Rave recordings!

[Pat D]

Well, that's the title of the forum, so hey - let's talk about it!

Now here are some recordings that I truly think are rave, because of both quality of sound and performance. Maybe they have been discussed before - haven't had a chance to check the archives...


Cheers
Tony (Australia)

These are some of my favorite CDs from a list I made some time ago. The sound on most of them is pretty good, but the emphasis was on the quality of the performances. I would have to add some others nowadays, and I would have to add some non-classical music, as well. Indeed, with new speakers, I have to reevaluate my whole collection, I guess. That will take . . . how many years?

EARLY MUSIC

"The Dante Troubadours,” Martin Best Mediaeval Ensemble. Nimbus 5002

“Songs of Chivalry,” Martin Best Mediaeval Ensemble. Nimbus 5006

“Chominciamento di gioia” (dance music from the time of Boccacio’s Decamerone),. Naxos 8.553131

Praetorius, “Dances from the Terpsichore,” Westra nos Pijpare. Naxos 8.553865

“:On the Way to Bethlehem” (music of the medieval pilgrim), Ensemble Oni Wytars, Ensemble Unicorn. Naxos 8.553132

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

J. S. Bach, Suites (Overtures) nos. 1-4, Kuijken, La Petite Bande, Musical Heritage Society 523889W.

J. S. Bach, Brandenburg Concertos. Pinnock, The English Concert. Archiv 410 500-2 and 410 501-2

Arnold Bax, Tone Poems (“November Woods,“ “The Happy Forest,” “The Garden of Fand,” and “Summer Music“), Bryden Thomson, Ulster Orchestra. Chandos CHAN 8307

“Best of Baroque,” Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert. DG 419 410-2. A fun disc.
-Handel’s “Water Music”
-Bach, “Orchestral Suites” nos. 2 and 3
-Bach, “Brandenburg Concerto no. 3”
-Vivaldi, “Concerto alla rustica”
-Miscellaneous Pachelbel, Handel, Vivaldi

Debussy, “La Mer,” “Le Martyre de saint Sébastien,” “Prélude de l’après-midi d’un faune,” Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London 430 240-2

Debussy, “La Mer,” plus Respighi Pines, Fountains, Festivals of Rome, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, RCA 09026-68079-2

Feeney, “Dracula,” John Pryce-Jones, Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra. Naxos 8.553964

Ferde Grofé, “Grand Canyon Suite;” George Gershwin, arr. Bennett, “Porgy and Bess, A Symphonic Picture,” Antal Dorati, Detroit Symphony Orchestra. London 410 110-2

Holst, “The Planets,” Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London 417 553-2

Ippolitov-Ivanov, “Caucasian Sketches,“ plus other Russian favorites, Siegfried Landau, Music for Westchester Symphony Orchestra, Vox Allegretto, ACD 8161 (The best performance of Caucasian Sketches, suite no. 1; the other material is OK.)

Toshiro Mayuzumi, Samsara (tone poem), Baccanales, Phonologie Symphonique, Yoshikazu Fukumura, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Marco Polo 8.220297 Many people may not like this music, which is often percussive and rather clangy.

Mozart, Overtures and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Bruno Weil, Tafelmusik. Vivarte SK 46695

Mussorgsky, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” Lorin Maazel, Cleveland Orchestra. Telarc CD-80042

_________, Pictures at an Exhibition;” Prokofiev, “Classical Symphony,” “Lt. Kijé; “Ernest Ansermet, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. London Weekend Classics 421 019-2 Coupled with Night on Bare Mountain and Khovanschina Prelude on London 414 139-2

_________, “Pictures at an Exhibition, Night on Bald Mountain,” Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony, with orchestral showpieces by Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Kabalevsky, Glinka, on RCA 09026-61958-2

_________, “Pictures at an Exhibition;” Debussy, “La Mer;” Ravel, “Boléro;” Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic; DG 447 426-2

Prokofiev, “Alexander Nevsky Cantata,” “Lt. Kijé,” Charles Dutoit, Choeur et Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. London 430 506-2

Prokofiev, Scenes from the “Romeo and Juliet” ballet, plus Ravel, {“Boléro,” etc., Jan Pascal Tortelier, London Symphony Orchestra. Castle CIDC 1001

Respighi, “Pines of Rome,” “Fountains of Rome,” “Feste Romane,” Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London 410 145-2 (also Decca 430 729-2).

