SundaySounds
Banned
I'm in the market for some good Piano music, Claire de Lune being obligatory, what would you recommend?
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The Ultimate Classical Music Essentials Thread
- Thread starter Alucard
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leroy hacker
Member
Chittagong said:
For recommendations:
http://www.classicalcdguide.com/ has a number of lists of top recordings by genre or composer. Despite the generic name and appearance this page was made by someone very knowledgeable about classical music and isn't just search engine bait.
Amazon music essentials is one place to go for recommended recordings, listed by composer if you scroll down.
Gramophone used to have a great list of recommended recordings available online, but they seem to have taken it down so they can sell their printed guide.
Also, you'll generally do better looking for conductors paired with orchestras rather than just orchestras. For example Solti with Chicago, Szell with Cleveland, Bernstein with New York and Karajan with Berlin are all very reliable.
As for recommended collections:
A set of collections that has served me very well is the Philips Duo series. They are good prices, typically 2 cds for ~$15, of great recordings from the '60s and '70s. All of them that I have heard are very good performances and recordings, and some, particularly the recordings by Grumiaux or Brendel or the Beaux Arts trio are among the very best recordings available. Here is a sample cover so you know what to look for:
Deutsche Grammophon has a very good series of boxed sets devoted to specific composers or performers available.
http://www2.deutschegrammophon.com/webseries/index.htms?ID=collectorsedition
Look for albums with covers in this style:
Also, almost any album in their "The Originals" series with an angled cover like the sample here is a classic recording. For example this CD by Kleiber is generally considered the best recording of Beethoven's fifth:
Are they any specific pieces you're looking for?
Naked Snake
Member
Awesome thread, thanks for starting it Alucard. I've been wanting to collect "essential classical music" for a while but never got around to looking into it. This is great.
Well, firstly, add Ravel's "La Valse" to the list: Part 1/2 and Part 2/2
Secondly, you need to specifically link to the 4th movement of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, the Intermezzo interrotto. A landmark composition.
Thirdly:
But I really think one has to appreciate the genius of what he's doing in the piece. It's like a "tour of the orchestra," an instruction manual -- if you will -- on the may different tone colors that can be achieved through different instruments and through different modal extensions, while keeping the actual compositional element at a minimum to aid in the comparisons.
But again, it's designed with an early minimalism in mind, and it may not be thrilling to sit and listen to in a concert hall, but it's still musically excellent.
Secondly, you need to specifically link to the 4th movement of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, the Intermezzo interrotto. A landmark composition.
Thirdly:
Well, I don't think Bolero is crap, but rather it's a highly innovative groundbreakingly minimalist piece of music, and in its defense it was written specifically to accompany the visuals of a ballet which never transpired, and Ravel himself decries the work.Masked Man said:
But I really think one has to appreciate the genius of what he's doing in the piece. It's like a "tour of the orchestra," an instruction manual -- if you will -- on the may different tone colors that can be achieved through different instruments and through different modal extensions, while keeping the actual compositional element at a minimum to aid in the comparisons.
But again, it's designed with an early minimalism in mind, and it may not be thrilling to sit and listen to in a concert hall, but it's still musically excellent.
Thread RESSURECTION
So, am I the only one here who likes Mahler? There's no Mahler on that list! :lol
As for good versions... generally I find everything by Claudio Abbado, Christoph Eschenbach and Simon Rattle good enough, and they're also relatively recent so the sound quality is good (unlike some Bernstein recordings, for example). I also like Dudamel but can't recommend him to everyone.
So, am I the only one here who likes Mahler? There's no Mahler on that list! :lol
As for good versions... generally I find everything by Claudio Abbado, Christoph Eschenbach and Simon Rattle good enough, and they're also relatively recent so the sound quality is good (unlike some Bernstein recordings, for example). I also like Dudamel but can't recommend him to everyone.
Government-man
Member
thomaser said:
The New World is awesome, as is Dvořák in general. Humoresque is a another nice little piece.
