Sokel
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Coincidently the first I posted is one of the four nominees of the very first award in 1959:
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Great recordings of classical music
- Thread starter pma
- Start date
Noting that my music expertise lies elsewhere than European classical, I was quite taken with Harnoncourt's Beethoven Symphony cycle. The orchestral arrangement and recording gave me an unusually clear picture of everything that was going on inside that performance. Almost microscope-analytical.
My "purely listen for fun" go-to is the Reference Recordings' Histoire du Soldat by an informal Chicago group.
My "purely listen for fun" go-to is the Reference Recordings' Histoire du Soldat by an informal Chicago group.
- Thread Starter
- #23
My favorite as well. For example
Beethoven, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe - Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7
View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1995 CD release of "Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com
BTW I visited Harnoncourt’s concert twice, in Graz, Stefaniensaal
Stefaniensaal im Grazer Congress
Im Grazer Stefaniensaal finden die großen Konzerte von recreation – Großes Orchester Graz statt. Hier entstanden auch viele styriarte-Aufnahmen mit Nikolaus Harnoncourt, der die Akustik des Stefaniensaals ganz besonders schätzte.
8th Beethoven symphony and Triple Concerto
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computer-audiophile
Major Contributor
JP
Major Contributor
Igor Stravinsky / Rimsky-Korsakov, Easley Blackwood, Chicago Pro Musica - L'Histoire Du Soldat - Capriccio Espagnol
View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1992 CD release of "L'Histoire Du Soldat - Capriccio Espagnol" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com
CD version I assume?
danadam
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Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World" – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Václav Neumann – SUPRAPHON.com
Dvořák - Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World" / Czech Philhamonic, Václav Neumann Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World", analogue recording from 1972 Czech Philharmonic, conducted by Václav Neumann On two occasions during his tenure as chief conductor…www.supraphon.com
Is the download available for purchase separately? Or is it the same as:
Dvořák: Symphonic Works – Various Artists – SUPRAPHON.com
Antonín Dvořák - Symphonies Nos. 1-9* (complete set, recordings from 1972-74), Symphonic Poems, Opp. 107-110 (The Water Goblin, The Noon Witch, The Golden Spinning Wheel, The Wild Dove), Concert Overtures (In Nature's Realm, Op. 91, Carnival, Op. 92, Othello, Op. 93), Symphonic Variations for Large…
- Thread Starter
- #27
How do you like Gardiner’s complete of Beethoven symphonies?
Beethoven - Complete Symphonies
Beethoven - Complete Symphonies. DG Archiv: 4399002. Buy download online. Luba Orgonasova, Anne Sofie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Gilles Cachemaille The Monteverdi Choir & Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner
www.prestomusic.com
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- Thread Starter
- #28
It was in the package with the vinyl. But, you can buy it here:Is the download available for purchase separately? Or is it the same as:
Dvořák: Symphonic Works – Various Artists – SUPRAPHON.com
Antonín Dvořák - Symphonies Nos. 1-9* (complete set, recordings from 1972-74), Symphonic Poems, Opp. 107-110 (The Water Goblin, The Noon Witch, The Golden Spinning Wheel, The Wild Dove), Concert Overtures (In Nature's Realm, Op. 91, Carnival, Op. 92, Othello, Op. 93), Symphonic Variations for Large…www.supraphon.com
Dvořák: Symfonie č. 9 e moll "Z Nového světa" – Česká filharmonie, Václav Neumann – Supraphonline.cz
Album Dvořák: Symfonie č. 9 e moll "Z Nového světa" ✅ Umělec Václav Neumann a Česká filharmonie ✅ Ke stažení ve formátu MP3, FLAC a Hi-Res ✅ Ukázky zdarma k poslechu ✅ Antonín Dvořák - Symfonie č. 9 e moll op. 95 "Z Nového světa". analogová…
Unfamiliar, but I'll give it a listen. To be fair, and I think I qualified this, the proportion of my time listening to European classical is maybe 2-3%. Now get me started about jazz, Americana, folk, or bluegrass and it's a different story.How do you like Gardiner’s complete of Beethoven symphonies?
You assume correctly.Igor Stravinsky / Rimsky-Korsakov, Easley Blackwood, Chicago Pro Musica - L'Histoire Du Soldat - Capriccio Espagnol
View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1992 CD release of "L'Histoire Du Soldat - Capriccio Espagnol" on Discogs.
