# Choose a composer you like and list ten of your favorite recordings of his music.



## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

It can be any composer, of any period or country, famous or not, as long that you genuinely like his music. There can be more than one recording of the same piece, but I suggest a maximum of three for the sake of diversity. The selected recordings does not need to be popular nor famous but must be amongst your personal favorites for the chosen composer. Your list can be ranked, but this is not required.

I've been thinking about making this thread for a while, and expect to discover a lot of great performances (and music!) from it. :tiphat:


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Other than Mozart, the composer I'm most familiar with is probably Bartok. These are my favourite recordings

Concerto for Orchestra - Royal Philharmonic, Rafael Kubelik
String Quartets 4 and 5 - Takacs Quartet
Mikrokosmos - Georg Sandor
Piano Concertos - Stephen Kovacevich, Colin Davis
Miraculous Mandarin and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta - Charles Dutoit
Violin Concerto 2 - Kyung Wha Chung, Georg Solti
Concerto for Orchestra and Music for strings, percussion and celesta - Fritz Reiner
Violin Sonata - Menuhin
Concerto for 2 pianos - Argerich, Zinman
Bartok plays Bartok - Naxos


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

Britten for me...

War Requiem...his own recording.
Violin Concerto..ditto.
Spring Symphony.....ditto
The Prince of the Pagodas...Knussen/London Sinfonietta
St Nicholas....Willcocks/Kings College/St Martins
The String 4tets...Endellion quartet
Phaedra..Britten/ Janet Baker
Cello Symphony...Britten/Rostropovich
Winter Words.... Robert Tear
Les Illuminations...Britten
Sinfonia da Requiem....Britten

Sorry that's 11 recordings OP...I could have gone on...


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Hmmm... I've chosen one of my favourite composers, and in the spirit but not the letter of the OP, I'll list my 10 favourite recordings of _her_ music!

The composer in question is Julia Wolfe, and it's quite easy to select favourite recordings because there aren't very many compared with the better-known names. So consider this list to be a handy introduction to Wolfe's music, too.

Her trilogy of vocal works that make up a homage to American workers:
Steel Hammer (a look at the John Henry story) - Trio Medieval & Bang On A Can All-Stars
Anthracite Fields (coal miners) - Trinity Wall Street Choir & Bang On A Can All-Stars
Fire In My Mouth (the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire) - The Crossing & New York Philharmonic/Jaap van Zweden

Three other all-Wolfe albums:
Cruel Sister / Fuel - Ensemble Resonanz
Dark Full Ride / Lad / My lips from speaking / Stronghold - various artists
The String Quartets - Ethel, Cassatt Quartet, Lark Quartet

And four other pieces:
Lick - Bang On A Can All-Stars (album: "Bang On A Can Classics")
Big Beautiful Dark and Scary - Bang On A Can All-Stars (album: "Big Beautiful Dark and Scary")
Reeling - Bang On A Can All-Stars (album: "Field Recordings")
Emunah - Maya Beiser (album: "TranceClassical")


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

mikeh375 said:


> Britten for me...
> 
> War Requiem...his own recording.
> Violin Concerto..ditto.
> ...


I'd like to like your post, but Britten is a composer I couldn't warm up to. I find his music slow and bland. His Guide to the Orchestra and Ceremony of Carols are the only things that I find more stimulating.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Jacques Ibert

*Escales*, Stokowski & "His" Orchestra (1950)

*Escales* & *Les Amours de Jupiter*, the composer conducting National Opera Theater of Paris

*Divertissement*, *Hommage A' Mozart & Bacchanalle*, Charles Dutoit conducting Montreal Symphony Orchestra

*Suite Symphonique "Paris"*, Artur Winograd conducting MGM Chamber Orchestra

*Symphonies Concertante for Oboe and Strings*, David Walter oboe, Jean-Walter Audoli Ensemble

*Flute Concerto*, Emmanuel Pahud flute, David Zinman conducting Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich

*Cello Concerto*, James Kreger cello, Harmonie Ensemble New York

*Elizabethan Suite* & *Capriccio*, Manhattan Chamber Ensemble

*Concerto de Camera for Alto Saxophone*, Danielle Gremere alto sax, Ensemble Erwartung

*Trois pièces brèves*, students of Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen


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## MrMeatScience (Feb 15, 2015)

Mahler

Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit -- Barenboim/DFD
Symphony No. 1 -- Kubelik/BRSO
Symphony No. 2 -- Mehta/WPO
Symphony No. 3 -- Haitink/BRSO (2017)
Symphony No. 4 -- Mengelberg/RCO
Symphony No. 5 (Mvt. IV only) -- Mengelberg/RCO
Symphony No. 6 -- Tilson Thomas/SFSO
Das Lied von der Erde -- Walter/WPO
Symphony No. 9 -- Karajan/BPO (studio)
Symphony No. 10 -- Chailly/RSO Berlin

I could go on, but these are recordings that I really wouldn't want to have to live without.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Okay, at the risk of being passe, it's Beethoven

== Missa Solemnis (Klemperer)
== Eroica (Toscanini 1949)
-- Eighth Symphony (Schmidt-Isserstedt)
-- Fourth Piano Cto. (Schnabel/Stocl/CSO)
-- Quartet, Opis 127 (Yale Quartet)
-- Piano Sonata Opus 111 (Andrew Rangell)
-- Piano Sonata Opus 109 (first Brendel)
-- Leonoire Overture No. 3 (Sxhmidt-Isserstedt)
-- Symphony No 9 (Munch)
-- Quartet Op. 18 No. 5 (Guarneri)







==


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## sonance (Aug 20, 2018)

Needing some courage to make a plunge ...

