Introduction -- How to start a classical music CD collection.

Classical Music CD Buying Guide -- Where to buy CDs, and how to choose recordings. Recommended Classical CDs

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Top 10 CDs -- Essential CDs to start your classical music collection. Top 20 CDs -- Expanding your collection. Top 10 by Composer

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750) Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827) Brahms, Johannes (1833-1897) Debussy, Claude (1862-1918) and Ravel, Maurice (1875-1937) -- Coming Soon! Haydn, Franz Joseph (1732-1809) Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791) Schubert, Franz (1797-1828) Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich (1840-1893) Verdi, Giuseppe (1813-1901) -- New!

Top 10 by Era

Renaissance (1400-1600) Baroque (1600-1750) Classical (1750-1810) Romantic (1810-1880) Early Modern (1880-1920) Twentieth Century (1920-2000)

Top 10 by Genre

Symphony Concerto Orchestral String Quartet Chamber Music Piano Song Choral Music Opera

Top 10 Books

How to Start a Classical Music CD Collection

So you want to start listening to classical music, but don't know where to begin? It's a familiar story: many people are casually interested in classical music, but give up when confronted with the enormous selection of recordings currently available. To solve this problem, we have compiled top-ten lists of the classical music CDs that every beginner needs in his or her collection. The lists are organized in several different categories, so you can choose the music you're most likely to enjoy. We also have compiled a CD Buying Guide that tells you what you should look for when choosing classical recordings. Get started now, with our Top 10 CDs List Expand your collection, with our Top 20 CDs List Our Philosophy We believe that the best way to learn about classical music is to listen to it, and the best way to start listening is to build a classical CD collection. Given the profusion of bargain-priced CDs available today, building a classical CD collection does not have to be a budget-breaking proposition. In fact, you can buy all ten of the CDs on our Top-10 Classical CDs list for just over $100. You'll find no "Classical Favorites," "Best of Bach," or "Mozart for Your Mind" on our lists. Why? Such CDs contain only fragments of the world's greatest music -- a single movement, or often only an excerpt from a movement. We believe that great music makes its statement as an entire work, and presenting anything less than the whole work trivializes the composer and insults the intelligence of the listener. Why is acquiring CDs the best way for a beginner to learn about classical music? Consider the other options:

Books and Web Sites may tell you a great deal about the music and its composers, but no amount of words can evoke the feelings aroused by a stormy Beethoven symphony or a tender Schubert string quartet. However, you can (and should!) read books to supplement your increasing knowledge of music as you build your collection. Here are our recommendations. Attending Concerts is very expensive. For the price of a ticket to the symphony, you can buy half the CDs on our Top-10 Classical CDs list. In addition, going to a concert hall is inconvenient, you have no control over the program, and the quality of the performance may be unpredictable. This is not to say that concerts should have no place in your life -- indeed, once you know a little about what music you like and what makes a good performance, classical concerts may be among your most sublime, moving, and memorable experiences. Radio can expose you to music you haven't heard before -- up to a point. Most of today's classical music radio stations are tailored to the "Classics for Relaxation" market, which usually means boring pieces by obscure composers chosen to be unobtrusive as you wait for your dentist appointment. Our lists give you the most memorable pieces by the most important composers -- you'd have to listen to an awful lot of radio to hear all of them.

How to Use This Site If you're starting from scratch, first take a look at the Top 10 Classical CDs. All of these CDs are sure-fire winners even for the beginner. Once you've enjoyed this list, you can extend your collection to the Top 20 Classical CDs. Once you have the beginnings of a collection and know a little more about what you like or don't like, use our categorized lists to find classical music similar to your favorites -- or jump into a new area entirely. For example, if you enjoy Franz Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" String Quartet, you might check out our Romantic, String Quartets, or Schubert lists; you might hear Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8 and thereby discover a deep passion for twentieth-century music. Or you may listen to Schubert's Winterreise and fall in love with German lieder. The possibilities are endless. About our Top-10 Classical Music Lists One of the best aspects of classical music is its enormous variety. The pieces on our Top 10 lists are carefully chosen so that everyone will be able to find something enjoyable. The lists contain the best works from every genre (symphony, string quartet, piano sonata, etc.), from all of the most famous composers, and from various time periods and national styles. But our lists do more than just recommend pieces to buy -- we also describe which of the dozens or hundreds of available recordings we think are the finest. We have spent hundreds of hours comparing recordings, and for each piece we recommend a specific recording based both on quality of performance and on price. When you're starting out, there's no need to buy the best Unfinished Symphony recording ever at $18 if the second-best one is only $6.99. (Eventually you will want the $18 CD as well, but that time is far off.) Our reviews and recommendations are entirely independent, and are not influenced by any of our sponsors or affiliates. With all our expertise at your fingertips, you're bound to find classical music you love at a price you can afford. Happy listening!

Classical CD Buying Guide

Buying classical music recordings is more complicated than buying popular music. Here are some pointers on where to shop and how to choose recordings. Where to Buy Classical Music Most record stores only have a small corner devoted to classical music, which means that you will often be frustrated if you're looking for a particular piece or recording. However, there are currently two major online retailers of classical CDs: ArkivMusic and Amazon.com. Between them you will always be able to find the music you're looking for at a reasonable price. We recommend ArkivMusic as a first choice for buying classical music CDs. ArkivMusic has the largest selection of classical CDs of any online music store, and their web site is very easy to use. If you want books, DVDs, or electronics with your CDs, you can do it all atAmazon.com, which also has a large selection of classical music and features customer reviews of many of their CDs. Here's a comparison of the two major online classical music stores, rated in four different categories. The shaded box indicates the best retailer for a given category. ArkivMusic Enormous selection, including many imports. Amazon.com Large selection, especially from the major labels. CDs usually sell for around list price; many are 10-15% off. Shipping is free on orders of $25 or more. Search engine usually returns what you're looking for, but irrelevant results will be interspersed. Most CDs are reviewed by customers, some in great depth. "Star" system allows you to tell at a glance whether other people liked the CD. Summary: ArkivMusic's selection and ease of use make it stand out above the others, and its pricing is competitive with Amazon's. Amazon wins hands-down on popularity and name-recognition, but its shortcomings in ease of use make it a second choice.

Selection

Price

CDs usually sell for around list price; full-price CDs (over $15) are usually cheaper than at Amazon. Unique "drill-down" interface makes searching a breeze.

Ease of Use

CD Reviews

Many CDs are reviewed by professional writers from Gramophone magazine or ClassicsToday.com.

= best in group Factors to Consider When Buying Classical Music CDs Most classical works have dozens or hundreds of recordings; your choice of CD will be influenced by a variety of factors, including price, quality of the performance, and what other works are on the CD. We attempt to demystify the classical CD-buying process, sending you well on your way to building your own collection. Your first impulse may be to buy the cheapest available recording of the work you want. This will be adequate for a little while, but as you gain experience you will realize that the cheap CD isn't very good; you will long for something better, and the money you originally spent will be wasted. With shrewd shopping, you can get recordings that offer high quality and low price. Here are some factors to consider:

Performers and Conductor: There are thousands of different performers and everyone has his or her own taste, so we wouldn't dream of recommending specific performers or conductors in general. However, if you find an artist or ensemble that particularly moves you, chances are that you'll enjoy other recordings featuring the same artist. Record Label: Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, London/Decca, Philips, RCA, and Sony/CBS are the major classical music labels today. These six labels maintain a consistently high standard across the board, and it's unlikely you'll go wrong choosing a recording from one of these companies. Other high-quality labels with more limited catalogues include Bis, Chandos, Harmonia Mundi, Hyperion, and Virgin Classics. Naxos is a popular label with an enormous catalogue that often has very good recordings at very low prices. However, some Naxos CDs are only mediocre, and it's hard to know which is which. Avoid $2 to $4 CDs on labels such as Excelsior, Laserlight, Point Classics, and Vienna Masters -- these labels use no-name performers and their engineers are not as technically proficient as those of the major recording companies. Coupling: Most classical music CDs contain more than 60 minutes of music, which means that if the

piece you're looking for is only a half hour, there will be one or more "filler" pieces on the CD. Make sure that you consider the CD as a whole, since you will probably listen to the filler pieces as often as the main work. Choose filler works that could stand on their own; the best choice is another important work by the same composer or a similar work by another major composer. Avoid obscure filler pieces that claim some tangential relation to the principal work.

Reviews: If possible, seek out reviews of various recordings before you buy. Our site makes the decision easy by recommending a single recording for each piece. If you want to strike out on your own, our Books page offers four different guidebooks that compile classical CD reviews. Amazon.comcustomer reviews can also be useful, but the writers' level of expertise tends to vary widely. Price: Classical CDs can be grouped into three categories based on price: Full-price ($16-$20), Mid-price ($11-15), and Bargain ($10 and under, including "two-for-one" sets). The major labels have released many of their greatest recordings at mid-price, so building your CD collection doesn't have to be a budget-breaking proposition. You should only have to pay full price for a particularly special performance or a more obscure piece. Box sets can be particularly good deals. Avoid CDs on no-name labels for under $5 -- these generally feature poor performances and bad sound quality.

Price is obviously an important aspect of your decision, but it's not the only factor. With a little thought and research, you can get a recording you'll be happy with for years to come.

Directory of Useful Links

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Buying Classical Music CDs Online Amazon.com -- The popular bookseller also has thousands of classical CD titles. ArkivMusic.com -- The largest selection of classical music CDs online. Classical Music Reference Sites Andante -- Classical music magazine and record company whose site features an extensive reference section. Cadenza -- Resources for contemporary and classical musicians. Classical Music Pages -- Comprehensive reference Web site containing historical and biographical information and a dictionary of musical terms. Classical.net -- The Web's foremost information resource on all aspects of classical music. ClassicalNotes.net -- Classical music reviews, articles, and commentary by a deeply devoted fan. ClassicalUSA.com -- Selected resources for arts, music, and entertainment. Mfiles -- Site specializing in downloadable music (both audio files and sheet music) with good notes on the major composers. Music & Vision Magazine -- The world's first daily classical music magazine. Naxos -- Record label producing bargain-priced CDs of music in every style and genre. Yahoo! Classical Music Directory -- Hundreds of web sites, organized by subcategory. Partner Sites SpainAdventure.com: How to find and choose a study-abroad program in Spain, and have the time of your life! SailingCourseGuide.com: How to find and choose a great sailing school

About Classical CD Guide.com

There are many books and Web sites that recommend classical music recordings, but these sites are so comprehensive as to be intimidating to the beginner, and there is no single resource a beginner can use to determine the first few classical CDs he or she should buy. Classical CD Guide.com was created in 2004 to fill this void. I wish that this site had existed when I started buying classical music CDs, and I hope that it proves helpful to those who take the time to visit it. If you enjoy it or have suggestions as to how it could be improved, I invite you to send us feedback. The Reason For This Site Classical music has greatly enriched my life, and I want to share with others the joy that classical music has brought to me. But getting started in classical music is often intimidating for the beginner. Most books and other Internet guides list hundreds of pieces and are filled with technical jargon, making them of little value to the novice. At its worst, classical music can seem difficult, snobbish, and inaccessible. But it doesn't have to be this way. I created this guide to give beginners a straightforward introduction to classical music and its recordings. No other high-quality guide available on the Internet offers explicit recommendations for the first twenty CDs to buy. These recordings form the foundation of my and many others' collections, and contain some of the greatest performances ever committed to record. The remainder of the site is an extension of the two central lists, the Top 10 and Top 20 CDs. People who discover music they like on these two lists can find similar pieces in the Composers, Eras, or Genres sections. With more than 150 CDs representing dozens of different composers, the site has enough material to make anyone an expert. By the time you've exhausted these lists you will know both what composers and what works you love and how to find the best recordings. How I Came to Love Classical Music I did not grow up in a musical family: I never learned to play piano or violin, I didn't go to classical concerts, and I owned no classical music recordings. Then one day when I was seventeen, I saw some Beethoven and Mozart CDs for two dollars each in Best Buy. Figuring that I would try to see why those two composers were the ones people always talked about, I bought a half-dozen or so. When I took them home and listened to them, I was hooked. I had never heard music so emotional, so powerful, or so beautiful. I began buying classical CDs as fast as my budget would allow, and listening to them constantly. By the time I went to college the next year, classical music was an integral part of my life. I auditioned for orchestras, I took music classes, I joined the college radio station, and of course, I kept buying CDs. As I was building my collection, I had very little guidance as to what pieces to buy and what recordings to choose. I solved the first problem using the principle on which this site is based: I bought pieces similar to the ones I already liked. I loved Beethoven's and Mozart's symphonies, so I bought symphonies byBrahms and Tchaikovsky. I loved Tchaikovsky so much that I snatched up all his major works, and then moved on to other Russians. I loved the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto, so I looked for other Romantic concertos. And so on. The recordings problem was solved much less successfully. At first I just bought whatever was cheapest -- which were almost always mediocre to poor performances, and after I had acquired more experience ended up buying better recordings of the same pieces. (Today my collection contains almost none of those first thirty or so CDs.) After a while I discovered the Penguin Guide, which offered thousands of recommendations -- so many as to be overwhelming. I didn't become comfortable buying CDs until after I had worked several years at the radio station, where I spent a lot of time comparing multiple recordings of various works, and grew familiar with different performers' and conductors' strengths and weaknesses. My Philosophy My experience with classical music has left me with several very strong beliefs. First, it is never too late to start loving classical music. Second, the best way to learn about the music is to listen to it, which means acquiring recordings. Third, the infinite variety of classical music means there are always more great works waiting to be discovered. This site is built around these three principles. They have made classical music an integral part of my life, and I hope they can make it an important part of yours as well. --David Freeman

The First 10 CDs of Your Classical Music Collection

So you want to start listening to classical music, but don't know where to begin? Here's our list of the ten essential CDs that every classical music fan should have -- if you're only going to buy ten classical CDs in your life, they should be these ten. Our list provides a sampling of the greatest works from a wide variety of styles and time periods. There are roaring symphonies and intimate chamber works, old-fashioned Baroque music, a scandalous twentieth century piece, and everything in between. You're bound to fall in love with at least a couple of works on this list, and when you do, you can follow the links at the bottom of each description to find pages of similar works by composer, era, or genre. These works are all among the most popular pieces performed today, and there are dozens -- if not hundreds -- of recordings of each. In choosing our recommended recordings, we have kept one eye on the quality of the performance and the other on the price. Most of the CDs in this list are "mid-priced" ($10-$12 each, or $16-$20 for a two-disc set). The recordings that are "full price" ($15-$18) are here because we feel they are so special that even a beginner will appreciate their unique qualities. See the Next 10 Essential CDs Read our Classical Music CD Buying Guide Top 10 Essential Classical Music CDs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 -- Carlos Kleiber The most famous piece of classical music ever written. Review... Mozart: Piano Concertos 20, 21 -- Vladimir Ashkenazy Symphonic brilliance and pianistic virtuosity. Review... Beethoven: "Pathtique" and "Moonlight" Piano Sonatas -- Alfred Brendel Beethoven's more intimate medium of expression. Review... Bach: Brandenburg Concertos -- Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Baroque bravura. Review... Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 -- Eroica Trio A chamber masterpiece 25 years in the making. Review... Stravinsky: Rite of Spring -- Igor Stravinsky A scandalous ballet. Review... Schubert: "Death and the Maiden" String Quartet -- Amadeus String Quartet A dying man's outpouring of grief. Review... Tchaikovsky: "Pathtique" Symphony -- Mariss Jansons So tragic it must have been written by a Russian. Review... Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass -- David Willcocks A joyous celebration of life. Review... Bizet: Carmen -- Teresa Berganza, Plcido Domingo, Claudio Abbado The world's most popular opera. Review...

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, conductor Beethoven's Fifth is perhaps the most famous piece of classical music ever written, and deservedly so. The famous opening four note motif serves as the thematic material for the whole first movement, and it reappears in the third and fourth movements to make the symphony into a unified whole rather than a collection of four individual movements. This unity is apparent in other respects as well: the stormy opening movement is in a dark minor key, and the mood gradually shifts through the middle two movements and culminates in a glorious brass fanfare that opens the finale. Carlos Kleiber's recording with the Vienna Philharmonic still stands as one of the all-time greats. Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical, Top 10 Symphonies

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concertos No. 20 in D minor, No. 21 in C major

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano and conductor; Philharmonia Orchestra These two piano concertos combine orchestral brilliance with virtuosic solo work, making a splendid introduction to Mozart. The 20th, in a tragic minor key, moves from a dark and brooding beginning to an uplifting conclusion, and contains a memorable stormy outburst during an otherwise tranquil second movement. The beautiful middle movement of the 21st was used in the 1967 film Elvira Madigan and is one of Mozart's most famous pieces of music, while the finale brings the work to an exciting conclusion on a grand symphonic scale. Vladimir Ashkenazy is one of today's most versatile pianists and conductors, and he shows off both talents in this recording as he conducts from the keyboard. Ashkenazy makes the flurry of fast piano passages seem effortless while shaping the orchestra's sound perfectly. Best of all, these two concertos come with three more of Mozart's greatest concertos, all on two CDs for the price of one. Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical, Top 10 Concertos

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonatas No. 8, "Pathtique"; No. 14 "Moonlight"

Alfred Brendel, piano Beethoven is such an important composer that we had to put two recordings of his in the top three. While the symphonies show outward storm and fire, the piano sonatas give us a more personal view of the composer. The first movement of the "Moonlight" and the middle one of the "Pathtique" are so tender as to move the listener to tears. But the storm is not altogether missing; the "Pathtique" opening movement and the "Moonlight" finale contain some of Beethoven's most exciting music. Alfred Brendel gives a gripping performance on this twodisc set containing five other wonderful sonatas. Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical, Top 10 Piano

Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment There is no better introduction to the Baroque style than these six orchestral masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach. The works are in the style of the concerto grosso, which is an orchestral genre that features a dialogue between small groups of soloists and the full orchestra. Taken as a whole, the six concertos explore the diverse tonal possibilities of both solo instruments and orchestra. The first two concertos are festive, featuring horns and oboes, while the third is written for strings only and is more meditative. The fourth and fifth concertos feature virtuoso playing of the violin and harpsichord respectively, while the concluding sixth -- probably the most famous of the set -- has a jaunty atmosphere and emphasizes ensemble playing over solo work. The conductorless Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment gives a delightful performance on authentic Baroque instruments, and at less than $12 for two CDs this set is clearly a first choice. Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Baroque, Top 10 Concertos

Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8

Eroica Trio This trio is a perfect example of Johannes Brahms's intense perfectionist streak -- he spent more than 35 years writing and revising it! When he finally finished, the result was one of the all-time masterpieces of chamber music. Brahms excels at taking a simple thread of melody and weaving it into an ever-larger tapestry of sound. A perfect example is the opening theme of the first movement, which starts simply enough in the piano, is joined by the cello and then the violin, and builds to an impassioned climax. The Eroica Trio, a young ensemble comprised of three extremely talented (and in our opinion extremely attractive) women, perfectly capture Brahms's passion, giving a performance that is the equal of classic recordings such as Isaac Stern's or Artur Rubinstein's. Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Romantic, Top 10 Chamber Music

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Igor Stravinsky, conductor In 1913 Igor Stravinsky was an up-and-coming composer on the Paris ballet scene, with two successful works already under his belt. Rite of Spring, his third ballet, takes as its subject an ancient Russian sacrificial ritual. When the "primitive" music and unusual choreography first met with a Parisian audience, it caused a riot and sealed Stravinsky's reputation as a revolutionary composer. Stravinsky's inventive use of rhythm and colorful combinations of orchestral sounds express perfectly the primitive aspects of the sacrifice. The recording with the Columbia Symphony allows us to hear exactly what the composer intended -- for it is Stravinsky himself conducting. Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century, Top 10 Orchestral

Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810, "Death and the Maiden"
Amadeus String Quartet In the last few years before he died of syphilis at the age of 31, Franz Schubert experienced one of the most prolific periods of creative genius humankind has ever seen. This quartet is one of the fruits of that period. In the first movement, Schubert develops a simple descending-scale motif into an intense outpouring of grief. The quartet takes its name from the theme of the second movement, a song which Schubert wrote when he was twenty. In its quartet incarnation, Schubert takes the simple melody through a whole range of moods, building to an impassioned frenzy and then relaxing. The Amadeus Quartet offer a convincing performance at a reasonable price. Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Romantic, Top 10 String Quartets

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathtique"

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons, conductor Tchaikovsky's sixth and final symphony is aptly named, for it is filled with pathos from beginning to end. The slow introduction lasts more than two minutes, and the tension slowly mounts until the orchestra bursts forth with a jarring brass fanfare. The turbulence rises and falls and eventually subsides; as the first movement draws to close one hears the sun coming out and a rainbow appearing. The second movement is a gentle waltz that is subtly disfigured by the fact that it is counted off in five rather than the traditional three beats. The finale, instead of being the usual rousing conclusion, is slow and quiet, trailing off so gradually into nothing that one almost can't tell when the music stops. Mariss Jansons's set of Tchaikovsky symphonies with the Oslo Philharmonic is widely regarded as the best available on record, and this recording of thePathtique shows the ensemble at its finest. Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovsky, Top 10 Romantic, Top 10 Symphonies

Franz Joseph Haydn: Mass No. 11 in D minor, "Lord Nelson Mass"

Sylvia Stahlman, soprano; Helen Watts, alto; Wilfred Brown, tenor; Tom Krause, baritone; London Symphony Orchestra, Cambridge King's College Choir, David Willcocks, conductor Franz Joseph Haydn is often cited as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet," but his great sacred choral works are at least the equal of anything he wrote in a purely instrumental genre. Haydn wrote this mass in 1798 and gave it the title "Missa in Angustiis," or "Mass in Fear," which probably reflected the feelings of Haydn's fellow Austrians as Napoleon's armies were beginning their conquest of Europe. The mass acquired its more popular name after if was played for Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of the Nile, in 1800. Despite Haydn's ominous title, the mass expresses joy throughout, as it gloriously reaffirms Haydn's relationship with God. David Willcocks leads a superb cast of soloists in this recording that revolutionized the performance of Haydn's choral works. For an even more "authentic" feel, Trevor Pinnock's recording -- featuring instruments of Haydn's time -- is not to be missed. Similar works: Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 Classical, Top 10 Choral

Georges Bizet: Carmen

Teresa Berganza, soprano (Carmen); Plcido Domingo, tenor (Don Jos); Ileana Cotrubas, soprano (Mecala); Sherrill Milnes, baritone (Escamillo); Claudio Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers Victoria de los Angeles, soprano (Carmen); Nicolai Gedda, tenor (Don Jos); Janine Micheau, soprano (Micala); Ernest Blanc (Escamillo), Sir Thomas Beecham, French Radio Chorus and Orchestra -> Carmen has everything one could possibly want in an opera -- catchy tunes, lush orchestration, and a tragic love triangle -- so it is no wonder that it is the world's most popular opera. The operas soap opera plot confronts the three great topics of scandalous drama: passionate love, unforgivable betrayal, and violent revenge. At the center of the story is Carmen, a gorgeous but manipulative gypsy girl whose strong will and passion lead her to trouble and scandal. This title role is the most coveted of mezzo-sopranos worldwide and demands intense strength and skill to perform. With famous arias like the Toreador song Votre toast and Carmens Lamour est un oiseau rebelle, Carmen is the perfect introduction to opera, for even a novice will recognize many of the melodies. Until Sir Thomas Beecham's classic recording is rereleased, our top recommendation is Claudio Abbado's 1977 version, featuring Teresa Berganza as an attractive and haunting Carmen and Plcido Domingo in his prime as Don Jos. Similar works: Top 10 Romantic, Top 10 Opera

The First 20 CDs of Your Classical Music Collection

If you enjoyed the CDs on our Top 10 Essential Classical CDs list, here are ten more that will help satisfy your craving for great music. As before, the list includes a wide variety of styles, periods, and composers, and the recordings are chosen with price in mind as well as performance quality. Once you own our Top 20 recommended CDs, you will have compiled a collection of the Greatest Hits of classical music, and you will be ready to explore the music in more depth. Most people find certain composers, eras or genres that they particularly enjoy. To find out more about your favorites, just click on any of the "Similar Works" links below the pieces you enjoyed the most, and you will find still more treasures of the classical music tradition. Read our Classical Music CD Buying Guide 10 More Essential Classical Music CDs

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, "Choral" -- Herbert von Karajan An inspiring journey, culminating in the "Ode to Joy." Review... Schubert: Symphony No. 8, "Unfinished" -- Carlos Kleiber The torso of a symphonic giant. Review... Beethoven: "Razumovsky" String Quartets -- Takcs String Quartet Revolutionary chamber works. Review... Bach: Goldberg Variations -- Glenn Gould From a simple song to complex counterpoint. Review... Handel: Messiah -- Trevor Pinnock Far more than a Christmas carol. Review... Mozart: Symphonies 35-41 -- Karl Bhm The Classical style achieves perfection. Review... Vivaldi: The Four Seasons -- Anne-Sophie Mutter, Trondheim Soloists The musical score to the film of Time. Review... Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 -- Gidon Kremer, Misha Maisky, Martha Argerich Memorializing a dear friend. Review... Dvork: Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" -- Fritz Reiner The Czech master takes on a new continent. Review... Debussy, Ravel: String Quartets -- Belcea String Quartet Ethereal harmony. Review...

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"

Gundula Janowitz, soprano; Hilde Rssl-Majdan, mezzo soprano; Waldemar Kmentt, tenor; Walter Berry, bass; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Singverein, Herbert von Karajan, conductor Beethoven's Ninth is justly famous for its setting of Schiller's "Ode to Joy" in its final movement, but what many people don't realize is that there are forty minutes of glorious music before the final movement even begins. The first movement begins in the musical equivalent of a mist, which gradually lifts to reveal the full splendor of the orchestra. The astute listener can even hear a preview of the "Ode to Joy" melody in the second theme. The second movement features a catchy melody that is passed back and forth between the different instruments, while the third movement contains some of Beethoven's most exquisite slow music. As the fourth movement begins, the orchestra plays brief reprises of the first three movements, only to reject them in favor of the famous "Ode to Joy" theme. Beethoven was a master of conveying emotion in his music; by the end of the Ode, you will truly believe that "All creatures drink of joy." For a first taste of Beethoven's Ninth, we recommend either Herbert von Karajan's 1962 recording (with Janowitz, Rssl-Majdan, Kmentt, Berry, pictured above), in which the orchestra conveys a rare intensity and depth of feeling, or his 1977 version (with Tomina-Sintow, Baltsa, Schreier, van Dam), in which the singing is noticeably better but the orchestra doesn't quite reach the same level. Another fine choice is Wilhelm Furtwngler's 1951 recording at the Bayreuth Festival (with Schwarzkopf, Hngen, Hopf, Edelmann), which is arguably the finest performance on record, but is limited somewhat by the recording technology of fifty years ago. Finally, for those who wish to hear the Ninth as (we think) the composer intended, John Eliot Gardiner conducts a compelling performance (with Orgonasova, von Otter, Rolfe Johnson, Cachemaille) using instruments and performance techniques of Beethoven's time.

Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759, "Unfinished"

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, conductor Franz Schubert completed only the first two movements of his eighth symphony, but what a pair of movements they are! The first packs in more tragedy and pathos than most composers could work into a full symphony, while the second, in a sunny major key, provides a welcome catharsis. Carlos Keliber coaxes the utmost lyricism from the Vienna Philharmonic in this emotionally charged recording. For those performing a more leisurely approach, Leonard Bernstein's recording with the New York Philharmonic is just as recommendable. Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Romantic, Top 10 Symphonies

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 59, Nos. 1-3, "Razumovsky"
Takcs String Quartet If Beethoven's symphonies revolutionized the realm of orchestral music, his string quartets did no less to change the nature of chamber music. The string quartets of Mozart and Haydn, Beethoven's immediate predecessors, grew out of tradition of the divertimento, music intended for diversion or amusement and often played in the background. On the other hand, these three quartets, from Beethoven's so-called "middle period," are very serious affairs that command the listener's full attention. They have often been said to be symphonies in miniature, for Beethoven is able to coax as much emotion and sonority from four players as he is from a full orchestra. This recording demonstrates why Takcs Quartet have emerged as today's leading interpreters of the Beethoven quartets. The playing is profound and technically impeccable, and the Takcs make these quartets still sound fresh even after dozens of listenings. Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical, Top 10 String Quartets

Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988

Glenn Gould, piano Legend has it that Bach wrote this set of variations for his student Goldberg to play for an insomniac Count. Scholarly research has shown that the legend is probably not true, and listening to the piece will affirm that conculsion -- it would be nearly impossible to fall asleep to it. Bach takes a simple aria and constructs a set of thirty variations on this theme, employing all of the keyboard styles of his time and ranging widely in mood before coming back to a restatement of the theme at the end. Glenn Gould, perhaps the most famous of all Bach interpreters, recorded the Goldbergs twice. The first recording, from 1955, is a virtuosic performance that revolutionized Bach keyboard playing, while the second, from 1981, is a far more introspective interpretation by an artist nearing the end of his life. This three-disc collection offers both recordings of the Goldbergs as well as a revealing inteview in which Gould discusses his performances, all for the cost of one fullpriced CD. Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Baroque, Top 10 Piano

George Frideric Handel: Messiah

Arleen Auger, soprano; Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo soprano; Howard Crook, tenor; Michael Chance, countertenor; John Tomlinson, bass baritone; English Concert Choir, The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock, conductor Messiah is by far the most popular choral work ever written in English, and the "Hallelujah" chorus has become part of our cultural lexicon. The work is an oratorio, which is a dramatic work that is meant to be sung in concert rather than acted on stage. The texts are taken from both the Old and New Testaments, and are divided into three parts. The first part, especially popular around Christmastime, depicts the birth of Christ. The mood becomes more somber for the second part, which depicts the crucifixion, but as Christ rises from the cross the chorus comes together to sing "Hallelujah." The third part, depicting the resurrection, recalls the joy of the beginning, and the oratiorio concludes with a great choral "Amen." The English Concert's authentic Baroque instruments help give the ensemble a feeling of lightness during the outer parts and a piercing intensity in the middle. Similar works: Top 10 Baroque, Top 10 Choral

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35, 36, 38-41

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bhm, conductor These six symphonies are the last that Mozart wrote before his death at the tender age of 36, and they represent the pinnacle of the Viennese Classical style. The works demonstrate all the expressive possibilities of Mozart's music: the 35th is brimming with exuberance, while the 40th is dark and brooding, and the stately nature of the 41st led to its nickname of "Jupiter." In the final movement of the 41st, one hears different instruments entering right after each other with the same theme -- a technique Mozart had only recently acquired by studying the works of Bach. Karl Bhm was one of the great Mozart interpreters, and his Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra gives these works the gravity that they deserve. Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical, Top 10 Symphonies

Antonio Vivaldi: Violin Concertos Op. 8, Nos. 1-4, "The Four Seasons"
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; Trondheim Soloists This set of four concertos for violin and orchestra is a fine example of program music -- music designed to conjure specific images or tell a particular story. Each concerto is accompanied by a sonnet describing events of the given season, and Vivaldi's music presents musical depictions of the same events. The "Four Seasons" have been recorded and performed so often that they are in danger of being clichd, but Anne-Sophie Mutter lays that danger to rest with her exciting performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Baroque, Top 10 Concertos

Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67

Martha Argerich, piano; Gidon Kremer, violin; Mischa Maisky, cello Shostakovich wrote his second piano trio in 1944 as a memorial to his close friend Ivan Sollertinsky, who had died the previous winter. The trio begins with the cello playing eerily high notes, then the piano and violin join in below. Working together, the three create a picture of abject mourning. The second movement is a lively scherzo, while the third returns to the mournful attitude with a set of variations over a repeated bass line. The final movement brings the work to a close with several restatements of its own themes in different forms, as well as recollections of the earlier movements. This recording brings together three of today's superstar musicians in an exciting live performance, and also includes an excellent rendition of Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio. Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century, Top 10 Chamber Music

Antonn Dvork: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World"
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Friz Reiner, conductor Antonn Dvork (pronounced "DVOR-zhak") began his last symphony while he was directing the National Conservatory of Music in New York in 1892, and finished it while on vacation in the Czech community of Spillville, Iowa in 1893. Its first performance, in Carnegie Hall in 1893, was met with great critical acclaim, and it has been a staple of the repertoire ever since. Though the symphony does not quote directly any Native American or AfricanAmerican themes, Dvork was profoundly influenced by these two types of music, and this influence distinguishes "From the New World" from Dvork's previous works. The symphony is most notable for its slow movement, whose simple but enchanting melody conveys a mood of great peacefulness. Nearly 50 years after its first release, Fritz Reiner's recording with the Chicago Symphony orchestra is still the best interpretation available. Similar works: Top 10 Romantic, Top 10 Symphonies

Claude Debussy: String Quartet in G major; Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F major
Belcea String Quartet While Arnold Schoenberg and his followers in Germany were getting all the attention for breaking the conventional rules of composition, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel in France were quietly experimenting with their own revolutionary style, which has since come to be called Impressionism. The hallmark of Impressionism is new combinations of sounds that exist purely for their own sake, and don't need to lead to or follow from any other sounds. These two quartets exemplify the style; Debussy's quartet makes the listener feel she is floating on air, and Ravel's, while remaining firmly on the ground, takes some surprising turns. The Belcea Quartet give exquisite -- and very French -- performances of these two masterpieces, and at super-bargain price this is a recording not to be missed. Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern, Top 10 String Quartets

Top 10 Bach CDs for your Classical Music Collection

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) viewed himself primarily as a craftsman and a servant of God. The majority of his compositions are sacred choral or organ works which he wrote specifically for use in church services; his instrumental masterpieces mostly come from a brief stint in the service of a prince in Cthen, when he was asked to write works for entertainment at court. Bach's music is considered to be the culmination of the Baroque style, especially in his use of counterpoint (the combination of multiple lines of melody in different instruments). Bach was the most distinguished of a long line of professional musicians. He received his early musical training from his father and took his first professional post as church organist before he turned twenty. As the years went by, Bach gradually moved up in the Lutheran musical world. From 1717 to 1723 Bach was music director at a prince's court in Cthen. In 1723 he was appointed cantor in Leipzig, a position he held for the rest of his life. By the time of his death he was known as the best composer in Protestant Germany. After Bach's death his works suffered in obscurity for nearly a century; the composer Felix Mendelssohn helped to lead the"Bach revival" of the mid-nineteenth century, and his works have remained an essential part of the repertoire ever since. Beginning in the 1960s, the "period performance" movement advocated a return to the performing styles and practices of Bach's time, and such performances have given us a greater understanding of the composer and his music. Back to Composers Index

Top 10 Essential Bach CDs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Brandenburg Concertos -- Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Baroque bravura. Review... Goldberg Variations -- Glenn Gould From a simple song to complex counterpoint. Review... B Minor Mass -- John Eliot Gardiner A summary of everything Bach knew about choral writing. Review... The Well-Tempered Clavier -- Rosalyn Tureck A cornucopia of counterpoint. Review... Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin -- Henryk Szeryng Making a single instrument sound like four. Review... Cello Suites -- Mstislav Rostropovich A rite of passage for any cellist. Review... Saint Matthew Passion -- John Eliot Gardiner A moving portrait of Jesus's last days. Review... Cantatas -- Joshua Rifkin A sacred sampler. Review... Toccata and Fugue, Passacaglia and Fugue -- E. Power Biggs Gems of improvisation on the organ. Review... Orchestral Suites -- Sir Neville Marriner Instrumental interludes. Review...

More Recommended Bach Recordings

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Violin Concertos -- Arthur Grumiaux, Herman Krebbers, Heinz Holliger Bach emulates Vivaldi. Review... The Art of Fugue -- Emerson String Quartet The master of fugue at his most inspired. Review...

Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment There is no better introduction to the Baroque style than these six orchestral masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach. The works are in the style of the concerto grosso, which is an orchestral genre that features a dialogue between small groups of soloists and the full orchestra. Taken as a whole, the six concertos explore the diverse tonal possibilities of both solo instruments and orchestra. The first two concertos are festive, featuring horns and oboes, while the third is written for strings only and is more meditative. The fourth and fifth concertos feature virtuoso playing of the violin and harpsichord respectively, while the concluding sixth -- probably the most famous of the set -- has a jaunty atmosphere and emphasizes ensemble playing over solo work. The conductorless Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment gives a delightful performance on authentic Baroque instruments, and at less than $12 for two CDs this set is clearly a first choice. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Goldberg Variations, BWV 988

Glenn Gould, piano Legend has it that Bach wrote this set of variations for his student Goldberg to play for an insomniac Count. Scholarly research has shown that the legend is probably not true, and listening to the piece will affirm that conculsion -- it would be nearly impossible to fall asleep to it. Bach takes a simple aria and constructs a set of thirty variations on this theme, employing all of the keyboard styles of his time and ranging widely in mood before coming back to a restatement of the theme at the end. Glenn Gould, perhaps the most famous of all Bach interpreters, recorded the Goldbergs twice. The first recording, from 1955, is a virtuosic performance that revolutionized Bach keyboard playing, while the second, from 1981, is a far more introspective interpretation by an artist nearing the end of his life. This three-disc collection offers both recordings of the Goldbergs as well as a revealing inteview in which Gould discusses his performances, all for the cost of one fullpriced CD. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

B minor Mass, BWV 232

Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Bach assembled the B minor Mass near the end of his life from various pieces he had composed earlier in his career, adding new music when necessary. The result is a tour de force that sums up all of the composer's extensive knowledge of sacred choral music. Bach demonstrates his versatility by writing movements for one to four soloists as well as choruses in four, five, six, and even eight parts. Some of the move famous movements are the Crucifixus, which consists of a set of variations over a repeated bass line, and the final Dona nobis pacem, which starts quietly and builds into a grand fugue. John Eliot Gardiner's gripping performance on period instruments is widely hailed as the best interpretation available on record. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I & II, BWV 846-893

Rosalyn Tureck, piano The Well-Tempered Clavier sums up Bach's mastery of the keyboard in the same way as the B minor Mass sums up his mastery of singing. Each book contains twenty-four preludes and fugues, one in each major and minor key. In the early eighteenth century keyboard instruments would be tuned so that certain keys sounded better or worse than others; the innovation of "well-tempered" tuning allowed the keyboard to sound equally well in all keys, which these collections are intended to demonstrate. They also serve as manuals for keyboard technique, both in the preludes, which usually offer a specific technical challenge, and in the fugues, which test the player's ability to untangle dense contrapuntal lines. Rosalyn Tureck, one of the great Bach performers, handily achieves these tasks and provides a compelling performance. Though he does not have the intensity or attention to detail of Turek, Jeno Jando provides adequate performances (Book I, Book II) at half the price. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006

Henryk Szeryng, violin The essence of the Baroque style is counterpoint, two or more melodies sounding simultaneously. This is feasible in a multi-instrument ensemble, much more difficult on the keyboard, and next to impossible on the violin, which is usually only asked to play a single melody. Yet in these six amazing works, Bach asks the violin to sound like up to four different instruments playing at the same time, and does it in a way that sounds completely natural to the instrument. The chaconne from the Partita No. 2 and the fugue from the Sonata No. 3 are particularly noteworthy. Henryk Szeryng makes these extremely difficult pieces sound easy, untangling even the densest contrapuntal lines. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Cello Suites Nos. 1-6, BWV 1007-1012

Mstislav Rostropovich, cello As the sonatas and partitas have become central to the violin repertoire, so have these pieces become a rite of passage for any cellist. All six are in the form of multi-movement dance suites, and each conveys a sligtly different mood, from the hopeful first to the dark fifth and triumphant sixth. Mstislav Rostropovich, one of the twentieth century's finest cellists, waited until late in his career to record the Bach suites, and the result is a measured approach that does the masterpieces justice.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Saint Matthew Passion, BWV 244

Barbara Bonney, soprano; Anne Sofie von Otter, alto; Michael Chance, countertenor; Howard Crook, tenor; Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor; English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, London Oratory Junior Choir, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor The Saint Matthew Passion, which was probably first performed on Good Friday in 1727, is the grandest composition Bach ever composed. It lasts two and a half hours and calls for two orchestras, two choirs, and numerous soloists, all of which perform together and separately throughout. The libretto combines the text of the Gospel of Saint Matthew with newly composed poetry and hymns to tell the story of Jesus's final day on Earth. Even if one is not at all religious, a good performance -- and the one led by John Eliot Gardiner is top-notch -makes for an incredibly moving experience. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Cantatas, BWV 8, 51, 78, 80, 140, 147

Bach Ensemble, Joshua Rifkin, conductor If you want a sampling of Bach's church music but don't think you have the patience to sit through the nearly three hours of the Saint Matthew Passion, try some of the cantatas, which don't pack quite as much sacred punch but only last twenty to thirty minutes each. Bach wrote more than three hundred cantatas in his lifetime; this two-disc set features six of the best. Particularly memorable moments include the middle movement of "Wachet auf" (No. 140) and the closing chorale of "Herz und Mund" (No. 147).

Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565; Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582
E. Power Biggs, organ In addition to composing choral works, Bach was responsible for the organ music at the various churches where he was employed. Usually his music would be improvised based on a chorale tune, and the organ works he wrote down retain this improvisatory character. The most famous such piece is the Toccata and Fugue in D minor, with its famous opening call and a fugue subject that is now a popular cell phone ring. The Passacaglia in C minor, a set of variations on a repeated harmonic pattern, comes in a close second. This bargain CD features the legendary E. Power Biggs playing these two masterpieces as well as five others. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Orchestral Suites Nos. 1-4, BWV 1066-1069

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Marriner, conductor These four suites, which Bach gave the title ouverture in a reference to French opera, contain some of Bach's finest orchestral writing. Each is composed of a series of dance movements scored for strings and a small contingent of winds. Sir Neville Marriner leads a delightful performance on modern instruments.

Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Violin Concertos Nos. 1-2, BWV 1041-1042; Concerto for Two Violins, BWV 1043
Arthur Grumiaux, Herman Krebbers, violin; Les Solistes Romands, Arpd Gerecz, conductor Bach was an ardent admirer of the italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, author of more than five hundred concertos, so it was only natural that he should write a few of his own. Bach's concertos closely follow the style of Vivaldi's. The first movement features a recurring passage called aritornello that is moved about and traded off between soloist and orchestra. The middle movement is slow and expressive, and the finale is usually in a popular dance style. Unlike later concertos, which emphasize the virtuosity of the soloist, Bach's concertos treat the soloist and orchestra equally. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080

Emerson String Quartet This masterwork is the closest Bach ever came to writing an abstract academic exercise. Its fourteen fugues, four canons, and two mirror fugues display all of Bach's knowledge of contrapuntal writing. Bach did not complete the work before his death, and it is even uncertain what instrument it was intended to be played on. Most recordings choose a keyboard instrument, but a string quartet performance better allows the listener to hear the interplay of the different melodic lines. It is easy to make the work sound dry, but the Emerson String Quartet bring the Art of Fugue to life.

Top 10 Beethoven CDs for your Classical Music Collection

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is probably the most admired composer, both among musicians and audiences, who ever lived. Beethoven is usually grouped with Mozart and Haydn as one of the three great composers of the Classical style. His music is traditionally divided into three periods. In the first period, roughly 1790-1802, the music shows grace and charm and resembles closely the styles of Mozart and Haydn. Beginning around 1803 with the "Eroica" Symphony, Beethoven's music becomes much more dramatic. Great works such as the Fifth Symphony, the Middle String Quartets, and the Violin Concerto arose in this period. From about 1812 to the end of his life, when Beethoven was almost completely deaf, he composed sublime and intensely personal works, such as the Ninth Symphony and the Late String Quartets, that were not always easy for his audiences to grasp at a first hearing. Beethoven grew up in a musical family in Bonn, where his talents were recognized from a very early age. In 1792 he left for Vienna to study composition with Haydn, and he spent the rest of his life in that city. In his twenties he aborbed the influences of Mozart and Haydn, mastered their Viennese style. Just as he was beginning to make a name for himself in, Beethoven realized that he was starting to lose his hearing, and he composed his greatest and most revolutionary works while struggling with this burden. By the time he turned fifty Beethoven was known throughout Europe as the greatest living composer. Beethoven's influence on later music was tremendous; his works paved the way for the Romantic era, and all of the later composers of the nineteenth century felt themselves toiling in Beethoven's shadow. His music -- piano, chamber, and orchestral -- remains immensely popular today, and is still the standard by which great performers, ensembles, and conductors are judged. Back to Composers Index Top 10 Essential Beethoven CDs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Symphony No. 5 -- Carlos Kleiber The most famous piece of classical music ever written. Review... "Pathtique" and "Moonlight" Piano Sonatas -- Alfred Brendel Beethoven's more intimate medium of expression. Review... "Razumovsky" String Quartets -- Takcs String Quartet Revolutionary chamber works. Review... Symphony No. 9, "Choral" -- Herbert von Karajan An inspiring journey, culminating in the "Ode to Joy." Review... Violin Concerto -- Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Eugen Jochum Inaugurating the era of the Romantic concerto. Review... Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor" -- Stephen Kovacevich, Sir Colin Davis The king of piano concertos. Review... Symphony No. 3, "Eroica" -- George Szell A revolutionary symphony. Review... "Spring" and "Kreutzer" Violin Sonatas -- Itzhak Perlman, Vladimir Ashkenazy The young composer at his most jubilant. Review... Late String Quartets -- Takcs String Quartet Quartets that break all the rules. Review... Late Piano Sonatas -- Maurizio Pollini Complex works that set a new standard. Review...

More Recommended Beethoven Recordings

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Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral" -- Karl Bhm A musical painting of the countryside. Review... "Archduke" Piano Trio -- Alexander Schneider, Pablo Casals, Eugene Istomin A royal piece of chamber music. Review... Cello Sonatas -- Mstislav Rostropovich, Sviatoslav Richter A summary of Beethoven's musical development. Review... Missa Solemnis -- John Eliot Gardner Sublime sacred music. Review...

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, conductor Beethoven's Fifth is perhaps the most famous piece of classical music ever written, and deservedly so. The famous opening four note motif serves as the thematic material for the whole first movement, and it reappears in the third and fourth movements to make the symphony into a unified whole rather than a collection of four individual movements. This unity is apparent in other respects as well: the stormy opening movement is in a dark minor key, and the mood gradually shifts through the middle two movements and culminates in a glorious brass fanfare that opens the finale. Carlos Kleiber's recording with the Vienna Philharmonic still stands as one of the all-time greats. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Piano Sonatas No. 8 in C minor, "Pathtique"; No. 14 in C-sharp minor, "Moonlight"

Alfred Brendel, piano While Beethoven's symphonies show outward storm and fire, the piano sonatas give us a more personal view of the composer. Beethoven composed his two most famous sonatas early in his career, when he was just making a name for himself in Vinna. The first movement of the "Moonlight" and the middle one of the "Pathtique" are so tender as to move the listener to tears. But the storm is not altogether missing; the "Pathtique" opening movement and the "Moonlight" finale contain some of Beethoven's most exciting music. Alfred Brendel gives a gripping performance on this two-disc set containing five other wonderful sonatas. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

String Quartets Op. 59, Nos. 1-3, "Razumovsky"

Takcs String Quartet If Beethoven's symphonies revolutionized the realm of orchestral music, his string quartets did no less to change the nature of chamber music. The string quartets of Mozart and Haydn, Beethoven's immediate predecessors, grew out of tradition of the divertimento, music intended for diversion or amusement and often played in the background. On the other hand, these three quartets, from Beethoven's so-called "middle period," are very serious affairs that command the listener's full attention. They have often been said to be symphonies in miniature, for Beethoven is able to coax as much emotion and sonority from four players as he is from a full orchestra. This recording demonstrates why Takcs Quartet have emerged as today's leading interpreters of the Beethoven quartets. The playing is profound and technically impeccable, and the Takcs make these quartets still sound fresh even after dozens of listenings. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"

Gundula Janowitz, soprano; Hilde Rssl-Majdan, mezzo soprano; Waldemar Kmentt, tenor; Walter Berry, bass; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Singverein, Herbert von Karajan, conductor Beethoven's Ninth is justly famous for its setting of Schiller's "Ode to Joy" in its final movement, but what many people don't realize is that there are forty minutes of glorious music before the final movement even begins. The first movement begins in the musical equivalent of a mist, which gradually lifts to reveal the full splendor of the orchestra. The astute listener can even hear a preview of the "Ode to Joy" melody in the second theme. The second movement features a catchy melody that is passed back and forth between the different instruments, while the third movement contains some of Beethoven's most exquisite slow music. As the fourth movement begins, the orchestra plays brief reprises of the first three movements, only to reject them in favor of the famous "Ode to Joy" theme. Beethoven was a master of conveying emotion in his music; by the end of the Ode, you will truly believe that "All creatures drink of joy." For a first taste of Beethoven's Ninth, we recommend either Herbert von Karajan's 1962 recording (with Janowitz, Rssl-Majdan, Kmentt, Berry, pictured above), in which the orchestra conveys a rare intensity and depth of feeling, or his 1977 version (with Tomina-Sintow, Baltsa, Schreier, van Dam), in which the singing is noticeably better but the orchestra doesn't quite reach the same level. Another fine choice is Wilhelm Furtwngler's 1951 recording at the Bayreuth Festival (with Schwarzkopf, Hngen, Hopf, Edelmann), which is arguably the finest performance on record, but is limited somewhat by the recording technology of fifty years ago. Finally, for those who wish to hear the Ninth as (we think) the composer intended, John Eliot Gardiner conducts a compelling performance (with Orgonasova, von Otter, Rolfe Johnson, Cachemaille) using instruments and performance techniques of

Beethoven's time. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies, Top 10 Choral

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61

Wolfgang Schneiderhan, violin; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Eugen Jochum, conductor Beethoven's Violin Concerto (the only one he composed) has been a staple of the violin repertoire almost since it was written. The concerto brought a new level of expressiveness to the violin, and all the great Romantic composers (Mendelssohn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and others) followed in Beethoven's footsteps by writing concertos of their own. Wolfgang Schneiderhan is not nearly as well-known as some other violinists, but his performance makes all the rest sound like mere fiddlers.

Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, "Emperor"

Stephen Kovacevich, piano; London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, conductor Beethoven's fifth and last piano concerto was given the nickname "Emperor" not by the composer but by early listeners who deemed it worthy of ruling over all other concertos. This is a middle-period work, and throughout the work Beethoven breaks the molds set by his predecessors. We see this trend from the very beginning, when the soloist has long trills and runs in the first few minutes; earlier composers, and even Beethoven himself a few years before, would have introduced the piano only after the orchestra had stated the movement's main themes. This two-for-one set features Stephen Kovacevich in the "Emperor" as well as an all-star cast of soloists in Beethoven's remarkable Triple Concerto. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"

Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, conductor Beethoven's "Heroic" third symphony was originally dedicated to a contemporary revolutionary in a different field -- Napoleon Bonaparte. However, after Napoleon crowned himself emperor Beethoven stratched out the dedication and instead gave the symphony the title by which we know it today. Indeed, the symphony is one of heroic proportions. The first movement alone is nearly as long as most Mozart symphonies. The second movement is a tragic funeral march and is followed by a sprightly minuet. The finale is a set of variations that takes a simple theme and develops it in ever grander gestures. George Szell's performance is still electrifying more than forty years after it was recorded. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Violin Sonatas No. 5, Op. 24, "Spring"; No. 9, Op. 47, "Kreutzer"
Itzhak Perlman, violin; Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano The "Spring" sonata was not given that name by Beethoven, but its sweetly melodious nature justifies the title. The "Kreutzer" sonata was dedicated to the French violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer but was actually premiered by the English violinist George Bridgetower. Beethoven barely completed the sonata in time for the first performance, Bridgetower had to play the difficult piece virtually at sight. Itzhak Perlman and Vladimir Ashkenazy had a bit more rehearsal than Bridgetower, but their playing has the spontaneity of that first performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

String Quartets, Opp. 127, 130, 131, 132, 135

Takcs String Quartet Beethoven's last five quartets were among the last works he completed before his death, and all are masterpieces containing some of Beethoven's most powerful music. The music is very dense and personal, and Beethoven breaks free of nearly all contemporary conventions of harmony and form. The influence of the contrapuntal style of Bach is noticeable throughout these works, especially in the opening movement of Op. 131 and in the "Grosse Fuge" finale to Op. 130 (which was deemed so difficult that it had to be published separately as Op. 133). The Takcs Quartet give deeply moving performances of these masterpieces; for a less expensive alternative, it's hard to go wrong with the Emerson Quartet, who display tremendous virtuosity if not quite the same depth of feeling. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Piano Sonatas Nos. 28-32, Opp. 101, 106 ("Hammerklavier"), 109-111

Maurizio Pollini, piano Beethoven's final piano sonatas test the expressive limits of the piano and the pianist. As with the late quartets, these are highly charged personal works, containing violent outbursts and moments of exquisite tenderness. The influence of Bach is again visible. Maurizio Pollini's performance is truly remarkable.

Similar works: Top 10 Piano Music

Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bhm, conductor Beethoven's Sixth Symphony provides a great contrast with the stormy Fifth, written in the same year. In this peaceful work, Beethoven uses the orchestra to evoke images of the countryside. In the various movements one hears birds singing, villagers dancing, a thunderstorm bursting, and finally a shepherd's song of thanks after the storm. Karl Bhm's recording highlights the human side of the music -- the "merry gathering of country folk" sounds happy and spontaneous, and there is a palpable sense of relief after the thunderstorm. If you're looking for a more dramatic approach, try Bruno Walter's celebrated version, which conveys the music's grandeur in every note. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Piano Trio No. 7 in B-flat major, Op. 97, "Archduke"

Alexander Schneider, violin; Pablo Casals, cello; Eugene Istomin, piano Unlike the "Emperor" piano concerto, Beethoven's "Archduke" piano trio recieved its nickname from its dedicatee. Archduke Rudolph of Austria was a great patron of Beethoven as well as his pupil, and Beethoven dedicated numerous works to him throughout his life. This trio, the last that Beethoven wrote, demonstrates the composer's supreme mastery of the chamber ensemble and is indeed more of an emperor among piano trios than an archduke. This 1951 recording features the legendary cellist Pablo Casals.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Cello Sonatas Nos. 1-2, Op. 5; No. 3, Op. 69; Nos. 4-5, Op. 102
Mstislav Rostropovich, cello; Sviatoslav Richter, piano Beethoven's works for cello and piano provide a microcosm of his development as a composer. The first two are early works, exhibiting Beethoven's absorption of the Viennese style of Haydn and Mozart. The third is a middle-period work in which Beethoven experiments with musical structures, while the last two are grandly conceived works composed as Beethoven was moving towards his later style. This bargain CD featuring Mstislav Rostropovich and Sviatoslav Richter contains some of the finest performances ever to emerge from behind the Iron Curtain. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Missa Solemnis in D major, Op. 123

Charlotte Margiono, soprano; Catherine Robbin, mezzo soprano; William Kendall, tenor; Alastair Miles, bass; English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor The Missa Solemnis was written at the same time as the ninth symphony, and both works are expressions of God's grandeur, though in very different ways. The symphony proclaims joy to the multitudes, while the mass takes a more sublime and personal approach. John Eliot Gardiner's recording won Gramophone's Record of the Year award in 1991 and has become the definitive recording of this difficult work.

Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Top 10 Brahms CDs for Your Classical Music Collection

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was an extreme perfectionist; he threw into the fire any music he did not deem up to his high standards. As a result, the ratio of masterpieces to lesser works in his output is extremely high. At an early age, critics began calling Brahms the successor to Beethoven, and he cemented this legacy with his four symphonies and profusion of chamber music. Brahms avoided the dramatic Romanticism of Berlioz and Liszt, and instead took after the Viennese Classical masters Mozart and Beethoven, as well as his more recent predecessors Schubert and Schumann. Unlike his contemporary Richard Wagner, Brahms composed no operas, and as the nineteenth century drew to a close musicians were divided into the "Brahmsians," who emphasized controlled passion in traditional styles, and "Wagnerians," who favored dramatic expression and formal experimentation. Today Brahms is one of the "three great B's" of classical music (along with Bach and Beethoven), and his music is loved worldwide for its beauty and its emotional power. However, the music is often regarded as "brainy," and its complexities aren't always immediately unraveled by the first-time listener. But Brahms's music is so incredibly rich that his works always offer something new to the listener, even on the tenth or twentieth or hundredth hearing. Brahms was born into a musical family in northern Germany. He earned his living as a pianist until the age of twenty, after which he was able to concentrate solely on composition. He incorporated himself into the leading musical circles, making friends with Robert and Clara Schumann, Franz Liszt, and the violinist Joseph Joachim. In the 1860s Brahms settled in Vienna, from whence he made occasional concert tours throughout Germany and Austria. As he produced masterpiece after masterpiece, his fame spread throughout Europe and the United States, and in his later years he was viewed as the greatest living composer of orchestral and chamber music. Brahms's influence on later music was enormous. Many twentieth-century composers looked to him for inspiration in their own works. In particular Arnold Schoenberg, founder of Serialism, wrote an essay entitled "Brahms the Progressive" that showed how Brahms's ability to develop enormous compositions out of tiny musical gestures paved the way for the musical revolutions of the early 1900s. Back to Composers Index Top 10 Essential Brahms CDs

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Piano Trio No. 1 -- Eroica Trio A chamber masterpiece 25 years in the making. Review... Violin Concerto -- Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Reiner The most Romantic of violin concertos. Review... Clarinet Quintet -- David Shifrin, Emerson String Quartet We only wish Brahms had discovered the clarinet earlier. Review... Symphony No. 2 -- Bruno Walter Brahms's most tuneful symphony. Review... Piano Quartets -- Beaux Arts Trio Chamber music that Brahms himself thought was his best. Review... A German Requiem -- John Eliot Gardiner Had enough of those Latin Masses? Review... String Sextets -- Stern, Ma, etc. Demonstrating the endless possibilities of six instruments. Review... Piano Concertos -- Leon Fleisher, George Szell Grand symphonic works with piano virtuosity too. Review... Symphony No. 1 -- Otto Klemperer Also known as "Beethoven's Tenth." Review... Piano Works -- Radu Lupu A sampling of Brahms's best. Review...

More Recommended Brahms Recordings

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Violin Sonatas -- Henryk Szeryng, Artur Rubinstein Lyricism and fire. Review... String Quartets Nos. 1-2 -- Alban Berg Quartet "Progressive" works in the tradition of Beethoven. Review... Brahms: Four Serious Songs -- Hans Hotter A dying man asks, 'What happens next?' Review...

Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8

Eroica Trio This trio is a perfect example of Johannes Brahms's intense perfectionist streak -- he spent more than 35 years writing and revising it! When he finally finished, the result was one of the all-time masterpieces of chamber music. Brahms excels at taking a simple thread of melody and weaving it into an ever-larger tapestry of sound. A perfect example is the opening theme of the first movement, which starts simply enough in the piano, is joined by the cello and then the violin, and builds to an impassioned climax. The Eroica Trio, a young ensemble comprised of three extremely talented (and in our opinion extremely attractive) women, perfectly capture Brahms's passion, giving a performance that is the equal of classic recordings such as Isaac Stern's or Artur Rubinstein's. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

Jascha Heifetz, violin; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, conductor Brahms composed his Violin Concerto in 1878 for his friend Joseph Joachim, who was the greatest violinist of his day. Having just completed his second symphony, Brahms conceived the concerto in grand symphonic proportions; the opening movement alone takes about twenty minutes to play. The finale evokes "Hungarian" or "Gypsy" themes, paying homage to Joachim's Concerto in the Hungarian Manner, which the violinist had composed in 1861 and dedicated to Brahms. This 1955 recording featuring Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Reiner has lost none of its appeal with age. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115

David Shifrin, clarinet; Emerson String Quartet Like Mozart, Brahms came to compose for the clarinet late in his career after being inspired by the playing of a close personal friend. In Brahms's case the muse was Richard Muehlfeld, and the results were a quintet, a trio, and two sonatas with piano. The quintet is the most inspired of these works and ranks among the composer's finest masterpieces. Brahms makes excellent use of the clarinet's dark sonority to create a very sad atmosphere. This excellent disc features worthy performances of the Brahms and Mozart quintets.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73

Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter, conductor Brahms's second symphony, composed just months after the first, contains many of the composer's most catchy melodies. Astute listeners will hear references to Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony and to Brahms's own lullaby in the first movement. The finale begins with a lyrical introduction that showcases the composer's ability to create what seems like a never-ending phrase, and then bursts into a jubilant orchestral fanfare. Bruno Walter was one of the greatest of Brahms interpreters, and this pairing with the Third Symphony is highly recommendable. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies, Top 10 Beethoven

Piano Quartets: No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25; No. 2 in A major, Op. 26; No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60
Beaux Arts Trio; Walter Trampler, viola Brahms' Piano Quartets are among his most popular compositions, and the composer himself regarded them as noteworthy: Brahms selected the Quartet No. 1 for his Vienna debut in 1862, and the Viennese public were deeply impressed. The quartet's first movement is based upon a simple four-note theme that is spun out with ever-increasing elaboration. The second movement is cloaked in a romantic aura of mystery, while the finale is an exciting "Hungarian Rondo." The Third Quartet was composed at the same time as the first two but only published in 1875 after extensive revision. The composition is tragic on a grand scale, most notably in the lyrical slow movement. The Beaux Arts Trio (joined by Walter Trampler on viola) give invigorating performances of the three quartets, and this two-for-one set also includes Brahms's second Piano Trio.. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

A German Requiem, Op. 45

Charlotte Margiono, soprano; Rodney Gilfry, baritone; Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Brahms's German Requiem shows that the composer could compose on the grandest of scales; this work for soloists, chorus, and orchestra ranks among the most powerful sacred works ever written. Brahms turned away from the traditional Latin text of the Requiem Mass and instead wrote a German text of his own consisting of Old Testament passages of meditation and solace. This recording demonstrates John Eliot Gardiner's mastery of the Romatic repertoire; the musicians move effortlessly from intimacy to grandeur.

Similar works: Top 10 Choral Works

String Sextets: No. 1 in B-flat major, Op.18; No. 2 in G minor, Op. 36

Isaac Stern, Cho-Liang Lin, violin; Jaime Laredo, Michael Tree, viola; Yo-Yo Ma, Sharon Robinson, cello The string sextet is a rare form in chamber music, and hearing these masterpieces makes one wonder why more composers don't try their hand at writing for six instruments. The addition of the extra viola and cello to the traditional string quartet allows the composer to create extremely rich harmonies without sacrificing the melody. Especially noteworthy are the second movement of the first sextet, which is a set of variations on an eight-bar harmonic theme, and the third movement of the second sextet, which begins slowly and comes to a rousing climax. This recording features an all-star cast of chamber musicians who play as if they were a long-established ensemble. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Piano Concertos: No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15; No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83
Leon Fleisher, piano; Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, conductor Brahms's two piano concertos were written more than twenty-five years apart and demonstrate his development as a composer. The first concerto was conceived as a symphony, but the twenty-something Brahms could not bring himself to write a symphony and invoke the inevitable comparisons with Beethoven, so he converted it to a concerto. The second concerto was written after Brahms had two symphonies under his belt, and is much more relaxed. Goerge Szell was a masterful interpreter of Brahms's orchestral music, and he shines on this recording featuring the great Leon Fleisher. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68

Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor Long before he composed his first symphony, Brahms was seen by many as the logical successor to Beethoven as the Greatest European (or at least German) Composer. This label intimidated Brahms, and it was not until he was more than forty years old that he completed his first symphony. The symphony was everything the public had expected, and it became dubbed "Beethoven's Tenth." Though the symphony's structure adheres to Classical standards, the profusion of melody and the wide-ranging harmony are typically Romantic. Otto Klemperer's 1956 recording remains special nearly fifty years later. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Piano Works, Op. 79, 117-119

Radu Lupu, piano Brahms's primary contribution to the piano literature is the short works that he composed throughout his life. The pieces are typically Romantic, exploring a single mood or emotion. This collection features the two great Rhapsodies, Op. 79, as well as three collections of works Brahms wrote just before his death. The pieces are fiendishly difficult, requiring a wide range of technique; one of Brahms's trademarks was to ask the player to play groups of three notes in one hand and groups of four in the other. Radu Lupu seems to have no trouble with these pieces, making them flow effortlessly from his fingertips. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3, Opp. 78, 100, 108

Henryk Szeryng, violin; Artur Rubinstein, piano These sonatas show that Brahms could be just as effective composing for two instruments as he could for three, four, five, or six. Written in a span of ten years, the sonatas quickly became staples of the violinist's repertoire. This recording pairs two of the century's best performers, and the chemistry is apparent from the tender opening of the first sonata to the electric finale of the third.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

String Quartets No. 1 in C minor, No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51

Alban Berg Quartet Just as Brahms's first symphony was dubbed "Beethoven's Tenth," these two works continue the tradition of Beethoven's string quartets. The First Quartet is in the same key and style as Brahms's first symphony, and its four movements are linked thematically to give the piece a "breathless unity." In his famous article "Brahms the Progressive," Arnold Schoenberg showed how the Second Quartet's slow movement is generated from a motif consisting of just two notes, making it a miracle of musical compactness. The Alban Berg Quartet prove their reputation as admirable Brahms interpreters in this two-disc set that also contains Brahms's Third Quartet and a quartet by Antonin Dvork. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Johannes Brahms: Four Serious Songs, Op. 121

Hans Hotter, bass; Gerald Moore, piano These songs, based on texts from the Old Testament, were the last songs Johannes Brahms composed, and have been described as the composer's "musical last will and testament." Seeing death approaching, Brahms posed some of the central questions about the human spirit and man's relationship with death. The result is a profoundly moving work that still resonates powerfully today. Hans Hotter's 1951 recording of the four songs has for more than fifty years remained unsurpassed in intensity and emotional power.

Similar works: Top 10 Song

Top 10 Haydn CDs for Your Classical Music Collection

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) is, with Mozart and Beethoven, one of the three masters of the Viennese Classical style. Haydn is known as the "Father of the Symphony" and the "Father of the String Quartet" for his immense contributions to the development of those two genres, but he also composed operas, concertos, keyboard sonatas and trios, masses, and songs. His music displays grace and elegance and is marked throughout by an abundance of wit. Haydn knew better than anyone else how to use silence for dramatic (and sometimes melodramatic) effect, and his music is full of amusing surprises. Haydn's music was immensely popular in the composer's day and has never since fallen out of favor. Haydn had some formal music training, but until the age of thirty he made his way in Vienna as a freelance musician and teacher. In 1761 he entered the service of Prince Paul Anton Esterhzy, head of a wealthy and powerful Hungarian family. Haydn spent nearly thirty years at the Esterhzy court, where he composed symphonies, operas, and chamber music for the Prince's musicians. In the 1780s and 1790s Haydn expanded his horizons, traveling to Paris and making two immensely popular visits to London. In the late 1790s Haydn returned to the Esterhzy estate, where his duties were light. During these last years his focus shifted from secular to religious and from sacred to choral. Haydn's health began to decline around 1800, and he was forced to stop composing in 1803. He died quietly in Vienna in 1809, just after Napoleon's armies had captured the city. Back to Composers Index Top 10 Essential Haydn CDs

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Symphonies Nos. 103, 104 -- Richard Hickox Stunning successes in London. Review... Lord Nelson Mass -- David Willcocks A joyous celebration of life. Review... String Quartets Op. 76 -- Lindsay String Quartet The pinnacle of Haydn's chamber music. Review... Symphony No. 45, "Farewell" -- Roy Goodman A stormy symphony with an interesting twist at the end. Review... The Creation -- Fritz Wunderlich, Herbert von Karajan A musical illustration of the first seven days. Review... "London" Symphonies -- Sir Colin Davis A selection of Haydn's final masterpieces. Review... String Quartets Op. 33 -- Lindsay String Quartet Quartets composed in a "new and special way." Review... Piano Sonatas -- Andrs Schiff Neglected works comparable to Mozart's best. Review... Trumpet Concerto -- Wynton Marsalis, Raymond Leppard A jazz all-star takes on the Classical world. Review... "Paris" Symphonies -- Antl Dorati Works that made Haydn beloved to French audiences -- even the queen. Review...

More Recommended Haydn Recordings

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Piano Trios -- Beths, Bylsma, Levin Chamber music that bridges the gap from Baroque to Beethoven. Review...

Symphony No. 103 in E-flat major, "Drumroll"; Symphony No. 104 in D major, "London"
Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox, conductor When Haydn traveled to England in 1791, he was hailed there as "the greatest composer in the world." He had been invited to compose and conduct a set of six symphonies for public performance, and he was determined that these works should live up to the advance billing. Indeed they did, and the British public were so grateful that he was asked to come back a few years later and write another set of six symphonies. The final two, Nos. 103 and 104, are Haydn's crowning achievements in the genre. They summarize everything Haydn had learned about the craft of composition, and they include some of the composer's most memorable melodies. The "Drumroll" symphony gets its name from the percussionist's part at the beginning, and is also notable for incorporating Croatian melodies remembered from Haydn's youth. The "London" symphony begins with a stately fanfare and then bursts into a sunny Allegro, and its final movement features a catchy folklike melody. Richard Hickox gives a sparkling performance on the CD which also includes the Symphony No. 95. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Mass No. 11 in D minor, "Lord Nelson Mass"

Sylvia Stahlman, soprano; Helen Watts, alto; Wilfred Brown, tenor; Tom Krause, baritone; London Symphony Orchestra, Cambridge King's College Choir, David Willcocks, conductor Though Haydn is often cited as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet," his great sacred choral works are at least the equal of anything he wrote in a purely instrumental genre. Haydn wrote this mass in 1798 and gave it the title "Missa in Angustiis," or "Mass in Fear," which probably reflected the feelings of Haydn's fellow Austrians as Napoleon's armies were beginning their conquest of Europe. The mass acquired its more popular name after if was played for Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of the Nile, in 1800. Despite Haydn's ominous title, the mass expresses joy throughout, as it gloriously reaffirms Haydn's relationship with God. David Willcocks leads a superb cast of soloists in this recording that revolutionized the performance of Haydn's choral works. For an even more "authentic" feel, Trevor Pinnock's recording -- featuring instruments of Haydn's time -- is not to be missed. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

String Quartets, Op. 76 (Nos. 1-3, Nos. 4-6)

Lindsay String Quartet These quartets represent the pinnacle of Haydn's chamber writing, and demonstrate why Haydn deserves to be the "Father of the String Quartet" just as much as he is "Father of the Symphony." One of the most exciting is the second quartet, nicknamed "Fifths" from the musical interval that makes up the first movement's theme. The slow movement of the third quartet is a set of variations on the song "God Save Emperor Franz," which has since become the German national anthem and also gives the quartet its nickname, "Emperor." The fourth quartet is nicknamed "Sunrise" after its introduction, which features a rising violin line. Though it has no nickname, the sixth is perhaps most inventive of them all, with a "Fantasia" slow movement that contains numerous harmonic surprises. The Lindsay Quartet are today's foremost Haydn interpreters, and their performances of these quartets demonstrate why this is so. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor, "Farewell"

Hanover Band, Roy Goodman, conductor In the summer of 1772, Haydn's employer Prince Esterhzy remained a bit longer than usual at his summer palace. Wanting to get back to their families, the musicians became a bit restless, and Haydn decided to give the prince a hint that it was time to go. After a fiery final movement, the tempo slows down, and one by one each group of instruments concludes its part and leaves; only two violins are left to play the final measures. Though this final part is slow, the symphony is stormy throughout and is characteristic of Haydn's so-called "Sturm und Drang" ("Storm and Stress") period. Trevor Pinnock offers the best available recording of this and eighteen other "Sturm und Drang" symphonies, but for an affordable option it's hard to go wrong with Roy Goodman and the Hanover Band. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

The Creation
Gundula Janowitz, soprano; Christa Ludwig, mezzo soprano; Fritz Wunderlich, tenor; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Walter Berry, bass baritone; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Singverein, Herbert von Karajan, conductor This oratorio (a dramatic work that is not staged) tells the story of the creation, based on the Book of Genesis and John Milton's Paradise Lost. Throughout, Haydn uses instrumental effects to illustrate the story, such as a murky and dissonant texture illustrating chaos that transforms into a brilliant choral outburst at the words "Let there be light!" Herbert von Karajan's performance -- featuring the great tenor Fritz Wunderlich -- is one of the finest ever set down on record.

Similar works: Top 10 Choral

"London" Symphonies, Nos. 93-94, 97, 99-101

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, conductor This two-for-one set contains six of Haydn's great "London" symphonies in magnificent performances led by Sir Colin Davis. Highlights include the "Surprise" symphony (No. 94), which gets its name from the jarring chord heard after the very quiet beginning of its second movement, and the "Clock" symphony (No. 101), which features a ticking accompaniment in its slow movement.

Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

String Quartets, Op. 33, Nos. 3, 5, 6

Lindsay String Quartet Haydn wrote that he composed the six quartets of Op. 33 in a "new and special way," and indeed they represent a revolution in string quartet writing. The quartets are lighthearted and witty, and contain catchy tunes. Instead of the traditional minuet, Haydn included a scherzo in each, and these movements quite literally represent the meaning of their name (Italian for "joke"). Haydn included other special effects as well, such as the birdcall which gives the third quartet its name. Mozart was so inspired by this set of quartets that he immediately set out to compose a set of quartets of his own, which he dedicated to Haydn. The Lindsays' fresh approach leaves little doubt as to why these quartets took Vienna by storm in 1781. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets, Top 10 Mozart

Piano Sonatas Nos. 32-33, 53-54, 58-62

Andrs Schiff, piano Haydn's piano sonatas are unjustly neglected in the Classical repertory. This collection of performances by Andrs Schiff makes a forceful argument for their elevation to equal status with Mozart's sonatas. The sonatas are elegantly crafted and completely idiomatic to the piano. They exhibit a wide range of moods, from the storminess of No. 33 in C minor, to the relaxed, improvisatory attitude of No. 58 in C major, to the grandeur of No. 62 in E-flat major.

Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major

Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; National Philharmonic Orchestra, Raymond Leppard, conductor. Mozart never wrote a trumpet concerto because the powerful instrument hurt his extremely sensitive ears, but even if he had, Haydn's concerto would make a powerful case for being named the Greatest Trumpet Concerto Ever. The concerto provides great drama and explosive virtuoso fireworks. Wynton Marsalis, one of today's best jazz trumpeters, makes the jump to classical a resounding success. The performance is vintage Haydn throughout, and Marsalis's jazz training makes the improvised cadenzas the highlight of this recording. The concerto comes paired with three more zippy Haydn concertos, one each for piano, violin, and cello. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Symphonies Nos. 82-87, "Paris"

Philharmonia Hungarica, Antl Dorati, conductor After spending most of his professional life in the service of one employer in Vienna, Haydn was commissioned in 1785 to write six symphonies for a Parisian audience. The symphonies were a huge success, and Haydn quickly became the most popular composer in all of Europe. No. 85 is nicknamed "La Reine" because it is said to have been especially loved by Queen Marie Antoinette. Antl Dorati made the first complete recordings of the Haydn symphonies in the early 1970s, and these performances are still among the freshest interpretations these symphonies have seen. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Piano Trios Nos. 27-30

Vera Beths, violin; Anner Bylsma, cello; Robert Levin, piano Most of the world knows Haydn's chamber compositions through his string quartets only; few realize that he did as much to advance the genre of the piano trio as he did for the quartet. The early trios are extensions of the Baroque trio sonata, featuring a violin melody with unobtrusive piano accompaniment and a cello that mirrors the bass line. By the time of these four masterpieces, Haydn had liberated the cello and given the piano much more importance; the trios are a dialogue among three equals. Haydn's works paved the way for the pianodominated trios of Beethoven, who was composing his first set, Op. 1, right around the same time. The Beaux Arts Trio give the definitive interpretation of all of Haydn's piano trios, but if you only want one CD, then this recording featuring renowned period-performance scholar Robert Levin should do the trick. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Top 10 Mozart CDs to Start Your Classical Music Collection

The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) is considered the peak of the "Viennese Classical" style. His exposure to opera shows up in the abundant melodies in all of his works; it is not unusual for a single movement to incroporate a dozen distinct tunes. He was a master of improvisation, and even his most carefully crafted works retain an air of spontaneity. He mastered all of the forms of his time, including symphony, concerto, chamber music, and opera, and since his death his music has never fallen out of popularity. Of the more than six hundred works Mozart composed it is difficult to choose only ten. Our list below offers a sampling of great pieces for ten different types of ensembles, and we encourage you to explore further in the forms you enjoy the most. Mozart was born into a musical family in Salzburg, Austria and was quickly recognized as a child prodigy. By the age of six he was playing piano and violin at nearly professional levels and had begun to compose music as well. Taken on tours of Europe by his father Leopold, he absorbed all of the different types of music to be heard on the continent and synthesized them into his own works. In 1781, he left Salzburg for the Austrian capital of Vienna where he made his living teaching, performing, and publishing music. He was briefly appointed to the court of Austrian Emperor Joseph II, but he lost his post when the Emperor died in 1790. Mozart continued composing prolifically right up until his final illness, and we can only speculate on the masterpieces he would have composed had he lived past the age of 36. Back to Composers Index Top 10 Essential Mozart CDs

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Piano Concertos 20, 21 -- Vladimir Ashkenazy Symphonic brilliance and pianistic virtuosity. Review... Symphonies 35-41 -- Karl Bhm The Classical style achieves perfection. Review... Requiem -- John Eliot Gardiner Exploring the depths of grief. Review... "Haydn" String Quartets -- Alban Berg Quartet Viennese one-upmanship? Review... Don Giovanni -- Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, Carlo Maria Giulini Mozart casting himself as a Don Juan? Review... Clarinet Concerto -- Jack Brymer, Sir Thomas Beecham Inspiration from a clarinettist friend. Review... "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" -- Bruno Walter The famous serenade hides a mystery. Review... The Magic Flute -- Fritz Wunderlich, Karl Bhm Fantasy and fairytale in ancient Egypt. Review... Clarinet Quintet -- Antony Pay, ASMF Chamber Ensemble Chamber music with a kick. Review... Sinfonia Concertante -- Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zuckerman, Zubin Mehta Violin and viola vying for virtuosity. Review...

