) and it will eventually find it's way to yourmusic. The recording is still available at amazon for $11.50 and the Glenn Gould goldbergs are still available from yourmusic, the 1982 recording as well as the boxed set "State of Wonder."

Meanwhile, Perahia has the Bach Keyboard Concertos, the Handel and Scarlatti, the early Mozart Piano concertos (I'm not a fan of adolescent Mozart), some assorted Chopin recordings and the real prize, the recording made with Radu Lupu of the Mozart concerto for 2 pianos.

 

[ilikemonkeys]

 

[E.B.M.Head]

Nice List so far, but there is definitely some Orff missing.

Carl Orff - Carmina Burana - Ricardo Muti (EMI Classics)
Carl Orff / Igor Stravinsky - Cantulli Carmina / Symphony of Psalms - Eugene Ormandy / Leonard Bernstein LSO (Sony)
Gustav Mahler - Sym. 1 & 6 - Anton Nanut RSO Ljubljana (Gold classics)
Gustav Mahler - Sym. 2 - Bernard Haitink Concertgebouw (eloquence)
Gustav Mahler - Sym. 3 / Rückert Lieder / Kindertotenlieder - Leonard Bernstein NYPO (Sony)
Gustav Mahler - Sym. 5 & 10 - Rudolf Barshai JDP (Brilliant Classic)
Gustav Mahler - Sym. 7 - Kirill Kondrashin Concertgebouw (Tahra)
Dmitri Shostakovich - Sym. 5 - Rudolf Barshai WDR SO (Brilliant Classic)
Dmitri Shostakovich - Sym. 7 - Václav Neuman CPO (Supraphon)
Dmitri Shostakovich - Sym. 8 - Pierre-Dominique Ponnelle Phil. of State Minsk (BMG)
Dmitri Shostakovich - The Jazz album - Riccardo Chailly Concertgebouw (Decca)
Felix Mendelssohn / Dmitri Shostakovich - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra E major / No. 1 in A major - Hillary Hahn (Sony)
Louis Spohr - Violin Concerto No. 8 & Concertante in G major for violin and harp - Orchestra de Chambre de Lausanne (apex)
Gustav Holst - The Planets & Egdon Heath - Andrew Davis BBC SO (apex)
Richard Strauss / Gustav Mahler - Also sprach Zarathustra / Totenfeier - Pierre Boulez CSO (Deutsche Grammophon)
Richard Wagner - Overtüren und Orchesterszenen - Georg Solti CSO/VPO (eloquence)
Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata & Fuge - Karl Richter (eloquence)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Requiem - Herbert von Karajan BPO (eloquence)
Charles Camille Saint-Saëns - Sym. No.3 & Danse Macabre & Carnival of the Animals - Eugene Ormandy Phil. Orc. (Sony)
Anton Rubinstein - Sym. 3 & Eroica Fantasia - Robert Stankovsky Slovak RSO (Naxos)
Alexander Glasunov - Russian Art (Sym. 2, Song of fate, Stepan Raizin etc) - Evgeny Svetlanov and others (ZYX)
Hector Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique - Roger Norrington London Classic Players (Virgin)

 

[LFF]

Ok...to make it simple - Here is one purchase which would make great "starter" set:

 

[vcoheda]

My short answer is more of everything. Focus on the great works of the great composers.

This site is a good point of reference.

http://www.classical.net/music/rep/top.html

 

[Hell_Gopher]

I dont' see this above, so I'll recommend it: some of Bach's choral music.

St John Passion - Netherlands Bach Society is GREAT but I'm sure there are good cheaper ones available.
Christmas Oratorio - I'm gonna say NBS again here ^^

Great, accessible stuff.