favourite albums so far

[Henk]

I'm listening classical music for about two years now. This are my favourite pieces so far:

Beethoven - Symph. 9 (Haitink, LSO)
Ligeti - Works for piano (Aimard)
Prokofiev - The complete piano sonatas (Bronfman)
Schoenberg - String quartets (Arditti sq.)
Rihm - Jagden und Formen (Ensemble Modern)
Kapustin - Piano music (Hamelin)
Varese - The complete works (Chailly, RCO)
Chopin - Nocturnes (Ashkenazy)
Shostakovich - Symph. 4 (Jansons)
Bach - Goldberg variations (Gould)
Messiaen - Turangalila Symph. (Wit)
Kagel - Stucke der Windrose (De Leeuw, Schoenberg Ensemble)

Great list I think! :-)

Heared a lot other great pieces but I don't remember them and played them as often as these. I'm going on a holiday and I will take this music with me (with some Schubert, Mendelssohn, Sibelius and Villa-Lobos (as I'm going to Latin-America), to enjoy them and know them better.

Henk

[bhodges]

I'm listening classical music for about two years now. This are my favourite pieces so far:

Beethoven - Symph. 9 (Haitink, LSO)
Ligeti - Works for piano (Aimard)
Prokofiev - The complete piano sonatas (Bronfman)
Schoenberg - String quartets (Arditti sq.)
Rihm - Jagden und Formen (Ensemble Modern)
Kapustin - Piano music (Hamelin)
Varese - The complete works (Chailly, RCO)
Chopin - Nocturnes (Ashkenazy)
Shostakovich - Symph. 4 (Jansons)
Bach - Goldberg variations (Gould)
Messiaen - Turangalila Symph. (Wit)
Kagel - Stucke der Windrose (De Leeuw, Schoenberg Ensemble)

Great list I think! :-)

Heared a lot other great pieces but I don't remember them and played them as often as these. I'm going on a holiday and I will take this music with me (with some Schubert, Mendelssohn, Sibelius and Villa-Lobos (as I'm going to Latin-America), to enjoy them and know them better.

Henk

For just two years, that's a pretty diverse list!  I like seeing the Kagel and the Goldberg Variations in peaceful co-existence.  0:)

--Bruce

[Henk]

For just two years, that's a pretty diverse list!  I like seeing the Kagel and the Goldberg Variations in peaceful co-existence.  0:)

--Bruce

Thanks. I have a broad taste, I also like jazz very much and some pop music. But I already explored those areas enough and think that in the classical area there's finally more to explore.

Henk

[Bonehelm]

Very advanced and modernistic list, but I see you are lacking major late-romantic works there! Put some Wagner operas, Mahler symphonies and Strauss tone poems in and you're golden!

[Henk]

Very advanced and modernistic list, but I see you are lacking major late-romantic works there! Put some Wagner operas, Mahler symphonies and Strauss tone poems in and you're golden!

I don't really like them, but should give them another try.

Henk

[BachQ]

I'm listening classical music for about two years now. This are my favourite pieces so far:

Beethoven - Symph. 9 (Haitink, LSO)
Ligeti - Works for piano (Aimard)
Prokofiev - The complete piano sonatas (Bronfman)
Schoenberg - String quartets (Arditti sq.)
Rihm - Jagden und Formen (Ensemble Modern)
Kapustin - Piano music (Hamelin)
Varese - The complete works (Chailly, RCO)
Chopin - Nocturnes (Ashkenazy)
Shostakovich - Symph. 4 (Jansons)
Bach - Goldberg variations (Gould)
Messiaen - Turangalila Symph. (Wit)
Kagel - Stucke der Windrose (De Leeuw, Schoenberg Ensemble)

Great list I think! :-)

Heared a lot other great pieces but I don't remember them and played them as often as these. I'm going on a holiday and I will take this music with me (with some Schubert, Mendelssohn, Sibelius and Villa-Lobos (as I'm going to Latin-America), to enjoy them and know them better.

Henk

Henk, that's a fine list ....... might I suggest:

Mozart, Piano Concerto no. 20 in d minor
Brahms, Piano Concerto no. 1 in d minor

[Henk]

Henk, that's a fine list ....... might I suggest:

Mozart, Piano Concerto no. 20 in d minor
Brahms, Piano Concerto no. 1 in d minor

I haven't heard the Mozart, I will listen to it when I'm back. I know Brahm's PC 1, listened to it yesterday night (Rattle/Andsnes/Birmingham SO). I like it very much, but it has IMHO too much repetitions.

Besides, the jazz list is below. It's the result of 10 years listening. Maybe someone likes to see it.
Andrew Hill:
- Point of Departure
- Passing Ships
- Andrew!!!
- Time Lines
Available Jelly - Bilbao Song
Bill Evans trio - The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings
Brad Mehldau trio - Day is Done
Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots
Chris Potter Underground:
- Underground
- Follow the Red Line
Dave Holland quintet - Prime Directive
David S. Ware quartet - Live in the World
Jim Black's AlasNoAxis - Dogs of Great Indifference
John Coltrane - The John Coltrane Quartet Plays
Kenny Wheeler - Angel Song
Konitz/Swallow/Motian - Three Guys
Lane/Vandermark/Broo/Nilssen-Love - 4 Corners
Miles Davis:
- a Tribute to Jack Johnson
- E.S.P.
- Sorcerer
- Live around the World
Paul Motian Band - Garden of Eden
Paul Motian trio:
- Live in Tokio
- Trioism
William Parker - Sound Unity
William Parker and Leena Conquest - Raining on the moon
Wynton Marsalis:
- All Rise
- From the Plantation to the Penitentiary

I've left out heavy free stuff like Ornette Coleman and others, which I like but there's heavy free stuff in my list which I like more (David S. Ware, Lane, John Coltrane).

