Recommendations for western classical music

pleasure......

Dvorak - New World Symphony
Tchaikovsky - Symphony no 5
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
Schubert - Unfinished Symphony & Ave Maria
Lizst - Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 (piano and orchestral version)

.....to begin with

Hi Manek,
Thanks a lot. I have the moonlight sonata with me and I have heard of Schubert's unfinished symphony. The other CD I have is Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". ( The RCA greatest hits recording ).

One more thing I wanted is recos for particular artistes or CDs. ( Eg: Vladimir Ashkenazy's interpretation of Chopin is simply great while Vanessa Mae's performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons is not the best ). Could you suggest the most recomended recordings of the classical pieces you mentioned. I'll start hunting for the CDs after that.
Bibs

hi Guys,

Seen the CD "symphony on Ice" its got quite a good collection... pieces by Tchai, Beethoven, Mozart, and so on...

Mebbe a good one to get a taste of western classical..

For those of you in Mumbai, there are a couple of promising Classical Music programs coming up (both at NCPA Experimental Theater, Nariman Point):

Mon. 24th – 7:00 pm
Maciej Pikulski, Piano Recital
(A musician of Polish origin, Maciej Pikulski was awarded a piano, chamber music and vocal accompaniment diploma at The Paris Superior Conservatory of Music. The programme will include works by Chopin, Liszt and Schubert.)

Sat. 29th - 7.00 p.m
Spanish Scenes – Philipp Mohler For Chorus, Two Pianos and Percussion (and other works)
Paranjoti Academy Chorus
Roberta Swedien and Shirley Yoo - Two Pianos
Percussion Players from The Bombay Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Coomi Wadia
(Other works will include a Sonata for Two Pianos KV448 by W.A. Mozart and Three Preludes by George Gershwin, also for two pianos.)

Hi Manek,
I checked up at Suite M at Planet M. The CDs available are "The New World" Symphony no.9 in E minor by the Szell Cleveland orchestra? I could not listen to it. Is this a good performance?
Also available was the Symphony No. 5 by Peter Tscaikowsky ( Is it the same composer ?) performed by Karajan. What is Ur opinion?
Bibs

Bibs.
Vladimir Ashkenazy's moonlight sonata (decca recording is fantastic. He is one of my favourite piano players. His beethoven "emporer" piano concerto with vienna phil, zubin mehta also on decca is very very good. Arthur Rubenstein plays chopin exquisitely, Svatoslav Richter is another pianist I have very high regards for.

The karajan's tchakovsky's 5th sym if its labeled "gold" collection is a very nice version on the same but my favourite version is Rudoldh Kempe with the berlin phil recorded in the early 50's(EMI). Thats just fantastic.

Vanessa Mae...uuh...you'd better get someone more known for their music making, like Perlman, Isac Stern, Schwalbe, Oistrakh, Menuhin, Heifitz and the likes of them.....I bet you will enjoy that piece a whole lot. If female violonists interest you then Anne-Sophie Mutter is a far better bet than Vanessa Mae :-).....just kidding but Mutter is good...her interpretations are always as they say "Zaraa Hat Ke"....or "Alag Hai".

I dont know if you like the cello but Rostropovitch is a legend and his interpretation of the Dvorak cello concerto is legendary. Pierre Fournier is also another brilliant cellist who does this piece extremely well. People make a lot about Yo-Yo Ma, he is good as well.

A very niece piece of music is the Beethoven Triple concerto(violin, cello and piano). Quite extraordinary. You may find that any of the artists mentioned above may have at one time or another recorded this piece so....

Happy hunting.

Manek.

Hi,
Thanks a lot Manek. Listened to the Maestro Channel of worldspace at my cousin's place ( I don't have a receiver ). They played some beatiful music for the half hour I listened.
What's Ur opinion on Worldspace? Do they play the good performances?
Bibs

I personally dont have world space but whenever I have listened to it, I have liked the musical content for jazz and classical.

manek.

