Your list of 10 classical LPs and/or CDs is welcome and I will publish your choice on this page. Your choice and explanation may inspire others to compile a list too. If you want to add your e-mail address for others to correspond, you are free to do so. It is not an obligation.

 
 

 

Your Desert Island Discs...

 

YOU ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT
YOUR 10 CLASSICAL DESERT ISLAND DISCS

Many years ago I drove a small French car and in it was a valve radio which gave a lot of listening pleasure. On Saturday mornings I used to listen to the BBC and their program "Desert Island Discs". Every time a person, who was more or less a celebrity, made you contemplate what would be your own selection of ten discs to take with you when going into seclusion. You may have had a similar experience.
No matter if you are a celebrity or not, here is the chance to list your desert island discs. And you are free to add your comments and explain your choice.

Send your selection of 10 classical LPs and/or CDs by clicking on the button below. You may add an explanation why this is your personal choice. Jazz will follow later.

Submitted by Tim Relyveld - Educator, Amsterdam, Netherlands - 13 April, 2020.
1. Hall Of Fame by Vladimir Horowitz: Recordings between 1930 and 1944. 5 CD  box. Horowitz at his top.
2. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk - Nicolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt.   The box contains all of the cantatas Label: Teldec.
3. Cherubini: Medea conducted by Tullio Serafin, 1959. The combination between Callas and Serafin is outstanding. Label: EMI.
4. J.S. Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier - Sviatoslav Richter. Divine playing. Label: Eurodisc.
5. Tchaikovsky: The maid of Orleans conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky, 1969 with Irina Arkhipova, legend singer hardly known in the west. Melodiya.
6. Liszt: Mephisto Waltzes - Giuseppe Andaloro, piano. Giuseppe Andaloro exels in his playing the waltzes. The disc contains also Grosses Konzertsolo. Label: Naxos.
7. Rachmaninoff: Great Pianists 49.  Piano concerto No. 3. Vladimir Horowitz and Fritz Reiner. Label: RCA.
8. Beethoven: Complete Symphonies conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler. Just one of my favorite conductors. Label: EMI.
9. Mozart: Don Giovanni conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini, 1961. Legends are singing here. Label: EMI.
10. Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen - Sir Georg Solti. Outstanding performers. Label: Decca.

Submitted by: Stephen R. Waldee - Manager, Roper Piano Studio, San Jose, California, USA. (retired classical music broadcaster, programmer, and radio engineer)
1. JERGER: Salzburg Court & Baroque Music, Wilhelm Jerger cond. the Bamberger Symphoniker, Mace LP. Charming neoclassical music in much the same spirit as Respighi's "Ancient Dances and Airs for Lute" suites, but with a heartier and more florid orchestral transcription
2. VISKI: Enigma - Symphonic Poem. Hungarian State Orchestra, Gyula Nemeth, Mace LP. This work has some of the flavor of Kodaly and early Bartok, with dark orchestration, a lushness of style and mood, and heady drama that are very compelling.
3. PONCHIELLI: Quartet for Piano and Winds. DI Bonaventura, piano, Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet, Columbia LP or Sony CD. If a piece of classical music could actually make one laugh, this is it! Yet it has a charm and lyricism right out of the bel canto opera style that make it more
memorable, for me, than most of Ponchielli's other serious achievements.
4. MAGNARD: Symphony No. 3, OSR/Ansermet - London Lp. None of the modern digital performances of this piece can touch Ansermet and his orchestra for poetry and insight: a most moving experience, and my first choice of all my treasures in the Ansermet discography.
5. SCHOECK: Violin Concerto. Lehmann, vn./Zürcher Orchestra/de Stoutz. Mace LP. I prefer this performance to all others currently available, as it has greater emotional intensity, surpassing even the dedicatee's own recording, that of Stefi Geyer. The work deserves to be included in the first rank of popular concerti for violin but is almost totally unknown to concertgoers.
6. SCHMIDT: Four Symphonies; Radio Bratislava, Rajter. Opus CD. Ludovic Rajter seems unique among modern conductors who have recorded the pieces, in his ability to combine probing seriousness with lush relaxation. Although there are excellent performances by Mehta, Jaervi, and Welser-Most, I turn to Rajter's cycle most often.
7. BIZET: Fair Maid of Perth - Suite. LPO, Beecham. World Record Club LP. This 1934 recording has amazing vividness, nascent high fidelity; and Beecham's performance is the epitome of Gallic wit and taste. No CD transfer has yet equaled the work done by Anthony C. Griffith and issued on LP by WRC. This performance, and its recording, summarize the remarkable and historic qualities of TB and his hand-picked orchestra.
8. ELGAR: Wand of Youth Suites; LPO/Van Beinum. Decca Eclipse and earlier LP issues. In the postwar period, Van Beinum continued to draw the same freshness and delicacy from the LPO that Beecham had evoked in the orchestra's first years. These performances surpass even the composer's own, as well as later ones by Boult and down into the current digital era. Here is the moving, childlike simplicity that Elgar sought nostalgically to recreate, done in absolute perfection. Sadly, a once-available CD reissue was not made directly from the Decca master and is inferior to the first vinyl releases, now rarities.
9. VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Old King Cole ballet suite. LPO, Boult: Decca recording, on Belart CD reissue. The original ffrr recordings of British music, done by Sir Adrian shortly after his enforced retirement from the BBC, have remarkable energy and spontaneity, and often surprisingly satisfying though monaural sound. This one is my favorite of a large group of excellent contenders.
10. BLISS: Things to Come - Suite. LSO, Bliss - Living Stereo or Decca LPs, Belart CD. The composer's own 1957 stereo recording has much of the immediacy and sense of excitement of the performance from the 1935 film's original soundtrack, but immeasurably better sound. While Bernard Herrmann turns the piece into an almost Wagnerian apotheosis of bleakness, Bliss's
own treatment is driving and intensely kinetic, and not as portentous.
 
