Classical music recommendations

[Brandon Burke]

Sounds interesting.  Where can I find out more about Neilsen?

If you have any interest in Nielsen, I suggest you go to the Berkshire Record Outlet site and order the 6 symphonies for $12.

This is a terrific set. The 6th, which depicts the composer's heart attack, will haunt you.

Done and done. Thanks.....

[michel devos]

My late Missus was a classically trained violinist and pianist, and hipped me to who was who in the classical world.

Check out David Oistrakh on violin. He came from the Ukraine, and appeared as if out of nowhere after WW II. What an awesome, rich tone! When he plays the Beethoven violin concerto, the solo passages are absolutely gripping. I remember one time when we were playing it in the living room, and everyone, kids and adults, just froze, completely captivated by it. Anything by him is well worth getting. There's no-one to touch that guy! The Russkies are sitting on a huge pile of unissued live recordings, including many by him. (A friend with a Russian wife told me that Uncle Joe had them record nearly everything that was broadcast over the radio.)

Also, the boss man on the piano is Artur Rubinstein. Terrific, and well represented in the RCA Victor catalog, especially Chopin. He came from a world that can never be duplicated. He trained with a friend of Brahms. A highlight of his recordings is a 1954 RCA Victor recording of Brahms's First Piano Concerto, with the Chicago Symphony under Fritz Reiner (a great orchestra and conductor combination!). It is even in stereo, one of the first such recordings.

Even if jazz is your main bag, ah garontee that you will like those guys!

Okay Okay....but if you stay in that kind of league, do not bypass the one and only, possibly the most formidable pianist of all times : Sviatoslav Richter.

This exceptional musician explores an incredibly wide repertoire, ranging from JSBach to Debussy, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov,Scriabin

The recording quality is variable, but, usually all the Philips and RCA Columbia discs are of very good sonic quality .Anyway, the playing is so stunning one quickly forgets whatever recording deficiencies there may be.

Keeping this in mind, I would recommend his readings of Pictures at an exhibition (Prague live version) Beethoven Appasionata sonata (RCA 1960) and the JSBach well tempered clavier (Eurodisc).The latter is probably one of the finest version ever, despite the very dull and distant sound recording.

Check also the sublime Schubert sonatas D960 and D664 as well as the Wanderer Fantasie.For the better sound quality, try his latest Haydn sonatas.

There are too many great pianists to name even a small list of them, but, if there were one never to be forgotten, I'd say Richter and Richter and Richter

[Alexander Hawkins]

I'd say Richter and Richter and Richter

And Horowitz and Lipatti...

[vibes]

For anyone that likes the RCA Living Stereo SACD series, the second series of releases are available for pre-order at cduniverse.com, all for under $10. The two-disc Berlioz: Requiem is available for $8.39, which is probably a pricing error. Get it cheap while you can.

[Joe G]

You can go back further if you want to find earlier styles which you might connect with Ornette, Ayler, AEC, etc. Machaut is a bitch.

F**k yes. Same with Ciconia.