My Essential Classical Albums.

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16 hours ago, tdimler said:

Regarding Sokolov, I think his musicianship is almost without peer among living pianists.  I just wish we had some quality recordings!  So far the sound quality on the new DG releases is pretty lukewarm IMO.

 

I heard recent DG release of Mozart 23d and Rachmaninov 3d with him, and I must admit I was very puzzled with his blathery playing. Ether he was drunken or was in a great hurry to finish it as soon as he could.

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2 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Just finished listening to Argerich playing Rachmaninov 3 PC and asking myself the question - is sound quality of the recording really that important to me if the performance is just breathtaking.. Of course it'd be great if this recording sounded really good but I'm afraid it will never happen..

What do you think, guys.?

 

This performance is so beautiful, I was never able to pay an attention to SQ. Is there anything wrong with it? Anyway, I have a ten or more Rach 3d's, and enjoy most of them (Bronfman, Helfgott, Lugansky, Lang Lang, Andsnes, Janis, Hough, etc.) but Argerich's version is something not be touched even close...)

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2 hours ago, Boris75 said:

 I agree this "Making Out on Mozart" CD is ridiculous, but in my opinion Yuja Wang's dresses are tasteful; they enhance the enjoyment from the performance, from a very high starting point, as her artistic talent is immense. I very much enjoy her CDs. I was also dazzled when hearing her in concert a couple of years ago. By the way, in that concert, she was wearing a very long dress.

 

Yuja is a charming person and one of the most promising modern performers. I've seen several videos of her and I think her dresses are okay.

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1 hour ago, Boris75 said:

 

I very much agree with both your points. The symphony transcriptions do not make much sense to me in our age, when it is so easy to listen to anything anywhere. It was a different story before recordings existed. I like the song transcriptions, on the other hand, because they get rid of the voice, which, in certain listening circumstances, I do not want to hear.

 

It would be fun to see transcriptions as an attempt of a kind of reverse composing, from all instruments back to initial bare piano. 

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9 hours ago, semente said:

Here's another Argerich recording that I really enjoy, Tchaikovsky's PC 1 with BPO/Abbado:

 

 

Did you try Ravel and Prokofiev concertos with Argerich?

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5 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Could you recommend some performances?

+1

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7 hours ago, semente said:

 

I have the Ravel with BPO/Abbado for DG but it hasn't been played in years.

That honour goes to Michelangeli.

Will do so tonight.

This is the beauty of classical music where we would have not a single best performance, but a luxury of at least several...)

 

I like Michelangeli approach in selecting just a few pieces to perform for entire life, like 3d Beethoven sonata. It seems to me Argerich is doing something similar, even if in a wider extent. 

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Yuja Wang twenty years ago:

 

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3 hours ago, tdimler said:

 

 

 

I couldn't agree more.  I don't think Martha's career suffered any from wearing more appropriate clothing!   Perhaps Yuja Wang has donned some subtle dresses, but I've not seen it.  Plenty of times I've seen her trot out on stage in something more suited to a night out clubbing, or maybe more like a nightgown.  I think it is a disgrace.  Goodness knows classical musicians can use lots of help in the fashion department, but attempting to make one into a sex symbol while sitting down to a Steinway in the concert hall?  Another story altogether.  Even if I though she was a great pianist (which I don't!)....the stage presence is too much to overcome.  

 

Well... I do not think it makes a sense to dismiss this or that musician just because his/her look doesn't come up to this or that expectation. Some are wearing strange dresses, some may even look strange. Anyway, music comes through ears, not eyes.

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Classics by its own:

 

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17 hours ago, semente said:

What are your performance suggestions for some of these great violin concertos?

 

For Bruch, Mendelssohn, Sibelius and Tchaikovsky I am happy with the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

But about Bartok, Beethoven, Brahms & Mozart?

 

 

I love Isaac Stern with Ormandy/Philadelphia in Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn concertos. He is able to hit just right spot between being too sentimental and too detached. His Tchaikovsky is "russian" in very correct proportion, imho.

 

Bartok - Stern again, Menuhin is very good. 

 

Sibelius - Kavakos, Zimmermann.  

 

Beethoven - Menuhin, Heifetz, Oistrakh/Cluytens.

 

Brahms - Heifetz, Oistrakh

 

 

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7 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

I've just heard fragments of Bruckner 8 and 9th symphonies. Think I'm hooked.

Some Bruckner symphonies recommendations, guys.?

 

This is a huge topic, we could go number by number (symphonies). You may want to check the extremities - this may be Jochum (Dresden) and Chelibidache (Munich), from classic to zen, from articulated to eternal, and then explore more safe middle field. Wand is very safe. Barenboim is surprisingly good. Tintner, painful. Furtwangler, if you want to dive deep. Cabasta if you want to go really bizarre - Seventh's Adagio with him was played by German radio on Hitler's death announcement. Do not try Venzago right now, it may kill your interest. Forget Soviet versions for ever. Karajan is not so bad in 7th and 8th. If you want box, Skrowaczewski is all round good. 8th with Boulez and Haitink are very good. I prefer last three symphonies immensely, plus 3rd. But, really and happily, all Bruckner symphonies form an area nobody would cover or claim more or less finally. Happy discoveries!

