# The Abbey Road of Classical Albums?



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

What are some great artistic classical albums that are real statements and have great flow? Do these really exist?

I think it would be a really neat idea to explore.


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)




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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

dissident said:


>


I'll take a listen in a bit.


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Do you just mean the best albums as in best performances or an album that flows as in the pieces that were chosen pair well together


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

EvaBaron said:


> Do you just mean the best albums as in best performances or an album that flows as in the pieces that were chosen pair well together


Excellent performances and flow (piece selection).


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Excellent performances and flow (piece selection).


But what if the piece selection is 2 symphonies by the same composer? That wouldn’t be very adventurous if we’re talking about piece selection because they’ll work anyway. So I don’t know if that would fit on your list


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'll take a listen in a bit.


You need to know the back story. Lipatti was dying of Hodgkin's disease at the time of that recital. From Wikipedia:
"Lipatti gave his final recital, also recorded, on 16 September 1950 at the Besançon Festival in France. Despite severe illness and a high fever, he gave superb performances of Bach's Partita No. 1 in B-flat major, Mozart's A minor Sonata, K. 310, Schubert's G-flat major and E-flat major Impromptus, Op. 90, and thirteen of the fourteen Chopin Waltzes which he played in his own integral order. Coming to the last one, No. 2 in A-flat, he found he was too exhausted to play it and he offered instead _Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring_, the piece with which he had begun his professional career only fifteen years before. He died less than 3 months later in Geneva aged 33, from a burst abscess on his one lung."

Unfortunately the recording engineer decided not to record the performance of _Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring_. If he had, this album would've been just unbelievable.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

EvaBaron said:


> But what if the piece selection is 2 symphonies by the same composer? That wouldn’t be very adventurous if we’re talking about piece selection because they’ll work anyway. So I don’t know if that would fit on your list


It could fit, if it really flows nicely.


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## fbjim (Mar 8, 2021)

The Pollini recording of the late Beethoven sonatas is one of my favorite records of anything ever, but I think cycles, even semi-cycles are against the spirit of this thread.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

The playing on the Lipatti is excellent.


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

Recorded BTW in Abbey Road!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

fbjim said:


> The Pollini recording of the late Beethoven sonatas is one of my favorite records of anything ever, but I think cycles, even semi-cycles are against the spirit of this thread.


Yes, cycles and even semi cycles seem anti the spirit of the thread.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

haziz said:


> Recorded BTW in Abbey Road!



How are the performances? Flow?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

dissident said:


>


This is certainly one of the best CM albums I've ever heard. I'm now on the Waltzes.


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

if collections count, then it would be this for sure


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

EvaBaron said:


> View attachment 169476
> 
> if collections count, then it would be this for sure


I'll check it out.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I actually have a second pairing of these two featuring the Beaux Arts Trio. It's a Pentatone SACD, but it has a boring cover.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

haziz said:


> Recorded BTW in Abbey Road!


brilliant


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

jegreenwood said:


> I actually have a second pairing of these two featuring the Beaux Arts Trio. It's a Pentatone SACD, but it has a boring cover.


How would I search for this in Apple Music?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Kempff - Goldbergs


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Captainnumber36 said:


> How would I search for this in Apple Music?


I don’t have Apple Music, but in Tidal I typed in Trout Schubert Marlboro, and it came up.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

jegreenwood said:


> I don’t have Apple Music, but in Tidal I typed in Trout Schubert Marlboro, and it came up.


Ah, found it. It was a different color scheme in the platform.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

dissident said:


> You need to know the back story. Lipatti was dying of Hodgkin's disease at the time of that recital. From Wikipedia:
> "Lipatti gave his final recital, also recorded, on 16 September 1950 at the Besançon Festival in France. Despite severe illness and a high fever, he gave superb performances of Bach's Partita No. 1 in B-flat major, Mozart's A minor Sonata, K. 310, Schubert's G-flat major and E-flat major Impromptus, Op. 90, and thirteen of the fourteen Chopin Waltzes which he played in his own integral order. Coming to the last one, No. 2 in A-flat, he found he was too exhausted to play it and he offered instead _Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring_, the piece with which he had begun his professional career only fifteen years before. He died less than 3 months later in Geneva aged 33, from a burst abscess on his one lung."
> 
> Unfortunately the recording engineer decided not to record the performance of _Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring_. If he had, this album would've been just unbelievable.


Given the OP, it’s interesting that the best Lipatti recordings are considered to be those at the EMI Abbey Road studios in ‘47 and ‘48.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

DaveM said:


> Given the OP, it’s interesting that the best Lipatti recordings are considered to be those at the EMI Abbey Road studios in ‘47 and ‘48.



Do you enjoy them?


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Do you enjoy them?


I haven’t heard them. I only know about these recordings because Lipatti has been discussed for years. Generally, I don’t listen to mono recordings and sadly, Lipatti died before the stereo era.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

DaveM said:


> I haven’t heard them. I only know about these recordings because Lipatti has been discussed for years. Generally, I don’t listen to mono recordings and sadly, Lipatti died before the stereo era.


I see. I listened to the full show, it was fantastic.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I tend to prefer mono recordings, it just feels like you can actually hear technique better with them.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

*The Abbey Road of Classical Albums?*

Not sure a comparison between the Fab Four and the Three B's (and others of their ilk) proves definitive in any sort of way ...










but maybe _this_ comes close?










