Greatest Classical Music Works of All Time (In-Progress) - Music Diaries

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

murmur wrote:

You should definitely look into Scriabin's works for piano. I think you'd find much to love there - very cerebral and complex music while also being infinitely beautiful and accessible. Vladimir Sofronitsky is probably the authoritative performer on that front. Also surprised to see a lack of Robert Schumann's Kreisleriana in your ratings and "to revisit" list. The Martha Argerich performance is well-known and fantastic. Also, you clearly love the Mahler symphonies that you've heard. I'd definitely get on his second symphony, as well as the absolutely breathtaking lieder cycle, Kindertotenlieder. I notice in your other thread you name the von Karajan performance of Mahler 9 as the best. I wonder if you've heard the Maderna performance. He takes the piece in a radically new direction, and if you're a fanatic looking to get more from Mahler's masterwork, that might be a good place to check. I've followed your lists of various kinds for years since first seeing them on Listology and am glad to see you pop up on a forum!

Scriabin: Thank you, his Black Mass Sonata has a great chance at being added when I revisit it. Perhaps some of his others too. Ill check out Sofronitsky.

Schumann: I dont recall if Ive heard that yet. There's a lot of Classical I've heard that is not listed here that it's been several years since I last heard. Those in the "To Revisit" are only those I am the most sure of being 7.8+. Argerich is among my favorites. Her performances of Chopin and Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto (with Abbado) are amazing.

Mahler 9th: No I've never heard that one. Thank you for the rec, I am curious about the interpretational difference! I also love Barbirolli's, Bernstein's, Walter's and Horenstein's.

Listology: Thanks Smile

Are you a listology user I might know or do you just drop by here and there? Too bad about the site collapse. Hope it gets back up soon!

It's great to get some feedback on Classical, thank you. What would your top choices be? Are there any 8.8+ you feel I've forgotten or missed (including my "To Revisit" section). Im primarily trying to revisit/discover those first, then 8.3-8.7, then 7.8-8.2. Or, in your opinion, are there any I've clearly rated too low that should be upgraded to 8.8+?
_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

murmur

8.8+ in your to revisit pile from my perspective includes the late Beethoven SQs. It looks like your only one to revisit right now is No. 16, Op. 135, but it's hard for me to ctrl+f for the other ones, so maybe you're missing others. Check out the Alban Berg Quartett recordings if those aren't the ones you're using. Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition is essential (I believe there's a Sviatoslav Richter recording that I'm most partial too? But I have a couple recordings.) Bach's Goldberg Variations are one of his most major collections, in my opinion. I have probably five or six recordings. It's a collection that is served by many interpretations, and there is much depth there to plumb. Don't stop at Gould's attempts! For Bach, I'd also say to keep working through his violin sonatas and partitas, which it appears you've partially rated and partially not revisited. They're another collection that I have probably half a dozen recordings of because of the range of interpretations and power of the compositions. Schubert's Forrellenquintett ("Trout" as you have it listed here) is so so so good!!! His string quartets are probably not 8.8+ but worth checking out. Definitely solid 8.3+ range.

As far as my top picks, I'm much more invested in modern/contemporary classical than it appears that you are. If/when you decide to descend into atonal depravity, check out Schoenberg's Pierrot lunaire and his string quartets. Everything Anton Webern has ever made is worth hearing, and Boulez has released two definitive collections (one of all his works with opus numbers, another with his complete compositional repertoire). People tend to like Alban Berg, too. Depending on how you like that, I'd be available to give recommendations to get you further into the fold on the screechy, scratchy, hellfire music that we few acolytes drool over.

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

murmur wrote:

8.8+ in your to revisit pile from my perspective includes the late Beethoven SQs. It looks like your only one to revisit right now is No. 16, Op. 135, but it's hard for me to ctrl+f for the other ones, so maybe you're missing others. Check out the Alban Berg Quartett recordings if those aren't the ones you're using. Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition is essential (I believe there's a Sviatoslav Richter recording that I'm most partial too? But I have a couple recordings.) Bach's Goldberg Variations are one of his most major collections, in my opinion. I have probably five or six recordings. It's a collection that is served by many interpretations, and there is much depth there to plumb. Don't stop at Gould's attempts! For Bach, I'd also say to keep working through his violin sonatas and partitas, which it appears you've partially rated and partially not revisited. They're another collection that I have probably half a dozen recordings of because of the range of interpretations and power of the compositions. Schubert's Forrellenquintett ("Trout" as you have it listed here) is so so so good!!! His string quartets are probably not 8.8+ but worth checking out. Definitely solid 8.3+ range.