CD version I assume?
computer-audiophile
Major Contributor
Keith_W
Major Contributor
You know, a thread like this has a lot of elements of personal taste. And on another note, I wish people would give reasons for their nominations.
I somewhat disagree. For a musical work like Beethoven's 9th, which can mean a lot of different things depending on interpretation, one has to take a survey of the available recordings and decide which one suits your taste the most, or interprets the 9th in a new and different way. That being said, Karajan's 9th (all of them except for the 1963) have a somewhat generic Karajan quality to them. There are much better versions out there. For example, Furtwangler's 1942 recording (in Berlin, during the war) probably tops the list as the most intense rendition ever recorded. It is white hot and so full of angst and danger. Pity that the recording quality is absolute rubbish - it is mono, dynamically compressed, clips, and there is a lot of background noise (including actual Nazis in the audience who were coughing).
If you want something different, Harnoncourt's recording on period instruments is genuinely refreshing and has a lightness, fleetness, and clarity that you won't hear anywhere else. I have said elsewhere that MOST of the clarity of a performance, probably 80%, is down to the conductor and musicians. The other 20% comes from the recording engineer. He just needs NOT to botch it up. Sadly, most DG recordings of the 80's and 90's had that awful murky sound, as if they did not know how to use their new digital equipment. Things got much better in the 00's, but by then DG had tarnished the recorded legacy of so many talented musicians on their payroll. Harnoncourt's period instruments result in a less-heavy orchestral texture and you can listen deeper into the music and hear almost every note that Beethoven wrote, even if it's something lurking in the background.
If you are used to big and brash Beethoven 9ths, the Harnoncourt might sound a bit anaemic in which case I would recommend Klemperer or Bruno Walter. The sound quality isn't as good as modern recordings but they aren't terrible.
Strongly agree with these two. The Horowitz is a classic, although the Concerto No. 3 is the more famous one.
I don't get why anybody likes Brendel. He is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Having said that, he is on many people's list of top performances of Beethoven Piano Sonatas. I would personally recommend Artur Schnabel, who was much more philosophical and has a lovely tone but he has his drawbacks. For one, he is more ambitious than his short, stubby fingers would allow meaning he would attack a passage at a speed that most modern pianists who are more technically accomplished wouldn't dream of doing, then he hits wrong notes, struggles with the tempo and you think that by the end of the accelerando it is all going to fall apart. But he somehow pulls it all together. It is this imperfection of Schnabel that makes his cycle seem more human and endearing. That, and his grand idea of Beethoven and his beautiful tone. The downer is the poor recording quality from the 1920's.
I could go on and on about Beethoven Piano Sonatas (in fact I could write 20 posts on all the different versions), but you would get bored of my ranting so i'll stop by recommending Wilhelm Kempff (a modern day Schnabel), Emil Gilels, Paul Lewis (Brendel-like but more interesting) and Claudio Arrau (probably the most exciting performer I have heard who still plays with taste). There is of course Sviatoslav Richter, but he never recorded a complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas so I am going to leave him out. But it is more than worthwhile to seek out his recordings, of which there are many, and on different labels, and some are better than the others. The attraction of Richter is that he plays like a hypnotic octopus. He seems to have more than 4 limbs, and there is a certain trance-like quality to his music.
I hope you mean the 1955 version and not the 1981 one, because to me the 1981 one is unlistenable. Even the 1955 one, which many consider a classic, is borderline unlistenable for me. For a much more insightful recording, try Angela Hewitt 2015. You get the feeling she is trying to get inside Bach's head rather than imposing a historically and academically incorrect interpretation, which is what that Gould is. Both of them.
Agree, this recording is a classic. But there are modern variations which are even better, e.g. Ian Bostridge as tenor. I own two of his recordings of this work, one with Andsnes and another with Julius Drake (on DVD), and there are a few other versions extant with other pianists which I have not heard. While Fischer-Dieskau is a baritone and brings a deeply rich quality to the recording, while Moore has his usual chameleon-like quality to change his expression according to the piece, Bostridge has a certain vulnerable quality which brings this piece to another level. He has a small and weak voice, certainly not as powerful as Fischer-Dieskau. But you don't need to have power to be a lieder singer. You need insight, diction, and expression, and Bostridge has that in droves. You might find it hard to believe that someone is more expressive than Fischer-Dieskau but you have to hear it to believe it.
