Thread: Your Desert Island Discs- but in a different perspective

Originally Posted by LindenLea

I actually posted something very similar just yesterday on another music forum, and was actually reprimanded for breaking their (IMO) fatuous rules, as my selection amounted to more than 10 CD discs (their rule), as opposed to 10 actual 'works' or collections (my choices) - their assumption being that if one chose to be stranded on your desert island with, say, Wagner's 'Ring' (which most people consider to be one complete extended work, but in four seperate/inter-linked parts, with a beginning, a middle, and an end, but which usually runs to 14 or even 15 CD's by the time you travel from the Rhinemaiden's first appearance, to Brunnhilde's immolation) then you could take nothing else! In fact, using their criteira, you'd have to leave Wagner's Ring somewhere around the end of Act 2 of Siegfried, or you'd go over their 10-disc limit!!

Yeah, I kind of saw that. Hopefully, here we'll continue to shade things towards the dissemination of people's earnest info in this regard, rather than restriction of it.

It reminded me of this post (which, if I had to do over again, I'd modify slightly), where all the bases got covered (I hope).

Originally Posted by Chi_townPhilly

Yeah, I kind of saw that. Hopefully, here we'll continue to shade things towards the dissemination of people's earnest info in this regard, rather than restriction of it.

It reminded me of this post (which, if I had to do over again, I'd modify slightly), where all the bases got covered (I hope).

Yes CtP, it really is a most curious place, seemingly run on - quite literally - strict military lines, where members are designated a rank, starting with Private, all the way up to General, and are promoted accordingly, depending presumably on how much (or how little) insubordination they dish out, most extraordinary for a classical music forum. My tiny handful of posts before I took a voluntary Court Martial were either randomly moved around the forum for no logical reason, or in the case of my Desert Island thing, thrown back in my face after being dissected for infringements of The Rule Book, and as I left I explained that I was much relieved that I'd only posted there 8 times before I'd caught on to the fact that I was unknowingly participating in surely the internet's first, and hopefully only, 'On-Line Classical-Music Boot Camp'! I think they have about 6 active members/troops, just sufficient to fit into the turret of a Sherman Tank for their next fun day out to the Afghan Philharmonic's performance of Britten's War Requiem.

William Schuman-Symphonies Seattle Symphony on Naxos

Varese/Boulez on Sony

Dutilleux-Symphonies 1&2 BBC Philharmonic on Chandos

Alban Berg-A Portrait, EMI Gemini

Kalichstein, Laredo, Robinson Trio-Shostakovich Complete Trios & Sonatas

Charles Ives-Symphonies Nos. 1&4 CSO/M.T. Thomas on Sony

Originally Posted by Air

When you saw the title of this thread, the first thing you probably thought was... are you serious? What are you smoking?

Well, nothing really. The superlatives have been worn out: the best, definitive, beautiful, legendary and most of all... the term 'desert island'.

What I have in mind is something a little different. This is not a subjective, my desert island discs are better than yours kind of thread. This is merely the thread to share some of your favorite recordings in order to help others expand their collections. They could be rare, they could be cheap, they could be out of print. They could even be Kleiber's Beethoven 5th. It could be anything, as long as this is a recording that you feel is worthy of sharing. If you feel it is not, then please refrain. If you are just making a list of well-reputed recordings that really mean nothing to you personally, please refrain as well.

So... there's the common argument that we should never take other people's opinions seriously. Really? One of the main reasons I visit music forums is to help guide what I collect. More than half of the CDs I buy are forum-inspired and the majority of the rest is forum-confirmed. The bottom line is, you don't have to take any other opinions besides your own with more than a grain of salt, but you can, and this thread at least makes this resource available to you.

One person may like something that someone else may despise. We've covered this many times. And as far as this thread is concerned, criticizing the tastes of others is not appreciated. However, feel free to commend others for their choices.

A couple guidelines:

1) Don't think of it as a 'Top 10 of all time' thing.
2) Any recording, CD, box set, DVD, SACD, LP, etc. will work.
3) Try to limit your number of choices per post. It is hard to take someone's list seriously if they put down every mildly good recording they've ever heard.

4) It's your opinion, so enlighten us with your choices!

[I will be back later with recordings.]

(notwithstanding its faults)




This contains my favourite piece of orchestral vocal music: The Origin of Fire (Tulen synty). The other selections on this disc are very enjoyable as well. If the budget and desire permits, I'd recommend getting BIS' box set of Sibelius' vocal music which contains the same recordings and more. Yet that might be excessive for the purposes of sharing with someone who would be new to Sibelius)


Stolz's recordings of the Strauss family are something else - even finer than Boskovsky's to my ears.

Originally Posted by sospiro

Beethoven's 6th Symphony because it was my Mum's favourite piece of music & it brings back memories of my lovely Mum & my idyllic childhood. Any recording.

The Original Three Tenors from Rome. To remind me how I came to love opera. I'd done some fund raising for cancer charities & when I heard about the concert & the reason for it, it inspired me to work even harder to raise money. I realised I quite liked the singing as well so I bought some Carreras recordings. Then I bought some other recordings & started going to live opera. All this has brought me pleasure, new friends & is also great fun.

Amazing... These two recordings have a very special place in my heart also. The 6th Symphony was the first piece of classical music I ever liked (and ever listened to, probably). The Original Three Tenors from Rome reminds me very much of my father, of my childhood in general. Brings back a lot of bittersweet memories. Has subconsciously made me an opera fan for my entire life, I guess.

Another recording that has a huge nostalgic value to me, and which I still listen to nowadays, is this one:

Mine would be:

Anne Sophie Mutter - Brahms Violin Concerto, Kurt Masur, New York Philharmonic - by far!

Wand, BPO, Bruckner Symphony 7

Wand, BPO, Bruckner Symphony 4

Chailly, RCO, Bruckner Symphony 9

Pogorelich, Chopin 24 Preludes

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There is a start....

I really cannot find a bigger image of that: Mirabile Mysterium: Sacred Music of Rudolfine Prague

Duodena Cantitans, Capella Rudolphina, Petr Danek

Supraphon 1996

If anyone here has any sway at Suprphon, get them to re-release this ASAP!

Gracious! I haven't heard Ravel's "Bolero" in so long that I had forgotten it existed. Now I am on a 'search and find' mission. Thanks.

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I was listening to Chopin's Nocturnes last night and had a book out reading about them at the same time. I did not know that Chopin got his idea for calling them "nocturnes' from an Irish piano composer, John Field, who used the title to describe his dreamy and romantic compositions. Now Chopin is well-known. How many knew about John Field?

I do! But only for the same reason you do. I've never heard his music.

Originally Posted by science

I do! But only for the same reason you do. I've never heard his music.

Might be worth looking for. One of our Barnes & Noble stores has a woman in the music department who is very good at searching for what one wants. I may ask her to see what she can find.

Looks like you can get them on Telarc or on Naxos.

Originally Posted by science

Looks like you can get them on Telarc or on Naxos.

Thank you. I've made a note.