As far as my top picks, I'm much more invested in modern/contemporary classical than it appears that you are. If/when you decide to descend into atonal depravity, check out Schoenberg's Pierrot lunaire and his string quartets. Everything Anton Webern has ever made is worth hearing, and Boulez has released two definitive collections (one of all his works with opus numbers, another with his complete compositional repertoire). People tend to like Alban Berg, too. Depending on how you like that, I'd be available to give recommendations to get you further into the fold on the screechy, scratchy, hellfire music that we few acolytes drool over.

Re: Beethoven's Late String Quartets ... Thank you, I just revisited then and would say that his 12th (currently in "to revisit") is probably 8 or maybe 8.5, his 13th with Grosse Fugue (currently 8.4) has an excellent shot at 8.8+ (though undecided), his 14th (currently 8.7) is probably 8.8+ (though undecided), his 15th (currently 9.3) is probably accurate or at least very close and his 16th I am unsure of but would probably say 7.8-8.2/10. I agree wholeheartedly that Alban Berg is the way to go.

Re: Pictures at an Exhibition ... Currently 7.9 but wouldn't be surprised if I rated it higher (as I used to). Not sure if I've heard Richter's or not but I'll look for it when I revisit next.

Re: Goldberg Variations ... Currently 8.8 but among the most difficult works to rate. Could be anywhere from 8.5-9.3 range. I love Gould's of course but I actually have a recording I consider in even higher esteem than his, which I'll post upon updating my recordings list.

Re: Bach Violin Sonatas ... His 3rd Sonata has a very good shot at my list. It's been quite a long time since I revisited all the others so I'm not sure about those right now.

Re: Trout Quintet ... Currently 8/10 but there's a lot of room for error on that one and I wouldn't be surprised if I upgrade it to 8.5 or even 9. Schubert reached a sustained peak in the latter part of his life that perhaps only Beethoven matched/surpassed.

Re: Schubert's String Quartets ... I currently have his 14th rated 8.9. His 15th is either 8 or 8.5. His 13th probably 8/10.

Re: Schoenberg and modern Classical ... Yes I do need to familiarize myself with those artists a but more. I am more familiar with Messiaen, Shostakovich, Bartok, Stravinsky, Part, Schnittke, but still have several blanks to fill in with those too.
_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Post deleted. Most recent update is now featured only on the first post of the first page.
_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

Last edited by AfterHours on 02/23/2017 04:37; edited 1 time in total

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Post deleted. Most recent update is now featured only on the first post of the first page.
_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

Last edited by AfterHours on 02/23/2017 04:37; edited 1 time in total

murmur

If you like Schnittke, his first symphony is a definite 9.0+ for me.

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

murmur wrote:

If you like Schnittke, his first symphony is a definite 9.0+ for me.

Thank you

I think I've only checked it out once, and I'm not even sure if I heard it in it's entirety or not. I will definitely plan to check it out again/in full soon. How would you compare it to his 8th (which I'm pretty sure will be upgraded to 8.8+ in the near future) ?
_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

murmur

It's definitely my favorite symphony of his and one of my top pieces of music ever.

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

murmur wrote:

It's definitely my favorite symphony of his and one of my top pieces of music ever.

Wow! I'll make sure to get to it very soon (probably tonight)
_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

undefined

AfterHours wrote:

Scriabin: Thank you, his Black Mass Sonata has a great chance at being added when I revisit it. Perhaps some of his others too. Ill check out Sofronitsky.

definitely gonna second the rec for Sofronitsky (aka Scriabin's son-in-law). The Scriabin Recital live album is generally regarded as the prime recording, and is indeed probably the best starting place; it's very much rooted in romanticism with tinges of the abstract and impressionistic. Very outwardly expressive and invigorating in a way, though I personally much prefer Scriabin chez Scriabin, which is a little less-refined, and a little more daring I'd say, straying a tad from the romantic to engage in something a little more introspective and ultimately more beautiful imo. The recording quality is very lo-fi and the piano probably isn't even tuned perfectly but honestly it just really adds to the feeling of intimacy the recording offers. Amazing stuff.

But yeah Scriabin Recital and/or Scriabin chez Scriabin, can't go wrong with either Smile

(and if you do end up liking Sofronitsky as a player, he also plays a mean Liszt which is very worth checking out)