More Recommended Mozart Recordings

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Piano Sonatas -- Mitsuko Uchida A chronicle of Mozart's development. Review... Piano Concertos 23, 24 -- Richard Goode, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Darkness and light. Review... Lieder -- Elly Ameling Sparkling little gems from a jack of all trades. Review...

Piano Concertos No. 20 in D minor, K. 466; No. 21 in C major, K. 467

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano and conductor; Philharmonia Orchestra These two piano concertos combine orchestral brilliance with virtuosic solo work, making a splendid introduction to Mozart. The 20th, in a tragic minor key, moves from a dark and brooding beginning to an uplifting conclusion, and contains a memorable stormy outburst during an otherwise tranquil second movement. The beautiful middle movement of the 21st was used in the 1967 film Elvira Madigan and is one of Mozart's most famous pieces of music, while the finale brings the work to an exciting conclusion on a grand symphonic scale. Vladimir Ashkenazy is one of today's most versatile pianists and conductors, and he shows off both talents in this recording as he conducts from the keyboard. Ashkenazy makes the flurry of fast piano passages seem effortless while shaping the orchestra's sound perfectly. Best of all, these two concertos come with three more of Mozart's greatest concertos, all on two CDs for the price of one. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Symphonies: No. 35, "Haffner"; No. 36, "Linz"; No. 38, "Prague"; Nos. 39-40, No. 41, "Jupiter"
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bhm, conductor These six symphonies are the last that Mozart wrote before his death at the tender age of 36, and they represent the pinnacle of the Viennese Classical style. The works demonstrate all the expressive possibilities of Mozart's music: the 35th is brimming with exuberance, while the 40th is dark and brooding, and the stately nature of the 41st led to its nickname of "Jupiter." In the final movement of the 41st, one hears different instruments entering right after each other with the same theme -- a technique Mozart had only recently acquired by studying the works of Bach. Karl Bhm was one of the great Mozart interpreters, and his Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra gives these works the gravity that they deserve. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Requiem in D minor, K. 626

Barbara Bonney, soprano; Anne Sofie von Otter, alto; Hans-Peter Blochwitz, tenor; Willard White, bass, English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor As anyone who has seen the film Amadeus knows, Mozart was unable to complete his Requiem Mass before his death. (It is untrue, however, that he was poisoned by the rival composer Salieri.) The task of filling out the parts that Mozart had sketched and composing the entirety of the final four movements fell to his pupil Franz Xaver Sssmayr. Sussmayr did an admirable job, and the mass feels entirely like Mozart's work. If you think that all Mozart's music is light and fluffy, you should listen to this work -- it is one of the most grief-filled pieces ever written. The English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir attempt to recreate the performance conditions of Mozart's lifetime, and the result is a spectacular performance. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

String Quartets Nos. 14-19, "Haydn Quartets"

Alban Berg Quartet In 1782 Franz Joseph Haydn published his set of six string quartets, Op. 33, and they quickly became the rage of Vienna. At this time Haydn's mastery of the quartet genre was widely acknowledged, and Mozart set out to write a set of quartets emulating the style of the master. After a "long and laborious endeavor," Mozart completed this set of six string quartets in 1785 and dedicated them to Haydn. Together with Haydn's quartets of the period, they form the pinnacle of the Viennese quartet style. The Alban Berg Quartet's unsurpassed recording includes these six as well as Mozart's four last quartets. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets, Top 10 Haydn

Don Giovanni, K. 527

Eberhard Wchter, baritone (Don Giovanni); Giuseppe Taddei, baritone (Leporello); Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano (Elvira); Dame Joan Sutherland, soprano (Anna); Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor Few operas are as closely tied with the life of the composer as Mozarts Don Giovanni. Written in the year of Mozarts fathers death, Don Giovanni tells the story of a playboy hero-villain who must come to terms with himself and the ghost of a father figure, the Commendatore. Many scholars have speculated that Mozart represented his relationship with his father through Don Giovanni and the Commendatore. In the opera, Don Giovanni is a likable villain who woos innocent women only to break their hearts. His lowly servant Leporello is the unrewarded accomplice on all his conquests. The three main women, Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina, represent honor and goodness, and in the end they urge Don Giovanni to repent his sins. While the Commendatores ghost is a threat to Don Giovanni, we soon discover that the biggest threat to the title character is himself. The operas highlights include the duet "La ci darem la mano," and Leporellos aria cataloguing Don Giovannis conquests. Carlo Maria Giulini's classic performance featuring superstars Elisabeth Schwartzkopf and Dame Joan Sutherland is the standard by which all subsequent recordings have been judged. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622

Jack Brymer, clarinet; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham, conductor Mozart wrote this concerto near the end of his life for his friend Anton Stadler, whom he had met in 1781. Stadler was an excellent clarinettist, and Mozart took advantage of both his performer's skill and new technical developments in the clarinet to create a rich, powerful work that to this day remains foremost among all clarinet concertos in the hearts of both musicians and audiences. Jack Brymer's lush tone suits the piece perfectly, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra provide just the right level of excitement.

Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Serenade No. 13 in G major, K. 525, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"

Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter, conductor While most of Mozart's serenades were written on commission for occasions such as weddings, the occasion for his final serenade, entitled "A Little Night Music," remains a mystery. Nevertheless it has become one of the most famous pieces of music ever written, due in large part to its irresistible opening melody. Bruno Walter leads a memorable performance of the serenade as well as overtures to four of Mozart's greatest operas.

Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Die Zauberflte (The Magic Flute), K. 620

Fritz Wunderlich, tenor (Tamino); Evelyn Lear, soprano (Pamina); Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone (Papageno); Roberta Peters, soprano (Queen of the Night); Franz Crass, bass (Sarasto); RIAS Chamber Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bhm, conductor The last opera Mozart completed before his death, The Magic Flute is a comical ensemble piece that presents allegory and irony beyond its fairytale plot. Enjoyable on both a level of entertainment and a level of social commentary, the opera explores timeless topics of religion, love, racism, revenge, and good versus evil. The Egyptian prince Tamino, and his half-bird, half-man friend Papageno are sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue the princess Pamina from the seemingly evil ruler Sarastro. However, things are not always what they seem, and the plot twists as the protagonists face challenge after challenge. Mozart's wit and humor shine throughout the story line, as musical instruments become tools of magic, wooing foes to sleep and taming wild animals. Highlights of the opera include the Queen's two stunning arias, Pamina's famous tragic aria, "Ach, ich fuhl's," and gorgeous duet interplay between the lovers. One could not ask for a better Tamino-Papageno pair than Fritz Wunderlich and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in Karl Bhm's recording. For a cast in which the women outshine the men, Otto Klemperer's version is the first choice: Gandula Janowitz is a radiant Pamina, and Lucia Popp effortlessly reaches the stratospheric heights of the Queen of the Night's arias.

Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581

Antony Pay, clarinet; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble In addition to the Clarinet Concerto, Mozart wrote a much more intimate Clarinet Quintet for his friend Anton Stadler. Whereas in the concerto the clarinet is the focus of attention, in the quintet the woodwind takes on a role equivalent to that of the strings, and the piece plays out as a discourse among five equals. Antony Pay and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble give a convincing peformance, and this mid-priced CD includes the quintet as well as two other charming chamber works for wind and strings.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra in E-flat major, K. 364
Itzhak Perlman, violin; Pinchas Zuckerman, viola; Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta, conductor The sinfonia concertante was a popular form in the late eighteenth century, as it allowed two or more soloists to share center stage and attempt to outdo each other in terms of virtuosity. Mozart's most famous essay in the genre was written in 1779 and contains two unusual features. First, the viola section is divided in two, giving the orchestra a richer sonority. Second, the solo viola player is instructed to tune his instrument up a half step, making the sound brighter and more similar to the violin. Pinchas Zuckerman, whose primary instrument is the violin, takes up the challenge of the viola and creates a perfect blend with Itzhak Perlman--at their first entrance the listener can hardly tell that both instruments are playing. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-18

Mitsuko Uchida, piano Mozart's piano sonatas chronicle his development as a composer and pianist from a precocious teenager in Salzburg to a celebrated master in Vienna. While none of these sonatas have the fiery storm of Beethoven's works in the genre, each is charming and delightful in its own way. Particularly notable are the Sonata No. 11, with its famous "Rondo alla turca" finale, and the Sonata No. 18, whose opening motif resembles a hunter's horn-call. Mitsuko Uchida gives the definitive interpretation of all the sonatas, exhibiting an elegant and very Mozartean touch. If you don't want to shell out $50-plus for all five CDs, Maria Joo Pires gives fine performances that are available individually; we recommend starting with CD that includes the last four sonatas and the D minor Fantasia. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Piano Concertos: No. 23 in A major, K. 488; No. 24 in C minor, K. 491

Richard Goode, piano; Orpheus Chamber Orchestra The twenty-third piano concerto shows Mozart at his sunniest, and its lush melodies look forward to the Clarinet Concerto, written in the same key five years later. The twenty-fourth, on the other hand, is a darker affair, featuring dramatic passages and a melancholy set of variations in the final movement. These two concertos are included in the Vladimir Ashkenazy collection discussed above, but for an even more stellar performance we recommend Richard Goode's recording. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Lieder
Elly Ameling, soprano; Dalton Baldwin, piano The Lied is usually not a genre associated with Mozart, but these little gems demostrate that Mozart was indeed master of every musical form known to his time. Soprano Elly Ameling sparkles in her renditions of thirty-five Mozart songs, and this two-disc set also includes six notturni for voices and woodwind.

Similar works: Top 10 Song

Top 10 Schubert CDs for your Classical Music Collection

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was the first true Romantic composer. His works are characterized by an unprecedented depth and intensity of emotion. He had a gift for lyrical melody, which shows most clearly in his more than six hundred songs. He forged new trails incompositional technique as well, experimenting with form and harmonic relations. These characteristics show most clearly in his final works, including the late chamber works, the "Unfinished" and "Great" Symphonies, and the final three Piano Sonatas. Schubert lived in Vienna, the capital of the European musical world, his entire life. Born to a schoolmaster, he had little formal training in music theory. After following his father's profession for three years, in 1817 he decided to go it alone as a freelance composer. He was successful enough to maintain a living, but he was shy and unskilled in the art of self-promotion, and thus never achieved anything close to the fame that posterity would award him. In 1822 he contracted syphilis, which in those days was a death sentence. This condition had if anything a positive effect on his output: from 1824 to 1828 he enjoyed one of the most remarkable bursts of creative genius ever witnessed, composing his greatest masterpieces of chamber, orchestral, and vocal music. He died in 1828 still largely unknown to the public, and it is only through the efforts of Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann that his works achieved widespread recognition. Back to Composers Index Top 10 Essential Schubert CDs

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"Death and the Maiden" String Quartet -- Amadeus String Quartet A dying man's outpouring of grief. Review... Symphony No. 8, "Unfinished" -- Carlos Kleiber The torso of a symphonic giant. Review... String Quintet -- Emerson String Quartet, Mstislav Rostropovich Chamber music on a symphonic scale. Review... Impromptus for Piano -- Murray Perahia Exquisite piano miniatures. Review... Winterreise -- Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten A bleak song cycle reminiscing of lost love. Review... Symphony No. 9, "The Great" -- Sir Georg Solti A symphony with "life in every fiber." Review... String Quartet No. 15 -- Italian Quartet Schubert's last quartet, brimming with intensity. Review... Piano Trios -- Beaux Arts Trio Bridging the gap from Beethoven to Brahms. Review... Piano Sonata D. 960 -- Alfred Brendel Continuing the Viennese piano tradition. Review... Trout Quintet -- Clifford Curzon, Amadeus Quartet A popular favorite written at the age of 22. Review...

More Recommended Schubert Recordings

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Songs -- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gerald Moore A collection of Schubert's best. Review... Octet for Winds and Strings -- Vienna Octet Viennese exuberance. Review...

String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810, "Death and the Maiden"

Amadeus String Quartet In the last few years before he died of syphilis at the age of 31, Franz Schubert experienced one of the most prolific periods of creative genius humankind has ever seen. This quartet is one of the fruits of that period. In the first movement, Schubert develops a simple descending-scale motif into an intense outpouring of grief. The quartet takes its name from the theme of the second movement, a song which Schubert wrote when he was twenty. In its quartet incarnation, Schubert takes the simple melody through a whole range of moods, building to an impassioned frenzy and then relaxing. The Amadeus Quartet offer a convincing performance at a reasonable price. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759, "Unfinished"

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, conductor Franz Schubert completed only the first two movements of his eighth symphony, but what a pair of movements they are! The first packs in more tragedy and pathos than most composers could work into a full symphony, while the second, in a sunny major key, provides a welcome catharsis. Carlos Keliber coaxes the utmost lyricism from the Vienna Philharmonic in this emotionally charged recording. For those performing a more leisurely approach, Leonard Bernstein's recording with the New York Philharmonic is just as recommendable. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

String Quintet in C major, D. 956

Emerson String Quartet, Mstislav Rostropovich, cello Unlike his late string quartets, which depict a uniformly bleak landscape, Schubert's great string quintet celebrates life to the fullest. The addition of the extra cello to the usual string quartet allows Schubert to give the cello some of the most exquisite melodic lines ever written. The quintet is full of captivating melodies and surprising harmonic twists, and even though it is nearly an hour long it still feels too short. Mstislav Rostropovich and the Emerson String Quartet give an intensely passionate performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Impromptus for Piano, Op. 90, Op. 142

Murray Perahia, piano Schubert's Impromptus are among the greatest short piano pieces ever written. Each explores a different mood, from the march-like first impromptu to the subdued and lyrical third to the jaunty final piece, and together they form an encyclopedia of nineteenth-century piano style. Murray Perahia gives the definitive performance of these eight pieces, combining both Classical clarity and Romantic passion.

Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Winterreise, D. 911
Peter Pears, tenor; Benjamin Britten, piano This cycle, whose title translates as "Winter's Journey," consists of twenty-four songs for solo voice with piano accompaniment. During the journey, which begins and ends in winter, the singer sings nostalgically of a failed summer romance. Written just months before the composer's death, the cycle expresses an irreparably bleak outlook on life. The mood is captured perfectly by the great British tenor Peter Pears, who is accompanied on the piano by his lifelong partner, composer Benjamin Britten.

Similar works: Top 10 Song

Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944, "The Great"

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti, conductor For more than a decade after his death, Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony was thought to be his last. However, Schubert had written another symphony, which was given a private performance in 1826 and then forgotten. The score languished on a dusty bookshelf until the composer Robert Schumann discovered it and passed it on to Felix Mendelssohn, who gave its first public performance in 1839. The symphony takes its nickname as much from the majesty of its music as from its "heavenly length," in the words of Schumann: it is the longest of Schubert's symphonies, and it is longer than all of Beethoven's symphonies except the ninth. According to Schumann, Here, beside sheer musical mastery of the technique of composition is life in every fiber, color in the finest shadings, meaning everywhere, the acutest etching of detail, and all flooded with a Romanticism." Sir Georg Solti gives a compelling reading of this expansive work. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887

Quartetto Italiano Though he only has four instruments to work with instead of a whole orchestra, Schubert's last quartet is just as long and intense as his last symphony. The crescendo at the beginning is a microcosm of the piece as a whole; the intensity builds throughout the piece and comes to a climax after nearly fifty minutes of music. The Quartetto Italiano's classic recording comes with splendid performances of Schubert's other three late quartets, including the great unfinished "Quartettsatz."

Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Piano Trios: No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 99; No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 100
Beaux Arts Trio These two gems are among the multitude of great chamber works that Schubert produced in the last few years of his life. While both are expansive pieces that demand a great deal of the players, their characters differ considerably. The first trio is sunny and exuberant, while the second takes a more solemn and stately approach. The trios represent a bridge between Classical and Romantic styles of chamber music, and the Beaux Arts Trio, who have recorded numerous trios from all eras, are perfectly equipped to help us hear this historical context. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Piano Sonata in B-flat major, D. 960

Alfred Brendel, Piano While Beethoven composed masterful piano sonatas throughout his career, Schubert only came into his own in this genre towards the end of his tragically short life. The Sonata D. 960, Schubert's last, is the pinnacle of the composer's large-scale keyboard works. As usual it is filled with warm, lyrical melody, but there is always a sense of trouble brewing under the surface. Alfred Brendel is one of today's greatest Schubert interpreters, and this two-for-one set combines performances of Schubert's three final sonatas.

Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667, "Trout"

Norbert Brainin, violin; Peter Schidlof, viola; Martin Lovett, cello; J. Edward Merret, double bass; Clifford Curzon, piano Schubert's "Trout" quintet was written in 1819, when the composer was twenty-two. The quintet takes its name from its fourth movement, which is a set of variations on Schubert's song "Die Forelle," or "The Trout," written two years earlier. While it doesn't have the depth of emotion of Schubert's later chamber works, its nave cheerfulness has made it one of Schubert's most popular compositions. Clifford Curzon and members of the Amadeus Quartet give a graceful and spontaneous performance of the Trout, and this two-for-one set also includes a spectacular performance of Johannes Brahms's momentous Piano Quintet. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Lieder
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Gerald Moore, piano Schubert composed nearly a thousand works during his thirty-one years, and nearly six hundred of them were songs. This bargain-priced CD presents a sampling of the most famous, sung by the legendary Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Highlights include "Der Erlknig" ("The Elven King") which protrays a father riding furiously on horseback to save his sick child from the Elven King, a symbol of death, and "Der Tod und das Mdchen" ("Death and the Maiden") which is more famous as the theme of the second movement of Schubert's fourteenth string quartet. Similar works: Top 10 Song

Octet for Winds and Strings in F major, D. 803

Vienna Octet Judging by the joy and exuberance that fills this chamber work, one would hardly guess that when Schubert wrote it he had already contracted the disease that would end his life. The instrumentation is unique for Schubert: he combines the elegance of the string quintet with the rich sonorities of the clarinet, horn, and basson. Throw in some lyrical melodies and harmonic surprises, and the result is a Romantic twist on the late eighteenth-century tradition of the serenade. The Vienna Octet, hailing from Schubert's hometown, execute the music effortlessly and have fun while they're at it. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Top 10 Tchaikovsky CDs to Start Your Classical Music Collection

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) had a very tumultuous personal life. He was perpetually haunted by feelings of guilt about his homosexuality; wanting a settled domestic life, he undertook a brief and disastrous marriage to a young admirer. This tumult finds expression in his music, whose defining characteristcs are lush textures and a hypercharged emotionalism. His last works, most notably the Pathtique, are filled with a bottomless despair. Tchaikovsky enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime, and his works have always been audience favorites. Though Tchaikovsky was almost an exact contemporary of Brahms, the two composers' styles are markedly different. Brahms's music is known for its "braininess"; Tchaikovsky, on the other hand, wrote directly from the heart. This aspect makes Tchaikovsky the most instantly lovable of all the great composers. Tchaikovsky came to composition late, beginning his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory at the age of 22 after a brief attempt at a career in law. He worked with the great Russian composers of the time, including Anton Rubinstein and Mili Balakirev, who inspired him to undertake some overtly nationalistic compositions. As his style matured and became more personal and emotional, Tchaikovsky began to attract a following across Russia. One fan was the wealthy widow Nadezhda von Meck, who corresponded prolifically with Tchaikovsky in his later years and also gave him financial support, but whom he never met in person. When Mme. von Meck withdrew her support in the 1890s Tchaikovsky plunged into depression, and he died in 1893, nine days after conducting the premiere of his greatest work, the Pathtique Symphony. Back to Composers Index Top 10 Essential Tchaikovsky CDs

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"Pathtique" Symphony -- Mariss Jansons So tragic, it must have been written by a Russian. Review... Piano Concerto No. 1 -- Van Cliburn, Kiril Kondrashin The incarnation of Romantic excess. Review... Nutcracker Suite -- Mstislav Rostropovich The Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairies, and much more. Review... Symphony No. 5 -- Valery Gergiev A wholly unified symphony. Review... Violin Concerto -- Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta Music that inspires "continuous bliss." Review... Souvenir de Florence -- Raphael Ensemble Six musicians on an Italian journey. Review... Symphony No. 4 -- Mariss Jansons There's no escaping Fate. Review... 1812 Overture -- Antl Dorati The famous orchestral battle piece -- complete with real cannon. Review... String Quartet No. 1 -- Emerson String Quartet The captivating Andante cantabile -- and a whole lot more. Review... Romeo and Juliet Overture -- Leonard Bernstein A musical portrayal of Shakespeare's drama -- in 15 minutes. Review...

More Recommended Tchaikovsky Recordings

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Symphony No. 1, "Winter Daydreams" -- Mariss Jansons Sparkling snow and ice. Review...

Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathtique"

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons, conductor Tchaikovsky's sixth and final symphony is aptly named, for it is filled with pathos from beginning to end. The slow introduction lasts more than two minutes, and the tension slowly mounts until the orchestra bursts forth with a jarring brass fanfare. The turbulence rises and falls and eventually subsides; as the first movement draws to close one hears the sun coming out and a rainbow appearing. The second movement is a gentle waltz that is subtly disfigured by the fact that it is counted off in five rather than the traditional three beats. The finale, instead of being the usual rousing conclusion, is slow and quiet, trailing off so gradually into nothing that one almost can't tell when the music stops. Mariss Jansons's set of Tchaikovsky symphonies with the Oslo Philharmonic is widely regarded as the best available on record, and this recording of thePathtique shows the ensemble at its finest. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

Van Cliburn, piano; RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Kiril Kondrashin, conductor Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto is the incarnation of Romantic excess: a blockbuster orchestral work dripping with lyricism and requiring extreme virtuosity of both the orchestra and the soloist. The concerto features a majestic first movement, an intensely passionate second movement, and a fiery finale. This famous recording features the lanky Texan Van Cliburn, who in 1958 traveled to hostile Moscow at the height of the Cold War and came back an international hero as the Grand Prize winner of the First International Tchaikovsky Competition. Cliburn made this recording at Carnegie Hall in New York just a few months later, and it captures all of the drama and power that blew the socks off the Soviet judges. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Ballet Suites: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor Tchaikovsky's ballets contain some of his most popular music; his Nutcracker in particular is a staple around the Christmas season. This CD features highlights from the composer's three greatest ballets. Particularly notable are the haunting oboe melody from the introduction of Swan Lake, which recurs throughout the work, and the "characteristic dances" (including the famous "Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairies" and "Trpak") from the Nutcracker. Mstislav Rostropovich shows in this recording that he is just as skilled with the conductor's baton as with the cellist's bow. Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Valery Gergiev, conductor Tchaikovsky's Fifth is the most unified of the composer's symphonies: the brooding melody announced in the introduction reappears in each successive movement. More upbeat than the depressing Sixth, the Fifth also demostrates Tchaikovsky's mastery of orchestration, particularly in the sweeping effects he achieves by setting different sections of the orchestra against each other. This recording shows why Valery Gergiev is today's premier interpreter of Russian orchestral music.

Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

Itzhak Perlman, violin; Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta, conductor Tchaikovsky composed his Violin Concerto during a stay in Switzerland in 1878. He wrote, "in this atmosphere composition loses all character of work and is a continual bliss." Indeed, one is enveloped in bliss listening to the concerto, from its mysterious opening tune to the fiery finale. The concerto is so difficult that its dedicatee Leopold Auer declared it unplayable. Itzhak Perlman must not find it too difficult, for he has made no fewer than four stellar recordings of the work. His live recording with Zubin Mehta is particularly special; it reaches a level of intensity and excitement not quite achieved in his studio recordings, bringing all listeners to the edge of their seats.. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

String Sextet in D major, Op. 70, "Souvenir de Florence"

Raphael Ensemble Tchaikovsky wrote the string sextet "Souvenir de Florence" near the end of his life. As its name implies, it consists of musical images of Florence and the surrounding countryside. The decision to use six rather than the traditional four strings increased the range of textures and colors available to Tchaikovsky, and the composer took full advantage of these resources. The Raphael Ensemble give an authoritative performance of this graceful work.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons, conductor Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony has a secret program which he only revealed in his correspondence to his patron Nadezhda von Meck. The blaring horn call at the beginning represents Fate, which according to the composer, is "that inevitable force which prevents our hopes of happiness from being realized." This musical idea is interwoven throughout the movement, and Tchaikovsky acknowledged that he was using Beethoven's Fifth as a model for the idea. The second movement, a lyrical Andante, represents nostalgic yearning for the past. The third movement is unusual because the strings put down their bows and pluck their instruments, creating aural images of carnivals, street songs, and parades. The fourth movement depicts bucolic life in the country, but in the midst of it Fate rears its ugly head, proving that "it is inescapable and can never be overcome." Mariss Jansons and the Oslo Philharmonic give a compelling performance that brings out both the symphony's drama and its tender and expressive moments. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Festival Overture Op. 49, "1812"

Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, University of Minnesota Brass Band, Antl Dorati, conductor Tchaikovsky's famous 1812 Overture commemorates the Russian defeat of Napoleon's armies in the winter of 1812. One of the great orchestral showpieces, it calls for extra brass, church bells, and even cannon shots. This legendary recording features fine playing by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, but the stars of the show are actual French cannons from West Point and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon in New York, which create a sound so realistic you'll think that the French are invading your living room. The CD even includes a bonus track explaining how the recording was produced. Similar works: None

String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11

Emerson String Quartet Tchaikovsky wrote his first string quartet while he was still a student, and it was not published until 1940. The lyrical second movement is particularly appealing, and today it is often played in concert as the Andante cantabile for Cello and Strings. The other movements are equally appealing; the scherzo blazes with intensity, and the finale brings the work to a rousing conclusion. This fine performance comes paired with another Russian favorite, the Borodin Second Quartet, as well as Dvork's popular "American" quartet.

Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Romeo and Juliet Overture

New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, conductor Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture lauched him on the international scene when it was written in 1869. The composer revised the work in 1880, and it is in this form that it has become an orchestral favorite. The fifteen-minute work tells the story of Shakespeare's drama, with musical motifs representing the different characters and musical effects illustrating important scenes such as the ball, the fight, and the death scene. This CD features the overture as well as several other popular Tchaikovsky orchestral works.

Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral Works

Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13, "Winter Daydreams"

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons, conductor Tchaikovsky's first three symphonies have never been as popular as his last three, but the former are all sparkling orchestral works with much to recommend themselves. His first symphony, which depicts images of a wintry Russian landscape, may not be as polished as his later works, but it is as charming and tuneful as any. Mariss Jansons's performance brings to life the sparkle of the snow and ice.

Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Top 10 Verdi CDs for your Classical Music Collection

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) is commonly regarded as the greatest composer of Italian opera. His twenty-six operas did not make a revolutionary break with the past, but rather refined and perfected an art form that had already come to occupy a central role in Italian culture. Verdi had an unmatched gift for melody, and even people who have never seen nor heard an opera can recognize some of Verdi's most famous tunes. While most of Verdi's operas stretch the bounds of plausibility, they feature powerful emotions, violent conflict, and quick-moving action -- characteristics which make the stories entertaining and provide plenty of opportunity for tender melody, fierce rhythm, and grand orchestration. All but one of Verdi's mature operas are tragedies, and Verdi has a special gift for humanizing his heroes and heroines even as they meet their ultimate fate. Verdi was born in 1813 in a small village in northern Italy. At the age of eighteen he moved to Milan to study and compose. His first opera premiered at La Scala in 1839, and he spent the next decade composing operas at a furious pace. By the mid-1850s Verdi had become the most famous composer of Italian opera as well as a potent symbol of the Italian nationalist movement. His triumvirate of Rigoletto, Il trovatore, and La Traviata were cornerstones of the international opera repertoire, and they retain that status today. After Aida in 1871 Verdi's output slowed down, and he produced only two operas -- both based on plays by Shakespeare -- in his final thirty years. When he died in 1901 he was regarded as a national hero, and his casket was accompanied to its final resting place by hundreds of thousands of mourners. Back to Composers Index Top 10 Essential Verdi CDs

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La Traviata -- Angela Gheorghiu, Sir Georg Solti The most heart-wrenching tragic ending in opera history. Review... Aida -- Leontyne Price, Plcido Domingo, Erich Leinsdorf An Egyptian princess has to make the ultimate choice. Review... Rigoletto -- Dame Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Richard Bonynge A hunchback powerless against the whims of Fate. Review... Requiem -- Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, Carlo Maria Giulini The most dramatic of Requeims. Review... Il Trovatore -- Plcido Domingo, Leontyne Price, Zubin Mehta Who will have the last revenge? Review... Falstaff -- Bryn Terfel, Claudio Abbado Verdi's greatest comedy. Review... Othello -- Plcido Domingo, Cheryl Studer, Myung-Whun Chung Jealousy, the green-eyed monster. Review... The Force of Destiny -- Leontyne Price, Plcido Domingo, James Levine Love and death in Spain. Review... Don Carlos -- Plcido Domingo, Ruggiero Raimondi, Claudio Abbado Grand opera and drama in sixteenth-century France. Review... A Masked Ball -- Luciano Pavarotti, Margaret Price, Christa Ludwig, Sir Georg Solti Based on a true story. Review...

La Traviata
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano (Violetta); Frank Lopardo, tenor (Alfredo); Leo Nucci, baritone (Germont); Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra and Chorus, Sir Georg Solti, conductor Featuring the most heart-wrenching tragic ending in operatic history, La Traviata is a love story between the courtesan Violetta Valery and her young admirer Alfredo Germont. Following the script of many age-old tales of true love, Violetta and Alfredo try desperately to protect their love in the face of circumstances that threaten to tear them apart. Full of misunderstandings, emotional turmoil, and outlandish drama, Verdi's masterpiece has been performed thousands of times by the best artists of each era, including Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, and Maria Callas. As one of the most famous operas in the world, La Traviata is sure to give many newcomers to opera a shock: many musical motifs popularized in modern-day entertainment originated in this opera. Angela Gheorghiu has made the part of Violetta entirely her own, and Sir Georg Solti never lets the intensity falter. This performance is also available on DVD. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Aida
Leontyne Price, soprano (Aida); Plcido Domingo, tenor (Radams); Grace Bumbry, mezzo soprano (Amneris); London Symphony Orchestra, John Alldis Choir, Erich Leinsdorf, conductor Verdi's Aida is at once opera at both its most grand and its most personal. The opera tells the story of an Ethiopian princess caught between the two men in her life: her lover Radams, prince of Egypt, and her father Amonasro, king of Ethiopia. Amonasro commands the Ethiopian armies in their battle against Radams and the Egyptians, and Aida and Radams must both make the ultimate choice of whether to betray their love for their respective countries. The lovers' decision -- and the tragedy that ensues -- makes for a supremely gripping story. Verdi's music ranges from the delicate (Radams's aria "Celeste Aida") to the bombastic (the Grand March, which accompanies the entrance of the Egyptian army and, in some productions, their elephants). Leontyne Price and Plcido Domingo are two of the greatest Verdi interpreters on record, and they come together in this stellar recording led by Erich Leinsdorf. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Rigoletto
Dame Joan Sutherland, soprano (Gilda); Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (Duke of Mantua); Sherrill Milnes, baritone (Rigoletto); London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Richard Bonynge, conductor The story of Rigoletto shows how even the most well-laid plans can go hopelessly awry. The lecherous Duke of Mantua has his eyes on Gilda, who unbeknownst to him is the daughter of the Duke's hunchbacked court jester Rigoletto. When Rigoletto gets wind of the Duke's intentions he does all in his power to stop the Duke and exact revenge, but betrayal, miscommunication, and even a curse combine to turn the tables on Rigoletto. The final scene, which depicts the worst fear of every father, is a masterpiece of operatic tragedy. Musically, the opera is best known for the Duke's aria, "La donna mobile," which is perhaps Verdi's most popular tune, instantly recognized throught the world. Luciano Pavarotti's name can hardly be dissociated from the aria and the role of the Duke; Richard Bonynge's recording, made when Pavarotti was in his prime, features the great tenor as well as a tremendous supporting cast, and has been the gold standard for Rigoletto for more than 35 years. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Requiem
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano; Christa Ludwig, mezzo soprano; Nicolai Gedda, tenor; Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass; Philharmonia Orchestra, Philharmonia Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor Verdi's Requiem takes its inspiration from two of Italy's foremost artists: the composer Gioacchino Rossini and the poet Alessandro Manzoni. Verdi composed one movement of the Requiem in 1869 for a compilation Mass in honor of Rossini's death, but this Mass was never performed. Four years later, the death of Manzoni (a personal hero of Verdi's) inspired the composer to expand his single movement into a full Requiem Mass. With more than twenty operas already under his belt, Verdi had vast experience writing dramatic music for chorus, and this expertise is evident throughout the Requiem; indeed, the Requiem has been described as "a magnificent opera disguised as a sacred work." Carlo Maria Giulini's recording, featuring the great soprano Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, has been the classic interpretation of this work for more than forty years. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Il Trovatore
Plcido Domingo, tenor (Manrico); Leontyne Price, soprano (Leonora), Fiorenza Cossotto, mezzo soprano (Azucena); Sherrill Milnes, baritone (Il Conte di Luna); New Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Zubin Mehta, conductor Il Trovatore is a story of revenge: the Count di Luna wants to get even with the troubadour Manrico for stealing the heart of his beloved Leonora, and the gypsy Azucena seeks to pay back the Count for the death of her mother. These stories play out through a tableau of duels, battles, marriages, and even a conversion to nunnery. But all is not as it seems, and the final determination of who is avenged has shocked audiences for 150 years. The great Verdi singers Plcido Domingo and Leontyne Price as well as a stellar supporting cast come together under Zubin Mehta to produce what is commonly regarded as the greatest Trovatore on record. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Falstaff
Bryn Terfel, bass baritone (Falstaff); Thomas Hampson, baritone (Ford); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Radio Chorus, Claudio Abbado, conductor Falstaff is the last opera Verdi wrote and is the only one of his major works that is not a tragedy. The story, adapted from Shakespeare's plays The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV, features wife switching, double crossing, costume changing, and even the title character jumping headfirst into a laundry basket. When the dust settles, Falstaff's arrogance has been turned down a notch, and he leads a great fugue that proclaims, "All the world's a joke. We are all born fools." Bryn Terfel does an admirable job filling the shoes of the larger-than-life Falstaff, and Claudio Abbado conducts with thrilling precision. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Otello
Plcido Domingo, tenor (Otello); Cheryl Studer, soprano (Desdemona); Sergei Leiferkus, baritone (Iago); Bastille Opera Orchestra, Paris Opera Children's Chorus, Bastille Opera Chorus, Myung-Whun Chung, conductor Verdi's Otello, composed in 1887, shows the composer's reaction to musical devopments in the sixteen years since his previous opera, Aida. During this time many important works made their premieres, including Bizet's Carmen, Wagner's Ring cycle, and all of Brahms' symphonies. Verdi's response was to unify his music by repeating orchestral motives throughout the work and by keeping each act as a continuous whole rather than breaking it into separate arias, duets, and choruses. The story, adapted faithfully from Shakespeare's play Othello, demonstrates the terrible consequences of unchecked jealousy. Plcido Domingo turns in a remarkable performance as the Moor of Venice, and Sergei Leiferkus makes a convincingly evil Iago. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

La Forza del Destino

Leontyne Price, soprano (Leonora); Plcido Domingo, tenor (Don Alvaro); Sherrill Milnes, baritone (Don Carlo); Fiorenza Cossotto, mezzo soprano (Preziosilla); Gabriel Bacquier, baritone (Fra Melitone); London Symphony Orchestra, John Alldis Choir, James Levine, conductor La Forza del Destino tells of the conflict between the South American nobleman Don Alvaro and the Spanish Don Carlo. Don Alvaro is in love with Don Carlo's sister Donna Leonora, but has accidentally killed Alvaro and Leonora's father, causing Don Carlo to seek revenge at all costs. His quest takes him from Seville to the countryside, a battlefield, and finally a monastery, where he exacts his revenge -- but only at a terrible price. The great Verdi trio of Leontyne Price, Plcido Domingo, and Sherrill Milnes sparkle under James Levine. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Don Carlos
Plcido Domingo, tenor (Don Carlos); Ruggero Raimondi, bass (King Philippe II); Katia Ricciarelli, soprano (Queen Elisabeth of Valois); Lucia Valentini-Terrani, mezzo soprano (Princess Eboli); Leo Nucci, baritone (Rodrigue); Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, Milan, Claudio Abbado, conductor Don Carlos is Verdi's grandest opera, and his only major work that is in French. Premiered in Paris in 1867, the opera in its full version consists of more than four hours of music. The story is based on the life of the Carlos of Asturias, a sixteenth-century Spanish prince. Don Carlos is betrothed to Elisabeth of Valois, but because of a complicated political deal Elisabeth marries Don Carlos's father, Prince Phillip II of Spain. Claudio Abbado leads the first complete recording of the opera in French; for those preferring the Italian version, Carlo Maria Giulini's recording-- also featuring Plcido Domingo and Ruggero Raimondi -- is not to be missed. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Un Ballo in Maschera
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (Riccardo/Gustavo); Margaret Price, soprano (Amelia); Renato Bruson, baritone (Renato/Count Anckarstrm); Christa Ludwig, mezzo soprano (Ulrica) Kathleen Battle, soprano (Oscar); National Philharmonic Orchestra London, London Opera Chorus, Royal College of Music Choir, Sir Georg Solti, conductor Un Ballo in Maschera is based -- very loosely -- on the1792 assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden, who was shot while attending a masked ball. Verdi adapted Eugne Scribe's fictionalized account of the assassination, but Italian censors forced him to move the setting from Sweden to colonial America. King Gustavo then became the colonial governor, Riccardo, Earl of Warwick. Though this recording was made in 1983, Luciano Pavarotti somehow takes twenty years off of his voice.

Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Top 10 Renaissance Era CDs to Start Your Classical Music Collection

The Renaissance, which comprises roughly the years 1400-1600, was a time of great artistic development in Europe, in music no less than in any of the other arts. Renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman cultures taught scholars about the power music had to move the listener, and composers of the time adapted their styles in attempts to evoke this power in both sacred and secular music. Most music composed in the Renaissance was sacred choral music. The Mass, a setting of the five movements sung in church every day, was the most prestigious form, and all the great composers wrote many masses. However, the motet, a shorter work on a sacred text of the composer's choosing, allowed the composer more expressive freedoms. Secular music, both vocal and instrumental, grew in importance over time. The premier secular vocal form was the madrigal, a short piece for three to six voices on a romantic -- and often erotic -- text. The development of keyboard and brass instruments in the sixteenth century brought new instrumental forms into existence, including the pavan, galliard, canzona, and sonata. Until about 1800 audiences preferred new music to old, and thus most Renaissance music remained unperformed. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century scholars began to rediscover Renaissance music, but it was only in the midtwentieth century that performances of Renaissance music became widespread. Thus while there are many spectacular Renaissance works, none has established a firm enough place in the canon to be among the first twenty CDs you should own. Back to Eras Index Top 10 Essential Renaissance CDs

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Josquin: "Pange Lingua" Mass -- Tallis Scholars Quiz: Name the greatest Renaissance composer. Review... Monteverdi: Madrigals, Book VIII -- Consort of Musicke Madrigals of War and Love. Review... Palestrina: "Pope Marcellus" Mass -- Westminster Abbey Choir The Mass that saved Roman church music. Review... Tallis: Spem in alium -- Tallis Scholars Forty melodic threads creating a tapestry of sound. Review... Monteverdi: Orfeo -- Emma Kirkby, Nigel Rogers, Charles Medlam The first great opera. Review... Praetorius: Terpsichore -- David Munrow Dance music from the French court. Review... Victoria: Motet and Mass, "O quam gloriosum" -- Westminster Cathedral Choir The pinnacle of music during the Spanish Renaissance. Review... Gabrieli: Canzoni e Sonate -- Eric Crees Joyous works for brass. Review... Lassus: Motets -- Ex Cathedra Chamber Choir Motets from the mouth of the master. Review... Byrd: Keyboard Music -- Davitt Moroney Elegant works from Elizabethan England. Review...

Josquin des Prez: Missa "Pange lingua"

Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, conductor Josquin des Prez was the greatest composer of the High Renaissance. Contemporaries hailed him as "the best of the composers of our time" and the "father of musicians." Martin Luther, who made his name in other fields but was no musical slouch (he was a singer and wrote dozens of chorales), declared of Josquin, "He is the master of the notes. They must do as he wills; as for the other composers, they have to do as the notes will." Josquin's most famous work is the "Pange lingua" mass. Each movement starts with the different voices intoning the melody of the church chant "Pange lingua"; from this common beginning each proceeds with its own individual example of contrapuntal mastery. The Tallis Scholars are today's premier ensemble specializing in Renaissance vocal music, and they give a memorable performance of this Mass on this two-disc set loaded with other great early music. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Claudio Monteverdi: Madrigals, Book VIII

Consort of Musicke, Anthony Rooley, conductor At the time they were written, Claudio Monteverdi's nine books of madrigals set a new standard for expressiveness in music. Mondeverdi's madrigal music brings to life the poetry it underlies, and none does so better than the eighth book, published in 1638. The book, entitled "Madrigals of War and Love," is split into two halves. The first half contains fierce war poetry, highlighted by "Il Combattimento de Tancredi et Clorinda," the story of two warriors in love with each other. Monteverdi's music depicts horses galloping and armies clashing. The second half consists of love poems, the most famous of which is the "Lamento della ninfa." The collection illustrates Monteverdi's innovative style in instrumental as well as vocal writing. This super-bargain set (2 CDs for less than one full-priced CD) is a must-have for anyone's collection. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Missa "Papae Marcelli"

Westminster Abbey Choir, Simon Preston, conductor Legend has it that in this Mass saved vocal polyphony from condemnation by the Catholic Church. The 1560s were a trying time for the Church, which was defending itself from the Protestant Reformation, and its music was being attacked as being an unintelligible jumble of different melodies sung at the same time. Then along came Palestrina, whose Mass was so masterfully written that listeners could understand every single word, and Renaissance music as we know it was saved. This legend is almost certainly untrue, but after listening to this masterpiece you will think the story quite believable. The Tallis Scholars give a remarkable performance of the Pope Marcellus Mass on their "Best of the Renaissance" set, but Simon Preston's recording with the Westminster Abbey Choir is just as compelling. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Thomas Tallis: Spem in Alium

Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, conductor Bach's four-part conterpoint is certainly complex, but it pales in comparison with this motet, which consists of no less than forty separate melodies, all sung at the same time. The result is a great wash of sound that is one of the all-time highlights of choral music. Queen Elizabeth, for whose fortieth birthday the piece was written, was certainly impressed. The Tallis Scholars give a magnificent interpretation of their namesake's music.

Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Claudio Monteverdi: Orfeo

Nigel Rogers, tenor (Orfeo); Patrizia Kwella, soprano (Euridice); Emma Kirkby, soprano (La Musica); Chiraoscuro, London Baroque, London Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, Nigel Rogers, Charles Medlam, Theresa Caudle, conductors In the 1580s and '90s a group of Florentine intellectuals (including Vincenzo Galilei, father of the astronomer) got together and hashed out the ground rules for a new kind of drama set to music, which we now know as opera. Monteverdi's Orfeo was not the first opera written (in fact it was the third), but Monteverdi's lyrical melodies and innovative instrumentation made such a compelling story of the myth of Orpheus and Euridice that opera soon became all the rage across Italy and beyond. Nigel Rogers's splendid recording is a true bargain.

Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Michael Praetorius: Terpsichore

Early Music Consort of London, David Munrow, conductor Terpsichore is a collection of some 300 dance tunes played at the court of Henri IV of France in the late sixteenth century. The German composer Michael Praetorius compiled and harmonized the dances and arranged them for four to six parts. However, he did not indicate what instruments the dances should be played on. This interpretation by David Munrow, one of the Early Music movement's pioneers, is perhaps the finest on record.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Toms Luis de Victoria: Motet and Mass, "O quam gloriosum"

Westminster Cathedral Choir, David Hill, conductor The last half of the sixteenth century was a golden age for the arts in Spain: El Greco was painting, Cervantes was writing novels, Lope de Vega was creating poetry and plays, and Tols Luis de Victoria was composing music. Victoria studied in Rome and may even have worked with Palestrina; certainly, his music is quite similar to the Italian master's. Like most of his Masses, "O quam gloriosum" is based on the composer's own motet. This award-winning CD recorded in Westminster Cathedral has recently been re-released at mid-price (available only at ArkivMusic). Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzoni e sonate

London Symphony Orchestra Brass, Eric Crees, conductor Giovanni Gabrieli, who succeeded his uncle Andrea as the principal composer for the church of San Marco in Venice, was the leading Venetian composer at the end of the sixteenth century. He composed much sacred choral music but is today known primarily for his instrumental works, especially for brass. This CD offers a selection of canzoni, which are instrumental songs for brass ensemble, as well as the great "Sonata pian' e forte" ("Loud and quiet Sonata").

Similar works: None

Orlando de Lassus: Motets

Ex Cathedra Chamber Choir, His Majesties Sagbutts and Cornetts, Jeffrey Skidmore, conductor Lassus was one of the most cosmopolitan figures in the history of music; he traveled widely, and by his death he was the most famous composer in Europe. He composed Masses, songs, madrigals and motets, eventually producing more than two thousand works. Lassus was a contemporary of Palestrina, but whereas Palestrina was master of the Mass, Lassus's greatest works are his motets. This CD features a compilation of his greatest motets as well as the seldom-heard Mass "Virum bonum."

Similar works: Top 10 Choral

William Byrd: Keyboard Music

Davitt Moroney, keyboards The Englishman William Byrd was the last of the great Catholic church composers of the sixteenth century. Since England was in the throes of its Protestant Reformation, Byrd's mass ouptut was relatively small, but he did compose numerous secular pieces for keyboard and strings. Early music expert Davitt Moroney researched and recorded Byrd's complete keyboard music; this disc features a representative sampling of the composer's output, from simple folk dances to the complicated fantasia "Ut re mi fa sol la." The pieces are recorded on a variety of instruments and demonstrate the entire breadth of possibility of the sixteenthcentury keyboard. Similar works: Top 10 Piano Music

Top 10 Baroque Era CDs to Start Your Classical Music Collection

The Baroque era is the period of musical history from around 1600 to around 1750. This period acquired the name "Baroque" from nineteenth-century historians for its flamboyant, decorative, and expressionistic tendencies. These trademarks can be seen in the two most notable features of Baroque music: complex counterpoint (multiple melodic lines occurring simultaneously) and elaborate ornamentation (improvised "extra" notes that decorate the melody). The development of modern string instruments caused instrumental music to flourish; the most popular genres of instrumental music were the concerto grosso (one or more soloists playing with an orchestra) and the trio sonata (two melodic instruments and a keyboard instrument). However, vocal music held its own as well. Composers continued to write masses and other sacred music, and opera enjoyed immense popularity in Italy. The two giants of Baroque music were Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. Bach was a church composer from central Germany whose works were never very popular during his lifetime; it was only the "Bach revival" in the nineteenth century that brought him to prominence. Handel, on the other hand, was extremely welltraveled and well-known, and he was asked to compose for royal courts in Germany and England. Other Baroque notables include Antonio Vivaldi, who composed more than five hundred concertos; Dietrich Buxtehude, a master of the organ; Domenico Scarlatti, who brought the keyboard sonata to a new level of perfection; and Jean-Philippe Rameau, who was as famous as a theorist as he was as a composer. Back to Eras Index Top 10 Essential Baroque CDs

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Bach: Brandenburg Concertos -- Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Baroque bravura. Review... Handel: Messiah -- Trevor Pinnock Far more than a Christmas carol. Review... Vivaldi: The Four Seasons -- Anne-Sophie Mutter, Trondheim Soloists The musical score to the film of Time. Review... Bach: Goldberg Variations -- Glenn Gould From a simple song to complex counterpoint. Review... Handel: Water Music -- Orpheus Chamber Orchestra How to get in the good graces of a king. Review... Bach: B Minor Mass -- John Eliot Gardiner The Baroque master's greatest choral work. Review... Corelli: Concerti Grossi -- Nicholas McGegan Before there was Vivaldi, there was Corelli. Review... Handel: Coronation Anthems -- Sir David Willcocks A naturalized subject celebrates his new king. Review... Purcell: Dido and Aeneas -- Dame Janet Baker, Anthony Lewis The undisputed masterpiece of Baroque opera. Review... Vivaldi: Gloria -- Sir Neville Marriner A stellar choral work from the master of the concerto. Review...

More Recommended Baroque CDs

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Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonatas -- Mikhail Pletnev The third fruit of a great vintage year. Review... Rameau: Pices de clavecin en concerts -- Terakado, Uemura, Rousset Chamber music from a late bloomer. Review... Telemann: Tafelmusik -- Richard Edlinger The most prolific composer ever. Review...

Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment There is no better introduction to the Baroque style than these six orchestral masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach. The works are in the style of the concerto grosso, which is an orchestral genre that features a dialogue between small groups of soloists and the full orchestra. Taken as a whole, the six concertos explore the diverse tonal possibilities of both solo instruments and orchestra. The first two concertos are festive, featuring horns and oboes, while the third is written for strings only and is more meditative. The fourth and fifth concertos feature virtuoso playing of the violin and harpsichord respectively, while the concluding sixth -- probably the most famous of the set -- has a jaunty atmosphere and emphasizes ensemble playing over solo work. The conductorless Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment gives a delightful performance on authentic Baroque instruments, and at less than $12 for two CDs this set is clearly a first choice. Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Concertos

George Frideric Handel: Messiah

Arleen Auger, soprano; Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo soprano; Howard Crook, tenor; Michael Chance, countertenor; John Tomlinson, bass baritone; English Concert Choir, The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock, conductor Messiah is by far the most popular choral work ever written in English, and the "Hallelujah" chorus has become part of our cultural lexicon. The work is an oratorio, which is a dramatic work that is meant to be sung in concert rather than acted on stage. The texts are taken from both the Old and New Testaments, and are divided into three parts. The first part, especially popular around Christmastime, depicts the birth of Christ. The mood becomes more somber for the second part, which depicts the crucifixion, but as Christ rises from the cross the chorus comes together to sing "Hallelujah." The third part, depicting the resurrection, recalls the joy of the beginning, and the oratiorio concludes with a great choral "Amen." The English Concert's authentic Baroque instruments help give the ensemble a feeling of lightness during the outer parts and a piercing intensity in the middle. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Antonio Vivaldi: Violin Concertos Op. 8, Nos. 1-4, "The Four Seasons"
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; Trondheim Soloists This set of four concertos for violin and orchestra is a fine example of program music -- music designed to conjure specific images or tell a particular story. Each concerto is accompanied by a sonnet describing events of the given season, and Vivaldi's music presents musical depictions of the same events. The "Four Seasons" have been recorded and performed so often that they are in danger of being clichd, but Anne-Sophie Mutter lays that danger to rest with her exciting performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988

Glenn Gould, piano Legend has it that Bach wrote this set of variations for his student Goldberg to play for an insomniac Count. Scholarly research has shown that the legend is probably not true, and listening to the piece will affirm that conculsion -- it would be nearly impossible to fall asleep to it. Bach takes a simple aria and constructs a set of thirty variations on this theme, employing all of the keyboard styles of his time and ranging widely in mood before coming back to a restatement of the theme at the end. Glenn Gould, perhaps the most famous of all Bach interpreters, recorded the Goldbergs twice. The first recording, from 1955, is a virtuosic performance that revolutionized Bach keyboard playing, while the second, from 1981, is a far more introspective interpretation by an artist nearing the end of his life. This three-disc collection offers both recordings of the Goldbergs as well as a revealing inteview in which Gould discusses his performances, all for the cost of one fullpriced CD. Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Piano

George Frideric Handel: Water Music, Suites Nos. 1-3

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra At the precocious age of 25, Handel was appointed music director at the electoral court in Hanover, but he immediately took a long leave of absence in London. When his master was crowned King George I of England in 1712, Handel felt he had to save face with his boss. Legend has it that Handel regained King George's favor by writing this set of three instrumental suites to be played as a surprise for the king during a boating party on the Thames. The pieces were a success, and Handel enjoyed royal patronage for the rest of his long and prosperous career in London. The conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra gives a sparkling performance of the Water Music as well as another work written for a king, the Royal Fireworks Music. Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Johann Sebastian Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232

Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Bach assembled the B minor Mass near the end of his life from various pieces he had composed earlier in his career, adding new music when necessary. The result is a tour de force that sums up all of the composer's extensive knowledge of sacred choral music. Bach demonstrates his versatility by writing movements for one to four soloists as well as choruses in four, five, six, and even eight parts. Some of the move famous movements are the Crucifixus, which consists of a set of variations over a repeated bass line, and the final Dona nobis pacem, which starts quietly and builds into a grand fugue. John Eliot Gardiner's gripping performance on period instruments is widely hailed as the best interpretation available on record. Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Choral

Arcangelo Corelli: Concerti Grossi, Op. 6

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan, conductor Before there was Vivaldi, there was Arcangelo Corelli. Corelli's Concerti Grossi, among the earliest works in the genre, contrast a small group of instruments (the "soli") against a larger orchestra (the "tutti"). Corelli composed twelve concerti, which he published in 1714. By far the most famous is No. 8, the "Christmas Concerto." Corelli wanted to use this concerto at the Christmas Mass, so he added a slow movement in a pastoral style to this concerto. The result is five of the most exquisite minutes of the High Baroque. This recording cements Nicholas McGegan's place among today's great Baroque interpreters. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

George Frideric Handel: Coronation Anthems

Choir of King's College, Cambridge; English Chamber Orchestra; Sir David Willcocks, conductor One of the last acts the dying King George I performed in 1727 was to sign "An Act for the naturalizing of George Frideric Handel and others," and Handel's first commission after the Act was to write music for the coronation of the new king. By all accounts, the coronation itself was a disaster -- all of the ceremonial rituals took place out of order -- but the set of four anthems Handel wrote has become one of his best-loved works. Particularly notable is the opening anthem, "Zadok the Priest," with its hushed arpeggios in the strings and its magnificent "Alleluia." Sir David Willcocks's recording sounds truly royal, and this two-for-one set is a steal -- for the price of one CD you get nearly two and a half hours of great Handel choral works. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

Janet Baker, alto (Dido); Raymond Herincx, bass (Aeneas); St. Anthony Singers, English Chamber Orchestra, Anthony Lewis, conductor The first great opera written in English, Dido and Aeneas is also one of the shortest full operas ever written, running less than an hour. A period piece of Greek mythology composed in the Baroque age, Purcells minimal libretto leaves much interpretation to each specific production, and performances can range from simple to grand. Adapted from part of Vergils story Aeneid, the opera follows the main character, Dido, the sullen queen of Carthage, through her love affair with Aeneas, a Trojan prince. Witches and spirits present complications for the lovers, and the antagonists ultimately lead Dido and Aeneas to destruction and despair, a tragic ending unusual for seventeenth-century opera. Particularly notable is Didos moving lament, "When I am laid in earth." Under the direction of Anthony Lewis, Dame Janet Baker sings the most beautiful Dido on record and Raymond Herincx brings the thinly drawn Aeneas to life. For a more authentic Baroque recording, it's hard to go wrong with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria in D major, RV 589

Jean Rigby, soprano; Barbara Hendricks, soprano; Ann Murray, alto; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Sier Neville Marriner, conductor Antonio Vivaldi composed more than five hundred concertos during his lifetime, but this choral gem ranks with any instrumental piece he wrote. Since Vivaldi chose to set only one movement of the Mass, he was able to take his time with each stanza of the text. The music of each verse underscores the mood, from the jubilant "Gloria in excelsis deo" to the sorrowful "et in terra pax" to the stately concluding "cum sancto spiritu." This recording features the Gloria as well as another staple of the Baroque choral literature, Bach's Magnificat. Similar works: Top 10 Choral

Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonatas

Mikhail Pletnev, piano The year 1685 was one of the great vintages for composers: not only were Bach and Handel born that year, but in Italy the composer Alessandro Scarlatti fathered a son Domenico, who was to become the principal Italian keyboard composer of the eighteenth century. Domenico wrote 555 sonatas, one-movement works that are usually played on the harpsichord; these sonatas brought keyboard technique and expression to new heights. Many of Scarlatti's keyboard techniques foreshadowed those of Chopin and Liszt. Mikhail Pletnev brings a refreshingly modern approach to this selection of some thirty of Scarlatti's best sonatas on this super-bargain two-disc set. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Jean-Philippe Rameau: Pices de clavecin en concerts

Ryo Terakado, violin; Kaori Uemura, viola da gamba; Christophe Rousset, harpsichord Jean-Philippe Rameau's career was unusual in that he first made a name for himself as a music theorist and only in his fifties became known as a composer. He is best known for his operas but also composed cantatas and keyboard works. This set of five pieces is entitled "keyboard works" but actually consists of trio sonatas, which are works featuring two melodic instruments and a keyboard instrument.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Georg Philipp Telemann: Tafelmusik

Alexander Jablokov, Quido Hlbling, Anna Hlbling, violin; Zdenek Tylsar, Bedrich Tylsar, horn, Capella Istrapolitana, Richard Edlinger, conductor Georg Philipp Telemann was the most prolific composer ever, writing more than three thousand works in his lifetime. Telemann's tuneful melodies and simple accompaniments make his music immediately appealing, and when he lived he was more well-known than Bach. However, Telemann's music is not as substantial as that of Bach or Handel, and Telemann is best listened to as background music. The set of suites entitled "Table Music" was intended for just that purpose and is among his finest. This recording features two concertos from Tafelmusik (one for three violins, one for two horns) as well as a recorder concerto and a viola concerto. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Top 10 Classical Era CDs for Your Classical Music Collection

What we now call the Classical period lasted from around 1730 until around 1810. The period's style arose as a reaction to the complexity of Baroque music. When compared to music of 50 years earlier, Classical music is much simpler. The complex counterpoint and elaborate ornamentation that are hallmarks of the Baroque era are minimized or even absent entirely in Classical compositions. A primary goal of Classical composers was to achieve balance: within phrases, within movements, and within compositions. The music is pleasant to the ear and while it is expressive, it avoids the over-the-top emotion that characterizes later Romantic music. The three Classical composers that stand out over all the rest are Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Since these three all worked in Vienna and influenced each other, their music has collectively come to be known as the "Viennese Classical Style." But Vienna was not the only musical center of this time: Luigi Boccherini and Gioachino Rossini flourished in Italy; Johann Sebastian Bach's sons Carl Phillip Emmanuel and Johann Christian were popular in Berlin and London, respectively; and Franois-Joseph Gossec composed symphonies and operas in Paris, just to name a few. Back to Eras Index Top 10 Essential Classical Era CDs

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Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 -- Carlos Kleiber The most famous piece of classical music ever written. Review... Mozart: Piano Concertos 20, 21 -- Vladimir Ashkenazy Symphonic brilliance and pianistic virtuosity. Review... Beethoven: "Pathtique" and "Moonlight" Piano Sonatas -- Alfred Brendel Beethoven's more intimate medium of expression. Review... Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass -- David Willcocks A joyous celebration of life. Review... Mozart: Symphonies 35-41 -- Karl Bhm The Classical style achieves perfection. Review... Beethoven: "Razumovsky" String Quartets -- Takcs String Quartet Revolutionary chamber works. Review... Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 103, 104 -- Richard Hickox Stunning successes in London. Review... Rossini: The Barber of Seville -- Hermann Prey, Claudio Abbado Figaro Figaro Figaro Fiiiiiiiiiiiigaro! Review... Weber: Clarinet Concertos -- Sabine Meyer, Herbert Blomstedt Runners-up only to Mozart. Review... Haydn: String Quartets Op. 76 -- Lindsay String Quartet Late masterpieces from the "Father of the string quartet." Review...

More Recommended Classical Era CDs

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Mozart: Requiem -- John Eliot Gardiner Exploring the depths of grief. Review... Boccherini: Cello Concertos -- Raphael Wallfisch, Nicholas Ward Charming concertos from a cosmopolitan master. Review... Mozart: Don Giovanni -- Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, Carlo Maria Giulini Mozart casting himself as a Don Juan? Review... Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, "Eroica" -- George Szell A revolutionary symphony. Review... Mozart: "Haydn" String Quartets -- Alban Berg Quartet Viennese one-upmanship? Review...

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, conductor Beethoven's Fifth is perhaps the most famous piece of classical music ever written, and deservedly so. The famous opening four note motif serves as the thematic material for the whole first movement, and it reappears in the third and fourth movements to make the symphony into a unified whole rather than a collection of four individual movements. This unity is apparent in other respects as well: the stormy opening movement is in a dark minor key, and the mood gradually shifts through the middle two pieces and culminates in a glorious brass fanfare that opens the finale. Carlos Kleiber's recording with the Vienna Philharmonic still stands as one of the all-time greats. Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Symphonies

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concertos No. 20 in D minor, No. 21 in C major

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano and conductor; Philharmonia Orchestra These two piano concertos combine orchestral brilliance with virtuosic solo work, making a splendid introduction to Mozart. The 20th, in a tragic minor key, moves from a dark and brooding beginning to an uplifting conclusion, and contains a memorable stormy outburst during an otherwise tranquil second movement. The beautiful middle movement of the 21st was used in the 1967 film Elvira Madigan and is one of Mozart's most famous pieces of music, while the finale brings the work to an exciting conclusion on a grand symphonic scale. Vladimir Ashkenazy is one of today's most versatile pianists and conductors, and he shows off both talents in this recording as he conducts from the keyboard. Ashkenazy makes the flurry of fast piano passages seem effortless while shaping the orchestra's sound perfectly. Best of all, these two concertos come with three more of Mozart's greatest concertos, all on two CDs for the price of one. Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Concertos

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonatas No. 8, "Pathtique"; No. 14 "Moonlight"

Alfred Brendel, piano While Beethoven's symphonies show outward storm and fire, the piano sonatas give us a more personal view of the composer. Beethoven composed his two most famous sonatas early in his career, when he was just making a name for himself in Vinna. The first movement of the "Moonlight" and the middle one of the "Pathtique" are so tender as to move the listener to tears. But the storm is not altogether missing; the "Pathtique" opening movement and the "Moonlight" finale contain some of Beethoven's most exciting music. Alfred Brendel gives a gripping performance on this two-disc set containing five other wonderful sonatas. Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Piano

Franz Joseph Haydn: Mass No. 11 in D minor, "Lord Nelson Mass"

Sylvia Stahlman, soprano; Helen Watts, alto; Wilfred Brown, tenor; Tom Krause, baritone; London Symphony Orchestra, Cambridge King's College Choir, David Willcocks, conductor Franz Joseph Haydn is often cited as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet," but his great sacred choral works are at least the equal of anything he wrote in a purely instrumental genre. Haydn wrote this mass in 1798 and gave it the title "Missa in Angustiis," or "Mass in Fear," which probably reflected the feelings of Haydn's fellow Austrians as Napoleon's armies were beginning their conquest of Europe. The mass acquired its more popular name after if was played for Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of the Nile, in 1800. Despite Haydn's ominous title, the mass expresses joy throughout, as it gloriously reaffirms Haydn's relationship with God. David Willcocks leads a superb cast of soloists in this recording that revolutionized the performance of Haydn's choral works. For an even more "authentic" feel, Trevor Pinnock's recording -- featuring instruments of Haydn's time -- is not to be missed. Similar works: Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 Choral

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35, 36, 38-41

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bhm, conductor These six symphonies are the last that Mozart wrote before his death at the tender age of 36, and they represent the pinnacle of the Viennese Classical style. The works demonstrate all the expressive possibilities of Mozart's music: the 35th is brimming with exuberance, while the 40th is dark and brooding, and the stately nature of the 41st led to its nickname of "Jupiter." In the final movement of the 41st, one hears different instruments entering right after each other with the same theme -- a technique Mozart had only recently acquired by studying the works of Bach. Karl Bhm was one of the great Mozart interpreters, and his Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra gives these works the gravity that they deserve. Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Symphonies

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 59, Nos. 1-3, "Razumovsky"
Takcs String Quartet If Beethoven's symphonies revolutionized the realm of orchestral music, his string quartets did no less to change the nature of chamber music. The string quartets of Mozart and Haydn, Beethoven's immediate predecessors, grew out of tradition of the divertimento, music intended for diversion or amusement and often played in the background. On the other hand, these three quartets, from Beethoven's so-called "middle period," are very serious affairs that command the listener's full attention. They have often been said to be symphonies in miniature, for Beethoven is able to coax as much emotion and sonority from four players as he is from a full orchestra. This recording demonstrates why Takcs Quartet have emerged as today's leading interpreters of the Beethoven quartets. The playing is profound and technically impeccable, and the Takcs make these quartets still sound fresh even after dozens of listenings. Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 String Quartets

Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 103, "Drumroll"; No. 104, "London"
Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox, conductor When Haydn traveled to England in 1791, he was hailed there as "the greatest composer in the world." He had been invited to compose and conduct a set of six symphonies for public performance, and he was determined that these works should live up to the advance billing. Indeed they did, and the British public were so grateful that he was asked to come back a few years later and write another set of six symphonies. The final two, Nos. 103 and 104, are Haydn's crowning achievements in the genre. They summarize everything Haydn had learned about the craft of composition, and they include some of the composer's most memorable melodies. The "Drumroll" symphony gets its name from the percussionist's part at the beginning, and is also notable for incorporating Croatian melodies remembered from Haydn's youth. The "London" symphony begins with a stately fanfare and then bursts into a sunny Allegro, and its final movement features a catchy folklike melody. Richard Hickox gives a sparkling performance on the CD which also includes the Symphony No. 95. Similar works: Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 Symphonies

Gioacchino Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)

Teresa Berganza, mezzo soprano (Rosina); Luigi Alva, tenor (Almaviva); Hermann Prey, bass (Figaro); London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado, conductor This innocent, playful, and charming opera is based on the first part of Beaumarchaiss Figaro trilogy. Newcomers will delight in the fact that the common childhood chant "Figaro Figaro Figaro" is in fact referring to this Figaro, the self-absorbed barber and servant to Count Almaviva. The opera tells the story of the wealthy Count, who has fallen in love with a commoner, Rosina, and chased her from Madrid to Seville. Disguised as the poor student Lindoro, the Count woos Rosina away from her ridiculously dim-witted guardian Doctor Bartolo and his accomplice Don Basilio. Through schemes and escapades of the Count proving his love for Rosina, the characters get in a mess of disguises, mistaken identities, and emotional entanglements. The lighthearted and youthful nature of the characters shines through the music, especially in Rosinas aria "Una voce poco fa" and Figaros "Largo al factotum." Teresa Berganza gives a good portrayal of Rosina's part as Rossini wrote it, and the others in the cast sing well under Abbados attentive direction. For many years Rosina was sung by a soprano who could ornament the written part with higher notes, and Roberta Peters in this role brings a fine sparkle to Erich Leinsdorf's

recording. Similar works: Top 10 Operas

Carl Maria von Weber: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1-2, Op. 73-74
Sabine Meyer, clarinet; Dresden Staatskapelle, Herbert Blomstedt, conductor Carl Maria von Weber lived at the crossroads of the Classical and Romantic eras. His opera Der Freischtz was the first great German Romantic opera, but the style of his clarinet concertos harkens back to an earlier era. The concertos require virtuosity but are not merely showpieces; indeed, had Mozart not written his masterpiece for clarinet, they would undoubtedly be the greatest works ever composed in the genre.

Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76 (Nos. 1-3, Nos. 4-6)
Lindsay String Quartet These quartets represent the pinnacle of Haydn's chamber writing, and demonstrate why Haydn deserves to be the "Father of the String Quartet" just as much as he is "Father of the Symphony." One of the most exciting is the second quartet, nicknamed "Fifths" from the musical interval that makes up the first movement's theme. The slow movement of the third quartet is a set of variations on the song "God Save Emperor Franz," which has since become the Austrian national anthem and also gives the quartet its nickname, "Emperor." The fourth quartet is nicknamed "Sunrise" after its introduction, which features a rising violin line. Though it has no nickname, the sixth is perhaps most inventive of them all, with a "Fantasia" slow movement that contains numerous harmonic surprises. The Lindsay Quartet are today's foremost Haydn interpreters, and their performances of these quartets demonstrate why this is so. Similar works: Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 String Quartets

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem in D minor, K. 626

Barbara Bonney, soprano; Anne Sofie von Otter, alto; Hans-Peter Blochwitz, tenor; Willard White, bass; English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor As anyone who has seen the film Amadeus knows, Mozart was unable to complete his Requiem Mass before his death. (It is untrue, however, that he was poisoned by the rival composer Salieri.) The task of filling out the parts that Mozart had sketched and composing the entirety of the final four movements fell to his pupil Franz Xaver Sssmayr. Sussmayr did an admirable job, and the mass feels entirely like Mozart's work. If you think that all Mozart's music is light and fluffy, you should listen to this work -- it is one of the most grief-filled pieces ever written. The English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir attempt to recreate the performance conditions of Mozart's lifetime, and the result is a spectacular performance. Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Choral

Luigi Boccherini: Cello Concertos

Raphael Wallfisch, cello; Northern Chamber Orchestra, Nicholas Ward, conductor Though Luigi Boccherini never achieved the reknown of his German contemporaries, his music has a distinctive and attractive style. Various court appointments took him around Europe during his life, and he incorporated the music of each new place into his own style. He composed hundreds of works, primarily chamber music, but also symphonies, concertos, and operas. These cello concertos make for a pleasant hour of listening, and their price on the Naxos label makes them even more attractive.

Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni, K. 527

Eberhard Wchter, baritone (Don Giovanni); Giuseppe Taddei, baritone (Leporello); Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano (Elvira); Dame Joan Sutherland, soprano (Anna); Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor Few operas are as closely tied with the life of the composer as Mozart's Don Giovanni. Written in the year of Mozart's father's death, Don Giovanni tells the story of a playboy hero-villain who must come to terms with himself and the ghost of a father figure, the Commendatore. Many scholars have speculated that Mozart represented his relationship with his father through Don Giovanni and the Commendatore. In the opera, Don Giovanni is a likable villain who woos innocent women only to break their hearts. His lowly servant Leporello is the unrewarded accomplice on all his conquests. The three main women, Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina, represent honor and goodness, and in the end they urge Don Giovanni to repent his sins. While the Commendatore's ghost is a threat to Don Giovanni, we soon discover that the biggest threat to the title character is himself. The opera's highlights include the duet "La ci darem la mano," and Leporello's aria cataloguing Don Giovanni's conquests. Carlo Maria Giulini's classic performance featuring superstars Elisabeth Schwartzkopf and Dame Joan Sutherland is the standard by which all subsequent recordings have been judged. Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Operas

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"
Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, conductor Beethoven's "Heroic" third symphony was originally dedicated to a contemporary revolutionary in a different field -- Napoleon Bonaparte. However, after Napoleon crowned himself emperor Beethoven stratched out the dedication and instead gave the symphony the title by which we know it today. Indeed, the symphony is one of heroic proportions. The first movement alone is nearly as long as most Mozart symphonies. The second movement is a tragic funeral march and is followed by a sprightly minuet. The finale is a set of variations that takes a simple theme and develops it in ever grander gestures. George Szell's performance is still electrifying more than forty years after it was recorded. Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Symphonies

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 14-19, "Haydn" Quartets

Alban Berg Quartet In 1782 Franz Joseph Haydn published his set of six string quartets, Op. 33, and they quickly became the rage of Vienna. At this time Haydn's mastery of the quartet genre was widely acknowledged, and Mozart set out to write a set of quartets emulating the style of the master. After a "long and laborious endeavor," Mozart completed this set of six string quartets in 1785 and dedicated them to Haydn. Together with Haydn's quartets of the period, they form the pinnacle of the Viennese quartet style. The Alban Berg Quartet's unsurpassed recording includes these six as well as Mozart's four last quartets. Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Chamber Music

Top 10 Romantic Era CDs for Your Classical Music Collection

The period in music history that we call the Romantic era lasted from roughly 1810 until sometime around 1900. There was no drastic break with the Classical era which preceded it; rather, the difference is one of degree. Romantic composers stretched the accepted rules of harmony and form, creating novel musical structures and exploring new and richer harmonies, both in instantaneous sonorities and over the course of a whole piece or movement. The term "Romantic" comes from the predisposition of many nineteenth-century composers towards the fantastic, idealistic, and marvelous -- qualities associated with medieval romance. Composers in this time expressed much more intense and personal emotions in their music than had composers of previous eras. It was also around this time that the idea of the musician as an artist -- rather than a craftsman -- began to take hold. Romantic music remains the most popular style in today's concert halls, and it is difficult to choose just ten (or even fifteen) works to represent this rich and varied era. If you enjoy the music on this list, you should try out some music of the worthy composers we have had to omit, such as Gabriel Faur, Csar Franck, Edvard Grieg, Franz Liszt, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Camille Saint-Sans. Back to Eras Index Top 10 Essential Romantic Era CDs

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Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 -- Eroica Trio A chamber masterpiece 25 years in the making. Review... Schubert: "Death and the Maiden" String Quartet -- Amadeus String Quartet A dying man's outpouring of grief. Review... Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 -- Van Cliburn, Kiril Kondrashin Electrifying, over-the-top Romanticism. Review... Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique -- John Eliot Gardiner A musical depiction of love's passions. Review... Chopin: Piano Works -- Vladimir Ashkenazy Sparkling piano miniatures with a Polish touch. Review... Bizet: Carmen -- Teresa Berganza, Plcido Domingo, Claudio Abbado The world's most popular opera. Review... Dvork: Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" -- Fritz Reiner The Czech master takes on a new continent. Review... Verdi: La Traviata -- Angela Gheorghiu, Sir Georg Solti The most heart-wrenching tragic ending in opera history. Review... Schumann: Symphonies -- George Szell Orchestral masterpieces by the most romantic of Romantics. Review... Wagner: Tristan and Isolde -- Kirsten Flagstad, Wilhelm Furtwngler Legendary music drama. Review...

More Recommended Romantic Era CDs

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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, "Pathtique" -- Mariss Jansons So tragic it must have been written by a Russian. Review... Mendelssohn: Octet -- Hausmusik The greatest work ever written by a teenager. Review... Brahms: Violin Concerto -- Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Reiner The greatest of Romantic violin concertos. Review... Schubert: Symphony No. 8, "Unfinished" -- Carlos Kleiber The torso of a symphonic giant. Review... Dvork: Piano Quintet -- Andreas Haefliger, Takcs String Quartet Czech nationalism embedded in a Viennese masterpiece. Review...

Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8

Eroica Trio This trio is a perfect example of Johannes Brahms's intense perfectionist streak -- he spent more than 35 years writing and revising it! When he finally finished, the result was one of the all-time masterpieces of chamber music. Brahms excels at taking a simple thread of melody and weaving it into an ever-larger tapestry of sound. A perfect example is the opening theme of the first movement, which starts simply enough in the piano, is joined by the cello and then the violin, and builds to an impassioned climax. The Eroica Trio, a young ensemble comprised of three extremely talented (and in our opinion extremely attractive) women, perfectly capture Brahms's passion, giving a performance that is the equal of classic recordings such as Isaac Stern's or Artur Rubinstein's. Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Chamber Music

Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810, "Death and the Maiden"
Amadeus String Quartet In the last few years before he died of syphilis at the age of 31, Franz Schubert experienced one of the most prolific periods of creative genius humankind has ever seen. This quartet is one of the fruits of that period. In the first movement, Schubert develops a simple descending-scale motif into an intense outpouring of grief. The quartet takes its name from the theme of the second movement, a song which Schubert wrote when he was twenty. In its quartet incarnation, Schubert takes the simple melody through a whole range of moods, building to an impassioned frenzy and then relaxing. The Amadeus Quartet offer a convincing performance at a reasonable price. Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 String Quartets

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

Van Cliburn, piano; RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Kiril Kondrashin, conductor Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto is the incarnation of Romantic excess: a blockbuster orchestral work dripping with lyricism and requiring extreme virtuosity of both the orchestra and the soloist. The concerto features a majestic first movement, an intensely passionate second movement, and a fiery finale. This famous recording features the lanky Texan Van Cliburn, who in 1958 traveled to hostile Moscow at the height of the Cold War and came back an international hero as the Grand Prize winner of the First International Tchaikovsky Competition. Cliburn made this recording at Carnegie Hall in New York just a few months later, and it captures all of the drama and power that blew the socks off the Soviet judges. Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovsky, Top 10 Concertos

Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14

Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Berlioz had a specific set of images in mind as he composed this symphony, and at the first performance the audience received a program with the details written out. Subtitled, "Episodes in the life of an Artist," the symphony's subject is the passions aroused in a woman whose love the artist hopes to win. The woman is represented by a melody called an ide fixe, or "fixed idea"; this melody recurs often in the piece but the accompaniment each time creates a different mood, from desparate longing to a pastoral tranquility to a fiery witches' sabbath. John Eliot Gardiner's acclaimed performance sets a new standard for both expressiveness and authenticity. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Frederic Chopin: Piano Works

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano Though Frederic Chopin spent most of his career in Paris, he never stopped loving his native Poland, and his music reflects this love. In addition to writing polonaises, or Polish dances, he infused much of his best music with Polish rhythm and harmony. Chopin specialized in the short piano piece, writing numerous tudes, scherzos, ballades, preludes, nocturnes, waltzes, and mazurkas as well as polonaises. This two-for-one CD features a sampling of Chopin's best works, including the "Raindrop" prelude, the "Military" polonaise, and the Fantasie-Impromptu. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Georges Bizet: Carmen

Teresa Berganza, soprano (Carmen); Plcido Domingo, tenor (Don Jos); Ileana Cotrubas, soprano (Mecala); Sherrill Milnes, baritone (Escamillo); Claudio Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers Victoria de los Angeles, soprano (Carmen); Nicolai Gedda, tenor (Don Jos); Janine Micheau, soprano (Micala); Ernest Blanc (Escamillo), Sir Thomas Beecham, French Radio Chorus and Orchestra -> Carmen has everything one could possibly want in an opera -- catchy tunes, lush orchestration, and a tragic love triangle -- so it is no wonder that it is the world's most popular opera. The operas soap opera plot confronts the three great topics of scandalous drama: passionate love, unforgivable betrayal, and violent revenge. At the center of the story is Carmen, a gorgeous but manipulative gypsy girl whose strong will and passion lead her to trouble and scandal. This title role is the most coveted of mezzo-sopranos worldwide and demands intense strength and skill to perform. With famous arias like the Toreador song Votre toast and Carmens Lamour est un oiseau rebelle, Carmen is the perfect introduction to opera, for even a novice will recognize many of the melodies. Until Sir Thomas Beecham's classic recording is rereleased, our top recommendation is Claudio Abbado's 1977 version, featuring Teresa Berganza as an attractive and haunting Carmen and Plcido Domingo in his prime as Don Jos. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Antonn Dvork: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World"
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Friz Reiner, conductor Antonn Dvork (pronounced "DVOR-zhak") began his last symphony while he was directing the National Conservatory of Music in New York in 1892, and finished it while on vacation in the Czech community of Spillville, Iowa in 1893. Its first performance, in Carnegie Hall in 1893, was met with great critical acclaim, and it has been a staple of the repertoire ever since. Though the symphony does not quote directly any Native American or AfricanAmerican themes, Dvork was profoundly influenced by these two types of music, and this influence distinguishes "From the New World" from Dvork's previous works. The symphony is most notable for its slow movement, whose simple but enchanting melody conveys a mood of great peacefulness. Nearly 50 years after its first release, Fritz Reiner's recording with the Chicago Symphony orchestra is still the best interpretation available. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata

Angela Gheorghiu, soprano (Violetta); Frank Lopardo, tenor (Alfredo); Leo Nucci, baritone (Germont); Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra and Chorus, Sir Georg Solti, conductor Featuring the most heart-wrenching tragic ending in operatic history, La Traviata is a love story between the courtesan Violetta Valery and her young admirer Alfredo Germont. Following the script of many age-old tales of true love, Violetta and Alfredo try desperately to protect their love in the face of circumstances that threaten to tear them apart. Full of misunderstandings, emotional turmoil, and outlandish drama, Verdis masterpiece has been performed thousands of times by the best artists of each era, including Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, and Maria Callas. As one of the most famous operas in the world, La Traviata is sure to give many newcomers to opera a shock: many musical motifs popularized in modern-day entertainment originated in this opera. Angela Gheorghiu has made the part of Violetta entirely her own, and Sir Georg Solti never lets the intensity falter. This performance is also available on DVD.

Similar works: Top 10 Verdi, Top 10 Opera

Robert Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4

Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, conductor Robert Schumann was the arch-Romantic: poet, composer, and music critic; frustrated and then successful in love; and ultimately driven to insanity. His music stands a middle ground between the lyrical passion of Schubert and the hyper-intellectualism of Brahms. Though he wrote only for the piano until the age of thirty, his four symphonies are among his finest works.

Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde

Kirsten Flagstad, soprano (Isolde); Ludwig Sathaus, tenor (Tristan); Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone (Kurwenal); Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwngler, conductor Richard Wagners "music dramas" combine poetry, scenic design, action, and music to form what Wagner called a "total artwork." To enchance the dramatic effect, Wagner wrote his own stories and took his characters from Germanic mythology. Tristan, Wagners greatest opera, is set in medieval Britain. The knight Tristan has been sent to fetch the Irish princess Isolde, who will marry Tristans uncle, the King of Cornwall. Tristan had killed Isoldes lover, and when they meet again Isolde attempts to kill both Tristan and herself. However, her servant Brangne has replaced the death potion with a love potion, and the two fall helplessly in love. As the drama develops, Tristan and Isolde come to realize the futility of their love, leading to the operas tragic ending. Though filled with memorable singing, the opera is most famous for its orchestration. T he orchestral Prelude and Isoldes Liebestod (Death Song) are routinely played in concert halls, and Wagners innovative scoring throughout the work foreshadows musical developments fifty years before they became widespread. Wilhelm Furtwngler's 1951 performance featuring the commanding Kirsten Flagstad as Isolde is the most electrifying four hours of opera ever committed to record. If you want to see the action as well as hear it, Karl Bhm's historic 1973 performance with Jon Vickers and Birgit Nilsson in the title roles has now been released on DVD. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathtique"

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons, conductor Tchaikovsky's sixth and final symphony is aptly named, for it is filled with pathos from beginning to end. The slow introduction lasts more than two minutes, and the tension slowly mounts until the orchestra bursts forth with a jarring brass fanfare. The turbulence rises and falls and eventually subsides; as the first movement draws to close one hears the sun coming out and a rainbow appearing. The second movement is a gentle waltz that is subtly disfigured by the fact that it is counted off in five rather than the traditional three beats. The finale, instead of being the usual rousing conclusion, is slow and quiet, trailing off so gradually into nothing that one almost can't tell when the music stops. Mariss Jansons's set of Tchaikovsky symphonies with the Oslo Philharmonic is widely regarded as the best available on record, and this recording of thePathtique shows the ensemble at its finest. Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovsky, Top 10 Symphonies

Felix Mendelssohn: Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20

Hausmusik Though Mozart is the most famous child prodigy composer, Mendelssohn's Octet is the greatest work ever composed by a teenager -- the precocious youth wrote it when he was just sixteen years old. . Mendelssohn was one of the major proponents of the "Bach revival" of the early nineteenth century, and his admiration for Bach's counterpoint manifests itself in the octet's finale, an eight-part fugue that spins along at breakneck speed. But the most celebrated movement is the third, a quiet fantasy of which the scholar Donald Tovey said, "eight string players might easily practise it for a lifetime without coming to an end of their delight in producing its marvels of tone-colour." The British ensemble Hausmusik produce marvels of their own on this super-bargain set that also includes Mendelssohn's two charming string quintets and a

string quartet. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

Jascha Heifetz, violin; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, conductor Though they were Romantic contemporaries, Brahms is the antithesis of Tchaikovsky: the Russian master used a never-ending supply of melody to manipulate the emotions of his audience, while the German great stuck to Classical formal principles and achieved his effects through harmonic innovation. Brahms composed his Violin Concerto in 1878 for his friend Joseph Joachim, who was the greatest violinist of his day. Having just completed his second symphony, Brahms conceived the concerto in grand symphonic proportions; the opening movement alone takes about twenty minutes to play. The finale evokes "Hungarian" or "Gypsy" themes, paying homage to Joachim's Concerto in the Hungarian Manner, which the violinist had composed in 1861 and dedicated to Brahms. This 1955 recording featuring Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Reiner has lost none of its appeal with age. Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Concertos

Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759, "Unfinished"

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, conductor Franz Schubert completed only the first two movements of his eighth symphony, but what a pair of movements they are! The first packs in more tragedy and pathos than most composers could work into a full symphony, while the second, in a sunny major key, provides a welcome catharsis. Carlos Keliber coaxes the utmost lyricism from the Vienna Philharmonic in this emotionally charged recording. For those performing a more leisurely approach, Leonard Bernstein's recording with the New York Philharmonic is just as recommendable. Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Symphonies

Antonn Dvork: Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81

Takcs String Quartet, Andreas Haefliger, piano Though his native Bohemia was under the Austrian crown for his entire life, Antonn Dvork managed to express nationalistic sentiment through his music. The slow movement of this Piano Quintet is a dumka, a melancholy Czech ballad, while the third movement is a furiant, a fast native dance. The outer movements are firmly in the Viennese tradition and show Dvork at his best. The Takcs Quartet's CD includes a fresh performance of the Dvork quintet as well as another work written in a similar vein, the Quartet No. 10 in E-flat.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Top 10 Romantic Era CDs for Your Classical Music Collection

The period in music history that we call the Romantic era lasted from roughly 1810 until sometime around 1900. There was no drastic break with the Classical era which preceded it; rather, the difference is one of degree. Romantic composers stretched the accepted rules of harmony and form, creating novel musical structures and exploring new and richer harmonies, both in instantaneous sonorities and over the course of a whole piece or movement. The term "Romantic" comes from the predisposition of many nineteenth-century composers towards the fantastic, idealistic, and marvelous -- qualities associated with medieval romance. Composers in this time expressed much more intense and personal emotions in their music than had composers of previous eras. It was also around this time that the idea of the musician as an artist -- rather than a craftsman -- began to take hold. Romantic music remains the most popular style in today's concert halls, and it is difficult to choose just ten (or even fifteen) works to represent this rich and varied era. If you enjoy the music on this list, you should try out some music of the worthy composers we have had to omit, such as Gabriel Faur, Csar Franck, Edvard Grieg, Franz Liszt, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Camille Saint-Sans. Back to Eras Index Top 10 Essential Romantic Era CDs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 -- Eroica Trio A chamber masterpiece 25 years in the making. Review... Schubert: "Death and the Maiden" String Quartet -- Amadeus String Quartet A dying man's outpouring of grief. Review... Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 -- Van Cliburn, Kiril Kondrashin Electrifying, over-the-top Romanticism. Review... Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique -- John Eliot Gardiner A musical depiction of love's passions. Review... Chopin: Piano Works -- Vladimir Ashkenazy Sparkling piano miniatures with a Polish touch. Review... Bizet: Carmen -- Teresa Berganza, Plcido Domingo, Claudio Abbado The world's most popular opera. Review... Dvork: Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" -- Fritz Reiner The Czech master takes on a new continent. Review... Verdi: La Traviata -- Angela Gheorghiu, Sir Georg Solti The most heart-wrenching tragic ending in opera history. Review... Schumann: Symphonies -- George Szell Orchestral masterpieces by the most romantic of Romantics. Review... Wagner: Tristan and Isolde -- Kirsten Flagstad, Wilhelm Furtwngler Legendary music drama. Review...

More Recommended Romantic Era CDs

11 12 13 14 15

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, "Pathtique" -- Mariss Jansons So tragic it must have been written by a Russian. Review... Mendelssohn: Octet -- Hausmusik The greatest work ever written by a teenager. Review... Brahms: Violin Concerto -- Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Reiner The greatest of Romantic violin concertos. Review... Schubert: Symphony No. 8, "Unfinished" -- Carlos Kleiber The torso of a symphonic giant. Review... Dvork: Piano Quintet -- Andreas Haefliger, Takcs String Quartet Czech nationalism embedded in a Viennese masterpiece. Review...

Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8

Eroica Trio This trio is a perfect example of Johannes Brahms's intense perfectionist streak -- he spent more than 35 years writing and revising it! When he finally finished, the result was one of the all-time masterpieces of chamber music. Brahms excels at taking a simple thread of melody and weaving it into an ever-larger tapestry of sound. A perfect example is the opening theme of the first movement, which starts simply enough in the piano, is joined by the cello and then the violin, and builds to an impassioned climax. The Eroica Trio, a young ensemble comprised of three extremely talented (and in our opinion extremely attractive) women, perfectly capture Brahms's passion, giving a performance that is the equal of classic recordings such as Isaac Stern's or Artur Rubinstein's. Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Chamber Music

Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810, "Death and the Maiden"
Amadeus String Quartet In the last few years before he died of syphilis at the age of 31, Franz Schubert experienced one of the most prolific periods of creative genius humankind has ever seen. This quartet is one of the fruits of that period. In the first movement, Schubert develops a simple descending-scale motif into an intense outpouring of grief. The quartet takes its name from the theme of the second movement, a song which Schubert wrote when he was twenty. In its quartet incarnation, Schubert takes the simple melody through a whole range of moods, building to an impassioned frenzy and then relaxing. The Amadeus Quartet offer a convincing performance at a reasonable price. Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 String Quartets

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

Van Cliburn, piano; RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Kiril Kondrashin, conductor Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto is the incarnation of Romantic excess: a blockbuster orchestral work dripping with lyricism and requiring extreme virtuosity of both the orchestra and the soloist. The concerto features a majestic first movement, an intensely passionate second movement, and a fiery finale. This famous recording features the lanky Texan Van Cliburn, who in 1958 traveled to hostile Moscow at the height of the Cold War and came back an international hero as the Grand Prize winner of the First International Tchaikovsky Competition. Cliburn made this recording at Carnegie Hall in New York just a few months later, and it captures all of the drama and power that blew the socks off the Soviet judges. Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovsky, Top 10 Concertos

Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14

Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Berlioz had a specific set of images in mind as he composed this symphony, and at the first performance the audience received a program with the details written out. Subtitled, "Episodes in the life of an Artist," the symphony's subject is the passions aroused in a woman whose love the artist hopes to win. The woman is represented by a melody called an ide fixe, or "fixed idea"; this melody recurs often in the piece but the accompaniment each time creates a different mood, from desparate longing to a pastoral tranquility to a fiery witches' sabbath. John Eliot Gardiner's acclaimed performance sets a new standard for both expressiveness and authenticity. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Frederic Chopin: Piano Works

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano Though Frederic Chopin spent most of his career in Paris, he never stopped loving his native Poland, and his music reflects this love. In addition to writing polonaises, or Polish dances, he infused much of his best music with Polish rhythm and harmony. Chopin specialized in the short piano piece, writing numerous tudes, scherzos, ballades, preludes, nocturnes, waltzes, and mazurkas as well as polonaises. This two-for-one CD features a sampling of Chopin's best works, including the "Raindrop" prelude, the "Military" polonaise, and the Fantasie-Impromptu. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Georges Bizet: Carmen

Teresa Berganza, soprano (Carmen); Plcido Domingo, tenor (Don Jos); Ileana Cotrubas, soprano (Mecala); Sherrill Milnes, baritone (Escamillo); Claudio Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers Victoria de los Angeles, soprano (Carmen); Nicolai Gedda, tenor (Don Jos); Janine Micheau, soprano (Micala); Ernest Blanc (Escamillo), Sir Thomas Beecham, French Radio Chorus and Orchestra -> Carmen has everything one could possibly want in an opera -- catchy tunes, lush orchestration, and a tragic love triangle -- so it is no wonder that it is the world's most popular opera. The operas soap opera plot confronts the three great topics of scandalous drama: passionate love, unforgivable betrayal, and violent revenge. At the center of the story is Carmen, a gorgeous but manipulative gypsy girl whose strong will and passion lead her to trouble and scandal. This title role is the most coveted of mezzo-sopranos worldwide and demands intense strength and skill to perform. With famous arias like the Toreador song Votre toast and Carmens Lamour est un oiseau rebelle, Carmen is the perfect introduction to opera, for even a novice will recognize many of the melodies. Until Sir Thomas Beecham's classic recording is rereleased, our top recommendation is Claudio Abbado's 1977 version, featuring Teresa Berganza as an attractive and haunting Carmen and Plcido Domingo in his prime as Don Jos. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Antonn Dvork: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World"
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Friz Reiner, conductor Antonn Dvork (pronounced "DVOR-zhak") began his last symphony while he was directing the National Conservatory of Music in New York in 1892, and finished it while on vacation in the Czech community of Spillville, Iowa in 1893. Its first performance, in Carnegie Hall in 1893, was met with great critical acclaim, and it has been a staple of the repertoire ever since. Though the symphony does not quote directly any Native American or AfricanAmerican themes, Dvork was profoundly influenced by these two types of music, and this influence distinguishes "From the New World" from Dvork's previous works. The symphony is most notable for its slow movement, whose simple but enchanting melody conveys a mood of great peacefulness. Nearly 50 years after its first release, Fritz Reiner's recording with the Chicago Symphony orchestra is still the best interpretation available. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata

Angela Gheorghiu, soprano (Violetta); Frank Lopardo, tenor (Alfredo); Leo Nucci, baritone (Germont); Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra and Chorus, Sir Georg Solti, conductor Featuring the most heart-wrenching tragic ending in operatic history, La Traviata is a love story between the courtesan Violetta Valery and her young admirer Alfredo Germont. Following the script of many age-old tales of true love, Violetta and Alfredo try desperately to protect their love in the face of circumstances that threaten to tear them apart. Full of misunderstandings, emotional turmoil, and outlandish drama, Verdis masterpiece has been performed thousands of times by the best artists of each era, including Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, and Maria Callas. As one of the most famous operas in the world, La Traviata is sure to give many newcomers to opera a shock: many musical motifs popularized in modern-day entertainment originated in this opera. Angela Gheorghiu has made the part of Violetta entirely her own, and Sir Georg Solti never lets the intensity falter. This performance is also available on DVD.

Similar works: Top 10 Verdi, Top 10 Opera

Robert Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4

Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, conductor Robert Schumann was the arch-Romantic: poet, composer, and music critic; frustrated and then successful in love; and ultimately driven to insanity. His music stands a middle ground between the lyrical passion of Schubert and the hyper-intellectualism of Brahms. Though he wrote only for the piano until the age of thirty, his four symphonies are among his finest works.

Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde

Kirsten Flagstad, soprano (Isolde); Ludwig Sathaus, tenor (Tristan); Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone (Kurwenal); Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwngler, conductor Richard Wagners "music dramas" combine poetry, scenic design, action, and music to form what Wagner called a "total artwork." To enchance the dramatic effect, Wagner wrote his own stories and took his characters from Germanic mythology. Tristan, Wagners greatest opera, is set in medieval Britain. The knight Tristan has been sent to fetch the Irish princess Isolde, who will marry Tristans uncle, the King of Cornwall. Tristan had killed Isoldes lover, and when they meet again Isolde attempts to kill both Tristan and herself. However, her servant Brangne has replaced the death potion with a love potion, and the two fall helplessly in love. As the drama develops, Tristan and Isolde come to realize the futility of their love, leading to the operas tragic ending. Though filled with memorable singing, the opera is most famous for its orchestration. T he orchestral Prelude and Isoldes Liebestod (Death Song) are routinely played in concert halls, and Wagners innovative scoring throughout the work foreshadows musical developments fifty years before they became widespread. Wilhelm Furtwngler's 1951 performance featuring the commanding Kirsten Flagstad as Isolde is the most electrifying four hours of opera ever committed to record. If you want to see the action as well as hear it, Karl Bhm's historic 1973 performance with Jon Vickers and Birgit Nilsson in the title roles has now been released on DVD. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathtique"

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons, conductor Tchaikovsky's sixth and final symphony is aptly named, for it is filled with pathos from beginning to end. The slow introduction lasts more than two minutes, and the tension slowly mounts until the orchestra bursts forth with a jarring brass fanfare. The turbulence rises and falls and eventually subsides; as the first movement draws to close one hears the sun coming out and a rainbow appearing. The second movement is a gentle waltz that is subtly disfigured by the fact that it is counted off in five rather than the traditional three beats. The finale, instead of being the usual rousing conclusion, is slow and quiet, trailing off so gradually into nothing that one almost can't tell when the music stops. Mariss Jansons's set of Tchaikovsky symphonies with the Oslo Philharmonic is widely regarded as the best available on record, and this recording of thePathtique shows the ensemble at its finest. Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovsky, Top 10 Symphonies

Felix Mendelssohn: Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20

Hausmusik Though Mozart is the most famous child prodigy composer, Mendelssohn's Octet is the greatest work ever composed by a teenager -- the precocious youth wrote it when he was just sixteen years old. . Mendelssohn was one of the major proponents of the "Bach revival" of the early nineteenth century, and his admiration for Bach's counterpoint manifests itself in the octet's finale, an eight-part fugue that spins along at breakneck speed. But the most celebrated movement is the third, a quiet fantasy of which the scholar Donald Tovey said, "eight string players might easily practise it for a lifetime without coming to an end of their delight in producing its marvels of tone-colour." The British ensemble Hausmusik produce marvels of their own on this super-bargain set that also includes Mendelssohn's two charming string quintets and a

string quartet. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

Jascha Heifetz, violin; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, conductor Though they were Romantic contemporaries, Brahms is the antithesis of Tchaikovsky: the Russian master used a never-ending supply of melody to manipulate the emotions of his audience, while the German great stuck to Classical formal principles and achieved his effects through harmonic innovation. Brahms composed his Violin Concerto in 1878 for his friend Joseph Joachim, who was the greatest violinist of his day. Having just completed his second symphony, Brahms conceived the concerto in grand symphonic proportions; the opening movement alone takes about twenty minutes to play. The finale evokes "Hungarian" or "Gypsy" themes, paying homage to Joachim's Concerto in the Hungarian Manner, which the violinist had composed in 1861 and dedicated to Brahms. This 1955 recording featuring Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Reiner has lost none of its appeal with age. Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Concertos

Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759, "Unfinished"

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, conductor Franz Schubert completed only the first two movements of his eighth symphony, but what a pair of movements they are! The first packs in more tragedy and pathos than most composers could work into a full symphony, while the second, in a sunny major key, provides a welcome catharsis. Carlos Keliber coaxes the utmost lyricism from the Vienna Philharmonic in this emotionally charged recording. For those performing a more leisurely approach, Leonard Bernstein's recording with the New York Philharmonic is just as recommendable. Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Symphonies

Antonn Dvork: Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81

Takcs String Quartet, Andreas Haefliger, piano Though his native Bohemia was under the Austrian crown for his entire life, Antonn Dvork managed to express nationalistic sentiment through his music. The slow movement of this Piano Quintet is a dumka, a melancholy Czech ballad, while the third movement is a furiant, a fast native dance. The outer movements are firmly in the Viennese tradition and show Dvork at his best. The Takcs Quartet's CD includes a fresh performance of the Dvork quintet as well as another work written in a similar vein, the Quartet No. 10 in E-flat.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Top 10 Early Modern CDs to Start Your Classical Music Collection

The period from around 1880 to around 1920 saw the beginnings of the fragmentation that would be the defining characteristic of classical music in the twentieth century. Some composers, such as Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, and Sergei Rachmaninoff, persisted in writing in the Romantic style. Their music features more and more daring harmonies and ever thicker washes of sound, but the underlying structure of their music is similar to that of Beethoven's. Others, most, notably Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel in France, chose to use the orchestra or piano in more experimental ways, creating sound images that exist purely for their own beauty and do not necessarily fit into a predefined structure such as a sonata or a symphony. Back to Eras Index Top 10 Recommended Early Modern CDs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mahler: Symphony No. 1, "Titan" -- Leonard Bernstein The last of the great symphonists. Review... Debussy, Ravel: String Quartets -- Belcea String Quartet Ethereal harmony. Review... Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 2, 3 -- Vladimir Ashkenazy The most difficult piano concerto ever? Review... Sibelius: Violin Concerto -- Anne-Sophie Mutter, Andr Previn Jewel of the North. Review... Puccini: La Bohme -- Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Herbert von Karajan The timeless classic of true love that inspired a Broadway sensation. Review... Debussy: Prludes -- Jean-Yves Thibaudet Painting pictures with the piano. Review... Elgar: "Enigma" Variations -- Sir Adrian Boult A musical mystery from an enigmatic Englishman. Review... Jancek: String Quartets -- Lindsay String Quartet Chamber music with a Czech flavor. Review... Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde -- Kathleen Ferrier, Julius Patzak, Bruno Walter A celebration of tragedy. Review... Ravel: Bolero; Debussy: La Mer -- Herbert von Karajan Illustrating an orchestral landscape. Review...

More Recommended Early Modern CDs

11 12 13 14

Scriabin: Piano Works -- Vladimir Horowitz Masterful miniatures from a Romantic Russian. Review... Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks -- George Szell That trickster is always at it. Review... Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 -- Sir Colin Davis An emotional crescendo. Review... Schoenberg: Verklrte Nacht -- Hollywood String Quartet The founder of Modernism looks back to Brahms. Review...

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major, "Titan"

New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, conductor Whereas Beethoven's nine symphonies paved the way for the Romantic era, Gustav Mahler's nine symphonies brought the era to a close. Mahler's symphonies are very long (several do not fit on a single CD) and complex. Mahler's great innovation was in his orchestration: he combined the various instrumental colors in daring and imaginative ways. Song was also important to Mahler, and the First Symphony contains themes from a set of songs he had composed a few years earlier.

Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Claude Debussy: String Quartet in G major; Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F major
Belcea String Quartet While Arnold Schoenberg and his followers in Germany were getting all the attention for breaking the conventional rules of composition, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel in France were quietly experimenting with their own revolutionary style, which has since come to be called Impressionism. The hallmark of Impressionism is new combinations of sounds that exist purely for their own sake, and don't need to lead to or follow from any other sounds. These two quartets exemplify the style; Debussy's quartet makes the listener feel she is floating on air, and Ravel's, while remaining firmly on the ground, takes some surprising turns. The Belcea Quartet give exquisite -- and very French -- performances of these two masterpieces, and at super-bargain price this is a recording not to be missed. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos No. 2, Op. 18; No. 3, Op. 30

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kiril Kondrashin, conductor (No. 2); London Symphony Orchestra, Anatole Fistuolari, conductor (No. 3) Though he lived most of his life in the twentieth century, Sergei Rachmaninoff's style was firmly rooted in nineteenth-century Romanticism. His music is grandiose, passionate, melodious, and virtuosic. The Second Piano Concerto is his most popular work, and the Third (made famous in the film Shine) is said to be the most difficult piano concerto ever written. Vladimir Ashkenazy, one of the world's greatest Rachmaninoff performers, has no difficulty with the two concertos in these legendary recordings.

Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Jean Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47

Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; Dresden Staatskapelle, Andr Previn, conductor Though Jean Sibelius was devoted to the literature of his native Finland, his music has few characteristics which one can single out as Finnish. Its mood, however, has been described as "somber," "bleak," and "elemental," and it is easy to imagine that these aspects were inspired by Sibelius's love of nature and the Scandinavian landscape. Anne-Sophie Mutter gives an intense performance of this powerful work, and the album also includes several other Sibelius works for violin and orchestra.

Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Giacomo Puccini: La Bohme

Mirella Freni, soprano (Mimi); Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (Rodolfo); Elisabeth Harwood, (Musetta); Rolando Panerai, baritone (Marcello); Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass (Colline); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Schneberg Boys Choir, Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus, Herbert von Karajan, conductor The music, plot, characters, and environment of La Bohme represent the Romantic Era in complete and full flavor. As starving artists in Paris around 1830, the roommates Rodolfo and Marcello and their friends Colline and Schaunard yearn to find love in their art and lives while trying to survive under impoverished circumstances. Daunted by their lovers, the endearing Mimi and fickle Musetta, Rodolfo and Marcello undergo a series of woes in their romantic affairs. The story follows the group of friends through several months, as they band together to fight the enemies of loneliness and depression. However, they soon discover the real enemy is something they cannot overcome even with love, which leads to one of the most tragic endings of all time. In recent years, La Bohme has enjoyed a surge of revivals: in 1996, Rent, a Broadway musical adaptation of La Bohme, emerged as a phenomenon, and in 2001, Baz Luhrmann, the director of Moulin Rouge, revived La Bohme as a pop opera on Broadway. Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti give a passonate performance as Mimi and Rodolfo, and Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic wonderfully. Similar works: Top 10 Opera

Claude Debussy: Prludes, Books I & II

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano Claude Debussy was the premier composer in the style that has come to be called "Impressionism." Unlike earlier composers, Debussy did not seek to express a deep emotion or tell a story, but rather to evoke a mood or an atmosphere. He does this admirably in his two books of preludes for piano. Each is a short work with a brief descriptive title which is perfectly illustrated by the music. It is a wonder that the same instrument that can play Beethoven's most fiery sonata can also play this ethereal music. Jean-Yves Thibaudet gives a splendid performance of the preludes as well as several other popular Debussy piano works. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Edward Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36, "Enigma"

London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult, conductor Edward Elgar, known chiefly today as the composer of that interminable march heard at every graduation, was England's first great composer in nearly two hundred years. England had a strong musical tradition, but after Henry Purcell died in 1695 all of the island's favorite musicians -- Handel, Haydn, and Mendelssohn -- were imports. This composition takes its mysterious name from the fact that although we hear twenty-four variations on the same theme, the original theme itself is never presented. Sir Adrian Boult was one of the great Elgar conductors, and this recording of the Enigmas and Gustav Holst's popular suite The Planets demonstrates Boult's distinctively English flair. Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Leos Jancek: String Quartets No. 1, "Kreutzer Sonata"; No. 2, "Intimate Letters"
Lindsay String Quartet Leos Janacek, the greatest Czech composer after Dvork, made a point of including Czech influences in his works; his mature style grew out of the rhythms and inflections of Moravian peasant speech and song. He enjoyed his greatest burst of creativity near the age of seventy, after he had fallen in love with a woman half his age, and these two chamber masterpieces are from that era. Until Supraphon reissues the Jancek Quartet's famous recording, the Lindsay Quartet comes the closest to capturing the true Czech flavor of these two works. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Kathleen Ferrier, contralto; Julius Patzak, tenor; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Walter, conductor In 1907 Gustav Mahler was struck by three successive tragedies: his daughter died, he was forced to leave his beloved Vienna Opera, and he was diagnosed with a fatal heart condition. His tragedy and sorrow at this time found expression in his greatest song cycle, Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), which he composed in the usmmer of 1908. The text consists of six melancholy songs adapted from The Chinese Flute, a German collection of Chinese poems. Though he was to compose one more symphony, this cycle, and especially its final poem, "Der Abscheid" (The Farewell) was Mahler's farewell to this world. The greatest performance ever committed to record is the 1952 recording conducted by Bruno Walter, who conducted the work's premiere, and featuring contralto Kathleen Ferrier. Not only does Ferrier have a beautiful voice, but she communicates the work's essence in a way no other singer has before or since -- for she herself was dying of cancer at the time. Similar works: Top 10 Song

Maurice Ravel: Bolero; Claude Debussy: La Mer

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan, conductor A description of Ravel's Bolero would make it sound like the most boring piece of music ever written: a simple melody is repeated more than twenty times. But the interest is not in the melody but in the instruments that play it: with each repetition Ravel introduces new instruments in the orchestra, so that no two repetitions sound alike. The result is a masterpiece of sound painting that is Ravel's most popular work. Claude Debussy's most popular work, La Mer, was inspired by a Japanese painting entitle "The Wave" and uses novel orchestration to illustrate three scenes from the sea. Herbert von Karajan gives compelling performances of these two French classics on this mid-priced CD. Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Alexander Scriabin: Piano Works

Vladimir Horowitz, piano Alexander Scriabin was a mystic who sought to unite music, poetry, drama, and dance unto a new art form he called the "Mystery." Though he did not succeed at creating this fusion, he did continue the Romantic piano tradition in the manner of Chopin, writing preludes, nocturnes, tudes, and mazurkas as well as full sonatas. His harmonic idiom, on the other hand, points toward twentieth-century developments, and his late works are nearly atonal. This collection features some of Scriabin's most popular works, played by one of the best Scriabin interpreters ever, Vladimir Horowitz. Similar works: Top 10 Piano

Richard Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Op. 28

Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, conductor Strauss and Mahler were the two greatest German composers around 1900, but whereas Mahler was a symphonist in the tradition stretching all the way back to Haydn, Strauss was a more radical Romantic in the model of Berlioz and Liszt. Strauss wrote primarily operas and tone poems, which are single-movement orchestral works that portray a nonmusical subject. Till Eulenspiegel is his his most famous, telling of the comic adventures of an appealing rascal. This recording contains memorable performances of Till Eulenspiegel and two of Strauss's other great tone poems, Don Juan and Death and Transfiguration. Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43

Boston Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, conductor The great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius composed his second symphony while on vacation in Italy in the summer of 1901. The premiere in Helsinki was an overwhelming success, and it today it is still the most popular of Sibelius's seven symphonies. The symphony features warm orchestral scoring and memorable themes, and the emotional crescendo throughout the piece comes to a climax at the very end. Sir Colin Davis conducts an uplifting performance of the Second, and it comes on a two-for-one set with three other Sibelius symphonies. If you don't mind a scratchy recording, Thomas Beecham's famous 1954 performance -- recorded on Sibelius's 89th birthday with the composer in the audience - remains the most impassioned and energetic account of the piece ever commited to record. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Arnold Schoenberg: Verklrte Nacht, Op. 4

Hollywood String Quartet, Alvin Dinkin, viola; Kurt Reher, cello Though he became famous as a revolutionary composer who broke all the accepted rules of harmony, Arnold Schoenberg saw himself as the next composer in a line extending from Mozart to Beethoven to Brahms. This string sextet, one of Schoenberg's early works, takes its inspiration from Brahms and is written in a lush late Romantic style. Entitled "Transfigured Night" after a poem by Richard Dehmel, the music depicts a discussion between two lovers in which the woman confesses she is pregnant with another man's child. The music is powerful and ultimately comes to a happy conclusion, though there are moments in the middle that foreshadow Schonberg's dissonant later works. The Hollywood Quartet so impressed Schoenberg with their performance that he offered to write the liner notes for the recording. With an equally legendary performance of Schubert's String Quintet, this is a must-have CD for any chamber music fan. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Top 10 Twentieth Century CDs to Start Your Classical Music Collection

The distinctive feature of classical music composed in the twentieth century is that there is no such thing as a "twentieth century style." Composers in different countries, and even within a country, took radically different paths, and the result was a multitude of styles, none of which dominated over the others in the way that, for example, the style of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven dominated the last quarter of the eighteenth century. The most radical break with the past occurred in Germany, where Arnold Schoenberg and his followers rejected the rules that had governed composition for the previous three centuries and began composing "twelve-tone" or "atonal" works. An offshoot of this movement was "serialism," which attempted to create entire compositions out of mathematically precise formulas for pitch, rhythm, and dynamics. Serialism swept France after World War II, but in the first half of the century French composers looked back to the eighteenth century, and their music was appropriately called "neoclassical." The greatest Neoclassical composer in France (and later in America) was Igor Stravinsky, an import from Russia who also composed fiery ballets in his youth and serial works in his old age. In Eastern Europe, Bla Bartk collected Hungarian folk tunes and incorporated them in his compositions, while in Russia the Soviet government kept close rein on what music composers were allowed to write. Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev were the two greatest Soviet composers; Shostakovich's music in particular demonstrates the composer's conflict between personal expression and political expediency. English composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten were perhaps the most "mainstream" composers of mid-century, writing in familiar idioms but also influenced by English hymns and English composers of the Renaissance. On the other side of the Atlantic, classical music in the United States reached its maturity in the first part of the century. Aaron Copland integrated American folk tunes with a very traditional European style, while George Gershwin was heavily influenced by ragtime and jazz. Back to Eras Index Top 10 Essential Twentieth Century CDs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Stravinsky: Rite of Spring -- Igor Stravinsky A scandalous ballet. Review... Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 -- Gidon Kremer, Misha Maisky, Martha Argerich Memorializing a dear friend. Review... Bartk: Concerto for Orchestra -- Fritz Reiner Swan song for a man of many talents. Review... Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1, "Classical" -- Sir Georg Solti A twentieth-century take on Haydn. Review... Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 -- Leonard Bernstein A Soviet artist redeems himself. Review... Copland: Appalachian Spring -- Leonard Bernstein The American master's Simple Gift to posterity. Review... Berg: Violin Concerto -- Anne-Sophie Mutter, James Levine Twelve-tone music as moving as Mozart. Review... Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris -- Leonard Bernstein The fusion of Jazz and Classical. Review... Stravinsky: Violin Concerto -- Hilary Hahn, Sir Neville Marriner Modern music that looks back to the Baroque. Review... Glass: String Quartets -- Kronos Quartet A compelling introduction to Minimalism. Review...

