[science]

The results of previous (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9) totally random polls have all been very interesting and rather surprising for me, so I now begin a totally new totally random poll. As always, the question is:

Of the recordings listed, which do you think should be the highest priorities for me as a listener?

You can see the cover art below.

Same ol' same ol':

If you don't think I should have priorities, or that "should" has any place, or whatever, please feel free to vote for a recording on some other grounds, or anything! I'd be impressed and surprised if anyone has heard all of these recordings. You can vote for things based on your personal experience, your own wishes for yourself, what you've heard about them, whatever.

There is no good explanation or excuse for this poll (or its predecessors, or its successors should there be any). As before, this is not a very serious thing. It is not an attempt to discover the absolute truth about the objectively greatest whatever whatever whatever whatever. I'm just curious. I just want to put the question to the community here and see what the results are. It's nothing more than that.

 

[science]

Some pretty mainstream recordings for y'all to choose from this time around.

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[science]

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[science]

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[ArtMusic]

Again, it has to be Bach cantatas, the Haydn Nelson mass and Hummel concertos. (Hummel was Haydn's recommended successor at Esterhazy, recommended by Haydn himself). These polls are interesting.

 

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Both Boulez recordings hands down.

 

[Art Rock]

Grieg: a side of this composer that many people don't know. Excellently sung by AS von Otter.
Hummel: lovely piano concertos, that deserve to be known better.
Shostakovich: a different side if you only know (some of) his symphonies.

 

[joen_cph]

There´s a vast number of La Mer recordings of course, and the Boulez/DG has good sound, but I´d check out say Celibidache/DG and Stokowski/Decca at first. I haven´t heard Li in the Liszt Sonata, but IMO he´s been developing a lot, his early robotic style seems to have changed into more interesting stuff.

Hough is great in Hummel, as are Chandos´ recordings of Hummel vocal works with Hickox, and the Varese and Elgar recordings are classics.

Jarrett´s Shosty doesn´t have much bite, concerning Haydn/Pinnock I´d prefer Willcocks or Bernstein, for Schoenberg I´d prefer others too, like for instance Karajan, Stokowski etc.

The Scandinavian song repertoire is underrated, besides Grieg there´s also Stenhammar, Rangström and Sibelius, for example.

 

[GioCar]

A tough task again.
I voted for the Bach/Gardiner, the Debussy/Boulez and the Haydn Masses/Pinnock
I was in doubt for the Varèse/Boulez till the end but then... I thought I'd have listened to the Chailly instead. More passionate (and more complete).

 

[SimonNZ]

The Pinnock Haydn (one of my favorite Haydn albums, that), and the Boulez Varese.

 

[Guest]

Boulez' Varese has never done anything much for me. I cut my teeth on Mehta and Craft.

For Arcana, I would say it's Slatkin (coupled eccentrically with Holst's The Planets). For the rest, Chailly is fine. Lyndon-Gee is best for Deserts, I think.

Boulez' Deserts is not even Varese, really. Boulez doesn't like it, so when he conducts it, he does his own hacked up version.

 

[Guest]

The Jarrett Shostakovich is good, but the Nikolayeva is simply better so that one didn't get my vote.

The Boulez Varese is very good at parts, but, like some guy mentioned, I was very troubled when I realized I wasn't getting the real Deserts, so now I listen to Chailly. Now I wonder if this is the only instance that Boulez has really let me down.

Anyway: voted for Beethoven/Brendel, Debussy/Boulez, Grieg/Von Otter, Haydn/Pinnock, and Hummel/Hough.

 

[Bulldog]

The Jarrett Shostakovich is good, but the Nikolayeva is simply better so that one didn't get my vote.

Same here. I wanted to vote for the Shostakovich but not if Jarrett is the performer. So my vote went to Hummel/Hough.

 

[ArtMusic]

The Pinnock Haydn (one of my favorite Haydn albums, that), ....

I shall endorse that - the Pinnock Haydn series were most enjoyable listening, bringing out the "feel" of Classicism.

 

[Haydn man]

Well this time sir, I feel that the Debussy and the Elgar are ones to pick
Boulez may not be everyone's cup of tea but du Pre can't be beaten for Elgar's Cello Concerto
Consign the rest to the supporting cast

 

[dgee]

The new "Janine Jansen and friends" version of Verklarte Nacht is worth a listen IMO. I also think that Boulez La Mer is the benchmark - the orchestra sounds great!

 

[Woodduck]

Listen to Grieg's songs. They are gems. The texts are often fine poetry, so follow along. Von Otter is great, but also look up Kirsten Flagstad's early recordings. She was Norwegian and somehow you can tell; the fjords and mountains and snow are in her voice.

 

[starthrower]

Varese
Ives
Debussy

 

[hpowders]

Some great choices-the Haydn Nelson Mass and Ives Second Symphony, even the Hummel Piano Concertos, but the Beethoven Bagatelles are a winner for me-completely delightful and irresistible!

 

[Pugg]

I do think you found your way in the music by now O.P