I would like to increase my own collection with recordings that have your seal of approval on them. I am tired of buying CD's and not sure what I am getting. I would like to use this thread as a place I or others could go to get suggestions on music - from baroque to modern. My personal favourite period is classical. Also while I prefer piano as my #1 instrument I also love orchestra and solo srtings etc.

Many people on this forum have a lot of experience with many varied composers/artists. I was hoping to get your suggestions for which CD's are worth having in your collection. I dont want to get recordings that I probably wont listen too. I know that taste is an individual thing but in many different threads people have suggested particular CD's. It would be nice to have all these ideas in one thread so suggestions could be found easily.

I will start it off by suggesting one of my favourites. If you like "Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition" then I would recommend

Evgeny Kissin recording on the RCA Victor label. :p

I know that some dont like Kissin but I have listened to a few other artists and find his interpretation to be quite nice.

Please let me know the recordings that "do it for you". Thanks.

Holst's Planets on DG, conducted by karajan.

also lazar berman's complete annees de pelerinage.

A few of my favorite recordings are these: Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet ballet conducted by Andre Previn, Lutoslawski conducting his Symphony no. 2, Lutoslawski's Paganini Variations for 2 pianos, and Isa-Pekka Salonen conducting Stravinsky's Symphony in 3 Movements!

A CD that you MUST own is the Chopin's nocturnes by Arthur Rubinstein (RCA read seal). It's part of a collection that, I suppose, is great (I didn't hear other volumens).
If you like jazz, another must is The Koln concert by Keith Jarrett.
Regards.

Absolutely!

I like the idea of this thread. Here are a few of my favorite CDs, will have to go into the back to check my vinyl so will post those later.

Mahler Symphony #1, Haitink/Concertgebouw, Philips. (I love this orchestra/conductor combo doing almost anything)

Beethoven String Quartet 1 and 7, Smetana Quartet, Denon (beautiful recording)

Jacqueline du Pre, variety of things on 2CDs, called "A Lasting Inspiration," / EMI.

JSBach, Sonatas and Partitas/Perlman, EMI. This is amazing! You feel like Perlman is sitting next to you playing, and that ain't bad...!

Nina

Adès: Asyla - Rattle/CBSO... a must-have if you're interested in newer music. Even though it's new music, it's not as modern as one would expect. / EMI

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 - Rattle/CBSO... Shostakovich's 4th is not for the faint-hearted, but very recommendable. / EMI

Glass: Symphony No. 5 - Davies/Vienna Radio Symphony... an impressive statement, a very minimalistic one though. / Nonesuch

Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 5... the 3rd piano concerto played by Prokofiev himself. The sound is of course not the best, but Prokofiev's playing makes up for that. / Dutton

I haven't heard Kissin's recording of Pictures, but I heard him perform it live and it was amazing!
Rubinstein's Chopin Preludes is an excellent CD.
Leon Fleisher's left hand piano solo CD and his recording of the Ravel, Prokofiev, and Britten Left Hand and orch pieces with (I think) Boston Symphony and Seiji Ozawa are both great CDs! This music is really beautiful!

But of course! I can recomend almost my entire collection, but not all of it. Well, here it goes:

Piano Greatest Hits (RCA VICTOR. Recorded by Arthur Rubinstein)
Piano Classics (my first CDs. Its comes in a set a two CDs. The case doesn't give any information about who recorded it but it was made in Canada and has digital mastering).
Famous Piano Pieces by the Great Masters (A two CD set as recorded by Jorg Demus. Put out by Seraphim).
Chopin: 26 Preludes, 3 muzurken op. 53, scherzo op.39 (an absolute MUST HAVE. Its my favriote CD that I own by far. Recorded by Martha Argerich).
Classical Piano Favriotes (Pianist unknown. Put out by Classical Treasures).
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no.3 and Paganini Raphsody (Recorded by Lenonard Pennario with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra).
Ludwig Van Beethoven (A collection of 3 piano sonatas. Moonlight, Waldstein, and Appassionata. Put out by Excelsior Classical Gold. Moonlight and Waldstein recorded by Dubravka Tomsic, Appassionata recorded by Sylvia Capova).
The Essential Piano (Pianist Philippe Entremont plays 19 beautiful pieces for piano).
The Essential Chopin (Pianists include: Philippe Entremont, Andre Watts, Fou Ts'ong, Gary Graffman, and Nelson Freire).
Liszt: 10 Hungarian Raphsodies (recorded by Georges Cziffra. Some here don't seem to like his playing. I didn't at first, but you grow to like it over time. Put out by EMI Classics).

