With less time devoted to SC and studying, I am now looking into the classical music. Now that I have some cash I could spend on CDs, I started to look into forums so that I could try to find which recordings to buy.
The problem is I can't find a huge English-speaking forum for classical music recordings, at least relatively. goclassic.co.kr is quite big and I like it, but I would at least want to know a pretty big forum like it.
So if you know of any forums, please recommend~
I am also looking into New Age music which is quite large, but I think it's less complicated as usually there are no more than one interpretations of a piece.
tl;dr or it's too complicated due to my wording: SC forum:teamliquid=classical music??
I checked that site (comes first on "classical music forum" search) but it seems small compared to goclassic.co.kr, or it just doesn't have as much relevant discussion of which recordings are what, etc.
I don't really know forums about classical music and I don't really use them. I go by my listening impressions in store (good stores will give you plenty of opportunities to listen to several recordings) and maybe by reviews (you could browse gramophone.co.uk for example)
What kind of classical music are you into? Like maybe periods or a particular recording that you are into. Maybe someone around here can help you find what you are looking for.
On August 26 2009 21:22 Aesop wrote: I don't really know forums about classical music and I don't really use them. I go by my listening impressions in store (good stores will give you plenty of opportunities to listen to several recordings) and maybe by reviews (you could browse gramophone.co.uk for example)
If you need recommendations, just ask.
since you say that, I hope the OP doesn't mind if I abuse his blog for you to give me recommendations (I was gonna pm you but if I post it here others might have some good recommendations too) hope you don't mind, wala
I don't know much classical music, I never got in to deep (a.o. other reasons) cause there's so much joyful, jolly music I can't stand. I am more into the sad/dramatical kind of sound (call me an emo if you want lol :p), more movie music-like. I really like the the last mohican soundtrack for example (esp. "the kiss" <3 so beautiful) and I love samuel barbers adagio for strings.
First off, I'm going to say that classical music is a lot about how you personally feel about it So any recommendations should only be considered as a starting point from which you move on on your own.
Now, with that said.
Start with Beethoven obviously. Mid-period to Late-period Beethoven for sad/dramatic/emo pieces. The Fifth symphony and the Seventh symphony (especially the second movement, the Allegretto) are great examples. Try the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata for some pretty epic stuff. Expand more into Beethoven on your own after that if you like it I suppose.
Brahms was influenced heavily by Beethoven. Try A German Requiem, it's a large choral and orchestral work.
Mahler and Wagner have a lot of the "epic" sounds, kind of like movie soundtracks I suppose. Wagner has the famous Ride of the Valkyries and the like. Wagner's kind of hit and miss though. Mahler just listen to his symphonies, they're all epic. Also Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, you probably know it from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
There's also a lot of single pieces, like Mozart's Requiem, Verdi's Requiem, Orff's O Fortuna that you can look into.
Carnivorous pretty much gave you a great starting point. Get a great recording of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor as well. In my opinion one of the best symphonies ever written.
Ah yes, forgot about Mozart's symphony 40. A caveat about that though, it's a really different style from a lot of Mozart's other works, so don't expect the rest of Mozart's works to sound like it if you like it. Mozart only wrote two minor key symphonies (25 and 40), most of his works are a lot more, like, light and happy. Notable exception would, of course, be the requiem.
Okay, maybe I should have clarified. I am quite familiar with the melodies and styles of the composers and periods, but what I am looking for is the interpretations of solists and conductors.
Currently I am looking into the Beethoven cycle, and have been recommended that Karajan Symphony Edition is an excellent introduction and it contains a broad sample of Karajan's style.
On August 26 2009 21:22 Aesop wrote: I don't really know forums about classical music and I don't really use them. I go by my listening impressions in store (good stores will give you plenty of opportunities to listen to several recordings) and maybe by reviews (you could browse gramophone.co.uk for example)
If you need recommendations, just ask.
since you say that, I hope the OP doesn't mind if I abuse his blog for you to give me recommendations (I was gonna pm you but if I post it here others might have some good recommendations too) hope you don't mind, wala
I don't know much classical music, I never got in to deep (a.o. other reasons) cause there's so much joyful, jolly music I can't stand. I am more into the sad/dramatical kind of sound (call me an emo if you want lol :p), more movie music-like. I really like the the last mohican soundtrack for example (esp. "the kiss" <3 so beautiful) and I love samuel barbers adagio for strings.
Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, movement 2, the "Funeral March"
You should look into Wilhelm Furtwangler andEvgeny Mravinsky also for Beethoven's symphonies in addition to the standard Karajan. Mravinsky might be hard to find though.
For Tchaikovsky's symphonies, again, Mravinsky is a great choice, and Mravinsky is also the undisputed master of Shostakovich (in fact, some of the symphonies by Shostakovich were even dedicated to Mravinsky).
I'm personally a big fan of Wilhelm Kempff for Beethoven's piano works.
Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the fields is my conductor of choice for most of Mozart's stuff.
On August 27 2009 11:25 Carnivorous Sheep wrote: You should look into Wilhelm Furtwangler andEvgeny Mravinsky also for Beethoven's symphonies in addition to the standard Karajan. Mravinsky might be hard to find though.
For Tchaikovsky's symphonies, again, Mravinsky is a great choice, and Mravinsky is also the undisputed master of Shostakovich (in fact, some of the symphonies by Shostakovich were even dedicated to Mravinsky).
I'm personally a big fan of Wilhelm Kempff for Beethoven's piano works.
Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the fields is my conductor of choice for most of Mozart's stuff.
mm, I heard of Mravinsky's reputation of Tchaikovsky's Symphonies and Shostakovich, but as I just started, I was only looking into Beethoven.
Do you have any recommendations on Smetana's Ma Vlast? I believe there's one in Symphony Edition but I heard Kubelik and Czech Philharmonic was quite pleasing as well.
All of the music worth listening to is from the Romantic period. Symphonies suck in general. Listen to Heifetz exculsively. And no, I'm not biased at all.
On August 27 2009 11:12 Wala.Revolution wrote:Currently I am looking into the Beethoven cycle, and have been recommended that Karajan Symphony Edition is an excellent introduction and it contains a broad sample of Karajan's style.
Of Karajans 4 complete CD cycles, the 1962 is generally the most highly regarded (the '77 in that edition might be second best). I only have the '62 myself so I can't really comment from first hand. If you lived in Australia the obvious choice would be picking up the '62 Karajan cycle + Bohm's sixth symphony (the 6th in Karajan's set is mediocre) on the Eloquence label for $35AUD. Not sure how the price will work out for you, but you can check at Buywell.
