# The most exciting recordings you have heard



## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

It can be from a symphony orchestra, a solo artist, quartet etc as long as the performance is really really exciting. I want to list a few of my own and you’re all welcome to share your own lists.
Beethoven symphony no. 2: Beecham
Sibelius violin concerto: Heifetz
Brahms symphony no. 2: Walter (NYPO)


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## Monsalvat (11 mo ago)

Boulez's _Rite of Spring_ got my blood going, and I'm not usually a huge fan of Stravinsky. (I don't dislike it but don't usually feel compelled to seek his music out, either).

And there's this: 




One recording that is exciting for non-musical reasons is the stereo recording of the _Emperor_ concerto made with Walter Gieseking and Artur Rother conducting the Großer Berliner Rundfunk Orchester in 1944. It's exciting because you can hear anti-aircraft fire in the background during quieter passages.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

These came immediately to my mind:

Holst's _The Planets_ with Steinberg/Boston Symphony Orchestra (1971);
Vivaldi's concertos in minor modes from his _L'Estro Armonico_ with Pinnock/The English Concert (1987);
Bach's harpsichord concertos in minor modes with Muller-Bruhl/The Cologne Chamber Orchestra (1999);
Beethoven's _Kreutzer_ sonata with Perlman and Ashkenazy (1981);
Mendelssohn's violin concerto with Vengerov/Masur/Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (1993);
Rachmaninoff's piano concerto No. 2 with Bernstein/Graffman/New York Philharmonic (1985);
Beethoven's _Eroica_ with Bernstein/New York Philharmonic (1964).
*Beethoven - Kreutzer and Spring sonatas - Perlman and Ashkenazy:*


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

Since the late 1990s, I've owned for about 25 years versions of _Oiseaux exotiques_ by Olivier Messiaen on the Montaigne label, Koch Schwann & CBS Records.
When I listened in earnest to this Caprice CD a couple of years ago, though, it was as if I was hearing this opus for the first time such was its interpretation by Swedish scholastic ensembles [Kroumata, Omnibus & Falu].
Everything alligned ideally and all seemed to be 'just right'. Impressive sonic quality, too, for being recorded in a high school.










My example is perhaps more specific than the OP probably intended, but this is the first item to come into my mind.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Mahler - Symphony no 8 on Decca, love or load the conductor but the recording is outstanding.
Sibelius -Symphonies, Vanska Minnesota orchestra .
Puccini: Turandot - Zubin Metha ( Sutherland and Pavarotti in the lead)
Pavel Haas quartet, all they recorded is outstanding. 
The Doric string quartets by Haydn , out of this world.


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## Abdel ove Allhan (Jun 19, 2014)

The complete Opus 6 Concerti Grossi of George Frideric Handel as performed by Andrew Manze and the Academy of Ancient Music. I have always loved these works and had devoured many recordings of the Op.6 as well as the Op.3 Concerti Grossi for the last 40 odd years. Marriner, Leppard, Hogwood, etc. (I don't count the Germans, apparently Handel eludes them). I thought I knew these works completely. After hearing Andrew Manze's recreation of them it is as if the previous recordings had held back some divine secret that Manze finally reveals to the world. Treasures of unimaginable wealth, movements that I had previously thought, in my ignorance, to be somewhat longish, I now crave with an addicts lust. Handel's humanity, drama, pathos, grandeur, humor and compositional/contrapuntal chops gush forth from Manze's 13 strings and two continuo players with an incomparable dash, musicianship and élan. These performances have convinced me that Handel's Opus 12 are the crown jewels of the Baroque.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Emperor Concerto - Glenn Gould and Stokowski. Bonkers but extremely exciting. 😎


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## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

Cristobal de Morales: Missa pro defunctis Gabrieli Consort-McCreesh
Bach: WTC Richter
Beethoven: SQ op 130, Prazak Qt
Schumann: Fantasia Pollini
Brahms: Clarinet Quintet, Moragues-Prazak Qt
Wagner: Tristan C.Kleiber-Staatskapelle Dresden
Mahler: Kindertotenlieder J.Norman
Mahler: Symphony 9, Karajan-BPO
Bartok: Music for strings, percussion and celesta, Reiner-Chicago SO
Reich: Music for 18 Musicians, Ensemble Modern
Haas: In Vain Klangforum Wien-Cambreling
Martinaityte: Sielunmaisema Lithuanian State SO-Variakojis


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Abdel ove Allhan said:


> The complete Opus 6 Concerti Grossi of George Frideric Handel as performed by Andrew Manze and the Academy of Ancient Music. I have always loved these works and had devoured many recordings of the Op.6 as well as the Op.3 Concerti Grossi for the last 40 odd years. Marriner, Leppard, Hogwood, etc. (I don't count the Germans, apparently Handel eludes them). I thought I knew these works completely. After hearing Andrew Manze's recreation of them it is as if the previous recordings had held back some divine secret that Manze finally reveals to the world. Treasures of unimaginable wealth, movements that I had previously thought, in my ignorance, to be somewhat longish, I now crave with an addicts lust. Handel's humanity, drama, pathos, grandeur, humor and compositional/contrapuntal chops gush forth from Manze's 13 strings and two continuo players with an incomparable dash, musicianship and élan. These performances have convinced me that Handel's Opus 12 are the crown jewels of the Baroque.


