What classical music are you listening to?

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Who are the pianists on the Grieg recordings?

1. Alexander Jenner, with the Bavarian State Radio Orchestra conducted by Odd Gruner-Hegge

2. Peter Katin, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Pritchard

 

[slice]

As I built my own classical cd collection I started buying bits and pieces, but then wanted to be more comprehensive and bought box sets of, say, all a composers symphonies, or all their piano concertos. This resulted in a degree of duplication because I had already made many "ad hoc" purchases at the start. Of couse, it is sometimes nice to compare recordings, but just an issue to think about.

In terms of cds, if you buy those, there are many excellent box sets for sale, new or secondhand on the likes of amazon, and it has never been cheaper to build a good collection. Although I haven't bought it myself, as I already had recordings of the same music, you might consider the box set "Great symphonies the zurich years, David Zinman" which has complete symphony cycles by Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Mahler. 50 cds for c£60...a bargain starter pack.

As you dip in into classical music more generally, you will notice a steady evolution from chamber music to the "classical" symphonic works of Haydh and Mozart, to the Heroic style of beethoven, to the romantics such as Rachmaninov and eventually the more introspective 20C work of composers such as Shostokovich. You might find it helpful to have this process in mind as you listen to the different composers.

You really have a lot to discover and I hope you enjoy the process as much as I have.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

As I built my own classical cd collection I started buying bits and pieces, but then wanted to be more comprehensive and bought box sets of, say, all a composers symphonies, or all their piano concertos. This resulted in a degree of duplication because I had already made many "ad hoc" purchases at the start. Of couse, it is sometimes nice to compare recordings, but just an issue to think about.

In terms of cds, if you buy those, there are many excellent box sets for sale, new or secondhand on the likes of amazon, and it has never been cheaper to build a good collection. Although I haven't bought it myself, as I already had recordings of the same music, you might consider the box set "Great symphonies the zurich years, David Zinman" which has complete symphony cycles by Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Mahler. 50 cds for c£60...a bargain starter pack.

As you dip in into classical music more generally, you will notice a steady evolution from chamber music to the "classical" symphonic works of Haydh and Mozart, to the Heroic style of beethoven, to the romantics such as Rachmaninov and eventually the more introspective 20C work of composers such as Shostokovich. You might find it helpful to have this process in mind as you listen to the different composers.

You really have a lot to discover and I hope you enjoy the process as much as I have.

Thanks for the tip slice, but I'm a vinyl man.

Played a few of the records today, including an Albinoni album, and I recognised Adagio in G Minor straight away, beautiful music. Unfortunately, the rest of the album includes some of the meandering Baroque style music that I really dislike, and though I've kept the album, I can't see it getting played past the first piece very often.

Took around 80 records or so down to Age UK today, I've got around 20 or so that I'll be selling, and the other 100 will go into my collection (once cleaned) when I can work out where.

There's a few composers I've never heard of, which surprised me considering I worked in both Our Price and Tower Records in the past, so I'm looking forward to giving them a spin some time soon.

 

[slice]

A left field suggestion- Gorecki's 3rd Symphony,

Others: Brahms Violin Concerto (Esp the kennedy version), Bruckner's 7th Symphony(Karajan), Elgar's Cello Concerto, Rachmaninov's Isle of Death, 2nd Piano C and 1st Symphony.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I know a bit about Gorecki, and I'm guessing the 3rd Symphony is his most famous piece of work, and yes, it's beautiful.

I may well have some of those suggestions, so I'll work my way through them. I now know that I dislike the Baroque style, so I'll be able to whittle the collection down a little.

 

[Nepheler]

Ernest Gold: Theme Of Exodus

 

[James7]

Just to follow up from my previous post, this may not be exactly the place for a comment on classicsonlinehd, but as the streaming/ download service is aimed precisely at the kind of listener that would visit this thread, I think it worth flagging up. Having had a little time now to wander through classicsonline's catalogue, I can say three things that might make fans of classical fans want to at least check it out. Firstly, the catalogue is impressively multifarious. I would be really interested to hear if anyone familiar with Tidal or Qobuz has had the chance to compare catalogues, but I would be surprised if there is a superior catalogue of classical music out there. Secondly, the search engine does seem genuinely geared towards the needs of classical music, which aren't quite the same as other genres - as one would hope, of course, of a dedicated service. Thirdly, I haven't experimented with the download facility, but the streaming side of the site offers impressively high quality: I am currently streaming a 24 bit / 44.1 version of Schubert's wonderful first Piano Trio and the sound quality is impressive.

