The complete idiot's guide to classical music (66 page)

From the Greek word meaning “plucking,” the psalms are prayerful Biblical poems sung with instrumental accompaniment. The Bible tells us that King David not only wrote the psalms, but played them on his lyre; in the ancient Hebrew temples, they were chanted daily by the Levites. In early Christian psalmody, the music was interspersed with readings, later a number of the psalms were incorporated into Gregorian chants.

Congregational psalm singing became part of Protestant worship in the 16th century, the texts translated into the language of the country, and paraphrased in metrical verses that simplified group singing. Italian and Spanish psalmody tended to be more elaborate in texture, while in northern Europe, psalms were given freer form by Josquin and his contemporaries, many of them probably intended for performance outside the church.

After 1600, metrical psalm singing continued in the reformed churches, while more ambitious psalm settings were usually reserved for motets and anthems. There’s one in every crowd, though: The Dutch master Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck (1562–1621) set all 153 psalms in metrical versions for three to eight voices (in French).

In our own century, most psalm settings have been designed for concert rather than churchly use, the more notable examples including Zoltan Kodaly’s “Psalmus Hungaricus,” Igor Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Psalms,” and Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms.” There are also individual psalm settings by Ives, Cowell, Vaughan, Williams, et.al.

 

• A Gregorian chant is one of the simplest forms of music and easy to recognize.
  
 

• The Catholic Mass consists of the Ordinary and the Proper, which are subdivided into sections which are sung.
  
 

• A Requiem is a Mass for the dead; while it can be morbid, it can also be astonishingly beautiful.
  
 

• An oratorio tells a biblical or sacred story that conveys a moral message.
  
 

• A motet is a religious song for chorus.
  
 

• The hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” is supposed to have been written by Martin Luther.
  
 

• Psalms are Biblical poems sung with instrumental accompaniment.
  

Is there any way to prepare a list of suggested recordings without upsetting somebody? We doubt it. Why, you demand to know, did you to leave out (fill in the blank)? What (expletive deleted) made you decide to include this recording when that recording is so much better? And the trouble is, you would be right. We would have been much happier with a list ten times as long, but we would run out of space and you would run out of money long before it was over.

So please, don’t consider this a definitive inventory by any means. Think of it more as a suggested guide to building a well-rounded CD collection. We’ve tried to include most of the composers represented in some depth in the earlier chapters; to stay with recordings of the major companies, since they are more likely to be readily available in your friendly neighborhood record shop; and, for simplicity, we have—in most cases—stayed with recordings devoted exclusively (or at least primarily) to a single composer. Thus forewarned, browse through our little Liszt (get it?). We have listed the composers in alphabetical order and included the name of the label and catalog number of the recording we recommend (if you can’t find the recommended recording, there are other fine recordings available too). We have, by the way, used the following abbreviations:

S = Symphony

Phil = Philharmonic

/ = conducted by

O = Orchestra

Cho = Chorus

BACH, Johann Sebastian

Brandenburg Concertos
Scottish Chamber O/ Benjamin Britten (London 443847-2)

Violin Concertos 1, 2 and for Two Violins
Perlman, Stern, New York Phil/Mehta (CBS MYK 38487)

English Suites
Gould, piano (CBS M2K 42268)

Italian Concerto
Kipnis, harpsichord (Sony SBK 53263)

Sonatas & Partitas
Mintz, violin (DG 445526-2)

Mass in B Minor
Vienna Cho, Berlin Phil/Karajan (DG 439696-2)

BARBER, Samuel

Adagio for Strings; Essays 1 and 2; Knoxville Summer of 1915
Atlanta SO/Levi (Telarc 80250)

BARTOK, Bela

Concerto for Orchestra; The Miraculous Mandarin
City of Birmingham SO/Rattle (EMI CDC 55094)

Six String Quartets
Tokyo String Quartet (RCA 09026-68286-2)

BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van.

Symphonies (nos. 1–9 and Overtures)
Vienna PO/Bernstein (DG 6-423481-2 GX6)

Piano Concertos (nos. 1–5)
Ashkenazy, Cleveland O (London 3 421718-2 LH3)

Violin Concerto in D
Heifetz, Boston SO/Munch (RCA RCD1-5402) (also includes Brahms’ Violin Concerto)

Triple Concerto in C for Violin, Cello, Piano
Beaux Arts Trio, London PO/Haitink (Philips 420231-2PH)

Trios (nos. 1–11) for Piano, Violin & Cello
Borodin Trio (Chandos 4-Chan 8352)

The Razoumovsky String Quartets (nos. 7–9)
Guarneri String Quartet (Philips 2-432980-2)

Piano Sonatas, Moonlight, Waldstein, Appassionata
Brendel (Philips 411470-2)

Fidelio
Chicago SO and Cho/Solti (London 2-410227-2 LH2)

