# 2013: Your 10 Favorite Classical Recording Buys



## Vaneyes

*Corelli *- Violin Sonatas, Op 5, w. Avison Ensemble (Linn)
*Haydn* - Piano Sonatas, w. Ts'ong (Meridian)
*Scriabin* - Piano Sonatas, w. Alexeev (Brilliant Classics)
*Penderecki/Lutoslawski *- String Quartets, w. Royal Qt. (Hyperion)
*Schnittke* - String Quartets, w. Kapralova Qt. (Arco Diva)
*Lourie/Ornstein/Antheil* - Piano Works, w. Lombardi (LTM)
*Zemlinsky* - String Quartets, w. LaSalle Qt. (Brilliant Classics)
*Rachmainov *- Preludes, etc., w. Alexeev (Virgin)
*Nono* - La lontonanza nostalgica utopica futura, w. Arditti & Richard (Montaigne)
*Nono* - Variazioni Canoniche, etc., w. Gielen (Col legno)


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## bigshot

Reiner box
Gunther Wand box
Rubinstein box
Perahia box
Heifetz box (Chinese bootleg)
Mercury Living Presence 2
Herbert Von Karajan: Mozart - Violin Concerto No. 5/Dvorak - Symphony No. 9 (dir Cluzot) Blu-Ray
Wagner: Die Meistersinger - Glyndenbourne blu-ray
Stokowski Columbia Years
Anthology of the RCO 5, 6, 7

Biggest duds of the year- Abbado Symphony Box, Gardiner box


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## realdealblues

Hmm...I've bought a lot this year. Not all were released in 2013 though and a few replaced older recordings or editions due to remastering, space saving boxes, etc. 

Anyway, 10 things I bought and am happy to own right now.

1. Murray Perahia: The First 40 Years
2. Arturo Toscanini: The Complete RCA Collection
3. Dvorak: Symphonic Works - Vaclav Neumann
4. Beethoven: Complete Symphonies - Paul Kletzki
5. Charles Munch Conducts Romantic Masterworks
6. Otto Klemperer: Sacred Works (Bach, Haydn, Beethoven)
7. Otto Klemperer: Romantic Symphonies
8. George Szell Conducts Beethoven Symphonies & Overtures (New Set Replaced Old Set)
9. Bruno Walter Conducts Mozart (Replaced Older Recordings, And Gave Me New Mono Ones)
10. Karl Richter: 75 Bach Cantatas (New Set Replaced Old Set)

Honorable mention to the 4 CD's from Naxos of Joseph Martin Krauss' Symphonies. They are really wonderful.


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## starthrower

Janacek/Szymanowski-String Quartets
Glenn Gould Plays Hindemith
Carl Nielsen-The Danish Symphonist
Borodin Prince Igor on Brilliant Classics
Leonard Bernstein Symphonies on DG
Leonard Bernstein-Original Jacket Collection
Mussorgsky- Boris Godunov
Hindemith-Organ Concertos/Sonatas
Arnold Bax-piano sonatas 1-2 on Naxos
Nono-Varianti on Col Legno


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## Garlic

I'm most proud of my Complete Boulez set. Also Complete Martinu Symphonies (Jarvi/Bamberg), Ockeghem's Missa de Plus en Plus (Orlando Consort), Brahms German Requiem (Rattle/Berlin), Dutilleux's Correspondences (Salonen), Gesualdo Madrigals Books 5 & 6 (Delitiae Musicae), DVDs of Parsifal, Elektra and Pelleas et Melisande. I think that makes up most of my major purchases, I've really cut down from last year.


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## opus55

Haydn: Complete String Quartets, Kodaly Quartet (Naxos)
Murray Perahia - The First 40 Years (Sony Classics)
Schubert: Complete Symphonies, Harnoncourt/Royal Concertgebouw (Warner Classics)
Mozart: Violin Sonatas, Perlman/Barenboim (DG)
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde, Bohm (DG)
Mozart: Die Zauberflote, Bohm (DG)
Mahler: Symphony No. 3 Salonen/LAPO (Sony Classics)
Schubert: Missa Solemis D950 Harnoncourt/Schoenberg Chor/C.O. of Europe (Teldec)

I'm excited to have finally made my way into operas. I think Bohm's conducting helped me understand the genre. Haydn SQ/Kodaly box set is really wonderful stuff - highly recommended. I already had about ten single discs of Perahia recordings but First 40 Years box set deal was still too good to miss. I saved the DVDs to watch over holidays.