I somewhat disagree. For a musical work like Beethoven's 9th, which can mean a lot of different things depending on interpretation, one has to take a survey of the available recordings and decide which one suits your taste the most, or interprets the 9th in a new and different way. That being said, Karajan's 9th (all of them except for the 1963) have a somewhat generic Karajan quality to them. There are much better versions out there. For example, Furtwangler's 1942 recording (in Berlin, during the war) probably tops the list as the most intense rendition ever recorded. It is white hot and so full of angst and danger. Pity that the recording quality is absolute rubbish - it is mono, dynamically compressed, clips, and there is a lot of background noise (including actual Nazis in the audience who were coughing).
If you want something different, Harnoncourt's recording on period instruments is genuinely refreshing and has a lightness, fleetness, and clarity that you won't hear anywhere else. I have said elsewhere that MOST of the clarity of a performance, probably 80%, is down to the conductor and musicians. The other 20% comes from the recording engineer. He just needs NOT to botch it up. Sadly, most DG recordings of the 80's and 90's had that awful murky sound, as if they did not know how to use their new digital equipment. Things got much better in the 00's, but by then DG had tarnished the recorded legacy of so many talented musicians on their payroll. Harnoncourt's period instruments result in a less-heavy orchestral texture and you can listen deeper into the music and hear almost every note that Beethoven wrote, even if it's something lurking in the background.
If you are used to big and brash Beethoven 9ths, the Harnoncourt might sound a bit anaemic in which case I would recommend Klemperer or Bruno Walter. The sound quality isn't as good as modern recordings but they aren't terrible.
Strongly agree with these two. The Horowitz is a classic, although the Concerto No. 3 is the more famous one.
I don't get why anybody likes Brendel. He is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Having said that, he is on many people's list of top performances of Beethoven Piano Sonatas. I would personally recommend Artur Schnabel, who was much more philosophical and has a lovely tone but he has his drawbacks. For one, he is more ambitious than his short, stubby fingers would allow meaning he would attack a passage at a speed that most modern pianists who are more technically accomplished wouldn't dream of doing, then he hits wrong notes, struggles with the tempo and you think that by the end of the accelerando it is all going to fall apart. But he somehow pulls it all together. It is this imperfection of Schnabel that makes his cycle seem more human and endearing. That, and his grand idea of Beethoven and his beautiful tone. The downer is the poor recording quality from the 1920's.
I could go on and on about Beethoven Piano Sonatas (in fact I could write 20 posts on all the different versions), but you would get bored of my ranting so i'll stop by recommending Wilhelm Kempff (a modern day Schnabel), Emil Gilels, Paul Lewis (Brendel-like but more interesting) and Claudio Arrau (probably the most exciting performer I have heard who still plays with taste). There is of course Sviatoslav Richter, but he never recorded a complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas so I am going to leave him out. But it is more than worthwhile to seek out his recordings, of which there are many, and on different labels, and some are better than the others. The attraction of Richter is that he plays like a hypnotic octopus. He seems to have more than 4 limbs, and there is a certain trance-like quality to his music.
I hope you mean the 1955 version and not the 1981 one, because to me the 1981 one is unlistenable. Even the 1955 one, which many consider a classic, is borderline unlistenable for me. For a much more insightful recording, try Angela Hewitt 2015. You get the feeling she is trying to get inside Bach's head rather than imposing a historically and academically incorrect interpretation, which is what that Gould is. Both of them.
Agree, this recording is a classic. But there are modern variations which are even better, e.g. Ian Bostridge as tenor. I own two of his recordings of this work, one with Andsnes and another with Julius Drake (on DVD), and there are a few other versions extant with other pianists which I have not heard. While Fischer-Dieskau is a baritone and brings a deeply rich quality to the recording, while Moore has his usual chameleon-like quality to change his expression according to the piece, Bostridge has a certain vulnerable quality which brings this piece to another level. He has a small and weak voice, certainly not as powerful as Fischer-Dieskau. But you don't need to have power to be a lieder singer. You need insight, diction, and expression, and Bostridge has that in droves. You might find it hard to believe that someone is more expressive than Fischer-Dieskau but you have to hear it to believe it.