Rossini, Overtures, Roger Norrington, London Classical Players. EMI CDC 554091

Sibelius, Lemminkainen Legends (also known as Four Legends from the Kalevala), Luonnotar, The Bard, Gibson, Scottish National Orchestra, Chandos CHAN 6586

Smetana, “Ma Vlast“ (“My Homeland“), Antoni Wit, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Naxos 8.550931

Deems Taylor, “Through the Looking Glass,” plus Charles Griffes, various orchestral works, Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Delos DE 3099

Wagner, “The Ride of the Valkyries,” “Siegfried Idyll,” “Overtures,“ Vernon Handley, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Durkin Hayes DHM008 (or Tring Digital TRP008)

SYMPHONIES

Beethoven, Symphonies nos. 4, 8, Otmar Suitner, Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra. Denon
198C37-7254

Beethoven, “Symphony no. 9,” Otmar Suitner, Staatskapelle Berlin. Denon 198C37-7256

Borodin, Symphony no. 2, Jean Martinon, London Symphony Orchestra, on “The World of Borodin,” with other pieces with various performers, London 444 389-2

Brahms, Symphony no. 1, Jascha Horenstein, London Symphony Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD19

Brahms, “Symphony no. 4,” Fritz Reiner, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD6

Bruckner, Symphony no. 4, Tintner, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Naxos 8.55412869

Bruckner, Symphony no. 7, Tintner, RSNO, Naxos 8.554269 These two can represent the Tintner cycle.

Dvorak, Symphony no. 9, “New World,” plus Wagner, “Siegfried Idyll,” “ Flying Dutchman Overture, “ Jascha Horenstein, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD31

Dvorak, Symphony no. 9, Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony, CBS MK 42039 This is now available on Sony SMK 64484 with Symphony no. 8 as well, probably in a sonically refurbished version.

Haydn, Symphonies 23, 24, and 61, Nicholas Ward, Northern Chamber Orchestra. Naxos 8.550723

Haydn, Symphonies 77,78, and 79, Nicholas Ward, Northern Chamber Orchestra. Naxos 8.553363

Haydn, Symphonies 96, 102, Adam Fischer, Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra. Nimbus 5135

Mahler, Symphony no. 4, Lorin Maazel, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. CBS WDMK-44908

Toshiro Mayuzumi, Nirvana Symphony, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra; plus Buddhist Chant of the Yakushiji Temple, Nara. Denon CO 78839

Mendelssohn, Symphonies nos. 3, “Scottish,” and 4, “Italian,” and “Hebrides Overture” (“Fingal’s Cave”), Christoph von Dohnanyi, Wiener Philharmoniker. London 417 731-2.

Mozart, Symphonies nos. 39, 41, Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden. Philips 410 046-2

Mozart, Symphonies nos. 35, 41, Haydn Symphony no. 104,. Josef Krips and René Leibowitz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD16

Mozart, Symphonies nos. 31, 40 and 34, 41, Christopher Hogwood, The Academy of Ancient Music. L’Oiseau-Lyre 410 197-2 and 411 658-2

Schubert, Symphony no. 8, “Unfinished,” and Mendelssohn, Symphony no. 4, “Italian,” Giuseppe Sinopoli, Philharmonia Orchestra. DG 410 862-2

Sibelius, Symphonies 4, 5, Lorin Maazel, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Sony SK 46499

Sibelius, Symphonies 1-7, Maazel, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, London 430 778-2. This is generally a very strong set, although one can do better for nos. 3 and 6.