Anyone else had any experience with this new service?

 

[James7]

by the Mandelring Quartet. Classic

Interestingly, though, via classiconlinehd.com, a classical music lossless streaming and download service set up by Naxos. Thought I would try it out for a few weeks. Have only just signed up so little to offer as yet beyond that the sound quality on first listen to the Janacek seems high - certainly a step-up in quality over the same piece via spotify.

I was wondering if anyone else has tried out this service yet, and how you think it compares with the Tidal / Qobuz lossless alternatives, neither of which I have tried as yet.

 

[James7]

Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax's reading ... and haunting it is too.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

You may remember that I bought a load of classical records, and I'm after some advice as to which ones would be the better recordings, better orchestras, etc.

All of the records are very clean and scratch free, so the criteria outlined above is the most important to me.

I know I could play them all through, and pick the one I prefer, but for example, I have 4 different records of Holst 'The Planets', and as much as I like it, I think I'd be a bit fed up by the 3rd and 4th record.

The records are:

Dvorak - 'New World' Symphony

1. EMI / ASD 3407 / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Herbert Von Karajan

2. Decca / SPA 87 / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Istvan Kertesz

3. Concert Hall / BM 2224 / Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra / Josef Krips

Holst - The Planets

1. EMI / ASD 2301 / New Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult

2. EMI / ASD 269 / BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sir Malcolm Sargent

3. Marble Arch / MALS 617 / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult

4. Ace Of Clubs / ACL 26 / London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Malcolm Sargent

Tchaikovsky - Symphony no.6 in B Minor Pathetique

1. MFP / MFP 2007 / Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra / Enrich Leinsdorf

2. Deutsche Grammophon / 2530 774 / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Herbert Von Karajan

There are some more, but these are the ones I'd like to sort first. Some I'm pretty certain of already, but I would like myopinion backed up by people like yourselves that are far more knowledgeable than me.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Bump

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Please help?

 

[James7]

It was a cassette of The Planets that I borrowed off an uncle at about the age of ten or eleven that first alerted me to the beauty of classical music, and I haven't listened to the suite for years. So much enjoying streaming Sir Colin Davis's version with the LSO in 24/96 via classicsonlinehd.com. Very nice. Though I suspect my CD of The Planets paired with Percy Grainger's The Warriors on DG (John Elkiot Gardner with The Philharmonia) might edge it for sparkle.

 

[matt49]

I'm ashamed to say I haven't looked at this thread in ages. I thought I'd return to the fray with a list of favourite symphonies. Assuming I'm allowed only one symphony per composer, these would be my top eleven symphonies in no particular order (of course it goes up to 11, doh!):

Dvorak 7th

Sibelius 4th

Shostakovich 13th

Beethoven 7th

Mahler 9th

Brahms 4th

Mozart 41st

Bruckner 5th

Vaughan Williams 6th

Haydn 103rd

Elgar 2nd

Glad to hear your responses! Especially to the omission of Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky etc etc.

 

[Covenanter]

I'll have to think about your list! To pick up on one of your entries, I'm just listening to the new Ivan Fischer Mahler 9. I'm no expert Mahlerian but this seems to me to be an excellent version and the SACD recording is simply brilliant. I'm luxuriating in the wonderful instrumental sounds, everything separate but integrated (if that makes sense!).

Chris

 

[Tear Drop]

I'm ashamed to say I haven't looked at this thread in ages. I thought I'd return to the fray with a list of favourite symphonies. Assuming I'm allowed only one symphony per composer, these would be my top eleven symphonies in no particular order (of course it goes up to 11, doh!):

Dvorak 7th

Sibelius 4th

Shostakovich 13th

Beethoven 7th

Mahler 9th

Brahms 4th

Mozart 41st

Bruckner 5th

Vaughan Williams 6th

Haydn 103rd

Elgar 2nd

Glad to hear your responses! Especially to the omission of Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky etc etc.

Interesting choice of Bruckner, why not 7th, 8th or 9th?

