Your Favourite Purchases of 2019

[vandermolen]

Very much support those Lyrita choices in the above post plus the Heino Eller CD which I should have added to my own list.

[aukhawk]

Yes I could have included this one in my own list upthread:


Rubbra, Symphonies 3 & 4 : Del Mar

[Maestro267]

Been waiting for this thread to show up!

Some of my favourite purchases of 2019, starting first with boxsets:

Tippett: Complete Symphonies (3cd)
Bournemouth SO/Hickox

Poulenc: Assorted works, including concertos, Gloria, Stabat mater etc. (5cd)
Dutoit et. al.

British Piano Concertos (4cd)

Martinu: Complete Symphonies (3cd)
Bamberg SO/N. Järvi

2. Some operas:

Britten: Peter Grimes
London SO/Colin Davis

Wagner: Parsifal
Knappertsbusch

Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
Thielemann



3. And some single/double CDs:

Schnittke: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2; Concerto Grosso No. 2
Ivashkin et. al./Polyansky conducting

Popov: Symphony No. 1
London SO/Botstein

Arthur Butterworth: Symphony No. 4/Viola Concerto
RSNO/Butterworth

[Symphonic Addict]

Other CDs I enjoyed largely:







For the SQ 4 Amazing Grace

[T. D.]

...

For the SQ 4 Amazing Grace

I picked up the 3 Ben Johnston / Kepler Qt. discs this year and consider them 2019 favorites.

[San Antone]

This Milhaud set of the string quartets is fantastic, and an almost mandatory acquisition, IMO.  Your other purchases are not my cup of tea, especially the Ben Johnston, which I find to be very ugly music.

[André]

This Milhaud set of the string quartets is fantastic, and an almost mandatory acquisition, IMO.  Your other purchases are not my cup of tea, especially the Ben Johnston, which I find to be very ugly music.

+ 1 for the Milhaud set.

As for 'very ugly music', this can certainly be said of Pettersson's sonatas for two violins. And yet, they wield a certain unhealthy fascination...

[Symphonic Addict]

I picked up the 3 Ben Johnston / Kepler Qt. discs this year and consider them 2019 favorites.

I yet have to hear most of those quartets, certainly they're good, albeit not for all listeners.

[Symphonic Addict]

This Milhaud set of the string quartets is fantastic, and an almost mandatory acquisition, IMO.  Your other purchases are not my cup of tea, especially the Ben Johnston, which I find to be very ugly music.

Oh yes, Milhaud's SQs meant hours and hours of guaranteed enjoyment. A desert-island set.

As for the Johnston, his SQ 4 is the antithesis of ugliness!! Seriously speaking, it's one of the most uplifting and mercilessly gorgeous chamber works I know, in just 11 minutes. Sheer bliss. The others may be more difficult to grasp, though.

[Symphonic Addict]

+ 1 for the Milhaud set.

As for 'very ugly music', this can certainly be said of Pettersson's sonatas for two violins. And yet, they wield a certain unhealthy fascination...

That is one of the features I find intriguing on those works indeed.

[Mirror Image]

I'll add this 2-CD set to my favorite purchases of 2019:

[T. D.]

I yet have to hear most of those [Ben Johnston] quartets, certainly they're good, albeit not for all listeners.

True, especially some of the early ones that are written in a serial style. The disc you purchased is my favorite of the three.

[Maestro267]

Not the point of this thread, I know, but I have to point it out...that Pettersson disc...what utterly abysmal text placement and colouring! I can hardly read it!

[San Antone]

Oh yes, Milhaud's SQs meant hours and hours of guaranteed enjoyment. A desert-island set.

As for the Johnston, his SQ 4 is the antithesis of ugliness!! Seriously speaking, it's one of the most uplifting and mercilessly gorgeous chamber works I know, in just 11 minutes. Sheer bliss. The others may be more difficult to grasp, though.

The ones I was referring to are his microtonal works; they just sound like out of tune strings, long held notes - it just grates against my nerves and I can't listen to it.

But of course, it's all relative and subjective how we react to music.  So, if it is your cup of tea - enjoy!

EDIT: After listening to SQ4, I can agree that it is not like the music I had heard before.  I also sampled #3 and #9 - the former I can listen to, but the latter is not for me.

