Favourite
Symphonic & Chamber Recordings on CD
Best Choice
( Cellists' & Violinists' recordings on a
separate list )
Also : Available now : The full page on favourite CDs
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View the best Violin CDs |
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View the best Cello CDs |
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View the best classical CDs for Children |
| J.S.Bach 6 Brandenburg Concerti K.Richter & Munchener Bach Orch 1968 Archiv Galeria x2 |
| J.S.Bach 6 Cello Suites M.Rostropovich, cello solo 1991 EMI x2 |
| J.S.Bach 6 Sonatas & Partitas Nathan Milstein, violin solo 1974 DGG x2 |
| J.S.Bach English Suites Glenn Gould, piano solo 1971 Sony x2 |
| J.S.Bach Organ Music Helmut Walcha, organ 1962 Archiv Galeria x12 |
| J.S.Bach Cantatas K.Richter & Munchener Bach Orchestra Archiv x5 |
| Beethoven 10 Violin Sonatas Oistrakh & Oborin 1962 Philips x4 |
| Beethoven 5 Cello Sonatas Rostropovich & Richter, July 1961 Philips x2 |
| Beethoven Piano Sonatas W.Kempff, piano 1965 DGG x9 |
| Beethoven String Quartets Amadeus Quartet DGG x7 |
| Beethoven Razumovsky Quartets Suske Quartet, 1967 Berlin x2 |
| Beethoven Late Quartets Busch Quartet 1935 EMI x3 |
| Brahms 3 Violin Sonatas Oistrakh, Richter & Bauer 1960 Chant du M x1 |
| Brahms 4 Symphonies Bruno Walter & Columbia S.O. 1960 CBS Maestro x4 |
| Brahms String Quintets & Sextets Amadeus Quartet & Aronowitz 1968 DGG x3 |
| Chopin Mazurkas A.Rubinstein, piano 1939 EMI x3 |
| Corelli Violin Sonatas Op.5 Grumiaux & Castagnone 1975 Philips x2 |
| Dvorak Slavonic Dances Neumann & Czech P.O. 1985 Supraphon x1 |
| Dvorak Symphonies Neuman & Czech P.O. 1982 Supraphon x9 |
| Handel Concerti Grossi Op 3 / Op 6 K.Richter & Munchener Bach Orch 1971 Archiv |
| Handel Violin Sonatas Op1 Grumiaux & Veyron-Lacroix 1966 Philips x1 |
| Haydn String Quartets Op 76 Panocha Quartet 1989 Supraphon x2 |
| Haydn London Symphonies Jochum & London P.O. 1972 DGG x4 |
| Mahler Symphonies Czech PhO & Neumann 1979 Supraphon x10 |
| Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E mi Stern, Ormandy & Philadelphia O 1959 CBS Maestro x1 |
| Mozart 6 "Haydn" Quartets Smetana Quartet 1982 Denon x3 |
| Mozart 5 Violin Concerti Oistrakh & Berlin PO 1971 EMI Studio x2 |
| Mozart Symphonies 21-41 Royal Concertgeb. Amsterdam & Krips 1973 Philips x6 |
| D.Scarlatti Sonatas Weissenberg, piano 1985 DGG x1 |
| Schubert Piano Sonatas Alfred Brendel, piano 1987 c. Philips |
| Schubert Quartets / Quintet in C Melos / Amadeus Quartet DGG |
| Shostakovich String Quartets Shostakovich Quartet 1985 Olympia |
| J.Strauss Waltzes Wiener Phil & Boskovsky 1960s 70s Decca |
| Tchaikovsky Symphonies 4,5,6 Leningrad PO & Mravinsky 1960 DGG x2 |
| Tchaikovsky 4 Suites for Orchestra USSR Academic SO & Svetlanov 1987 Melodia |
| Vivaldi L'Estro Armonico Op3 Gantvarg & St Petersburg Soloists 1992 Arte Nova x2 |
( In some cases, such as the Sibelius symphonies, I have not given a recording because I haven't yet come across a complete set that I really like. I find Mendelssohn & Schumann often interpreted poorly … Mendelssohn not being played with a refined style, and Schumann not "classical" enough. Corelli's Concerti Grossi are seldom recorded by Modern Orchestras. More recordings will be added, though the shortness of the list serves to illustrate by favorite "few". Kreisler and other Instrumental Stars are featured on a separate list. The dates given show the probable year of recording … mostly in the 60s. Many European and to a lesser extent Russian Orchestras have since gone into decline, but American Orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra are in fine shape. )
DGG = Deutche Gramophone
SO = Symphony Orchestra
PO = Philharmonic Orchestra