At last the pop list:
David Gilmour:
- David Gilmour
- About Face
- On an Island
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
the Pixies - Doolittle
Mark Knopfler - Kill to Get Crimson
Prince - 3121
Tom Waits - Mule Variations

[bhodges]

Henk, your jazz list is almost more impressive than your classical one!  Like seeing the Pixies mentioned, too... ...I have that CD.

--Bruce

[Henk]

Henk, your jazz list is almost more impressive than your classical one!  Like seeing the Pixies mentioned, too... ...I have that CD.

--Bruce

Thanks again, Bruce. I think my jazz list will not change a lot, I've explored jazz already much (besides to be released albums of course). The only complaint i can think of is that Thelonious Monk is lacking. It's a great pianist, but I don't know which album of his I should add.

Henk

[bhodges]

You might try Monk's Dream, or Underground, which I just bought a few weeks ago, but haven't really had time to sit down for a serious listen.



--Bruce

[Henk]

You might try Monk's Dream, or Underground, which I just bought a few weeks ago, but haven't really had time to sit down for a serious listen.



--Bruce

I have Monk's Dream. Very fine album. Monk has a very recognizable style, a bit simplistic but paradoxally also very sophisticated. Monk has made many good albums. I don't know Underground yet, but have seen that cover many times. I have to get it soon.

Henk

[Dana]

      Abandon the recordings right now! Get out there and see some live music! Although there are some terrific recordings that serve as historical reminders about what we strive for in music, music is meant to be experienced, not reviewed. Many people new to non-pop music make this mistake of immediately wondering "what's a great recording I can listen too," and thinking that this serves as a good substitute for the real thing. A person with your diverse tastes in music shouldn't find much difficulty in understanding this truth.

      Recordings are a great way to expose yourself to a variety of music for a relatively cheap price, but if you've never heard something live, you've never heard it at all (this is especially true of the Wagnerites, and post-romantics).

      With that said, I very much appreciate the Gould and Bronfman on your list Bronfman, in particular, is terrific with everything he tackles. You should hear him doing Brahms Haydn Variations with Emanuel Ax.

[gomro]

I'm listening classical music for about two years now. This are my favourite pieces so far:

Beethoven - Symph. 9 (Haitink, LSO)
Ligeti - Works for piano (Aimard)
Prokofiev - The complete piano sonatas (Bronfman)
Schoenberg - String quartets (Arditti sq.)
Rihm - Jagden und Formen (Ensemble Modern)
Kapustin - Piano music (Hamelin)
Varese - The complete works (Chailly, RCO)
Chopin - Nocturnes (Ashkenazy)
Shostakovich - Symph. 4 (Jansons)
Bach - Goldberg variations (Gould)
Messiaen - Turangalila Symph. (Wit)
Kagel - Stucke der Windrose (De Leeuw, Schoenberg Ensemble)

That looks as eclectic as my own collection!  More proof that the person who comes to classical music without prejudice will find the difficult "modern" music just as listenable or even more so than the "established classics." Get Wuorinen's Dante Trilogy on that list! It's very inexpensive and very beautiful.

[Josquin des Prez]

More proof that the person who comes to classical music without prejudice will find the difficult "modern" music just as listenable or even more so than the "established classics."

Unless that person wants to show how "unprejudiced" he/she is, a popular activity this days.

[Grazioso]

Thanks again, Bruce. I think my jazz list will not change a lot, I've explored jazz already much (besides to be released albums of course). The only complaint i can think of is that Thelonious Monk is lacking. It's a great pianist, but I don't know which album of his I should add.

Henk

Brilliant Corners

Monk's Music

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

[The new erato]

Unless that person wants to show how "unprejudiced" he/she is, a popular activity this days.

Seems to me that showing how prejudiced one is, also is a quite popular activity these days.....

[Henk]

      Abandon the recordings right now! Get out there and see some live music! Although there are some terrific recordings that serve as historical reminders about what we strive for in music, music is meant to be experienced, not reviewed. Many people new to non-pop music make this mistake of immediately wondering "what's a great recording I can listen too," and thinking that this serves as a good substitute for the real thing. A person with your diverse tastes in music shouldn't find much difficulty in understanding this truth.

      Recordings are a great way to expose yourself to a variety of music for a relatively cheap price, but if you've never heard something live, you've never heard it at all (this is especially true of the Wagnerites, and post-romantics).

      With that said, I very much appreciate the Gould and Bronfman on your list Bronfman, in particular, is terrific with everything he tackles. You should hear him doing Brahms Haydn Variations with Emanuel Ax.

Hi Dana, thanks for this elucidation, I think you're right. I ran a jazz venue with others for some years so I experienced a lot live concerts. I didn't attend much classical concerts, none since I seriously started listening to classical music, so I may catch up with that.

Henk

[Henk]

That looks as eclectic as my own collection!  More proof that the person who comes to classical music without prejudice will find the difficult "modern" music just as listenable or even more so than the "established classics." Get Wuorinen's Dante Trilogy on that list! It's very inexpensive and very beautiful.

Never heard of Wuorinen. I'll check out that record.

Henk