Nice classical pieces

[fuwen 0]

Fuwen, check out the Mozart Piano concerto #23 and #4. I have the complete Piano concertos by Ashkenazy. Last time we talked about #21. 23 is especially good.

Hi! cmk, did try out the #23. Do not find it fantastic listening the first time but after listening for few times quite like it. However I still prefer the #21.

[fuwen 0]

Shown here is the Bruckner Symphony No. 9 (unfinished)

 

The famous Zubin Mehta conducting Wiener Philharmoniker

 

Bruckner wrote a total of 9 symphonies. The no. 9 is the last one with only 3 movements. He did not managed to complete the finale.

 

Posting this not really to introduce Bruckner but to share that this series of DECCA Legends CDs the recordings are very good.

 

Not that easy to find but worth considering as both the performance and the recording are top class in a way.

[fuwen 0]

Was revisiting my Mahler and Shostakovich collection of symphonies lately. I mentioned about Mahler before but I think after listening to them this round I felt that although Mahler's stuff are by no means simple and easy to understand, they are actually not that difficult after all. He liked to integrate songs into his symphonies but in fact after his symphony no.4 most of them are pure music without vocal performance (the 5, 6, 7, 9 and the unfinished 10. 8 is the exception).

 

Here I would like to recommend the Mahler Symphony no. 1. Also is to recommend this series of 'Great Composers' budget recording by DECCA. You get the great performance of most of the important symphonies at very good price. I am not sure the availability of these at Towerrecords, HMV and etc but I bought all mine from Popular CD RAMA.

 

Notice out of the 15 Beethoven already occupied 4 (Symphony no. 3, 5, 6 and 9).

 

 

Edited July 26, 2004 by fuwen

[cmk 0]

This is strictly speaking not classical, but its extremely fun and well recorded :

 

 

Artist: Jacques Loussier Trio

Recording: The Best of Play Bach

Release# SACD-63590

 

Highly recommended!

[Mackie 0]

I bought one of their earlier recordings on Telarc. Jazz rendition of some Bach compositions.

[Charismatic 0]

Try this Italian composer - Luigi Boccherini(1743-1805)

 

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

[fuwen 0]

Was listening to this and find it easy to listen and recording was good.

 

Mozart's Haffner Serenade and Serenata Notturna from Telarc, one of the reputable label for classical recordings.

 

Written for small orchestra, the music is light and easy going.

 

The Haffner Serenade has many violin solo in many of the movements.

 

The Serenata Notturna is interesting as it is written for a string quartet (2 violins, viola and double bass) pitted against a small string orchestra with timpani. Very interesting insturment set up.

[fuwen 0]

Hi! My favourite CD for testing system. String sonatas by Rossini. Performed by the very good Academy of St Martin-in-the-fields and their resident conductor Neville Marriner.

 

A total of 6 string sonatas for 12 violins, and I believe 2 violas, 1 cello and 1 double bass. Written at the age of 12 and I am so surprise at what this young composer can do at that age! I like to use this for testing system as I can get violin, and especially cello and bass solos to check the system. Double bass had been given lots of solo part in the sonatas. These pieces are by no mean easy to play and need a first class ensemble to play them in the necessary precision.

 

Total of 2 XRCDs and also includes works from Donizetti, Cherubini and Bellini. Recording of the violins are a tad harsh, not typical of DECCA but probably due to the age of the recording (1964 - 1968). I have seen the normal CD version available.

[cmk 0]

This one is good too

 

 

GIOACHINO ROSSINI

(1792 – 1868)

Famous Overtures

Berühmte Ouvertüren

 

Academy of St Martin in the Fields

conducted by :

SIR NEVILLE MARRINER

[wma 0]

Hi Everyone, this is my fave classical piece..

Pachelbel's Canon in D

[bpribadi 0]

Another one from RCA:

 

The Ultimate Four Seasons

 

Good quality recording, clear with good detail.

Very nice variation of the original Four Seasons. Not all violins as the original versions, but there are guitars, mandolin, flute, etc.

[fuwen 0]

I play violin so am particularly interested in violin classical works. Of the violin concertos, it is generally accepted that the 4 great violin concertos are the one by Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn. Incidently all of the great four were in the key of D major with the exception of Mendelssohn one in the key of E minor. Also all of them only wrote 1 violin concerto in their life with the exception of Mendelssohn ( I think he wrote 2 ).

 

This particular album from DG 453 142-2 is a 2-CD album featuring all the 4 great violin concertos. Soloist is one of my favourite Nathan Milstein for the Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn. The Beethoven one was played by IMHO also very good Pinchas Zukerman.

[Charismatic 0]

Very vivid musical piece.

[fuwen 0]

Was listening to this and find it hard not to recommend. Heifetz is one of my favourite violinist. His is technically stunning and IMO very good. I felt that technicality is never a problem for him, and he could always play the same piece faster, or much faster than others. At least I can always feel that he is technicaly at ease whenever I am listening to his recording. The style may not be very refine by today standard, but that was the norm at the point of time. I feel that any violinists will be amazed by his playing.

 

For this album I like very much the Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch. Just feel how grand it is the master of violin entering the finale from the slow third movement!

 

BMG 09026 61745 2.

[fuwen 0]

I was listening to Lang Lang's piano performance recently and is now convinced that he is one of the very good pianist of the new generation. I actually concluded that based on this SACD album, his live performance at Carnegie Hall. In this live performance he played works by Schumann, Haydn, Schubert, Chopin, Listz, and a work by Tan Dun. Also he played a chinese piece 'Horses' with his father playing the Er Hu.

 

What is best you pay 1 SACD price for 2 SACDs.

 

DG 474 875-2

 

However DG's SACD recordings seem to carry out using 96kHz/24 bit PCM method, so probably not fully utilise the SACD DSD potential.