Olivier Greif
- Sonate de Requiem (Emmanuelle Bertrand, cello; Pascal Amoyel, piano)
- Piano Trio (Emmanuelle Bertrand, cello; Pascal Amoyel, piano; Antje Weithaas, violin)
- Sonate de guerre (Pascal Amoyel, piano)
- Sonate "The Battle of Agincourt" (Patrick Langot and Agnès Vesterman, cellos)
- String Quartet no. 2 (with three sonnets by Shakespeare) (Alain Buet, baritone; Ensemble Syntonia)
- Cello Concerto (Henri Demarquette, cello; Orchestre National de France/Jean-Claude Casadesus)
- Violin Sonata no. 3 "The Meeting of the Waters" (Stéphanie Moraly, violin; Romain David, piano)
- "Le Tombeau de Ravel" (Olivier Greif and Henri Barda, piano four hands)
- String Quartet no. 4 "Ulysses" (Ensemble Syntonia)
- Veni Creator (for cello and piano)*
[*until now I know only the YouTube video with the performance by Dominique de Williencourt, cello; Emile Naoumoff, piano; but I've ordered the only available recording of this work with other musicians - I hope it will be as good as the performance mentioned above]

There's one other work by Olivier Greif, to which I have listened maybe three or four times via YouTube and which has left a deep impression. It's called "Lettres de Westerbork" for female voice and two violins. I can't listen to it often.





Philippe Hersant
- Violin Concerto (Augustin Dumay, violin; Orchestre National de France/Jonathan Darlington)
- "Streams" (Alice Ader, piano; Orchestre Symphonique de la Radio Danoise/Thomas Dausgaard)
- Cello Concerto no. 2 (Cyril Tricoire, cello; Orchestre National de Montpellier/Juraj Valčuha)
- "Heathcliff" (Orchestral Suite from the Ballet "Wuthering Heights") (Christophe Tellard, hurdy gurdy; Orchestre National de Montpellier/Daniel Kawka)
- Pavane pour alto solo (Pierre-Henri Xuereb, viola)
- "Im fremden Land" (Jérôme Comte, clarinet; Alice Ader, piano; Quatuor Renoir [string quartet])
- "Chants du Sud" (Hélène Collerette, violin)
- Onze Caprices (Maryse Castello and Mi-sung Kim, cellos)
- Choral (Isabelle Moretti, harp; Henri Demarquette, cello)
- Cello Concerto no. 1 (Siegfried Palm, cello; Ensemble Alternance/Arturo Tamayo)
- Trio (Variations sur "La sonnerie de Sainte-Geneviève-du-Mont" de Marin Marais) (Pierre Colombet, violin; Raphaël Merlin, cello; Johan Farjot, piano)

and the viola concerto "Musical Humors". The only recording on CD is out of print. But on YouTube there's a fine performance by Gérard Caussé, viola; Ensemble Appassionata/Mathieu Herzog:





And now for something more mainstream:

Franz Schubert
- Symphony "Unfinished" (Royal Concertgebouw/Nikolaus Harnoncourt)
- Piano Trio no. 1 (La Gaia Scienza)
- Piano Trio no. 2 (La Gaia Scienza)
- Arpeggione (Leonid Gorokhov, cello; Nikolai Demidenko, piano)
- "Gesang der Geister über den Wassern" (Norske Solistkor, CD)*
*but also the live performance on YouTube: 



- "Winterreise" (Christoph Prégardien, tenor; Andreas Staier, fortepiano)
- Divertissement à la Hongroise (Andreas Staier and Alexei Lubimov, fortepiano)
- String Quartet "Death and the Maiden" (Leipziger Streichquartett)
- Sonata D. 894 (Andreas Staier, fortepiano)
- Fantasie D. 934 (Andras Schiff, piano; Yuuko Shiokawa, violin)

Allerius - Do you intend to give some feedback? That would be great. And would you welcome more composers who are most likely seldom heard?


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

sonance said:


> Allerius - Do you intend to give some feedback? That would be great. And would you welcome more composers who are most likely seldom heard?