Classical music is one of the several great things that happened to my life, seriously.


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## moody

bigshot said:


> Reiner box
> Gunther Wand box
> Rubinstein box
> Perahia box
> Heifetz box (Chinese bootleg)
> Mercury Living Presence 2
> Herbert Von Karajan: Mozart - Violin Concerto No. 5/Dvorak - Symphony No. 9 (dir Cluzot) Blu-Ray
> Wagner: Die Meistersinger - Glyndenbourne blu-ray
> Stokowski Columbia Years
> Anthology of the RCO 5, 6, 7
> 
> Biggest duds of the year- Abbado Symphony Box, Gardiner box


You should have known better regarding Abbado.


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## AClockworkOrange

My ten favourite purchases of 2013 can vary with my mood however, at present I would say the following:

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## AClockworkOrange

Part two. I have missed a significant number of purchases due to my back log but these will have to be casualties. Those named in my first post and this second are the ones which immediately came to mind and have had sufficient listening time. I wish I could have squeezed Kleiber's Schubert and Fricsay's Tchaikovsky in not mention a couple of the operas I have discovered but the limit is 10. Here are the second five.

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## maestro267

*Prokofiev*: Complete Symphonies (LSO/LPO/Weller, 4CD)
*Villa-Lobos*: Symphonies 3/4 (Sao Paulo SO/Karabtchevsky)
*Penderecki*: Symphony No. 7 (Warsaw PO/Wit)
*Brian*: Symphony No. 3 (BBC SO/Friend)
*Brian*: Symphonies 4 & 12 (Slovak RSO/Leaper)
*Maw*: Odyssey (CBSO/Rattle, 2CD)
*Lloyd*: Symphonic Mass (Bournemouth SO/Lloyd)
*Penderecki*: Piano/Flute Concertos (Warsaw PO/Wit)
*Paderewski*: Symphony in B minor "Polonia" (BBC Scottish SO/Maksymiuk)
*Prokofiev*: Romeo and Juliet (complete ballet) (Cleveland Orchestra/Maazel, 2CD)


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## senza sordino

*Dvorak Symphony #6 and Janacek Idyll* Gerard Schwarz and Seattle Symphony
*Ravel Daphnis and Chloe* Charles Munch and Boston Symphony
*Bartok Violin Concerto #2, Eotvos Seven, Ligeti Violin Concerto * Patricia Kopatchinskaya with Eotvos conducting Frankfurt Radio Symphony
*Dvorak American String Quartet, Tchaikovsky Quartet #1, Borodin String Quartet #2* Emerson String Quartet
*Schubert String Quartets Death and the Maiden, Rosamunde* Alban Berg Quartet
*Britten Les Illuminations, Seranade for tenor, horn and strings, Nocturne* Ian Bostridge with Simon Rattle with Berlin Phil
*Strauss Death and Transfiguration, Metamorphosen, Four Last Songs* HvK with Berlin Phil
*Schoenberg String Quartet #1, Verklarte Nacht* Fred Sherry String Quartet and Sextet
*Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Martin Violin Concerto, Honegger Pacific 231 & Rugby* Baiba Skride vn with Thierry Fischer conducting BBC Orchestra of Wales


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## Itullian

bigshot said:


> Reiner box
> Gunther Wand box
> Rubinstein box
> Perahia box
> Heifetz box (Chinese bootleg)
> Mercury Living Presence 2
> Herbert Von Karajan: Mozart - Violin Concerto No. 5/Dvorak - Symphony No. 9 (dir Cluzot) Blu-Ray
> Wagner: Die Meistersinger - Glyndenbourne blu-ray
> Stokowski Columbia Years
> Anthology of the RCO 5, 6, 7
> 
> Biggest duds of the year- Abbado Symphony Box, Gardiner box


What Gardiner box?


