I don't usually duplicate posts in the two main classical threads, but I do want to pass along the news that Allan Evans has died, as reported today by his friends on Facebook. He produced some valuable CDs for Pearl, and later for his own label, Arbiter.
Thanks for sharing this sad news. Arbiter is one of the very best classical labels. They put out so many great, rare recordings. Allan was clearly a man of impeccable taste.
Bax: Symphony No. 4; Tintagel Bryden Thomson Ulster Orchestra Chandos, 1983 One of Chandos earliest CDs. This is the first disc in a 40 disc box celebrating 40 Years of Chandos. Landmarks: 40 Years of Chandos Chandos, 2019 40 discs
Interesting, I own the following Sibelius Symphony No. 2 CD from Chandos which is dated even earlier at 1982. Is it part of your box?
The 40 discs were chosen by the manager of Chandos. So, the 1983 disc is the earliest recording on the set. "Each of the four decades is represented, and each recording has been hand-picked by the Managing Director, Ralph Couzens, because it represents a turning point, or ‘Landmark’, in the development of the label." A list of the compositions is available at the Presto site: Landmarks: 40 Years of Chandos It turns out I only had two of the discs in the collection. So, I didn't duplicate very much.
Listening to this mid-'70s Columbia Masterworks LP of the Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major and Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain. Entremont/Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra.
One evening last week I was playing Books 1 and 2 from Iberia by Spanish composer, Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz, as performed by pianist Michel Block. Tonight I'm playing Books 3 and 4 (Volume 2 in the series). A Pathé Marconi - EMI recording, released in the U.S. in 1977 on the Connoisseur Society label.
Apologies if this has been done before. I’ve only recently started getting into the classical genre. I’ve got a very basic collection on cd which includes:- Elgar - Enigma Variations Holst - The Planets Vivaldi - The Four Seasons Bach - Brandenburg Concertos Mussorgsky - Pictures At An Exhibition Dvořák - 9th Symphony New World Beethoven - 5th Symphony Handel - Water Music Debussy - Clair De Lune Rodrigo - Concerto de Aranjuez So a basic collection plus some taster cds from magazines by other composers So can anyone recommend other ‘staple’ albums that I should add to my growing collection please? Cheers in advance
Hi Ian, welcome to the Classical Music Corner! Here's some suggestions I would make: Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto 2 - Richter/Wislocki Satie - Gymnopedies - Thibaudet Chopin - Ballades - Moravec Chopin - Preludes - Sokolov Bach - Goldberg Variations - Gould Brahms - Late Solo Works - Angelich Brahms - Symphonies 2 and 3 - Karajan Brahms - Piano Concertos - Gilels Debussy - Preludes - Zimerman, Jacobs or Michelangeli Schubert - Piano Works - Radu Lupu Haydn - Piano Sonatas - Brendel Shostakovich - String Quartets - Borodin QT
Hi George Many thanks for the reply and recommendations. I’ll get right on it. Total newbie to classical though. Just finding my feet!
My pleasure. If you find yourself liking one or two much more than the others, let us know and we can give you more specific recommendations. Or, if you have any questions, feel free to to ask them here in this thread, anytime. At any rate, I expect you have a very fun period of discovery ahead of you!
That’s extremely kind. Thanks very much again. I’ll be trying the recommendations starting this afternoon.
I would try this as well. It has two very popular pieces and is well played. You can get it for little money used.
Currently listening to... MOZART: Le Nozze di Figaro - BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Sir Colin Davis (Complete Mozart Edition CD)
My pleasure, Ian. I look forward to hearing about your impressions. Feel free to post what you are listening to here, as you listen, as it can generate discussion about the works/performers/composers and performances that might be useful to you.
Listened to this earlier via a Spotify stream. It was a Jacqueline Du Pre version. Enjoyed it thoroughly, especially the slower passages. Thank you
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 Manfred Honeck Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Reference Recordings, 2019 Impressive performance and sound. Honeck provides extended notes.