Hi Bibs,
This is an old posting but since you seem keen on exploring classical I thought I might put in my two bits. Over time western classical allows you to grow and expand in a way that few other musical forms allow you. I began with the standard repertoire like Beethoven symphonies, Dvorak, Bach and some Mozart. After a while I moved into composers like Richard Strauss, Smetana, Sibelius and the great Brahms. Then there was a third stage in which I got interested in Bruckner and fell madly in love with Mahler. That was the height of my engagement with grand style. Subsequently I moved back into simpler forms and discovered chamber music. String quartets by Beethoven, and most of all I discovered Hayden. Nowadays I listen a lot to Hayden and have started enjoying Mozart for the first time really. It not that I dont listen to the more recent composers. I like Stravinsky now more then ever before, as also Kodaly and Bartok. Choral music and opera is a field that I have just started appreciating, although Wagner is beyond me, at least thus far. Then ofcourse there are near contemporary composers, like Leonard Feldmen whom I have yet to hear. What I am trying to say is that is that after over three decades of listening I still have so much to discover in the world of western classical music. There are few more refined and sustaining joys in human life. I wish you a long and happy journey.
To Maneks list I would add
Richard Strauss - Don Quixote
Richard Strauss - Four Last songs
Sibelius - Pohjolas Daughter
Smetana - My Fatherland
Mahler - Symphony no. 2 (Ressurrection)
Brahms Violin Concerto
Beethoven Violin concerto
Hayden, Any String Quartet

Purnendu

Hi Purdendu,
Thanks for all the info. I started listening to classical showcase in Radio Midday ( Used to come conveniently at 10pm on weekdays) Chopin and Debussy were the ones that impressed me. Recently on Manek's advice I added the other Romantic composer, Schubert. I bought a Naxos recording of the Unfinished symphony, The Great symphony, Rosamunde etc. It's pretty good. Took the DVD, "Amadeus" from the British Library and immediately bought a Mozart 2CD set ( Virgin).
I'm now on the lookout for Dvorak.
Recently I came upon a book called "What Music is" by a certain Herbert Weinstock. It was quite informative. Is there any book you suggest which permits a better understanding of Western Classical Music?
Bibs

Hi Bibs,

"Vintage Guide to Western calssical music" written by Jan Swaford published by Vintage Publications is oneof the books that I found good. The book takes you chronologicaly through the development of music.

Trouble with books in my experience is that they dont play music! So you end up buying the recommended albums which you may not like...no solution but listening to as many as you can.
Jeeves

Hi Bibs,
One thing you could do is pick up the Penguin CD guide. Its expensive, but quite exhaustive. If you see a second hand copy from the eighties somewhere it would be good enough.I have bought a few based on their ratings and have yet to be dissappointed. Some of the cheaper labels give great performances, and then there are budget priced old masters.
Purnendu

Hi Manek,
I came across a free recording of the New World symphony from the University of Columbia. Downloaded it. The music is great.
I checked some sites on the net. They recommend Georges Szell and the Cleveland orchestra rendition as one of the best. I saw it at PlanetM sometime back. I'll be getting it soon. Thanks again for the reco.
Regards,
Bibs
( I have also downloaded some of Haydn's compositions from the same site as Purnendu recommended them - however i'm not sure whether they are chamber music - haven't listened to them yet!)

Hi,
It doesnt matter if they are not chamber works. Haydn's symphonies are really nice. In a way they are the best introduction to the symphony form. Unlike Beethoven and later chaps in which each movement is so elongated that one loses sight of the larger pattern, in Hayden each movement is crisp and brief allowing you to look at the whole piece in relationship to its parts. The downside is that the range of emotions that a Beethoven or a Mahler takes you through are not really there in Haydn.
Could you paste the URL of this free downloading site ?
Purnendu

Purnendu,

I always thought one other piece, Tchaikovsky's 5th symphony, one of his most under rated works, is a great initiator to the symphony form. Its also one of my favourite symphonies.
Another of my favourites which I recommend to all people who want to start listening to western classical and seem to work very well......