The 2 most famous historical cycles would be Furtwangler's and Toscanini's. Naturally both have horrendous sound. - Furtwangler's 'real' cycle on EMI doesn't include his greatest recordings and I'd recommend avoiding it. You can download his wartime recordings here (not the greatest mastering IIRC though): http://public-domain-archive.com/classic/?lang=eng . These are essential listening, but he doesn't have a complete cycle of wartime symphonies. - Toscanini has two complete cycles: 1939 & 1952. As a general rule, Toscanini's recordings post-war seem much weaker than the pre-war recordings (and like with most classical musicians live > studio), and here is no exception. His 1939 recording is one of the greatest thing's ever made. I'd complement it with the NYPO disc of nos. 5 & 7 from 33/36 on Naxos (the no. 7 is absolutely legendary). - Weingartner, Mengelberg, Jochum, Scherchen etc also have some of the best interpretations available
Historially Informed Performance-ish recordings: - For a HIP performance on period instruments Gardiner is probably the most recommended performance. Between the Gardiner and the Norrington, I went with Gardiner on blind listening (more 'normal' to my ears). I didn't like either enough to buy though. - For a 'HIP' performance on modern instruments, the two big cycles I've heard parts of are Mackerras and Zinman. I've only recently picked up the Zinman 3/4 disc. While I don't really care for it that much (seemed almost like he was avoiding making interpretive decisions and might lack a bit of energy), I appreciate how much more detail that comes through on the disc. I'll probably pick up one of these two cycles some time soon. - The Harnoncourt, Bruggen Hogwood also have important cycles, but I haven't heard a bar from either of them. There seems to be alot of good things said about the Harnoncourt (/w the COE on modern instruments) though. All things considered, I'd say Mackerras or perhaps the Harnoncourt by reputation seem the most interesting for HIPish recordings.
Since this is getting out of hand, I'll just write briefly on the more common recordings you might come across: Bernstein: the NYPO cycle is better than the VPO. Bohm/VPO: underrated IMO, but I have first recording bias. Some of the sections with slower tempi might put you off. Klemperer/Philharmonia: some would call it on the stodgier side of things, fans would call it magisterial. Szell/Cleveland: on the pacier side of things IIRC. Precise playing, like all Szell/Cleveland, might be a bit dry. Cluytens/BPO: has a good reputation. Not entirely consistant, 5 & 7 sticks out in my mind as good, 9 less so. Walter: some amazing recordings (4th + 6th might be most famous) but you can probably find a better overall cycle. Walter was somewhat mellower in his later recordings. Abbado/BPO: Never one of my favorite conductors, but perfectly solid. He has a number of recordings, the more recent having more HIP-like dedancies. Wand/NDR: Could be more forceful maybe. Monteux: One of my favorite conductors. Tell me how it is if you get it =]. Krips/LSO: Excellent conductor and set IMO. I've heard it called boring though.
Considering price, availability etc, I'd probably go the safe route (more along traditional lines, not as free as Furtwangler, but not as strict as Toscanini 52) with Karajan '63 + any more expansive 6th.
I'm happy to elaborate about any specific set if you ask.
On August 27 2009 11:25 Carnivorous Sheep wrote: You should look into Wilhelm Furtwangler andEvgeny Mravinsky also for Beethoven's symphonies in addition to the standard Karajan. Mravinsky might be hard to find though.
I've never heard Mravinsky's Beethoven, but I can vouch that his Brahms is top-tier.
On August 27 2009 11:50 Wala.Revolution wrote:Do you have any recommendations on Smetana's Ma Vlast? I believe there's one in Symphony Edition but I heard Kubelik and Czech Philharmonic was quite pleasing as well.
Not my favorite piece, but picking up any big name Czech conductor will probably give a good, idiomatic performance. Talich is, of couse, the legendary towering father of Czech conducting. Kubliek, Ancerl, Neumann etc are all great conductors. Among non-Czechs, Mackerras and Szell both put out recordings of Czech music that are top class, and probably would do a great job.
On August 27 2009 13:01 Wala.Revolution wrote: Anyone good recommendations for The Planets?
The easy choice would be Boult on EMI (strength filled recording). Maybe Levine or Dutoit would make a good complement.
I have a set of his Schubert symphonies, and I must say, they're different at the least. They do grow on you though.
Also, call me old fashioned, but I tend to stay away from American conductors of most works. Bernstein and Toscanini, though great in their regard, always seemed lacking to me. Or maybe it's just the orchestras.
On August 27 2009 11:12 Wala.Revolution wrote:Currently I am looking into the Beethoven cycle, and have been recommended that Karajan Symphony Edition is an excellent introduction and it contains a broad sample of Karajan's style.
Of Karajans 4 complete CD cycles, the 1962 is generally the most highly regarded (the '77 in that edition might be second best). I only have the '62 myself so I can't really comment from first hand. If you lived in Australia the obvious choice would be picking up the '62 Karajan cycle + Bohm's sixth symphony (the 6th in Karajan's set is mediocre) on the Eloquence label for $35AUD. Not sure how the price will work out for you, but you can check at Buywell.
The 2 most famous historical cycles would be Furtwangler's and Toscanini's. Naturally both have horrendous sound. - Furtwangler's 'real' cycle on EMI doesn't include his greatest recordings and I'd recommend avoiding it. You can download his wartime recordings here (not the greatest mastering IIRC though): http://public-domain-archive.com/classic/?lang=eng . These are essential listening, but he doesn't have a complete cycle of wartime symphonies. - Toscanini has two complete cycles: 1939 & 1952. As a general rule, Toscanini's recordings post-war seem much weaker than the pre-war recordings (and like with most classical musicians live > studio), and here is no exception. His 1939 recording is one of the greatest thing's ever made. I'd complement it with the NYPO disc of nos. 5 & 7 from 33/36 on Naxos (the no. 7 is absolutely legendary). - Weingartner, Mengelberg, Jochum, Scherchen etc also have some of the best interpretations available
Historially Informed Performance-ish recordings: - For a HIP performance on period instruments Gardiner is probably the most recommended performance. Between the Gardiner and the Norrington, I went with Gardiner on blind listening (more 'normal' to my ears). I didn't like either enough to buy though. - For a 'HIP' performance on modern instruments, the two big cycles I've heard parts of are Mackerras and Zinman. I've only recently picked up the Zinman 3/4 disc. While I don't really care for it that much (seemed almost like he was avoiding making interpretive decisions and might lack a bit of energy), I appreciate how much more detail that comes through on the disc. I'll probably pick up one of these two cycles some time soon. - The Harnoncourt, Bruggen Hogwood also have important cycles, but I haven't heard a bar from either of them. There seems to be alot of good things said about the Harnoncourt (/w the COE on modern instruments) though. All things considered, I'd say Mackerras or perhaps the Harnoncourt by reputation seem the most interesting for HIPish recordings.