You describe the recording so in detail I’m absolutely convinced. I’ll give the piece a listen, I have never heard it. Now I know which recording I’ll be listening to


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

The Manze Handel op.6 is very good and I would not disrecommend it but I find it too fast, light and chamber-like. It's a valid and fresh (especially >20 years ago when it came out) approach but I think it is clearly lacking in grandeur.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Horowitz/Barbirolli/NYPO in the Rach 3rd






Horenstein’s Mahler 8






1942 Furtwängler/BPO Beethoven 9th






And I’ll also add Victor De Sabata’s Verdi Requiem/Tosca with Callas, as well as Toscanini’s Respighi Pines of Rome.


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## Abdel ove Allhan (Jun 19, 2014)

Kreisler jr said:


> The Manze Handel op.6 is very good and I would not disrecommend it but I find it too fast, light and chamber-like. It's a valid and fresh (especially >20 years ago when it came out) approach but I think it is clearly lacking in grandeur.


You don't need 1,000 players to evoke grandeur. It can be done with a soloist. It's about attitude, relative dynamics and emphasis. In other words, musicianship. Great musicians turn notes on paper into a living thing. Every time I listen to this recording it sounds fresh and new...and alive. Handel, like no other composer brings life to music. Maybe my parenthesis hit a nerve.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

No, you don't need 100 players but you need to play not everything so light and fast that there is hardly any difference in volume/weight between concertino and tutti etc. I agreed that it is a very good recording but I don't see how anyone could deny that it is light and chamber-like.
What nerve and why do you get personal (and why the provocative parenthesis in the first place)? I am not even aware of a famous German recording of these pieces. My favorite is Harnoncourt's but I would not recommend this as a first choice for beginners because it is a bit strange at times. But even Hogwood (probably my choice for a "central" recording) has more weight than Manze although the latter has more verve and drive.


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

Brendel playing the last Schubert Sonatas! There is just so much colour and finesse and musicality to the pianism! Absolutely amazing.









When it comes to recordings with symphony orchestras, it is harder for me to point recordings above everything else.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## Montarsolo (5 mo ago)

A very interesting topic!

A recording I recently got to know also belongs in this list. Dvorak 9 by Kondrashin.










And this is an epic recording. La folia by Gregorio Paniagua. A recording from 1980. It is recommended to test hi-fi sets.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)




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## Tarneem (Jan 3, 2022)

Bernstein's last concert with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducting Beethoven's 7th! God bless his soul


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## verandai (Dec 10, 2021)

This recording below really inspires me! I'm not talking about the video or audio quality, but about the thrilling experience the performance in the concert must have been!


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## feierlich (3 mo ago)

This Brahms 4 by Mravinsky during Leningrad Philharmonic's tour to Hungary just blows me away every time I listen to it.




Also his _Oberon_ Overture, simply the best.




Manfred Honeck's rendition of Strauss' _Rosenkavalier_ Suite is another unsurpassable performance.


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## 13hm13 (Oct 31, 2016)

The whole CD!


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

There are an inordinate amount of recordings that are exciting to me, but this one springs to mind rather immediately:


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## fbjim (Mar 8, 2021)

This Earl Wild/Pops recording of the Gershwin Concerto in F.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Dvorak: Symphony No. 7 with Monteux and the London Symphony Orchestra


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## phyared (May 27, 2012)

Right now, Scarlatti sonatas played by Joseph Petric on the accordion. Some are simply magical


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## feierlich (3 mo ago)

phyared said:


> Right now, Scarlatti sonatas played by Joseph Petric on the accordion. Some are simply magical


This reminds me of Soler's _Fandango_ played by Bertrand Cuiller: 



It's indeed magical to me


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

A couple that come to mind are:

Boulez conducting The Cleveland Orchestra - The Rite of Spring. (1982)

This recording puts me at the edge of my seat every time. It captures the power and violence of he piece very well.

Solti conducing the LSO - Bartok, Concerto for Orchestra


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## phyared (May 27, 2012)

feierlich said:


> This reminds me of Soler's _Fandango_ played by Bertrand Cuiller:
> 
> 
> 
> It's indeed magical to me


Excellent if a bit on the fast side


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

No.3 conducted by Lintu


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## Montarsolo (5 mo ago)

Simon Moon said:


> A couple that come to mind are:
> 
> Boulez conducting The Cleveland Orchestra - The Rite of Spring. (1982)


I have bought this CD this week in a thrift store. I saw the CD and remembered your comment so bought the CD. Sounds very good indeed!


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

These two must be amongst the most exciting and definite recordings I have heard.

*Mahler: 3rd Symphony (Haitink/Concertgebouw)*
This is Mahler at his very best, and if you ask me, the symphony could not be performed better than by Haitink and the Concertgebouw. For once all the orchestral colours and textures can be heard and really shine! Every gesture makes sense, everything is in right proportions. Nobody else could have composed this symphony so this is Mahler also at his most unique.










*Sibelius: 6th Symphony (Berglund/Bournemouth)*
Just like with the Mahler, this is the best possible interpretation of Sibelius´ 6th Symphony. With this recording the middle movements for once are weighty enough and not just mere unconvincing interludes. And like the 3rd by Mahler, this is Sibelius at his most unique. Nobody else could have composed a symphony like this.










The 3rd by Mahler and the 6th by Sibelius are as far from each other as symphonies as two standard repertoire symphonies can be. Just proving that it is a genre of absolute artistic and musical freedom and expression.


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