Disclaimer....

I do not yet own this set, therefore can't claim it's really great as to performances or sound quality. However, for what you get and what you pay it seems a no brainer to me. Here is the description from Berkshire Records website....

'The Piano Concerto Collection' (complete piano concerti of Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Grieg, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Liszt, Brahms, Ravel, Saint-Saens & Gershwin. Artists incl.Brendel, Han, Lill, Tacchino, Lechner & Lugansky)
Add to cart | Price: $49.75 | 25 in set. | Country: DUTCH | D/A code: A | Code: CD 99668 | BRO Code: 101050 | Label: BRILLIANT CLASSICS

A 25 CD set for $50. To find it go to

www.broinc.com

then go to advanced search and search by label for Brilliant Classics. It will list 119 entries of which this is one.

Steve

I'm going to limit myself to solo and concerto piano recordings:

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Wilhelm Kempff, on DG;

Beethoven: Piano concertos, Rubinstein, Boston Symphony, Leinsdorf;

Brahms: Piano Concertos, Leon Fleischer, Cleveland Orchestra, Szell, Sony;

Chopin: Preludes, Martha Argerich, DG;

Chopin: Nocturnes, Mazurkas, Polonaises, Sonatas, Ballades, Scherzos, Arthur Rubinstein, RCA. (If you're not hung up on recorded sound, get the first set of Mazurkas from the 30s, and the 1950s set of the Polonaises);

Mozart: Complete Piano Sonatas, Miecyslaw Horszowski, Arbiter;

Rachmaninoff: The Four Piano Concertos and Paganini Rhapsody, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Philadelphia Orchestra, Ormandy, Stokowski, RCA;

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3, Horowitz, RCA Victor SO, Reiner, RCA

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 & Paganini Rhapsody, Willam Kapell, RCA;

D. Scarlatti: Sonatas, Vladimir Horowitz, Sony;

Various Composers:

Rubinstein at Carnegie Hall, Music of Debussy, Szymanowski, Prokofiev and Villa-Lobos;

Vladimir Horowitz: Late Russian Romantics, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Medtner, Sony;

That's it for now!

One of my favorite cds currently is Pollini's recording of Stravinsky's Petrouchka and Prokofiev's 7th sonata (along with works by Boulez and Webern). Pollini playing the Chopin Etudes and Polonaises are also great. Most of Kissin's Cds are very good in my opinion, you can't go wrong with buying his or Pollini's. A good way to get a lot of good cds fast is to buy a box set or the like. If you buy the complete Beethoven sonatas/symphonies, or complete Chopin Etudes or Mozart symphonies recorded by great artists, you will get a large good quality collection before you know it.

I have this on vinyl (does that date me or what? ) but glad to know it's been remastered for CD. Yet another thing for which I'll have to save up money!

I have a CD: Rachmaninoff Plays Chopin. Most of the recordings were done in the 20s and 30s and I never tire of listening to it.

Many of you mentioned what I was already going to say, but I'd like to recommend Ashkenazy's 24 Rachmaninoff preludes. He plays them so well!

Mike

FYI: ALL of Arthur Rubinstein's recordings have been remastered and are available seperately, or in a boxed set totalling some 94 CDs. Better break the bank!

Here's my favorites.

Dinu Lipatti's last recording - EMI
Horowitz's 1986 New York Studio recording. [It's just great!!] - DG
Argerich's Schumann Sonata No. 2 - DG
Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No. 2 by John Browning
Lazar Berman Liszt's entire transcendental etudes [well this one is LP..]

I dont think many people have mentioned Glenn Gould!

