The 50 Greatest Recordings of All Time (per BBC Music Mag)

[North Star]

One of the criticisms of that particular list is that so many of the choices are very old. Given that these lists inherently tend towards mainstream performances of mainstream works, and aren't necessarily any single person's favorites, what more-recent recordings would you expect to see? In other words, what are the usual suspects of the past 20-30 years? This interests me because most of the legends I'm familiar with date back to the LP era, and most of the more recent recordings I listen to are from the likes of Archibudelli, Peter Watchorn, and Václav Luks, who have more of a cult following.

One that comes to mind is Andsnes's Grieg and Schumann (on EMI!). There was a rare degree of consensus on this as a great recording, and it seems to have held up after 10 years.

What are some others?

Bach Cello Suites from just about anyone else, but Queyras would be a great first choice - it's HIP, but the cello has a modern setup. The British Bach B minor mass by John Butt & Dunedin Consort, Le Nozze di Figaro by René Jacobs. Bach Goldbergs & WTC on the damn harpsichord instead of the Gould & E. Fischer. I doubt that the 1938 Mahler 9th would be the best first choice either.

[Daverz]

I think the real problem is that the "greatest recording" rubric works OK for pop or Jazz, but not so well for classical.  For most standard rep items, I can think of half a dozen recordings that I'd be perfectly happy with, ideally chosen to give varied perspectives on the music.  I think there are some unsurpassed recordings, but that's more the exception than the rule.

[The new erato]

Bach Cello Suites from just about anyone else, but Queyras would be a great first choice - it's HIP, but the cello has a modern setup. The British Bach B minor mass by John Butt & Dunedin Consort, Le Nozze di Figaro by René Jacobs. Bach Goldbergs & WTC on the damn harpsichord instead of the Gould & E. Fischer. I doubt that the 1938 Mahler 9th would be the best first choice either.

Some very good suggestions there, though I think Bach works well on the piano, and those are two very good performances.

[Daverz]

What? No Fey??? That list is useless to me!...and it is worthless 

It's 50 greatest, not 50 shades of gray.

[North Star]

Some very good suggestions there, though I think Bach works well on the piano, and those are two very good performances.

I agree that it works, but they're still transcriptions in my opinion. No need to endorse the Beecham quip of the skeletons copulating on a tin roof anymore.

[Opus106]

I agree that it works, but they're still transcriptions in my opinion. No need to endorse the Beecham quip of the skeletons copulating on a tin roof anymore.

I like Busoni's take on this issue:

Every notation is, in itself, the transcription of an abstract idea. The instant the pen seizes it, the idea loses its original form. The intention itself of writing down the idea compels a decision on measure and key. The form as well as the musical agency, which the composer must also decide upon, further define the means and the limits. It is much the same with man himself. Born naked and without clearly defined aspirations, he decides, or at a given moment is made to decide, upon a career. From the moment of decision, while a good deal that is original and indestructible in the idea or the man may live on, each is reduced to the conformity of classification. The musical idea becomes a sonata or a concerto; the man, a soldier or a priest.

Source

That said, my guess for the reason for including Gould's recording, the '55 specifically, is, if various sources are to be believed, is the impact it had at the time of its release. It was a chart topper, so to speak, and not to mention a really good performance.

[North Star]

I like Busoni's take on this issue:

Every notation is, in itself, the transcription of an abstract idea. The instant the pen seizes it, the idea loses its original form. The intention itself of writing down the idea compels a decision on measure and key. The form as well as the musical agency, which the composer must also decide upon, further define the means and the limits. It is much the same with man himself. Born naked and without clearly defined aspirations, he decides, or at a given moment is made to decide, upon a career. From the moment of decision, while a good deal that is original and indestructible in the idea or the man may live on, each is reduced to the conformity of classification. The musical idea becomes a sonata or a concerto; the man, a soldier or a priest.

Source

Very nice, but we're not recommending Liszt's transcriptions of Beethoven either - or even organ Bach transcribed for piano.
And even if there remains some of the original musical idea (as there surely does), the work might as well become a new piece, like the Berio orchestrations of Boccherini, Brahms & others.

[mc ukrneal]

I agree that it works, but they're still transcriptions in my opinion. No need to endorse the Beecham quip of the skeletons copulating on a tin roof anymore.

Sorry, are you saying that the Gould Goldberg performance is a transcription?

[Opus106]

Very nice, but we're not recommending Liszt's transcriptions of Beethoven either - or even organ Bach transcribed for piano.

We surely would, if we were talking about the 50 Greatest Recordings of Transcriptions.

Oh, and I suppose you have no qualms about the umpteen modern instrument, heavy-weight orchestras playing Classical or early Romantic repertoire with a late-Romantic outlook, or modern concert grands being used for Mozart, played by an arch-romantic like Barenboim?

And even if there remains some of the original musical idea (as there surely does), the work might as well become a new piece, like the Berio
orchestrations of Boccherini, Brahms & others.

Post updated on Gould's recording.

[North Star]

Sorry, are you saying that the Gould Goldberg performance is a transcription?

Yes. The early piano existed since 1700 at least, and Bach certainly knew it, and especially the clavichord, which he quite liked IIRC, but the Goldbergs are composed for a two manual harpsichord, and a key element of it is the interplay of the hands, the different timbres of the manuals, and all that is lost (while sth else is perhaps gained) in the piano transcription. A guitar duo can perform the piece, but it's a transcription. It's silly to me that while we are anxious to recommend modern (as in acknowledging HIP) cello sonatas, orchestral/choral works, keyboard works aren't such a big deal, even though there the impact of the instrument is by far the largest in my opinion.