Since this is getting out of hand, I'll just write briefly on the more common recordings you might come across: Bernstein: the NYPO cycle is better than the VPO. Bohm/VPO: underrated IMO, but I have first recording bias. Some of the sections with slower tempi might put you off. Klemperer/Philharmonia: some would call it on the stodgier side of things, fans would call it magisterial. Szell/Cleveland: on the pacier side of things IIRC. Precise playing, like all Szell/Cleveland, might be a bit dry. Cluytens/BPO: has a good reputation. Not entirely consistant, 5 & 7 sticks out in my mind as good, 9 less so. Walter: some amazing recordings (4th + 6th might be most famous) but you can probably find a better overall cycle. Walter was somewhat mellower in his later recordings. Abbado/BPO: Never one of my favorite conductors, but perfectly solid. He has a number of recordings, the more recent having more HIP-like dedancies. Wand/NDR: Could be more forceful maybe. Monteux: One of my favorite conductors. Tell me how it is if you get it =]. Krips/LSO: Excellent conductor and set IMO. I've heard it called boring though.
Considering price, availability etc, I'd probably go the safe route (more along traditional lines, not as free as Furtwangler, but not as strict as Toscanini 52) with Karajan '63 + any more expansive 6th.
I'm happy to elaborate about any specific set if you ask.
On August 27 2009 11:25 Carnivorous Sheep wrote: You should look into Wilhelm Furtwangler andEvgeny Mravinsky also for Beethoven's symphonies in addition to the standard Karajan. Mravinsky might be hard to find though.
I've never heard Mravinsky's Beethoven, but I can vouch that his Brahms is top-tier.
On August 27 2009 11:50 Wala.Revolution wrote:Do you have any recommendations on Smetana's Ma Vlast? I believe there's one in Symphony Edition but I heard Kubelik and Czech Philharmonic was quite pleasing as well.
Not my favorite piece, but picking up any big name Czech conductor will probably give a good, idiomatic performance. Talich is, of couse, the legendary towering father of Czech conducting. Kubliek, Ancerl, Neumann etc are all great conductors. Among non-Czechs, Mackerras and Szell both put out recordings of Czech music that are top class, and probably would do a great job.
On August 27 2009 13:01 Wala.Revolution wrote: Anyone good recommendations for The Planets?
The easy choice would be Boult on EMI (strength filled recording). Maybe Levine or Dutoit would make a good complement.
Mmm, this is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for (although it doesn't mean that I am unthankful for others' contributions, as I am a relatively clueless listener.
So spinfusor, is there a forum where posts like these do fill up a section? Basically detailed reviews, but from multiple sources. Someone else in the thread recommended DG's reviews (I think) but are they biased?
On August 27 2009 18:15 Carnivorous Sheep wrote: Bohm totally throws people off.
I have a set of his Schubert symphonies, and I must say, they're different at the least. They do grow on you though.
Also, call me old fashioned, but I tend to stay away from American conductors of most works. Bernstein and Toscanini, though great in their regard, always seemed lacking to me. Or maybe it's just the orchestras.
That's interesting. Bohm's Schubert set is meant to be among the best. I only have Wand myself.
There's an interesting article on Toscanini here: http://www.classicalnotes.net/features/toscaweb.html. I'd definitely agree his late recordings seem a bit mindless and segmented, but many of his pre-war recordings are untouchable. Also, he's Italian ;p.
I'd also agree Bernstein's often a bit second-tier when it comes to the core repetoire like Beethoven/Brahms/Tchaik. He's suprisingly good in Haydn though, and lives upto his name in Mahler IMO.
On August 27 2009 18:32 Wala.Revolution wrote:So spinfusor, is there a forum where posts like these do fill up a section? Basically detailed reviews, but from multiple sources. Someone else in the thread recommended DG's reviews (I think) but are they biased?
For discussion the first place that comes to mind is rec.music.classical.recordings. Some interesting figues frequent there (e.g. Tom Deacon the producer of Philip's Great Pianists series, David Hurwitz maligned chief reviewer of Classicstoday), but it's mostly imploded with spam and feuds and google's search doesn't seem to go back past a year anymore.
It's hard to add much to spinfusor's review of Beethoven cycles - personally I own the 1952 Toscanini, though I am a bit split about the remastered sound of it - sometimes it sounds appropriate, sometimes a bit overdone.
Apart from this, I think the 5/7 recording by C. Kleiber is a must for most.
Right now I'm more interested in quality of recordings, so I guess 70s~ is a good choice I guess (60s~? I don't know about advancements in audio technology so no idea).
Also I heard Blomstedt/Dresden was an excellent cycle.
Guess I'll get Symphony Edition do to it's price/quality ratio (costs ~$55 here due to currency+some other reason I don't know) and perhaps another. 6 is one of my favourite so I Walter's 6th per spinfusor's recommendations.
On August 27 2009 19:26 Wala.Revolution wrote: Meant Grammaphone (gramophone.co.uk ), my mistake.
I only read Fanfare and International Record Review nowadays (the old grammophone had much more detailed reviews). People do talk alot about English bias and bias towards certain performers when discussing their lists though. Plus: Domingo best tenor ever? Fuck off.
On August 27 2009 19:53 Aesop wrote:Apart from this, I think the 5/7 recording by C. Kleiber is a must for most.
Yeah, pretty much everyone has this recording. Can't really imagine a better 'fast' 5th.
On August 27 2009 20:24 Wala.Revolution wrote: Right now I'm more interested in quality of recordings, so I guess 70s~ is a good choice I guess (60s~? I don't know about advancements in audio technology so no idea).
Also I heard Blomstedt/Dresden was an excellent cycle.
Guess I'll get Symphony Edition do to it's price/quality ratio (costs ~$55 here due to currency+some other reason I don't know) and perhaps another. 6 is one of my favourite so I Walter's 6th per spinfusor's recommendations.
You can often get a sound sample off Amazon. I'd give the Walter a listen before you buy. If the sound isn't good enough, you might consider Bohm/DG. If you're new to classical, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between good and average stereo. Some of the most natural sounding recordings I have came from the 60's (e.g. Moravec on Connoisseur). Good mono can also sound perfectly fine. Some of EMI's 50's recording manage record less colour than their 30's recordings.
I can't believe I forgot the Blomstedt (on Brilliant now right?). Good, consistent cycle at a very good price last I checked. The Pastorale is absolutely first-rate But, yeah, at that price for 38 CD's, it's hard to walk past the Karajan.
