Most Important Recordings in Classical Music

[Renfield]

Hmm... As a sketchy list:

1) Toscanini's 1939 Beethoven symphony cycle, with the NBC Symphony Orchestra
2) Furtwängler's 1951 recording of Beethoven's 9th at Bayreuth
2) Bernstein's 1960's Mahler symphony cycle, with the New York Philharmonic
3) Kondrashin's Shostakovich symphony cycle, with the Moscow Philharmonic
4) Karajan's Bruckner symphony cycle, with the Berlin Philharmonic


Notice how I restrict myself only to orchestral recordings: because if I included instrumental, it would be a fine mess of a list, and definitely longer than five entries - I've cheated as it is already, with all those symphony cycles.

But more seriously, I think all of the above did something that changed the general perception of a composer's music, or a style of performance, or both. And of course the Furtwängler Beethoven 9th at Bayreuth influenced the size of the compact disc, as well!

[FideLeo]

If any of you have not and have the time, I would like to know what makes some of your pick important.  If they are histoically important, why?  Was it the first complete cycle?  Was it the first stereo recording? etc.

The "Potted" Ring dates from 1927-32 and (arguably) records the last of great Wagner singers who had firsthand contact with late 19th-century styles of performing this music.

[marvinbrown]

The "Potted" Ring dates from 1927-32 and (arguably) records the last of great Wagner singers who had firsthand contact with late 19th-century styles of performing this music.

  hmmm.....It's INCOMPLETE !!  Thanks but no thanks I think I'll pass on this one!

 
  marvin
 

[FideLeo]

  hmmm.....It's INCOMPLETE !!  Thanks but no thanks I think I'll pass on this one!

 
  marvin
 

Incomplete but INCOMPARABLE.   Have it your way. 

FL (Who's tired of slam-bang style Wagner in general)

[(poco) Sforzando]

  hmmm.....It's INCOMPLETE !!  Thanks but no thanks I think I'll pass on this one!

 
  marvin
 

Don't! For once I am in absolute agreement with our resident HIPster. The Potted Ring is an incredible historical document of a style of Wagnerian performance that is sadly lacking in these fatted James Levine days. With singers like Frieda Leider, Lauritz Melchior, and Friedrich Schorr, and conductors like Albert Coates and Leo Blech, it deserves to be approached in the same spirit as one would the ruins of ancient Rome - as something incomplete but irreplaceably valuable. Just put on Melchior's Forging Song, ignore the dim and noisy sound, and tell me if you can find anything remotely comparable in modern performances.

http://www.allclassics.org/music/recs/reviews/p/prl09137a.html

[marvinbrown]

Don't! For once I am in absolute agreement with our resident HIPster. The Potted Ring is an incredible historical document of a style of Wagnerian performance that is sadly lacking in these fatted James Levine days. With singers like Frieda Leider, Lauritz Melchior, and Friedrich Schorr, and conductors like Albert Coates and Leo Blech, it deserves to be approached in the same spirit as one would the ruins of ancient Rome - as something incomplete but irreplaceably valuable. Just put on Melchior's Forging Song, ignore the dim and noisy sound, and tell me if you can find anything remotely comparable in modern performances.

http://www.allclassics.org/music/recs/reviews/p/prl09137a.html

  Perhaps I misjudged it or rushed to a incorrect conclusion!  Fair enough I'll have to sample it in the near future to see what the fuss is all about.  Quick question though if you and FL have an answer to it- why isn't it complete??

 

[(poco) Sforzando]

  Perhaps I misjudged it or rushed to a incorrect conclusion!  Fair enough I'll have to sample it in the near future to see what the fuss is all about.  Quick question though if you and FL have an answer to it- why isn't it complete??

 

FL can chime in as well (using his HIP chime), but OTTOMH I would say the reasons could include:
- Routine cuts were more commonly made in Wagnerian performance at that time
- A complete Wagnerian opera would have required some 3000 78 sides, which you would need a small mansion to store, and therefore small excerpts would have been more manageable to record.
- These excerpts were not intended as complete recordings, but are rather an anthology of what was recorded during the period, with multiple conductors and soloists; therefore the most popular music from the Ring was included, and other parts left out.

[marvinbrown]

FL can chime in as well (using his HIP chime), but OTTOMH I would say the reasons could include:
- Routine cuts were more commonly made in Wagnerian performance at that time
- A complete Wagnerian opera would have required some 3000 78 sides, which you would need a small mansion to store, and therefore small excerpts would have been more manageable to record.
- These excerpts were not intended as complete recordings, but are rather an anthology of what was recorded during the period, with multiple conductors and soloists; therefore the most popular music from the Ring was included, and other parts left out.

  Thank You.

  marvin

[Haffner]

  Thank You.

  marvin

You've got me interested as well. Very.

[FredT]

I'd have to say that the most important classical recordings came from 2 sources: Arthur Fiedler and Toscanini. No one introduced more people to the classics, albeit mostly light classics like Fiedler and the Boston Pops. Fiedler's performances were always meticulously prepared and his discs were brilliant in their programming. The Boston Pops under Fiedler were household names and a symbol of quality.