Feedback? Well, perhaps I could start a game using the answers from here. It could be interesting I think. About the composers: yes, of course, any composer is allowed as long that you like his/her music.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Yay, what an ocean of great answers! Thanks all. :tiphat:


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Ligeti:

Violin Concerto
Piano Concerto
Sonata for solo cello
Double concerto
Cello Concerto
Chamber Concerto
Lontano
Atmospheres
Melodien
Mysteries of the Macabre

All from the Ligeti Project on Teldec


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## Dirge (Apr 10, 2012)

Domenico SCARLATTI (1685-1757)

Nine keyboard sonatas and a fugue …

K. 27 in B minor • Meyer [Les Discophiles français '55]





K. 87 in B minor • Bonaventura [Connoisseur Society '72]





K. 197 in B minor • Horowitz [Columbia '64]





K. 208 in A major • Katin [Claudio '85]





K. 238 in F minor • Katin [Claudio '85]





K. 239 in F minor • Tharaud [Virgin '10]





K. 380 in E major • Landowska [HMV '34]




_played on Landowska's (in)famous Pleyel harpsichord_

K. 417 in D minor • Bonaventura [Connoisseur Society '72]




_fugue_

K. 466 in F minor • Horowitz [Columbia '64]





K. 481 in F minor • Horowitz [Columbia '64]


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## lele23 (Sep 1, 2016)

Haydn

1. The Creation by Dorati, Popp
2. The Seven Last Words by Equilbey, Piau
3. The Seasons by Jacobs, Petersen
4. Il ritorno di Tobia by Spering, Invernizzi, Karthäuser
5. Symphonies 'Sturm und drang', 'Paris', 'London' by Bruggen
6. String Quartets by Kodaly Quartet
7. Piano Trios by Trio Eisenstadt
8. 11 Piano Sonatas by Brendel
9. Cello Concertos by Weilerstein
10. Trumpet Concerto by Helseth


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I like Edison Denisov so I'm a Denisovan  ...not so many recordings easily available.
Guitar sonata
Flute/Guitar sonata
Guitar Concerto
Three Paintings by Paul Klee
4 Pieces for Flute/Piano
Concerto for 2 Violas, Harpsicord and strings
Variations on Bach Choral "Es ist genug" for Viola and Strings
Au plus haut de cieux for Soprano and Chamber orchestra
Viola or Saxophone Concerto (same concerto)
Chamber Symphony no. 1


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> I like Edison Denisov so I'm a Denisovan  ...not so many recordings easily available.
> Guitar sonata
> Flute/Guitar sonata
> Guitar Concerto
> ...


Looks good.  Could you please provide a recommendation of performance for each of these works?


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Symphony #1 'Sea' - Halle / Mark Elder
Symphony #2 'London' (original 1913 version) - London Symph. / Richard Hickox
Symphony #5 - Royal Liverpool Phil. / Vernon Handley
Symphony #8 - Halle / John Barbirolli 
Sir John in Love - Northern Sinfonia / Richard Hickox
Tallis Fantasia - Sinfonia of London / John Barbirolli
Five Tudor Portraits - New Philharmonia / David Willcocks
Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus - The Jacques Orch. / David Willcocks
Piano Concerto (original 1 piano version) - Howard Shelley / London Symph. / Bryden Thomson
Job - A Masque for Dancing - Bergen Phil. / Andrew Davis

- and a few more that could easily be in the top 10 -
Symphony #6 - Bavarian Radio Symph. / John Barbirolli
Partita for Double String Orhcestra - Bergen Phil. / Andrew Davis
The Wasps - Aristophanic Suite - London Phil. / Adrian Boult


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Franz Schmidt

1. Symphony no. 1 - Neeme Jarvi/Detroit Symphony (Chandos)
2. Symphony no. 2 - Neeme Jarvi/Chicago Symphony (Chandos)
3. Symphony no. 3 - Libor Pesek/Slovak Philharmonic (Supraphon)
4. Symphony no. 4 - Zubin Mehta/Vienna Philharmonic (Decca)
5. Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln - Anton Lippe/Munich Philharmonic (Amadeo)
6. Notre Dame - Christof Perick/RSO Berlin (Capriccio)
7. Quintets nos. 1 & 2 - (Orfeo)
8. Beethoven Variations/Piano Concerto - Oue, Becker/NDR Radiophilharmonic (CPO)
9. Quintet in A - Wiener Kammermusiker (Preiser)
10. Virtuoso Organ works - Binder (Motette)


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

starthrower said:


> Ligeti:
> 
> Violin Concerto
> Piano Concerto
> ...


Yeah, I sure could make an argument for those choices for Ligeti.

Elliott Carter:

Variations for Orchestra
Concerto for Orchestra
Piano Concerto
Violin Concerto
String Quartet 1
String Quartet 2
Three Illusions for Orchestra
Dialogues for piano and chamber orchestra 
The Minotaur
Three Occasions for Orchestra


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

The Denisovan answers the request 

Maybe the 10 pieces by Edison Denisov (1929-1996) that I have heard the most.

Guitar sonata (1981), Eduardo Fernandez last week 2019 on spotify

Flute/Guitar sonata (1977), Gro Sandvik/Stein-Erik Olsen (my former teacher!), 2010 on spotify

Guitar Concerto (1991), Reinbert Evers and Alexander Winterson directing on youtube w/score!

