# Most Listened-To Classical Recordings



## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Listing our favorite recordings is easily done. But what are your honest-to-goodness most listened-to recordings?

The ones you play too often to put back on the shelf. Or that have astronomical playcounts on your iPod. Or you wore out on LP. Or listen to on repeat play.

THOSE recordings: What are they? Be honest now!


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

There may be others, but certainly these would make my list of most played:

Mozart: Symphony 40, 41 Georg Solti: Chamber Orchestra Of Europe
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante Cho-Liang Lin and Jaime Laredo, English Chamber Orchestra
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 Barenboim


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## EricABQ (Jul 10, 2012)

For me, it would be the complete set of Mozart piano concertos from Carmen Piazinni. That gets a lot of listens because I like to listen to it while on the eliptical machine doing my cardio. Many of those concertos are at the perfect pace for that purpose. So, it kind of wins by default.

In 2nd place would be the complete set of Beethoven sonatas by Alfred Brendel.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Since my playcount was reset when I converted to Mac, none of my albums have a playcount higher than four. The albums with four are:

John Williams: Echoes of Spain 
Kleiber: Beethoven 5 & 7
The Gothic Voices: The Castle of Fair Welcome
Du Pré, Barbirolli, Baker: Elgar's Cello Concerto, Cockaigne Overture, Sea Pictures
Isserlis: Faure's Works for Cello
Heifetz: Sibelius, Prokofiev, Glazunov Violin Concertos 
Isserlis: Rachmaninoff, Franck Cello Sonatas
Hill: Victoria: Missa pro defunctis (Requiem)

If my playcounts had never been reset, I will guess that the highest counts would be 

Savina Yannatou Sings Manos Hadjidakis
Marie Keyrouz: Chant Byzantin
Chopin: Nocturnes - Rubinstein 
Brahms: Violin Sonatas - Perlman, Ashkenazy
Brahms: Piano Concertos - Gilels, Jochum
Brahms & Dvorak: Piano Quintets - Rubinstein, Guarneri
Brahms: Cello Sonatas - Rostropovich, Serkin 

And that's because I went through a pretty heavy Brahms phase back in the day. If my college listening on CDs were counted, the highest counts would have to be: 

Glass: String Quartets - Kronos Quartet
Golijov: Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind - Kronos Quartet
Black Angels - Kronos Quartet
Mozart: Requiem - Karajan (1960s) 
Mahler: Symphonies 1 & 2 - Solti 
Mozart: Piano Concertos 20 & 21 - Jandó
Mirabile Mysterium: Sacred Music in Rudolfine Prague 
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms, etc. - O'Donnell


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

My playcounts have also been reset at some point. This has a severe impact on Beethoven in particular I think.

They are also somewhat skewed not least because the ones which I have listened to by far the most are the ones which I have been studying at some point, often just a single movement (such as Mahler 4 mov 1), with the exception of a Handel oboe concerto movement I had on single repeat and didn't notice for quite a long time :lol:

Haydn: String Quartets op. 33 - Casals Quartet. (admittedly I studied these at some stage, so they probably don't count)
Haydn: Piano Sonatas - Hamelin.
Haydn: Symphonies - Adam Fischer. (particularly 39,52,53,56,57,61,62, A)

Gap

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto - Isaac Stern.
Handel: Israel in Egypt - The Sixteen.
Rameau: Pieces de Clavecin en concerts - Kovacz, Mezo, Sebestyen

It's the music I like to put in the background most.

Looking over this post does make me realise just how much Haydn I listen to... :lol:


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Yes. Most listened to does not equate with favorite. Sometimes just the opposite, as when a piece I really love comes up in random play and I hit the skip button, it being too emotional or important or distracting for background music. I save those for special listening times. I honestly go out of my way to make sure the randomness gives equal time to most of my library, so I can't honestly say I return to one piece over another.