BELLINI, Vincenzo

Norma (Selections)
Sutherland, Horne, Alexander, London SO and Cho/Bonynge (London 421886-2)

BERLIOZ, Hector

Symphonie Fantastique
London SO/Davis (Philips Duo 2 442290-2)

Requiem
Pavarotti, Senff Cho, Berlin PO/Levine (DG 2-429724-2 GH2)

BERNSTEIN, Leonard

Candide Overture; On The Town; On The Waterfront; West Side Story Suite
New York PO/Bernstein (CBS MK 42263)

Chichester Psalms
Royal PO/Hickox, London SO Chorus (MCA Classics MCAD 6199)

Mass
Soloists, Chorus and O/Bernstein: CBS M2K 44593

BIZET, Georges

Carmen
Troyanos, Te Kanawa, Domingo, Van Dam, London SO/Solti (London 3-414489-2 LH3)

BRAHMS, Johannes

Violin Concerto
Heifetz, Boston Symphony/Munch (RCA RCD1-5402) (also includes Beethoven Violin Concerto)

Symphonies 1–4; Variations on a Theme of Haydn
Berlin PO/Karajan (DG 3-427602-2 GH3)

Piano Concertos 1 and 2
Arrau, Royal Concertgeboew O/Haitink (Philips 2-438320-2)

Violin Concerto; Double Concerto
Kremer, Maisky, Vienna PO/Bernstein (DG 431031-2 GBE)

Songs
Norman, Parsons (Philips 416349-2)

CHOPIN, Frederic

Piano Music “Selections from the Chopin Collection”
Rubinstein (RCA Gold Seal 7725-2 RG)

Piano Concertos 1 and 2
Ax, Philadelphia O/Ormandy (RCA Silver Seal 60789-2-RV)

Nocturnes
Ohlsson (Arabesque 2 Z 6653-2)

COPLAND, Aaron

Appalachian Spring Suite; Billy the Kid; Tender Land Suite
Boston SO/Copland (RCA Gold Seal 6802-2-RG)

Rodeo; John Henry; Old American Songs; Quiet City
;
Symphony no. 3-Finale
St. Louis SO/Slatkin (Angel CDC 54282)

Music for the Theatre; Clarinet Concerto; El Salon Mexico
New York PO/Bernstein (DG 431672-2 GH)

DEBUSSY, Claude

Clair de Lune; Nocturnes; Danses; Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Philadelphia O/Ormandy (CBS 2-MGT 30950)

Piano Music
Cliburn (RCA Gold Seal 60415-2-RG)

DONIZETTI, Gaetano

Arias (from Roberto Devereux, Anna Bolena, Lucrezia Borgia
)
Caballe (RCA Gold Seal 09026-61458-2) (also includes Bellini arias)

DVORAK, Antonin

Symphonies nos. 7, 8, and 9
Royal Concertgebouw/C. Davis (Philips 2-438347-2)

Cello Concerto in B Minor
Ma, Berlin PO/Maazel (CBS MK 42206)

Piano Quartet in E-flat; Piano Quintet in A
Pressler, Emerson String Quartet (DG 439868-2)

FAURE, Gabriel

Requiem; Pavane; Pelleas et Melisande
Suite Montreal SO/Dutoit (London 421440-2LH)

An American in Paris; Rhapsody in Blue; Piano Concerto in F
Pittsburgh SO/Previn (Philips 412611-2 PH)

Porgy and Bess (selections)
Price, Warfield, Cho and O/Henderson (RCA Gold Seal 5234-2-RG)

GRIEG, Edvard

Piano Concerto in A Minor
Perahia, Bavarian RSO/C. Davis (CBS MK 44899) (also contains Schumann Piano Concerto)

HANDEL, George Frideric

Messiah (selections)
Musica Sacra O and Cho/Westenburg (RCA Silver Seal 60481-2-RV)

Royal Fireworks Music; Water Music
English Chamber O/Leppard (Philips 420354-2 PM)

HAYDN, (Franz) Joseph

Piano Sonatas nos. 33, 38, 58, and 60
Ax (CBS MK 44918)

Symphonies nos. 92, 94 (Surprise), and 96 (Miracle)
Cleveland O/Szell (Sony SBK 46332)

Trumpet Concerto; Violin Concerto no. 1; Cello Concerto no. 2
Marsalis, Lin, Ma; National PO of London/Leppard (CBS MK 39310)

HOLST, Gustav

The Planets
London PO/Haitink (Philips Silver Line 420893-2)

IVES, Charles

Symphony no. 2; Unanswered Question; Central Park in the Dark
New York PO/Bernstein (DG 429220-2 GH)

Symphony no. 3, Three Places in New England; Orchestral Set no. 1
Orpheus CO (DG 439869-2)

LISZT, Franz

Hungarian Rhapsodies nos. 2, 5, 6, 9, 12, and 14
Israel PO/Mehta (CBS MK 44926)

