Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #45)

Good Day -

This is a crazy request, but I would really appreciate lots of help:

I have the following in my Shopping Cart at Presto Classical,


and


...as a result of what I've learned here.



My dilemma:
Postage to Africa is very reasonable, but only if you order enough music and I need two more CDs/Box sets to make it worthwhile. Very reasonable so far, but here's the kicker: What two essential CDs would you add? Cds that, in your opinion, are so good, everyone has to have them!

 

Ask me tomorrow and may give you a different reply; today I'd say:

This and this

 

Howzabout two Hybrid SACDs? There's so many fantastic titles in the RCA Living Stereo series, but the Brahms/Tchaikovsky VCs with Heifetz and Reiner/Chicago S.O.'s Mussorgsky/Ravel "Pictures At An Exhibition" are the two I've played the most.

 

Hi Robin, WobblyWilly needs something that's in stock at Presto Classical, if I'm not mistaken.

As of today, this is the only LS SACD readily available


http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/BMG/88697082832

 

Right. In That case:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/DG/E4716302

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/DG+Archiv/4717542

 

Great picks as well

 

I'd say the Pinnock set of Bach Keyboard Concerti is truly indispensable.

 

Sorry lads -

I dropped this...



which was the image I cleverly deleted!


Wonderful suggestions so far...please keep them coming.

 

On the amazon Classical Music Forum, the topic of "best" recordings came up(I prefer to call them "favorite") and after some thought, I shared this list:

Beethoven
Symphonies - Wand
Piano Sonatas - Annie Fischer
String Quartets - Vegh (stereo)
Piano Concertos - Serkin/Kubelik

Rachmaninoff
Preludes - Ashkenazy
Piano Concerto 2 - Richter/Wislocki
Piano Concerto 3 - Janis/Dorati
Piano Concerto 1 - Janis/Kondrashin
Piano Concerto 4 - Wild/Horenstein (Chesky)

Satie
Piano Works - Thibaudet

Chopin
Ballades - Moravec
Nocturnes - Arrau (50th Anniversary Mastering)
Preludes - Sokolov
Mazurkas, Polonaises, Waltzes - Rubinstein 1950s set
Concertos - Zimerman/Polish Orchestra - DG

Mozart
Symphonies - Krips, Decca

Shostakovich
Quartets 1-13 - Borodin - Chandos
Quartets 14-15 - Borodin - Melodiya

Poulenc
Solo Piano Music - Tacchino

Schubert
Piano Sonatas - Richter
D 960 Prague - 1972 - Praga
D 958 Salzburg - 1972 - Regis
D 894 London - 1989 - Philips/Decca (Philips has slightly better sound)
D 850 Prague - 1956 - Praga (better sound than Music and Arts)
D 845 Moscow - 1957 - Living Stage (better sound than Urania)
D 840 Salzburg - 1979 - Philips/Decca (Philips has slightly better sound)
D 784 Tokyo - 1979 - Regis
D 664 Paris - 1963 - EMI
D 625 Munich - 1978 - Victor/Japan
D 575 Florence - 1966 - Philips/Decca (Philips has slightly better sound)
D 566 Moscow - 1978 - Brilliant Classics
D 459 Hohenems - 1980 – Doremi

 

Re: the upcoming Byron Janis Box set:

 

Thanks for this, more items to look out for. Guess Richter is your go to for Shubert eh..

 

Indeed.

I also like Pires, Sokolov and (to a lesser extent) Kempff and Lupu's Schubert.

 

Brendel too clinical or cold for you? I love the 70's Philips era for him.

 

Yes, I like his live Schubert, but outside of that, I am not a fan of his Schubert (or his Beethoven.) His Haydn, on the other hand, is wonderful!

 

Too clinical for me. Also love Clara Haskil in D. 960, Schnabel in some later works. I probably like Kempff's Schubert than George does, probably rate Rubinstein's B flat much higher, also have to mention Clifford Curzon.

 

Lupu's Shubert Impromptus are very good. Will check out the others, thanks as always.

 

My pleasure!

 

I have several of these - including these two and the Van Cliburn Tchaikovsky/Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos - and absolutely love them! Which ones do you recommend the most? I currently have a $75 Amazon credit and wouldn't mind adding some more of these to my collection.

 

If you haven't got it already, this is one of the very best

 

Also Reiner's Mahler with Chicago:





Also Bartok played by Reiner/Chicago and indispensable:



Munch and the Boston S. O. in Berlioz and Saint Saens:

 

Thanks! It was actually already in my wish list, but I just moved it into my cart.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll get the two Mahlers, but I think that the Bartok is OOP.

I already have the Berlioz.

 

Well done!

Do you have these ones too?

 

Nope, but the Offenbach and Copland are both on my wish list.

 

Thanks for all the recommendations, Marcel. I'm loading up my cart!

How are these two?