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## TurnaboutVox

*Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas* / Brendel ('Brendel III')
*Berg Piano Sonata; Schoenberg Piano Works, Webern Variations * / Peter Hill
*Berg Violin Concerto, Lyric Suite, 3 pieces Op. 6* / Hirsch, Radio-Filharmonisch Orkest Hilversum, Klas
*Bridge Piano Sonata* etc. / Ashley Wass
*Bridge - String Quartets Nos. 2 and 4; Phantasy for Piano Quartet* / Maggini Quartet, Martin Roscoe
*Bruckner - Symphony No. 9 in D minor* / Berlin PO, Sir Simon Rattle
*Fauré - Piano Quintets No. 1, Op. 89 & No. 2, Op. 115* Domus, Anthony Marwood (Violin)
*Handel - Complete Violin Sonatas* / Andrew Manze (Violin) & Richard Egarr (Harpsichord)
*Hindemith - Hindemith String Quartet No. 4(3)*, Op. 22 / Prague Quartet
*Ligeti - Streichquartette I und II* / Artemis Quartett 
*Reger - String Quartets (complete) and Clarinet Quintet* / Drolc Quartet, Karl Leister

Whoops, is that 11?


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## EricABQ

My purchase of the year winner is Maria Lettberg's complete Scriabin solo piano set.

As for nine more, I'll have to give it some thought. There were many purchases this year.


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## Vesteralen

I have a good number of purchases from 2013 that I have not listened to yet, but of the ones have heard, these are my favorites:

*Rameau* - Les Indes Galantes / Christie OPUS ARTE DVD
*Mendelssohn* - A Mendelssohn Portrait BRILLIANT (haven't listened to all 40 or so discs yet, but...)
*Kuula* - Songs and Orchestral Music DUTTON LABORATORIES
*Patricia Petibon* - French Baroque Arias VIRGIN FRANCE
*Brahms/Schubert* - Cello Sonatas - Natalie Clein CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE (recommended at TC)
*Beethoven* - Violin Concerto - Lisa Batiashvili - SONY (recommended at TC)
*Rachmaninoff* - Preludes - Eldar Nebolsin NAXOS
*Vecchi* - L'Amfiparnaso NAXOS
*Prokofiev* - Sonatas for Violin & Piano - Honda-Rosenberg/Nebolsin OEHMS
*Brahms* - Symphony 2 & 3 Janowski/Pittsburgh Sym Orch PENTATONE


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## Rangstrom

From items that I purchased this year (most have been around for a time):

1. Cowell, Varese, Harrison works conducted by Tilson Thomas on a SFS SACD relwase. Great sound, interesting music.
2. Gluck: Ezio. Who knew pre-reform Gluck could be so much fun? Almost every Curtis recording is a must buy.
3. Gyrowetz: quartets/Pleyel Quartet. Music and performances got bad reviews, but I found both fun. Check it out for yourself.
The Woelfl quartets by Quatuor Mosaiques would be a safer choice.
4. Wagner: Lohengrin/Heger. The best. I was also very impressed by the '50 Kna Tristan.
5. Sallinen: Red Line DVD. Underrated opera composer.
6. Benjamin: Written on Skin. Many thanks to this board for the tip.
7. Braunfels: Concert for Organ, Boys Choir and orchestra. The more I explore Braunfels, the more I like.
8. Lopes-Graca: piano concerti. Another new composer that I probably wouldn't have tried but for the Naxos label. Thank you Klaus.
9. Heggie Moby-Dick DVD. Will it have staying power? 
10. Meyerbeer:Robert le Diable DVD. What a find Hymel is. I just wish they had done the whole thing.