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computer-audiophile
Major Contributor
Thank you!
Very sound posting, my compliments. You are very deep into this. I must admit that I have long been much more interested in contemporary classical and sound art avant-garde (not from the pop segment). My wife is much more familiar with classical music, for example. But we go to concerts regularly, which can't be replaced by anything anyway.
I have refrained from giving full reasons for my list above, because I didn't want to break my fingers on the keyboard.
Keith_W
Major Contributor
Thank you Johannes. I was still editing my post when you quoted it. I have finished adding to that post now, but I could really make it very long, haha! Anyway, it's time for some of my own recommendations:
Beethoven Symphony No. 7, Carlos Kleiber, Bayerische Staatsorchester
There are two Kleiber recordings I am aware of, one with DG and one with Orfeo (live recording). The Orfeo, shown below, is the one to get. For one, it does not suffer from DG's usual muddy sound. But the real reason to get it is because it is THE greatest recording of Beethoven's 7th ever made. And before you ask, I have heard nearly all of the famous recordings, sometimes multiple versions by the same conductor. I have read someone else's opinion that not only is this the greatest recording of Beethoven's 7th, it is the greatest recording in the history of all classical recordings, ever.
Wagner said of the Beethoven 7, "All tumult, all yearning and storming of the heart, become here the blissful insolence of joy, which carries us away with bacchanalian power through the roomy space of nature, through all the streams and seas of life, shouting in glad self-consciousness as we sound throughout the universe the daring strains of this human sphere-dance. The Symphony is the Apotheosis of the Dance itself: it is Dance in its highest aspect, the loftiest deed of bodily motion, incorporated into an ideal mold of tone."
I am not quite as erudite as Wagner, but I would describe Beethoven's 7th as "starts off mad, then descends into insanity" (but in a joyful way). The work was intended as a celebration of Wellington's defeat of Napoleon. The first movement is a burst of pure joy. The second is a funeral march. The Presto is somewhat giddy and weird. It stops and starts and jumps to new keys. And the finale is like an exuberant whirlwind that goes faster and faster and climaxes with a scream of exultation. For an analysis of Beethoven's 7th, read this.
Kleiber's opening Vivace sounds almost Karajan-like in its military precision but he is much more intense. As for the slow movement, to be honest I have heard better versions elsewhere (e.g. Toscanini) and is a bit of a let-down in this otherwise fine recording. He really picks up the pace in the 3rd movement. And the 4th ... it really is a Tour de Force. He already starts off faster than anybody else, and he is supposed to go faster. And he does. By the time he reaches the climax, you marvel at how that orchestra can still play together at that speed. It is simply thrilling. And the applause at the end - the audience is stunned into silence before responding. When Kleiber turns around they erupt in enthusiastic bravo's which is what I feel like doing every time I listen to this piece. I want to jump to my feet and yell "bravo!" and I am sure, so will you.
Beethoven Symphony No. 7, Carlos Kleiber, Bayerische Staatsorchester
There are two Kleiber recordings I am aware of, one with DG and one with Orfeo (live recording). The Orfeo, shown below, is the one to get. For one, it does not suffer from DG's usual muddy sound. But the real reason to get it is because it is THE greatest recording of Beethoven's 7th ever made. And before you ask, I have heard nearly all of the famous recordings, sometimes multiple versions by the same conductor. I have read someone else's opinion that not only is this the greatest recording of Beethoven's 7th, it is the greatest recording in the history of all classical recordings, ever.
Wagner said of the Beethoven 7, "All tumult, all yearning and storming of the heart, become here the blissful insolence of joy, which carries us away with bacchanalian power through the roomy space of nature, through all the streams and seas of life, shouting in glad self-consciousness as we sound throughout the universe the daring strains of this human sphere-dance. The Symphony is the Apotheosis of the Dance itself: it is Dance in its highest aspect, the loftiest deed of bodily motion, incorporated into an ideal mold of tone."
I am not quite as erudite as Wagner, but I would describe Beethoven's 7th as "starts off mad, then descends into insanity" (but in a joyful way). The work was intended as a celebration of Wellington's defeat of Napoleon. The first movement is a burst of pure joy. The second is a funeral march. The Presto is somewhat giddy and weird. It stops and starts and jumps to new keys. And the finale is like an exuberant whirlwind that goes faster and faster and climaxes with a scream of exultation. For an analysis of Beethoven's 7th, read this.