Three Paintings by Paul Klee (1985) for viola, odoe, horn, piano, vibraphone and double bass on Le Chant du Monde (1994) with Georgy Bezrukov directing (alongside Gubaidulina and Schnittke) good luck on finding it! (I found it here: classical-music-online.net)

4 Pieces for Flute/Piano (1977), Manuela Wiesler/Roland Pöntinen (1990) on BIS

Concerto for 2 Violas, Harpsicord and strings (1984), from Chamber Music (1991) on BIS

Variations on Bach Choral "Es ist genug" (1984) for Viola and Strings, from Chamber Music (1991) on BIS

Au plus haut de cieux (1987) for Soprano and Chamber orchestra, 2012 on Harmonia Mundi

Viola or Saxophone Concerto (same concerto) (1986), premiere with Yuri Bashmet on youtube, saxophone version 1995 on BIS with Claude Delangle/BBC Wales, Tadaaki Otaka.

Chamber Symphony no. 1 (1982), 2012 on Harmonia Mundi


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## Hermastersvoice (Oct 15, 2018)

What’s the purpose of this exercise? Spent 10 min reading these preferences. Not one iota wiser as to why.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Hermastersvoice said:


> What's the purpose of this exercise? Spent 10 min reading these preferences. Not one iota wiser as to why.


I found out when the pieces were written which confirms my belief that the 80's were great!


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Hermastersvoice said:


> What's the purpose of this exercise? Spent 10 min reading these preferences. Not one iota wiser as to why.


All you have to do is not click on threads you don't find appealing. By the way, the purpose could well be different for each participant.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Hermastersvoice said:


> What's the purpose of this exercise? Spent 10 min reading these preferences. Not one iota wiser as to why.


One purpose could be discovering interesting music withing interesting recordings. It sounds a valid reason to make a thread here to me.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Simon Moon said:


> Yeah, I sure could make an argument for those choices for Ligeti.
> 
> Elliott Carter:
> 
> ...


Nice list! Do you have preferences of recordings for these works?


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

Josquin Desprez--an introduction to his music, in 10 picks (well, actually 11):

I. Motets, sung by the Orlando Consort, on a CD that includes a number of my favorite motets by Josquin, such as "Inviolata, integra, et casta es Maria á 5" (my 1st pick here), and "La déploration de Johannes Ockeghem: Nymphes des bois á 5", which was composed upon the death of composer Johannes Ockeghem, who is thought to have been Josquin's teacher, & is rightly regarded as one of the giants in music history. This is the recording that I'd most recommend to listener's coming to Josquin's music for the first time, as I consider it an essential purchase in any good Josquin collection. It's also one of the finest recordings the Orlando Consort has given us to date:

--Inviolata, integra, et casta es Maria á 5:





Here is the full Orlando Consort CD on You Tube: 



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Josquin-De...orlando+consort+josquin&qid=1575657308&sr=8-1

II. Missa Gaudeamus, on a CD entitled, "Musica Symbolica" (which is explained in the excellent liner notes), sung by the Italian ensemble, De Labyrintho, led by Walter Testolin:

Missa Gaudeamus: 



Here's a link to the full album: 



.

This is another 'desert island' disc in my collection. I consider Josquin's Missa Gaudeamus to be one of the great masses of the Renaissance, and have long felt that it should be better known, which fortunately has been finally happening in recent years, with the release of two excellent recordings by De Labyrintho & The Tallis Scholars (though I didn't care quite as much for Ensemble Metamorphoses' recording). I'd place this music on the same level as Bach's Mass in B minor & Handel's Messiah, which I consider to be the two greatest choral works after the Renaissance, and in my view, Josquin's Missa Gaudeamus is arguably on an even higher plain.

III. Miserere mei Deus secundum, "Psalm 50": a motet that is considered to be one of the towering masterpieces of the Renaissance:

There are three excellent recordings of this work that are worth hearing (& owning, since all three are different). But, if pressed to rank them for the purpose of this thread, I might list them as follows:

1. De Labyrintho: 



2. Hilliard Ensemble: 



3. Capella Pratensis: 




In addition, here's a link to the full Hilliard album--"Motets & Chansons", which is another recommended purchase, since their approach to Josquin's music is more richly emotive than the Orlando Consort's (though not necessarily more moving): 




IV. "Qui habitat", a motet for 24 voices, sung by the Huelgas Ensemble, led by Paul Van Nevel, on a CD entitled "Utopia Triumphans". This pioneering, massively textured 24 part choral work (with a less complex polyphony due to the larger forces) is a precursor to Thomas Tallis' 40-part motet, "Spem in Alium", & other works like it:





https://www.amazon.com/Utopia-trium...opia+triumphans&qid=1575667187&s=music&sr=1-1

V. Missa Sine Nomine, The Tallis Scholars, led by Peter Philips. This is a late mass by Josquin, thought to be composed around 1504. From Wikipedia:

"The melodic material on which the mass is based, "Sine nomine" (without a name), is either freely composed or from a source which has not been identified. All voices take part in the numerous canons, and the texture is often fully imitative. The movements generally become fuller in texture with faster note values as they progress, giving each a dramatic curve, and several end with ostinato patterns.

The work is likely a tribute to Johannes Ockeghem, who may have been Josquin's teacher or mentor, according to the testimony of several 16th century writers as well as internal evidence in many of Josquin's compositions. Not only is the mass indebted to Ockeghem through its use of elaborate canonic techniques, its modal ambiguity, and its avoidance of head-motifs to unify sections, but it directly quotes the lament Josquin wrote on Ockeghem's death - Nymphes des bois - in the et incarnatus section of the Credo, a part of the mass that Josquin often reserved for his most striking textural contrasts or effects.