[vers la flamme]

This year was the first in my life in which I've taken a serious interest in classical music, so I bought tons of stuff, much of it core-library type acquisitions. I'll post just a few of my favorites here:









^Best $0.99 I ever spent



^The beginning of a major fascination



^Changed the way I view Brahms, now a favorite composer



^The first box set I ever bought, back in March. Still a favorite.





^An all-around amazing CD. Paid about $5 for it brand new.

That's it off the top of my head... I think I spent close to $1000 on CDs this year 

[Harry]

Would like to add a few more.

Liadov because his music is wonderful and deserves a place in everyone's collection.
The MDG CD with music by John Bull, is an amazing miracle, first because of the music, and secondly of all the gorgeous instruments used, amongst the Hans Scherer organ in Tangermunde, and an Anonymous organ  (c.1425) St. Andreas kirche, Soest-Ostonnen, and many more.

[Introverted]

1. Bruckner Symphonies performed by the VPO (Aust. Eloquence):

[asin]B07W6CDJH8[/asin]

2. Philip Glass Compilation (Nonesuch)

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The 2 Best things I purchased this year...

[Roasted Swan]

This year was the first in my life in which I've taken a serious interest in classical music, so I bought tons of stuff, much of it core-library type acquisitions. I'll post just a few of my favorites here:









^Best $0.99 I ever spent



^The beginning of a major fascination



^Changed the way I view Brahms, now a favorite composer



^The first box set I ever bought, back in March. Still a favorite.





^An all-around amazing CD. Paid about $5 for it brand new.

That's it off the top of my head... I think I spent close to $1000 on CDs this year 

So much good stuff there and in great performances.  Happy listening ...... a word of warning .... the next $1000 is easily spent too!!

[kyjo]

Physical CD purchases:

I also bought that Nat set this year based on GMG recommendations, but I've had Nat's Beethoven on my want list for years.  Irresistible at this price.  However, I suspect some listeners may find Nat straightforward to the point of brusqueness, and the transfer seems a bit overfiltered.

Another GMG recommendation:

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Thank you, whoever mentioned it.  I've been a fan of Merikanto's symphonies for years.  Piano Concerto No. 3 is particularly beautiful.

Sometimes a long desired out-of-print CD is offered for a reasonable price on Amazon, and that was the case when my favorite recording of the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas:


Bought at $13, but it's back up to $120 now.  AFAIK, this MHS CD was the only CD issue of a recording that was originally on a Crossroads LP.

Two symphonies by two wonderful British composers:

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Still the best recording of Ireland's delightful Piano Concerto, I think.

Purchased downloads


From prostudiomasters.com.  The latest remasters of these classic recordings.  I assume 1-3 were left out as they were only ever "red book" quality.  192 kHz sample rate is huge overkill, but the sonics are glorious, and the price is very reasonable.


Another 24-192 remaster of an old favorite.  A definite improvement over the CD issue.  The bass is firmer, the background quieter, and some of the tape noise has been reduced.


I had this 1966 Svetlanov recording on Angel/Melodiya and MHS LPs.  One of the best Soviet recordings of Symphony No. 10 and in good sound.  Melodiya issued it as digital only, and for a long time I could only find it offered as MP3s (e.g. Amazon and iTunes).  Finally found it on Qobuz as lossless files and used the purchase option.

https://open.qobuz.com/album/0888003493483

[asin]B07KBQMHSV[/asin]
Another GMG darling.  From the Chandos shop.

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From the Hyperion shop.  A logical and fascinating coupling.  Gebhardt's playing is fantastic.

Some great choices, Daverz! If I may add, I recommended the Merikanto disc (well, at least initially)

[kyjo]

For me, 2019 can just be summed by one word : Lyrita. My maiden foray into this label for their British composers has been immensely rewarding and enjoyable.

Favourites:

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[asin]B000S75CB2[/asin]
[asin]B073FD61S5[/asin]


Favourites on the way with works I already know and love :

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[asin]B000N8UVR6[/asin]


Non-Lyrita very special mentions :

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Indeed, Lyrita's catalogue is a treasure trove of forgotten but wonderful British music! Great choices.