I respect Gould as a master of the piano, but I never found his playing inspiring to listen to or helpful towards my playing. I have his Brahms 2-cd set of the later works and I do not like any of his interpretations. He is certainly a unique pianist and can not be ignored, but too much following of his interpretations could be dangerous in competition or such serious settings.

Brahms - Handel Variations - Solomon
Chopin - Sonata #3 - Kapell or Lipatti
Chopin - Barcarolle Lipatti
Beethoven - Hammerklavier (Op 106) - Solomon (reissued 3 times! - Turnabout, EMI, and Philips)
Schubert - Sonata in A, Op. post (D. 959) Schnabel
Bach Partita #4 in D - Kapell
and, as mentioned above, Horowitz for Scarlatti

And, as for Glenn Gould, there's a saying:

"A great virtuoso is a master of the music.
A great musician is a servant of the music."

But with Gould, when he's playing, it's usually not about the music, it's about Glenn Gould.

Wheres Zeldah when you need her? Shes our Glenn Gould expert.

Tony, I you have a Borders Books, the have listening posts. Pop on the headphones, scan the UPC code and you can audition the CD!

My classical CD collection isn't that extensive but I am gratified to see that I have some that others have listed. The Planets by Holtz that Rodion referred to is fantastic... a must buy. Also I have the Beethovan sonatas by Wilhelm Kempf on DG that I really enjoy.

As far as symphonies, no one has yet mentioned Dvorak. His 7th and especially 9th symponies rank with the best!

Also for orchestral works, Neemi Jarvi is an exellent conductor of recorded music as well as the usual suspects (Solti, Bernstein, von Karajan, etc.)

If you like Pictures at a exhibition you might also want to buy the orchestral version as well.

Since this is a piano board I'll center my list around the instrument of interest here. A few have been mentioned but not the majority.

My first recommended list of 25 selections:

1) Label: RCA Red Seal BG2-68378
Pianist: Evgeny Kissin
Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 in Em, Op.11
Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 in Fm, Op.21
Recorded live in 1984

2) Label: DG Originals 449 721-2
Pianist: Emil Gilels
Grieg Lyrical Pieces (20)
Released in 1974

3) Label: DG Collector’s Edition 463 137-2
Pianist: Christoph Eschenbach
Mozart Complete Sonatas (5 CDs)
Recorded 1967-1969

4) Label: Naxos 8.553062
Pianist: Oxana Yablonskaya
Liszt 14 Schubert Lieder Transcriptions for solo piano
(Complete Liszt Piano Music Vol.5)
Recorded on May 12, 1994

5) Label: Collins Classics 14982
Pianist: Artur Pizarro
Bach-Liszt Transcription for solo piano
6 Organ Preludes & Fugues, BWV543-548
Fantasy & Fugue in Gm, BWV542
Recorded in August 1996

6) Label: Teldec 0630 13158-2
Pianist: Andras Schiff
Bartok Piano Concerti Nos.1-3
Recorded in April, 1996

7) Label: High Performance 63310-2
Pianist: Raymond Lewenthal
Alkan Piano Music
Le festin d’Esope
Barcarolle, Op.65/6
Quasi-Faust (2nd Mvt. From Grande Sonata, Op.33)
Symphony (Nos.4-7, Op.39)
Liszt “Hexameron”
Recorded in 1965-1966

8) Label: DG 2GH 413794
Pianist: Murizio Pollini
Chopin 24 Etudes, Opp.10 & 25
Recorded in 1972

9) Label: London 417 599-2
Pianist: Radu Lupu
Brahms Piano Music Opp.79, 117, 118 and 119
Recorded 1971 & 1978

10) Label: DG Originals 447 407-2
Pianist: Emil Gilels
Amadeus Quartet
Brahms Piano Quintet, Op.25
Brahms 4 Ballades, Op.10 for solo piano

11) Label: Sony SK 44922
Pianist: Murray Perahia
Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 in Em, Op.11
Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 in Fm, Op.21
Recorded in 1989

12) Label: London D 102343
Pianist: Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Liszt Transcriptions for solo piano based on compositions by
(Wagner, Gounod, Mozart, Donizetti, Verdi & Tchaikovsky)
Recorded in May 1992

