Nice classical pieces

[Mackie 0]

Does this belong here??

 

Maksim - The Flight of the bumble bee

 

His is more like classical pop, something like vanessa mae. Quite nice.

Maksim

"Flight of the Bumble Bee" was composed by Rimsky-Korsakov.

[cmk 0]

BTW, I guess u should have some versions of the New World Sym already, right? Is so u may not need the get the one I recommended.

 

Are u Anne Sophie fan? She, by now, IMO is a fantastic and wonderful voilinist of our time, and getting prettier some more (or the DG photographers have done a wonderful job). I quite admire her that she managed to push through with 2 very young kids when her husband died (fairly young then). No wonder at a point of time she was wearing black in her CD cover photo. Now she is married to Andre Pelvin, a surprise to me actually. Have u try her violin recording on contemporary Classics? If u can take those 'melodiless' thing do try her recordings, to me is fantastic and those are actually her works that brought my attention back to her again, after I was kind of disappointed on her Beethoven with Karajan when she was about 18.But now listen again her that version of Beethoven was quite well recorded, with Karajan, IMO a very good accompany conductor for soloist, and in that recording her violin sounded very airy.

 

Since u need specific details, I will slowly dig out my Classical collections and give u the CD title and cat number.

 

I used to play violin so I am more into violin pieces than piano. My favourate voilinists are: Anne Sophie, Heifetz, Ferras, Arthur Grumiaux, David Oistrakh, Isaac Stern, Nathan Mustein, Takako Nishizaki (specifically for her butterfly lover). Actually Vanessa Mae is very good after listening to her Beethoven (I have about 80+ versions of Beethoven) but she is not into serious classics so do not have her recordings.

 

Pianists my favourates are: Pollini, Ashkenazy, Argerich, Alfred Brendel, Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Ritcher, Wilhem Keff.

 

Worth to mention are also my favourate cellists: Jacqueline Du Pre, Janos Starker, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pierre Fournier, not really a fan of Yo-yo Ma but he is definitely very good.

 

Cheers!

Dvorak's New World, I haven't collected any yet. Somehow couldn't quite appreciate it, maybe I haven't reached that nice part yet Any good one to recommend?

 

Anne Sophie Mutter - well, I won't go so far as to say I'm a fan, but I do appreciate some of her better performances, notably her early Mendelsohn violin concerto performance with Karajan, which basically launched her career. I tried one of her recent DG SACD of Beethoven's violin sonata 9, but felt it was generally not well accompanied. Mmm...you sound like you're a fan.

 

For me, Heifetz is still the best violinist. The performances are striking in their artistry, speed, virtuoso. I particularly like his Bruch VC and Scottish Fantasy. I also have LP collection of some of his performances, incl Beethoven Violin Sonata 9 Krutzer (one of the best IMO). Mmm...no Itzak Pearlman?

 

BTW, I learned the piano.

 

Here are some favourites :

 

Emil Gilels Eroica Variations

 

Glenn Gould Goldberg Variations

[cmk 0]

To the others reading this thread, I hope I'm not scaring you guys/gals into thinking that the music suggested above is heavy/difficult to appreciate. These are actually maybe a little more than easy listening, but they are very well played virtuoso performances of these pieces. You could easily pick up any of these CDs and start appreciating classical music.

[fuwen 0]

Hi! cmk, I am getting to understand your music preference.

 

Quite surprise u do not quite like Dvorak. His things are quite easy to understand and with nice melodies especially those composed when he was in America. Must listen ones include Sym no. 9, American quartet and Cello concerto. Let me know if u are keen and I can recommend some good recordings.

 

Heifetz is one of my favourate violist. In particular I like his Scottish Fantasy and Beethoven Violin Concerto ( I have the RCA, BMG and the XRCD24 versions). But his Beethoven violin concerto tempo is very fast and some may not be able to take it. Personally I like his Beethoven Concerto very much. His Beethoven Concerto is the fastest in all my collections and the slowest one is that by Anne Sophie Mutter recoreded recently.

 

Here are some of my recommendations see if u already have them:

 

Beethoven 9 Symphonies Karajan/Berlin 1960s recordings DG 463 088-2 (5 CDs version) DG 474 600-2 (6 SACDs version) IMO recording not the best but listen to the performance of Karajan/Berlin in their prime time, u can feel the energy and the force.

 

As I said before, grab anything by Carlos Kleiber

 

Dvorak Piano Concerto Sviatoslav Ritcher/Carlos Kleiber EMI Classics 5 668952

Schubert Symphonies 3 and 8 Carlos Kleiber/Wiener DG 449 745-2

 

Tschaikorvsky Sym no. 6 Karajan/Berlin 1977 recordings DG 419 486-2

Karajan/Wiener 1985 recordings DG 439 020-2

You will be moved by the 2nd theme of the 1st movement. If u get the Sony DVD u will probably be moved also.

 

Sibelius Violin Concerto Christian Ferras/Karajan DG 419 871-2

 

Will try to recomend some piano works as you play piano but I have to admit piano not my area.

 

Actually looking at Glenn Gould stuff lately but have not buy any. Is he good?

Edited April 16, 2004 by fuwen

[chaccone 0]

no one mentioned about Dvorak's 7th or 8th symphony. Rather under-rated compared to his 9th.

 

Barber's adagio is also another piece that sounds heavenly.

[fuwen 0]

Mackie mentioned about Mahler, wow! Not something easy to understand and his recordings are normally very long (2 CDs) and with vocals.

