Vinyl Hall of Fame

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Please list here your personal Top 10 (or 5 or 12, or however many) LPs in your collection. The ones you would save from the proverbial burning house, based on such criteria as unavailability in other formats, outstanding sound quality, impressive presentation, and any other factors that make an LP an object to cherish. (Box sets count.)

I'll get the ball rolling with my personal Top 10. An asterisk (*) means that is was never reissued on CD.

Pettersson, Symphony #8 (Baltimore SO/Commissiona, DG)*
Bach, the big Smithsonian box with the Brandenburgs, Partitas and Violin/Hpschd. Sonatas*
Glenn Gould, "Consort of Musicke" (Byrd/Gibbons, Columbia)
Mozart, The Last Six Symphonies (Columbia SO/Walter, Columbia)
Collegium Terpsichore, Dance Music of Praetorius' Time (Archiv)
Ives, 100th Anniversary Box (Columbia)*
Webern, Complete Works, Boulez et al. (Columbia)
Harris 3rd Sym. / Ives "Three Places in New England" (Philly Orch/Ormandy, RCA)*
Ockheghem, Requiem; Josquin Deploration (Pro Cantione Antiqua, Archiv)
Bach/Busoni, Chorale Prelude Arrangements (Paul Jacobs, Nonesuch)

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

There are some jazz and others, but as for classical:

Kodaly Sonata for unaccompanied cello, Op. 8, Janos Starker, vc--Period LP red label early 50s (first pressing)

Brahms Sonatas for violin and piano, Gioconda de Vito, vn; Edwin Fischer, pf--Angel early 50s, w/dowel

Brahms Concerto for violin and orchestra, Gioconda de Vito, vn, Rudolf Schwarz, cond, Philharmonia Orch--RCA LHMV, early 50s (never reissued on CD as far as I know. I have her recordings of this work with Furtwangler, and Jochum, but I much prefer the Schwarz)

Rameau harpsichord works, Anton Heiller--mid 50s Vanguard/Bach Society

Milhaud Creation du Monde, Charles Munch--early/mid 60s RCA LDS Living Stereo (Soria)

Jennie Tourel, A French-Italian program--Late 50s, Decca

Haydn, Clock and Surprise Symphonies, Monteux--early/mid 60s RCA LSC Living Stereo

Bach Suites for Solo Cello, Janos Starker, vc--early 50s Period 3 LP set (Better than his recordings on Mercury IMO)

Sibelius Violin Concerto, Lemminkainen, Camilla Wicks, vn, Sixten Ehrling cond--early 50s Capitol

Dinu Lipatti plays Bach Partita No 1, Mozart Sonata, etc--Columbia early 50s

Prokofieff sonatas Nos 1 and 2 for violin and piano--Joseph Szigeti and Leonid Hambro (?), early 50s Columbia LP

Music of Ancient Greece--80s Harmonia Mundi LP

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Mozart, The Last Six Symphonies (Columbia SO/Walter, Columbia)

An outstanding set, and I would grab mine as well, but more for the fact that inside I have a hand-written letter from Bruno Walter (addressed to an old friend who gave it to me).

[San Antone]

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

An outstanding set, and I would grab mine as well, but more for the fact that inside I have a hand-written letter from Bruno Walter (addressed to an old friend who gave it to me).

Wow, that's really something. My set, in addition to its general excellence as a recording & performance, has sentimental value, because it was one of the first serious classical recordings I bought, back in 1981 or so when I was in high school. I remember how cool I thought the six repeating portraits of WAM on the cover were. A couple years ago, after not listening to the set for decades, I Spin-Cleaned it and was stunned to discover that it sounded almost like new.

San Antone,

I'm curious about that recording of Mantra - I've got the Naxos version and like it, but am intrigued by the one you have. Are you able to compare it to any other recordings?

Also, I came close to listing some Bartok quartets, but in my case it's the Juilliard 1963.

[San Antone]

San Antone,

I'm curious about that recording of Mantra - I've got the Naxos version and like it, but am intrigued by the one you have. Are you able to compare it to any other recordings?

Also, I came close to listing some Bartok quartets, but in my case it's the Juilliard 1963.

Mantra is one of a few works by Stockhausen that I really like.  As far as I know the Kontarsky recording was the debut album (I also would have posted the Kontarsky Klavierstucke recording but couldn't find an image).  I have heard all the Mantra recordings I know of, including the Naxos one you mention.  The thing is, the newer recordings simulate the ring modulator and other electronics with software since Stockhausen's original technology has gone the way of the dodo.  The Kontarksy recording was overseen by Stockhausen with the original electronics.

There are better Bartok quartet recordings, but that Tokyo was my first on LP, and it still holds up, IMO.

[Irons]

What a lovely idea.

Not prepared to rush into this preferring to mull over each, and add as I go along. Number one is easy, I don't even have to think about it. Bach's violin sonata No.5 played by David Oistrakh and Lev Oberin. This recording is beyond music for me, the closest I get to a religious experience. I love Oistrakh but it is not him, it is the playing of Oborin which I find mesmerising and makes this recording great.

https://youtu.be/Jk5BZBlwGxU

[Biffo]

Here are the first thoughts, more may follow later -

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde - Klemperer/Ludwig/Wunderlich/Philharmonia - possibly my all time favourite LP but I wouldn't try and rescue it from a burning house, I have it on CD and it is still widely available

English String Music (RVW/Elgar) - Barbirolli/Sinfonia of London - possibly first equal with the Klemperer but again not to be rescued for same reasons.