However there may be currently a few pieces I will go back and hit repeat or I will start them over if interrupted if that counts as frequent plays. In alphabetical order, they are:
*
Beethoven* - Violin Concerto in D (piano transcription), Op61a 
*Aaron Copland* - Symphony No. 3
*John Dowland* - Can She Excuse My Wrongs?
*Lukas Foss* - American Landscapes for Guitar and Orchestra
*[email protected]'"gol"mcxnfrj%d Mortiimephistophlesitch Gliere* - Symphony No. 3 "Ill, yoh marmosets" (or something like that)
*Handel* - Organ Concerto in A major (No.14), HWV 296a (my go to piece for joy) 
*Herbert Howells* - Penguinski (my other got to piece for joy)*
Monteverdi* - 1610 Vespers (just the Ave maris stella, and Magnificat sections)
*Anton Rubinstein* - Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb, Op. 94 (1st movement)
*Franz Schreker* - Prelude to Memnon
*Shostakovich* - Cello Concerto No. 1
*Joaquin Turina* - Piano Trio in F (I have mentioned this elsewhere in these forums)
*Leo Weiner* - Romance for cello, harp, and string orchestra, Op. 29

I guess that was more than few. Not my absolute favorites but my rewind moments.

Now if we were to include non-classical I would have some definites on the constant play list, lately among them Ian Anderson's "Thick as a Brick No. 2" aka TAAB2.


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

Here's my most-often-played classical music albums:


Finlandia Records FACD 349, which includes _Fantasy for Orchestra_, _Pan_ & _Symphonic Study_ by Aarre Merikanto










Cybelia CY 812, Charles Koechlin's _Le buisson ardent_ (no image found)

Solstice SOCD 81, particularly Andre Jolivet's _Symphonie No.3_










Marco Polo 8.223316, The Epic of Gilgamesh by Bohuslav Martinů










Finlandia Records FACD 376, cello music by Einar Englund - particularly his 1981 _Concerto for 12 Cellos_










Marco Polo 8.223325, Vítězslav Novák's _Pan_










Caprice CAP 21365, music of Karl-Birger Blomdahl - particularly his _Sisyphus_ & _Symphony No.3_


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Interesting how often Mozart has come up. This is my most listened to these days--10 plays in iTunes (not counting listens through Amazon cloud or on disc).










Interestingly, my highest ranked album on iTunes (16 plays) is also by Bernstein:










I never really thought I was a big Bernstein guy, but it seems his interpretations of these 4 great symphonies are the ones that have the most "replay value" for me--which is just a vulgar way of saying they have a depth that keeps bringing me back, they are not easily exhaustible. Certainly, his "Jupiter" finale cheers me up like none other.

Note: these play counts were recently reset like science's.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Brahms: Violin sonatas
Gorecki: Symphony 3
Chopin: Nocturnes & Waltzes.

There may be more but I listen to such a vast array right now that it's hard to say. I'm sure I'll add a few more pieces in the coming months


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Among the most played discs in my collection I'm guessing these are near the top:


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## davinci (Oct 11, 2012)

Since I only play CDs and LPs, these are the CDs that never get filed away. They're always getting played:

Bernstein...Complete Mahler Symphonies, Remastered 2008
Bruckner Symphony 7..... Giulini / Vienna
Bruckner Symphony 8 .... Giulini / Vienna
Boccherini Symphonies ... Leppard / New Philharmonic
Beethoven Middle Quartets .... Tokyo String Quartet
Schumann Concertos .... Harnoncourt / COE
Schumann Quartets ... Cherubini Quartett
Haydn Cello Concertos .... Mahler Chamber Orch.
Haydn London Symphonies .... Colin Davis / Concertgebouw
Brahms Serenades .... Mackerras / Scottish Chamber Orch.
Dvorak Cello Concerto in B Minor .. Järvi, Gautier Capuçon
Brahms: String Quintets .... Leipzig String Quartet