13) Label: Sony SK 62891
Pianist: Arcadi Volodos
Volodos Debut Recording
Bach-Feinberg Largo
Bizet-Horowitz Carmen Variations
Liszt-Horowitz Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Mozart-Volodos “Turkish March”
Prokofiev 3 Pieces from Cinderella
Rachmaninov-Volodov Melodia
Rachmaninov-Volodos Morning
Rimsky-Korsakov-Cziffra “The Flight of the Bumblebee”
Schubert-Liszt Aufenthalt
Schubert-Liszt Liebesbotschaft
Tchaikovsky-Feinberg Scherzo
Recorded in 1996

14) Label: Teldec D111222
Pianist: Helen Huang
Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 in C, Op.15
Mozart Piano Concerto No.23 in A, K488
Recorded live in 1995

15) Label: Teldec D-112276
Pianist: Sviatoslav Richter & Elisabeth Leonskaya
Mozart-Grieg Sonata in C, K545
Mozart-Grieg Fantasy in Cm, K475
Mozart-Grieg Sonata in F, K533
Recorded in August 1993

16) Label: Sony SK 39511
Pianist: Murray Perahia & Radu Lupu
Mozart Sonata in D for Two Pianos, K448
Schubert Fantasy in Fm, D940 for Four Hands
Recorded in 1984

17) Label: DG 447 420-2
Pianist: Sviatoslav Richter
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 in Cm, Op.18
Recorded in 1959
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 in Bbm, Op.23
Recorded in 1963

18) Label: DG 289 449 213-2
Pianist: Krystian Zimerman
Ravel Two Piano Concerti
Ravel Valses nobles et sentimentales (8)
Recorded in 1994 & 1996

19) Label: London 440 496-2
Pianist: Radu Lupu
Schumann Humoreske, Op.20
Schumann Scenes from Childhood, Op.15
Schumann Kreisleriana, Op.16
Recorded in 1993

20) Label: Ermitage ERM 153
Pianist: Lazar Berman
Scriabin Fantasie, Op.28
Schubert-Liszt 5 Lieder Transcriptions
Rachmaninov 6 Moments Musicaux, Op.16
Liszt Funerailles
Released in 1995

21) RCA Victor 62520-2
Pianist: Xiang-Dong Kong
Tchaikovsky “Seasons”, Op.37b
Romance, Op.5
Valse-Scherzo, Op.7
Meditation, Op.72/5
Dumka, Op.59
Recorded in September, 1993

22) Label: ProPiano PPR 224519
Pianist: Chitose Okashiro
Scriabin The Poem of Ecstasy, Op.54 for Two Pianos
2 Morceaux, Op.57
Recorded on April 28, 1997

23) Label: RCA Victor 56518-2
Pianist: Sviatoslav Richter
Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 in Bb, Op.83
Beethoven Sonata No.23 in Fm, “Appassionata”
Recorded in 1960

24) Label: Hyperion CDA 67077
Pianist: Marc-Andre Hamelin
Rsewzki “People United Will Never Be Defeated!”
(Theme and 36 Variations with one variation reserved for performer’s improvisation)
Playing time: 57:23
Recorded in London, August 1998

25) Label: DG 2GH 423090
Pianist: Krystian Zimerman
Chopin 4 Ballades
Barcarolle, Op.60
Fantasy in Fm, Op.49
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
My 2nd list of 25 is still in the works...

I'll cut in and put a word or two in for Gould. I don't think a collection is complete without at least a few recordings by him. Indeed, his interpretations are unique and sometimes bizarre. I would not recommend his Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, etc., but his Bach is what he does best. He has recorded almost all of Bach's keyboard works on the piano. For fun you can compare the two sets of Goldberg Variations that Gould recorded once as a young man, and recorded again shortly before he died. He's also recorded complete sets of the WTC 1 and 2, as well as the two and three part inventions, the partitas, English and French Suites - you name it, Gould has recorded it. I haven't heard for myself, but his interpretation of Schoenberg's piano works are supposed to be very thougtful too. Some more obscure part of Goulds output could include a recording of his composition "So, you want to write a fugue", his string quartet, "The Idea of North" - an experimental radio documentary presented as a 'fugue' of voices narrating their experiences of the far North. One of the last projects Gould worked on was conducting some of Wagner's works (I can't remember which ones, but I think it includes the orchestral arrangement of the Liebestod from "Tristan und Isolde")

Hey this is great!!