Massenet's Méditation from Thaïs is one of my favourite classical pieces, especially the rendition i linked to.
My favourite Mozart piece must be the Serenade For Winds; K. 361; 3rd Movement, which was described so beautifully in the movie Amadeus (also one of my favourite movies).
Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde is really great, as is Schubert's score for the play "Rosamunde".
Also is there no love for Strauss, e.g. his blue danube here? A masterpiece anyway.
Don't forget Dvořák's Slavonic Dance No. 8!
As an aside, for those who don't know, his name is pronounced "d'VOR-zhahk" with a harsh z sound for the ř.
As an aside, for those who don't know, his name is pronounced "d'VOR-zhahk" with a harsh z sound for the ř.
Peronthious
Member
Rachmaninov's Vespers. Suck it Handel, this is the greatest choral work ever written.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn5dpIECTds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn5dpIECTds
Chittagong
Gold Member
Thanks guys. Excellent suggestions. Please excuse me - I'm off to do huge damage to my credit card.
Chittagong
Gold Member
I'm looking to purchase the 55 CD Collection of 111 Years of Deutche Grammophon - it seems to have a lot of the essentials I'd like - Vivaldi, Bach, Dvorak, Chopin, Brahms, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven. It seems to be only missing Sibelius and Wagner.
At 89.99e and 320Kbs MP3 this seems like an amazing purchase, right?
http://www.dg-111.com/en_GB/albums/55-cd-box-set
At 89.99e and 320Kbs MP3 this seems like an amazing purchase, right?
http://www.dg-111.com/en_GB/albums/55-cd-box-set
Anti Green
Neo Member
There was a price error on iTunes in Canada last year and this set was priced at $9.99 (it ended up as the top selling album for an entire week, too). By far an enormous collection and an incredible set of really high quality recordings. Absolutely worth it.Chittagong said:
Chittagong said:
It is a great set! I got it last Christmas, and have been taking my sweet time going through it. Heard disc nr. 32 earlier today
Just about all of the performances are excellent, so it works both as a beginner's introduction to classical and as a great way for a classical nut to bolster one's collection with awesomeness. The only problem is that many of the discs are also found on other sets from DG, so if you're a collector like me you might have some of the discs already.Nimyh said:
This year is the 100th anniversary of Mahler's death, and we'll probably see many good releases. DG is releasing a complete Mahler-set next month, with everything he ever wrote. Not so much, actually, only 18 cds. Apart from the symphonies, orchestral songs and songs, there's only a piano quartet, an adaptation of a work by Weber and a couple of rejected movements from the first two symphonies. EMI is also releasing a comparable but slightly less complete set, 16 cds, at the same time. Both sets are quite cheap.[/QUOTE]
Schorcho: I agree about Manze. He's a great violinist, and also a fantastic lecturer.
Puddles: Thanks
leroy hacker
Member
Chittagong said:
That does look like a good deal, especially since it seems to come with a PDF booklet which is necessary for appreciating all of the vocal music unless you're fluent in German and Italian. I own I think six of the discs* in that collection and they're all truly excellent. One comment I have is that it is very much a collection of great DG recordings rather than of the essentials of classical music, though that is probably not at all a bad thing as the best way to get into any kind of music is to listen to the greatest albums and you also won't have to upgrade any of these later. This collection would have been a much better way for me to start my classical collection than all those $4 Excelsior CDs.
Also, that set does have two Wagner arias on the disc by Quasthoff, who is an incredible singer.
*Karajan's Beethoven 9, Kleiber's Beethoven 5 and 7, Fischer-Dieskau's Schubert Winterreise, Fournier's Bach cello suites, Walcha's Bach organ music, Wunderlich's Schumann Dichterliebe.
Rich Uncle Skeleton
Member
I don't listen to classical so much anymore, but I loved
Beethoven's violin concerto
Brahms's violin concerto
Brahms's German Requiem
Beethoven's violin concerto
Brahms's violin concerto
Brahms's German Requiem
Chittagong
Gold Member
So I finally decided bite the bullet for my weekend home alone and get the 111 Years of Deutsche Grammophon collection from iTunes. At £69.99 the value for money is insane.