More Recommended Twentieth Century CDs

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Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time -- Gil Shaham An outburst of concentrated despair. Review... Adams: Orchestral Works -- Edo de Waart Minimalist masterpieces. Review... Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings -- Peter Pears, Sir Eugene Goossens The fruit of a lifelong partnership. Review...

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Igor Stravinsky, conductor In 1913 Igor Stravinsky was an up-and-coming composer on the Paris ballet scene, with two successful works already under his belt. Rite of Spring, his third ballet, takes as its subject an ancient Russian sacrificial ritual. When the "primitive" music and unusual choreography first met with a Parisian audience, it caused a riot and sealed Stravinsky's reputation as a revolutionary composer. Stravinsky's inventive use of rhythm and colorful combinations of orchestral sounds express perfectly the primitive aspects of the sacrifice. The recording with the Columbia Symphony allows us to hear exactly what the composer intended -- for it is Stravinsky himself conducting. Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67

Martha Argerich, piano; Gidon Kremer, violin; Mischa Maisky, cello Shostakovich wrote his second piano trio in 1944 as a memorial to his close friend Ivan Sollertinsky, who had died the previous winter. The trio begins with the cello playing eerily high notes, then the piano and violin join in below. Working together, the three create a picture of abject mourning. The second movement is a lively scherzo, while the third returns to the mournful attitude with a set of variations over a repeated bass line. The final movement brings the work to a close with several restatements of its own themes in different forms, as well as recollections of the earlier movements. This recording brings together three of today's superstar musicians in an exciting live performance, and also includes an excellent rendition of Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Bla Bartk: Concerto for Orchestra

Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, conductor Bla Bartk was important not only as a composer but also as a musical ethnologist, performer, and educator. He traveled Eastern Europe collecting folk tunes, published the tunes in collections and fused them with Western European traditions to create a highly individual style. He created a set of graded piano lessons called Mikrokosmos that are still in use today. Bartk wrote the Concerto for Orchestra near the end of his life, and it has come to be regarded as his masterpiece. This CD features the great Fritz Reiner performing the Concerto as well as Bartk's other popular orchestral work, the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta. Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25, "Classical"

Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti Sergei Prokofiev's "Classical" symphony attempts to answer the question, "What if Haydn had been alive and composing in the early twentieth century?" The result is a charming little piece written in what is essentially the Classical style with some interesting modern twists. The symphony is Prokofiev's most popular, but it is not representative of his later works. This mid-priced CD features the symphony as well as excerpts from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, written twenty years later.

Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47

New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, conductor Dmitri Shostakovich was one of the true giants of twentieth-century music. His fifteen symphonies and fifteen string quartets rank with Beethoven's among the greatest contributions to those two genres. The Fifth Symphony was written in 1937 and is subtitled "a Soviet artist's response to just criticism." The Soviet leader Josef Stalin had denounced Shostakovich's popular opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in 1936, and this symphony was Shostakovich's attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of the establishment. And redeem himself he did, by creating his greatest symphony. Especially notable is the triamphant finale with its blaring brass theme. Leonard Bernstein gives the definitive performance on a CD that also includes Shostakovich's equally memorable Cello Concerto. Similar works: Top 10 Symphonies

Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring Suite

New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, conductor Aaron Copland's early works were reserved and harmonically complex, but in the 1930s he turned to a simpler style, the apex of which is reached in his 1945 ballet Appalachian Spring. The work incorporates variations on the Shaker hymn "Tis a Gift to be Simple," which is transfigured and absorbed in the music. The ballet's arrangement in an orchestral suite is probably the most popular piece of American music today. Leonard Bernstein's recording is the definitive interpretation of the Appalachian Spring suite -- better even than the recordings made by Copland himself. The CD also includes the popular Fanfare for the Common Man and music from Copland's two other famous ballets, Billy the Kid and Rodeo. Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Alban Berg: Violin Concerto

Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, James Levine, conductor Alban Berg is the most famous student of Arnald Schoenberg, the composer who around 1910 stopped composing in the tonal system as it had been used for the previous three centuries. Berg looked more to the past than Schoenberg did, with the result that his music is more accessible to the beginner. In fact, listening to the first movement of this concerto, one would hardly suspect that the piece is written according to Schoenberg's "twelve-tone" system. The concerto, subtitled "to the memory of an angel," was completed only months before Berg's death and serves as the composer's own requiem much in the same way that Mozart's great Mass does. Anne-Sophie Mutter's performance will convince you that twelvetone music isn't just a jumble of random notes. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris

Leonard Bernstein, piano; Columbia Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, conductor George Gershwin's music blurs the boundary between the "classical" and "popular" styles. Heavily influenced by jazz, Gershwin wrote primarily for the theater. His Porgy and Bess has been produced both as a musical an an opera. "Rhapsody in Blue" plays a similar role with concert music, combine the styles of American jazz and nineteenth-century German Romanticism. "An American in Paris" is a dizzying whirl of sound that depicts a foreigner's experiences in the artistic capital of the Roaring Twenties. Leonard Bernstein's late-1950s recordings (featuring himself at the piano) have yet to be surpassed. Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Igor Stravinsky: Violin Concerto in D major

Hilary Hahn, violin; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Marriner, conductor Stravinsky composed this concerto in 1931 to be played by his violinist friend Samuel Dushkin. Each of the four movements begins with the same three-note chord for the violin, and when he first saw the score Dushkin told Stravinsky that this chord couldn't be played. Stravinsky asked Dushkin to reconsider, the violinist learned new fingerings, and the concerto became a smashing success. While it is in Stravinsky's "Neoclassical" style, its structure is inspired by the Baroque concerto grosso; the movements are entitled Tocatta, Arias I and II, and Capriccio. Hilary Hahn, one of today's best young violinists, gives an inspired performance of this notoriously difficult piece. Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Philip Glass: String Quartets Nos. 2-5

Kronos Quartet Philip Glass is one of the most successful composers in the school of Minimalism, and one of the most popular living composers today. Brought up with a traditional musical training at Juilliard and in Paris, Glass withdrew all of his works and turned to Minimalism after working with the Indian musician Ravi Shankar. His works feature a simple, pleasing harmonic language that develops gradually throughout the piece. These four string quartets are perfect examples of Glass's style and make an ideal introduction to Minimalist music. The Kronos Quartet are today's leading performers of contemporary chamber music, and they give these quartets a splendid reading. Similar works: Top 10 String Quartets

Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time

Paul Meyer, clarinet; Gil Shaham, violin; Jian Wang, cello; MyungWhung Chung, piano Olivier Messiaen took inspiration from sources as diverse as Indian music, fourteenth-century motets, and birdsongs and became the most influential French composer of the mid-twentieth century. Messian's quartet proves once again that necessity is the mother of invention; Messiaen wrote it in 1940 while he was interred at a German POW camp, and the only other musicians besides himself were a clarinettist, a violinist, and a cellist. The result is an unusually scored quartet that is one of the most moving -- and most bleak -- portrayals of human existence. Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

John Adams: Orchestral Works

San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Edo de Waart, conductor John Adams is one of the most popular practitioners of minimalism, a style in which composers intentionally limit theiry rhythmic, harmonic, melodic, and/or instrumental vocabularies. This disc contains a compilation of Adams's best orchestral works. "The Chairman Dances" is from the 1987 opera Nixon in China, one of the most successful operas written in the last thirty years. "A Short Ride in a Fast Machine" is a popular favorite, mocking the contemporary obsession with speed.

Similar works: Top 10 Orchestral

Benjamin Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31

Peter Pears, tenor; Dennis Brain, horn; New Symphony Orchestra, Sir Eugene Goossens, conductor Britten wrote this serenade in 1943 during the darkest days of World War II, and its text consists of six poems by British authors on the subject of death. He wrote it as a vehicle for the great horn player Dennis Brain, who commissioned the work, and for the legendary tenor Peter Pears (pronounced "Peers"), who was Britten's lifelong partner. This recording, made in 1953, features both Pears and Brain in a moving performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Song

Top 10 Symphonies to Start Your Classical Music CD Collection

A symphony is a multi-movement work for full orchestra. A typical symphony has four movements. The first movement is usually fast and contains two or three themes that are repeated and developed throughout the movement. The second movement is usually slow and lyrical, while the third movement is in a dance style such as waltz, minuet, or scherzo. The finale may take on any of a number of forms, including theme and variations, rondo (one repeated theme and a number of unrelated themes), or the same form as the first movement. The symphony developed in the first half of the eighteenth century from the Italian opera overture (called sinfonia). In the second half of the century, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven perfected what we now call the Classical symphonic style. Mozart wrote 41 symphonies, and Haydn, the "father of the symphony," wrote 106. Beethoven wrote only nine, but they were so revolutionary that his shadow loomed over all symphony composers for the next hundred years. (Brahms in particular was so intimidated that he didn't write a symphony until he was forty.) The nineteenth century was a golden age for the symphony: one could not be accepted as a truly great composer without having written one. As composers in the twentieth century began to break away from the accepted notions of harmony, they also began to experiment with new forms, and the symphony lost some of its prestige and popularity. However, in today's concert halls the symphony is still king; hardly a program is played that does not feature one. Back to Genres Index Top 10 Essential Symphonies

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 -- Carlos Kleiber The most famous piece of classical music ever written. Review...

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, "Pathtique" -- Mariss Jansons So tragic it must have been written by a Russian. Review...

Mozart: Symphonies 35-41 -- Karl Bhm The Classical style achieves perfection. Review...

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, "Choral" -- Herbert von Karajan An inspiring journey, culminating in the "Ode to Joy." Review...

Dvork: Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" -- Fritz Reiner The Czech master takes on a new continent. Review...

Mahler: Symphony No. 1, "Titan" -- Leonard Bernstein The last of the great symphonists. Review...

Schubert: Symphony No. 8, "Unfinished" -- Carlos Kleiber The torso of a symphonic giant. Review...

Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 103, 104 -- Richard Hickox Successes in London from the "father of the symphony." Review...

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 -- Leonard Bernstein A Soviet artist redeems himself. Review...

10

Brahms: Symphony No. 2 -- Bruno Walter Brahms's most tuneful symphony. Review...

More Recommended Symphonies

11

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, "Italian" -- Claudio Abbado Musical images of the southern lands. Review...

12

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique -- John Eliot Gardiner A musical depiction of love's passions. Review...

13

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, "Eroica" -- George Szell A revolutionary symphony. Review...

14

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 -- Sir Colin Davis An emotional crescendo. Review...

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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 -- Valery Gergiev A wholly unified symphony. Review...

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, conductor

Beethoven's Fifth is perhaps the most famous piece of classical music ever written, and deservedly so. The famous opening four note motif serves as the thematic material for the whole first movement, and it reappears in the third and fourth movements to make the symphony into a unified whole rather than a collection of four individual movements. This unity is apparent in other respects as well: the stormy opening movement is in a dark minor key, and the mood gradually shifts through the middle two pieces and culminates in a glorious brass fanfare that opens the finale. Carlos Kleiber's recording with the Vienna Philharmonic still stands as one of the all-time greats.

Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathtique"

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons, conductor

Tchaikovsky's sixth and final symphony is aptly named, for it is filled with pathos from beginning to end. The slow introduction lasts more than two minutes, and the tension slowly mounts until the orchestra bursts forth with a jarring brass fanfare. The turbulence rises and falls and eventually subsides; as the first movement draws to close one hears the sun coming out and a rainbow appearing. The second movement is a gentle waltz that is subtly disfigured by the fact that it is counted off in five rather than the traditional three beats. The finale, instead of being the usual rousing conclusion, is slow and quiet, trailing off so gradually into nothing that one almost can't tell when the music stops. Mariss Jansons's set of Tchaikovsky symphonies with the Oslo Philharmonic is widely regarded as the best available on record, and this recording of thePathtique shows the ensemble at its finest.

Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovsky, Top 10 Romantic

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35, 36, 38-41

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bhm, conductor

These six symphonies are the last that Mozart wrote before his death at the tender age of 36, and they represent the pinnacle of the Viennese Classical style. The works demonstrate all the expressive possibilities of Mozart's music: the 35th is brimming with exuberance, while the 40th is dark and brooding, and the stately nature of the 41st led to its nickname of "Jupiter." In the final movement of the 41st, one hears different instruments entering right after each other with the same theme -- a technique Mozart had only recently acquired by studying the works of Bach. Karl Bhm was one of the great Mozart interpreters, and his Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra gives these works the gravity that they deserve.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"

Gundula Janowitz, soprano; Hilde Rssl-Majdan, mezzo soprano; Waldemar Kmentt, tenor; Walter Berry, bass; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Singverein, Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Beethoven's Ninth is justly famous for its setting of Schiller's "Ode to Joy" in its final movement, but what many people don't realize is that there are forty minutes of glorious music before the final movement even begins. The first movement begins in the musical equivalent of a mist, which gradually lifts to reveal the full splendor of the orchestra. The astute listener can even hear a preview of the "Ode to Joy" melody in the second theme. The second movement features a catchy melody that is passed back and forth between the different instruments, while the third movement contains some of Beethoven's most exquisite slow music. As the fourth movement begins, the orchestra plays brief reprises of the first three movements, only to reject them in favor of the famous "Ode to Joy" theme. Beethoven was a master of conveying emotion in his music; by the end of the Ode, you will truly believe that "All creatures drink of joy." For a first taste of Beethoven's Ninth, we recommend either Herbert von Karajan's 1962 recording (with Janowitz, Rssl-Majdan, Kmentt, Berry, pictured above), in which the orchestra conveys a rare intensity and depth of feeling, or his 1977 version (with Tomina-Sintow, Baltsa, Schreier, van Dam), in which the singing is noticeably better but the orchestra doesn't quite reach the same level. Another fine choice is Wilhelm Furtwngler's 1951 recording at the Bayreuth Festival (with Schwarzkopf, Hngen, Hopf, Edelmann), which is arguably the finest performance on record, but is limited somewhat by the recording technology of fifty years ago. Finally, for those who wish to hear the Ninth as (we think) the composer intended, John Eliot Gardiner conducts a compelling performance (with Orgonasova, von Otter, Rolfe Johnson, Cachemaille) using instruments and performance techniques of Beethoven's time. Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical, Top 10 Choral

Antonn Dvork: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World"

Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Friz Reiner, conductor

Antonn Dvork (pronounced "DVOR-zhak") began his last symphony while he was directing the National Conservatory of Music in New York in 1892, and finished it while on vacation in the Czech community of Spillville, Iowa in 1893. Its first performance, in Carnegie Hall in 1893, was met with great critical acclaim, and it has been a staple of the repertoire ever since. Though the symphony does not quote directly any Native American or AfricanAmerican themes, Dvork was profoundly influenced by these two types of music, and this influence distinguishes "From the New World" from Dvork's previous works. The symphony is most notable for its slow movement, whose simple but enchanting melody conveys a mood of great peacefulness. Nearly 50 years after its first release, Fritz Reiner's recording with the Chicago Symphony orchestra is still the best interpretation available. Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major, "Titan"

New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, conductor

Whereas Beethoven's nine symphonies paved the way for the Romantic era, Gustav Mahler's nine symphonies brought the era to a close. Mahler's symphonies are very long (several do not fit on a single CD) and complex. Mahler's great innovation was in his orchestration: he combined the various instrumental colors in daring and imaginative ways. Song was also important to Mahler, and the First Symphony contains themes from a set of songs he had composed a few years earlier.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759, "Unfinished"

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, conductor

Franz Schubert completed only the first two movements of his eighth symphony, but what a pair of movements they are! The first packs in more tragedy and pathos than most composers could work into a full symphony, while the second, in a sunny major key, provides a welcome catharsis. Carlos Keliber coaxes the utmost lyricism from the Vienna Philharmonic in this emotionally charged recording. For those performing a more leisurely approach, Leonard Bernstein's recording with the New York Philharmonic is just as recommendable.

Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Romantic

Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 103, "Drumroll"; No. 104, "London"

Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox, conductor

When Haydn traveled to England in 1791, he was hailed there as "the greatest composer in the world." He had been invited to compose and conduct a set of six symphonies for public performance, and he was determined that these works should live up to the advance billing. Indeed they did, and the British public were so grateful that he was asked to come back a few years later and write another set of six symphonies. The final two, Nos. 103 and 104, are Haydn's crowning achievements in the genre. They summarize everything Haydn had learned about the craft of composition, and demonstrate admirably why Haydn earned the title "father of the symphony." Richard Hickox gives a sparkling performance on the CD which also includes the Symphony No. 95.

Similar works: Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 Classical

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47

New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, conductor

Dmitri Shostakovich was one of the true giants of twentieth-century music. His fifteen symphonies and fifteen string quartets rank with Beethoven's among the greatest contributions to those two genres. The Fifth Symphony was written in 1937 and is subtitled "a Soviet artist's response to just criticism." The Soviet leader Josef Stalin had denounced Shostakovich's popular opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in 1936, and this symphony was Shostakovich's attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of the establishment. And redeem himself he did, by creating his greatest symphony. Especially notable is the triamphant finale with its blaring brass theme. Leonard Bernstein gives the definitive performance on a CD that also includes Shostakovich's equally memorable Cello Concerto.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73

Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter, conductor

It took Brahms more than forty years to write a symphony, but once he achieved his first the second followed within a matter of months. The symphony contains many of the composer's most catchy melodies; astute listeners will hear references to Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony and to Brahms's own lullaby in the first movement. The finale begins with a lyrical introduction that showcases the composer's ability to create what seems like a never-ending phrase, and then bursts into a jubilant orchestral fanfare. Bruno Walter was one of the greatest of Brahms interpreters, and this pairing with the Third Symphony is highly recommendable.

Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Romantic

Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 in A major, "Italian"

London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado, conductor

Felix Mendelssohn, born into a wealthy German family, was one of history's great child prodigies; his Octet remains the greatest work ever composed by a teenager. Mendelssohn's thorough education in the works of Bach, Handel, and Mozart made his works the least overtly Romantic of the great nineteenth-century composers. Unlike Schumann, Brahms, and others, he did not see himself as toiling in the shadow of Beethoven, and was thus able to compose five symphonies with relative ease. His most famous is his fourth, subtitled "Italian" because it captures aural images of the composer's trips to Italy. Unlike Berlioz's Fantastique, the symphony has no explicit program, but rather conveys abstractly impressions of southern Europe. This fine performance is coupled with Mendelssohn's other "travel" symphony, the "Scottish."

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14

Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

Berlioz had a specific set of images in mind as he composed this symphony, and at the first performance the audience received a program with the details written out. Subtitled, "Episodes in the life of an Artist," the symphony's subject is the passions aroused in a woman whose love the artist hopes to win. The woman is represented by a melody called an ide fixe, or "fixed idea"; this melody recurs often in the piece but the accompaniment each time creates a different mood, from desparate longing to a pastoral tranquility to a fiery witches' sabbath. John Eliot Gardiner's acclaimed performance sets a new standard for both expressiveness and authenticity.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"

Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, conductor

Beethoven's "Heroic" third symphony was originally dedicated to a contemporary revolutionary in a different field -- Napoleon Bonaparte. However, after Napoleon crowned himself emperor Beethoven stratched out the dedication and instead gave the symphony the title by which we know it today. Indeed, the symphony is one of heroic proportions. The first movement alone is nearly as long as most Mozart symphonies. The second movement is a tragic funeral march and is followed by a sprightly minuet. The finale is a set of variations that takes a simple theme and develops it in ever grander gestures. George Szell's performance is still electrifying more than forty years after it was recorded.

Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical

Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43

Boston Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, conductor

The great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius composed his second symphony while on vacation in Italy in the summer of 1901. The premiere in Helsinki was an overwhelming success, and it today it is still the most popular of Sibelius's seven symphonies. The symphony features warm orchestral scoring and memorable themes, and the emotional crescendo throughout the piece comes to a climax at the very end. Sir Colin Davis conducts an uplifting performance of the Second, and it comes on a two-for-one set with three other Sibelius symphonies. If you don't mind a scratchy recording, Thomas Beecham's famous 1954 performance -- recorded on Sibelius's 89th birthday with the composer in the audience - remains the most impassioned and energetic account of the piece ever commited to record.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Valery Gergiev, conductor

Tchaikovsky's Fifth is the most unified of the composer's symphonies: the brooding melody announced in the introduction reappears in each successive movement. More upbeat than the depressing Sixth, the Fifth also demostrates Tchaikovsky's mastery of orchestration, particularly in the sweeping effects he achieves by setting different sections of the orchestra against each other. This recording shows why Valery Gergiev is today's premier interpreter of Russian orchestral music.

Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovsky, Top 10 Romantic

Top 10 Concertos to Start Your Classical Music CD Collection

A concerto is a multi-movement composition for one or more solo instruments and orchestra. The word "concerto" is derived from the Italian concertare, which means "to reach agreement." Concertos have been written for all the instruments on the orchestra, but the vast majority are written for violin, cello, or piano, as these three instruments all feature a wide, dynamic and expressive range. Concertos first appeared in the 1680s. Early concertos emphasize the contrast between soloist and orchestra, tending to place the soloist and the full ensemble on roughly equal footing. Especially popular in the Baroque era was the concerto grosso, which featured several soloists. Around 1750 the concerto grosso declined in favor of the solo concerto, which tends to emphasize the soloist more than the orchestra. At this time the keyboard concerto rose in prominence, thanks to the development of the modern piano. In the nineteenth century audiences demanded extreme virtuosity from solo performers, and composers such as Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Tchaikovksky obliged by writing fireworks-filled concertos. Twentieth-century composers incorporated new idioms into their concertos and stretched even further the limits of the solo instruments.

Back to Genres Index Top 10 Essential Concertos

Mozart: Piano Concertos 20, 21 -- Vladimir Ashkenazy Symphonic brilliance and pianistic virtuosity. Review...

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos -- Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Baroque bravura. Review...

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 2, 3 -- Vladimir Ashkenazy The most difficult piano concerto ever? Review...

Dvork: Cello Concerto -- Mstislav Rostropovich, Herbert von Karajan An American work by a homesick Bohemian. Review...

Brahms: Violin Concerto -- Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Reiner The greatest of Romantic violin concertos. Review...

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 -- Van Cliburn, Kiril Kondrashin The incarnation of Romantic excess. Review...

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto -- Jack Brymer, Sir Thomas Beecham Inspiration from a clarinettist friend. Review...

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor" -- Stephen Kovacevich, Sir Colin Davis The king of piano concertos. Review...

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons -- Anne-Sophie Mutter, Trondheim Soloists The musical score to the film of Time. Review...

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Stravinsky: Violin Concerto -- Hilary Hahn, Sir Neville Marriner Modern music that looks back to the Baroque. Review...

More Recommended Concertos

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Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto -- Anne-Sophie Mutter, Herbert von Karajan A favorite of child prodigies. Review...

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Grieg: Piano Concerto -- Murray Perahia, Sir Colin Davis A Nordic giant. Review...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concertos No. 20 in D minor, No. 21 in C major

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano and conductor; Philharmonia Orchestra

These two piano concertos combine orchestral brilliance with virtuosic solo work, making a splendid introduction to Mozart. The 20th, in a tragic minor key, moves from a dark and brooding beginning to an uplifting conclusion, and contains a memorable stormy outburst during an otherwise tranquil second movement. The beautiful middle movement of the 21st was used in the 1967 film Elvira Madigan and is one of Mozart's most famous pieces of music, while the finale brings the work to an exciting conclusion on a grand symphonic scale. Vladimir Ashkenazy is one of today's most versatile pianists and conductors, and he shows off both talents in this recording as he conducts from the keyboard. Ashkenazy makes the flurry of fast piano passages seem effortless while shaping the orchestra's sound perfectly. Best of all, these two concertos come with three more of Mozart's greatest concertos, all on two CDs for the price of one.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

There is no better introduction to the Baroque style than these six orchestral masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach. The works are in the style of the concerto grosso, which is an orchestral genre that features a dialogue between small groups of soloists and the full orchestra. Taken as a whole, the six concertos explore the diverse tonal possibilities of both solo instruments and orchestra. The first two concertos are festive, featuring horns and oboes, while the third is written for strings only and is more meditative. The fourth and fifth concertos feature virtuoso playing of the violin and harpsichord respectively, while the concluding sixth -- probably the most famous of the set -- has a jaunty atmosphere and emphasizes ensemble playing over solo work. The conductorless Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment gives a delightful performance on authentic Baroque instruments, and at less than $12 for two CDs this set is clearly a first choice.

Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Baroque

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos No. 2, Op. 18; No. 3, Op. 30

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kiril Kondrashin, conductor (No. 2); London Symphony Orchestra, Anatole Fistuolari, conductor (No. 3)

Though he lived most of his life in the twentieth century, Sergei Rachmaninoff's style was firmly rooted in nineteenth-century Romanticism. His music is grandiose, passionate, melodious, and virtuosic. The Second Piano Concerto is his most popular work, and the Third (made famous in the film Shine) is said to be the most difficult piano concerto ever written. Vladimir Ashkenazy, one of the world's greatest Rachmaninoff performers, has no trouble with the two concertos in these legendary recordings.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Antonn Dvork: Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104

Mstislav Rostropovich, cello; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan, conductor

When the celebrated Czech composer Antonn Dvork -- who had spent his entire life in Austria and his native Bohemia -- was invited to New York in 1891, little did he suspect that his few years in America would produce the three works by which he is best known to posterity: The "New World" symphony, the "American" string quartet, and this cello concerto, considered to be the greatest ever written. Dvork wrote his concerto after hearing the New York Philharmonic play a cello concerto and realizing the expressive potential of solo cello combined with orchestra. The first movement is symphonic in scale and contains several memorable themes. The middle movement is lyrical and nostalgic, evoking the composer's homesickness for his native land, while the finale is a serious march that concludes with a rousing fanfare. Mstislav Rostropovich's 1968 recording has been the definitive version of this concerto ever since it was released.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

Jascha Heifetz, violin; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, conductor

Brahms composed his Violin Concerto in 1878 for his friend Joseph Joachim, who was the greatest violinist of his day. Having just completed his second symphony, Brahms conceived the concerto in grand symphonic proportions; the opening movement alone takes about twenty minutes to play. The finale evokes "Hungarian" or "Gypsy" themes, paying homage to Joachim's Concerto in the Hungarian Manner, which the violinist had composed in 1861 and dedicated to Brahms. This 1955 recording featuring Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Reiner has lost none of its appeal with age.

Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Romantic

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

Van Cliburn, piano; RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Kiril Kondrashin, conductor

Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto is the incarnation of Romantic excess: a blockbuster orchestral work dripping with lyricism and requiring extreme virtuosity of both the orchestra and the soloist. The concerto features a majestic first movement, an intensely passionate second movement, and a fiery finale. This famous recording features the lanky Texan Van Cliburn, who in 1958 traveled to hostile Moscow at the height of the Cold War and came back an international hero as the Grand Prize winner of the First International Tchaikovsky Competition. Cliburn made this recording at Carnegie Hall in New York just a few months later, and it captures all of the drama and power that blew the socks off the Soviet judges.

Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovksy, Top 10 Romantic

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622

Jack Brymer, clarinet; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham, conductor

Mozart wrote this concerto near the end of his life for his friend Anton Stadler, whom he had met in 1781. Stadler was an excellent clarinettist, and Mozart took advantage of both his performer's skill and new technical developments in the clarinet to create a rich, powerful work that to this day remains foremost among all clarinet concertos in the hearts of both musicians and audiences. Jack Brymer's lush tone suits the piece perfectly, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra provide just the right level of excitement.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, "Emperor"

Stephen Kovacevich, piano; London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, conductor

Beethoven's fifth and last piano concerto was given the nickname "Emperor" not by the composer but by early listeners who deemed it worthy of ruling over all other concertos. This is a middle-period work, and throughout the work Beethoven breaks the molds set by his predecessors. We see this trend from the very beginning, when the soloist has long trills and runs in the first few minutes; earlier composers, and even Beethoven himself a few years before, would have introduced the piano only after the orchestra had stated the movement's main themes. This two-for-one set features Stephen Kovacevich in the "Emperor" as well as an all-star cast of soloists in Beethoven's remarkable Triple Concerto.

Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical

Antonio Vivaldi: Violin Concertos Op. 8, Nos. 1-4, "The Four Seasons"

Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; Trondheim Soloists

This set of four concertos for violin and orchestra is a fine example of program music -- music designed to conjure specific images or tell a particular story. Each concerto is accompanied by a sonnet describing events of the given season, and Vivaldi's music presents musical depictions of the same events. The "Four Seasons" have been recorded and performed so often that they are in danger of being clichd, but Anne-Sophie Mutter lays that danger to rest with her exciting performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Baroque

Igor Stravinsky: Violin Concerto in D major

Hilary Hahn, violin; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Marriner, conductor

Stravinsky composed this concerto in 1931 to be played by his violinist friend Samuel Dushkin. Each of the four movements begins with the same three-note chord for the violin, and when he first saw the score Dushkin told Stravinsky that this chord couldn't be played. Stravinsky asked Dushkin to reconsider, the violinist learned new fingerings, and the concerto became a smashing success. While it is in Stravinsky's "Neoclassical" style, its structure is inspired by the Baroque concerto grosso; the movements are entitled Tocatta, Arias I and II, and Capriccio. Hilary Hahn, one of today's best young violinists, gives an inspired performance of this notoriously difficult piece.

Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

Felix Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Mendelssohn wrote his famous violin concerto in 1838 for his violinist friend Ferdinand David, who, like Mendelssohn, had been a child prodigy. A few months after its premiere, a 14-yearold named Joseph Joachim was asked to play the concerto on extremely short notice, and he performed masterfully, launching a career that would place him as the undisputed king of nineteenth-century violinists. The concerto has remained a favorite of violinsts and audiences ever since, and it is easy to see why: Mendelssohn, like Mozart, had a gift for melody, and the concerto's themes are moving and memorable. The slow movement is as difficult as the fast ones, as the violin plays its own accompaniment, while the finale features upbeat melodies at such blazing speeds it's hard to believe only one instrument is playing them. Anne-Sophie Mutter's youthful recording simply dazzles.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16

Murray Perahia, piano; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, conductor

At age 25, the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg was eager to make an impact on the musical world, so he decided to write a piano concerto modeled after that of his idol, Robert Schumann. The concerto grabs the listener's attention right from the start, as it begins with a massive crescendo and then demonstrates the piano's entire seven-octave range. The middle movement takes after Beethoven more than Schumann, while the finale showcases the pianist's virtuosity on a grand scale. This mid-priced CD contains memorable performances of both the Grieg and the Schumann concertos.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Top 10 Orchestral Works to Start Your Classical Music CD Collection

While symphony and concerto are the most popular types of orchestral music, many composers have written great works for orchestra that don't fall into either of these two categories. The works on this page demonstrate the development of the orchestra over time. The Baroque orchestra was a small collection of strings augmented by a couple of woodwinds and supported by a keyboard instrument, usually a harpsichord. In the mid-eighteenth century the keyboard was eliminated and composers began to score their orchestral works for brass as well as strings and woodwinds. In the nineteenth century the size of the orchestra increased greatly, as did the variety of instruments: tubas, trombones, bass clarinet, more percussion, and sometimes even piano were added to the core strings and winds.Twentieth-century composers used the modern orchestra to create novel effects of color and sonority. Back to Genres Index Top 10 Essential Orchestral Works

Stravinsky: Rite of Spring -- Igor Stravinsky A scandalous ballet. Review...

Handel: Water Music -- Orpheus Chamber Orchestra How to get in the good graces of a king. Review...

Ravel: Bolero; Debussy: La Mer -- Herbert von Karajan Orchestral landscapes and seascapes. Review...

Tchaikovsky: "Nutcracker" Suite -- Mstislav Rostropovich The Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairies, and much more. Review...

Mozart: "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" -- Bruno Walter The famous serenade hides a mystery. Review...

Holst: The Planets -- Charles Dutoit Music that's out of this world. Review...

Copland: Applachian Spring -- Leonard Bernstein The American master's Simple Gift to posterity. Review...

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade -- Valery Gergiev Musical storytelling from the Arabian Nights. Review...

Bartk: Concerto for Orchestra -- Fritz Reiner Swan song for a man of many talents. Review...

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Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris -- Leonard Bernstein The fusion of Jazz and Classical. Review...

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Igor Stravinsky, conductor

In 1913 Igor Stravinsky was an up-and-coming composer on the Paris ballet scene, with two successful works already under his belt. Rite of Spring, his third ballet, takes as its subject an ancient Russian sacrificial ritual. When the "primitive" music and unusual choreography first met with a Parisian audience, it caused a riot and sealed Stravinsky's reputation as a revolutionary composer. Stravinsky's inventive use of rhythm and colorful combinations of orchestral sounds express perfectly the primitive aspects of the sacrifice. The recording with the Columbia Symphony allows us to hear exactly what the composer intended -- for it is Stravinsky himself conducting.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

George Frideric Handel: Water Music, Suites Nos. 1-3

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

At the precocious age of 25 Handel was appointed music director at the electoral court in Hanover, but he immediately took a long leave of absence in London. When his master was crowned King George I of England in 1712, Handel felt he had to save face with his boss. Legend has it that Handel regained King George's favor by writing this set of three instrumental suites to be played as a surprise for the king during a boating party on the Thames. The pieces were a success, and Handel enjoyed royal patronage for the rest of his long and prosperous career in London. The conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra give a sparkling performance of the Water Music as well as another work written for a king, the Royal Fireworks Music.

Similar works: Top 10 Baroque

Maurice Ravel: Bolero; Claude Debussy: La Mer

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan, conductor

A description of Ravel's Bolero would make it sound like the most boring piece of music ever written: a simple melody is repeated more than twenty times. But the interest is not in the melody but in the instruments that play it: with each repetition Ravel introduces new instruments in the orchestra, so that no two repetitions sound alike. The result is a masterpiece of sound painting that is Ravel's most popular work. Claude Debussy's most popular work, La Mer, was inspired by a Japanese painting entitled "The Wave" and uses novel orchestration to illustrate three scenes from the sea. Herbert von Karajan gives compelling performances of these two French classics on this mid-priced CD.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Ballet Suites: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor

Tchaikovsky's ballets contain some of his most popular music; his Nutcracker in partucular is a staple around the Christmas season. This CD features highlights from the composer's three greatest ballets. Particularly notable are the haunting oboe melody from the introduction of Swan Lake, which recurs throughout the work, and the "characteristic dances" (including the famous "Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairies" and Trpak) from the Nutcracker. Mstislav Rostropovich shows in this recording that he is just as skilled with the conductor's baton as with the cellist's bow.

Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovsky; Top 10 Romantic

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No. 13, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"

Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter, conductor

While most of Mozart's serenades were written on commission for occasions such as weddings, the occasion for his final serenade, entitled "A Little Night Music," remains a mystery. Nevertheless it has become one of the most famous pieces of music ever written, due in large part to its irresistible opening melody. Bruno Walter leads a memorable performance of the serenade as well as overtures to four of Mozart's greatest operas.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Gustav Holst: The Planets, Op. 32

Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Charles Dutoit, conductor

Gustav Holst's suite The Planets is a collection of seven orchestral movements that give each planet a distinct individual character. (Holst did not incldue Earth and Pluto had not yet been discovered.) The music for Mars, "bringer of war," is a fierce march; Mercury, the "winged messenger" is bursting with energy; and Jupiter, "bringer of jollity" is a lighthearted romp. The suite has been a popular favorite ever since its premiere in 1918, and Charles Dutoit gives a memorable performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring Suite

New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, conductor

Aaron Copland's early works were reserved and harmonically complex, but in the 1930s he turned to a simpler style, the apex of which is reached in his 1945 ballet Appalachian Spring. The work incorporates variations on the Shaker hymn "Tis a Gift to be Simple," which is transfigured and absorbed in the music. The ballet's arrangement in an orchestral suite is probably the most popular piece of American music today. Leonard Bernstein's recording is the definitive interpretation of the Appalachian Spring suite -- better even than the recordings made by Copland himself. The CD also includes the popular Fanfare for the Common Man and music from Copland's two other famous ballets, Billy the Kid and Rodeo.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op. 35

Cecylia Arzewski, violin; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Robert Spano, conductor

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was one of the "mighty handful" of Russian musicians who sought to bring a uniquely Russian flavor to music at the end of the nineteenth century. Though Scheherazade is based on Arabian stories, the mood and sonority of the piece are distinctly Russian. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote that the work is not intended to be an exact depiction of the tales, but rather to "direct but slightly the hearer's fancy on the path my own fancy traveled." Each movement depicts a different scene from the Arabian Nights, and weaving through them all are a violin melody representing Scheherazade and a solemn tune representing her husband the sultan. Robert Spano's debut recording with the Atlanta Symphony has immediately taken a place among the best.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Bla Bartk: Concerto for Orchestra

Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, conductor

Bla Bartk was important not only as a composer but also as a musical ethnologist, performer, and educator. He traveled Eastern Europe collecting folk tunes; he published the tunes in collections and fused them with Western European traditions to create a highly individual style. He created a set of graded piano lessons called Mikrokosmos that are still in use today. Bartk wrote the Concerto for Orchestra near the end of his life, and it has come to be regarded as his masterpiece. This CD features the great Fritz Reiner performing the Concerto as well as Bartk's other popular orchestral work, the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris

Leonard Bernstein, piano and conductor; Columbia Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra

George Gershwin's music blurs the boundary between the "classical" and "popular" styles. Heavily influenced by jazz, Gershwin wrote primarily for the theater. His Porgy and Bess has been produced both as a musical an an opera. "Rhapsody in Blue" plays a similar role with concert music, combining the styles of American jazz and nineteenth-century German Romanticism. "An American in Paris" is a dizzying whirl of sound that depicts a foreigner's experiences in the artistic capital of the Roaring Twenties. Leonard Bernstein's late-1950s recordings (featuring himself at the piano) have yet to be surpassed.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Top 10 String Quartets to Start Your Classical Music CD Collection

The string quartet is to chamber music what the symphony is to the orchestra: the most popular and prestigious form. A string quartet is written for two violins, a viola, and a cello, and typically has four movements. The first movement is usually fast and contains two or three themes that are repeated and developed throughout the movement. The second movement is usually slow and lyrical, while the third movement is in a dance style such as waltz, minuet, or scherzo. The finale may take on any of a number of forms, including theme and variations, rondo (one repeated theme and a number of unrelated themes), or the same form as the first movement. The string quartet developed in Germany and Austria in the years 1750-80 from the divertimento, chamber music that could feature any number of players and was intended as a light diversion or background music. Gradually the number of players was standardized at four and the music took on a more serious character. Haydn wrote 83 quartets and is known as the "father of the string quartet," while Beethoven's sixteen greatly widened the expressive range of the four instruments. In the nineteenth century the quartet was regarded as the supreme form of chamber music, and all of the great composers (including Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky) wrote several. Beginning with Beethoven, composers wrote string quartets to give expression to their most intimate personal feelings. This trend continued through the twentieth century in the powerful quartets of Schoenberg, Bartk, Shostakovich, and others. Back to Genres Index Top 10 Essential String Quartet CDs

Beethoven: "Razumovsky" String Quartets -- Takcs String Quartet Revolutionary chamber works. Review...

