I've got the chance of a number of classical LP's from the list below. The top half are the recommendations from the man who's getting rid of them. Which ones are worth checking out and worth avoiding?
Bainbridge - Viola concerto
Birtwistle - Secret Theatre etc
Birtwistle, Crosse and Wood - Various
Crosse - Dreamsongs
Hans Werner Henze - 5 Symphonies
Jolivet, Harrison, Cage and Sandstrom - Various
Knussen - Symphyony No 2; Where the wind things are
John McCabe - Notturni Edalba; Chagwall Windows
Theo Loevendie - Naima
Schwanter - Aftertones of Infinity; Lutoslawski - Livre pour Orchestre
Webern - Complete works (box)
Tippett - The Mask of Time (box); King Priam (box)
Giles Swayne - Cry
Stravinsky - The Rakes's Progress (box); Oedipus Rex (box); Mavra
Schoenberg - Variations etc; Violin Concerto; Piano concerto
Anthony Payne - Phoenix Mass
Panufnik - Heroic Overture
Harper - Fanny Robin
John Downey - The edge of Space
Elliott Carter - In sleep, in thunder
Havergal Brian - Symph 7, 31
Berg - Lulu (box); Wozzeck (box)
― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 4 October 2002 11:02 (twenty-three years ago)
If the Schoenberg is the two-fer conducted by Boulez, that's worth picking up. Ditto the Webern box most likely. But that's just the "hits"--can't really help you beyond that.
― Lee G (Lee G), Friday, 4 October 2002 13:26 (twenty-three years ago)
I would investigate the Schoenberg, Stravinsky and Carter recordings. I've loathed the Webern I've heard, but I'm in the (very VOCAL) minority on that.
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 4 October 2002 13:32 (twenty-three years ago)
Essential:
- the Webern box set
- "Wozzeck" and "Lulu" (but NB these are
operas so avoid if you don't like 'poncy classical singing' as mark s once put it)
- the Jolivet, Harrison, Cage one: a quick 'net search informs me this CD is mainly percussion music, so should be good.
Personal favourites:
- Lutoslawski's 'Livre' (but I don't know the Schwanter)
- King Priam (but again it's opera)
- the Giles Swayne (this is v. accessible, as are the Knussen works tho' the latter isn't my cup of tea)
The Schoenberg pieces are all late, total-serial works. Not easy listening.
Birtwistle is an important composer, but while I love some of his stuff, I find a lot more of it inaccessible.
'The Mask Of Time' and 'In Sleep In Thunder' are similarly worthy but difficult.
'The Rakes Progress' is an opera, but I've not heard it. I don't much care for 'Oedipus Rex' which also has lots of singing in it. These are not your ideal introductions to Stravinsky I would suggest.
Simon Bainbridge ("composer in residence" at my Uni in my final year!) is patchy. Not heard the Viola Concerto but seem to recall it's one of his more highly-regarded works.
I've not heard much Henze, but the symphonies might be worth a try.
The rest I don't know enough about.
― Jeff W (Jeff W), Friday, 4 October 2002 13:41 (twenty-three years ago)
heard mostly xenakis and feldman (just yesterday i got the 4 CD string quartet at 35% discount in the sale at tower recs).
also search varese and iancu dumiterscu too. also have a go with the musique concrete ppl. it *might* be a form of classical but i don't know really.
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 4 October 2002 13:56 (twenty-three years ago)