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Here is some of what I noticed racked up a LOT of plays for me the last time I looked. Some of it I was surprised to see how high the play count was, some of this has to do with my counts getting reset and also the fact in some cases that shorter pieces tend to get higher play counts than longer pieces:

Bach: various recordings - a lot of it is off the Bach Complete released by Brilliant Classics
Ravel: orchestral works - Tortelier
Ravel: complete piano music - Pascal Roge
Bartok: orchestral works - Rattle
Rodrigo: complete piano music - Gregory Allen
The track _Appalachian Summer_ composed by Matthew Dunne - Jerome Ducharme
Then there are a lot of older music tracks that have gotten a lot of plays off compilation cds some of these include _Benedictus_ by Lully, _Lachrimae Pavane_ by Dowland, and a handful of pieces by Monteverdi.


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## tankership (Aug 30, 2012)

Dare I confess?

According to my iTunes (iPod excluded):

Anything by Offenbach (Operettas, orchestral compilations, ballet, etc.) I'm a bit of a junkie for his music, and will buy any of his music I can get.

Kalman Operettas (currently listening to Die Herzogin Von Chicago).

Wagner's Reinzi overture countless times. (many recordings of this, incl. the complete opera, but by far I like Chicago under Solti as my favorite rendition of the overture).

Glauzunov's 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th symphonies, The Seasons: Autumn: Bacchanale And Appearance Of The Seasons & Apotheosis

Tchaikovsky's 4th, March Slav, and 5th

Gliere Harp concerto.

Delibe Sylvia La Nymphe de Diane, Ballet Suite; Prelude-Lee Chasserresses

I'm also pretty addicted to G&S. Perhaps not "classical" per se, but still fun.


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## Cheyenne (Aug 6, 2012)

Hausmusik said:


> Interesting how often Mozart has come up. This is my most listened to these days--10 plays in iTunes (not counting listens through Amazon cloud or on disc).


Interestingly enough, that same recording is also among my top.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

I'd love to be able to answer this one, but (a) I've just recently been getting my CD collection onto a hard drive, so I don't have data and (b) partly as a result of this my listening has been a lot broader so I'm not getting to "old favourites" very much.

But if I were to guess which albums I've listened to most over my 20+ years of listening to classical, it would probably be these early favourites:


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Hausmusik's opening preamble sounds as if he/she doesn't expect much honesty from us ,I promise this is.

Karl Erb. Lieder--The Radio Broadcasts,1932--1950.
Carlos Chavez. Sinfonias. cond.Chavez.
Lisxt. Complete Hungarian Rhapsodies. Edith Farnadi.
Carl Loewe. Ballads. Josef Greindl.
Schubert. Schoene Muellerin. Aksel Schiotz.
George Szell. Mussorgsky "Pictures At An Exhibition", Kodaly "Hary Janos",Prokofiev "Lieut.Kije".
Brahms. Alto Rhapsody. Kathleen Ferrier.
The Immortal Gigli (RCA) 1920's Recordings.
Conchita Supervia, Spanish Songs. (Vol.3) Rubini.
The Art of Josef Schmidt. Double LP. HMV.
Georges Thill. French Operatic Arias. Vol.2. EMI France.
Virginia Zeani. Operatic Arias. cond. Franco Patane. Decca.
Turk Murphy and Wally Rose play Jelly Roll Morton. Thats a classic isn't it !


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Gorecki: Symphony 3 (with Dawn Upshaw).


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

I generally try not to over-listen music/recordings I adore, but here are some I listen to quite often!

