# Must Have Album



## Josiah (Feb 26, 2011)

I was thinking it would be really cool to have a thread dedicated to everyone's must buy album. Granted there is probably dozens of albums that are worth the status of must buy, but lets try to limit it to one album per person. I being able to see someone's must have album could be helpful for people who want to get in to classical music and have limited budgets.

My must have album is Shostakovich 24 Preludes and Fugues performed by Alexander Melnikov.

http://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-...XVKO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298748138&sr=8-1


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Tough choice to post just one.

Amazon link.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Since this is a list of albums everyone must have, I'll put in a plug for Kleiber's Beethoven 5 and 7.


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## Pieck (Jan 12, 2011)

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-String-Quartets-Felix-Mendelssohn/dp/B000076GYH

especially No. 6


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## bassClef (Oct 29, 2006)

must be the 1958 version


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

A lot of the things I wanted to vote for came in sets, like my Mahler symphonies, Ravel orchestral works etc. but I'll vote for this:


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Dvorak Cello Concerto/Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations (Rostropovich/Karajan/BPO on DG) or Gershwin Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris/Piano Concerto in F (Previn/LSO on EMI).


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Mine would be Kleiber's go at Beethoven 5 and 7, but fortunately someone has mentioned that already, so I will go with....










which wins by a hair over


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## Josiah (Feb 26, 2011)

I will have to go and check out Kleiber's Beethoven. I own Karajan's and thought his recording of the Beethoven symphonies was really good.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Truthfully, if you have Karajan's 1963 (his most popular one), you're fine. But I personally enjoy the Kleiber more, so if there's a ten dollar bill burning a hole in your pocket, it's a reasonable way to go. 

The second set to consider is Gardiner's. Even though I prefer the big band, it's interesting to hear the period ensemble. 

I spent a lot of time researching those choices, and I've been satisfied with them for years. But recently, I sometimes have a mild itch to hear Furtwangler or Toscanini - no, not even an itch, more of a tickle. I will probably not scratch that itch until I have a DVD set.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

BTW, great thread topic.


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## Josiah (Feb 26, 2011)

Thanks.  I kept seeing threads asking what should I buy i'm new to classical music. I figured it would be easiest just to have a thread for this kind of question.


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## Rangstrom (Sep 24, 2010)

Bjoerling/Merrill Duets

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000003ERE/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

My advice would be not to buy too much too fast. Listen to the stuff you have and get to know it. The pressure on a board like this is to have everything, to know everything.... 

Another thing I'd say is get box sets. Even though you might only want to hear Dvorak's 9th symphony now, soon enough you'll want to hear the 7th and 8th - and eventually you'll want to hear the 5th, and so on.... 

And buy them on sale! 

A personal preference is to buy recordings that have been famous for at least a couple decades. A decade ago I bought a lot of stuff like Beethoven's symphonies on Naxos, and now I've discovered that no one talks about those recordings. (On the other hand, recordings from before 1960 or so don't sound good enough to me, unless I'm in a mood to enjoy the antique sound.) So now, rather than buy something random (the newest rage, or what someone on the message board raved about, or what is on the staff picks in the store, or whatever is cheapest) and then buying a more famous recording of it later, I try to buy the famous one first and save myself the money.

Then, finally, I'd advise you to occasionally take shots in the dark. Perhaps an album cover grabs you, or whatever, and it's some composer you've never heard of on a label you've never heard of by performers you've never heard of, and it's 15 bucks - every now and then take those shots. A lot of times it turns out to be something that stays in a box in the attic, but other times it opens up some completely new area for you. Suddenly you find yourself saying something like, "Oh, 18th century French opera - now that's good stuff!" And then you're one of these guys on talkclassical trying to get people to listen to Gluck's Les Chinoises because you're convinced it's a neglected masterpiece....


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## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

Mine would have to be this Deutsche Grammophon recording of Strauss under Sinopoli. It's discontinued now, but fortunately still available from Amazon:

*http://www.amazon.com/Richard-Strauss-Zarathustra-Verklärung-Philharmonic/dp/B00000E400*


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## delallan (Jan 4, 2011)

*Four Last Song*

I think my 'must have' album is Renee Fleming's interpretation of Strauss' Four Last Songs (Vier Letzte Lieder). I can't tell you how much I love this CD, and how often I play it.


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## Il Seraglio (Sep 14, 2009)

Own it before you die!!!!


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## Edward Elgar (Mar 22, 2006)

Only one? Ouch! Well...










Fantastic symphony (as the title would suggest).


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## Llyranor (Dec 20, 2010)

Szeryng playing Bach's violin sonatas and partitas. His Chaconne is _amazing_.


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## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

Right now it would have to be this:


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## Comistra (Feb 27, 2010)

If I sat and thought about it I'd have a very difficult time. So here's what came into my head immediately when I read the topic:








I'm a huge fan of Bruch's violin works, and Accardo plays them beautifully. This I consider to be a must-have disc.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

http://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Piano-Concertos-Nos-Sergey/dp/B000000ALM


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## Pieck (Jan 12, 2011)

Comistra said:


> If I sat and thought about it I'd have a very difficult time. So here's what came into my head immediately when I read the topic:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Accardo is truely great! And of course great pieces


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

The Bruch is very good - it's a pity the 2nd and 3rd concertos aren't as widely known. The remainder of his violin works with orchestra are available on another Philips two-fer with his three symphonies by the same forces.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Bruch's #1 is absolutely my favorite violin concerto, and on that point I've felt alone in the world.

On a different note, I have several recordings of Bach's concertos BWV 1043 and BWV 1060 - and I don't care which one you get, I love them all. My favorite by the tiniest bit might be Grumiaux:










- but, I have to admit that is also the newest one to me, and it might be novelty. Manze/Podger is great (though I like the oboe better than the 2nd violin in 1060), Wallfisch/OAE are great, and Westermann/Utiger are great in the 1060. I wish I knew the Julia Fischer recording because it is popular and probably great too.

Whatever one you get, get these wonderful works (and at least one of the 1060 with the oboe)!


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)




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## Llyranor (Dec 20, 2010)

science said:


> Bruch's #1 is absolutely my favorite violin concerto, and on that point I've felt alone in the world.
> 
> On a different note, I have several recordings of Bach's concertos BWV 1043 and BWV 1060 - and I don't care which one you get, I love them all. My favorite by the tiniest bit might be Grumiaux:
> 
> ...


I can attest to the quality of the Fischer's for these concertos. Really great stuff.


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## Jacob Singer (Jan 7, 2011)

Freaking awesome!


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

This particular copy of *Don Giovanni*: don't die before you wear it out! :trp:


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

To me, this is essential in the solo piano repertoire, maybe even unsurpassed, and Alfred Bredel's performance is magnificent...


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## Barking Spiderz (Feb 1, 2011)

I've no disagreement with you on Bruch's 1st violin concerto as being the tops, just ahead of LvB's and Mendelssohn's. I'd put the other two Bruch in the top 10 easily esp the third.
My choice for this question is the Beecham/PO Bizet Symphony in C coupled with the L'Arlesienne Suites on EMI. 'Kin well love this album. Always cheers me up


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