Haydn: Seven Last Words - Marriner/ASMF - for some reason this never seems to have been reissued (unless I somehow missed it) - losing this LP would be a grievous loss

Shostakovich: The Execution of Stepan Razin/Symphony No 9 - Kondrashin/Moscow Philharmonic - it took me years to get my hands on this LP; available on CD but only as part of a box that always seems to be very expensive

[aukhawk]

Yes!  And I saw this live, performed by the Kontarskys with the composer in attendance.  It was, slightly strangely, the 'filler' in a concert of Indian classical music, the audience mostly bedecked in saris and burning incense sticks.  They (we) loved it!

+1 to that Shostakovich/Kondrashin LP as well, by the way.

[Irons]

Here are the first thoughts, more may follow later -

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde - Klemperer/Ludwig/Wunderlich/Philharmonia - possibly my all time favourite LP but I wouldn't try and rescue it from a burning house, I have it on CD and it is still widely available

English String Music (RVW/Elgar) - Barbirolli/Sinfonia of London - possibly first equal with the Klemperer but again not to be rescued for same reasons.

Haydn: Seven Last Words - Marriner/ASMF - for some reason this never seems to have been reissued (unless I somehow missed it) - losing this LP would be a grievous loss

Shostakovich: The Execution of Stepan Razin/Symphony No 9 - Kondrashin/Moscow Philharmonic - it took me years to get my hands on this LP; available on CD but only as part of a box that always seems to be very expensive

Like your choice!

I have decided not to go for the best or rarest but recordings that for one reason or another I have an attachment to. All have been on my shelves a long time.

In no particular order after the Bach violin sonata above.

Vaughan Williams: 5th Symphony, Previn and LSO.

Schubert: Piano Sonata D.960, Annie Fischer. (I can think of at least five recordings of this stupendous work I would be equally happy with).

Stravinsky: Symphony in 3 Movements. Ansermet, Suisse Romande.

Fauré: Piano Trio. Eymar, Kehr & Braunholz.

Finzi: Dies Natalis. Christopher Finzi, English Chamber Orchestra.

Ravel: Piano Concerto in G. Michelangeli with Ettore Gracis and Philharmonia.

Only three to go and as to yet no Elgar or string quartets.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Expanding on my list a bit, the box sets are examples of the vinyl era at its best. The complete Webern comes with an extensive booklet including a long article by the composer Humphrey Searle, who studied with Webern. The big Bach box features extensive essays and photos, and a complete, 72-page reproduction of the original score of the Partitas. The Ives box has some great illustrations in addition to documentation.

I think Sony's current reissue of the Webern has no notes at all, which is characteristic of these cheapo boxes.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Expanding on my list a bit, the box sets are examples of the vinyl era at its best. The complete Webern comes with an extensive booklet including a long article by the composer Humphrey Searle, who studied with Webern. The big Bach box features extensive essays and photos, and a complete, 72-page reproduction of the original score of the Partitas. The Ives box has some great illustrations in addition to documentation.

I think Sony's current reissue of the Webern has no notes at all, which is characteristic of these cheapo boxes.

The cheapo boxes sound fine, and I never have any trouble locating all the notes I could ever want after 10 seconds on google.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

The cheapo boxes sound fine, and I never have any trouble locating all the notes I could ever want after 10 seconds on google.

That's nice, but the cheapo box has a boring picture of the composer on the cover, rather than the Kandinsky painting that's on the LP box. Also, I searched Google for Humphrey Searle's essay on Webern and didn't find it. Point being, the LP box is an object with its own particular charms which don't carry over to the CD issues.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

That's nice, but the cheapo box has a boring picture of the composer on the cover, rather than the Kandinsky painting that's on the LP box. Also, I searched Google for Humphrey Searle's essay on Webern and didn't find it. Point being, the LP box is an object with its own particular charms which don't carry over to the CD issues.

That's right. I got the complete Karajan Ring LP box set for $1.99 (if memory serves) just to look at the pictures while listening to the CD set. Didn't have a turntable at the time.

I'd nominate these LPs

[aukhawk]

Nicholas Danby, organ (side 1) and pedal harpsichord (side 2), rec 1968, Oryx label.
1 Prelude & Fugue In E Flat, BWV 552
Variations On O Gott Du Frommer Gott, BWV 767
2 Passacaglia & Fugue In C, BWV 582
Trio Sonata IV In E, BWV 528

The passacaglia is daringly slow, the sustain on the pedal notes immense.  It's on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18cEtJ24vpk

[PerfectWagnerite]

I have always love  these:



Also Haitink's very early recording of Dvorak's 7th Symphony:


Somehow the CD incarnation doesn't sound as visceral, almost couldn't believe it is the the same recording.

[Elk]

There is only one set that pops into mind when I imagine having to lose it, since it is OOP. Most other recordings I can replace fairly easily.

Franck's Organ music played by Torvald Toren, Lyricon LRC 2-5 (Proprius PROP 7842-45). I have never heard performances to equal it, and the sound is in the demonstration class.

[Sergeant Rock]

[San Antone]

I could (and probably should) have included the Berio/Berberian record, but mine had a different cover:

[Sergeant Rock]

I own those two also 

Sarge