BRAHMS / BEETHOVEN / SCHUBERT
4 Balladen op. 10 / Piano Sonata No 4 Op 7 / Piano Sonata D537 Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 24/May/2004 ] "Michelangeli plays an instrument made in the 1910s which produces a wonderfully blended tone and a fine mellow sonority. The Ballades are given a performance of the greatest distinction...there is no doubt that this is very fine playing, and it is... |
FREDERIC CHOPIN
Chopin: Mazurkas / Ballade in G minor / etc Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 20/Feb/2009 ] "Everything is marvellously executed, each detail is defined with absolute clarity" Max Harrison, Gramophone, November 1984 |
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
Debussy: Preludes Book 1 / Images Books 1 & 2 Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 19/Apr/2005 ] "Michelangeli focuses and clarifies with every miraculous stroke of the keys, etching these miniatures in pristine colours, his meticulous technique bathing each scene in brilliant sunshine." (BBC Music) |
ANTONIN DVORAK
Dvorak: Slavonic Dances Op 46 & 72 Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik [ Deutsche Grammophon Originals / CD - released 22/May/2000 ] "This is a "desert island" set if ever there were one. Kubelik's Slavonic Dances always have rated among the best, and still dazzle by virtue of their fleetness and almost savage intensity." (ClassicsToday) |
BEETHOVEN
Symphony No 3 / Coriolan Overture Berlin Philharmonic / Karl Bohm [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 2/Sep/2001 ] "(Bohm) creates a sense of enormity and greatness in the music" www.classicstoday.com |
PYOTR Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake / Nutcracker / Sleeping Beauty (Ballet Suites) Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich. [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 5/May/2001 ] 'Rostropovich's trypich of Tchaikovsky ballets is very special. The remastering, always outstanding. Now approaches demonstration standard. 69 minutes of sheer joy.' - Rosette (highest rating) Penguin Guide |
RICHARD STRAUSS
Strauss, (R.): Also Sprach Zarathustra / Don Juan / etc Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 20/Jul/2001 ] "The Berlin Philharmonic plays with great fervour (the timpani strokes at the very opening are quite riveting) and creates characteristic body of tone in the strings." (Penguin Guide) |
MENDELSSOHN
Symphonies 3 "Scottish" & 4 "Italian" Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan [ Deutsche Grammophon Originals / CD - released 20/Jul/2012 ] Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan |
RAVEL / DEBUSSY / MUSSORGSKY
Ravel: Bolero / Debussy: La Mer / Mussorgsky: Pictures at an exhibition Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan [ Deutsche Grammophon Originals / CD - released 20/Jul/2016 ] "Among the many fine versions of Mussorgsky's Pictures, Karajan's 1966 record stand out. It is undoubtedly a great performance, tingling with electricity from the opening promenade to the spaciously conceived finale, the Great Gate of Kiev" (Penguin) |
ANTONIN DVORAK
Dvorak: Symphonies Nos 8 & 9 'From the New World' Berliner Philharmoniker [Berlin Philharmonic], Rafael Kubelik [ Deutsche Grammophon Originals / CD - released 10/Jul/2016 ] Gramophone Magazine - 100 Greatest Recordings |
SCHUMANN
The 4 Symphonies / Overtures Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik [ Deutsche Grammophon Originals / 2 CD - released 18/Jan/2010 ] "Kubelik's Schumann is dramatic, weighty and loving" (BBC Music) |
FRANZ LISZT
Les Preludes / Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 / etc (with Smetana-Die Moldau) Berliner Philharmoniker [Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra], Herbert von Karajan [ Deutsche Grammophon Originals / CD - released 11/Jan/2008 ] MUST HAVE . . . Record Review / Classic FM (London) / 01 April 2004 |
JEAN SIBELIUS
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos 4-7 / The Swan of Tuonela / Tapiola Berliner Philharmoniker [Berlin Philharmonic], Herbert von Karajan [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / 2 CD - released 22/Jan/2004 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1901-1950) - "This set is a convenient way of collecting Karajan's splendid DG performances of Sibelius's last four symponies, including the outstanding version of the Fourth. The Berlin... |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: Sinfonia concertante KV 297b / Sinfonia concertante KV 364 Thomas Brandis (violin) Giusto Cappone (viola) Karl Steins (oboe) Karl Leister (clarinet) etc / Berliner Philharmoniker [Berlin Philharmonic], Karl Bo [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 5/May/2003 ] "The account of the Sinfonia concertante (K297b) is of superlative quality, sounding amazingly idiomatic and well blended, with the balance between soloists and orchestra nicely managed. This is altogether refreshing." Penguin Guide to Compact Discs |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Rigoletto (Complete opera) Piero Cappuccilli, Ilena Cotrubas, Placido Domingo / Wiener Philharmoniker, Carlo Maria Giulini [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / 2 CD - released 13/Jan/2004 ] 1001 Classical recordings you must hear before you die (1851-1900) - Gripping performance lead by Placido Domingo as the Duke |
GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI da PALESTRINA / GREGORIO ALLEGRI / etc
Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli / Allegri - Miserere / etc Choir of Westminster Abbey, Simon Preston [ Deutsche Grammophon Archiv Originals / CD - released 11/May/2016 ] This was at the time and still remains a fascinating CD of an Anglican choir tackling Italian Renaissance vocal music completely outside its normal tradition. It is available for the first time at a special price. |
VERDI
Opera Choruses (Incls The Chorus of Hebew Slaves) Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala / Claudio Abbado / etc [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 2/Sep/2001 ] Classic recordings remastered |
DAVID & IGOR OISTRACH
Music of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Benda, Wieniawski, Sarasate David and Igor Oistrach [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 16/Mar/2000 ] Originals - Classic DG recordings remastered |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: Winterreise Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Jarg Demus (piano) [ Deutsche Grammophon Originals / CD - released 1/Jan/2006 ] "No list of great recordings could ignore Fischer-Dieskau and of his many versions of this work, this seems to balance vocal beauty and intellectual insight." (Gramophone) |
JOHNANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Liebeslieder-Walzer / 3 Quartette Op. 64 Edith Mathis, Brigitte Fassbaender, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Karl Engel & Wolfgang Sawallisch [ Deutsche Grammophon Originals / CD - released 20/Nov/2010 ] "The rare elegance and stylishness of Karl Engel's and Wolfgang Sawallisch's piano-playing, too, lifts the Op. 52 way above the party pieces these can so often become; they energize the bolder variety of the Op. 65 group, and enhance the... |