Mephisto Waltz; Don Juan Fantasy, Gnomenregen
Earl Wild (Vanguard OVC 4035)

Piano Concertos nos. 1 and 2
Ax, Philharmonia O/Salonen (Sony SK 53289) (also contains Schoenberg Piano Concerto)

MAHLER, Gustav

Symphonies nos. 1 and 5
Vienna PO/Maazel (CBS MDK 44907)

Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Das Lied von der Erde, Kindertotenlieder
London PO/Tennste (EMI Classics CDZB 62707)

MENDELSSOHN, Fanny

Trio in D Minor for Violin, Cello, and Piano
Macalester Trio (Vox Box 2 CDX 5029) (also includes trios by Clara Schumann and other women composers)

MENDELSSOHN, Felix

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (selections) and Symphony no. 4
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Mackerras (Virgin Classics CDC 59135)

Piano Concertos nos. 1 and 2, Violin Concerto in E Minor
R.Serkin, Mullova, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner (Sony SBK 46542)

Trio no. 1 in D Minor
Heifetz, Piatigorsky, Rubinstein (RCA Gold Seal 7768-2-RG) (also contains Tchaikovsky Trio)

String Quartet nos. 3 and 4; Capriccio and Fugue for String Quartet
Coull Quartet (Hyperion CDA 66615)

MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus

Symphonies nos. 29, 35–41; Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Berlin PO/Karajan (Angel 3-CDMC 69882)

Concertos for Horn, Bassoon, and Oboe
Purvis, Morelli, Wolfgang; Orpheus Chamber O (DG 423623-2 GH)

Piano Concertos nos. 2 and 9
de Larrocha, English Chamber O/C. Davis (RCA 60825-2)

Piano Concertos no. 21 (Elvira Madigan) and 27 R.Serkin
London Symphony/Abbado (DG 431278-2) RS

Opera Overtures
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner (Angel CDC 47014)

Requiem
Soloists, Chorus and Orchestre de Paris/Barenboim (Angel 47342)

OFFENBACH, Jacques

Tales of Hoffmann
Norman, Ramey, Dresden State O/Tate (Philips 438502-2)

Gaite Parisienne; Orpheus in the Underworld Overture
Pittsburgh SO/Previn (Philips 442403-2)

PAGANINI, Niccolo

Concertos nos. 1 and 2 for Violin and Orchestra
Menuhin, Royal PO/Erede (Angel CDC 47088)

Caprices for Violin
Mintz (DG 415043-2 GH)

PROKOFIEV, Sergei

Violin and Piano Sonatas no. 2; Violin Concerto no. 2
Perlman, Ashkenazy; Boston SO/Leinsdorf (RCA 09026-61454-2)

Romeo and Juliet (selections); Classical Symphony
Chicago SO/Solti (London 430731-2 LM)

Alexander Nevsky; Lt. Kije Suite
Los Angeles PO & Chorus/Previn (Telarc CD 80143)

Peter and the Wolf
New York Philharmonic/Berbstein (CBS MYK 37765) (also includes Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals)

PUCCINI, Giacomo

Arias from Turandot, La Boheme, Madame Butterfly, etc.
Pavarotti (London 425099-2)

Tosca
Callas, Bergonzi, Gobbi, Paris Conservatory O/Pretre (Angel 2 CDMB 69974)

RACHMANINOFF, Sergei

Piano Concertos nos. 2 and 3
Wild, Royal PO/Horenstein (Chandos CHAN 6507)

Symphony no. 2; Vocalise
St. Petersburg PO/Temirkanov (RCA Red Seal 09026-61281-2)

RAVEL, Maurice

Bolero; Daphnis et Chloe, Suite no. 2; Pavane; La Valse
Montreal Symphony/Dutoit (London 430714-2 LM)

Piano Concertos in D and G; Piano Sonatine; Valse nobles et sentimentales
de Larrocha, St Louis SO/Slatkin (RCA Red Seal 09026-60985)

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Nikolai

Scheherazade; Capriccio espagnol
London SO/Stokowski (London 417753-2 LM)

ROSSINI, Gioacchino

The Barber of Seville
Bartoli, Nucci, Teatro Communale de Bologna/Patane (London 440289-2)

Arias (various operas)
Horne, Swiss Romande O/Lewis (London 421306-2)

Overtures
(
William Tell, Semiramide, La Cenerentola, others)
Philharmonia O/Giulini (Angel CDM 69042)

SCARLATTI, Domenico

Piano Sonatas
Horowitz (Sony SK 53460)

SCHUBERT, Franz

Trout Quintet; String Quartet no. 13
O’Conor, Cleveland Quartet (Telarc CD 80225)

Symphonies nos. 8 (Unfinished) and 9 (Great)
Berlin PO/Karajan (EMI CDM 64628)