I've been a passionate listener of classical music for 8 years now, and I have yet to find a good online community for discussion.
There used to be a good DC++ hub that had everything you could imagine for download (and is responsible for my 300+gb collection ) -- the chat discussions there helped a lot for recommendations, etc.
Pianostreet.com is great for piano-related discussion. Most of the forum is used for playing piano, but there's some good discussions for listeners.
I think we should create a regular thread for this. I mean, other hobbies have threads too and recordings and classical music recommendations never get old.
On August 28 2009 02:49 Aesop wrote: I think we should create a regular thread for this. I mean, other hobbies have threads too and recordings and classical music recommendations never get old.
So if you are looking for general recommendations (pieces) and youtube links, those threads will benefit you for sure, or just search for "Classical Music".
However, in the most recent addition we also began discussing the different recordings of famous pieces. So let's use this thread for that purpose! This means: Less youtube links (spoiler them at least to reduce load!) and more attention towards the recordings themselves!
What piece we want to start discussing about? I can put it into the OP too.
On August 27 2009 11:57 Saracen wrote: All of the music worth listening to is from the Romantic period. Symphonies suck in general.
You like Romanticism but dislike symphonies?
I sense a contradiction. Romanticism was all about the symphonies o.o
You've got it backwards - symphonies are all about the Romanticism . There's plenty of notable things in the Romantic period that aren't symphonies. o.o But yeah, you should totally listen to Heifetz.
/me supports the idea for a thread. Just start it with something by Beethoven haha, nice and basic. Or we can go the opposite route and start it out with something most people haven't of I guess. Either one.
@ Saracen: I guess you're kinda right. But I still don't see why you dislike symphonies, since so many of them embody the spirit of romanticism so well.
Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvorak, Mahler, Bruckner.... mmm, what would the romantic period be without its symphonies?
As for the classical music thread -- I say we make it a general catch-all thread for everything classical (not just for recommendations). There's so much to discuss. Some example topics that must inevitably come up:
Piece recommendations
Recording recommendations
Explanations of why Beethoven's 14th sonata is good, but not his best
On August 28 2009 08:44 Carnivorous Sheep wrote: /me supports the idea for a thread. Just start it with something by Beethoven haha, nice and basic. Or we can go the opposite route and start it out with something most people haven't of I guess. Either one.
@ Saracen: I guess you're kinda right. But I still don't see why you dislike symphonies, since so many of them embody the spirit of romanticism so well.
It's not that I dislike symphonies - it's that I'm inherently biased against them because I hated them when I was little. Sure, there are plenty of awesome symphonies, but I'd much rather prefer a concerto, probably because I just haven't had much exposure to symphonies (and I don't care all that much for classical music at the moment to be actively seeking to broaden those horizons). That being said, Beethoven violin concerto, please. Probably one of the more underrated violin concertos, and my personal favorite.
On August 28 2009 10:35 Carnivorous Sheep wrote:The third movement just might be the best single movement in the history of piano works though. It definitely is in my book xD
I thought so too when I first heard it. Now that I can play it I've grown a bit tired of it. Still great, just doesn't give me the chills it used to. Appassionata on the other hand still sends a chill down my spine every time, and I doubt I'll ever grow tired of it.
Beethoven himself was a bit jaded by Moonlight.
Moonlight is to Beethoven as Prelude in C# Minor is to Rachmaninoff. (OK not that bad, but you get the point).
True, but in the pianist community the Presto Agitato movement is certainly well known and fairly overplayed. I personally never even bothered learning the first two movements lol. You get a better response from the girls if you play the third
Still I don't think it rivals some of Chopin's, Rach's, Prokofiev, or even Alkan's better works.
So if you are looking for general recommendations (pieces) and youtube links, those threads will benefit you for sure, or just search for "Classical Music".
However, in the most recent addition we also began discussing the different recordings of famous pieces. So let's use this thread for that purpose! This means: Less youtube links (spoiler them at least to reduce load!) and more attention towards the recordings themselves!
What piece we want to start discussing about? I can put it into the OP too.
Mmm, I thought about this as well, but I didn't know how many afcianados were here in TL. I still don't think we have enough manpower to write exhaustively on the topic of classical music, but a good introductory guide, with recommendations, perhaps coupled with samples of the piece will be a good idea. Additionally, another thread could be created to discuss further; so one thread which will essentially be a guide, and another to be a discussion forum.
However, I think the latter thread will be severly limited by lack of organization, as it cannot function as effectively as site (forum-design) dedicated to discussion, with categories of era, composers, etc.
On August 28 2009 09:24 ero wrote: [*]Explanations of why Beethoven's 14th sonata is good, but not his best
The third movement just might be the best single movement in the history of piano works though. It definitely is in my book xD
Listen to Gilels' Moscow 1961 recording of the Appassionata finale (PM if you need a link).
On August 28 2009 10:39 Saracen wrote: That being said, Beethoven violin concerto, please. Probably one of the more underrated violin concertos, and my personal favorite.
Funny, that's the romantic concerto I probably like Heifetz least in.
On August 27 2009 22:05 ero wrote: There used to be a good DC++ hub that had everything you could imagine for download (and is responsible for my 300+gb collection ) -- the chat discussions there helped a lot for recommendations, etc.
On August 27 2009 22:05 ero wrote: There used to be a good DC++ hub that had everything you could imagine for download (and is responsible for my 300+gb collection ) -- the chat discussions there helped a lot for recommendations, etc.
The Musique Classique DC hub is still around.
Perhaps I should start looking into DC hubs for classical music. That Musique Classique hub looks pretty nice, thanks for the tip.
On August 28 2009 10:39 Saracen wrote: That being said, Beethoven violin concerto, please. Probably one of the more underrated violin concertos, and my personal favorite.
Funny, that's the romantic concerto I probably like Heifetz least in.
Oistrakh has a wonderful recording of the Beethoven violin concerto.
It seems I can get good deals while in Korea, so I'm asking you guys to give me the most "conventional" recordings of the following pieces
Symphonies
Mahler Tchaikvsky Shostachovich (Mravinsky I guess?) Brahms
Piano Sonatas
Mozart Beethoven For these two, I aquired only Glenn Gould's complete recordings, but his #8 3rd mvmt of Mozart's and 3rd mvmt of Pathetique (especially the latter) seems perfect to me. Fast Moonlight mvmt is refreshing too
Anything by Dvorak is good, except his New World Symphony*. I was part of a member of a philharmonia that performed his 8th symphony, and I am extremely attached to it.
