My Essential Classical Albums.

[WAM]

Aahhh... favorite Bach recordings... I have got most of his solo works in multiple versions. Which one I like most, depends on my mood (ask me tomorrow, and fat chance you will get different list). But there are a few recordings I like a little bit more then the others. 

 

- Cello Suites: Fournier, Wispelwey (the Evil Penguin recording). Also worth checking out: Mayke Rademakers.

- Sonatas & Partitas for Violin: Nathan Milstein, Isabelle Faust.

- WTK: Richter. Nice alternative book one: Pollini.

- Goldberg Variations: Koroliov.

- English Suites/French Suites: Perahia.

- KdF: Angela Hewitt. Also very good, but " for something completely different": Emerson String Quartet

- Partitas: Schiff

- Inventionen: Fellner

 

If you want a one-box-solution for the keyboard works: Ivo Janssen (rather nice, gets a lot of playing time, actually).

 

> I avoid harpsichord and organ (sorry.. just don't bear it...).

 

 

[WAM]

+1 for Bach. For me, Bach's music is very much Duke Ellingtons's statement " There are two kinds of music...". Just did a beauty contest between different versions of BWV848 (WTK), I am convinced invented the blues and the rock' and roll.

 

> I listened to Hewitt (first version), Tureck (BBC sessions). Pollini, Janssen, Fellner, and, my desert island disk, Richter.

 

Despite my Bach-addiction, there are loads of music I do not want to be without. Listened today to Bruckner 7 (Wand, BHP, Phil Spector's Wall of Sound sounds a little bit flimsy after listening to Bruckner ...), Schubert (Leonskaja), Dino Saluzzi. 

 

Now listening to Coltrane/Johnny Hartman (talking of a classic album :-).  

 

Happy listening!

 

[WAM]

I do like that approach. If I a piece of music really touches me, I like to listen to different performance of the piece (i.c. Bach's works for solo instruments, Bruckner, Mahler and Beethoven symphonies, Beethoven piano sonatas/string quartets, Janacek/DSCH string quartets) .

I do not pretend " to understand the composer better" or " the music better" when I listen to different versions, but I like to hear the music from - how should I say it - from a different angle. Surprisingly, I do not develop a preference for a certain performance, which version I choose, depends on my mood. But, I do develop a dislike for some performances (i.c. Ratlle on Mahler (still regret buying his fifth, utterly waste of money), Rachel Podger on Bach).

 

BTW, this thread is not good for my budget, just ordered Schumann string quartets (and som more discs) :-). Many thanks for all the suggestions, gave me lot of pleasure reading the info/reviews of the various  recordings.

 

And now enjoying a very good pint of Rochefort and Wayne Shorter's Speak no Evil (present from my son :-)). Happy listening! Kind Regards, WAM

[WAM]

+1 for the Wand-recordings. Another fine 7th: Haitink/CSO.

[WAM]

Perhaps Janacek, string quartets. Prokofiev?

[WAM]

My favorite Janacek's:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also very nice:

[WAM]

There are so many nice Beethoven recordings. I really like Gilels (was a present from my late mother-in-law, is has a quite an emotional value). My other default choice is Kempff. For some reason I prefer Kempf above my other sets (Gulda, Brendel, Barenboim, Kovacevich). Must say I like Uchida in the late sonata's. Spoiled for choice, I am afraid.

 

Now listening to the Allman Brothers ... 

[WAM]

Now listening to one of my favorite Bach recordings:

 

 

[WAM]

Hello Sphinxsix, Welkom in Nederland . (But why Amsterdam ... avoid it... expensive.. tourist trap... hardly Dutchmen, only foreigners... order a pint in Dutch and you must be happy to get a glass of water...).

 

But on topic now.This tread is about essential classic albums, n'est ce pas?

I recently bought Rosalyn Turecks WTK (the 50's vision, I already had the BBC-recordings). In the box was also he 90's version of the Goldbergs. Wonderful. (But what's puzzling me: why a 50's WTK and a 90's Goldberg in box?) 

 

 

 

 

[WAM]

Do you know which radiostation, date and time? The Dutch radiostation NPO4 publishes playlists (they also have a De Falla Playlist. 

[WAM]

NPO 4 also has a channel for live music:

NPO Radio 4 Concerten

Nice feature for the radio-addicts.

[WAM]

4 hours ago, Jud said:

I think the Pavel Haas is outstanding (and not only this album).

 

Agree. Their Janacek and Prokoviev recordings are splendid.

[WAM]

4 hours ago, AnotherSpin said:

Agree on K for great conductors.

 

What about Kleiber? Now listening to his Beethoven 7

 

 

[WAM]

6 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

He was mentioned earlier by me.

Sorry, missed that.

 

Funny that Karajan still fascinates people (including me, must try his Beethoven and Bruckner).