Cesar Frank - Organ Works - Joris Verdin @ Ricercar
Olivier Messiaen - Organ Works - Olivier Latry @ DG
David Halls - The Salisbury Sound @ Griffin
Midnight @ Notre-Dame - Organ Transcriptions - Olivier Latry @ DG
Charles-Marie Widor - Symphonies No 5 & 6 - Olivier Latry @ BNL

Bela Bartok - String Quartets - Takacs Quartet @ Decca
Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartets 1 - 13 - Borodin Quartet I @ Chandos
Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No 4 - MPO / Kirill Kondrashin @ Yeadang
Gustav Mahler - Symphony No 4 - LPO /Jascha Horenstein @ HMV
Gustav Mahler - Kindertotenlider - Kathleen Ferrier/Bruno Walter @ Decca
Gustav Mahler - Das lied von der erde - Kathleen Ferrier/Bruno Walter @ Decca
Sergei Rachmaninov - Symphonic Dances - RCO / Kirill Kondrashin @ Emergo

Johnny Seb. Bach - Goldberg variations - Andras Schiff @ Decca (1982)
Edward Grieg - Lyric Pieces - Emil Gilels @ DG
Modest Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition - Mikhal Pletnev @ Virgin
Bela Bartok - Children's Album - Zoltan Kocsis @ Hungaraton

..of the top of my head with most food groups covered! But I'm sure that another day will yield other selections! 

/ptr


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Prodromides said:


> [*]Caprice CAP 21365, music of Karl-Birger Blomdahl - particularly his _Sisyphus_ & _Symphony No.3_


I'm mightily surprised to see Blomdahl on anyone's list! Don't care much for his music, I only hear Hindemith's "Unterweisung im Tonsatz" in every note he wrote (which was his precept from his youth when he and his student buddies in the Monday Group plotted on revolutionizing the Swedish musical life and failed miserably despite trying to rule supremely -- The only one of that group that wrote fresh and interesting music was the outsider *Claude Loyola Allgén* and the jester *Sven-Eric Johanson*, I don't think either has much of an international reputation?).

/ptr


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Cheyenne,
That was the recording of 40 and 41 I imprinted on. Later I decided, in retrospect, the tempi in certain movements was too stately and I sold it off, searching for perfection instead in Szell, Gardiner, Mackerras, Bohm, and others. I can recall a time when I shook my head in disbelief when people called Bernstein's 40 and 41 their favorite. But when it was rereleased recently at a very low price, I picked it up for nostalgia's sake, and listening to it was a magical experience: here was the 40/41 I was looking for. And it had been in your own backyard the whole time, Dorothy! There's something about your first, I guess.

Science,
I am surprised to learn there was ever a time that _Black Angels _was ever your most-listened CD! That's a "special occasion" CD for me; I don't think I'd be able to listen to that over and over.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Such a difficult one, this....but maybe these three:
To calm me down (I love this recording more than most)









to create a sense of joy..... as the music is so infectiously melodic and well-played.









and to generally enhance my ordinary existence at any time (the last movement of the London in particular, is just splendid.


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## davinci (Oct 11, 2012)

Hausmusik said:


> Listing our favorite recordings is easily done. But what are your honest-to-goodness most listened-to recordings?
> 
> The ones you play too often to put back on the shelf. Or that have astronomical playcounts on your iPod. Or you wore out on LP. Or listen to on repeat play.
> 
> THOSE recordings: What are they? Be honest now!


I'm surprised so many people use "play counts" to know what their most listened-to music is. I guess I'm old-school with my CDs and LPs. That's ok, I like the physical contact with the media.


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

davinci said:


> I'm surprised so many people use "play counts" to know what their most listened-to music is. I guess I'm old-school with my CDs and LPs. That's ok, I like the physical contact with the media.


I listen to CDs as well as mp3s. I suspect most of us do.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

davinci said:


> . . .
> Schumann Quartets ... Cherubini Quartett
> . . .


I don't think I've heard as much as a snippet of a Schumann quartet. To me that would almost be like listening to a Jimi Hendrix accordion nocturne. I do like his symphonies when others seem not to. I wonder if I should search these out.


