Classical Music: Your "Must Have" List

[AlieSmith]

I prefer french composers. My favorite compositions are Gabriel Fauré’s “Après un reve” and “Pavane” and Claude Debussy’s “Claire de Lune”. Luckily I've found them all on one cd at eclassical.com recently. The record calls "Pavane" and there are also works of Richard Dubugnon and Maurice Ravel.

[John K.]

Carmina Burana's popularity hasn't led to a recognition that Orff actually composed it as part of a Trilogy, with Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite being the other two. So, it's pretty rare to have all three included in a set. This one has a performance of Carmina Burana that's as exciting as any of the 20 or so I've heard, with excellent sound quality. Catulli and Trionfo probably don't have quite the same overall level of interest, but their inclusion is a very substantial bonus. Available from Amazon sellers from about $8 for the 2-disc set.

[pglbook]

I just started getting into classical music and lately have been listening a lot to Mozart's symphonies. Karl Bohm conducting the Berlin Philarmoniker. Fantastic.

[John K.]

Shostakovich composed his great 10th Symphony in 1953 following the death of the leading classical music critic in the U.S.S.R., one J.Stalin, whose scathing "reviews" of some of his work had made life dangerous for him. It's been said that the symphony is a commemoration of that event and that in particular the violent second movement paints a musical picture of Stalin's murderous activities.

This is generally viewed as his greatest symphony and belongs in every collection. A very exciting performance, especially of the second movement, and in notably fine sound quality is available here from various Amazon sellers for about $5 up.

[John K.]

The music Berlioz composed marked a decided change in the sound of classical music compared to his predecessors. His Symphonie Fantastique is the most often recorded, and should be included in every collection, but his exciting and beautiful Harold in Italy, featuring the viola prominently, has similar attractions. Of the dozen or so of its recordings which I've heard, I suggest the thrilling reading Charles Munch gave with the Boston Symphony. This is one of the "Living Stereo" series which was selected for remastering for SACD and the hybrid disc also includes an excellent CD layer. High-powered readings of four Berlioz overtures are also included, making for a great overall Berlioz collection. Available here from several Amazon sellers at bargain prices for music of this quality.

[zingo]

Holst "The Planets"

[Mikey081057]

Holst "The Planets"

+1 on SACD

[racingkaherva]

I'll go with more recent stuff, just for the sake of it:

Arvo part: Table Rasa (ECM)
Stravinksy: Rite of Spring (I'm a fan of the Gergiev recording.)
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra (Reiner conducting Chicago)
Gorecki: Symphony 3 (with Dawn Upshaw)
Webern: Passacaglia / Schoenberg: Variations op. 31 / Berg: 3 Pieces from the "Lyric Suite"; 3 Pieces for Orchestra op. 6 (with Karajan conducting)