That said, my guess for the reason for including Gould's recording, the '55 specifically, is, if various sources are to be believed, is the impact it had at the time of its release. It was a chart topper, so to speak, and not to mention a really good performance.

Yes, it's a very important recording historically, for sure, just like the Casals cello suites, and, IMO, much better than the Casals, compared to modern standards.

We surely would, if we were talking about the 50 Greatest Recordings of Transcriptions.

Oh, and I suppose you have no qualms about the umpteen modern instrument, heavy-weight orchestras playing Classical or early Romantic repertoire with a late-Romantic outlook, or modern concert grands being used for Mozart, played by an arch-romantic like Barenboim?

Post updated on Gould's recording.

Oh yes, on that list, sure. 
Some qualms, for sure.  But one battle at a time And I'm more bothered in that sort of repertoire by the constant vibrato in the string sections, haven't heard any of them play the Beethoven 4th PC's 2nd movement bearably.

[Karl Henning]

I would take Hyperion's Complete Shubert Songs over DFD. It doesn't mean DFD is bad, just that the Hyperion set is amazing (and so extensive). Oh wait, I forgot, it's a British label and I'd be adding to the bias. 

No, no, there can be native contrarians, I am sure 

[Sergeant Rock]

With just a half dozen or so exceptions, this is the same list any British source would have given us forty years ago. All the usual suspects are present and accounted for. Apparently time stands still on that island 

Still, it's a worthy list. I have 39 of 50...but then I was reading, and believing uncritically in, British critics 40 years ago    The following list is what I don't own. (I'm waiting for my dotage to acquire and listen to Schnabel. I figure at extreme age I won't hear, or miss, all the wrong notes  )

Berlioz Nuits d'été Ansermet
Bach Suites Casals
Bach Mass Harnoncourt
Joan Sutherland Art of the Prima Donna
Beethoven Sonatas Schnabel
Chopin Argerich
Reich Music for 18 Musicians
Shostakovich Preludes Melnikov
Ravel Dauphnis et Chloe Monteux
Mozart Marriage of Figaro Kleiber
Stockhausen Gesang der Jünglinge


Sarge

[Karl Henning]

The Island That Time Forgot

Any list has its flaws and limitations (there must be limitations: it's a list FCOL!), but perhaps all lists have the virtue of stimulating some fine discussion.

[Parsifal]

With just a half dozen or so exceptions, this is the same list any British source would have given us forty years ago. All the usual suspects are present and accounted for. Apparently time stands still on that island 

Probably the people who answered the pole are the same people who would have answered the pole 40 years ago. 

[AnthonyAthletic]

I have 18/50 listed.  Aren't lists and polls great   

Some additions for an alternative list?

Glazunov, Sibelius, Prokofiev V/C's, Heifetz
Mahler 3rd, Horenstein
Puccini's Boheme, Beecham (DLA/JB)
Elgar's Violin Concerto, Campoli (Beulah) - Possibly the No.1 Elgar V/C...
Brahms Symphony 4, Furtwangler

[Karl Henning]

Some additions for an alternative list?

Glazunov, Sibelius, Prokofiev V/C's, Heifetz

That's a juicy one, Tony!

And the list . . . sort of 50 Recordings Which Sure Scratched the Itch Back When

[Sammy]

With just a half dozen or so exceptions, this is the same list any British source would have given us forty years ago. All the usual suspects are present and accounted for. Apparently time stands still on that island 

Still, it's a worthy list.

That's pretty much how I see it as well.  It's a fine and traditional list.  A person new to classical music could do a lot worse than acquiring most or all of the 50 that are listed.

As for the strong British connection, what would you expect from a British source named BBC?

So it's a good list and just one of many from various sources.  That said, I don't acquire recordings based on any of these lists.  Hopefully, each of us takes our own path based on our respective musical preferences and personality.

[Daverz]

A person new to classical music could do a lot worse than acquiring most or all of the 50 that are listed.

That's what some of us are disputing.  Many of these are not good recommendations for a newbie.  Now it is advertised as a list of "the greatest": things a "serious" collector should hear, and I think it's fine for that,  even with the provincial bias.  Those historical recordings are maybe the second or third that a newbie might acquire.

But I think what's going on here is that it is nearly impossible to get consensus on a varied set of recommendable recordings, so what you get instead is agreement on the historically significant recordings.  Even in some of the relatively new recordings on the list, say the Vespers, several new recordings of the Vespers seem to come out each year.  The guy that does the Monteverdi reviews can probably tell you how the last 40 years of recordings stack up.  The non-Monteverdi experts just know this one famous recording by a favorite son.  We're lucky to get Gardiner II mentioned over Gardiner I (I like both).  Same thing with the Goldbergs, where there seems to be new recordings nearly every month.  You won't get any consensus on that except that the first Gould recording is very significant historically.

As luck would have it, there is some overlap between top choice and historically significant because not all eras are equal when it comes to specialized talent.  I think the Callas Tosca and the Solti Ring are still top choices, and it's hard to beat Britten doing Britten. 

[Karl Henning]

I want to agree that one should expect Britocentric bias of Auntie Beeb, but I also expect intelligent use of the language of the Beebster, and Greatest of All Time implies a certain breadth of range . . . .

[Mandryka]

I just wonder, with a list like this, how much of it is just some journalist cutting and pasting from other similar lists, which have in turn been cut and pasted from other people's lists . . .

Edward Greenfield gives Edwin Fischer's WTC a rosette. He doesn't listen to the whole thing, just to the "nodal points" as he used to call them, and makes his decision. And that starts a long chain of cutting and pasting which ends here in this BBC list.