[floresjc]

I want to start putting together an extensive classical collection to go with my new Salk/AVA setups. I played in band/orchestra growing up, and I enjoy both Opera and Classical pieces. Its not that I don't have versions of some of the most well known pieces, some I really dislike, or some are poor quality that I bummed off a buddy in college from his computer.

Tyson put together a very extensive list that is pinned at the top of this circle, but I have to ask, was it from the standpoint of "these are the definitive versions (for performance/sound quality)" or "these are must have songs at a good price, but there are better versions to be had". I'm looking for the former myself.

It would be great if someone more knowledgeable than me could comment on where to find on the web a list of definitive recordings for some of the great masterworks, or even just what labels put out great cd versions of the classics.

As a start, I ordered a half dozen or so CD's from Telarc to try on my new system. I had heard they are some of the best in the business in terms of recording quality. At this time I have from Telarc:

The Best of Beethoven
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 1-6
Copland's Appalachian Spring/Rodeo
Holst's The Planets
Michael Murray An Organ Blaster Sampler
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition/Night On Bald Mountain
Stravinsky Firebird Suite and Polovtsian Dances
1812 Overture (Kunzel)
Vivaldi Four Seasons (Ozawa and Boston Symphony)

I also have Carmina Burana (Previn from EMI), but Tyson pointed out the definitive version in another thread, so I'm going to buy that! I will be looking through the other threads in the same manner, but I thought I would put it out there to see what kind of response I get. Thanks much!

[Art_Chicago]

If you like baroque and some medieval music I'd strongly recommend Jordi Savall http://www.alia-vox.com/
(he was recommended to me by BrianM, also). I have got 8 or 9 of his CDs, and the sound quality is unsurpassed, imo. Whether you gonna like Savall's interpretations is a different question, but he gets great press in western europe, except maybe for the UK  You can get good deals on Amazon on his CDs or SACDs.

Also, Fabio Biondi is great for  Vivaldi on EMI. 

[Tyson]

Well, I certainly have my opinions about which performances are best, but it is still just my opinion

For Beethoven - the recent box set of symphonies conducted by Mackerras is at the top of the heap for both sound and performance.  For the piano concertos there's a ton to choose from, but the recent set with Bronfman as the soloist has great performances and great modern sound too.  For the violin concerto there are a ton of great older recordings, but of the more recent ones, I really like Janine Jansen, or if you can't find that one, then Hilary Hahn is also very good.  Both have outstanding recorded sound.

For the Four Seasons, there's a lot of good (and also a lot of bad) recordings out there, but my favorite is Alessandrini and the Concerto Italiano - red blooded, passionate performances with superb sound quality.

For Holst, I have Gardiner, Karajan, and Dutoit.  I think the Dutoit is the best recorded of the bunch, and all of them are pretty good performances.

Of course, if you really want to test your system, you need to get some Mahler (Sym 2, 5, and 6), Prokofiev (Piano Concerto 2 and 5), and Shostakovich (Cello Cto's and Violin Concertos, as well as Sym 4, Sym 5, and Sym 9).  Bonus is that these are also substantial pieces of music that reward repeated listening.  For Mahler, I like Bertini.  For Prokofiev, I like Beroff and Masur, and for Shostakovich I like Kondrashin (in mediocre sound), and Barshai (in much better sound). 

[gammajo]

I want to thank you for putting this together. I have loved classical since a kid (now60). Broke my leg day after Christmas by slipping on ice, giving me time to cruise this circle and to search for new recordings. Fortunately I can crutch to my listening room and have all day by myself for the next month or so to listen to beautiful music.

[DBB]

As a start, I ordered a half dozen or so CD's from Telarc to try on my new system. I had heard they are some of the best in the business in terms of recording quality. At this time I have from Telarc:

The Best of Beethoven
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 1-6
Copland's Appalachian Spring/Rodeo
Holst's The Planets
Michael Murray An Organ Blaster Sampler
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition/Night On Bald Mountain
Stravinsky Firebird Suite and Polovtsian Dances
1812 Overture (Kunzel)
Vivaldi Four Seasons (Ozawa and Boston Symphony)

I also have Carmina Burana (Previn from EMI), but Tyson pointed out the definitive version in another thread, so I'm going to buy that! I will be looking through the other threads in the same manner, but I thought I would put it out there to see what kind of response I get. Thanks much!

I think you should concentrate on the quality of the performance first, sound second. Telarc was well respected for its sound quality and recording techniques more than producing treasured performances.

A few suggestions to get started:

Beethoven: 4 and 6, Bruno Walter: 5 and 7 Karlos Kleiber; 9 Reiner.

Mahler:Bruno Walter 1,2 and 9; Leonard Bernstein- 2 w/London Symphony Orchestra 7 w/NY Phil, 9 w/ Berlin Phil.