Schubert: "Death and the Maiden" String Quartet -- Amadeus String Quartet A dying man's outpouring of grief. Review...

Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 -- Borodin String Quartet A haunting musical autobiography. Review...

Mozart: "Haydn" String Quartets -- Alban Berg Quartet Viennese one-upmanship? Review...

Debussy, Ravel: String Quartets -- Belcea String Quartet Ethereal harmony. Review...

Haydn: String Quartets Op. 76 -- Lindsay String Quartet Late masterpieces from the "Father of the string quartet." Review...

Beethoven: Late String Quartets -- Takcs String Quartet Quartets that break all the rules. Review...

Brahms: String Quartets Nos. 1-2 -- Alban Berg Quartet "Progressive" works in the tradition of Beethoven. Review...

Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1 -- Emerson String Quartet The captivating Andante cantabile -- and a whole lot more. Review...

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Jancek: String Quartets -- Lindsay String Quartet Chamber music with a Czech flavor. Review...

More Recommended String Quartet Recordings

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Glass: String Quartets -- Kronos Quartet A compelling introduction to Minimalism. Review...

12

Schubert: String Quartet No. 15 -- Italian Quartet Schubert's last quartet, brimming with intensity. Review...

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Schumann: String Quartets -- Eroica String Quartet Establishing chamber music mastery. Review...

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 59, Nos. 1-3, "Razumovsky"

Takcs String Quartet

If Beethoven's symphonies revolutionized the realm of orchestral music, his string quartets did no less to change the nature of chamber music. The string quartets of Mozart and Haydn, Beethoven's immediate predecessors, grew out of tradition of the divertimento, music intended for diversion or amusement and often played in the background. On the other hand, these three quartets, from Beethoven's so-called "middle period," are very serious affairs that command the listener's full attention. They have often been said to be symphonies in miniature, for Beethoven is able to coax as much emotion and sonority from four players as he is from a full orchestra. This recording demonstrates why Takcs Quartet have emerged as today's leading interpreters of the Beethoven quartets. The playing is profound and technically impeccable, and the Takcs make these quartets still sound fresh even after dozens of listenings.

Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical

Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810, "Death and the Maiden"

Amadeus String Quartet

In the last few years before he died of syphilis at the age of 31, Franz Schubert experienced one of the most prolific periods of creative genius humankind has ever seen. This quartet is one of the fruits of that period. In the first movement, Schubert develops a simple descending-scale motif into an intense outpouring of grief. The quartet takes its name from the theme of the second movement, a song which Schubert wrote when he was twenty. In its quartet incarnation, Schubert takes the simple melody through a whole range of moods, building to an impassioned frenzy and then relaxing. The Amadeus Quartet offer a convincing performance at a reasonable price.

Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Romantic

Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110

Borodin String Quartet

Dmitri Shostakovich's eighth string quartet is an intimate and haunting musical autobiography of a composer who was forever struggling to remain in the good graces of the Soviet regime. The quartet is structured around a four-note motif which spells out the composer's initials, DS-C-H (these are the German names of the notes D, E-flat, C, and B). The beginning listener may not recognize the numerous quotations from Shostakovich's previous works, but he or she cannot fail to be impressed by the haunting and tragic nature of this work. The Borodin String Quartet have always been the premier interpreters of Shostakovich's chamber music, and this super-bargain two-disc set features the eighth along with four other quartets spanning a period of 25 years of the composer's life.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 14-19, "Haydn" Quartets

Alban Berg Quartet

In 1782 Franz Joseph Haydn published his set of six string quartets, Op. 33, and they quickly became the rage of Vienna. At this time Haydn's mastery of the quartet genre was widely acknowledged, and Mozart set out to write a set of quartets emulating the style of the master. After a "long and laborious endeavor," Mozart completed this set of six string quartets in 1785 and dedicated them to Haydn. Together with Haydn's quartets of the period, they form the pinnacle of the Viennese quartet style. The Alban Berg Quartet's unsurpassed recording includes these six as well as Mozart's four last quartets.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Claude Debussy: String Quartet in G major; Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F major

Belcea String Quartet

While Arnold Schoenberg and his followers in Germany were getting all the attention for breaking the conventional rules of composition, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel in France were quietly experimenting with their own revolutionary style, which has since come to be called Impressionism. The hallmark of Impressionism is new combinations of sounds that exist purely for their own sake, and don't need to lead to or follow from any other sounds. These two quartets exemplify the style; Debussy's quartet makes the listener feel she is floating on air, and Ravel's, while remaining firmly on the ground, takes some surprising turns. The Belcea Quartet give exquisite -- and very French -- performances of these two masterpieces, and at super-bargain price this is a recording not to be missed.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76 (Nos. 1-3, Nos. 4-6)

Lindsay String Quartet

These quartets represent the pinnacle of Haydn's chamber writing, and demonstrate why Haydn deserves to be the "Father of the String Quartet" just as much as he is "Father of the Symphony." One of the most exciting is the second quartet, nicknamed "Fifths" from the musical interval that makes up the first movement's theme. The slow movement of the third quartet is a set of variations on the song "God Save Emperor Franz," which has since become the Austrian national anthem and also gives the quartet its nickname, "Emperor." The fourth quartet is nicknamed "Sunrise" after its introduction, which features a rising violin line. Though it has no nickname, the sixth is perhaps most inventive of them all, with a "Fantasia" slow movement that contains numerous harmonic surprises. The Lindsay Quartet are today's foremost Haydn interpreters, and their performances of these quartets demonstrate why this is so.

Similar works: Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 Classical

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartets, Opp. 127, 130, 131, 132, 135

Takcs String Quartet

Beethoven's last five quartets were among the last works he completed before his death, and all are masterpieces containing some of Beethoven's most powerful music. The music is very dense and personal, and Beethoven breaks free of nearly all contemporary conventions of harmony and form. The influence of the contrapuntal style of Bach is noticeable throughout these works, especially in the opening movement of Op. 131 and in the "Grosse Fuge" finale to Op. 130 (which was deemed so difficult that it had to be published separately as Op. 133). The Takcs Quartet give deeply moving performances of these masterpieces; for a less expensive alternative, it's hard to go wrong with the Emerson Quartet, who display tremendous virtuosity if not quite the same depth of feeling.

Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical

Johannes Brahms: String Quartets No. 1 in C minor, No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51

Alban Berg Quartet

Just as Brahms's first symphony was dubbed "Beethoven's Tenth," these two works continue the tradition of Beethoven's string quartets. The First Quartet is in the same key and style as Brahms's first symphony, and its four movements are linked thematically to give the piece a "breathless unity." In his famous article "Brahms the Progressive," Arnold Schoenberg showed how the Second Quartet's slow movement is generated from a motif consisting of just two notes, making it a miracle of musical compactness. The Alban Berg Quartet prove their reputation as admirable Brahms interpreters in this two-disc set that also contains Brahms's Third Quartet and a quartet by Antonin Dvork.

Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Romantic

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11

Emerson String Quartet

Tchaikovsky wrote his first string quartet while he was still a student, and it was not published until 1940. The lyrical second movement is particularly appealing, and today it is often played in concert as the Andante cantabile for Cello and Strings. The other movements are equally appealing; the scherzo blazes with intensity, and the finale brings the work to a rousing conclusion. This fine performance comes paired with another Russian favorite, the Borodin Second Quartet, as well as Dvork's popular "American" quartet.

Similar works: Top 10 Tchaikovsky, Top 10 Romantic

Leos Jancek: String Quartets No. 1, "Kreutzer Sonata"; No. 2, "Intimate Letters"

Lindsay String Quartet

Leos Janacek, the greatest Czech composer after Dvork, made a point of including Czech influences in his works; his mature style grew out of the rhythms and inflections of Moravian peasant speech and song. He enjoyed his greatest burst of creativity near the age of seventy, after he had fallen in love with a woman half his age, and these two chamber masterpieces are from that era. Until Supraphon reissues the Jancek Quartet's famous recording, the Lindsay Quartet comes the closest to capturing the true Czech flavor of these two works.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Philip Glass: String Quartets Nos. 2-5

Kronos Quartet

Philip Glass is one of the most successful composers in the school of Minimalism, and one of the most popular living composers today. Brought up with a traditional musical training at Juilliard and in Paris, Glass withdrew all of his works and turned to Minimalism after working with the Indian musician Ravi Shankar. His works feature a simple, pleasing harmonic language that develops gradually throughout the piece. These four string quartets are perfect examples of Glass's style and make an ideal introduction to Minimalist music. The Kronos Quartet are today's leading performers of contemporary chamber music, and they give these quartets a splendid reading.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887

Quartetto Italiano

Though he only has four instruments to work with instead of a whole orchestra, Schubert's last quartet is just as long and intense as his last symphony. The crescendo at the beginning is a microcosm of the piece as a whole; the intensity builds throughout the piece and comes to a climax after nearly fifty minutes of music. The Quartetto Italiano's classic recording comes with splendid performances of Schubert's other three late quartets, including the great unfinished "Quartettsatz."

Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Romantic

Robert Schumann: String Quartets Nos. 1-3, Op. 41

Eroica String Quartet

All of Robert Schumann's publications up to 1840 were for solo piano, and he was in danger of being labeled a "miniaturist" not up to the tasks of composing a symphony or string quartet. That changed in 1842, which has come to be known as Schumann's "chamber music year": in addition to these three string quartets, he also composed his Piano Quartet and the famous Piano Quintet, all of which established Schumann as one of the all-time greats of chamber music. The quartets take after the style of Beethoven, with some characteristics particular to Schumann. Schumann's tendency to "struggle against the bar line" -- that is, to place the emphasis in his phrases in unexpected places -- is most apparent in the third quartet, while the second quartet's slow movement evokes the feeling of Beethoven's Op. 127. The young Eroica Quartet have established themselves as one of today's premier interpreters of Romantic string quartets with this award-winning recording.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Top 10 Chamber Music CDs to Start Your Classical Music CD Collection

The term "chamber music" refers to any piece written for an ensemble that has only one instrument or voice per part. (In orchestral music, by contrast, several instruments play the same part.) Chamber ensembles can range in size from one instrument (e.g. a solo sonata) to many. By far the most abundant form is the string quartet, but other popular chamber music ensembles are piano and strings, more than four strings, or a solo instrument with piano accompaniment. Chamber music is usually written for amateurs to play privately at home or for an ensemble performing before a small audience. Given this intimate setting, chamber music tends to be more sublime and personal than orchestral music played in large concert halls. The best chamber music fully bares the composer's emotions; this is especially true of the chamber music of Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms. Back to Genres Index Top 10 Essential Chamber Music CDs

Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 -- Eroica Trio A chamber masterpiece 25 years in the making. Review...

Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 -- Gidon Kremer, Misha Maisky, Martha Argerich Memorializing a dear friend. Review...

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin -- Henryk Szeryng Making a single instrument sound like four. Review...

Dvork: Piano Quintet -- Takcs String Quartet, Andreas Haefliger Czech nationalism embedded in a Viennese masterpiece. Review...

Schubert: String Quintet -- Emerson String Quartet, Mstislav Rostropovich Chamber music on a symphonic scale. Review...

Mozart: Clarinet Quintet -- Antony Pay, ASMF Chamber Ensemble Chamber music with a kick. Review...

Schoenberg: Verklrte Nacht -- Hollywood String Quartet The founder of Modernism looks back to Brahms. Review...

Mendelssohn: Octet -- Hausmusik The greatest work ever written by a teenager. Review...

Monteverdi: Madrigals, Book VIII -- Consort of Musicke Madrigals of War and Love. Review...

10

Franck: Violin Sonata -- Kyung-Wha Chung, Radu Lupu Romantic music with a French flair. Review...

More Recommended Chamber Music Recordings

11

Brahms: Piano Quartets -- Beaux Arts Trio Chamber music that Brahms himself thought was his best. Review...

Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8

Eroica Trio

This trio is a perfect example of Johannes Brahms's intense perfectionist streak -- he spent more than 35 years writing and revising it! When he finally finished, the result was one of the all-time masterpieces of chamber music. Brahms excels at taking a simple thread of melody and weaving it into an ever-larger tapestry of sound. A perfect example is the opening theme of the first movement, which starts simply enough in the piano, is joined by the cello and then the violin, and builds to an impassioned climax. The Eroica Trio, a young ensemble comprised of three extremely talented (and in our opinion extremely attractive) women, perfectly capture Brahms's passion, giving a performance that is the equal of classic recordings such as Isaac Stern's or Artur Rubinstein's.

Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Romantic

Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67

Martha Argerich, piano; Gidon Kremer, violin; Mischa Maisky, cello

Shostakovich wrote his second piano trio in 1944 as a memorial to his close friend Ivan Sollertinsky, who had died the previous winter. The trio begins with the cello playing eerily high notes, then the piano and violin join in below. Working together, the three create a picture of abject mourning. The second movement is a lively scherzo, while the third returns to the mournful attitude with a set of variations over a repeated bass line. The final movement brings the work to a close with several restatements of its own themes in different forms, as well as recollections of the earlier movements. This recording brings together three of today's superstar musicians in an exciting live performance, and also includes an excellent rendition of Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006

Henryk Szeryng, violin

The essence of the Baroque style is counterpoint, two or more melodies sounding simultaneously. This is feasible in a multi-instrument ensemble, much more difficult on the keyboard, and next to impossible on the violin, which is usually only asked to play a single melody. Yet in these six amazing works, Bach asks the violin to sound like up to four different instruments playing at the same time, and does it in a way that sounds completely natural to the instrument. The chaconne from the Partita No. 2 and the fugue from the Sonata No. 3 are particularly noteworthy. Henryk Szeryng makes these extremely difficult pieces sound easy, untangling even the densest contrapuntal lines.

Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Baroque

Antonn Dvork: Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81

Takcs String Quartet, Andreas Haefliger, piano

Though his native Bohemia was under the Austrian crown for his entire life, Antonn Dvork managed to express nationalistic sentiment through his music. The slow movement of this Piano Quintet is a dumka, a melancholy Czech ballad, while the third movement is a furiant, a fast native dance. The outer movements are firmly in the Viennese tradition and show Dvork at his best. The Takcs Quartet's CD includes a fresh performance of the Dvork quintet as well as another work written in a similar vein, the Quartet No. 10 in E-flat.

Similar works: Top 10 Chamber Music

Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C major, D. 956

Emerson String Quartet, Mstislav Rostropovich, cello

Unlike his late string quartets, which depict a uniformly bleak landscape, Schubert's great string quintet celebrates life to the fullest. The addition of the extra cello to the usual string quartet allows Schubert to give the cello some of the most exquisite melodic lines ever written. The quintet is full of captivating melodies and surprising harmonic twists, and even though it is nearly an hour long it still feels too short. Mstislav Rostropovich and the Emerson String Quartet give an intensely passionate performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Romantic

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581

Antony Pay, clarinet; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble

In addition to his Clarinet Concerto, Mozart wrote a much more intimate Clarinet Quintet for his friend Anton Stadler. Whereas in the concerto the clarinet is the focus of attention, in the quintet the woodwind takes on a role equivalent to that of the strings, and the piece plays out as a discourse among five equals. Antony Pay and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble give a convincing peformance, and this mid-priced CD includes the quintet as well as two other charming chamber works for wind and strings.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Arnold Schoenberg: Verklrte Nacht, Op. 4

Hollywood String Quartet, Alvin Dinkin, viola; Kurt Reher, cello

Though he became famous as a revolutionary composer who broke all the accepted rules of harmony, Arnold Schoenberg saw himself as the next composer in a line extending from Mozart to Beethoven to Brahms. This string sextet, one of Schoenberg's early works, takes its inspiration from Brahms and is written in a lush late Romantic style. Entitled "Transfigured Night" after a poem by Richard Dehmel, the music depicts a discussion between two lovers in which the woman confesses she is pregnant with another man's child. The music is powerful and ultimately comes to a happy conclusion, though there are moments in the middle that foreshadow Schonberg's dissonant later works. The Hollywood Quartet so impressed Schoenberg with their performance that he offered to write the liner notes for the recording. With an equally legendary performance of Schubert's String Quintet, this is a must-have CD for any chamber music fan.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Felix Mendelssohn: Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20

Hausmusik

Though Mozart is the most famous child prodigy composer, Mendelssohn's Octet is the greatest work ever composed by a teenager -- the precocious youth wrote it when he was just sixteen years old. . Mendelssohn was one of the major proponents of the "Bach revival" of the early nineteenth century, and his admiration for Bach's counterpoint manifests itself in the octet's finale, an eight-part fugue that spins along at breakneck speed. But the most celebrated movement is the third, a quiet fantasy of which the scholar Donald Tovey said, "eight string players might easily practise it for a lifetime without coming to an end of their delight in producing its marvels of tone-colour." The British ensemble Hausmusik produce marvels of their own on this super-bargain set that also includes Mendelssohn's two charming string quintets and a string quartet.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Claudio Monteverdi: Madrigals, Book VIII

Consort of Musicke, Anthony Rooley, conductor

At the time they were written, Claudio Monteverdi's nine books of madrigals set a new standard for expressiveness in music. Mondeverdi's madrigal music brings to life the poetry it underlies, and none does so better than the eighth book, published in 1638. The book, entitled "Madrigals of War and Love," is split into two halves. The first half contains fierce war poetry, highlighted by "Il Combattimento de Tancredi et Clorinda," the story of two warriors in love with each other; Monteverdi's dramatic music depicts horses galloping and armies clashing. The second half consists of love poems, the most famous of which is the "Lamento della ninfa." The collection illustrates Monteverdi's innovative style in instrumental as well as vocal writing. This super-bargain set (2 CDs for less than one full-priced CD) is another must-have for anyone's collection.

Similar works: Top 10 Renaissance

Csar Franck: Violin Sonata in A major

Kyung-Wha Chung, violin; Radu Lupu, piano

Although he was overshadowed in Germany and Austria by Brahms and Wagner, the Belgian-born Csar Franck was the dominant force in French music in the middle of the nineteenth century. Franck's sonorities are worlds away from those of Brahms, and his influence can be felt strongly in the music of Debussy and Ravel. Franck wrote this sonata in 1886 for the great violinist Eugne Ysae. The premiere took place in an art gallery that was so dark that Ysae had to play the sonata mostly from memory! The sonata features what Franck called his "cyclical method," in which themes recur identically or become transformed throughout the whole piece. Kyung-Wha Chung and Radu Lupu's superb performance comes on a mid-priced CD packed with great French chamber music.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Johannes Brahms: Piano Quartets Nos. 1-3

Beaux Arts Trio; Walter Trampler, viola

Brahms' Piano Quartets are among his most popular compositions, and the composer himself regarded them as noteworthy: Brahms selected the Quartet No. 1 for his Vienna debut in 1862, and the Viennese public were deeply impressed. The quartet's first movement is based upon a simple four-note theme that is spun out with ever-increasing elaboration. The second movement is cloaked in a romantic aura of mystery, while the finale is an exciting "Hungarian Rondo." The Third Quartet was composed at the same time as the first two but only published in 1875 after extensive revision. The composition is tragic on a grand scale, most notably in the lyrical slow movement. The Beaux Arts Trio (joined by Walter Trampler on viola) give invigorating performances of the three quartets, and this two-for-one set also includes Brahms's second Piano Trio..

Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Romantic

Top 10 Piano Works to Start Your Classical Music CD Collection

The body of piano music that we know today reflects the development of keyboard instruments over the last four hundred years. In the Baroque era, the harpsichord was the principal keyboard instrument. The harpsichord works by plucking strings inside the instrument, which makes possible very fast runs. However, all notes on the harpsichord must always be played at the same volume, which limits the expressive possibilities of the instrument. Today much Baroque keyboard music is played on the piano, which, though not what the composer intended, can make for as sublime an experience as any. In the mid-eighteenth century a new instrument came into style that played by striking wooden hammers against strings, rather than plucking them. It was called a fortepiano, since it could play both loud (forte) and soft (piano). At some point the name got switched around topianoforte, or just piano for short. The late-eighteenth-century piano was light in tone and very responsive to the player; it was for this instrument that Beethoven wrote his 32 sonatas, which are now the cornerstone of the piano literature. In the nineteenth century the piano acquired more keys and was strengthened by metal plates and braces, becoming shaped into the instrument we know today. The modern piano produces a full, firm tone at any dynamic level, and nineteenth-century composers took advantage of this new resource to write piano works that called for great virtuosity and expressiveness. Since 1800, all of the great composers have written for piano, and today there is piano music to suit anyone's mood or taste. Back to Genres Index Top 10 Essential Piano CDs

Beethoven: "Pathtique" and "Moonlight" Piano Sonatas -- Alfred Brendel Beethoven's more intimate medium of expression. Review...

Chopin: Piano Works -- Vladimir Ashkenazy Sparkling piano miniatures with a Polish touch. Review...

Schubert: Impromptus -- Murray Perahia Exquisite piano miniatures. Review...

Bach: Goldberg Variations -- Glenn Gould From a simple song to complex counterpoint. Review...

Debussy: Prludes -- Jean-Yves Thibaudet Painting pictures with the piano. Review...

Brahms: Piano Works -- Radu Lupu A sampling of Brahms's best. Review...

Beethoven: Late Piano Sonatas -- Maurizio Pollini Complex works that set a new standard. Review...

Liszt: Piano Sonata -- Jorge Bolet A masterful sonata by the greatest pianist ever. Review...

Mozart: Piano Sonatas -- Mitsuko Uchida An encyclopedia of the Classical sonata. Review...

10

Scriabin: Piano Works -- Vladimir Horowitz Masterful miniatures from a Romantic Russian. Review...

More Recommended Piano CDs

11

Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier -- Rosalyn Tureck

A cornucopia of counterpoint. Review...

12

Haydn: Piano Sonatas -- Andrs Schiff Neglected works comparable to Mozart's best. Review...

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonatas No. 8, "Pathtique"; No. 14 "Moonlight"

Alfred Brendel, piano

While Beethoven's symphonies show outward storm and fire, the piano sonatas give us a more personal view of the composer. Beethoven composed his two most famous sonatas early in his career, when he was just making a name for himself in Vinna. The first movement of the "Moonlight" and the middle one of the "Pathtique" are so tender as to move the listener to tears. But the storm is not altogether missing; the "Pathtique" opening movement and the "Moonlight" finale contain some of Beethoven's most exciting music. Alfred Brendel gives a gripping performance on this two-disc set containing five other wonderful sonatas.

Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical

Frederic Chopin: Piano Works

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano

Though Frederic Chopin spent most of his career in Paris, he never stopped loving his native Poland, and his music reflects this love. In addition to writing polonaises, or Polish dances, he infused much of his best music with Polish rhythm and harmony. Chopin specialized in the short piano piece, writing numerous tudes, scherzos, ballades, preludes, nocturnes, waltzes, and mazurkas as well as polonaises. This two-for-one CD features a sampling of Chopin's best works, including the "Raindrop" prelude, the "Military" polonaise, and the Fantasie-Impromptu.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Franz Schubert: Impromptus, Op. 90, Op. 142

Murray Perahia, piano

Schubert's Impromptus are among the greatest short piano pieces ever written. Each explores a different mood, from the march-like first impropmptu to the subdued and lyrical third to the jaunty final piece, and together they form an encyclopedia of nineteenth-century piano style. Murray Perahia gives the definitive performance of these eight pieces, combining both Classical clarity and Romantic passion.

Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Romantic

Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988

Glenn Gould, piano

Legend has it that Bach wrote this set of variations for his student Goldberg to play for an insomniac Count. Scholarly research has shown that the legend is probably not true, and listening to the piece will affirm that conculsion -- it would be nearly impossible to fall asleep to it. Bach takes a simple aria and constructs a set of thirty variations on this theme, employing all of the keyboard styles of his time and ranging widely in mood before coming back to a restatement of the theme at the end. Glenn Gould, perhaps the most famous of all Bach interpreters, recorded the Goldbergs twice. The first recording, from 1955, is a virtuosic performance that revolutionized Bach keyboard playing, while the second, from 1981, is a far more introspective interpretation by an artist nearing the end of his life. This three-disc collection offers both recordings of the Goldbergs as well as a revealing inteview in which Gould discusses his performances, all for the cost of one fullpriced CD.

Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Baroque

Claude Debussy: Prludes, Books I & II

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Claude Debussy was the premier composer in the style that has come to be called "Impressionism." Unlike earlier composers, Debussy did not seek to express a deep emotion or tell a story, but rather to evoke a mood or an atmosphere. He does this admirably in his two books of preludes for piano. Each is a short work with a brief descriptive title which is perfectly illustrated by the music. It is a wonder that the same instrument that can play Beethoven's most fiery sonata can also play this ethereal music. Jean-Yves Thibaudet gives a splendid performance of the preludes as well as several other popular Debussy piano works.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Johannes Brahms: Piano Works, Op. 79, 117-119

Radu Lupu, piano

Brahms's primary contribution to the piano literature is the short works that he composed throughout his life. The pieces are typically Romantic, exploring a single mood or emotion. This collection features the two great Rhapsodies, Op. 79, as well as three collections of works Brahms wrote just before his death. The pieces are fiendishly difficult, requiring a wide range of technique; one of Brahms's trademarks was to ask the player to play groups of three notes in one hand and groups of four in the other. Radu Lupu seems to have no trouble with these pieces, making them flow effortlessly from his fingertips.

Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Romantic

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 28-32

Maurizio Pollini, piano

Beethoven's final piano sonatas test the expressive limits of the piano and the pianist. As with his late string quartets, these are highly charged personal works, containing violent outbursts and moments of exquisite tenderness, and the influence of Bach is again visible. Maurizio Pollini's performance is truly remarkable.

Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven, Top 10 Classical

Franz Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor

Jorge Bolet, piano

Franz Liszt was probably the greatest pianist the world has ever known. Born in Hungary, Liszt began dazzling audiences with his virtuosity at age eleven. He spent most of his first forty years in Paris, where he was at the center of the city's musical life. He arranged for piano Beethoven's symphonies, Schubert's songs, and Wagner's operas, which, in an age before recordings, brought this great music into ordinary people's living rooms. As a composer he invented the genre of the tone poem and created ferociously difficult piano pieces with which he (and generations of later pianists) could dazzle audiences. The B minor sonata is his greatest large-scale piano work. It consists of one extended movement in which themes are transformed and combined seemingly at whim. This two-for-one set contains the Sonata as well as fifteen other Liszt favorites.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Wolfgamg Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-18

Mitsuko Uchida, piano

Mozart's piano sonatas chronicle his development as a composer and pianist from a precocious teenager in Salzburg to a celebrated master in Vienna. While none of these sonatas have the fiery storm of Beethoven's works in the genre, each is charming and delightful in its own way. Particularly notable are the Sonata No. 11, with its famous "Rondo alla turca" finale, and the Sonata No. 18, whose opening motif resembles a hunter's horn-call. Mitsuko Uchida gives the definitive interpretation of all the sonatas, exhibiting an elegant and very Mozartean touch. If you don't want to shell out $50-plus for all five CDs, Maria Joo Pires gives fine performances that are available individually; we recommend starting with CD that includes the last four sonatas and the D minor Fantasia. Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Alexander Scriabin: Piano Works

Vladimir Horowitz, piano

Alexander Scriabin was a mystic who sought to unite music, poetry, drama, and dance unto a new art form he called the "Mystery." Though he did not succeed at creating this fusion, he did continue the Romantic piano tradition in the manner of Chopin, writing preludes, nocturnes, tudes, and mazurkas as well as full sonatas. His harmonic idiom, on the other hand, points toward twentieth-century developments, and his late works are nearly atonal. This collection features some of Scriabin's most popular works, played by one of the best Scriabin interpreters ever, Vladimir Horowitz.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Johann Sebastian Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I & II, BWV 846-893

Rosalyn Tureck, piano

The Well-Tempered Clavier sums up Bach's mastery of the keyboard in the same way as the B minor Mass sums up his mastery of singing. Each book contains twenty-four preludes and fugues, one in each major and minor key. In the early eighteenth century keyboard instruments would be tuned so that certain keys sounded better or worse than others; the innovation of "well-tempered" tuning allowed the keyboard to sound equally well in all keys, which these collections are intended to demonstrate. They also serve as manuals for keyboard technique, both in the preludes, which usually offer a specific technical challenge, and in the fugues, which test the players ability to untangle dense contrapuntal lines. Rosalyn Tureck, one of the great Bach performers, handily achieves these tasks and provides a compelling performance. Though he does not have the intensity or attention to detail of Turek, Jeno Jando provides adequate performances (Book I, Book II) at half the price.

Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Baroque

Franz Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonatas Nos. 32-33, 53-54, 58-62

Andrs Schiff, piano

Haydn's piano sonatas are unjustly neglected in the Classical repertory. This collection of performances by Andrs Schiff makes a forceful argument for their elevation to equal status with Mozart's sonatas. The sonatas are elegantly crafted and completely idiomatic to the piano, and they exhibit a wide range of moods, from the storminess of No. 33 in C minor, to the relaxed, improvisatory attitude of No. 58 in C major, to the grandeur of No. 62 in E-flat major.

Similar works: Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 Classical

Top 10 Essential Song CDs to Start Your Classical Music Collection

In classical music, a song (lied in German; chanson in French) is a setting of poetry for a solo singer with piano or orchestral accompaniment. Unlike choral music, which usually draws on religious texts, songs are usually based on secular poetry. The composer's goal in writing a song is to use music to illustrate and enhance the meaning and emotions of the text. Sometimes this can be achieved through direct musical effects, such as having the singer sing high notes to climb up a mountain or reach up to god, but more often it is achieved through contrast, dynamics, and harmonic coloring. A great song takes the listener on an emotional journey culminating in joy or catharsis or (as is often the case) despair. In the eighteenth century songs usually consisted of a vocal melody with simple piano accompaniment, but in the nineteenth century the piano had risen to equal status with the singer, as the two worked together in partnership to illustrate the text. In the Romantic era the German lied for voice and piano achieved a special status as the vehicle for the composer to express his sensitivity to poetry, a traid valued highly at the time. The greatest composers of lieder were Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, and Hugo Wolf. Later in the nineteenth century composers began to set songs for voice and orchestra, making use of the increased possibilities for color that the full orchestra provided; the supreme masters of the orchestral song were Brahms, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. In the twentieth century the crown of song writing moved from German-speaking lands to English- and Frenchspeaking ones. Twentieth century song composers include Claude Debussy in France, Benjamin Britten in England, and Samuel Barber in the United States. Back to Genres Index Top 10 Essential Song CDs

Schubert: Winterreise -- Peter Pears A bleak song cycle reminiscing of lost love. Review...

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde -- Kathleen Ferrier, Julius Patzak, Bruno Walter A celebration of tragedy. Review...

Schumann: Dichterliebe -- Fritz Wunderlich A newlywed writes of unrequited love. Review...

Debussy: Mlodies -- Vronique Gens Charming chansons. Review...

Wolf: Spanisches Liederbuch -- Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Sublime Spanish songs sacred and secular. Review...

Brahms: Four Serious Songs -- Hans Hotter A dying man asks, "What happens next?" Review...

Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915 -- Dawn Upshaw Southern nostalgia. Review...

Strauss: Four Last Songs -- Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Swan song of an octagenarian. Review...

Mozart: Lieder -- Elly Ameling Sparkling little gems from a jack of all trades. Review...

10

Schubert: Lieder -- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau A collection of Schubert's best. Review...

More Recommended Song Recordings

11

Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings -- Peter Pears The fruit of a lifelong partnership. Review...

Franz Schubert: Winterreise, D. 911

Peter Pears, tenor; Benjamin Britten, piano

This cycle, whose title translates as "Winter's Journey," consists of twenty-four songs for solo voice with piano accompaniment. During the journey, which begins and ends in winter, the singer sings nostalgically of a failed summer romance. Written just months before the composer's death, the cycle expresses an irreparably bleak outlook on life. The mood is captured perfectly by the great British tenor Peter Pears, who is accompanied on the piano by his lifelong partner, composer Benjamin Britten.

Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Romantic

Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Kathleen Ferrier, contralto; Julius Patzak, tenor; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Walter, conductor

In 1907 Gustav Mahler was struck by three successive tragedies: his daughter died, he was forced to leave his beloved Vienna Opera, and he was diagnosed with a fatal heart condition. His tragedy and sorrow at this time found expression in his greatest song cycle, Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), which he composed in the usmmer of 1908. The text consists of six melancholy songs adapted from The Chinese Flute, a German collection of Chinese poems. Though he was to compose one more symphony, this cycle, and especially its final poem, "Der Abscheid" (The Farewell) was Mahler's farewell to this world. The greatest performance ever committed to record is the 1952 recording conducted by Bruno Walter, who conducted the work's premiere, and featuring contralto Kathleen Ferrier. Not only does Ferrier have a beautiful voice, but she communicates the work's essence in a way no other singer has before or since -- for she herself was dying of cancer at the time.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Robert Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48

Fritz Wunderlich, tenor; Hubert Giesen, piano

In the year 1840, Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck fought a protracted legal battle to obtain permission to marry without the consent of Clara's father. In the same year, by no coincidence, Schumann composed some of the greatest German song cycles ever, establishing himself as the true successor to Schubert in this medium. The cycle Dichterliebe (A Poet's Love) consists of sixteen songs set to texts by Heinrich Heine, a poet to whom Schumann would return many times throughout his career. The cycle does not tell a narrative story, but the songs' pervasive theme is one of unrequited love. Fritz Wunderlich, who possessed one of the most beautiful voices of the twentieth century, gives an incredibly moving performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Claude Debussy: Mlodies

Vronique Gens, soprano; Roger Vignoles, piano

Debussy's songs transfer to the medium of voice the impressionistic style he cultivated at the piano while adding the lyricism of French poetry. In these works, singer and pianist work together seamlessly to illustrate the poetic text. Debussy's favorite poets included Stphane Mallarm, Paul Verlaine, and the fifteenth-century poet Franois Villon. Veronique Gens is an outstanding interpreter of the French art song, and she sings eleven of Debussy's greatest "Mlodies" as well as songs by the composer's contemporaries Gabriel Faur and Francis Poulenc.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Hugo Wolf: Spanisches Liederbuch

Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, soprano; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, tenor; Gerald Moore, piano

Hugo Wolf was, along with Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms, one of the great composers of German Lieder, but unlike those other three, he composed little else besides songs. Wolf was extremely sensitive to the poetry he set, and all of his compositional choices were made in order to achieve a consummate marriage of voice and text. The "Spanish Songbook," consisting of twelve sacred poems and thirty-four secular ones, is one of his masterpieces. The sacred texts are set with extreme devotion, while the music of the secular pieces perfectly reflects the emotions of the poetry. This legendary recording features two of the greatest voices -- and artists -- of the twentieth century: soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and tenor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Johannes Brahms: Four Serious Songs, Op. 121

Hans Hotter, bass; Gerald Moore, piano

These songs, based on texts from the Old Testament, were the last songs Johannes Brahms composed, and have been described as the composer's "musical last will and testament." Seeing death approaching, Brahms posed some of the central questions about the human spirit and man's relationship with death. The result is a profoundly moving work that still resonates powerfully today. Hans Hotter's 1951 recording of the four songs has for more than fifty years remained unsurpassed in intensity and emotional power.

Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Romantic

Samuel Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915, Op. 24

Dawn Upshaw, soprano; Orchestra of St. Luke's, David Zinman, conductor

Though he is best known for the popular Adagio for Strings, Samuel Barber was one of the great song composers of the twentieth century. "Knoxville, Summer of 1915" is a setting for piano and orchestra of a prose text by James Agee. The song describes the images and sounds of a warm summer evening in the south long ago, and Barber's music perfectly suits the nostalgic feeling of the text. Dawn Upshaw, one of today's leading sopranos, gives a heartwarming rendition of this lovely work.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano; Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, George Szell, conductor.

Like Brahms's Four Serious Songs, Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs is the work of a man who saw death approaching. The cycle, written when the composer was in his eighties, was inspired by Strauss's discovery of the poem Im Abendrot (Evening's Glow) by Joseph Eichendorff. Strauss planned to round out the cycle with four songs to texts by Heinrich Heine, but he only completed three: Frhling (Spring), September, and Beim Schlafengehen (Going to Sleep). Interestingly, Strauss did not specify an order of performance for the four songs; most performances conclude with Im Abendrot, the song that was actually composed first. The poem is a fitting swan song to an illustrious career, concluding, "How exhausted we are with our wanderings -- can this then be death?" Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was one of the finest Strauss interpreters, and her expressive performance with George Szell has achieved legendary status.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Lieder

Elly Ameling, soprano; Dalton Baldwin, piano

The Lied is usually not a genre associated with Mozart, but these little gems demostrate that Mozart was indeed master of every musical form known to his time. Soprano Elly Ameling sparkles in her renditions of thirty-five Mozart songs, and this two-disc set also includes six notturni for voices and woodwind.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Franz Schubert: Lieder

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Gerald Moore, piano

Schubert composed nearly a thousand works during his thirty-one years, and nearly six hundred of them were songs. This bargain-priced CD presents a sampling of the most famous, sung by the legendary Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Highlights include "Der Erlknig" ("The Elven King") which protrays a father riding furiously on horseback to save his sick child from the Elven King, a symbol of death, and "Der Tod und das Mdchen" ("Death and the Maiden") which is more famous as the theme of the second movement of Schubert's fourteenth string quartet.

