GMG Classical Music Forum

The Music Room => Classical Music for Beginners => Topic started by: Waitaminuet on March 30, 2013, 12:11:14 PM

Title: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: Waitaminuet on March 30, 2013, 12:11:14 PM
Hello

a classical music novice building-up a small collection of recordings of my favourite, at the moment, composers: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Rimsky-Korsakov.

I am aware that recommendations for recordings a purely subjective; but I would welcome recommendations for recordings of Beethoven's 3rd and 6th symphonies

Thanks
Title: Re: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: Holden on March 30, 2013, 01:18:57 PM
Welcome WaitaMinuet (love the handle) to GMG. Plenty of advice to sort through here so I'll go first.

My recommendations for the Eroica are

Rene Leibowitz/RPO on the Chesky label. Other posters will recommend a more mainstream performance I am sure. This one has slightly faster tempos and literally sparkles. It bears a lot of similarities to Toscanini's famous 1949 performance with the NBC SO.

The Pastoral has two candidates in two very similar performances.

a) Bruno Walter/Columbia SO on Sony
b) Andre Cluytens Berlin SO on EMI Angel or Seraphim

Title: Re: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: bhodges on March 30, 2013, 01:28:03 PM
Welcome, Waitaminuet (nice name there). You will get dozens of suggestions for these symphonies!

For the Third, this one with Christoph von Dohnányi and Cleveland is pretty fine:

[asin]B000003CT5[/asin]

And for the Sixth, this recording is very special, if you don't require a version in top-notch sound. This is the sole time Carlos Kleiber conducted this piece, and the recording was made from a cassette - yes, a cassette - supplied by the conductor's son who was in the audience.

[asin]B00022XOAO[/asin]

--Bruce
Title: Re: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: Cato on March 30, 2013, 01:29:30 PM
The Cleveland/Dohnanyi is a great choice!  Try this for a great interpretation and sound:

[asin]B0000027AD[/asin]

Certainly Holden's recommendations are fine also: the Toscanini Eroica has of course sound from 1949, but it is a barn-burner!

Title: Re: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: xochitl on March 30, 2013, 09:41:49 PM
yes, yes, and yes to the above.

i would add one more eroica and pastoral:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61U%2BGNSLErL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BB3RTqNeL._SY300_.jpg)
Title: Re: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: Wanderer on March 30, 2013, 10:48:31 PM
For Beethoven, I would very highly recommend Harnoncourt's boxset: [asin]B000JR0DVK[/asin]

And, also, welcome!
Title: Re: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: prémont on March 31, 2013, 08:00:40 AM
Quote from: Wanderer on March 30, 2013, 10:48:31 PM
For Beethoven, I would very highly recommend Harnoncourt's boxset: [asin]B000JR0DVK[/asin]

And, also, welcome!

Harnoncourt´s LvB box is certainly great value for money - but IMO not as to the Pastoral symphony, which I find too stodgy.
My favorite Pastoral is Klemperer´s recording with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (Vox), well mono, but mandatory.
Title: Re: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: mc ukrneal on March 31, 2013, 04:06:24 PM
Quote from: (: premont :) on March 31, 2013, 08:00:40 AM
Harnoncourt´s LvB box is certainly great value for money - but IMO not as to the Pastoral symphony, which I find too stodgy.
My favorite Pastoral is Klemperer´s recording with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (Vox), well mono, but mandatory.
I'm not a fan of that box in the end (I have it), but I always felt the Pastoral was probably the best from it! Amazing.

ON #3, the Bernstein on Sony is good and also gives you a track of him discussing it. Could be of interest...
Title: Re: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: Fafner on April 01, 2013, 01:49:59 AM
Welcome, Waitaminuet.

Someone recently mentioned this recording of No. 3, and it was a real revelation to me:

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Xr2km10JL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard
Title: Re: New Member Intro + Request for Help
Post by: Waitaminuet on April 26, 2013, 04:02:44 PM
Thank you all very much for your suggestions

In the end I purchased Von Dohnanyi and the Cleveland No. 3 and
Walter and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra no. 4 and no.6

I am enjoying them very much.

As a novice I had difficulty locating some of the recommended recordings; particularly the Chesky suggested by Holden.

Thank you once again