Submitted by: Laurence Howell - December 14th, 2005 - Great Britain
1. BACH: Violin Sonatas and Partitas, Arthur Grumiaux, 3LP on Philips.
2. FRANCK and GRIEG: Violin Sonatas, Arthur Grumiaux and István Hajdu, on Philips.
3. SHOSTAKOVITCH: Symphony No. 11, Moscow Philharmonic conducted by Kyril Kondrashin, ASD.
4. BACH: Suite No. 1 and 3 for Unaccompanied Cello, Daniel Shafran, on Melodia.
5. PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 5, Czech Philharmonic conducted by Ladislav Slovak on Supraphon.
6. PROKOFIEV and RAVEL: Concerto No. 1 and For the Left Hand, Andrei Gavrilov on ASD.
7. BARTOK: String Quartet no 4, Julliard Quartet (1952 recording) on Philips.
8. MOZART: Violin Concertos No. 4 and 5, Christian Ferras on Classics for Pleasure.
9. BEETHOVEN: Concerto for Violin, Christian Ferras. This is the early version with Sargent and RPO, Pathé Marconi.
10. SCHUBERT: Piano Sonatas 13 and 20, André Krust, on French Harmonia Mundi.
Comment: My last choice is a good example of what is so rewarding in collecting Vinyl, unearthing great Artists of the last Century that are sadly long forgotten.
 
Submitted by: Rudolf A. Bruil - December 1st 2005 - Netherlands
1. BACH: Hohe Messe - Münchinger - Decca SET
2. MOZART: Piano Concerto KV 271, 'Jeunehomme' - Ingrid Haebler + Witold Rowicki - Philips (if you permit me I will take Haebler's complete recordings with Witold Rowicki, Colin Davis and Alceo Galiera)
3. BEETHOVEN: String Quartet Op. 18 No. 2 - Quartetto Italiano - Philips (I take the liberty to take the whole box with me)
4. BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4 - Conrad Hansen/Wilhelm Furtwängler - Ariston
5. MAHLER: Symphony No. 3 - Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic - CBS 72065/66
6. SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto - Christian Ferras/Herbert Von Karajan/Berliner Philharmoniker - DGG SLPM 138 961
7. BARTOK: Concerto for Orchestra - Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra - Columbia ML 4973
8. RACHMANINOFF: Symphonies - Walter Weller, L' Orchestre de la Suisse-Romande/London Philharmonic Orchestra - Decca D9D3
9. FAVOURITE VIOLIN PIECES - Romano Rubato (Nap de Klijn, violin) and Bianca Ritorno (Alice Heksch, piano) playing Provost, Ponce, Winternitz, Heuberger, Von Vecsey, Brandl and Espéjo - Philips S 06024 R
10. GRANADOS: 12 Spanish Dances - Thomas Rajna, piano - Crd 1021 (not the Pro Arte CD)
Comment: Münchinger's Mass received less praise if compared to his St. Matthew Passion, but it is a very impressive performance of an impressive work. Bernstein's Mahler is very human. For me Ferras and Karajan gave the perfect performance of the Sibelius and I have the bonus of a strong Finlandia. Weller's is a powerful Rachmaninoff. Romano Rubato (Nap de Klijn) and Bianca Ritorno (Alice Heksch) playing Provost, Ponce, Winternitz, Heuberger, Von Vecsey, Brandl and Espéjo are just perfect and human. And so is Thomas Rajna. If Spanish Dance No. 2, 'Oriental', is my favorite as played by Alicia de Laroccha, just listen to Spanish Dance No. 11, 'Arabesca', played by Thomas Rajna. Although I did choose my selection very carefully in view of being deprived of the rest of my collection, I may decide to go to a different island and choose a different lot.
 
