THESE ARE ALL NON-OPERA SUGGESTIONS. ALSO, NOT INCLUDING FAVOURITES THAT
MIGHT INDUCE DROWSINESS ON A LONG DRIVE, LIKE VAUGHAN WILLIAMS' "THE LARK
ASCENDING", OR DELIUS "A WALK TO THE PARADISE GARDEN", DEBUSSY'S
"APRES-MIDI D'UN FAUN" ETC. ALSO LIMITED MYSELF TO CLASSICAL MUSIC:
Janacek: "Diary of one who Disappeared" - Leo Marian Vodicka, Radoslav
Kvapil, et al (Panton 710456)
Paco Pen~a: Missa Flamenca - Not sure it's still available; only one
recording ever made
Orff: Carmina Burana - (1) Stokowski, Houston Symphony, Houston CHorale;
or (2) Eugen Jochum, Berlin State Opera Orchestra & Chorus
(Fischer-Dieskau, Janowitz, Stolze); or (3)
Einhorn: Voices of Light - with Anonymous 4 (only one recording available
of this work)
Xenakis: the album with Echange, Okho, Xas, Akrata, and A la memoire de
Witold Lutoslawski (on the Mode label, #56) - "Xas", which is for
saxophone quartet, is one of my favourite "minimalist" pieces.
Alfonso IX "El Sabio": Las Cantigas de Santa Maria - The recording I have
(on LP) does not seem to be available any longer. I liked it because it
included narration providing a context and translation of each cantiga.
But the music itself stands alone - and there's a recording with Russell
Oberlin and Joseph Iadone that sounds promising (from the clips on the
Amazon.com website).
Beethoven: 9th Symphony ("Choral") - (1) Furtwaengler with London
Philharmonic (Elsa Cavelti, Otto Edemann, Ernst Hafliger, Elisabeth
Schwarzkopf, soloists); or (2) Boehm & Vienna Philharmonic,
Wiener Staatsoper Chorus (Gwyneth Jones, Jess Thomas, Karl Ridderbusch,
Tatiana Troyanos, soloists) - this recording has the advantage of being
offered in a double-set (on Deutsche Grammophon) with the 3rd ("Eroica"),
which is another one of my recommendations; or (3) Gardiner and Orchestra
Revolutionnaire et Romantique, Monteverdi Choir (Cachemaille, Czornyj,
Holschneider, Rolfe-Johnson soloists) - this is an "original instruments"
version, which isn't to everyone's taste.
Beethoven: 5th Symphony - Carlos Kleiber & Vienna Philharmonic
Mahler: 8th Symphony ("Symphony of the Thousand") - Georg Solti, Chicago
Symphony, Wiener Staatsoper Chorus and Wiener Sangverein (Kollo, Auger,
Harmper, Minton, Popp, Shirley-Quick, Talvela soloists)
Mozart: Requiem - Boehm with Vienna Philharmonic, Wiener Staatsoper Choir
Concert Association, etc.
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben - Reiner, Chicago Symphony (on RCA Victor
CD with Also sprach Zarathustra)
Berlioz: Harold en Italie - (1) Gardiner with Orchestre Revolutionnaire et
Romantique; or (2) Colin Davis with London Symphony
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet (complete ballet) - Andre Previn, London
Symphony Orchestra
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture - I haven't found the ideal recording yet,
probably because I want (1) real Russian cathedral bells; (2) choral
version of the Russian national hymn; (3) real cannons. I only seem to be
able to find 1 or 2 of these on any given recording, but never all 3.
Sigh.
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto #3 - Martha Argerich with Chailly and Berlin
Radio Symphony Orchestra (live recording, on album with Tchaikovsky's 1st
piano concerto)
Brahms/Joachim: Hungarian Dances (violin/piano transcriptions) - The
recording I have is no longer available apparently, but there's a
recording with Oscar Shumsky and Frank Maus on BMG that sounds pretty good
(from the audio clips on Amazon.com).
Stravinsky: Apollon Musagete/The Rite of Spring - There's a budget CD with
the Rite done by Dobrin Petkov and the Plovdiv Philharmonic, and Apollo
done by Sandor Vegh and the Camerata Academica Salzburg that just happens
to be one of the best recordings available of both works. Go figure.
Stravinsky: The Firebird (complete ballet) - Gergiev and the St Petersburg
Kirov Orchestra (disc also includes Scriabin's Symphony #5 which is an
interesting plus)
Shostakovich: Symphony #7 (Leningrad) - Yuri Temirkanov and the St
Petersburg Philharmonic (superior to the classic Bernstein recording)
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition - (1) Piano original: Sviatoslav
Richter's 1958 live performance in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Philips - the
studio recordings aren't as good as this one (though still quite good)
which is probably the best, bar none.; (2) Orchestral transcription:
Maazel and Cleveland Symphony (on disc with Night on Bald Mountain)
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A - (1) Hogwood, Academy of Ancient Music,
Michel Piguet on basset clarinet (authentic instruments recording, also
includes Oboe Concerto in C); Boehm, Vienna Philharmonic, Alfred Prinz
(more "traditional" orchestra - absolutely stunning, brilliant
performance)
Purcell: Come ye sons of Art (Birthday Ode) - Alfred Deller and Deller
Consort - this is THE classic recording, and also includes three other
pieces; I haven't found a more recent recording I like better
Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances - No recording I'm particularly partial
to above all others.
Liszt: A Faust Symphony - The recording I grew up with is not available on
CD, but I was pleased to discover the Naxos recording with Andras Molnar
conducting the Ferenc Liszt Academy Orchestra and Hungarian State Choir.
For $6.00 it's a HUGE bargain! (Other Liszt favourites are his Mephisto
Waltzes, played by Jorge Bolet or Alfred Brendel, and his Hungarian
Rhapsodies - orchestral version preferred)
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings - Ormandy and Philadelphia Orchestra
(on Sony Classics, with Symphony #5)
Holst: The Planets - Simon Rattle, London Philharmonia
Elgar: Enigma Variations - Adrian Boult with London Symphony (on EMI
Classics CD with Holst's The Planets - also a great recording)
These should at least get you across North Dakota.
K
............................
NEIL SHICOFF pages
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Own Website
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Singers are often so fired up after a +
+ a performance, they want sex instantly. +
+ - Jilly Cooper, SCORE! +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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