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## Conor71

I bought a lot of stuff this year but I couldnt really put together a top 10 as I havent heard everything yet - these 2 sets were the best things I have heard so far:


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## Praeludium

I'am a young and relatively moneyless student, so I don't have 10 CDs to recommend, however I have an amazing 10Cd box and a great CD :

_Pablo Marquez_, *Luys de Narváez: Música del Delphin *, ECM New Series








Great Renaissance music (originally for vihuela, a close cousin to the lute (more like a sister actually)), played by one of the most interesting guitarist alive today on a great modern guitar. A great interpretation, with a precise articulation as well as a remarkable clarity of discourse and tone.

_Sokolov_, *Complete recordings*, Naive









It's Sokolov. No need to say anything more (; just absolutely stunning. As a music student I consider this 10 CD box of rather well known but incredbile repertoire (from Bach to Prokoviev) as an incredible learning tool on the top of being a very satisfying aesthetic experience. It costed me 40€, which is a bargain


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## AndorFoldes

Some of the highlights in 2013:

1. Decca, Richter, *Bach*, _Organ recital_. The 1954 Victoria Hall recital in early stereo. A stupendous recording.
2. Decca, Blomstedt, SFS, *Strauss*, _An Alpine symphony_. Recorded in spectacular sound and revealed as the equal of _Thus Spoke Zarathustra_.
3. DG, Karajan, BPO, *Beethoven*, _Symphony no. 3_, 1984. Set apart from its 1963 counterpart by improved instrumental balance. The brass sounds like burnished gold.
4. CPO, Rasilainen, FRSO, *Atterberg*, _Symphonies nos. 1 & 4_. Late romantic candy and a very impressive first symphony.
5. DG, Thielemann, PO, *Beethoven*, _Symphonies nos. 5 & 7_. An engaging performance by a younger Thielemann. Worthy challenger to Kleiber.
6. EMI, Karajan, BPO, *Bruckner*, _Symphony no. 8_. A spiritual reading by an otherworldly BPO in less than perfect sound.
7. EMI, Karajan, BPO, *Sibelius*, _Tone poems_. Conjures a dark and gloomy soundscape. Still, Karajan milked _Finlandia_ even more in his later digital recording on DG.

And some disappointments:

1. Decca, Haitink, RCO, *Tchaikovsky*, _The Symphonies_. The first three symphonies are YouTube hits and the _Francesca da Rimini_ is satisfying, but the recording is badly in need of remastering. Should not have been rereleased in this state.
2. DG, Karajan, BPO, *Haydn*, _The Paris and London Symphonies_. Another recording badly in need of remastering. But even OIBP might not be enough save this.
3. Hyperion, Handley, RPO, *Simpson*, _Symphonies nos. 3 & 5_. To quote dv_forever, this is academic note-spinning that does not reward prolonged attention.
4. Naxos, Craft, LSO & OSL, *Stravinsky*, _Three Greek Ballets_. Unfortunately these pieces are just too nice, cute and sugary sweet.


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## Mahlerian

AndorFoldes said:


> 4. Naxos, Craft, LSO & OSL, *Stravinsky*, _Three Greek Ballets_. Unfortunately these pieces are just too nice, cute and sugary sweet.


That's the first time I've heard anyone call Agon "sugary sweet". Perhaps the last, also.


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## Blancrocher

Mahlerian said:


> That's the first time I've heard anyone call Agon "sugary sweet". Perhaps the last, also.


I can only imagine how it must sound to the poor souls who try to dance to it with Balanchine's choreography.


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## AndorFoldes

Mahlerian said:


> That's the first time I've heard anyone call Agon "sugary sweet". Perhaps the last, also.


Agon is less so than the other two pieces. Not enough to salvage the disc, however.


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## AndorFoldes

I just realized I forgot one of the best records I got in 2013:

Archiv, Pinnock, EC, *Handel*, _Royal Fireworks Music_. As far as historically correct recordings go, this is awesome.