1) March Slave
2) Pictures at an exhibition
3) Overture to Egmont
4) Grieg , Piano Concerto and Peer Gynt
5) Schubert - Unfinished

Bibs,
BTW another one of Georg Szell's very fine renditions is the Dvorak Cello concerto with Pierre Fournier...Oh...! this particular rendition brings about so many emotions in the listener....... Absolutely delightful !

Manek.

Hi Purnendu,
Here's the link to the site

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cuo/audio.html

Bibs

BTB : The Haydn composition I downloaded is the Symphony no. 88

Great,
Thanks
Purnendu

Just to summarize the above recommendations:

Western Classical Music

1.Dvorak - New World Symphony
2.Tchaikovsky - Symphony no 5
3.Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
4.Schubert - Unfinished Symphony
5.Schubert - Ave Maria
6.Lizst - Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 (piano and orchestral version)
7.Vladimir Ashkenazy's moonlight sonata (decca)
8.Arthur Rubenstein plays chopin
9.Karajan's Tchakovsky's 5th sym - "gold" collection
10.Female Violonist - Anne-Sophie Mutter
11.Rostropovitch - Dvorak cello concerto
12.Pierre Fournier - another brilliant cellist
13.Beethoven Triple concerto (violin, cello and piano)
14.Richard Strauss - Don Quixote
15.Richard Strauss - Four Last songs
16.Sibelius - Pohjolas Daughter
17.Smetana - My Fatherland
18.Mahler - Symphony no. 2 (Resurrection)
19.Brahms Violin Concerto
20.Beethoven Violin concerto
21.Hayden, Any String Quartet
22.March Slave
23.Pictures at an exhibition
24.Overture to Egmont
25.Grieg , Piano Concerto and Peer Gynt

For the uniniitated it is better to start with collections and get to taste good works of many composers.

I will add more to this list later.

Regards

Sanjay

For those rock lovers, Emersen lake and Palmer (Any ELP Fans ? ) has an excellent rendition of Pictures at an exhibition ..really good stuff.

Hi Guys !

From your recommendations I have been able to get:

1. Beethoven - Triple Concerto - H V Krajan
2. Brahms - Violin Concerto - Wilhelm Furtwangler
3. Richard Strauss - Four Last Songs - Lisa Della Casa
4. Schubert - Unfinished Symphony 8 - Anton Nanut

... am enjoying them these days.

I strongly recommend the following:

1. Johann Strauss II - The Ultimate Strauss Album -Wiener Philharmoniker by Willi Boskovsky (Decca)
2. Carl Orff - Carmina Burana - Cleveland Orchestra by Michael Tilson Thomas (CBS Records)

More later..

Sanjay

Hi SD
That is a nice list.The Brahms violin concerto is among my favs. Wilhelm Furtwangler is a conductor - an especially well regarded one, some consider him to be the 'greatest' etc. It would be nice to know who is the violinist in the performance. Whats the date of the recording? This record could be a rare find and I would like to hear more about the performance. I have not heard of Lisa Della Casa must find out more. Are the songs not exquisite, especially Malven?

Purnendu

Hi !

I recently bought an SACD of Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition & Night on the Bare Mountain. I was suprisingly thrilled at the composition, the use of low frequency sounds & at the quality of recording. Thank you for the recommendation. The conductor is Valery Gergiev with Wiener Philharmoniker on SACD by Phillips.

The Brahms Violin Concert is from EMI - Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler. The Violinist are Yehudi Menuhin & Willi Boskovsky and the cellist Emanuel Brabec. Recordings from 1940-1952 and 2 tracks in 1979.

Richard Strauss - Last Four Songs - but there is no "Malven". Lisa Della Casa sound very melodious.

I would like to add two more recommendations here:
1. Beethoven - 5th Symphony - Herber van Karajan - Berliner Philharmoniker - Deutsch Gramophone Recording
2. A compilation of 40 tracks on 2 CDs by EMI labelled - "The Best Classical Album in the World... Ever!" - very good introduction to western classical for beginners & collection of favorites for others.

Another great Classical album:

OST Love Story - score by Francis Lai and also one composition each of Mozart & Bach.

Great & emotionally evoking music.