Difficult to pick a Shostakovich, but I always find the 7th very moving, imaging living through the Leningrad siege and having this as your triumphant f u to the Nazis, "we will survive!!".

 

[Covenanter]

Yesterday evening - La Traviata, Netrebko, Villazon, Hampson, live recording from Salzburg 2005 played through my Blu-Ray and using the SA8005 as a DAC. Simply wonderful performances from artists at the peak of their powers and a most beautiful modern, minimalist staging. I guess traditionalists won't like it but this is truly special, trust me. Even if you don't like opera this could be the version to turn you on to it. It always makes me cry (I'm a big softy) as the story is so well told.

Chris

 

[matt49]

My listening has undergone something of a revolution since signing up to Qobuz Classical. I'm now trying out loads of stuff that I might never have bought. Recently I've gone big on Stockhausen, Havergal Brian, Lassus, Hummel and Ligeti, plus a load of other stuff.

It's fun and highly recommended.

 

[Covenanter]

The new Nelsons, Boston SO Shostakovich 10 on DG. Edward Seckerson in Gramophone says it "sweeps away competition" and that it is "Brooding , tense, febrile, thrilling." He is right! This is a wonderful version of an admittedly dark piece. The orchestral playing is top notch and Nelsons' interpretation is outstanding. The recording is brilliant too. If you like this repertoire don't hesitate to get this.

Chris

 

[MrReaper182]

I am listening to Simply Classical chilout disic 4 track 8 which is Symphony no 6 "pathetique" finale, adagio lamentoso-andante by the Russian legend Tchaikovsky preformed by the Berlin symphony orchestra.

 

[Webern]

It's been a while...

Some CDs that Frau Webern and I have enjoyed recently. First, an outstanding recording of the Smetana quartets by the Pavel Haas quartet (Supraphon). It has changed my appreciation of this composer. I can't imagine a better interpretation and the recorded sound is magnificent. Wonderful.

Last Christmas, I was lucky enough to get hold of the DG box of Strauss operas, in an attractive flip-lid package. The recordings vary considerably in age but include some of the most treasured in the catalogue. From this set I've picked Capriccio - the classic Bohm version with a stellar cast including the glorious voice of Gundala Janowitz, captured in good stereo sound. The opera may be frivolous, and nothing much really happens, plotwise (!) but the glory of these voices are what matters.

A CD of Russian orchestral songs with Anna Netrebko and the Mariinsky Orchestra under Gergiev ("The Russian Album"). Atmospheric, heartfelt performances - this is a disc to lose oneself in. Perfect for a cold winter afternoon.

Thirdly, a DVD of Mahler 4 by the Gewendhaus/Chailly (Accentus), lit up by the clarity and beauty of Christina Landshammer's soprano. For my taste her voice is ideally suited to this piece.

Finally, a CD I've only heard excerpts from, but is on my Christmas wish list. Arias by Alessandro Scarlatti, sung by Elisabeth Watts. I was lucky enough to hear her sing earlier this year in a charming 14th century english church. As well as being a fine singer, she is a really entertaining performer, with plenty of emotion and characterisation in each song. If you get a chance to hear her sing live in concert, I do recommend snapping up a ticket.

Happy Christmas to all !

W

 

[Webern]

Bump

Hi, sorry I haven't been on the forum for a long time. I don't know the recordings you mention, but I did enjoy the more recent recording of the Planets by Jurowski with the LPO. It's a budget price CD with good digital sound if you didn't find one of the recordings in your original set that you enjoyed.

I'd be interested to know how you got on with your exploration if you are still on the forum.

 

[Covenanter]

Christiane Karg Scene! - six concert arias - from Haydn to Mendelssohn. She has a beautiful voice and this is a lovely recording, very clean and clear with the singer placed firmly in centre-stage. You can just sit back and luxuriate in the beauty.

Chris

 

[Covenanter]

If you want some early Xmas music I can strongly recommend A Wondrous Mystery by Stile Antico on Harmonia Mundi. It's Renaissance polyphony and it's fabulous singing and a fabulous recording.

Chris

 

[MrReaper182]

I am listening to Due tramonti by Einaudi preformed by the man himself on piano. Very very beautiful. I think translated Due tramonti means Two sunsets but I could be (and probably am) wrong.