 

cmk, u can try the Mahler Symphony no.6, actually the most 'çonvertional' of all Mahlers Symphonies. However it is named 'Tragic' so be emotionally prepared. Commended by critics the most Tragic/sad Symphonies ever written.

 

The Telarc version 3CD-80586 is interesting, comes in CD and SACD version. With the price of 1 CD/SACD u get 3 CDs/SACDs with the conductor Benjamin Zander described in detailed about the works and the way he interpreted and conducted the work. The orchestra was Philharmonia. The recording and performance actually IMO not very good but from this CD set u can learn a lot about Mahler and his Sym 6. This symphony has conventional 4 movements (very unconvertional for Mahler actually) and there are 2 versions where 1 perform the 2nd movement before the 3rd and the other version the 3rd before the 2nd. Not a problem for mordern CD player as you can program the playing sequence. Also in this CD set 2 versions of the last movement are included. It was said that the original last movement with 3 hammer blows was so tragic that Mahler when first conducted it decided to change to another version without the 3 Hammer blows.

 

I also got a Karajan/Berlin version DG 457 716-2. Karajan used the original 3 hammer blows version. It is very sad, the 3 blows refering to the death of Mahler's daughter, his removal from a post, and the discovery of his fatal sickness.

 

A bit strange and errie for this symphony, is that, Mahler actully composed it during his happiest time, way before the happening of the 3 incidences, so is he able to crystal ball his future fate?..........

Edited April 16, 2004 by fuwen

[Rameish 0]

Hmm

 

Franz Schubert - Death and the maiden - Brandis-Quartett, Berlin

 

Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade; Borodin Polovtsian Dances (from Prince Igor) - try the Decca recordings

 

Rachmaninov: Music for 2 painos (Vladimir Askenazy and André Previn) (Decca)

 

 

BTW, CMK, is your Goldberg Variations BMV 988 (Glen Gould Edition) the historic 19555 debut recording? Mine has a mich younger man on the cover - ie from the 1955 recording.

[Rameish 0]

Oh how could I forget Martha Argerich's famous Rachmaninoff 3 (philips classics)

[fuwen 0]

Hi! Rameish, how u find Glenn Gould interpretation?

[cmk 0]

Hi Fuwen

 

I do like Dvorak, just not very familar with all his pieces, still picking up here and there. I have 2 versions of his VC - Sarah Chang and Christian something, both very nice. The sym9 will look to getting at least one version. Pls recommend some some good recordings/performances of those pieces.

 

Will look out for those symphonic pieces you recommended :

"Dvorak Piano Concerto Sviatoslav Ritcher/Carlos Kleiber EMI Classics 5 668952

Schubert Symphonies 3 and 8 Carlos Kleiber/Wiener DG 449 745-2

 

Tschaikorvsky Sym no. 6 Karajan/Berlin 1977 recordings DG 419 486-2

Karajan/Wiener 1985 recordings DG 439 020-2

 

Sibelius Violin Concerto Christian Ferras/Karajan DG 419 871-2"

 

Glenn Gould on Goldberg is very good. He actually hums to himself in the background, making it appear that it is a live performance. He actually recorded these pieces twice - 1955 and the 1981. The later recording is "slower" and I felt more insightful. Even though "slower" it is still very quick for any pianist. I have both though. BTW there is a normal CD and SACD version of the 1981 recording.

 

Mahler? - I always thought this to be too difficult to appreciate. I'll pick up those you recommended first before going on to his works.

[Mackie 0]

It would be wise to pick up some of Mahler's songs (compositions with vocal) before embarking on a journey of his symphonic works - infamous for their length. I seemed to recall a joke that says one can fly from US to London in the beginning of the first movement, have tea and back to find the 4th movement still playing!

 

For a much lighter palate, I appreciate works by Geroge Philipp Telemann albeit not as famous as the other Baroque composers.

 

http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/telemann.html

Edited April 16, 2004 by Mackie

[cmk 0]

Here is something I really like :

 

 

Composers: Bach

Title: Orchestral Suites 1-4

Artists: Neville Marriner, The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields

International release date: February 1991

Catalogue number: 430378

Label: Decca

 

In particular, listen to :

Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067 : 7. Badinerie (01:27)

Suite No. 3 in D, BWV 1068 : 2. Air (03:41)

 

[Rameish 0]

Fuwen,

 

I have only heard the Glen Gould 1955 recording - that why I was asking CMK if his was the same.

 

For those who are reading this thread and wondering what the hell are the Goldberg variations, here's the story behind the poor 15 year old Goldberg:

 

Count Hermann Carl von Keyserlingk of Dresden, who frequently visited Bach in Leipzig for lessons in composition: apparently not a healthy man, the Count had trouble sleeping, and often asked his private harpsichordist, the 15-year old prodigy Johann Gottlieb (Theophil) Goldberg (1727-1756), to serenade him in the next room to help him fall asleep. During one visit in 1742, the Count requested Bach to compose some pieces "of a quiet and somewhat cheerful (sanften und etwas muntern) character" for this use, and Bach brought forth the Aria mit dreißig Veränderungen ("Aria with 30 variations", BWV 988) that have carried Goldberg's name into posterity. The Count, overwhelmed by the magnificence of the work, had Goldberg play them night after night. So impressed and delighted was he that he rewarded Bach with a golden goblet filled with 100 Louis d'Or.

 

Isn't it a wonder that the count's poor harpsichordist only lived till the age of 29!!!

Edited April 16, 2004 by Rameish

[cmk 0]

Rameish,

touching story. He died of boredom?

 

Mine is the 1981 version.

[Rameish 0]

Probably went mad playing it again and again so often that he couldn't get the tune out of his head