Classical Music: Your "Must Have" List

phoneisbusy

I'd recommend Gorecki's Symphony No 3. It's a bit melancholy,
borders on depressing at times, but it's also very moving.

My disclaimer for it's not for everyone.

MxStYlEpOlKmAn

mines beethoven 5th sympathy....thats awesome how the treble and bass and everything is so unpredictable...its awesome...lol

TroyD

TA-DA!

I was doing some searching on classical music and ran accross this thread....read Micah's treatise....probably one of the most informative posts in the Club Polk archives.

I'm going to throw out a few discs that you should own:

http://www.amazon.com/Vaughan-Williams-Fantasies-Ascending-Variants/dp/B000004CVM

I've got a few different versions of The Lark Ascending but Marriner has this one cold....I have it on LP and it's superior.

Maybe you like opera...maybe you think you don't. Listen to this though and you'll see what all the hubub about Pavarotti is/was. Nessun Dorma is one of my hifi highlights...

http://www.amazon.com/Puccini-Turandot-Sutherland-Pavarotti-Ghiaurov/dp/B0000041Q3

Wagner....ok, I'm not a HUGE Wagner fan. I understand why people do...but, generally, I'm not one of them. However, I DO like the Ride of the Valkyries....and if you really want to hear it, you got to get the Sheffield LP. Leinsdorf and the LA Philharmonic....
http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/29272/Leinsdorf_Los_Angeles_Philharmonic_Orchestra-Wagner_Ride_of_The_Valkyries-Preowned_Vinyl_LP

BDT

BlueFox

I picked this up based on a member's recommendation, and love it. This is 'spacey' classical.

Shostakovich: The String Quartets

http://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-String-Quartets-Dmitry/dp/B0000042HV/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1263590836&sr=1-2

DForeman

TroyD wrote: »

TA-DA!

I was doing some searching on classical music and ran accross this thread....read Micah's treatise....probably one of the most informative posts in the Club Polk archives.

BDT

Perfect. This is just what I need (Micah's treatise).

I know what classical music I like, just not what specific recordings to buy.

Thanks TroyD and Micah

Knucklehead

Yngwie Malmsteen:

Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E flat minor, Opus 1

DeusExa

Violin Concertos -
(Preferred violinists: Hilary Hahn, Julia Fischer, Anne-Akiko Meyers, but no one's perfect.. Hahn comes really close..)

Mendelssohn - Concerto in E minor (Hilary Hahn, Nicola Benedetti)
Tchaikovsky - Concerto in D Major (Either Perlman or Fischer)
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 Bachs...and the Sibelius and Bruch

Piano Concertos
Grieg in A minor
Rachmaninoff 2/3 (Argerich)

Symphonies
Mozart's 40th, 25th (Vienna Phil)
Beethoven's 5th, 9th (Berlin)
Dvorak's 9th (London)


String Quartets/Trios
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, such as Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Chopin Etudes (Winter Wind), Paganini Caprices, Verdi's Requiem, La Campanella, Devil's Trill, etc)

jimbo1421

If my classical music collection were to burn up in a fire, which 5 would I replace first?

Ravel, The Complete Piano Music, Robert Casadesus
Chopin, Poetry of the Piano, Ivan Moravec (complete Nocturnes, Ballades, & Preludes)
Vivaldi, Concertos for Diverse Instruments, I Solisti di Zagreb
Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet Ballet MusicPhilharmonia Orchestra
Dvorak, Symphony #9 "New World" New York Philharmonic, Bernstein conducting

Then I would check Micah Cohen's list and work from there.

(Nah, I would just start hitting the thrift stores again and buying whatever looked interesting.)