- Russian Easter Overture (forget the name of the artist) - Anything by Bach - Zirguernerweisen. I played the Double Bass, so I know the intricacies of this particular piece. You will mostly find this being performed on the Violin, but some of the better bassists of the world have performed this as well, and if you understand the drastic difference in difficulty between the Violin and the Bass, you'll like the Bass version more
* People will argue with me on this statement**. It is my opinion, as is the rest of this post. ** No, I don't care.
If you haven't explored the Rachmaninoff piano concertos (2,3 and his paganini rhapsody), you are definitely in for a treat.
May I also recommend the Nocturnes by Debussy (symphonic suite), something you can probably consider to be an impressionistic spin off the symphonic form. Also, I recommend the Bruckner symphony 8 as a more approachable piece among the more labyrinthine complexities of the late romantic style (Wagner, Mahler, Bruckner) -- and it is surely a masterpiece. Celibidache is a definite standout interpretation for this symphony.
for the mahler cycle, there was a box set out a while ago with bernstein conducting the symphonies with new york/vienna/the royal concertgebouw orchestra which i think is absolutely fantastic. it was released through deutsche grammophon, i'm not sure if the box set itself is still in print, but the individual recordings are. the recordings with the concertgebouw orchestra in particular are incredible.
for tchaikovsky i would recommend karajan's recordings with berlin ('76 and '77, i think). i consider karajan's interpretations of tchaikovsky to be top notch, about as ideal as you would want the symphonies to be. this was also during the time when berlin was considered the best orchestra in the world, so...
i generally enjoy the recordings of bernstein and karajan moreso than others because they capture the kind of youthful fire, passion, and intensity in every recording and performance i've heard, something that is often absent with other conductors.
as for the brahms symphonies, the solti recording with chicago is highly rated, as are karajan's with berlin and klemperer's with the philharmonia -- they are all quite different.
i didn't see your question about the planets answered earlier, so i'll recommend two, both by karajan (you can tell i'm a huge karajan fan) -- one that he did in the 80's with berlin (impeccable playing, about as technically perfect as you can get) and his earlier recording with vienna, which happened to be the first time vienna had ever played the suite. the jupiter chorale in the latter recording is the best i've ever heard, edging out the huge brass sounds of london and chicago (they use viennese horns in it, though -- it's a noticeably different sound).
On September 01 2009 14:28 VorcePA wrote: Anything by Dvorak is good, except his New World Symphony*. I was part of a member of a philharmonia that performed his 8th symphony, and I am extremely attached to it.
- Russian Easter Overture (forget the name of the artist) - Anything by Bach - Zirguernerweisen. I played the Double Bass, so I know the intricacies of this particular piece. You will mostly find this being performed on the Violin, but some of the better bassists of the world have performed this as well, and if you understand the drastic difference in difficulty between the Violin and the Bass, you'll like the Bass version more
* People will argue with me on this statement**. It is my opinion, as is the rest of this post. ** No, I don't care.
dvorak's 8th and 9th are masterpieces, as are his concertos (particularly the cello concerto). a good live performance of the 2nd movement of his 9th is just... something else.
the russian easter overture is by rimsky-korsakov, another great great russian composer -- his music (apart from scheherazade) isn't too deep or difficult to grasp, but his melodies and orchestration are fantastic. check out his symphonies, capriccio espagnol, and scheherazade (he also wrote the flight of the bumblebees... heh). generally if you go russian, you can't go wrong . tchaikovsky, shostakovich, mussourgsky, korsakov, STRAVINSKY (please listen to the ballets... the b major at the end of the firebird is so epic if done well).
also, consider checking out bernstein's 1989 recording (in berlin) of beethoven's 9th. the last movement is epic, even moreso if you consider the venue and circumstances surrounding the performance.
edit: left out rachmaninov. everyone talks about his piano concertos, but listen to all 3 of the symphonies as well as his symphonic dances. genius.
Seems most people addressed the pieces I didn't ask for yet, but I still thank you for your contributions (genuinely).
I have a copy of Zirguernerweisen with Heifetz, which I like very much, and it contains other pieces that were introduced to me. I'll explore those pieces at a later time.
I haven't touched Bruckener yet, but I will soon enough. It seems a lot of you are recommending Russian composers (Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakov), so I'll add a few more to the list.
I have heard of Scheherazade (I don't know how to pronounce this lol) and I love it very muhc. Any recommendations?
And since TheMusiC mentioned ballets, I only heard of The Nutcracker Suite and the famous melody from Swan Lake. But I already am aware of Stravinsky's Firebird and his rather infamous Rite of Spring, so any recommendations are welcome.
And yeah, TheMusiC, you are a huge fan of Karajan it seems
I'm a huge fan of Liszt. The man was a ridiculous virtuoso, but damn his pieces are ridiculously insane. If you've got less than like an 11 key span, then you might as well give up on most of his pieces.
That being said, I really love La Campanella. Such a refreshingly beautiful piece, and a pretty hard one too.
for scheherazade -- fritz reiner's recording with chicago (i think it was done in 1960) is classic, the standard for the piece.
there are few ballets that are performed in an orchestral setting -- the most notable of these are those of tchaikovsky (the nutcracker and swan lake), stravinsky (the firebird, petrushka, and the rite of spring), and possibly several others by shostakovich, aaron copland, and maybe berstein (ravel too?). i'm a huge fan of copland's ballets because they're very different, but very cool (rodeo, billy the kid, appalachian spring).
when looking for recordings of german/austrian composers (beethoven, brahms, bruckner etc) try to stick with german/austrian orchestras because they generally do it best -- there's a certain pride that these orchestras take to those composers and you can tell that the extra effort and passion is there. the exception to this is mahler, for several historical reasons.
also, i left out paul hindemith, who is one of my favorite composers. his sound is just so unique and compelling.
On September 01 2009 15:22 Roffles wrote: I'm a huge fan of Liszt. The man was a ridiculous virtuoso, but damn his pieces are ridiculously insane. If you've got less than like an 11 key span, then you might as well give up on most of his pieces.
That being said, I really love La Campanella. Such a refreshingly beautiful piece, and a pretty hard one too.
that's really not true i struggle to reach 10 and i consider myself a liszt specialist his compositions actually do not often contain big chords; what they do often request are painfully prolonged and rapid octave passages, but most people can reach an octave pretty easily. it then becomes question of how you utilize your wrists. in fact, first hand accounts point out that liszt, contrary to popular assumption, did not possess a large hand (i remember reading that he struggled reach the left hand chord at the end of the slow mov of hammerklavier -- which if i recall correctly is an awkward 10th with min 6th in the middle) composers that DO often befuddle the not-so-well-endowed with their requests include rachmaninoff, scriabin, and some lunatic modern composers. in such cases, i just give up and roll the chords (or break them)
la campanella is a nice introduction to the liszt but i think there is a universal charm in the raw fury of his 12 trascendental etudes -- at least that was what got me first hooked on liszt when i was a naive 10 year old
On September 01 2009 15:22 Roffles wrote: I'm a huge fan of Liszt. The man was a ridiculous virtuoso, but damn his pieces are ridiculously insane. If you've got less than like an 11 key span, then you might as well give up on most of his pieces.