The unconstrained compositional methods that Josquin employed in writing this mass foreshadowed what was probably his next work, the Missa Pange lingua, which was an extended fantasy on a plainsong, and which was probably his last mass."

I don't think that I can articulate why, but for some reason this mass brings Bach's Art of the Fugue to mind, in parts, to the extent that I find myself wondering if Bach may have known this music and studied the score.





https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDGIM039
https://www.amazon.com/Josquin-Miss...+nomine+josquin&qid=1575670148&s=music&sr=1-1

VI. Missa Pange Lingua--Unfortunately, I don't have a favorite recording of Josquin's Missa Pange Linqua, as there hasn't been a great one to date, in my estimation; however, Ensemble Metamorphoses et Biscantor!'s performance is good: 



. So too is Ensemble Clément Janequin's performance: though they set the mass in a liturgical context, with plainchant & works by other composers mixed in, which I don't normally like, since at home or in my car I usually just want to hear Josquin's music. The following YT link includes only the mass itself: 



. Missa Pange Lingua is widely considered one of Josquin's greatest masses, if not his masterpiece.

VII. Stabat Mater dolorosa: I like two performances: (1) from Ensemble Jachet de Mantoue, and (2) from Capilla Flamenca, led by the late Dirk Snellings (which is included in the "Flemish Polyphony" Ricercar box set--see link below): 



. (Ensemble Jachet de Mantoue additionally includes Josquin's beautiful Magnificat on their Calliope CD, too--which regrettably is difficult to find these days at a reasonable price.)

https://www.amazon.com/Flemish-Poly...emish+polyphony&qid=1575670208&s=music&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Josquin-Desp...refix=Ensemble+jache,popular,173&sr=1-1-fkmr0

(A Sei Voci's performance of the Stabat Mater is decent, too--though I only like this group when they sing with fewer singers, & don't add a children's choir, etc.: 



. There's also a good larger choir version from La Chapelle Royale & Philippe Herreweghe: 



.)

Unfortunately, my first pick, Ensemble Jachet de Mantoue's Stabat Mater isn't on You Tube, but here's their "Ave verum corpus" from the same album, to give people a sample of their excellent singing style: 




VIII. Ave Maria ... Virgo Serena, a motet (& Missa Ave maris stella), sung by Weser-Renaissance, led by Manfred Cordes--which here included singers from the excellent group, Stimmwerck:

https://www.amazon.com/Missa-Maris-...JPQKHNACKG1&psc=1&refRID=M5D2QQN17JPQKHNACKG1

Since Weser-Renaissance's version isn't on You Tube, here's the Hilliard Ensemble singing Josquin's Ave Maria, which is another performance that I like very much: 




IX. Missa de Beata Virgine--My top pick for this mass is either The Tallis Scholars' recording, led by Peter Philips, or the recording by Ensemble Metamorphoses et Biscantor!, directed by Maurice Bourbon, but I'm undecided about which I like best:





https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J1PC4K8/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp

X. Missa L'homme armé super voces (and Missa L'homme armé sexti toni)--Again, the best recordings of these two related masses have come from Ensemble Metamorphoses & The Tallis Scholars:

Missa L'homme armé super voces: Kyrie (The Tallis Scholars): 



The full album: 




https://www.amazon.com/Josquin-Mess...morphoses&qid=1575661285&s=music&sr=1-2-fkmr0
https://www.amazon.com/LHomme-Arme-...ez+l'homme+arme&qid=1575661335&s=music&sr=1-1

However, I'm hoping that I Fagiolini & Robert Hollingsworth will record one or both masses, after their 'other worldly' (almost Ligeti-like!) performance of the Agnus Dei from the Sexti toni mass, on their recent album, "Shaping the Invisible", devoted to Leonardo da Vinci (who was most likely a friend of Josquin's): 




(Since I didn't get to Josquin's secular music in my top 10 picks, here are some more suggestions, if anyone's interested in exploring Josquin's output further:

XI. Chansons (various)--As chansons are shorter works, I'll include a small grouping of them for my 11th pick--which will be drawn from the following 5 albums listed below (in addition to the Hilliard Ensemble CD, "Motets & Chansons", linked above,):

1. The complete 3-part Secular Music, recorded in 1984 by the Medieval Ensemble of London, led by Peter & Timothy Davies. Unfortunately, this Davies brothers' recording has only ever been released on CD as part of l'Oiseau-lyre's Florilegium series, in a big 2016 box set entitled, "Medieval & Renaissance", and previously on LP in the 1985. Nor is any of it on You Tube:

https://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Ren...val+renaissance&qid=1575661573&s=music&sr=1-1
https://www.discogs.com/Josquin-Des...Timothy-Davies-Secular-Music/release/13525321

2. Three chansons: "Se Congie Prens", "Je me complains", & "Nymphes nappés/Circumdederunt me" (along with other chansons for 5 & 6 parts), performed by Ensemble Musica Nova, directed by Lucien Kandel:

https://www.allmusic.com/album/josquin-desprez-se-congie-prens-mw0002592620
https://www.amazon.com/Desprez-Cong...l+josquin&qid=1575661680&s=music&sr=1-1-fkmr1.