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## davinci (Oct 11, 2012)

Weston said:


> I don't think I've heard as much as a snippet of a Schumann quartet. To me that would almost be like listening to a Jimi Hendrix accordion nocturne. I do like his symphonies when others seem not to. I wonder if I should search these out.


that's funny.









Schumann wrote some fantastic quartets.


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

davinci said:


> Schumann wrote some fantastic quartets.


Well let's not get carried away,now! Worth hearing, though..


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

vivaldi spring because its always the call center hold music.


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## davinci (Oct 11, 2012)

Hausmusik said:


> Well let's not get carried away,now! Worth hearing, though..


Yes, you are correct. I'll change my description to "surprisingly good."


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2013)

Mahler Symphony 2 - Klemperer/BRSO (EMI)
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Moonlight, Pathetique, Appasionatta, Waldstein) - Wilhelm Kempff (DG)
Bach Goldberg Variations - Murray Perahia (Sony)
Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem - Klemperer (EMI)
Mozart Zauberflote - Klemperer (EMI)
Tchaikovsky Symphonies 4-6 - Mravinsky/Leningrad (DG)


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

LordBlackudder said:


> vivaldi spring because its always the call center hold music.


I think that is what has put me off Vivaldi plus the awful rough,overfast Kennedy recording.


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2013)

moody said:


> I think that is what has put me off Vivaldi plus the awful rough,overfast Kennedy recording.


What do you think, then, of the Carmignola and Biondi recordings?


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

DrMike said:


> What do you think, then, of the Carmignola and Biondi recordings?


No idea .I was put off remember?
I tend not to listen much to baroque type stuff, but i listened to a talk on the Seasons and also heard Kennedy being asked why he played one part in such a stomping way.
His answer was that they were peasants of course. Ignoring the fact that the audience were the gentry so Vivaldi being no Tchaikovsky type composer would not write in music verite style---if you know what I mean.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

These 2 sets have recieved the most plays on my current iPod:

















This is I think, my most played classical Disc of the last few years:


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

No longer my most favorite but these recordings probably with most playing time over the years:


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## jtbell (Oct 4, 2012)

My collection is large enough that I don't return to specific recordings very often. About half of my listening is new items, and about half is old items, mostly stuff that I consciously choose because I haven't listened to it in a long time, and only sometimes just because I want to listen to "***".

However, I keep coming back to one particular recording for "ceremonial" reasons. Almost every year, for the last 35 years or so, on Thanksgiving Day (USA) or near it, I've played this one:









Barber: Adagio
Ives: Symphony No. 3
Copland: Quiet City
Cowell: Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 10
Creston: A Rumor

Neville Marriner / Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

Somehow this all-American program "fits" this American holiday, for me. Maybe it's the harvesting picture on the cover. Even though the performers are all Brits.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

jtbell said:


> My collection is large enough that I don't return to specific recordings very often. About half of my listening is new items, and about half is old items, mostly stuff that I consciously choose because I haven't listened to it in a long time, and only sometimes just because I want to listen to "***".
> 
> However, I keep coming back to one particular recording for "ceremonial" reasons. Almost every year, for the last 35 years or so, on Thanksgiving Day (USA) or near it, I've played this one:
> 
> ...


Great selections, all. I would also add Copland's *Appalachian Spring* and *Billy The Kid Suites. 
*


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Thanks to everyone who has posted on this thread. I'm getting a lot of good recommendations for music to explore. I suspect we all answer this question differently than we would answer the question "What is your favorite recording?" We've all, I imagine, been really impressed by a recording and immediately identified it as a favorite, without noticing that we rarely listen to it. (For instance, I'd list Aimard's Ligeti _Etudes _as an indispensable disc, one I would never want out of my library, but if I am being perfectly honest I probably only listen to it once every six months or so.) To me, how often one listens to a disc is a more powerful recommendation than one's high opinion of it in the abstract.

I marvel at those in this thread who say you never return to the same recording twice. If I listened in that way I would probably be driven crazy. How can music of any complexity sink in on a single listen?