By the way, the above album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Milestone in recording .


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Rogerx said:


> Millstone in recording .


Do you mean milestone?


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Roger Knox said:


> Do you mean milestone?


 You are more awake the I am.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Of all of the estimable version of this song cycle, Netania Devrath’s recording holds pride of place; she seems to embody the songs like no other soprano.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

jegreenwood said:


> I don’t have Apple Music, but in Tidal I typed in Trout Schubert Marlboro, and it came up.


It's fabulous.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

In the realm of opera, this recording of Puccini’s *Tosca *holds the highest mark, due to its cast (Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi) and its conductor, Victor de Sabata. It was selected as the best operatic recording of all time by The New York Times. While I I might have a soft spot for *Der Ring des Nibelungen *conducted by Georg Solti on Decca, I cannot deny The NY Times’s choice nor the merits of the artists and the recording which sounds splendid even in the original sumptuous mono. It is by far EMI’s and Callas’s best mono recording made by Walter Legge and his team.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

I nominate this *Stravinsky* album has having one of the best flows (from one work to the next) that I've ever heard:


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Dennis Brain's Mozart horn concertos.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Animal the Drummer said:


> Dennis Brain's Mozart horn concertos.


very nice


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I think these are great, comes up in almost everyone's favourite.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Rogerx said:


> I think these are great, comes up in almost everyone's favourite.


I just put on your Lipatti Chopin pick. Are there any great modern Artists on the level of past titans?


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Samson François- Chopin = Gold


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Neo Romanza said:


> I nominate this *Stravinsky* album has having one of the best flows (from one work to the next) that I've ever heard:


Even better if _Agon_ were included (maybe on CD - 82+ minutes total seems doable these days). Three ballets on Greek themes.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

By your definition, the "Abbey Road" of Beatles albums would've been""Sgt. Pepper."


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Early Buchbinder showing his stuff


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## John O (Jan 16, 2021)

Captainnumber36 said:


> What are some great artistic classical albums that are real statements and have great flow? Do these really exist?
> 
> I think it would be a really neat idea to explore.


Surely nearly any famous symphony, concerto ,chamber piece or song cycle that is 35-60 minutes long (traditional LP length would fit the bill - they were written to flow from movement to movement.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Harnoncourt's recording of the last three Symphonies by Mozart.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

John O said:


> Surely nearly any famous symphony, concerto ,chamber piece or song cycle that is 35-60 minutes long (traditional LP length would fit the bill - they were written to flow from movement to movement.


There is still the issue of being an inspired recording however.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

MarkW said:


> By your definition, the "Abbey Road" of Beatles albums would've been""Sgt. Pepper."


Two of my favorites by the beatles, no doubt.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Add in Mystery Tour and those are my favorites by them.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

So far, the Elgar has been my favorite. And actually, really my favorite Beatles album is just MMT, it's their most creative imo.


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Great performances of all 4, of which I think 38 is the most essential of all.


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## Agamenon (Apr 22, 2019)

3 runners up:

1. Argerich: Debut Recital. DG.
2. Pollini: Beethoven. Last piano sonatas. DG.
3. Karajan: Strauss. Tod und Verklärung /Last 4 songs. DG.


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## Ulfilas (Mar 5, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> What are some great artistic classical albums that are real statements and have great flow? Do these really exist?
> 
> I think it would be a really neat idea to explore.


I would say that the definition of great classical music is that it has "flow", in the sense that structure and form are very important for long-range musical thinking.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

jegreenwood said:


> Even better if _Agon_ were included (maybe on CD - 82+ minutes total seems doable these days). Three ballets on Greek themes.


It's great just like it is. The performances are also incredibly special, but, most of all, beautiful. Stravinsky may have not have had the best conducting technique, but the orchestra performs marvelously for him, so he must have done something right on the podium.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

MAS said:


> In the realm of opera, this recording of Puccini’s *Tosca *holds the highest mark, due to its cast (Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi) and its conductor, Victor de Sabata. It was selected as the best operatic recording of all time by The New York Times. While I I might have a soft spot for *Der Ring des Nibelungen *conducted by Georg Solti on Decca, I cannot deny The NY Times’s choice nor the merits of the artists and the recording which sounds splendid even in the original sumptuous mono. It is by far EMI’s and Callas’s best mono recording made by Walter Legge and his team.
> 
> View attachment 169497


I could make my own post, but this just may be my choice as well. The performance is astoundingly good, with not a weak link in the whole cast.


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## BrunoSchindler (Nov 13, 2021)

I certainly enjoy the discussion, albeit I am mostly in to operas...that being said one of my classical favorites is Beethoven: Symphony No 6 Pastoral; Schubert Symphony No 5 - Karl Böhm [1971] conducting!


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## geralmar (Feb 15, 2013)

Doesn't float my boat; but would be mentioned eventually:


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## Rieslingfan (10 mo ago)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Add in Mystery Tour and those are my favorites by them.


Really? I mean really? Yes there are a couple of timeless songs on Mystery Tour, but on the whole…


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## Wigmar (8 mo ago)

Captainnumber36 said:


> What are some great artistic classical albums that are real statements and have great flow? Do these really exist?
> 
> I think it would be a really neat idea to explore.


Segovia, Andres (gtr) 
'Granada' 
Aguado, Sor, Ponce, Albeniz, Granados
Decca DL 710063
recorded 1962, issued 3/1963
Reissued MCA 1968 (1970)


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