My Essential Classical Albums.

[Hugo9000]

7 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

I watched the first two parts of Tunes For Tyrants BBC documentary recently. The fragments of two compositions that were presented in it caught my attention - Richard Strauss 'Metamorphosen' and Shostakovich 5th symphony. I actually don't have any Strauss albums and just a few compositions of Shostakovich in my collection. Could you guys recommend some essential recordings of the above-mentioned composers (I apologize to the fans of the genre but I'm still not an opera lover).

As usually both performance and SQ matter.

Thanks in advance!

Karajan was superb with the music of Richard Strauss.  This 5-disc set is excellent, despite the cheesy cover, and is only $25 on Amazon right now:

 

 

If you like Karajan and want his earlier recordings on DG of these works, there is a large-format (LP-sized) boxed set of 11 CDs plus most of the music on a single Blu-ray as well.  Normally, it sells for between $75 and $90, but it's on Amazon for $47 and change right now.

 

 

The first option is great as an introduction, as they are terrific recordings in very good sound for a really low price.  This is a great recording as well, Karajan with the Vienna Philharmonic (good sound, despite the age of the recording):

 

 

I absolutely adore Neeme Järvi's cycle of the symphonic poems on Chandos, but I'd suggest the $25 Karajan set first, to see how much you like this music before investing in the Chandos recordings.  Richard Strauss is one of my favorite composers, I have many recordings of his work if you have any questions, feel free to PM me or ask here.

[Hugo9000]

If you're interested in the Järvi recordings, look for these editions:

 

 

Great performances, and beautiful sound typical of Chandos.  If you aren't familiar with the Scottish National Orchestra, don't worry, they are indeed a world class ensemble.

[Hugo9000]

9 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

I've checked this one out (posted by @Hugo9000 on the AotE thread):

And I agree - this is a beautiful album.

I bet there are other interesting Handel sonatas performances.. Am I right.?

My other favorites are Richard Egarr with The Academy of Ancient Music, but sadly, they are out of print now.  I was looking for them yesterday on the various Amazon worldwide sites, as well as a few others.  They were acclaimed by Gramophone and other magazines when they came out, so I'm not sure what's going on, unless there is a boxed set planned for the (hopefully near) future.  The recordings are of the Opus 1, 2, and 5 sonatas, released by Harmonia Mundi.

 

[Hugo9000]

This single disc of selections from various opus Nos by Handel is wonderful as well, and served as my introduction to Handel's chamber music years ago.  Trevor Pinnock is always a top choice in baroque music for me.

 

 

It's out of print, but arkivmusic.com is licensed to sell a reissue on CD.

 

This album and the Egarr ones mentioned above are all on Spotify, and probably on youtube as well, if you want to check them out.  I don't know about Qobuz or other services.

[Hugo9000]

I meant unavailable on CD, new and sealed from the factory lol.  I don't buy downloads.  I like physical media.   

 

Luckily for me, I already own the CDs of the recordings I mentioned.  I was checking availability out of curiosity, since so much of what I own is out of print on disc now.

[Hugo9000]

19 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Not that often played on harp Check this out guys, IMO this harpist knows how to play the instrument. I really enjoyed her version.

 

https://www.amyturkharp.com/

 

Can someone recommend some Manuel de Falla recordings? Heard a very beautiful composition by this Spanish composer on the radio while driving my car couple days ago. I don't know what piece was that as the only words from the program host I understood was 'de Falla' - unfortunately they mostly speak Dutch on Dutch radio.. I'd appreciate your response, guys.

My favorite composition by Manuel de Falla is his gorgeous Noches en los jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain).  Here is the first movement, from my favorite recording of the work, with Philippe Entremont:

 

 

 

 

[Hugo9000]

25 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

I was listening to Tchaikovsky PC No 1 by Argerich - Kondrashin and I realized I'd like to have some alternative performances of this composition. Is there anything else by Tchaikovsky that I should check out, guys? Counting on your recommendations.

Regarding the piano concerto, if you enjoy Argerich, you should definitely check out her live recording with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic on DG.  Some prefer it to her famed performance with Kondrashin.  As far as other pianists go in that concerto, I've always loved Philippe Entremont with Leonard Bernstein and the NY Phil.

 

Other works by Tchaikovsky that you will almost certainly enjoy if you like the piano concerto would be Symphonies 4, 5, & 6; the violin concerto; the ballets Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker; and the gorgeous and dramatic Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture.

 

As to performances, Karajan's 1970s recordings on DG are good choices to start for the symphonies--good sound and wonderful playing by the Berlin Philharmonic.  For the violin concerto, classics include Heifetz & Oistrakh.  My own favorite is with violinist Gil Shaham, as the rich and gorgeous sound he always produces transports me like no other violinist haha!

 

If you like vocal music, Tchaikovsky wrote beautiful songs as well as operas.  Joan Rodgers recorded a beautiful album of Tchaikovsky songs on Hyperion, and there are wonderful recordings by mezzo Olga Borodina and baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky as well.

 

I have a huge collection of Tchaikovsky recordings, including at least a dozen renditions of each of the symphonies (6 numbered symphonies plus the "Manfred" symphony), a couple dozen of the violin concerto, and a bunch of the piano concerto haha!

[Hugo9000]

6 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

My album of the evening :

I think it's a better performance than her version with Kondrashin. It also sounds better.

My god, she doesn't play notes, she flies through them!

I thought you would feel that way!

 

 

[Hugo9000]

On 3/12/2019 at 11:35 AM, rando said:

With the thread starter's permission I'd like to ask if anyone has a favored version of Brahms "Alto Rhapsody" they could share. The Telarc Horne/Shaw disc I listened to this morning piqued my interest in this female "Wanderer Fantasie."

 

As anyone who pays attention to my Album of the Evening posts can attest. I stray far from the normal labels and again farther yet on vocal recordings.  Particularly at the college level. In fact one of my preferred "Ein Deutches Requiem" is a self released offering by Michigan Tech.  Please don't be shy about suggesting unknown or unappreciated performers. 

 

Nathalie Stutzmann's second recording of the Alto Rhapsody is my favorite, with John Eliot Gardiner:

 

Ann Hallenberg with Herreweghe as recommended by @Musicophile is also superb.

[Hugo9000]

6 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

I listened recently to 2 Albinoni albums:

 

These are two very (!) different performances. I may be accused of lack of taste but I like both, in a different way though. My question is - can someone recommend a well recorded Albinoni album similar in style to I Solisti Veneti 'serene' (chill out.? ) recording?

 

The Claudio Scimone/I Solisti Veneti performances you have are 'slow' movements (adagio, andante, largo, etc.) compiled from full recordings of the complete works, mostly Albinoni's Opus 10 (a set of 12 concerti).  So, I'd suggest that perhaps you locate the two-CD set of the full recordings, so you can decide if it's more that you prefer Scimone's approach, or if it's the slow movements themselves that most appeal to you.  Then you could go from there for further recommendations or investigations of your own, perhaps?

 

Here is one of the Erato issues of the full Opus 10 set:

 

There is also a recording of Opus 9 concerti with Scimone/I Solisti Veneti if you wanted to compare those directly to Hogwood's interpretations.  Not everyone enjoys the "Historically-Informed" or so-called "authentic" instruments/style, so Scimone's recordings are a happy medium for many listeners between "authentic" period music practice and the large-scale modern orchestra versions prevalent throughout most of the 20th Century.  I personally prefer the "authentic" camp, but I get more enjoyment from the beauty of music than I do from my snobbery, so anything that serves beauty is worthy of pleasure haha!  Don't worry about naysayers, especially in the discovery phase of your music enjoyment.