Favorite Classical CDs by 
NickVolos 
If you made it this far down, you just discovered my favorite chart of all - a list of my favorite classical CDs. Most of these CDs are collections of multiple of the composer's works - in some cases spanning the whole lifetime of the composer - rather than individual works. The chart is sorted based on my favorite collection of a composer's work and not based on the performer(s) and/or conductor that interprets it. All selections are rated 100 as all represent the absolutely top most quality that music has to offer. Reverse this chart from 100 to 1 and the music in it remains beautifully perfect.
- Chart updated: 02/09/2015 13:15
- (Created: 11/07/2013 04:43).
- Chart size: 27 albums.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from Trevor Pinnock / The English Concert. (Remove this filter)
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The idea of a "perfect recording" is, of course, chimerical. But Trevor Pinnock's "Brandenburg Concertos" and "Orchestral Suites" come pretty close to the mark. There are two factors which put this 3-CD set in the category "very special": One is the sheer musicianship of the young English Concert team. Every soloist seems to want to outdo the others in technical skill, tonal clarity and emotional verve. Listen to Pinnock himself on the harpsichord in the Brandenburg Concert No. 5; listen to Lisa Beznosiuk accompanying him on the traverse flute; listen to Simon Standage, Philip Pickett and Rachel Beckett in Concert No. 4 ... and so the list goes on. This is an unending sequence of instrumental delights, and only someone who dislikes Baroque period instruments on principle will fail to experience heights of enjoyment of this exquisite sound. Which brings me to the second factor: Seldom have I heard such a brilliant recording! Deutsche Grammophon is generally known for superior sound, but this 1982 piece of digital engineering (Brandenburg Concertos) surpasses anything I have ever heard even from this label: Purity, clarity, spaciousness and presence are uniquely combined to provide a listening experience which could hardly be topped. The Orchestral Suite sound (analogue recording from 1979/1980) is only slightly less brilliant and also deserves great praise. I have listened to a number of rival recordings, but nothing captivates me quite like the the English Concert discs. The only slight question mark could perhaps be put behind the Sixth Brandenburg Concerto, which in its Adagio slow movement seems to lack a little fire. Generally, Pinnock has chosen tempi that are moderate, and although musicologists and interpreters since this recording (Goebel; Rampe) have argued cogently for faster rhythms, their efforts sound decidedly contrived in comparison with Pinnock's easy, flowing version which caresses the ear without betraying any of Bach's depth or humour...(Leslie Richford, Amazon Customer Review)
[First added to this chart: 11/07/2013]
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I absolutely love this collection of Concertos, this recording was performed by one of the finest chamber orchestras - The English Concert, conducted by Trevor Pinnock from the harpsichord and organ. This is a 5 CD set released in 1988 on the Archiv label. This group covers over three decades of Vivaldi's career from the winter of 1708 until one month before his death in 1741. The format is 'alla rustica' - the musical instuments include violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, transverse flute, archlute, chamber organ, harpsichord, bassoon, theorbo, mandolin, chalumeau, recorder, and oboe and are from the period. This set will give you nearly a day of Vivaldi without interruption. When I have a long stretch of intensive study or writing this is a favorite...Baroque music invigorates the mind like nothing else, bringing out your creativity and mental endurance. Sometimes I will simply watch the sun set to it, enjoying a glass of merlot or hot tea depending on the agenda for the evening. (Hobbitears "Carol Cassedy", Amazon Customer Review)
Note: this is actually a 2001 release but contents are the same. [First added to this chart: 11/07/2013]
Note: this is actually a 2001 release but contents are the same. [First added to this chart: 11/07/2013]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank in 2001:
None
Rank in 2000s:
None
Average Rating:
Comments:
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The Handel organ concertos Op 4, HWV 289–294, refer to the six organ concertos for chamber organ and orchestra composed by George Frideric Handel in London between 1735 and 1736 and published in 1738 by the printing company of John Walsh. Written as interludes in performances of oratorios in Covent Garden, they were the first works of their kind for this combination of instruments and served as a model for later composers.
The Handel organ concertos Op 7, HWV 306–311, refer to the six organ concertos for organ and orchestra composed by George Frideric Handel in London between 1740 and 1751, published posthumously in 1761 by the printing company of John Walsh. They were written for performance during Handel's oratorios, contain almost entirely original material, including some of his most popular and inspired movements.
"A fine and delicate touch, a volant finger, and a ready delivery of passages the most difficult, are the praise of inferior artists: they were not noticed in Handel, whose excellencies were of a far superior kind; and his amazing command of the instrument, the fullness of his harmony, the grandeur and dignity of his style, the copiousness of his imagination, and the fertility of his invention were qualities that absorbed every inferior attainment. When he gave a concerto, his method in general was to introduce it with a voluntary movement on the diapasons, which stole on the ear in a slow and solemn progression; the harmony close wrought, and as full as could possibly be expressed; the passages concatenated with stupendous art, the whole at the same time being perfectly intelligible, and carrying the appearance of great simplicity. This kind of prelude was succeeded by the concerto itself, which he executed with a degree of spirit and firmness that no one ever pretended to equal." (Sir John Hawkins, General History of the Science and Practice of Music. 1776) (wikipedia) [First added to this chart: 11/08/2013]
The Handel organ concertos Op 7, HWV 306–311, refer to the six organ concertos for organ and orchestra composed by George Frideric Handel in London between 1740 and 1751, published posthumously in 1761 by the printing company of John Walsh. They were written for performance during Handel's oratorios, contain almost entirely original material, including some of his most popular and inspired movements.
"A fine and delicate touch, a volant finger, and a ready delivery of passages the most difficult, are the praise of inferior artists: they were not noticed in Handel, whose excellencies were of a far superior kind; and his amazing command of the instrument, the fullness of his harmony, the grandeur and dignity of his style, the copiousness of his imagination, and the fertility of his invention were qualities that absorbed every inferior attainment. When he gave a concerto, his method in general was to introduce it with a voluntary movement on the diapasons, which stole on the ear in a slow and solemn progression; the harmony close wrought, and as full as could possibly be expressed; the passages concatenated with stupendous art, the whole at the same time being perfectly intelligible, and carrying the appearance of great simplicity. This kind of prelude was succeeded by the concerto itself, which he executed with a degree of spirit and firmness that no one ever pretended to equal." (Sir John Hawkins, General History of the Science and Practice of Music. 1776) (wikipedia) [First added to this chart: 11/08/2013]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 3. Page 1 of 1
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Favorite Classical CDs composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 1 | 4% | |
| 1960s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1970s | 3 | 11% | |
| 1980s | 3 | 11% | |
| 1990s | 8 | 30% | |
| 2000s | 12 | 44% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Trevor Pinnock / The English Concert | 3 | 11% | |
| Musica Amphion / Pieter-Jan Belder | 2 | 7% | |
| Aldo Ciccolini | 2 | 7% | |
| Andrew Manze / Frank De Bruine / Alfredo Bernardini / The Academy Of Ancient Music / Christopher Hogwood | 1 | 4% | |
| Maria-João Pires | 1 | 4% | |
| Coull Quartet | 1 | 4% | |
| Emma Kirkby | 1 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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9 | 33% | |
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3 | 11% | |
| |
3 | 11% | |
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2 | 7% | |
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2 | 7% | |
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2 | 7% | |
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1 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Favorite Classical CDs chart changes
| New entries |
|---|
 Debussy: L'Oeuvre Pour Pianoby Aldo Ciccolini |
Favorite Classical CDs similarity to your chart(s)
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