I have a pretty extensive "collection" of classical music, comparatively speaking I suppose, but I make an effort to keep it down to manageable "size" (by streaming/borrowing from library before buying, and by being very willing to donate recordings) precisely because I want to make sure I never cease to be a listener and become a "collector."


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Conor, I recently checked that set of the V-L quartets out of the library and am enjoying them.


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

DrMike said:


> What do you think, then, of the Carmignola and Biondi recordings?


Dr. Mike, I for one love the Biondi Four Seasons. I love the sense of danger, the almost improvisatory feel.


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

So here are my most listened recordings (part 1 of n), some over many years of steady listening, some due to recent obsessive listening. These aren't all currently my favorite recordings of respective works, but they were favorites long enough to get a heck of a lot of play. If you were to divide the cost of a CD by the number of times you have listened to it, these would be among the best purchases I ever made. _(Think of all those $16 cds that we buy at the strong urging of someone and only play once: that's a pretty expensive price per listen!)_

Note: For no good reason, I've avoided listing box sets, but some of these were in boxes (e.g. the Argerich recordings).


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Part 2/n


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Part 3/n


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Part 4/n


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Part 5/n


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Part 6/6


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

What a wonderful thread idea! As always, I'm excited to try some of the music I discover on this forum - I like Villa Lobos but have never heard his quartets, so I'll be diving in there today!
I'm omitting lots of stuff, but here are the ones I've probably spent the most time with over the years.


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

Part 2


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

And part 3






the original white and yellow boxed set, not this one


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## Hausmusik (May 13, 2012)

Hindemith's _Mathis der Maler_ has been mentioned at least twice. Have to finally get around to checking it out in one of the two recommended recordings.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

I always come back to my one and only Beethoven symphony box - Vänskä/Minnesota, although that's probably more praise to Beethoven than the performers in question. Beethoven never tires me, I'm always ready for Beethoven. There's so much spirit and thought to those 9 pieces, no matter how much they are played to death. Sometimes, in my weak moments, when the winds blow from the Baltic Sea and history seems to breathe heavily upon the Western civilization, this thought comes to me: that classical music both starts and ends with Beethoven.


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## worov (Oct 12, 2012)

Villa-Lobos : performed by Cristina Ortiz.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

One of the reasons I largely employed the one CD per work system about ten years ago, is to keep the collection manageable, and listen to everything. 

There are a few composers genres that I've waived the "one CD rule" for, but for the most part it's worked successfully. 

The classical music core is known well, so no extra listening is required for learning or enjoyability, which is good. It leaves me more time for Contemporary leanings 'n learnings...as well as some solo piano works addictions--D. Scarlatti Sonatas for Keyboard, Haydn Piano Sonatas, Scriabin Piano Works. :tiphat:


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## etkearne (Sep 28, 2012)

I suppose the interesting observation would be if one's most listened to recordings are NOT the same as one's personal favorites or most respected pieces. I suppose I fall into the middle. All of my most listened to pieces are amongst my favorites, but perhaps not how I would rank them in terms of play-count. I don't really know the number of plays, but I can make a pretty accurate conclusion to my most - listened to pieces:

1. Ravel - Forlane (equally split between the orchestrated version [Abbado & LSO] and solo piano [Pascal Roge])
2. Berg - Piano Sonata (recording is the EMI 20th Century Classics and performer is (let me check) Peter Donohoe)
3. Milhaud - Piano Sonata No. 1- Mvt. 1 (recording is Francoise Choveaux)
4. Bartok - Piano Sonata (recording of Max Levinson)
5. Elgar - Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1 (recording is on a poor-quality mix of organ music I got on iTunes awhile back)

I like all of those works in terms of enjoyment, intellectual stimulation, and catchi-ness. But there are other works I equally respect, such as Bartok's Out of Doors Suite, which I listen to far less for reasons I am not entirely sure of.


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