Unfortunately, Ensemble Nova's performance of "Se Congie Prens" isn't on YT, but here it is sung by Ensemble Gilles Binchois, led by Dominique Vellard, who are just as good, if not better: 




Likewise, here is "Je me complains" sung by the Hilliard Ensemble: 




Lastly, here is Josquin's "Nymphes nappés/Circumdederunt me", performed by Capella de la Torre: 



, plus two very different interpretations from The King's Singers: 



,
& Chant 1450: 



.

3. Two chansons: "Adieu, mes amours", and "Cueur langoreulx", performed by Ensemble Clément Janequin, led by Dominque Visse:

Adieu, mes amours: 



Cueur langoreulx: 




4. One more chanson: "Mille Regretz"--performed by Musica Reservata, led by Michael Morrow, on an old Argo LP: 



, and as a 2nd option on CD, the Hilliard Ensemble: 



.

5. "Helas madame"--an instrumental work, on a CD entitled, "Les Fantaisies de Josquin"--performed by Ensemble Leones:

"Helas madame": 



https://www.amazon.com/Fantaisies-J...sq uin+desprez&qid=1575669605&s=music&sr=1-1

I think your idea for this thread is terrific, and hope that my post opens up a new world to someone.

I'll try to write more posts for other favorite composers of mine.)


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Josquin13 said:


> Josquin Desprez--an introduction to his music, in 10 picks (well, actually 11):
> 
> I. Motets, sung by the Orlando Consort, on a CD that includes a number of my favorite motets by Josquin, such as "Inviolata, integra, et casta es Maria á 5" (my 1st pick here), and "La déploration de Johannes Ockeghem: Nymphes des bois á 5", which was composed upon the death of composer Johannes Ockeghem, who is thought to have been Josquin's teacher, & is rightly regarded as one of the giants in music history. This is the recording that I'd most recommend to listener's coming to Josquin's music for the first time, as I consider it an essential purchase in any good Josquin collection. It's also one of the finest recordings the Orlando Consort has given us to date:
> 
> ...


Thank you for the awesome post. In January I'll have plenty of time for new listenings and plan to come here and listen to most of the recommendantions of this thread as I can.


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Brahms:

Symphony No. 1 - Van Beinum/Amsterdam Concertgebouw (his 1958 stereo version) and Klemperer/Philharmonia Orchestra
Symphony No. 3 - Kempe/Berlin Philharmonic
Symphony No. 4 - Van Beinum/Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Walter/Columbia Symphony
Violin Concerto - Szeryng with Monteux/London Symphony
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Curzon with Szell/London Symphony
Double Concerto - Heifetz with Piatigorsky and Wallenstein/RCA Symphony
Clarinet Quintet - Leister with the Leipzig String Quartet
Piano Trio No. 1 - Katchen, Suk and Starker


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## Rubens (Nov 5, 2017)

Chopin
Nocturnes Rubinstein
Preludes Pogorelich
Ballades Ohlsson 
Scherzi Ohlsson
Sonatas Ohlsson
Sonata no.3 Lipatti
Concertos Zimerman
Scherzi, Barcarolle, Berceuse Pollini
Ballades, Polonaise-Fantasie Kempf
Waltzes Lipatti


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

*Prokofiev*

Symphony 3: Muti, Philadelphia
Symphony 5: Levine, Chicago
Symphony 6: Jarvi, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Piano Sonata 4: Nissman, Barbara
Piano Sonata 7: Pollini, Maurizio
Piano Sonata 8: Chiu, Frederic
Piano Concerto 1: Beroff, Masur, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Piano Concerto 2: Gutierrez, Jarvi, Royal Concertgebouw
Violin Concerto 1: Mintz, Abbado, Chicago
Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution: Jarvi, Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Hermastersvoice said:


> What's the purpose of this exercise? Spent 10 min reading these preferences. Not one iota wiser as to why.


For me, it helps me to explore composers. For example, I look at the Denisov list, and I think "Wow, I know none of Denisov's music and Kjetil Heggelund has been active on these boards and seems to have good taste, so I'll I try a few of these recordings."

I'm listening now to the Sax Concerto and really liking it.