Kleiber's opening Vivace sounds almost Karajan-like in its military precision but he is much more intense. As for the slow movement, to be honest I have heard better versions elsewhere (e.g. Toscanini) and is a bit of a let-down in this otherwise fine recording. He really picks up the pace in the 3rd movement. And the 4th ... it really is a Tour de Force. He already starts off faster than anybody else, and he is supposed to go faster. And he does. By the time he reaches the climax, you marvel at how that orchestra can still play together at that speed. It is simply thrilling. And the applause at the end - the audience is stunned into silence before responding. When Kleiber turns around they erupt in enthusiastic bravo's which is what I feel like doing every time I listen to this piece. I want to jump to my feet and yell "bravo!" and I am sure, so will you.
I think we are missing a thread like this, with recommendations of great recordings of classical music.
I would start with this one:
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World" – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Václav Neumann – SUPRAPHON.com
Dvořák - Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World" / Czech Philhamonic, Václav Neumann Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World", analogue recording from 1972 Czech Philharmonic, conducted by Václav Neumann On two occasions during his tenure as chief conductor…
and I am also posting a link to a 54 second full quality sample: https://pmacura.cz/Moltovivace.zip
To keep down size of responses use a three part system: music genre, performance, sound / recording qualityI think we are missing a thread like this, with recommendations of great recordings of classical music.
I would start with this one:
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World" – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Václav Neumann – SUPRAPHON.com
Dvořák - Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World" / Czech Philhamonic, Václav Neumann Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World", analogue recording from 1972 Czech Philharmonic, conducted by Václav Neumann On two occasions during his tenure as chief conductor…
and I am also posting a link to a 54 second full quality sample: https://pmacura.cz/Moltovivace.zip
computer-audiophile
Major Contributor
@Keith_W
It looks like you have a large classic collection of vinyl records. Maybe you are also a musician or other insider of the scene.
I've already given away my record collection completely twice in my life, because at that time I thought I would only listen digitally. But then I started again from scratch 20 years ago. Fortunately, a collection from East Germany fell into my hands, the canon of classics obviously curated by a connoisseur. Many mint-quality recordings from the German Democratic Republic included. ETERNA e.g. I have heard them so far only in part. If I want to delve more today and look for multiple interpretations, I find a lot on Deezer. No record collection can do that. It's paradise conditions for a music lover.
It looks like you have a large classic collection of vinyl records. Maybe you are also a musician or other insider of the scene.
I've already given away my record collection completely twice in my life, because at that time I thought I would only listen digitally. But then I started again from scratch 20 years ago. Fortunately, a collection from East Germany fell into my hands, the canon of classics obviously curated by a connoisseur. Many mint-quality recordings from the German Democratic Republic included. ETERNA e.g. I have heard them so far only in part. If I want to delve more today and look for multiple interpretations, I find a lot on Deezer. No record collection can do that. It's paradise conditions for a music lover.
True and the SACD release of the original 3 channels (remastered by SoundMirror) is a significant improvement.
Keith_W
Major Contributor
I don't actually. Most of those recordings you listed under "vinyl" are also available on digital. After all, they are all recordings made by well-known musicians by big labels, or the 50 year old copyright exclusivity has been lifted. For example, you can find the Furtwangler 1942 Beethoven 9 on several labels. My recording is from an unknown label that I can't remember, but I know it is also available on Naxos and several other small labels.
I am neither a musician nor an insider, I am just really enthusiastic about classical music.
The performance of Dvorak's String Serenade Op. 22 on this album is..... I can't really put it into words. It's scored with an accompaniment piano. Play at least up to the 1:50 min mark to hear what the piano can add to this old standard. I discovered this piece at a young age around the same time I discovered the paintings of John Singer Sargent and the novels of Henry James. Hard to believe that there was a time in the past when this was "Pop" music....
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Ah, this makes me nostalgic about old Geocities websites.
On topic:
This is not the complete ballet, but it does fill up a whole disc with selections. Good for when your not quite in the mood for the whole thing. The playing and sonics are fantastic.
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