Beginning with Brahms' Hungarian Dance No.6 from my Genelec speakers and it's totally godly. It's incredible - I've heard this last time as a 4 years old, 26 years ago, yet I fully remember it like I had heard it yesterday, it really gives me goosebumps.
Beginning with Brahms' Hungarian Dance No.6 from my Genelec speakers and it's totally godly. It's incredible - I've heard this last time as a 4 years old, 26 years ago, yet I fully remember it like I had heard it yesterday, it really gives me goosebumps.
BlueTsunami
there is joy in sucking dick
Peronthious said:
I just found out about Rachmaninov's contribution to choral music. This stuff is literally moving me to tears. Absolutely beautiful, some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard.
Quadrangulum
Banned
If you like string pieces, especially those by Haydn, the versions done by Quatuor Mosaiques are the best I've heard by a wide margin.
Just wanting to add that the 2nd movement of Barber's Violin Concerto is hauntingly beautiful. The oboe intro is just fantastic, and when the violin mirrors the piece at 4:25, wow! My current favorite (this is an ever-changing spot)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uql9IV5M_j8
2nd movement of Ravel's Piano Concerto is also hitting all the right cords with me. The 6:22 part, just stunning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJ-gJ-l5HQ
Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I'm often finding the 2nd movement of various concertos/symphonies to be my favorites. I guess that's where they usually fit the Adagio.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uql9IV5M_j8
2nd movement of Ravel's Piano Concerto is also hitting all the right cords with me. The 6:22 part, just stunning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJ-gJ-l5HQ
Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I'm often finding the 2nd movement of various concertos/symphonies to be my favorites. I guess that's where they usually fit the Adagio.
I've only just gotten around to listening to some Elgar. Some of the stuff is pretty awesome!
Cello Concerto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVTe8Zm1Xrk
That cello, wow!
1st Symphony's 3rd movement is really beautiful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4-L0Xt5Bu8
As is the 2nd Symphony's 2nd movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS9DJbVDBvQ
His Enigma variations are also very nice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsw4IhZ_uQ0
I've really taken to the 6th now; might be my favorite. Which is weird, because when I first heard it, I didn't really like it at all - it sounded kind of cacophonic. But something kept me coming back and trying to listen to it again and again. It took many repeated listenings, but it's really grown on me now. I have trouble describing why (I think I missed a lot of the subtleries on earlier listens). This part of his Andante is particularly gorgeous: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9psFH-qXNeM#t=460
Cello Concerto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVTe8Zm1Xrk
That cello, wow!
1st Symphony's 3rd movement is really beautiful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4-L0Xt5Bu8
As is the 2nd Symphony's 2nd movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS9DJbVDBvQ
His Enigma variations are also very nice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsw4IhZ_uQ0
I haven't listened to all his symphonies yet, but I've had the opportunity to attend some concerts for his 1st, 5th and 6th recently. 5th is really beautiful. Very powerful ending. 1st is nice too, but I don't think I like it as much.Nimyh said:
I've really taken to the 6th now; might be my favorite. Which is weird, because when I first heard it, I didn't really like it at all - it sounded kind of cacophonic. But something kept me coming back and trying to listen to it again and again. It took many repeated listenings, but it's really grown on me now. I have trouble describing why (I think I missed a lot of the subtleries on earlier listens). This part of his Andante is particularly gorgeous: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9psFH-qXNeM#t=460
Does anyone know what piece this is? Sounds like a movement from a piano concerto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeZ3ck2Bd0I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeZ3ck2Bd0I
Secks4Food
Member
Sweet thread, I pretty much exclusively listen to the local public radio station while driving; I love classical, but don't know a lot of songs by name or composer except for the real famous pieces. Definitely tied with metal as my favorite uber genre of music, they're similar in many ways...
tearsofash
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