I have Chopin-sized hands myself (read: relatively small) and I would never say give up on a piece if you can't make all the stretches.
To date I've performed maybe half a dozen pieces in front of an audience where I intentionally removed notes from big chords. No one can ever tell. The OCD purist in me doesn't like removing notes, but my ears never cared.
I unfortunately have to do this a lot because my favorite piano music is from Prokofiev.
On September 01 2009 15:14 Wala.Revolution wrote:And since TheMusiC mentioned ballets, I only heard of The Nutcracker Suite and the famous melody from Swan Lake. But I already am aware of Stravinsky's Firebird and his rather infamous Rite of Spring, so any recommendations are welcome.
As long as my mind's on Prokofiev...
Definitely check out Porkofiev's ballet: Romeo and Juliet.
At first avoid the ballet music itself; instead listen to the Romeo and Juliet orchestral suites. The music directly from the ballet is like listening to a movie score by watching the movie itself, while the orchestral suites are more like listening to a movie soundtrack on CD.
And if you can, check out the ten piano pieces from Romeo and Juliet. Folk Dance and Montegues & Capulets are lovely.
I'll have to double check, but I think my favorite recording for the orchestral suite is done by conductor Neeme Jarvi. My favorite pianist for the 10 piano pieces is Frederic Chiu (in fact, Chiu's complete Prokofiev recordings are absolutely essential).
I’m not sure if you’re interested in individual recordings, so I’ll stick to sets for the moment.
On September 01 2009 13:59 Wala.Revolution wrote: It seems I can get good deals while in Korea, so I'm asking you guys to give me the most "conventional" recordings of the following pieces
Symphonies
Mahler Tchaikvsky Shostachovich (Mravinsky I guess?) Brahms
Tchaikovsky = Mravinsky for everything he recorded (i.e. 4-6), Markevitch for the rest. The stereo Mravinsky/Leningrad set on DG should be fine and is about as ‘authentic’ as you can get.
Shostakovich: as far as integral sets go, Barshai is a relatively neutral set. Kondrashin is a great unrestrained set. Haitink and Jansons are more conservative. Mravinsky is great for everything he recorded, but sound issues.
Brahms: Jochum (in reasonable mono /w BPO) is my favourite set in decent sound. I remember someone calling them the set Furtwangler would have made. Jochum has stereo set of 1-3 on EMI which is good, but not as good. Sanderling/SD is the obvious stereo choice and one of the few things Grammophone got right. Klemperer/Philharmonia is great with the famous no. 1, but aside from that I rather the above two. I absolutely love the van Beinum I’ve heard, and understand he has a full set. Gave away the rest of my sets. You might go with Haitink for good sound. I prefer the Levine to Solti if you want the CSO. Hmm, still feel like I’m missing someone though =/.
Mahler: sorry, don’t have any full sets.
On September 01 2009 13:59 Wala.Revolution wrote: Piano Sonatas
Mozart Beethoven For these two, I aquired only Glenn Gould's complete recordings, but his #8 3rd mvmt of Mozart's and 3rd mvmt of Pathetique (especially the latter) seems perfect to me. Fast Moonlight mvmt is refreshing too
Don’t really care for many of Mozart’s sonatas, the concertos are much more interesting. I’m happy with Wurtz (not great sound though for 1999) as my single complete set.
As for the New Testament the following sets are compulsory: Annie Fischer (Hungaraton) Gulda (Amadeo) Gilels (incomplete; DG) Kempff (mono cycle) Backhaus (mono cycle) Schnabel (Naxos) Arrau (Philips) Brendel (Vox and late Philips) Yves Nat (EMI) Frank (M&A) Barenboim (DVD) Solomon (incomplete)
That should be a reasonable foundation.
On September 01 2009 13:59 Wala.Revolution wrote: Violin Concertos
Beethoven Tachaikovsky Mendelsshon Bruch Dvorak
The good thing about violinists is the big four are pretty consistent (certainly much more than pianists like Horowitz, Richter etc). Maybe Oistrakh or Milstein are more so, but I haven’t heard a recording without merit by Heifetz or Grumiaux.
Beethoven = Grumiaux/van Beinum (good mono) wins for me. Otherwise any of Milstein’s recordings will do. My favourite Tchaikovsky is the Spivakov/Ozawa (EMI) but I’ve probably got a bit of first recording bias. Kogan or Oistrakh will both do. Oistrakh/Kondrashin (good mono) take the Mendelssohn for me, but they’re on the romantic side of things. Kyung Wha Chung, Francescatti, Heifetz/Munch are all great. Bruch goes to Heifetz/Sargent (accompanied by an even better Scottish Fantasy). I’m happy enough with the Suk/Neumann (Ancerl is meant to be better though) and Milstein (mono and stereo) recordings I have of the Dvorak. You might be able to do better.
So I bought: Karajan Symphony Edition Tchaikovsky's 4th, 5th, and 6th (Mravinsky/Leningrade) The Planets+Strauss' Don Juan coupled (Karajan/Wiener) Ma Vlast (Kubelik/Bavarian Radio, from Orpheo)
err I think that's it. I went to three record stores and fround some other interesting ones (Juilini's Brahms, which supposedly is a hard find), etc but I wasn't sure whether that particular set was the one others recommended to me.
I only listened to Tchaikovsky's 4th and 6th Symphony, but I am disappointed in the 4th/4th movement. I previously heard Tilson Thomas/SFS and Barenboim/CSO on youtube before, but it seemed way too fast and too articulate or something. I don't know how to describe it but it just was lacking although I was both amazed and irritated by its speed.
6th was phenomenal though, but I couldn't go through it all.
Now I'm busy looking for deals and which sets to buy while ripping with EAC to flacs and happily storing them while I go around (in reality) looking!
Oh and if anyone can give me recommendations on Oboe/Flute Concerto please do. I only have Mozart's Clarinet/Horn/Flute No. 1 and want to hear some more... Woodwind/Brass concertos (or Percussion, but they are hard to find).
And I also need advice on 'Band' pieces. I found a recording of Cleveland Symphonic winds with two of Holst's pieces but I wasn't sure whether to buy it because I'm not sure if CSW was reputable or not.