Submitted by: Menno Baron May 22, 2006 - Netherlands
1. ARNOLD SCHöNBERG: Serenade for Seven Instruments & Bass Voice, op. 24
The light fantastic players, Daniel Shulman, conductor. Nonesuch.
This is an incredible recording of great modern music.
2. EDGAR VARèSE: Offrandes/Intégrales/Octandre/Ecuatorial
The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Arthur Weisberg, conductor. Nonesuch.
Also fantastic recordings of beautiful pieces by this important composer.
3. ANTON WEBERN: Sämtliche Werke für Streichquartett/Complete Works for String Quartet. Quartetto Italiano. Philips.
It is as though they play in your room ! And a very good cover photo of the players.
4. THE NEW MUSIC VOL. TWO - Victrola:
Boulez, Haubenstock-Ramati, Maderna, Rome Symphony orchestra,
Bruno Maderna conducting. RCA Victrola.
The concerto for oboe and chamber orchestra by Maderna is a very nice and
friendly modern work by this composer who died much too young.
5. OLIVIER MESSIAEN: Oiseaux exotiques, Reveil des oiseaux, La Bouscarle.
Supraphon, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Vaclav Neumann, conductor, Yvonne Loriod, piano. Suprahon.
Also a very beautiful modern word by this amazing composer. You can actually
hear the birds wake up. An ornothologist would probably recognise the birds.
Very good recordings for Supraphon.
6. LUTOSLAWSKI: Concerto for orchestra / HINDEMITH: Symphony 'Matis der Maler', l'orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Paul Kletzki. Decca.
The concerto for orchestra is a powerful piece. Great recordings by Decca.
7. HINDEMITH: Violin Concerto / BRUCH: Scottish Fantasia,
London Symphony Orchestra, Paul Hindemith and Jascha Horenstein, conductors, David Oistrach, violin. Decca.
I consider the Hindemith concerto as one of the greatest 20th century violin
concerto's. This is the best possible performance and recording.
8. BéLA BARTóK: Divertimento for Strings / IGOR STRAWINSKY: Concerto for strings in D, Dumbarton Oaks,
The Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Edmond de Stoutz, conductor. Vanguard Stereolab.
9. ARVO PäRT: Tabula Rasa, Fratres, Cantus, Gidon Kremer (in Fratres). Staatsorchester Stuttgart. Dennis Russel Davies, conductor. ECM New Series.
Beautiful pieces and very good recordings. Music for people who like spiritual new music.
10. BRAHMS: Piano Concerto no. 1, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta conductor, Arthur Rubinstein, piano. Decca.
Incredible what a power this man (Rubinstein) still has at such an old age !
Perfect recording and performance of my favourite pianoconcerto. Decca.
 
Submitted by: Raanan Eylon - June 4, 2008 - Israel
1. DINU LIPATTI: Last Recital - Angel.
2. GEORGES ENESCO: Bach Complete Sonatas and Partitas - Olympic.
3. MARCEL MULE: Saxophone Quartet - London.
4. BUSCH TRIO playing Brahms,Beethoven - Odyssey.
5. DVORAK: Cello concerto-Casals Szell -1936 - References.
6. ANTOLOGIA DE LA ZARZUELE - Escala.
7. A CONCERT IN THE WHITE HOUSE: Casals, Schneider, Horszowski.
8. BRAHMS: Clarinet Quintet - Kell, Busch - References.
9. Bracha Zefira and Nahum Nardi - CBS.
10. Conchita Supervia in Song - OASI.

Submitted by: Bert Dekkers - December 28, 2009 - Netherlands
1. MAURICE RAVEL: Maurice Ravel - L'enfant et les sortileges - Lorin Maazel DGG - The fairest of all fairy-tales.
2. ANTONIN DVORAK / JOSEF SUK: Serenades For Strings - Karl Munchinger Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra - Decca – Only if there is a very good stereo set on location.
3. MAURICE RAVEL / CLAUDE DEBUSSY: String Quartets – Quartetto Italiano - Philips
4. GUSTAV MAHLER: Second Symphony “Resurrection” - LSO, Georg Solti – Decca
5. IGOR STRAVINSKY: Le Sacre du Printemps - Philharmonia Orchestra – Igor Markevich – HMV, now Testament
6. ALBERT ROUSSEL / HENRI DUTILLEUX: Suite en fa / 2e symphonie “Le Double” - Lamoureux Orchestre – Charles Munch – Erato
7. GEORG FRIEDERICH HANDEL: Messiah – LSO – Colin Davis – Philips – Recorded/produc ed by Harold Lawrence (1966)
8. GEORGE GERSHWIN: Porgy and Bess (1959 soundtrack) - Philips / CBS - Musical director Andre Previn
9. DARIUS MILHAUD / JEAN FRANCAIX / GEORGES AURIC / ERIC SATIE: Le Boeuf sur le toit / Concerto / Ouverture / Parade – LSO – Antal Dorati - Mercury / Philips
10. ARNOLD SCHOENBERG / ALBAN BERG / ANTON WEBERN: Neue Wiener Schule: Die Streichquartte – LaSalle Quartet – The whole box, please. - DGG
 

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