# DG 20th Century Classics CD series (1990s)



## Oakey (Nov 19, 2017)

Are there others here who collect(ed) the DG 20th Century Classics CD series from the 1990s. Today I found the Zemlinsky one 



It started with Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps which I found new in the sales bin (10DM) in Germany while I was a student and the series got me acquainted with 'modern' classical music (not knowing it was a series at first, this was all pre-internet). Most are analogue recordings from the 1960s and 70s, and some I have really grown to like over the years. Others are pretty obscure and not always highly accessible (currently there are still a few rare ones I do not have, some rarely recorded operas I think). Even discogs does not list them all.

I also love the artwork, often based on the original LPs from the 70s that contained some of these recordings.

Interested to hear your thoughts and preferences (on recordings and/or performance).

Or if you can help me out regarding the ones still missing 

As for my own favourites: the Messiaen one is still great, also like Honegger by HvK, the Drumming 2CD by Steve Reich (although listening to both discs in one session is a challenge), and the Henze symphonies, as well as the Janacek, Nono and Hindemith discs. These are just the ones that come to mind as being particularly worth listening to over and over again.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have the Bernstein and the Nono. That's all from that re-issue series.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I have the Schoenberg/Pollini and the Weill discs.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Oakey said:


> Are there others here who collect(ed) the DG 20th Century Classics CD series from the 1990s.


The only ones I remember are the LaSalle Quartet playing Schoenberg, and a disc of Britten with Robert Tear and Giulini.


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## Oakey (Nov 19, 2017)

Just found another one which I did not have on Amazon, Bartok and Stravinsky's piano sonatas, ordered it right away


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

What a magnificent collection! I love this series as well; the artwork is especially appealing.


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## Oakey (Nov 19, 2017)

millionrainbows said:


> What a magnificent collection! I love this series as well; the artwork is especially appealing.


Thanks! Which ones are your favourites?

One that is still missing is the RaRa Requiem by Sylvano Bussotti. Don't know if it is any good though. If anybody here has it and wants to part with it feel free to contact me


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I didn't make a point of collecting these per se, but I do have quite a few of them, including the wonderful Tokyo Bartok set, the Honegger, the incomparable Janacek CD, quite a lot of the Second Viennese stuff. And I do like the American one, it has the brilliant Carl Ruggles Suntreader.


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## dennisdeems (Jun 9, 2020)

I have three: the Webern, the Schoenberg & Berg concertos, & the Ruggles/Schuman/Piston. there were others that I wanted but wasn’t able to get. But I had no idea there were so many in the series.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I have some of them (Reich, Ives, Zemlinsky) . It was a really well conceived series and those covers were iconic. There was a guy selling the near complete set of these on Ebay a while back.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

CnC Bartok said:


> I didn't make a point of collecting these per se, but I do have quite a few of them, including the wonderful Tokyo Bartok set


I forgot that one was part of this series. It's since been reissued on Eloquence.


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## Rmathuln (Mar 21, 2018)

*I have many.
The one that gets listened to the most is









*


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

OMG! What a great thread! 

I discovered this series in about 1990 when I was 30 and it formed an indispensable part of my classical music education, beyond the core.

Really brings back memories. I bought all but 9 of those shown in the picture in the first post (no Rara?)

The best artwork ever?

Favourites?

Hvk's 2VS
Nono
Henze symphonies
Bussotti - Rara Requiem
Reich - Drumming etc
Zemlinsky - String Quartets

.......... but they were all wonderful and so welcome


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

Rmathuln said:


> *I have many.
> The one that gets listened to the most is
> 
> 
> ...


My new friend (DH) does great Youtube vid on this work and chooses this as the top rec


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

dennisdeems said:


> I have three: the Webern, the Schoenberg & Berg concertos, & the Ruggles/Schuman/Piston. there were others that I wanted but wasn't able to get. But I had no idea there were so many in the series.


Oh yes, totally forgot - that Ruggles/Schumann/Piston really opened my ears and opened doors to so much ..........


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