Toscanini's Beethoven Cycle from the 50's was a set that EVERYONE had to have. Again, Toscanini was a brand like Coca Cola and his Beethoven was the gold standard. Houses that were not classical music in orientation did have Toscanini's Beethoven and several Boston Pops discs.

[Keemun]

In no particular order:

1.  Furtwangler's Beethoven-Symphony No. 9 (Bayreuth , 1951)
2.  Karajan's Beethoven-Complete Symphonies (1960s)
3.  Casals' Bach-Cello Suites

[Bogey]

In no particular order:

1.  Furtwangler's Beethoven-Symphony No. 9 (Bayreuth , 1951)
2.  Karajan's Beethoven-Complete Symphonies (1960s)
3.  Casals' Bach-Cello Suites

Karajan's Beethoven-Complete Symphonies (1960s)

Probably my favorite cycle that I have heard.  Besides many enjoying them (some do not, but it seems many do) what makes them so important as they have been mentioned already?

[canninator]

Just wanted your opinion on what you think are the four or five most "important" recordings in classical music. Not necessarily your favorites, but ones you consider landmark recordings that everyone, new or old to this genre should know about.  Thanks!

Antonio de Cabezón: Glosados, Diferencias, Tientos (Trio Unda Maris) on La mà de guido 2014. Cabezón was a pioneer in the field of variation, a musical staple ever since.

Léonin & Pérotin: Sacred Music from Notre-Dame Cathedral (Tonus Peregrinus). Early polyphony.

Wagner: Tristan and Isolde. I like the Karajan. The beginning of the end of conventional tonal harmony.

Monteverdi. L'Orfeo. No preference on recording as I'm not a big fan. The advent of musical drama.

[Tsaraslondon]

Verdi La Traviata (Solti,Gheorghiu)

In what ways is this recording 'important'? Gheorghiu is certainly one of the best Violettas on disc, but Solti's  leaden conducting, Nucci's wooden Germont and Lopardo's lightweight Alfredo put it out of court as a top recommendation. Furthermore there had been many other fine recordings of the work before its release, some more complete than this one. It may well be your favourite recording of the work (nothing wrong with that), but important? I think not.

[Daverz]

[Haffner]

In what ways is this recording 'important'? Gheorghiu is certainly one of the best Violettas on disc, but Solti's  leaden conducting, Nucci's wooden Germont and Lopardo's lightweight Alfredo put it out of court as a top recommendation. Furthermore there had been many other fine recordings of the work before its release, some more complete than this one. It may well be your favourite recording of the work (nothing wrong with that), but important? I think not.

You guessed it. It's more my favorite. I boo-booed and I apologize.

[Anne]

  Anne which CD recording of Tristan und Isolde do you consider "most important"- Bohm, Furtwangler or other?

  marvin

I like Furtwangler best.  Before I got the Furtwangler, I liked Bohm the best.  Furtwangler was the best or at least one of the best Wagnerian conductors.  Listen to the love duet in the second act.  He is pushing those singers and, as a result, the orchestra is unbelievable and the singing is without a doubt a true love fest.  Once you've heard it, other conductors don't shine quite as brightly.

I think he brings out Wagner's true intent regarding lovemaking.  The opera becomes exciting for the listener and it sets up Act 3 as such a "downer".  Isolde's final music in Act 3 is so gorgeous and benefits from the love duet excitement, then depression for Tristan's death. 

[PSmith08]

  Perhaps I misjudged it or rushed to a incorrect conclusion!  Fair enough I'll have to sample it in the near future to see what the fuss is all about.  Quick question though if you and FL have an answer to it- why isn't it complete??

There's no "perhaps" about it. Any of the 1920s-1930s Wagnerian discography is worthy of serious examination. The Melchior Siegfried excerpts, either on this set or elsewhere, for example, prove that there was once an all-round Heldentenor who could both hit the notes and act for beans. If you're confining yourself to Georg Solti's set as the gold-standard of Wagnerian singing, then you might as well be living in Plato's cave. I can go on, but let it suffice to say that Wagnerian singing of the 1920s and 1930s was as good as it will ever get. Heck, either Melchior or Schorr sets the standard for his respective fach to this day.

Most important recordings?

Klemperer's Mahler 2nd
Mitropoulos' Mahler 6th (WDR)
Knappertsbusch's 1962 Parsifal
Karajan's 1970 Meistersinger
Peter Serkin's Beethoven sonatas 27-32
Wilhelm Backhaus' Beethoven sonata set
Glenn Gould's '55 and '81 Goldberg recordings

Beyond that, too many to count.

[FideLeo]

Peter Serkin's Beethoven sonatas 27-32

Yup. One listen and I was hooked.  First 30-32 and now (upon its first CD release) 27-29, especially 29.

[The new erato]

Yup. One listen and I was hooked.  First 30-32 and now (upon its first CD release) 27-29, especially 29.

Pro Arte/Vox or Sony?