Jim

Pycroft

Jimbo...I like that...if my collection were to burn up...I would replace:

1. Same as you - Dvorak 9th conducted by Bernstein. Love the upbeat tempo of the third movement.
2. Brahms Requiem - Conducted by James Levine - Chicago Symphony (Grammy award winner) 2nd movement is a true dirge, and Kathleen Battle does the second greatest Brahams Requiem Soprano solo I have ever heard.
3. Beethoven Missa Solemnis - Both Beethoven and I agree this is his greatest ever composition. The recording is tough - Sometimes the period instruments with Gardiner, sometimes - for sentimental reasons, the Bernstein recording.
4. Beethoven 9th - Conducted by Maazel and the NYP. My favorite recording of this wonderful piece!
5. Verdi's Requiem - Robert Shaw and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus - Grammy award winner, with America's greatest choral conductor.

jimbo1421

Some of those are favorites since I was old enough to be allowed to handle the record player.

Jim

bikezappa

This is a great thread.

What ever happened to Dr. Spec?

I liked his posts along with his data.

TNRabbit

Ravel: La Valse

steveinaz

Mods, can we sticky this?

John30_30

Here's a small ( hope they grow) apparently Canadian site that features lossless downloads. Dunno about their claim that flac is "better than cd", but we don't haveta go there, do we?"

Analekta

warren

emergence- athens guitar trio Great sound...
From Hayden, Dvorak, Bach, to a new kid on the block "Philip Glass", born a year before me 1937, something to check out...

JPSmario

jimbo1421 wrote: »

If my classical music collection were to burn up in a fire, which 5 would I replace first?

What a great way to put the question! I would first look for:

Stravinsky- Firebird, Rite of Spring, Petrushka (Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky- Columbia Masterworks)

Beethoven- Complete Symphonies (George Szell - Cleveland Orchestra)

Bartok- Concerto for Orchestra, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste (Leonard Bernstein - NY Philharmonic)

2001: A Space Odyssey Soundtrack for the Gyorgy Lygeti pieces and the Blue Danube

As much as I love fine recording quality with lush textures, high drama, and ultra-wide dynamics and staging, I have to say that for me the musical performance is more important. I'll gladly give up some sound quality if it's in exchange for a performance that touches, triggers or churns my emotions. I have an HDCD reference recording of Firebird/Rite of Spring that sounds incredible, putting me right there in the room, but the music just doesn't move me the way the performance does with the recording of Stravinsky conducting the pieces.

Great Thread! I'm glad it has the sticky:)

Edward Brendan

The BluRay player will up-convert standard def DVD's but it can usually do a slightly better job than the TV does because it has access to the digital data on the disk. But I warn you: once you get used to HD TV channels and BluRay disks - it is a painful transition to watch standard def DVD's any more. Even with a up-converting BluRay player. It's not the players or cables fault - standard def is 1940's video technology.

camp21178

Has anyone ever heard The Planets by Holst. Mars, Bringer of War is almost like heavy metal.

TNRabbit

camp21178 wrote: »

Has anyone ever heard The Planets by Holst. Mars, Bringer of War is almost like heavy metal.

Duh; only one of the top 5 recommended classical pieces~ :rolleyes:


:D;)

virtualdean

Aaron wrote: »

I have many Telarc orchestral recordings, but my latest one, "1812 Overture" is by far the best. It was recorded using Sony's DSD technology (SACD sampling method). I was skeptical until I heard the disc. It is truly amazing. I can't imagine what the SACD version sounds like.

Aaron

Its sounds GREAT! Get a sacd player to experiment. You can get a cheap one on amazon. Warning, its addicting

HHStuart

I really rediscovered an interest in classical music when I upgraded my Polk speakers and when I started getting into SACD's.
So far my top classical SACD's are
Massanet - Melodies
Beethoven - Symphonies 1 and 5 (Paavo Jarvi - Conductor)
Multi channel on this makes a difference
Bizet/Grieg - Carmen Suites, Pier Gynt Suite
Arrangements fit well together, great sound
Mozart - Flute Concertos, Symphony # 4 (Jupiter)
Sibelius - The Sound of Sibelius (Swan of Tuonela, Finlandia)
Vivaldi - Four Seasons
Various - Baroque Music for the Brass and Organ

Not strictly classical but a somewhat Jazzy version of Bach:
Best of Play Bach.