CONCERTOS

Beethoven, The Five Piano Concertos, Rudolf Serkin, piano, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra. Telarc CD-80061-5

Beethoven, “Violin Concerto,” Zino Francescatti, violin, Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, CBS MK 42018

Brahms, “Piano Concerto no. 2, “Gina Bachauer, piano, Antal Dorati, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD36

______, “Violin Concerto;” Sibelius, “Violin Concerto;” Zino Francescatti, violin, Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic, Sony SMK 47540

______, “Violin Concerto;” Jascha Heifetz, violin, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, RCA RCD1-5402, coupled with a rather too fast performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Charles Much, Boston Symphony.

Bruch, “Violin Concerto;” plus Mendelssohn VC; Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Antoni Ross-Marba, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Denon 38C37-7123

Mendelssohn, “Violin Concerto;” Bruch, “Violin Concerto;” Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin, Antoni Ross-Marba, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Denon 38C37-7123

VOCAL and CHORAL MUSIC

Berlioz, “Requiem,” Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Telarc CD-80109-2

Brahms, “Ein deutsches Requiem” (“A German Requiem“), Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Telarc CD-80092

Handel, “Messiah,” Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Telarc CD80093-2

Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen. Solti, Vienna Philharmonic. Decca 455 555-2

“En la fête de Noël. - O Holy Night,” Martin Dagenais, La petite bande de Montréal. Naxos 8.554435

“The Mystery of Christmas,” Noel Edison, The Elora Festival Singers. Naxos 8.554179

“Let the Organs Thunder,” music for chorus, brass and two organs, William Ferris, William Ferris Chorale (Chicago). WFC 588289

“The World of Wagner,” Georg Solti, various soloists, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. London 440 069-2

Renée Fleming, soprano, “The Beautiful Voice,” Jeffrey Tate, English Chamber Orchestra. London 289 458 858-2

CHAMBER MUSIC

Brahms, “Serenade no. 1,“and Wagner, “Siegfried Idyll,“ Academy of St. Martin in the Fields’ Chamber Ensemble. Philips 426 298-2

Dvorak, Quartets nos. 10, 14, Opus. 51 and 105, Vlach Quartet of Prague. Naxos 8.553374

Schubert, Piano Quintet in A, “The Trout,” Ingrid Haebler, piano, Jacques Cazauran, double-bass, Grumiaux Trio. Philips 422 838-2

PIANO MUSIC

Chopin, 4 Ballades and 4 Scherzi, Earl Wild, piano. Chesky CD44

Liszt, Années de Pèlerinage, 3 volumes, Jeno Jando, piano. Naxos 8.550548, 8.550549, 8.550550 Box set is 8.503004

ORGAN MUSIC

J. S. Bach, Passacaglia in C Major, Toccata in F, Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, Michael Murray, the Great Organ in Methuen Hall. Telarc CD-80049

Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition; Stravinsky, Three Dances from Petrouchka; arranged for organ and played by Jean Guillou, Great Organ of the Tonhalle, Zurich, on Dorian DOR-90117

“The World of the Organ,” Simon Preston, organ. London 430 091-2

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Laura Jeppesen, “Music for Viola da Gamba,” (Le Sieur de Machy, Schaffrath, Abel, Mozart). Titanic Ti-183

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin, Romantic Violin Miniature, Michi Inoue, New Japan Philharmonic. Denon DC-8077

The Wallace Collection brass ensemble, “Gabrieli & St. Mark’s,” John Wallace, trumpet, Simon Wright, conductor. Nimbus 5236

Rag Jhinjhoti, Rag Pilu, Imrat Khan, sitar; Vajahat Khan, sarod; Shafaatullah Khan, tabla. Nimbus 5195

Rag Shankara, Rag Mala in Jogia, Ram Narayan, sarangi, Anindo Chatterjee, tabla. Nimbus 5245

Rag Bhimpalasi, Hariprasad Chaurasia, flute, Fazal Quereshi, tabla. Nimbus 5298