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## EDaddy

Among my favorites are:

1. Arturo Toscaninni - The Complete RCA Collection (still have much to absorb of the 72 volumes!)
2. Ludwig Van - String Quartets Op. 74 & 131 (Guarneri Quartet)
3. Ludwig Van - Complete Piano Concertos (Murray Perahia/Bernard Haitink)
4. Ludwig Van - Missa Solemnis (The English Baroque Soloists/Monteverdi Choir/John Elliot Gardiner)
5. The Complete Shostokovich Symphonies (Rudolf Barshai & The WDR Sinfonieorchester)
6. Shostakovich - The String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) - live performances
7. de Falla - Nights In The Gardens Of Spain/Rapsodia Española (The LSO featuring Alicia De Larrocha - piano; Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos)
8. Chopin - Mazurkas (Vladimir Ashkenazy)
9. Debussy - Estampes, L'île Joyeuse, Suite bergamasque, 3 Préludes (Paul Badura-Skoda)
10. Dvořák/Schubert - Symphony No. 8/Symphony No. 6 (Herbert Blomstedt & Staatskapelle Dresden)

These are but a few. Hard to limit it to under a dozen (even with a 72 volume box set)!


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## Manxfeeder

Beethoven, Complete Symphonies, Karajan (His second cycle)
Grisey, Les Espaces Acoustiques
Boulez, Memoriale, Derive 1 and 2
The Ligeti Project
The Art of Sound: Serebrier conducts Ned Rorem
Haydn, Quartets Op. 33, Quatuor Mosaiques 
Egon Wellesz, Symphonies 1-9, Gottfried Rabi
Solti Conducts Bartok, Decca
Alfred Schnittke, Cello Concerto, Naxos
Saint-Saens, Piano Concertos, Pascal Roge

I might list Mozart's complete sacred music by Harnoncourt, but I haven't heard all 11 CDs yet.


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## Notung

1. The Solti Ring
2. The '62 Knappertsbusch Parsifal
3. Giulini Don G.
4. Gardiner Don G. (Double-dipped)
5. Karajan/Ponnelle Madama Butterfly
6. Boulez/Chereau Ring (believe it or not, I'm a traditionalist)
7. Arias for Caffarelli- Franco Fagioli
8. Mehta Turandot
9.-10. TBA


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## Cascade

RCO/Van Beinum - Bruckner Symphonies 5, 7, 8 & 9 (Eloquence)
Czech Ph./Neumann - Mahler Symphonies (Suppraphon)
Schiff/Vegh - Mozart Piano Concertos (Decca)
Firkusny - Martinu Piano Works (ao concertos 2, 3 & 4) (RCA)
Berliner/Karajan - Webern orchestral works (DG)


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## Vinyl

In my case I can't really rate ten, but this happened: 
I was given, for free, a collection of more than 3500 titles, all vinyl of course, and even though I have found some absolute gems so far, I can't pick ten. I'll count this treasure as just the one really good acquisition of 2013.


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## billeames

Hello, after some thought, here are my favorites I bought in 2013. Some are used though. Some used ones hard to get (Bruckner Abbado), new ones too. The Paavo Jarvi from Japan. 

HATINK HAITINK PHILIPS YEARS	HAITINK	LPO, CONCERTG, ETC	DECCA
BEETHOVEN	VIOLIN SONATAS	FAUST MELNKOV HARMONIA MUNDI
BRUCKNER	SYMPHONY 5	ABBADO	WIENER PHILHARMONIKER	DG
BRUCKNER	SYMPH 3 4	JANSONS	ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA	RCO LIVE
SCHUBERT	ROSAMUNDE	MASUR GEWANDHAUSORCHESTER LEIPZIG	PHILIPS
SHOSTAKOVICH	SYMPHONY 8	GERGIEV	KIROV ORCHESTRA PHILIPS
ROSSINI VERDI	OVERTURES	GAMBA	LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA	DECCA AUSTRAILIAN ELEGANCE
CARTELLIERI	SYMPHONIES 1-6	SCHMALFUSS	EVERGREEN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA	CPO
BRUCKNER	SYMPHONY 5	JARVI PAAVO	FRANKFURT RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA	BMG
SCHUMANN	SYMPHONIES	BEERMANN	ROBERT-SCHUMANN PHILHARMONIE	CPO SACD


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