What are more great Classical: Symphonies/Concertos/etc?
Sep 9, 2009 at 4:30 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 21

DeusEx

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This summer I finally completed my bedroom audio setup (Energy Reference Connoisseur 10 bookshelves and Onkyo integrated amp, with custom cabling, etc, close to ~1.5K total...still need a nice DAC, currently running everything off the X-Fi soundcard..thinking either Compass or DACMagic), I've been listening more and more to classical music (The Energy RC-10s are breathtaking, with an airy, dynamic, grand but smooth sound that's perfect for classical/acoustic/instrumental.) (I actually play both piano and violin, piano for 10 yrs, violin for 7), and I want to start expanding my classical music collection: I need more suggestions for classical, as well as artists themselves. I usually listen to Concertos, Symphonies, and trios/quartets. I'm also fairly critical with interpretation/character of either artists or groups, for a version of a piece, and I've pointed out some of the ones I prefer.

I currently listen to:

Violin Concertos -
(Preferred violinists: Hilary Hahn, Julia Fischer, Perlman, Joshua Bell, Anne-Akiko Meyers, Vengerov but no one's perfect, so far. Hahn comes really close...I
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Sarah Chang..except for her Sibelius)
Mendelssohn - Concerto in E minor (Hilary Hahn, Nicola Benedetti, Meyer, or Bell, if I want to get emotive..)
Tchaikovsky - Concerto in D Major (Either Perlman or Fischer, although Heifetz's version is stunning, and Anne-Sophie Mutter has a good one)
Beethoven - Concerto in D Major (Again, Hahn)
Shostakovich - Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor (Hahn...I love her sound, and this is a hauntingly beautiful piece)
And several Mozarts...and the Sibelius and Bruch

Piano Concertos
Grieg in A minor (Arrau, but it's poorly recorded)
Rachmaninoff 2/3 (Argerich)
That's about it...

Symphonies
Mozart's 40th, 25th (Vienna Phil)
Beethoven's 5th, 9th (Berlin)
Dvorak's 9th (London)
Again, that's about it...I know it's quite pitiful right now..
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I actually really like string trio/quartet pieces, something about the amazing synergy of a few instruments..but never had time to find more...only pieces have currently (and really like all three) are:

Brahms Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor
Beethoven Piano Trio in D major ("Ghost")
Shostakovich String Quartets (complete collection, Emerson String Quartet)

And a bunch of solo or individual pieces (usually well-known), such as Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Chopin Etudes (Winter Wind is my favorite), Paganini Caprices, Verdi's Requiem, La Campanella, Devil's Trill, etc) Although I really need to get into Bach more...I don't really have any Baroque-era music, besides Vivaldi's Seasons, and some violin/piano pieces.

Feel free to make any recommendations, but overall, I prefer more melodic pieces, but with complex, dynamic energy. High-strung and tense. You could almost say vehement. (that's why I also listen to soundtrack music, like the Dark Knight Soundtrack, by Hans Zimmer & James Newton-Howard). Although I also appreciate pieces that are just beautiful.
 
Sep 9, 2009 at 7:26 AM Post #2 of 21
If you like dark and melodic, how come Beethoven's Seventh isn't on your list? You will love it - especially the second movement. Go get yourself a copy!

Also put Orff's Carmina Burana, Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and Holst's Planets on your list. I think you'll love those.
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Sep 9, 2009 at 8:10 PM Post #3 of 21
I'm at school now, so can't listen to music, but will give the 7th a shot when I get home.

I actually have heard all three of the pieces you listed, (I own the Planets, Bald Mountain I've heard many times on air, and Orff is actually featured in the Warhammer 40K game soundtrack).


P.S. It doesn't have to be necessarily dark, but have a dynamic, complex, but also melodic character.

P.P.S. Picked up Devil's Trill yesterday, solo for violin/piano. Great piece.
 
Sep 11, 2009 at 7:16 PM Post #5 of 21
Here are a few suggestions from my own collection:

Violin Concertos:
Dvorak - Isabelle Faust
Beethoven - Wolfgang Schneiderhahn
Bruch - Chloe Hanslip
Tchaikovsky - Julkia Fischer
Mozart - Anne-Sophie Mutter

Anything by Viktoria Mullova


Piano Concertos:
Grieg - Leif Ove Andsnes (exc. recording)
Brahms - Nicholas Angelich
Mozart - Mitsuko Uchida

String Quartets:
Beethoven - Takacs QUartet
Shostakovich - Hagen QUartet

Piano Trios:
Rachmaninov Elegiac Piano Trios - Borodin Trio
Schubert Piano Trio No. 1 - Florestan Trio

Symphonies:
Beethoven - COE [Harnoncourt]
Brahms - BPO [Abbado]
Schubert - COE [Abbado]
Schubert - RPO [Beecham]
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 5:26 AM Post #7 of 21
Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio_head /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Lang Lang is a great current performer, along with nelson freire and andre previn


He's strange to watch...
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 9:16 AM Post #8 of 21
For Violin Concertos (or should it be Concerti?
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), try Bruch #1 and Saint Saens #3... they are great!
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Sep 12, 2009 at 9:23 AM Post #9 of 21
Another favorite of mine: Mendelssohn Symphony 3 "Scottish". It's dark and melodic so I figured you might like it
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Try the one conducted by Peter Maag:

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Sep 12, 2009 at 3:29 PM Post #10 of 21
Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif
P.S. It doesn't have to be necessarily dark, but have a dynamic, complex, but also melodic character.


You must try Symphony #3 by Arvo Part.
Its breathtaking.
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 3:37 PM Post #11 of 21
Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Feel free to make any recommendations, but overall, I prefer more melodic pieces, but with complex, dynamic energy. High-strung and tense. More dark than light, but not necessarily "dark-sounding, or veiled". You could almost say vehement.


No Mahler?

Symphony No5. Zubin Mehta conducts an excellent interpretation.
 
Sep 12, 2009 at 3:43 PM Post #12 of 21
Quote:

Originally Posted by Drubbing /img/forum/go_quote.gif
No Mahler?


Precisely what I was thinking, primarily because right now I happen to be listening to "Symphony No. 1 in D Major" conducted by Jascha Horenstein. A friend handed me the LP a couple of days ago…quite nice, and a reminder that Nonesuch was once a blueblood classical label.
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Sep 12, 2009 at 8:14 PM Post #13 of 21
Carl Nielsen's symphonies would be worth a listen. There are excerpts of the symphonies on YouTube to see if you like his style.
 
Sep 13, 2009 at 4:51 AM Post #15 of 21
Quote:

Originally Posted by kwitel /img/forum/go_quote.gif
You must try Symphony #3 by Arvo Part.
Its breathtaking.



My local library had a copy so I grabbed it and gave it a listen. It's modern. I'm still not sure exactly what I listened to. My brain is still trying to make sense of it. The music isn't so much melodic, rather it seems more to evoke certain impressions. Not the sort of classical that I usually listen to. The most modernish stuff I have is Michael Torke's color music and it isn't like the Arvo Part at all.

I got the Tabula Rasa CD by Dutsche Grammophon and conducted by Neeme Jarvi. I've only listened to Symphony No 3. I'll give the rest of the CD a listen.
 

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