# CDs to buy



## Gustav (Aug 29, 2005)

My recommendations, don't ask me why I recommend these CDs, I obviously enjoyed them greatly, and I hope you will too.


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

With regard to the _Gould_berg Variations, I have the "State of Wonder" set in my sights, although I'm not sure when it'll be in my CD player.


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

Oh, Kleiber's Beethoven. You should hear his fifth.


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

Rondo said:


> Oh, Kleiber's Beethoven. You should hear his fifth.


My only quibble with that recording: the break, however small, between movts. 3 and 4. There should be a rule that movts. 3 and 4 of Beethoven's 5th and 9th* symphonies (and some others works such as concerti) should never be provided as separate tracks. It really spoils a good listening session sometimes.

*EDIT: What I meant to say was that the 4th movement should not be split.


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## anon2k2 (Dec 18, 2007)

Wow, we must have similar tastes: I have all these recordings except the Balalaika music. I think Sinopoli's readings of Mahler are very underappreciated. I have his 5th and 6th as well.

And while I don't have the Balalaika CD, a have an actual Balalaika: my mother learned to play one as a youngster and she taught me a bit as well.


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## Gustav (Aug 29, 2005)

anon2k2 said:


> And while I don't have the Balalaika CD, a have an actual Balalaika: my mother learned to play one as a youngster and she taught me a bit as well.


The thing about this particular CD (which you can get easily from Amazon for very cheap) has simply the most magnificent sound ever! I wasn't even that into Russian folk music before, but that recording defintely changed my mind about it.


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## Gustav (Aug 29, 2005)

Rondo said:


> Oh, Kleiber's Beethoven. You should hear his fifth.


I have, i think i have all of his Beethoven symphonies.

The CDs here are not simply the CDs i own, but they are the "interesting" ones, out of my collection, i find myself listening to these CDs repeately, to just demonstrate how "good" they are.


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## Gustav (Aug 29, 2005)

opus67 said:


> With regard to the _Gould_berg Variations, I have the "State of Wonder" set in my sights, although I'm not sure when it'll be in my CD player.


Well, it's selling on Amazon for quite a cheap price, the sooner you get it the better, since it might be bought by other lurking members out there who has just read this thread. The bottomline is, I picked these not just becasue they are wonderful/interesting intepretations, but also they were captured in great sound. So, get it while you can, some of them are probably out of print, like the Sinopoli Mahler's 3rd, which "Suprised" me, because it sounded so good.


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## BuddhaBandit (Dec 31, 2007)

Well let's see...

I've heard Bychkov's "Hero's Life", but I must check out the Metamorphosen (I own Dohnányi's recording).

I now want to check out Dorati's Dvorak, as I think he's a great conductor (although I do like Sir Colin's Dvorak)

The Glenn Gould Goldberg is one of my favorite recordings... ever.

I own Kleiber's Beethoven 5th and 7th (apparently one of Rondo's beloved recordings ), but I want to check out the 4th, now.

Both the Mahler 3rd and Balalaika look interesting... I find the 3rd too sprawling at points, but I'll give Gustav's rec a try.

Note: Mercury Living Presence is, in my opinion, one of the best series for under-the-radar recordings, especially for 20th century composers (Berg and Webern are fairly well represented).


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## Gustav (Aug 29, 2005)

BuddhaBandit said:


> Well let's see...
> 
> I've heard Bychkov's "Hero's Life", but I must check out the Metamorphosen (I own Dohnányi's recording).


Obviously, hearing a live performance would be the ideal choice. But, What Bychkov does in this Heldenleben is pretty special, you should get it regardless of how many live Bychkov concerts you have attended. I have also listened to other Heldelebens, the Reiner/CSO, Karajan/BP, Kempe/SD. but, for some reason Bychkov/WDR impresses me the most, as for exactly what interests me so much, i have yet to be able to define it, i might though, someday.



BuddhaBandit said:


> I now want to check out Dorati's Dvorak, as I think he's a great conductor (although I do like Sir Colin's Dvorak)


I pick this one because of the sound, i have heard plenty of Dvorak 7/8 symphonies, but none really can compare with the MLP sound, and not all MPL are that great mind you. But, this one is GREAT, and get it while you can. (it might be out of print)



BuddhaBandit said:


> I own Kleiber's Beethoven 5th and 7th (apparently one of Rondo's beloved recordings ), but I want to check out the 4th, now.


The spontaneous playing and fantastic energy exhibited in this Beethoven 4th is peerless, even though this is a LIVE recording. The stage noise and tape hiss are minimal. I especially like how wide his dynamic range is, just listen to the opening few bars, and you'd probably turn the volume nob way up (it's so quiet and barely audible), but when the main theme is about to emerge, Kleiber turns on the volume, and gave you all he got. Amazing performance, I don't even know what i can say to praise this recording anymore, i am simply running out of words!



BuddhaBandit said:


> The Glenn Gould Goldberg is one of my favorite recordings... ever.


of the many Bach recordings Glenn Gould has done, i pick this, why? Well, people often complain about Gould's eccentric approach, mainly the "Singing" "humming", and general madness... but there is absolutely NONE in this recording, so you can get 100% Gould's mastery of Bach without the noise that people find so distracting.



BuddhaBandit said:


> Both the Mahler 3rd and Balalaika look interesting... I find the 3rd too sprawling at points, but I'll give Gustav's rec a try.


There interesting alright, both were recorded in excellent sound. The 3rd is the ONLY Mahler symphony i have come back to after many years of listening his symphonies.



BuddhaBandit said:


> Note: Mercury Living Presence is, in my opinion, one of the best series for under-the-radar recordings, especially for 20th century composers (Berg and Webern are fairly well represented).


Under the radar, because most recordings are out of print, but recently they released a series of hybrid SACDs, which brought back some excellent recordings, but still not enough for me though.


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## Gustel (Apr 14, 2008)

Okay, CDs to buy Part II

Bruckner Symphonies


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## Gustel (Apr 14, 2008)




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## Gustel (Apr 14, 2008)




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## dukas (Mar 23, 2008)

For Bruckner, just buy one of his two complete regular 9 Symphonies on DG or EMI.


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