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34 minutes ago, Musicophile said:

Agree with most of your statements with the exception of calling Wand safe. I understand you are using this term to compare to the extremes like Celi, but Wand is so much more than safe.

 

This guy spent most of his life on Brückner, recording nearly three complete cycles. There is so much nuance and insight there. 

 

I like Wand's Bruckner. By using word "safe" I was telling he is safe from questionable approaches that may rise some brows.

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1 hour ago, Musicophile said:

The 8th coincidentally  is my least favorite Bruckner symphony, I don't listen to it very often. 

 

8th might be my favorite. How different we are...)

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3 hours ago, Musicophile said:

You have enough Bruckner from a lifetime now.

 

I wish everyone to have lifetime long enough to listen many various great interpretations of Bruckner symphonies...) As for me there is not enough great 7th's or 8th's that I would stop looking for new versions I didn't know before.

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7 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Hope I'm ignorant of more interesting composers than I suspect..

+1 - applies not only to composers..)))

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2 hours ago, Musicophile said:

Well, sometimes I wonder if less is more. I must have probably at least 3 or 4 days of bruckner symphonies in my library, plus all that's available on Qobuz. But then again, I wouldn't want to get rid of any of them (or maybe only some).

 

This is philosophical concern. I believe modern man owns much more than might be needed for happy life. Even more, all those possessions make hem/her less happy in most of the cases. The easy way out may be an abandon of practically all and everything, which is not an option for most of us, I guess. What to do?

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1 hour ago, semente said:

Wagner's Ring... Without Words.

I enjoyed listening to the (then) local orchestra play Maazel's suite of The Ring's essential moments and later bought the CD:

 

 

With Der Ring it is pretty much easy, also because operas are not recorded any more as often as in last century and because true Wagnerian voices extinct almost entirely - 10 or so complete cycles would cover almost every base: Moralt, Krauss, Keilbert, Furtwangler, one or two from Knappertsbusch, Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Barenboim, Thielemann.

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1 hour ago, sphinxsix said:

Ok, let's move on to 20th century music. I have some selected recordings of Mahler, Debussy, Schoenberg, Berg, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Stockhausen, Reich, Glass, Britten and Part. 

The question is: have I omitted some important names/compositions.? (hope I have )

Thanks in advance!

 

Rachmaninov, Richard Strauss, Ravel, Barber, Bartok, Sibelius, Elgar, Faure, Gorecki, Holst, Poulenc, Rodrigo... I am not mentioning avant-garde or contemporary composers.

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2 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

I'm not that familiar with their music. Will check them out. Would you recommend some of their compositions/performances in particular?

 

To start:

Barber - Adagio for Strings (I am pretty sure you know this beautiful piece of music); Cello Concerto

Bartok - String Quartets; Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste; Violin Concertos

Sibelius - Violin Concerto; Symphonies 2,4,5

Faure - Requiem (again, you should know at least one fragment from it) - btw, Requiem was written in 19th century

Poulenc - Concerto for two Pianos

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1 hour ago, semente said:

Some more suggestions:

 

 

 

 

+1. I would add Vier Letzte Lieder from Richard Strauss. This is one of my absolute first choices of 20th century music. I believe I should have more than ten versions. Janowitz/Karajan is out of comparison here. Norman, Fleming,  Lisa Della Casa all shine as well.

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47 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

I am aware of that. Bought Stravinsky cassette many years ago only because I knew Zappa liked him too. As it proved - I was too young for Stravinsky back then Couldn't digest Varese some years ago but maybe it's a good idea to check him out again..

BTW recently I bought 2 more Ensemble Organum albums. Great stuff! Thanks!

 

 

I Love Zappa, but, somehow I was never able to get closer to Stravinsky, even though he spoke the same language.

 

If you interested in minimalism, try dig deeper into Glass. I believe almost all his output is worth checking. My first LP of his music was Glassworks back in 1981, I guess, and I didn't lost my interest yet. His numbered symphonies attracted me recently in particular. Steve Reich is very good (try his Tehillim album), John Adams makes beautiful music. My favorite minimalists however are Terry Riley and La Monte Young. Both are deeply inspired by Indian spiritual tradition. When Riley is easy accessible (Shri Camel is an album to start), La Monte Young's interest in collaboration with recording companies seem to be very limited. What is even more important, his ideas are far beyond of established ways of making, recording and listening to the music. My suggestion to anybody who lives in New York, not far from it or visit anytime soon is to check in La Monte Young's Dream House in Tribeca (google for address and open hours) – it gives an experience not comparable with anything else.

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7 minutes ago, rando said:

Glass,hope I can dig up someone else for the letter "G".    

 

Which is why it bothers me a little how much I've liked the two albums of transcriptions for harp Lavinia Meijer has made of various works by Philip Glass.  Not going to cheat since those stand on her musicianship.

 

I could name only Grieg. Do not think you keep in mind Gluck. Anyway, even taking these two there is plenty of space left for Glass. No problem at all, as with much more populated letter B.

 

Of course there is Grateful Dead. Are you a deadhead? I am.

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18 minutes ago, christopher3393 said:

I thought G was for Gershwin 

 

 

Not Kenny G?