Thanks for all your help!
P.S. Is there a word for woodwinds+brass? In Koreans there's a word 관악기 which means instruments with hollow inside as opposed to strings.
eh wind concerti for me are generally very boring, unless i'm playing one ;p
they're generally not performed very often, and they certainly don't have the prestige or pedigree of the big string/piano concerti, i.e. tchaikovsky/sibelius violin concertos, the rachmaninov piano concertos, and so on and so forth.
for oboe concertos -- go for haydn (might be boring), mozart (also might be boring), vaughan-williams (very cool), leon goosens, and definitely the strauss concerto. i don't know much else about others... although i love the aaron copland clarinet concerto.
what do you mean by woodwinds+brass? generally in orchestra that's what we call them... woodwinds and brass lol. a lot of times though you'll hear people call them winds (i.e. when conductors want the strings to sit out, they'll say "winds only"), but for the most part it's just woodwinds and brass. if you're talking about ensembles (kinda like your high school concert band), they're usually either called wind ensembles or wind symphonies.
as far as "band" pieces go, most of them are garbage imo (and i went to a big, big band school for high school in texas). there are several good pieces though -- anything by alfred reed (russian christmas music in particular is amazing), john mackey (turbine is one of my favorites), frank ticheli, eric whitacre, and stay the fuck away from sousa... the guy just pumped out volumes and volumes of trash ;p. lincolnshire posy by percy grainger is also probably the most standard piece in band literature; when people talk about great/influential band pieces, lincolnshire will almost always be mentioned (although i'm not particularly a fan of it).
On September 01 2009 15:22 Roffles wrote: I'm a huge fan of Liszt. The man was a ridiculous virtuoso, but damn his pieces are ridiculously insane. If you've got less than like an 11 key span, then you might as well give up on most of his pieces.
That being said, I really love La Campanella. Such a refreshingly beautiful piece, and a pretty hard one too.
that's really not true i struggle to reach 10 and i consider myself a liszt specialist his compositions actually do not often contain big chords; what they do often request are painfully prolonged and rapid octave passages, but most people can reach an octave pretty easily. it then becomes question of how you utilize your wrists. in fact, first hand accounts point out that liszt, contrary to popular assumption, did not possess a large hand (i remember reading that he struggled reach the left hand chord at the end of the slow mov of hammerklavier -- which if i recall correctly is an awkward 10th with min 6th in the middle) composers that DO often befuddle the not-so-well-endowed with their requests include rachmaninoff, scriabin, and some lunatic modern composers. in such cases, i just give up and roll the chords (or break them)
la campanella is a nice introduction to the liszt but i think there is a universal charm in the raw fury of his 12 trascendental etudes -- at least that was what got me first hooked on liszt when i was a naive 10 year old
I've got proportionally large hands, compared with the rest of my body, and I still cheat on a lot of stuff whenever I play Liszt (tee hee ^_^).
On August 28 2009 10:39 Saracen wrote: That being said, Beethoven violin concerto, please. Probably one of the more underrated violin concertos, and my personal favorite.
Funny, that's the romantic concerto I probably like Heifetz least in.
That's true (I have first recording bias for slower versions e.g. Menuhin, and I've only really listened to Heifetz's recording of the third movement - however, the first is by far my favorite), but I still prefer him over any other for the Sibelius. Also, I listened to his recording of the Bruch Concerto, and then I listened to Milstein's recording, and it ...just wasn't the same... Same with Wieniawsky's Scherzo Tarantelle...
Bruckner was mentioned a couple times, but never really discussed in depth. I personally haven't listened to too much Bruckner, but I was thinking of getting into him a bit more.
Any recommendations of conductors/orchestras/specific performances for Bruckner? I'm thinking of just going with Symphonies 7 -8 as a starting point, and then expanding more. I currently only have two Karajan versions of 7 and 8, 7th with Berlin and 8th with Vienna.
4 Mb 001. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Requiem (K. 626) - Lacrimosa.mp3 8 Mb 002. Johann Sebastian Bach - Matthäus Passion (BWV 244) - Erbarme Dich.mp3 9 Mb 003. Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5 (Op. 73) - Adagio Un Poco Mosso.mp3 6 Mb 004. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Klarinettenkonzert (K. 622) - Adagio.mp3 10 Mb 005. Antonio Lucio Vivaldi - Le Quattro Stagioni (Op. 8, RV 269) - La Primavera.mp3 7 Mb 006. Johann Pachelbel - Kanon In D.mp3 6 Mb 007. Johann Sebastian Bach - Matthäus Passion (BWV 244) - Wir Setzen Uns Mit Tränen Nieder.mp3 4 Mb 008. Antonøn Dvo?βk - New World Symphony (Op. 95) - Largo.mp3 11 Mb 009. Sergej Vassiljevitsj Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2 (Op. 18) - Adagio Sostenuto.mp3 15 Mb 010. Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni - Adagio In Sol Minore.mp3 8 Mb
011. Johann Sebastian Bach - Matthäus Passion (BWV 244) - Kommt, Ihr Töchter.mp3 8 Mb 012. Georg Friederich Händel - Messiah (HWV 56) - Hallelujah.mp3 13 Mb 013. Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 7 (Op. 92).mp3 4 Mb 014. Edvard Hagerup Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 (Op. 46) - Morgenstemning.mp3 5 Mb 015. Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 5.mp3 12 Mb 016. Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 (Op. 125).mp3 5 Mb 017. Johann Sebastian Bach - Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude (BWV 147).mp3 9 Mb 018. Samuel Osborne Barber - Adagio For Strings.mp3 7 Mb 019. Johann Sebastian Bach - Orchestersuite Nr. 3 (BWV 1068) - Air.mp3 3 Mb 020. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (K. 620) - Der Vogelfänger Bin Ich Ja.mp3 5 Mb 021. Carl Orff - Carmina Burana - O Fortuna.mp3 5 Mb 022. Giulio Caccini - Ave Maria.mp3 3 Mb 023. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Ave Verum Corpus (K. 618).mp3 12 Mb 024. Bed?ich Smetana - Mβ Vlast - Vltava.mp3 3 Mb 025. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake (Op. 20) - ????????? ?????.mp3