I will be stocking up immediately. Thanks all. I live in Ottawa, ON so my best selection of CD's is at a place called the CD Warehouse, they will let you listen before you buy and of course order if they don't have it. I really appreciate the work that you people have put into your suggestions. Thanks and keep them coming.

P.S. I'm glad I have a printer!!

Tony:

You might do well to subscribe to a few music magazines that focus on recording reviews, such as Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, American Record Guide and even International Piano. The better of these magazines will give you not only comprehensive, intelligent, and some times well-written reviews of currently available recordings, they will also often make comparisons of several recordings of the same work, a useful bonus for any record collector.

Regards,

Tony:

On the other hand, fully 85% of my little collection of some 1500 or so CDs is what I would consider recordings that have my "seal of approval" - which probably means the recommendation of Gramophone magazine - so I'm not sure where my list would start.

Regards, again,

Tony:

On the other hand - er, how many hands do we have, here? - it doesn't take much review reading to find out that opinions often widely vary; while Pianist A's recording of such and such a work gets a rave review from John Smith in X magazine, the same recording is absolutely panned by John Smythe in Y magazine. And the very reason that John Smith thought that this performance reached to the very soul of the work was the same reason that forced John Smythe to reveal that the performer had no idea what the composer was all about.

Opinions are not always shared, so taking the recommendations of others - whether in print or elsewhere - is always subject to a certain amount of risk. I don't think I would want to impose my opinions - or even my tastes - on anyone else. I do know, however, that I like what is in my collection.

And again, Regards,

Here are a few more suggestions. I've included a few unusual ones because they are outstanding.

1. Angela Hewitt's four CD set of the 48 on Hyperion - beautiful !

2. Lenehan's CDs of John Ireland for Naxos.

3. Peter Jacobs' three CD set of the piano music of Frank Bridge on Continuum.

4. Any of the Biograph series of Morton, Johnson, Waller, Blake playing their own music.

5. 15 Ragtime Compositions by David Thomas Roberts played by Roberts

6. New Orleans Streets by Roberts played by Roberts.

7. Piano music of Henri Sauguet played by Billy Eidi (Naxos)

8. Saudades do Brasil, The Household Muse and Madame Bovary (Milhaud) with Mme Milhaud as narrator (Naxos)

9. Scriabin studies - Alexander Paley (Naxos)

10. Sounds in Silhouette - compositions of Reginald Robinson played by Reginald Robinson.

9. Scriabin studies - Alexander Paley (Naxos)[/b]

Hey, I just bought this, coincidentally! I'm anxious to give it a listen.

Nina

PS: I've become really interested in Scriabin-- a composer of some reknown that I've never been encouraged to play, and have never even really heard before. What gives? Is it me, my teachers, or is he less popular? I've really enjoyed what I've heard, and am learning several Preludes, which are fantastic.

1. Jack Gibbons, pianist. ASV Ltd. Alkan: 12 Etudes Opus 39.

2. Marc-Andre Hamelin, pianist, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Mark Elder, conductor. Hyperion. Busoni: Piano Concerto Opus 39.

3. Joanna Kozlowska, soprano, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Kazimierz Kord, conductor. Phillips. Gorecki: Symphony Number 3 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs."

4. Leslie Howard, pianist. Hyperion. Liszt: Ballades, Legendes, and Polonaises.

5. Alicia de Larrocha, pianist. London. Albeniz: Iberia, Granados: Goyescas.

6. Placido Domingo, tenor, Montserrat Caballe, soprano, Ruggero Raimondi, bass, Shirley Verrett, soprano, Sherrill Milnes, baritone, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Carlo Maria Guilini, conductor, et al. EMI Classics. Verdi: Don Carlo. (My favorite opera of all time.)

7. Roberto Alagna, tenor, Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, London Symphony Orchestra, Antonio Pappano, conductor, et al. EMI Classics. Massenet: Werther. (Another great opera.)