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## BenG (Aug 28, 2018)

Alexander Scriabin:

Sonata no. 2 (Pogorelich)
Sonata no. 5 (Richter 1972)
Sonata no. 8 (Ashkenazy)
Sonata no. 4 (Pletnev)
Etudes op. 8 no. 12 (Horowitz)
24 Preludes (Lettberg)
Symphony no.3 (Ashkenazy)
Poem of ecstasy (Boulez)
Promethius (Abbado, Argerich)
Mysterium (Ashkenazy)


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

This is fairly tough, because I have a handful of favorites (Glazunov, Myaskovsky, Bax, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Massenet). But twist my arm (a little, please), I'll go with *Alexander Glazunov*. Here are my favorite works of his:


Ballet "The Seasons": Neemi Jarvi & the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Chandos)
Symphony no. II: Vladimir Fedoseyev and the USSR Radio & Television Large Symphony Orchestra (Melodiya)
Symphony no. VI: Jose Serebrier and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Warner)
Symphony no. VIII: Valeri Polyansky and the Russian State Symphony (Chandos)
String Quartet no. III: the Shostakovich Quartet (Melodiya/Olympia)
Piano Sonata no. I: Stephen Coombs, pianist (Hyperion)
Theme and Variation for pianoforte: Stephen Coombs, pianist (Hyperion)
Symphonic Fantasy "The Sea": Neemi Jarvi & the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Chandos)
Suite "From the Middle Ages": Neemi Jarvi & the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Chandos)
Suite "Scenes de Ballet": Neemi Jarvi & the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Chandos)


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Let me try this. I choose Witold Lutosławski. 

Piano Concerto: Krystian Zimerman/Rattle/Berlin
String Quartet: LaSalle Quartet
Symphony No.1: Antoni Wit/Polish National RSO
Symphony No.3: Witold Lutosławski/Berlin Philharmonic
Cello Concerto: Mstislav Rostropovich/Lutosławski/Orchestre de Paris

Concerto for Orchestra: Witold Rowicki/Warsaw National Philharmonic
Jeux vénetiens: Antoni Wit/Polish National RSO
Double Concerto for Oboe, Harp & Chamber Orchestra: Heinz & Ursula Holliger/Lutosławski/Bavarian RSO
Paganini Variations (piano duo version): Martha Argerich, Nelson Freire
Les espaces du sommeil: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Lutosławski/Berlin Philharmonic

Yes, a good list I think.


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## Rubens (Nov 5, 2017)

Rachmaninoff
Symphonies 1-3 Ormandy Philadelphia
Symphony 2 Rozhdestvensky LSO
Concertos 1, 3 Trifonov
Concerto 2 Richter
Concerto 3 Berman
Concerto 4 Michelangeli
Rhapsody Trifonov
Sonata 2 Horowitz
Sonata 2 Hamelin
Preludes & Etudes tableaux Richter


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## frankpigeons (Jan 9, 2020)

Bach:

Brandenburg Concertos, Karl Richter and the Munich Bach Orchestra

All concertos are pure unadulterated awesomeness from start to finish, the sound of the recording, the tempi and dynamics chosen, the spirit, energy, and expressiveness in which these are performed, this is my favorite recorded performance of the Brandenburg concertos and I've heard quite a few. Although not among the most recent Brandenburg recordings, for this one recorded in 1970, there is to my ear a certain ineffable aura, or for a more grounded description, a certain sonic character to these recordings done with exceptional taste, not only that but the entire performance of all the Brandenburg's were filmed. This is what I listen to on headphones when I go hiking in the foothills. Too many highlights to mention but I really love how he plays the keyboard solo in No. 5, I've listened to a lot of versions of this concerto by different performers and most keyboard players fluctuate the tempo way too much for my taste during the solo, but Karl Richter keeps the energy up the whole time. 



This is the version of the Brandenburg's I'm referring to: https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Branden...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000C1XGCG

Goldberg Variations, Ragna Schirmer

A Bach work I'm definitely obsessed with is the Goldberg Variations. I own several different recorded versions, Gould, Schiff, Dinnerstein, Perahia, Ishizaka, and several more. My favorite at the moment is Ragna Schirmer's. Her rhythm is extremely precise but doesn't feel stiff or robotic. I like the tempi she chooses for each of the variations, they never seem too deliberate or rushed. She also approaches the variations with an originality I haven't heard before, listen to variations 6 and 17 to hear how she breaks up the two hands one playing staccato and the other more legato for interesting results. The tone of her instrument, the performance, and the recordings of these variations are what make her Goldberg's my favorite.

Cello Suites, Mstislav Rostropovich

Of course Yo Yo Ma's Cello Suite are brilliant and Pablo Casals creaky 1930's recording is the gold standard. The one I kept playing every time I cleaned the house for a long time was the 1991 recording by Mstislav Rostropovich. This performance was also filmed and I would highly recommend getting the DVD. And although it's great to see him play this music I found myself at times just closing my eyes and listening for long periods of time.

The Art of Fugue, Emerson Quartet

Written toward the end of his life and long after fugues had fallen out of favor this unfinished work by J.S. Bach is a collection of fugues and canons, if you're a fan of contrapuntal music this is for you. Although written in open score with each voice on it's own staff there's a strong association with the keyboard as the instrument of choice for this music. And as much as the recordings of Helmut Walcha and Pierre-Laurent Aimard are compelling takes on the Art of Fugue to me where it really shines is in string quartet form, hearing the voices "sing" with the bowed instruments really elevates the work. I haven't yet listened to any other string quartets performing this work and I consider myself lucky to have found this great one by the Emerson Quartet.