I was hoping for CD's but better and I found it.

Pycroft

I may be a purist, but I've found the classical SACD listings a bit on the low quality side. Perhaps great recording, and and technology, but I want to hear the BIG orchestras and the BIG conductors. I want Bernstein, von Karajan, etc. I saw a few Solti recordings - Cleveland orchestra I believe. I am not sure buying a classical sacd with the South Dakota Philharmonic conducted my George's dad will do it for me. That said, does anyone have recommendations of SACD's that may fill my need. I prefer symphonic works, and large choral works, and song cycles by high quality singers.

Any comments on the Solti recordings?

Thanks, and great thread!

James

EDIT: Also, prefer romantic era music, but will go back as far as Baroque - classical (Mozart, Haydn is hit or miss for me).

James

John K.

James, as you say, SACD certainly isn't a guarantee of performance quality, and it also doesn't necessarily result in superior sound quality. Many SACDs do in fact sound better, but as the tests described in the AES Journal paper by Meyer a couple of years ago indicate, this is due to better recording, mixing and mastering, not any automatic format superiority(the excellent SACDs sounded equally excellent when processed through 16 bit, 44.1KHz ADC/DACs, "downgrading" them to the CD standard).

Now, if you can ease off a bit on the BIG orchestra, BIG conductor requirement and simply enjoy great music in great performances and sound, here's a list of favorite SACDs that should meet your needs: first a pricey, but worth the $22 up cost, Mobile Fidelity Ravel collection ; Carmina Burana ; Debussy orchestrations ; Ilya Murometz ; Vaughan Williams collection . This is all gorgeous and/or exciting music in excellent sound and available from some of the Amazon sellers at a reasonable price.

camp21178

TNRabbit wrote: »

Duh; only one of the top 5 recommended classical pieces~ :rolleyes: OOPs, It is on some of the original posts from 8 years ago. I guess I didn't look back far enough, d'oh!

Motzart

I got this in the mail today....never heard of the Guy till this week.
Penguin Guide gave it a top award of Rosette and for good reason....it's GREAT!
Very worth while to add to my collection. Cd number 161 for me.

Maybe a good one for YOUR must have?



Listen to samples here
http://www.amazon.com/Rubbra-Symphony-Sinfonia-Sacra-Morning/dp/B000000AYR/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1272135264&sr=8-2

.

fafner

I will start with Wagner's Ring Cycle by the Valencia Orchestra and chorus, Zubin Meta conducting. The sound is authored in 7.1 DTS Master HD audio and is the best I have ever heard for any Ring Cycle. The video is also incredible, especially since the production incorporates lots of projections and unusual costumes and special effects. The creators claim that every Prop that Wagner describes is in the production, but in no way will any one see this as a traditional Ring Cycle Production.

I would be interesed to hear from anyone else who has seen this production.

fafner

John30_30

Motzart wrote: »

I got this in the mail today....never heard of the Guy till this week.
Penguin Guide gave it a top award of Rosette and for good reason....it's GREAT!
Very worth while to add to my collection. Cd number 161 for me.

Maybe a good one for YOUR must have?



Listen to samples here
http://www.amazon.com/Rubbra-Symphony-Sinfonia-Sacra-Morning/dp/B000000AYR/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1272135264&sr=8-2

.

Very interesting guy, Motzart. I never heard of him before either.

Thanks

Willow

I would suggest for those who like strings, to give Paganini a listen, that guy was a freak on the violin.

John30_30

Willow wrote: »

I would suggest for those who like strings, to give Paganini a listen, that guy was a freak on the violin.

The original rockstar shredder. And like those guys, a comparative lightweight, no substance, just riffs.

[Deleted User]

Hello,
In music there seems to be periods of time where a virtuoso comes along who has such technical skill that composers are spurred to write more advanced music. In the case for Paganini his violin playing inspired composers such as Berlioz and Schumann to try and increase their level of expression.
Enjoy, Ken