If you're looking for bombastic, how about some Respighi, Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome?
@watchnerd
Holst: The Planets, Op.32/H.125
~Sir Adrian Boult - LPO & Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
~Sir Simon Rattle - BPO & Berlin Radio Choir
~Vladimir Jurowski - LPO & LPC
~Zubin Mehta - LAPO & LA Master Chorale
~Mark Elder - Hallé Orchestra & Choir
If you're looking for bombastic, how about some Respighi, Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome?
Yes, but I already have both the Living Stereo and Everest recordings of that, so I think I have the two people usually call out as the must-haves.
Or am I missing an even better one?
I have and enjoy this DG recording of Dvorak's New World Symphony. Smetana's Moldau on here is great as well.
View attachment 18090
https://www.discogs.com/Dvořák-Smetana-Liszt-Dirigent-Ferenc-Fricsay-Symphonie-Nr-9-Aus-Der-Neuen-Welt-From-The-New-World-/master/896005
Not surprised, Mehta has a very nice approach to the Planets... I particularly like his take on VII. Neptune, the Mystic; Andante... magical and otherworldly.I knew Sir Adrian's half a dozen recordings of The Planets had to make it in here somewhere....
FWIW, if you guys put any weight in these things, the Mehta was rated 10/10 by Classics Today.
I would throw in Greshwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Bernstein’s lush 1959 recording is a good one, there are many others. It’s very nicely recorded to my ears.
@watchnerd
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
~Fritz Reiner - CSO; 1954 recording
~Herbert von Karajan - BPO; 1973 recording
Having a couple of terabytes of lossless music on Roon and access to Tidal, my classical library is both wide and deep.
But my wife wanted me to help her up her classical education, and I figured I'd start off with some more approachable pieces (I listen to a lot of fairly avant garde, minimalist, modern or Schoenberg school classical these days). She's already spent a lot of time in baroque chamber music and would like some bombastic, dramatic stuff. She just experience Beethoven's 5th in person 2 weeks ago.
What are your recommendations for best recorded performances / sound quality of:
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Holst: The Planets
Dvorak: Symphony 9, "New World"
Rimsky-Korsakoff: Scheherazade
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies
Orff: Carmina Burana
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Ravel: Bolero
Puccini: Tosca
Bizet: Carmen
Bartok: Bluebeard's Castle
If you are interested give the following two a listen as well... very different.Just listened to these back to back....
Big tempo differences! 31:59 (Reiner) vs 34:54 (Karajan)
I think the timpani are notably better on the Karajan, but not so sure about the strings...and both definitely sound 'vintage'.
Your list seems like something an audiophile would play to show off his system to another audiophile. Others have suggested some music that might be better for an introduction to classical music.
Orff: Carmina Burana: Fruhbeck de Burgos_New Philharmonia. Frubeck de Burgos produced a number of really fine recordings in the mid-60s to early 70s. Others:
Falla: The Three Cornered hat
Falla: El Amor Brujo
Fruhbeck de Burgos's recordings capture the sensual character of this Spanish music.
Dvorak: Symphony 9: Kertesz / VPO (NOT LSO) My favorite performance for decades. Szell/Cleveland Orchestra is another favorite.
I have and enjoy this DG recording of Dvorak's New World Symphony. Smetana's Moldau on here is great as well.
View attachment 18090
https://www.discogs.com/Dvořák-Smetana-Liszt-Dirigent-Ferenc-Fricsay-Symphonie-Nr-9-Aus-Der-Neuen-Welt-From-The-New-World-/master/896005
This one with the confusing labeling (opus 95, but it says No. 5)?
https://www.discogs.com/Dvořák-Vienna-Philharmonic-Orchestra-István-Kertész-Symphony-No5-In-E-Minor-Op-95-From-The-New-W/release/9266346
Have you heard the Jorda versions of the Falla pieces?
For Carmina, I just got the Jochum piece yesterday; haven't listened to it yet.
That's the one!
Dvorak himself is responsible for the numbers. 1-4 were earlier compositions and 5-9 were the ones that got numbered 1-5.