Partitas, Murray Perahia

If you put a gun to my head and made me choose Murray Perahia would be my favorite keyboard player for Bach's music. Glenn Gould got me started with this madness and I will be eternally grateful to him, it's the 81' Goldberg's I prefer, there are so many fantastic interpreters of Bach's music it's hard to pick a favorite but pound for pound Murray Perahia's whole approach is perfection. For some reason they broke up the six partita's across two cd's with cd one containing partita's 1, 3 & 6 and cd two containing 2, 4 & 5, I'm not sure why they did it this way, possibly for the relations between the keys each of the partita is in? Still, I prefer to hear them in sequential order, not complaining just noting a preference. I love all of Murray Perahia's Bach keyboard recordings, also a big fan of his Handel/Scarlatti suites and sonatas.

French Suites, Sir Andras Schiff

A living legend Andras Schiff is a true musical master. I've had the opportunity to see him perform Bach live on a few occasions, both books of Well-Tempered Clavier, the Goldberg Variations, and have been a fan of his for awhile. So when I found a DVD copy of the French Suites at a local library I checked it out immediately. Filmed in 2010 in Leipzig Schiff plays all of the French Suites, the Overture in the French Style in B minor, and the Italian concerto all by memory and without using the pedal, what a maniac! His playing to me has a sense of adventure, listening to him play Bach sometimes I feel like I'm riding on a fast horse through the forests of Thuringia. His rhythm can be a bit odd too at times, especially during the gigues, he has this way of stalling his or punctuating his phrases for lack of better explanation, not a bad thing just a bit unconventional. Watching him play is almost as impressive as the music, he makes this incredibly difficult music to play look effortless while still conveying intensity and passion.

Well-Tempered Clavier, Vladimir Ashkenazy

This was the first recording that I listened to intently and continuously of the WTC. There's an ever so slight skittish quality to the faster preludes and fugues that to me make it exciting, almost like being in a car with someone who's driving a little too fast. The tone of the instrument vs. the room the piano was recorded in are well balanced here, not too dry or too roomy sounding as to lose some of the articulation of the voicing. Overall Ashkenazy's performances the WTC is masterful and artful.

David Russell plays Bach

Here guitarist David Russell plays an assortment of Bach works. Played with superb taste and musicianship, I wish David had more solo Bach in his discography. Also a big fan of his Handel and D. Scarlatti recordings.

Partitas, Trevor Pinnock

You got to be careful with this one because Trevor Pinnock recorded the partitas twice, the one you want is the Hanssler edition with his face toward the top of the cover. As far as harpsichord versions of Bach Partitas go this is my favorite. His playing is lively and stable without too much rubato which is something I'm not a fan of in general. The recording is crisp and clear, a big improvement from his initial partita recordings. Highlight is partita number four.

Mass in B Minor BWV 232, Gächinger Kantorei Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Conductor Helmuth Rilling

There's something about being up around midnight with this playing quietly in the background. Everyone but you asleep in the house, the hum of the refrigerator in the background, a dog barking outside in the distance. You're up way past your bedtime reading things on the internet, people bickering with one another about trivial subjectivities, ads for things that you were talking about earlier that day mysteriously showing up in your web browser. This world would seem completely alien to someone like J.S. Bach if you had a time machine and could go back in time and bring him here to experience the present moment. Yet right now you're listening to this and it just works on your crappy laptop speakers, it's not fashionable music, it doesn't matter that it was written almost three hundred years ago. I can only guess but I could imagine Bach being unconcerned with being artistically fashionable, after all he was writing contrapuntal music long past it falling out of favor yet this music works. It still has the ability to inspire and communicate, to refresh the spirit and it does so in a way that somehow transcends the current moment, always somehow outside at the same time suitable to it. Bach just works.


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## Mahleriancolossus (Jan 11, 2020)

Dmitri Shostakovich 

The String Quartets- Borodin Quartet

As far as I know, the Borodin Quartet is THE definitive collection for this entire cycle. It is obvious that this music of of great personal meaning to them and that they know and understand it well and have played the entire cycle many times. In other words, they got the spirit of the quartets. Shostakovich consulted with them while he was writing his quartets, though it was the Beethoven Quartet who premiered them. Furthermore the sound quality on these is extremely pristine and the sound of the violin itself is rich as a cheesecake.

Symphony 1 - Sladkovsky w/ the Tartarstan National Symphony.

The important thing about this symphony is to get the youthful vigor and tautness, and this recording accomplishes that.

Symphony 4- Andris Nelsons, Boston Symphony Orchestra 

My personal favorite work by Shostakovich. In this version of this complex work, I agree with the tempo decisions made, such as having the beginning faster than usual, an extending the coda to almost ten minutes.

Symphony 5- Leonard Bernstein , NY Philharmonic 

Bernstein captures the high drama of this historical symphony. You can really feel the agony and suffering in the third movement adagio, and the finale is epic

Symphony 7- Termirkanov, St Petersburg Philharmonic

Symphony 8 - Mravinsky 

Symphony 9- Leonard Bernstein 


Symphony 10- Karajan

He captures the sense of drama and tragedy this symphony is meant to evoke.

Symphony 11- Slovák, Czecho Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

The only version I have found that captures the terrifying intensity of this symphony

Symphony 15- Gergiev

Shostakovich’s final Symphony and a highlight among all of them. I like the vigor with which this one is played.


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