Similar works: Top 10 Schubert, Top 10 Romantic

Benjamin Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31

Peter Pears, tenor; Dennis Brain, horn; New Symphony Orchestra, Sir Eugene Goossens, conductor

Britten wrote this serenade in 1943 during the darkest days of World War II, and its text consists of six poems by British authors on the subject of death. He wrote it as a vehicle for the great horn player Dennis Brain, who commissioned the work, and for the legendary tenor Peter Pears (pronounced "Peers"), who was Britten's lifelong partner. This recording, made in 1953, features both Pears and Brain in a moving performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Song

Top 10 Choral Works to Start Your Classical Music CD Collection

Singing is the most natural form of human musical expression, and composers have been writing music for voice since ancient times. Nearly all of the medieval and Renaissance music that we know today is choral music. As instrumental music began to gain popularity in the sixteenth century, the human voice was the ideal by which all nonvocal music was judged. Even today there is no instrument that can achieve the fine shadings and emotional power of a well-trained singer. The Western choral tradition began with composers setting sacred texts to music, and most choral music through the centuries has been devoted to praising God in some manner. The Catholic Mass (or parts of it such as the Gloria) has long been a favorite of choral composers; in particular, the Requiem Mass, or Mass for the dead, has inspired generations of composers (including Mozart, Brahms, and Verdi) to write their most powerful music. Other choral genres include the cantata, which sets a selection of Biblical texts for soloists and chorus; the oratorio, which tells a story like an opera but is not acted; and the motet, a sacred composition for unaccompanied chorus. To add additional expressiveness (and to give the chorus occasional rest in performance!), most large-scale choral works composed since 1700 alternate solo singing with choral passages. Back to Genres Index Top 10 Essential Choral Music CDs

Handel: Messiah -- Trevor Pinnock Far more than a Christmas carol. Review...

Mozart: Requiem -- John Eliot Gardiner Exploring the depths of grief. Review...

Brahms: A German Requiem -- John Eliot Gardiner Had enough of those Latin Masses? Review...

Bach: B Minor Mass -- John Eliot Gardiner The Baroque master's greatest choral work. Review...

Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass -- David Willcocks A joyous celebration of life. Review...

Faur: Requiem -- John Rutter French "sensibilit." Review...

Josquin: Missa "Pange Lingua" -- Tallis Scholars Quiz: Name the greatest Renaissance composer. Review...

Orff: Carmina Burana -- Eugene Ormandy Celebrating the ancient themes of Beer and Love. Review...

Verdi: Requiem -- Carlo Maria Giulini The most dramatic of Requeims. Review...

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Tallis: Spem in alium -- Tallis Scholars Forty melodic threads creating a tapestry of sound. Review...

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Vivaldi: Gloria -- Sir Neville Marriner A stellar choral work from the master of the concerto. Review...

12

Haydn: The Creation -- Fritz Wunderlich, Herbert von Karajan A musical illustration of the first seven days. Review...

George Frideric Handel: Messiah

Arleen Auger, soprano; Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo soprano; Howard Crook, tenor; Michael Chance, countertenor; John Tomlinson, bass baritone; English Concert Choir, The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock, conductor

Messiah is by far the most popular choral work ever written in English, and the "Hallelujah" chorus has become part of our cultural lexicon. The work is an oratorio, which is a dramatic work that is meant to be sung in concert rather than acted on stage. The texts are taken from both the Old and New Testaments, and are divided into three parts. The first part, especially popular around Christmas time, depicts the birth of Christ. The mood becomes more somber for the second part, which depicts the crucifixion, but as Christ rises from the cross the chorus comes together to sing "Hallelujah." The third part, depicting the resurrection, recalls the joy of the beginning, and the oratiorio concludes with a great choral "Amen." The English Concert's authentic Baroque instruments help give the ensemble a feeling of lightness during the outer parts and a piercing intensity in the middle.

Similar works: Top 10 Baroque

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem in D minor, K. 626

Barbara Bonney, soprano; Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo soprano; HansPeter Blochwitz, tenor; Willard White, bass; English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

As anyone who has seen the film Amadeus knows, Mozart was unable to complete his Requiem Mass before his death. (It is untrue, however, that he was poisoned by the rival composer Salieri.) The task of filling out the parts that Mozart had sketched and composing the entirety of the final four movements fell to his pupil Franz Xaver Sssmayr. Sssmayr did an admirable job, and the mass feels entirely like Mozart's work. If you think that all Mozart's music is light and fluffy, you should listen to this work -- it is one of the most grief-filled pieces ever written. The English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir attempt to recreate the performance conditions of Mozart's lifetime, and the result is a spectacular performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Johannes Brahms: A German Requiem, Op. 45

Charlotte Margiono, soprano; Rodney Gilfry, baritone; Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

Brahms's German Requiem shows that the composer could compose on the grandest of scales; this work for soloists, chorus, and orchestra ranks among the most powerful sacred works ever written. Brahms turned away from the traditional Latin text of the Requiem Mass and instead wrote a German text of his own consisting of Old Testament passages of meditation and solace. This recording demonstrates period-performance expert John Eliot Gardiner's mastery of the Romatic repertoire; the musicians move effortlessly from intimacy to grandeur.

Similar works: Top 10 Brahms, Top 10 Romantic

Johann Sebastian Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232

Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

Bach assembled the B minor Mass near the end of his life from various pieces he had composed earlier in his career, adding new music when necessary. The result is a tour de force that sums up all of the composer's extensive knowledge of sacred choral music. Bach demonstrates his versatility by writing movements for one to four soloists as well as choruses in four, five, six, and even eight parts. Some of the move famous movements are the Crucifixus, which consists of a set of variations over a repeated bass line, and the final Dona nobis pacem, which starts quietly and builds into a grand fugue. John Eliot Gardiner's gripping performance on period instruments is widely hailed as the best interpretation available on record.

Similar works: Top 10 Bach, Top 10 Baroque

Franz Joseph Haydn: Mass No. 11 in D minor, "Lord Nelson Mass"

Sylvia Stahlman, soprano; Helen Watts, alto; Wilfred Brown, tenor; Tom Krause, baritone; London Symphony Orchestra, Cambridge King's College Choir, David Willcocks, conductor

Franz Joseph Haydn is often cited as the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet," but his great sacred choral works are at least the equal of anything he wrote in a purely instrumental genre. Haydn wrote this mass in 1798 and gave it the title "Missa in Angustiis," or "Mass in Fear," which probably reflected the feelings of Haydn's fellow Austrians as Napoleon's armies were beginning their conquest of Europe. The mass acquired its more popular name after if was played for Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of the Nile, in 1800. Despite Haydn's ominous title, the mass expresses joy throughout, as it gloriously reaffirms Haydn's relationship with God. David Willcocks leads a superb cast of soloists in this recording that revolutionized the performance of Haydn's choral works. For an even more "authentic" feel, Trevor Pinnock's recording -- featuring instruments of Haydn's time -- is not to be missed.

Similar works: Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 Classical

Gabriel Faur: Requiem in D minor, Op. 48

Caroline Ashton, soprano; Stephen Varcoe, baritone; Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia, John Rutter, conductor

Gabriel Faur's music embodies the classic French traits of order, restraint, and sensibilit. Faur is revered in France, but the Requiem is one of only a few of his pieces that have become popular abroad. We do not know what inspired Faur to undertake its composition in 1887, but we do know that the composer came back to the work in 1890, added two movements, and revised the orchestration. Most performances today use an arrangement for full orchestra from around 1900 that Faur neither wrote nor approved. Through painstaking research, John Rutter has reconstructed Faur's original orchestration for chamber ensemble, and his recording is a revelation.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Josquin des Prez: Missa "Pange Lingua"

Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, conductor

Josquin des Prez was the greatest composer of the High Renaissance. Contemporaries hailed him as "the best of the composers of our time" and the "father of musicians." Martin Luther, who made his name in other fields was no musical slouch (he was a singer and wrote dozens of chorales) declared of Josquin, "He is the master of the notes. They must do as he wills; as for the other composers, they have to do as the notes will." Josquin's most famous work is the "Pange lingua" mass. Each movement starts with the different voices intoning the melody of the church chant "Pange lingua"; from this common beginning each proceeds with its own individual example of contrapuntal mastery. The Tallis Scholars are today's premier ensemble specializing in Renaissance vocal music, and they give a memorable performance of this Mass. The two-for-one set includes more than two hours of beautiful music by the greatest Renaissance composers, including Byrd, Tallis, Palestrina, Lassus and others.

Similar works: Top 10 Renaissance

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana

Janice Harsanyi, soprano; Rudolf Petrak, tenor; Harve Presnell, baritone; Philadelphia Orchestra, Rutgers University Chorus, Eugene Ormandy, conductor

Carl Orff's famous 1937 choral work sets to music texts from a thirteenth-century manuscript entitled Carmina Burana (Songs of the Beuren). Orff selected texts based on three themes, which make up the three parts of the work: spring, tavern life, and love. The texts, in a mixture of Latin and Middle German, are sensuous and often sexually explicit. (Many recordings do not include a translation, but one can be found here.) Unlike his contemporaries who were creating ever more complex music, Orff strove to evoke a medieval atmosphere by simplifying his musical style. As a result, Carmina Burana is one of the most accessible of all twentieth-century works. The Philadelphia Orchestra's performance is bursting with raw energy.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Giuseppe Verdi: Requiem

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano; Christa Ludwig, mezzo soprano; Nicolai Gedda, tenor; Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass; Philharmonia Orchestra, Philharmonia Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor

Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem takes its inspiration from two of Italy's foremost artists: the composer Gioacchino Rossini and the poet Alessandro Manzoni. Verdi composed one movement of the Requiem in 1869 for a compilation Mass in honor of Rossini's death, but this Mass was never performed. Four years later, the death of Manzoni (a personal hero of Verdi's) inspired the composer to expand his single movement into a full Requiem Mass. With more than twenty operas already under his belt, Verdi had vast experience writing dramatic music for chorus, and this expertise is evident throughout the Requiem; indeed, the Requiem has been described as "a magnificent opera disguised as a sacred work." Carlo Maria Giulini's recording, featuring the great soprano Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, has been the classic interpretation of this work for more than forty years.

Similar works: Top 10 Verdi, Top 10 Romantic, Top 10 Opera

Thomas Tallis: Spem in Alium

Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, conductor

Bach's four-part conterpoint is certainly complex, but it pales in comparison with this motet, which consists of no less than forty separate melodies, all sung at the same time. The result is a great wash of sound that is one of the all-time highlights of choral music. Queen Elizabeth, for whose fortieth birthday the piece was written, was certainly impressed. The Tallis Scholars give a magnificent interpretation of their namesake's music.

Similar works: Top 10 Renaissance

Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria in D major, RV 589

Jean Rigby, soprano; Barbara Hendricks, soprano; Ann Murray, alto; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Sier Neville Marriner, conductor

Antonio Vivladi composed more than five hundred concertos during his lifetime, but this choral gem ranks with any instrumental piece he wrote. Since Vivaldi chose to set only one movement of the Mass, he can afford to take his time with each stanza of the text. The music of each verse underscores the mood, from the jubilant "Gloria in excelsis deo" to the sorrowful "et in terra pax" to the stately concluding "cum sancto spiritu." This recording features the Gloria as well as another staple of the Baorque choral literature, Bach's Magnificat.

Similar works: Top 10 Baroque

Franz Joseph Haydn: The Creation

Gundula Janowitz, soprano; Christa Ludwig, mezzo soprano; Fritz Wunderlich, tenor; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Walter Berry, bass baritone; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Singverein, Herbert von Karajan, conductor

This oratorio (a dramatic work that is not staged) tells the story of the creation, based on the Book of Genesis and John Milton's Paradise Lost. Throughout, Haydn uses instrumental effects to illustrate the story, such as a murky and dissonant texture illustrating chaos that transforms into a brilliant choral outburst at the words "Let there be light!" Herbert von Karajan's performance -- featuring the great tenor Fritz Wunderlich -- is one of the finest ever set down on record.

Similar works: Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 Classical

Top 10 Operas to Start Your Classical Music CD Collection

An opera is a dramatic stage composition for soloists, chorus, and orchestra, usually in two or more acts. Opera differs from other forms of classical music in that it merges theatrical performance with musical prowess. In a successful opera production, acting, directing, singing, conducting, and orchestal playing to create a dramatic spectacle that can move audiences to laughter or to tears -- sometimes all within the same production. A typical opera begins with an orchestral prelude or overture, in which we hear previews of the music to come. The story is then presented in a series of recitatives, arias, and choruses. Recitative is a style of singing that is meant to reflect the accents and inflections of ordinary speech. It is usually sung by one person or as a dialogue, and the orchestral accompinament is sparse. The text of a recitative usually contributes to the action of the drama. The text of an aria, on the other hand, usually consists of one character examining at length his or her feelings about a particular character or subject; many of the greatest arias are about love. The aria shows off the singer's skill and is usually lushly orchestrated. Duets, trios, and other small ensemble numbers are similar to arias musically, and their text may be either dramatic or reflective. Finally, choruses feature a large group of singers, often representing a crowd, that enters at particularly dramatic moments. Most opera acts have large choral finales. Opera was invented around 1600 by a group of Italian intellectuals who believed that the most effective way to present dramatic poetry was to sing it. Within a few decades opera had become phenomenally popular in Italy, and by 1700 it had spread to all corners of Europe. In this period the primary function of opera was to provide a venue for singers to showcase their virtuosity, so operas were filled with long, repetetive arias and dramatic plots were nearly nonexistent. Around 1750 some composers decided that operatic music's real purpose was to serve the poetry and advance the plot; this "opera reform" movement paved the way for the great operas of Mozart, which combine complex dramatic poetry with the composer's genius for drawing musical pictures. During the nineteenth century operas tended to be either spectacular historical dramas featuring battles and crowd scenes, or tender romantic stories, sometimes comic, sometimes tragic. The two giants of nineteenth-century opera were Giuseppe Verdi in Italy and Richard Wagner in Germany. Verdi's twenty-six operas perfected Italy's long operatic tradition while introducing some nationalist elements, whereas Wagner's revolutionary "music dramas" combined legendary characters and continuous action with experimental harmonies that foreshadowed twentiethcentury music. In the twentieth century opera, like all other forms of music, became a medium for new harmonies and styles. Great modern opera composers include Leos Jancek, Richard Strauss, Benjamin Britten, Dmitri Shostakovich, Leonard Bernstein, and John Adams. Back to Genres Index Top 10 Essential Operas

Bizet: Carmen -- Teresa Berganza, Plcido Domingo, Claudio Abbado The world's most popular opera. Review...

Mozart: Don Giovanni -- Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, Carlo Maria Giulini Mozart casting himself as a Don Juan? Review...

Verdi: La Traviata -- Angela Gheorghiu, Sir Georg Solti The most heart-wrenching tragic ending in opera history. Review...

Wagner: Tristan and Isolde -- Kirsten Flagstad, Wilhelm Furtwngler Legendary music drama. Review...

Puccini: La Bohme -- Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Herbert von Karajan The timeless classic of true love that inspired a Broadway sensation. Review...

Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk -- Galina Vishnevskaya, Mstislav Rostropovich A dark psychological portrait of a tortured woman. Review...

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas -- Dame Janet Baker, Anthony Lewis The undisputed masterpiece of Baroque opera. Review...

Mozart: The Magic Flute -- Fritz Wunderlich, Karl Bhm Fantasy and fairytale in ancient Egypt. Review...

Bellini: Norma -- Maria Callas, Tullio Serafin The opera that made Maria Callas. Review...

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Rossini: The Barber of Seville -- Hermann Prey, Claudio Abbado Figaro Figaro Figaro Fiiiiiiiiiiiigaro! Review...

More Recommended Operas

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Verdi: Aida -- Leontyne Price, Plcido Domingo, Erich Leinsdorf An Egyptian princess has to make the ultimate choice. Review...

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Gounod: Faust -- Dame Joan Sutherland, Richard Bonynge Making a pact with the Devil is always bad news. Review...

Georges Bizet: Carmen

Teresa Berganza, soprano (Carmen); Plcido Domingo, tenor (Don Jos); Ileana Cotrubas, soprano (Mecala); Sherrill Milnes, baritone (Escamillo); Claudio Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers Victoria de los Angeles, soprano (Carmen); Nicolai Gedda, tenor (Don Jos); Janine Micheau, soprano (Micala); Ernest Blanc (Escamillo), Sir Thomas Beecham, French Radio Chorus and Orchestra ->

Carmen has everything one could possibly want in an opera -- catchy tunes, lush orchestration, and a tragic love triangle -- so it is no wonder that it is the world's most popular opera. The operas soap opera plot confronts the three great topics of scandalous drama: passionate love, unforgivable betrayal, and violent revenge. At the center of the story is Carmen, a gorgeous but manipulative gypsy girl whose strong will and passion lead her to trouble and scandal. This title role is the most coveted of mezzo-sopranos worldwide and demands intense strength and skill to perform. With famous arias like the Toreador song Votre toast and Carmens Lamour est un oiseau rebelle, Carmen is the perfect introduction to opera, for even a novice will recognize many of the melodies. Until Sir Thomas Beecham's classic recording is rereleased, our top recommendation is Claudio Abbado's 1977 version, featuring Teresa Berganza as an attractive and haunting Carmen and Plcido Domingo in his prime as Don Jos.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni, K. 527

Eberhard Wchter, baritone (Don Giovanni); Giuseppe Taddei, baritone (Leporello); Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano (Elvira); Dame Joan Sutherland, soprano (Anna); Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor

Few operas are as closely tied with the life of the composer as Mozart's Don Giovanni. Written in the year of Mozart's father's death, Don Giovanni tells the story of a playboy hero-villain who must come to terms with himself and the ghost of a father figure, the Commendatore. Many scholars have speculated that Mozart represented his relationship with his father through Don Giovanni and the Commendatore. In the opera, Don Giovanni is a likable villain who woos innocent women only to break their hearts. His lowly servant Leporello is the unrewarded accomplice on all his conquests. The three main women, Donna

Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina, represent honor and goodness, and in the end they urge Don Giovanni to repent his sins. While the Commendatore's ghost is a threat to Don Giovanni, we soon discover that the biggest threat to the title character is himself. The opera's highlights include the duet "La ci darem la mano," and Leporello's aria cataloguing Don Giovanni's conquests. Carlo Maria Giulini's classic performance featuring superstars Elisabeth Schwartzkopf and Dame Joan Sutherland is the standard by which all subsequent recordings have been judged.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata

Angela Gheorghiu, soprano (Violetta); Frank Lopardo, tenor (Alfredo); Leo Nucci, baritone (Germont); Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra and Chorus, Sir Georg Solti, conductor

Featuring the most heart-wrenching tragic ending in operatic history, La Traviata is a love story between the courtesan Violetta Valery and her young admirer Alfredo Germont. Following the script of many age-old tales of true love, Violetta and Alfredo try desperately to protect their love in the face of circumstances that threaten to tear them apart. Full of misunderstandings, emotional turmoil, and outlandish drama, Verdi's masterpiece has been performed thousands of times by the best artists of each era, including Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, and Maria Callas. As one of the most famous operas in the world, La Traviata is sure to give many newcomers to opera a shock: many musical motifs popularized in modern-day entertainment originated in this opera. Angela Gheorghiu has made the part of Violetta entirely her own, and Sir Georg Solti never lets the intensity falter. This performance is also available on DVD.

Similar works: Top 10 Verdi, Top 10 Romantic

Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde

Kirsten Flagstad, soprano (Isolde); Ludwig Sathaus, tenor (Tristan); Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone (Kurwenal); Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwngler, conductor

Richard Wagner's "music dramas" combine poetry, scenic design, action, and music to form what Wagner called a "total artwork." To enchance the dramatic effect, Wagner wrote his own stories and took his characters from Germanic mythology. Tristan, Wagner's greatest opera, is set in medieval Britain. The knight Tristan has been sent to fetch the Irish princess Isolde, who will marry Tristan's uncle, the King of Cornwall. Tristan had killed Isolde's lover, and when they meet again Isolde attempts to kill both Tristan and herself. However, her servant Brangne has replaced the death potion with a love potion, and the two fall helplessly in love. As the drama develops, Tristan and Isolde come to realize the futility of their love, leading to the opera's tragic ending. Though filled with memorable singing, the opera is most famous for its orchestration. T he orchestral Prelude and Isolde's Liebestod (Death Song) are routinely played in concert halls, and Wagner's innovative scoring throughout the work foreshadows musical developments fifty years before they became widespread. Wilhelm Furtwngler's 1951 performance featuring the commanding Kirsten Flagstad as Isolde is the most electrifying four hours of opera ever committed to record. If you want to see the action as well as hear it, Karl Bhm's historic 1973 performance with Jon Vickers and Birgit Nilsson in the title roles has now been released on DVD.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Giacomo Puccini: La Bohme

Mirella Freni, soprano (Mimi); Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (Rodolfo); Elisabeth Harwood, (Musetta); Rolando Panerai, baritone (Marcello); Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass (Colline); Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Schneberg Boys Choir, Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus, Herbert von Karajan, conductor

The music, plot, characters, and environment of La Bohme represent the Romantic Era in complete and full flavor. As starving artists in Paris around 1830, the roommates Rodolfo and Marcello and their friends Colline and Schaunard yearn to find love in their art and lives while trying to survive under impoverished circumstances. Daunted by their lovers, the endearing Mimi and fickle Musetta, Rodolfo and Marcello undergo a series of woes in their romantic affairs. The story follows the group of friends through several months, as they band together to fight the enemies of loneliness and depression. However, they soon discover the real enemy is something they cannot overcome even with love, which leads to one of the most tragic endings of all time. In recent years, La Bohme has enjoyed a surge of revivals: in 1996, Rent, a Broadway musical adaptation of La Bohme, emerged as a phenomenon, and in 2001, Baz Luhrmann, the director of Moulin Rouge, revived La Bohme as a "pop opera" on Broadway. Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti give a passonate performance as Mimi and Rodolfo, and Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic wonderfully.

Similar works: Top 10 Early Modern

Dmitri Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Op. 29

Galina Vishnevskaya, soprano (Katarina); Nikolai Gedda, tenor (Sergei), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor

Many operas focus on a central female character, her choices, and the undeniable consequences of those choices, but Lady Macbeth does all this but to an unsettling degree. Following in the steps of remarkably few operas, Shostakovich's most famous opera is a dark psychological thriller that reaches deep into the mind of one woman and her quest for acceptance and love. The opera is so powerful that when Josef Stalin saw it for the first time in 1936, he declared it dangerous and banned it from the Soviet stage. At the center of the story is Katerina Ismailova, an unsatisfied, abused wife of the impotent businessman Zinovy. When her father-in-law Boris discovers her affair with the hired hand Sergei, Katerina is driven to kill both Boris and Zinovy. At the end of the opera, Katerina is sent to Siberia, only to find that Sergei's love was a faade. Shostakovich's music is spectacular, exposing raw emotions of passion, pain, frustration and regret. A unique addition to the world of opera in Lady Macbeth is an in-your-face brass ensemble that takes the stage at key moments of unbridled, vivid passion. Soprano Galina Vishnevskaya -probably the greatest Katarina ever -- sings her heart out in this legendary recording led by her husband Mstislav Rostropovich.

Similar works: Top 10 Twentieth Century

Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

Janet Baker, alto (Dido); Raymond Herincx, bass (Aeneas); St. Anthony Singers, English Chamber Orchestra, Anthony Lewis, conductor

The first great opera written in English, Dido and Aeneas is also one of the shortest full operas ever written, running less than an hour. A period piece of Greek mythology composed in the Baroque age, Purcell's minimal libretto leaves much interpretation to each specific production, and performances can range from simple to grand. Adapted from part of Vergil's story Aeneid, the opera follows the main character, Dido, the sullen queen of Carthage, through her love affair with Aeneas, a Trojan prince. Witches and spirits present complications for the lovers, and the antagonists ultimately lead Dido and Aeneas to destruction and despair, a tragic ending unusual for seventeenth-century opera. Particularly notable is Dido's moving lament, "When I am laid in earth." Under the direction of Anthony Lewis, Dame Janet Baker sings the most beautiful Dido on record and Raymond Herincx brings the thinly drawn Aeneas to life. For a more authentic Baroque recording, it's hard to go wrong with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants.

Similar works: Top 10 Baroque

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Die Zauberflte (The Magic Flute), K. 620

Fritz Wunderlich, tenor (Tamino); Evelyn Lear, soprano (Pamina); Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone (Papageno); Roberta Peters, soprano (Queen of the Night); Franz Crass, bass (Sarasto); RIAS Chamber Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bhm, conductor

The last opera Mozart completed before his death, The Magic Flute is a comical ensemble piece that presents allegory and irony beyond its fairytale plot. Enjoyable on both a level of entertainment and a level of social commentary, the opera explores timeless topics of religion, love, racism, revenge, and good versus evil. The Egyptian prince Tamino, and his half-bird, half-man friend Papageno are sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue the princess Pamina from the seemingly evil ruler Sarastro. However, things are not always what they seem, and the plot twists as the protagonists face challenge after challenge. Mozart's wit and humor shine throughout the story line, as musical instruments become tools of magic, wooing foes to sleep and taming wild animals. Highlights of the opera include the Queen's two stunning arias, Pamina's famous tragic aria, "Ach, ich fuhl's," and gorgeous duet interplay between the lovers. One could not ask for a better Tamino-Papageno pair than Fritz Wunderlich and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in Karl Bhm's recording. For a cast in which the women outshine the men, Otto Klemperer's version is the first choice: Gandula Janowitz is a radiant Pamina, and Lucia Popp effortlessly reaches the stratospheric heights of the Queen of the Night's arias.

Similar works: Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Classical

Vincenzo Bellini: Norma

Maria Callas, soprano (Norma); Franco Corelli, tenor (Sever); Christa Ludwig, mezzo-soprano (Adalgisa); La Scala Chorus and Orchestra, Tullio Serafin, conductor

The opera and role that made a legend out of Maria Callas, Norma was also the masterpiece of Vincenzo Bellini's career. The title role is considered the most difficult role in the soprano repertoire, and very few singers have risen to the challenge with success. Set in the mystical age of Druid magic, before the rule of the Romans, Norma tells a tale of forbidden love between the astrologer Norma and the Roman proconsul Sever. When Adalgisa, a priestess, turns their affair into a dangerous love triangle, all reason runs awry. The opera is the foremost example of Bellini's bel canto style that so enchanted Liszt and Chopin that they based their piano style on Bellini's long melodic lines. Highlights include Norma's aria "Casta diva" and the gorgeous lyrical duets between Norma and Adalgisa. While Maria Callas's 1954 mono recording features the star's voice at its best, we recommend the 1960 stereo version for its better sound, superior acting, and stellar supporting cast.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Gioacchino Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)

Teresa Berganza, mezzo soprano (Rosina); Luigi Alva, tenor (Almaviva); Hermann Prey, bass (Figaro); London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado, conductor

This innocent, playful, and charming opera is based on the first part of Beaumarchais's Figaro trilogy. Newcomers will delight in the fact that the common childhood chant "Figaro Figaro Figaro" is in fact referring to this Figaro, the self-absorbed barber and servant to Count Almaviva. The opera tells the story of the wealthy Count, who has fallen in love with a commoner, Rosina, and chased her from Madrid to Seville. Disguised as the poor student Lindoro, the Count woos Rosina away from her ridiculously dim-witted guardian Doctor Bartolo and his accomplice Don Basilio. Through schemes and escapades of the Count proving his love for Rosina, the characters get in a mess of disguises, mistaken identities, and emotional entanglements. The lighthearted and youthful nature of the characters shines through the music, especially in Rosina's aria "Una voce poco fa" and Figaro's "Largo al factotum." Teresa Berganza gives a good portrayal of Rosina's part as Rossini wrote it, and the others in the cast sing well under Abbado's attentive direction. For many years Rosina was sung by a soprano who could ornament the written part with higher notes, and Roberta Peters in this role brings a fine sparkle to Erich Leinsdorf's recording.

Similar works: Top 10 Classical

Giuseppe Verdi: Aida

Leontyne Price, soprano (Aida); Plcido Domingo, tenor (Radams); Grace Bumbry, mezzo soprano (Amneris); London Symphony Orchestra, John Alldis Choir, Erich Leinsdorf, conductor

Verdi's Aida is at once opera at both its most grand and its most personal. The opera tells the story of an Ethiopian princess caught between the two men in her life: her lover Radams, prince of Egypt, and her father Amonasro, king of Ethiopia. Amonasro commands the Ethiopian armies in their battle against Radams and the Egyptians, and Aida and Radams must both make the ultimate choice of whether to betray their love for their respective countries. The lovers' decision -- and the tragedy that ensues -- makes for a supremely gripping story. Verdi's music ranges from the delicate (Radams's aria "Celeste Aida") to the bombastic (the Grand March, which accompanies the entrance of the Egyptian army and, in some productions, their elephants). Leontyne Price and Plcido Domingo are two of the greatest Verdi interpreters on record, and they come together in this stellar recording led by Erich Leinsdorf.

Similar works: Top 10 Verdi, Top 10 Romantic

Charles Gounod: Faust

Dame Joan Sutherland, soprano (Marguerite); Franco Corelli, tenor (Faust); Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass (Mephistophls); Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Bonynge, conductor

Many operas have been composed to the legendary story of Goethe's Faust, but none has enjoyed the success of Charles Gounod's adaptation. Written in 1859, Faust roused Parisian audiences from opening night and had been performed more than one thousand times by the time of the composer's death in 1893. Incorporating scenes from both parts of Goethe's story, the opera tells the tale of Dr. Faustus, who makes a pact with the Devil (Mephistopheles) in exchange for youth and power. The innocent maiden Marguerite plays the Devil's bait, and Faust falls deeply in love with her at first sight. Against the backdrop of a war in France, Mephistopheles wreaks havoc on the lovers and ensures Faust's demise. The luscious music of the Romantic age is exemplified by the famous arias "Le veau d'or," Marguerite's "Ah! Je ris," and Faust's "Salut! demeure." Richard Bonynge is skilled at making grand opera in the traditional French style, and this recording's stellar cast throw themselves into the performance.

Similar works: Top 10 Romantic

Top 10 Books About Classical Music and Classical Music CDs

While we belive that the best way to learn about classical music is to listen to it, there are some books that greatly enrich the learning process. We have recommended our favorite ten books below. Our list contains two different types of books: (1) books about some aspect of the history of music, whether it be a composer biography, discussion of a particular genre or style, or a general reference work, and (2) guidebooks that review and recommend classical music recordings. Both types will be useful as you build your classical music CD collection, for you will want to learn more about the context of the music you're hearing, and someday (far in the future) you will want to learn what recordings to buy beyond those on our lists. View our Top 10 Classical Music CD recommendations Read our Classical Music CD Buying Guide Top 10 Essential Classical Music Books The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music 2010 -- Ivan March, et al. The most comprehensive classical CD guide. Review... The Lives of the Great Composers -- Harold Schonberg The history of classical music through the eyes of the greatest masters. Review... The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection -- Ted Libbey Reviews and recording recommendations for 350 essential works. Review... A History of Western Music -- J. Peter Burkholder, Donald Grout, Claude Palisca The standard reference for music history from ancient times to the present day. Review... Beethoven -- Maynard Solomon A definitive biography of the great composer. Review... The Insider's Guide to Classical Recordings -- Jim Svejda An irreverent and highly opinionated guide to hundreds of CDs. Review... Opera 101 -- Fred Plotkin A beginner's guide to learning and loving opera. Review... The Gramophone Classical Music Guide 2011 -- James Jolly A comprehensive guide to recordings. Review... Concerto Conversations -- Joseph Kerman Examining the entirety of the concerto repertoire. Review... The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven -- Charles Rosen Insightful explanations of the three giants' music. Review...

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The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music 2010

by Ivan March, Edward Greenfield, Robert Layton, and Paul Czajkowski, Penguin Books, 2009

The Penguin Guide is the granddaddy of classical music CD guides. It contains hundreds of composers, both major and minor, and thousands of reviews of recordings. The Guide has dozens of reviews for all of the major works, which is a boon for the connoisseur but may make it difficult for the beginner to choose only one. To make things a little easier, the latest edition features not only the Guide's trademark "Rosettes," which indicate particularly special recordings, but also a list of "Key Recordings" that novices can use to start a collection. The Guide is essential for anyone looking to expand his or her collection beyond the basic repertiore.

Similar works: NPR Guide, Insider's Guide, Gramophone Guide

The Lives of the Great Composers

by Harold C. Schonberg; 3rd Edition, W. W. Norton & Co., 1997

Harold Schonberg's Lives of the Great Composers is a great introduction to the forty or so men who have had the greatest influence on classical music. All of the major figures get a chapter on their lives and works. Taken as a whole, the book presents four hundred years of classical music history. Schonberg's style is vivid and compelling, and no musical expertise is required.

Similar works: Top 10 CDs by Composer, Beethoven Biography

The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection

by Ted Libbey; 2nd Edition, Workman Publishing, 1999

This guidebook is aimed at the person who knows something about classical music and wants to expand his or her collection. It contains brief biographies of all the major composers, and detailed descriptions of the 350 most important works, with recommended recordings for each. The guide is indispensable for someone looking to move beyond the works featured on Classical CD Guide.com.

Similar works: Penguin Guide, Insider's Guide, Gramophone Guide

A History of Western Music

by J. Peter Burkholder, Donald J. Grout, and Claude V. Palisca; 8th Edition, W. W. Norton & Co., 2009

This classic reference work is the standard university textbook for courses on the history of Western music. Beginning with Greek, Roman, and medieval music and continuing through the most recent developments in Europe and America, the book describes in detail each era of music history, including in-depth examinations of the most important composers' lives and works, explanations of developments in musical style, and summaries of external conditions such as wars and religious movements that influenced music. Novices most familiar with the Classical andRomantic eras may be disappointed that nearly half the book covers the period before 1750, but those who read it will discover that the early years were just as interesting as more recent times. The book does contain some musical examples and technical terminology, but the untrained reader won't miss much. In the newest edition, J. Peter Burkholder has updated Grout and Palisca's classic text, placing more emphasis on social and historical trends that have affected music history.

Similar works: Top 10 CDs by Era

Beethoven

by Maynard Solomon; 2nd Edition, Schirmer Books, 2001

Maynard Solomon's biography on Beethoven is the best recent biography of the composer and a first choice for anyone who doesn't feel like wading through Thayer's immense classic. In an elegant, readable style, Solomon takes many different angles on the composer -historical, psychological, sociological, and musicological -- as he traces Beethoven's life and music. Reading this book will help both the trained scholar and the musical novice understand the great composer and his music.

Similar works: Top 10 Beethoven CDs, The Lives of the Great Composers

The Insider's Guide to Classical Recordings

by Jim Svejda; 6th Edition, Prima Lifestyles, 1999

Jim Svejda's classical recording guide is subtitled "A highly opinionated, irreverent, and selective guide to what's good and what's not," and indeed the book lives up to this billing. Svejda has been broadcasting classical music on the radio for more than 25 years, and he has built up an impressive knowledge of recordings. While he never claims to be objective (e.g. "I have always had a blind spot when it comes to Vivaldi"), his reviews are hilarious and informative at the same time. Even if you don't agree with Svejda's recommendations, just reading the reviews gives the classical music lover a wealth of knowledge about composers, performers, and conductors. Sadly, the sixth edition has gone out of print, but there are plenty of used copies available to hold you over until the next edition arrives. (Note: if the sixth edition is available only at unreasonably high prices, the fifth edition might be a better bet.)

Similar works: NPR Guide, Penguin Guide, Gramophone Guide

Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera

by Fred Plotkin; Hyperion, 1994

Fred Plotkin's Opera 101 is the best beginner's guide to opera on the market today. The first three chapters offer an introduction to opera, including its history, terminology, and what you need to know to be an informed listener. In the remainder of the book, Plotkin takes the reader through eleven famous operas in detail, describing what to listen for in each. Though it helps to have a recording of each opera playing as you read the book, there is much to be gained even if you read in silence. Plotkin's style is both engaging and accessible.

Similar works: Top 10 Opera CDs

The Gramophone Classical Music Guide 2011

by James Jolly; Gramophone Publications, 2010

The Gramophone guide falls somewhere between the Penguin Guide and the NPR Guide in the continuum of classical CD guides. It includes nearly as many composers as the Penguin Guide, but reviews fewer works for each composer and fewer recordings for each work. The reviews are helpful and clearly indicate which is the recommended recording for each work.

Similar works: NPR Guide, Penguin Guide, Insider's Guide

Concerto Conversations

by Joseph Kerman; Harvard University Press, 1999

Originally given as the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University in 1997-98, Joseph Kerman's six "conversations" range freely over the whole concerto repertoire, treating both the general and the particular. According to Kerman, concertos model human relationships, and his description of the stages of the concerto brings this metaphor to life. The best part of the book, however, is Kerman's detailed analyses of particular concertos (including Mozart's 20th Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto), which offer fresh insights into these memorable warhorses. The book also comes with a 69-minute CD of musical examples, especially appropriate from a man who believes that music appreciation should be "less talk and more music."

Similar works: Top 10 Concertos

The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven

by Charles Rosen; 2nd Edition, W. W. Norton & Co., 1998

Winner of the 1972 National Book Award, Charles Rosen's The Classical Style discusses the music of the three great composers of the Viennese Classical School: Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Written in an eminently readable style and filled with insight after insight, Rosen's book offers an excellent argument for why the music of these three composers has become the standard by which all subsequent music is judged. The one caveat for the beginner is that the book contains many musical examples, so the book hold far more meaning for those who can read musical notation.

Similar works: Top 10 Classical, Top 10 Haydn, Top 10 Mozart, Top 10 Beethoven