8 Mb 026. Johann Sebastian Bach - Weihnachtsoratorium (BWV 248) - Jauchzet, Frohlocket.mp3 6 Mb 027. Georges Bizet - Les PΩcheurs De Perles - Au Fond Du Temple Saint.mp3 10 Mb 028. Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi - Nabucco - Va, Pensiero.mp3 14 Mb 029. Maurice Ravel - Boléro.mp3 8 Mb 030. Gabriel Urbain Fauré - Cantique De Jean Racine (Op. 11).mp3 9 Mb 031. Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata E Fuga (BWV 565).mp3 5 Mb 032. Clément Philibert Léo Delibes - Lakmé - Duo Des Fleurs.mp3 3 Mb 033. Charles-Franτois Gounod - Ave Maria.mp3 6 Mb 034. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (K. 525).mp3 4 Mb 035. Ludwig van Beethoven - Fⁿr Elise (WoO 59).mp3 3 Mb 036. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (K. 620) - Der Hölle Rache Kocht In Meinem Herzen.mp3 2 Mb 037. Johann Sebastian Bach - Orchestersuite Nr. 2 (BWV 1067) - Badinerie.mp3 8 Mb 038. Max Christian Friedrich Bruch - Violinkonzert Nr. 1 (Op. 26) - Allegro Moderato.mp3 8 Mb 039. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Requiem (K. 626) - Introitus.mp3 6 Mb 040. Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi - Aida - Marcia Trionfale.mp3 7 Mb 041. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi - Stabat Mater.mp3 10 Mb 042. Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 6 (Op. 68).mp3 5 Mb 043. Georg Friederich Händel - Messiah (HWV 56) - For Unto Us A Child Is Born.mp3 15 Mb 044. George Gershwin - Rhapsody In Blue.mp3 7 Mb 045. Charles Camille Saint-Saδns - Danse Macabre.mp3 5 Mb 046. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Vesperae De Dominica (K. 321) - Laudate Dominum.mp3 4 Mb 047. Georg Friederich Händel - Wassermusik (HWV 348-350).mp3 11 Mb 048. Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5 (Op. 73) - Rondo.mp3 8 Mb 049. Antonio Lucio Vivaldi - Le Quattro Stagioni (Op. 8, RV 293) - l'Autunno.mp3 6 Mb 050. Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 (Op. 67).mp3
076. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 (Op. 23) - Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Maestoso.mp3 4 Mb 077. Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini - Turandot - Nessun Dorma.mp3 5 Mb 078. Niccol≥ Paganini - Concerto Pour Violon No. 1 (Op. 6).mp3 9 Mb 079. Gabriel Urbain Fauré - Requiem (Op. 48) - In Paradisum.mp3 8 Mb 080. Joaquøn Rodrigo Vidre - Concierto De Aranjuez - Adagio.mp3 4 Mb 081. Pietro Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo.mp3 6 Mb 082. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (K. 620) - Overture.mp3 3 Mb 083. Johann Sebastian Bach - Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme (BWV 140).mp3 3 Mb 084. Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi - La Traviata - Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici.mp3 13 Mb 085. Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck - Orfeo Ed Euridice - Dance Of The Blessed Spirits.mp3 14 Mb 086. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Konzert Fⁿr Flöte, Harfe Und Orchester (K. 299) - Allegro.mp3 5 Mb 087. Ennio Morricone - C'era Una Volta Il West (Once Upon A Time In The West).mp3 3 Mb 088. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - 23. Klavierkonzert (K. 488) - Adagio.mp3 3 Mb 089. Georg Friederich Händel - Solomon (HWV 67) - The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba.mp3 7 Mb 090. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Requiem (K. 626) - Domine Jesu Christe.mp3 9 Mb 091. Johann Strauss, Jr. - An Der Schönen Blauen Donau (Op. 314).mp3 5 Mb 092. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Klarinettenkonzert (K. 622) - Rondo.mp3 14 Mb 093. Jean Sibelius - Finlandia (Op. 26).mp3 6 Mb 094. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Krönungsmesse (K. 317) - Agnus Dei.mp3 3 Mb 095. Erik Alfred Leslie Satie - Gymnopédie No.1.mp3 3 Mb 096. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Le Nozze Di Figaro (K. 492) - Voi, Che Sapete Che Cosa E Amor.mp3 9 Mb 097. Aram Ilich Khachaturian - Spartacus - Adagio Of Spartacus And Phrygia.mp3 16 Mb 098. Max Christian Friedrich Bruch - Violinkonzert Nr. 1 (Op. 26) - Adagio.mp3 15 Mb 099. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - 23. Klavierkonzert (K. 488) - Allegro.mp3 6 Mb 100. César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck - Panis Angelicus.mp3
Of course, we want to keep it legal, so just use the list as a guide. It has many good songs in it that you can listen to on youtube or buy, whether online or as a cd.
I asked my violin teacher awhile back on some of his favorite recordings and he gave me these recommendations (he used to be a sound engineer back in the Soviet Union) ... sorry I don't have the actual titles since I haven't started listening to them yet. I believe this is only violin stuff (classical obviously). His favorite violinist btw is Yehudi Menuhin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yehudi_Menuhin, so I'm willing to bet there are a few of his stuff in here. Also, I asked specifically for good recordings, so I would hope these are well done recordings.
On September 25 2009 04:36 Carnivorous Sheep wrote: Any recommendations of conductors/orchestras/specific performances for Bruckner? I'm thinking of just going with Symphonies 7 -8 as a starting point, and then expanding more. I currently only have two Karajan versions of 7 and 8, 7th with Berlin and 8th with Vienna.
Jochum, Wand, Karajan (with the VPO), Celibidache, Bohm, Skrowaczewski, Tintner, Klemperer, Chailly, Furtwangler, Haitink, Schuricht, van Beinum, Asahina and Horenstein have all made variously great Bruckner recordings.
I haven't heard the Karajan/VPO 8th for a long time (I think the the sound is a bit off?) but it's one of the most famous Bruckner recordings. The Giulini is great as well (best sound of all my favorites). I'm also particularly fond of Wand in this symphony, both from the NDR cycle and his BPO recording.
As for No. 7, Karajan/VPO is very famous. You might look to a version like Blomstedt for something more reserved.
Also, definitely don't forget to get around to the String Quintet as well as the symphonies.
On September 25 2009 05:55 lac29 wrote: I asked my violin teacher awhile back on some of his favorite recordings and he gave me these recommendations (he used to be a sound engineer back in the Soviet Union) ... sorry I don't have the actual titles since I haven't started listening to them yet. I believe this is only violin stuff (classical obviously). His favorite violinist btw is Yehudi Menuhin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yehudi_Menuhin, so I'm willing to bet there are a few of his stuff in here. Also, I asked specifically for good recordings, so I would hope these are well done recordings.
All of that list is Menuhin I believe. If you're talking about sound quality by "good recordings" you can throw away the Biddulphs and his EMI recordings with Furtwangler. In general, after 1950 I tend to avoid Menuhin due to his intonation problems, and unfortunately all his studio EMI's date from this period.