Help a Classical Beginner

[karlhenning]

Dude, you totally left out the three B's. 

That wouldn't be budget, 'coz he's going to want a 40-disc box of each for starters 

[Dr. Dread]

That wouldn't be budget, 'coz he's going to want a 40-disc box of each for starters 

Heehee. Good list, by the way. Nearly well-balanced.

[karlhenning]

Heehee. Good list, by the way. Nearly well-balanced.

Grazie!

[Daverz]

Wow, the repertoire lists on that site are great - the red stars are almost unfailingly spot-on.

A few odd choices for stars: Elgar S1 but not Enigma Variations? VW S3 in preference to S2, S5, or S7.  Beethoven Triple Concerto is nice, but hardly essential.  Franck's Chorales are boring.  Too much Puccini.  As much as I like Glazunov, I think his symphonies are a byway, and otherwise not works that will grab the newcomer.

Some of the unstarred entries are odd.  Gliere Symphonies 1 & 2, but not the much more recorded 3.  Why leave off Shostakovich S9, S13 and S15, but include S12?  Schmidt's S2 but not the more recorded S4.

But these are nitpicks.

[ChamberNut]

6. Antonín Dvořák / Symphony № 9 in E Minor, From the New World &c. / Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Libor Pesek / Virgin Classics 62492

I think I'll give this one a spin this afternoon!  0:)

[Lethevich]

But these are nitpicks.

Indeedie. What surprised me was how right-on the majority of it was, especially for composers such as Brahms.

Re. the RVW, the symphonies they list tend to be his most popular and/or considered his most accessable, and for an intro at least the star should probably go to 3 or 5 - I agree with their choices with that one, but your other suggestions are good ones (especially the Beethoven and Elgar).

[Dr. Dread]

Good list, James.

[ChamberNut]

Good list, James.

Seconded.  Well diversed.

[George]

Seconded.  Well diversed.

Thirded!

[Daverz]

Welcome, and have fun!

There's no one set of 10 which will serve for everyone.  With that caveat, I will suggest the following ten discs (and for fun, will keep them all at budget to mid-price):

I haven't updated it in a while, but I think my Amazon Listmania list still holds up pretty well.  I'm not sure about the Bernstein Gershwin.  I've read that he's very wayward here.  I think I may replace that entry with the Siegel/Slatkin:



Some other possible additions:

[Renfield]

10 Recommendations

1. J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations / Gould
2. Mozart: Piano Concertos 20 & 24 /Haskil
3. Beethoven: Symphonies 5 & 7 /Klieber VPO
4. Wagner: Overtures & Preludes /Various
5. Brahms: Clarinet Quintet op.115 /Melos Quartett, Michel Portal
6. Chopin: Piano Nocturnes /Arrau
7. Debussy: Orchestral Works /Boulez
8. Stravinsky: Rite of Spring, Petrouchka /Boulez
9. Bartok: Piano Concertos /Anda
10. Webern: Orchestral Works /Karajan

That is a good beginner list.

Karl's is also well-rounded, but a little too light on the overall orchestral texture to be entirely representative, maybe.

[Dr. Dread]

I like Daverz's (Daverz's?!) too.

[rickardg]

Dude, you totally left out the three B's. 

2. Béla Bartók / Concerto for Ochestra & Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta / Royal Stockholm Phil, Toronto Symphony / Apex 88431

But, he's got two of them right there... I suppose the third one would be Bach, those three would do me nicely on the island.

Sorry, I'll go back to lurking now.

[karlhenning]

That leaves the one I left out as Berlioz (one of the original three B's) . . . and I am delighted that Dave is indignant at this omission! 

[Daverz]

But, he's got two of them right there... I suppose the third one would be Bach

The 3 B's: Bax, Berlioz, and Bruckner.

[Dr. Dread]

    

[karlhenning]

Boulez, Britten & Birtwistle?

[Dr. Dread]

Boulez, Britten & Birtwistle?

[karlhenning]

Binchois, Byrd & Buxtehude, then?

[karlhenning]

To be sure, my list feels out of balance . . . how could I omit Nielsen or Prokofiev!  Or Sibelius!