Elgar Cello Concerto: DuPre/Barbirolli (The definitive performance)

[Tyson]

I always had du Pre at the top for Elgar too, till I heard Fournier, that was a very different, more gutsy, more intense performance.  Fournier remained my favorite for a while after that, until I very recently got a chance to hear Weber recording with Menuhin, and it's amazing!  Where duPre is tragic, Fournier is gutsy, Weber is ecstatic.  And the sound quality is the best of the 3 too.  I'm shocked because I generally don't like Weber all that much, but he knocks this one out of the park.

[Dave G]

I always had du Pre at the top for Elgar too, till I heard Fournier, that was a very different, more gutsy, more intense performance.  Fournier remained my favorite for a while after that, until I very recently got a chance to hear Weber recording with Menuhin, and it's amazing!  Where duPre is tragic, Fournier is gutsy, Weber is ecstatic.  And the sound quality is the best of the 3 too.  I'm shocked because I generally don't like Weber all that much, but he knocks this one out of the park.

Could you give us more specific info, perhaps even links, on those Fournier and Weber recordings?  I think I found the Fournier performance on a couple of different albums, but a quick search didn't lead me to anything by Weber.  Thanks.

Dave

[DBB]

I always had du Pre at the top for Elgar too, till I heard Fournier, that was a very different, more gutsy, more intense performance.  Fournier remained my favorite for a while after that, until I very recently got a chance to hear Weber recording with Menuhin, and it's amazing!  Where duPre is tragic, Fournier is gutsy, Weber is ecstatic.  And the sound quality is the best of the 3 too.  I'm shocked because I generally don't like Weber all that much, but he knocks this one out of the park.

I owned the Fournier version before the duPre.  Fournier's is a fine interpretation (he is one of my favorites), but, in my mind and probably the majority, still not quite up to duPre's. DuPre delivers more intense emotional communication.  What you see as gutsy, I see as letting beautiful technique slightly obscure the essence of the music. Never heard Weber.

[DBB]

Could you give us more specific info, perhaps even links, on those Fournier and Weber recordings?  I think I found the Fournier performance on a couple of different albums, but a quick search didn't lead me to anything by Weber.  Thanks.

Dave

If you do not have th duPre recording, I would go with that first. If there ever was a definitive recording of something this is it. 19 out of 22 5 star ratings on Amazon.

***************************

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording:
This is rightly regarded as the finest recording of Elgar's attractive and elegiac Cello Concerto. It's held in almost irrationally high esteem in the UK, largely because of the universal affection for Jacqueline Du Pré, the wife of Daniel Barenboim, whose early death from multiple sclerosis cut short what would have been a stellar career. This disc is equally noteworthy for Janet Baker's magnificent singing of the Sea Pictures, the composer's only orchestral song cycle. It's not Elgar's fault if the tune of the last song sounds like an excessively inflated version of "Hello, Dolly!" A classic then, even if neither work is a raging masterpiece. --David Hurwitz

***************
http://www.amazon.com/Elgar-Cello-Concerto-Pictures-Jacqueline/dp/B000002RX7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1264195433&sr=1-1

[Dave G]

DBB,

Thanks.  Sorry, I should have made it clear that I DO have the Du Pre recording, which IS wonderful.  I'm just looking to broaden my collection.

Dave

[Tyson]

Here you go - http://www.amazon.com/Elgar-Cello-Concerto-Enigma-Variations/dp/B00000E354/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1264222842&sr=1-9

[Dave G]

Thanks, Tyson!  Not sure why I couldn't find it on my own. 

Dave

[Tyson]

Probably because I spelled his name wrong in my first post :O

[Ronm1]

One of my favs is Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D

There are a # of performances running around but my fav has always been Heifetz & the BSO
Until the recent SACD Living Stereo releses most disc had quite a bit of tape hiss since compression is not blattantly used, so its noticeablle.  That SACD release lowers the noise floor quite a bit IMHO  and is now my recording of choice.

[GDeering]

SO, floresjc,

What did you like?

[floresjc]

Well, I liked quite a bit. I've perused Tyson's master list which is pinned at the top of the forum. I ordered and received the Ravel Complete Piano Works and the Chopin Etudes, Preludes, Pollonaises, and they are great cd's. I had little material of either artist, perhaps only a song or two between them.

Last night I ordered the Saint Saens symphonies, Bach's Goldberg Variations, the Prokofiev piano concertos and the Elgar Cello cd everyone is raving about. Hopefully I will have most of those midweek.

Next up on the list is probably the Mahler Bertini set and perhaps some Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. I order a few pieces at a time as I get the funds.

[Tyson]

One lesson I've learned - if you don't immediately like a piece, it doesn't mean you will never like it.  My advice is do NOT sell off stuff you buy, but hold on to it and listen to it periodically over time.  Often it will "click" at a later time, unexpectedly.

[Randy]

One lesson I've learned - if you don't immediately like a piece, it doesn't mean you will never like it.  My advice is do NOT sell off stuff you buy, but hold on to it and listen to it periodically over time.  Often it will "click" at a later time, unexpectedly.

Yes, I get some CDs and don't listen seriously and enjoy them sometimes until years afterward. There is a time and place for everything, and occasionally it isn't when you first acquire a recording.