Good Classical Music Performances
Here are what I consider to be exceptional and/or noteworthy classical music performances!...
Listed in alphabetical order, by composer or artist...
Listen while playing, studying chess!.....(or whatever!)...
**********************************************************************************************************
Notes
For a special treat check out Stephen Malinkowski's YouTube channel smalin where music (mostly classical) is presented in a music animation format. Here, for example, J.S. Bach's famous Toccata and Fugue in D-minor.....(Bach is reputed to have composed this when he was 18 years old).
I also recommend checking out this YouTube channel.....it's a treasure trove of great, and in many instances, legendary classical music performances.....Classical Music/ /Reference Recording.
The following are two exceptionally informative and well-written books which profile the lives and music of the classical music composers. The books are similar in some respects but, understandably, differ slightly in their approach - primarily in the number of composers treated, but also in topics covered. So I recommend both. Each is available in both hardcover and paperback editions. I've relied on both books for guidance in the choice of compositions to include in the list below. I believe they would make excellent reference resources for the classical music enthusiast...
Classical Music: The 50 Greatest Composers and Their 1,000 Greatest Works by Phil G. Goulding. The composers are ranked and presented according to their historical impact and popularity to the genre (Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven are, not surprisingly, ranked the top three in that order).
The Essential Canon of Classical Music by David Dubal. Profiles of 235 composers and their works. The composers are presented chronologically (but are not ranked). I recommend the paperback edition of this title, as the binding of the hardcover edition is very poorly executed - the pages will eventually separate from the binding. Otherwise this is, like Goulding's above, an outstanding book.
Regarding Opera. To fully enjoy and follow along with operas, (paricularly prior to listening/watching for the first time) I recommend consulting a detailed synopsis, and/or a libretto (the text/words of the opera) - I suggest both. For synopses I highly recommend The New Penguin Opera Guide and for librettos the Opera Journeys Libretto Series. Both are comprehensive for their respective purposes (IMO there are none better). For those new to opera and/or who wish to learn more about it, a thorough, instructive introduction covering all the basics and much more, is Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera by Fred Plotkin. Note I have included citations/links below for several of the most famous and popular comedic operas by Rossini, Mozart and Strauss as well as most, if not all, of the incomparable Pavarotti's most famous pieces, including several live performances.
**********************************************************************************************************
Performances
J. S. Bach - E. Power Biggs Plays Bach in the Thomaskirche.....Leipzig, Germany.....(pipe organ).....E. Power Biggs' performances of Bach's organ music are magnificent. The 'power' of these performances is unsurpassed! A CD of the performance is available as Famous Organ Works, Johann Sebastian Bach, Beruhmte Orgelwerke, Edward Power Biggs organist, Berlin Classics...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9z0cpkmXlY
J. S. Bach - Bach Greatest Organ Works, Volume 1 – (live video) - Hans-Andre Stamm plays The Trost pipe organ, Waltershausen Germany.....a masterful performance to hear and watch...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgDMxs4aHZU
Playlist:
1. Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 Toccata 0:26 Fugue 2:57
2. Pastorale, BWV 590 Alla Siciliana 8:59 Allemande 11:38 Aria15:00 Alla Gigue 18:11
3. Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 Passacaglia 21:02 Fugue 29:12
4. Wir glauben all an einen Gott (We all believe in one God), BWV 740 34:43
5. Prelude in E-flat major, BWV 552/1 39:36 You can find fugue (BWV 552/2) at the end of this list. Don't know why they are played separately.
6. Nun kommt der Heiden Heiland (Come now, saviour of the heathen), BWV 659 48:22
7. Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam (Christ our Lord came to the Jordan), BWV 684 53:14
8. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Awake, the voice is calling us), BWV 645 56:29
9. Fugue in E-flat major, BWV 552/2 1:00:54
Bach - Fugue in A-minor BWV 543 - (live video) - Matthias Havinga, organ.....played on the Bätz pipe organ (1830), Ronde Lutherse Kerk/Koepelkerk, Amsterdam, Netherlands.....a riveting live performance.....(note the foot/pedal work)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pxQZVBlnbA
Bach - Keyboard Concerto No.1 in D Minor BWV 1052 - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Murray Perahia - piano/Conductor.....brilliant, energetic performance...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jovQnR2Tk-I
Bach - Keyboard Concertos Nos.1,2,3,4,5,6,7 BWV 1052-1058 - Andrei Gavrilov, piano; John Constable, harpsichord / Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields, Sir Neville Marriner.....reference recording.....perfection!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YeFuKLieTA
Bach - Goldberg Variations BWV 988 - two highly acclaimed performances - I couldn't decide which was more deserving of being included in this list, so here are both - you can decide.....(both videos begin with variation #1)...
Glenn Gould, piano (the 1981 recording)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z35Ik7kL5PU&list=OLAK5uy_nhk5yuM7TrBDq5eS6WFM90w54S3kTt5qQ&index=2
Murray Perahia, piano...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Lktus4svM&list=PLr0MsaDpKsY-dLFeCcrT5ri_dEqDMY0he&index=2
Bach - Harpsichord Concertos - The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock...superb.....(be sure to check out BWV 1052 & BWV 1065)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpqm1hxgH-w&list=PLF81B6EFFAE902A3B
Bach - Complete Harpsichord Concertos on Antique Instruments - Moroney, Flint et al, harpsichords.....(see video for playlist).....enchanting...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crpUIUzExAw
Bach - Brandenburg Concertos (complete - BWV1046-1051) - European Brandenburg Ensemble, Trevor Pinnock.....a great performance.....(the video starts on the popular Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, BWV1047: III. Allegro assai)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yug8znwe8y4&list=PLiZMdueqtTrjr8ZqAyNDo4OZMPTeqFTOM&index=7
Bach - Brandenburg Concertos (complete) - (live video) - Giuliano Carmignola, violin / Orchestra Mozart, Claudio Abbado.....the epitome of Bach.....be sure to watch, listen to Concerto No. 2 in F, BWV 1047 at minute 1:20:10)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Ry71tOkwg
Playlist:
Brandenburg Concerto: No. 1 in F, BWV 1046 00:31 / No. 3 in G, BWV 1048 18:31 / No. 5 in D, BWV 1050 28:55 / No. 6 in Bb, BWV 1051 47:58 / No. 4 in G, BWV 1049 1:04:17 / No. 2 in F, BWV 1047 1:20:10 / Encore 1:33:47
Bach - Violin Concertos (BWV 1041, 1042, 1043, 1052R, 1056R) - Giuliano Carmignola & Mayumi Hirasaki, violins / Concerto Koln....(be sure to listen to the first three, famous concertos).....fantastic!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROhhvAeadTU&list=OLAK5uy_l0AKc8yVdRYIdBdsqA7y9GL9JcrW8VDy4
Bach - Violin Concertos (BWV 1041, 1042, 1043) - The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock.....superb...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mcgGulxLxY&list=PL51901E16C267788F
Bach - Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: Chaconne - Jascha Heifetz, violin....supreme virtuosity from one whom many (including myself) believe to be the greatest violinist...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiHfIGrQ3Ks
Bach & Vivaldi - Sonar in ottava. Double Concertos for Violin and Violoncello Piccolo - Guiliano Carmignola, violin; Mario Brunello, cello; Accademia dell' Annunciata, Riccardo Doni.....superb...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfJRvfs5d-Y&list=OLAK5uy_mnhsoBC-dDjaZNWDfUPr4j_mAXxbI8XGM&index=1
Bach - Complete Cello Suites - Pierre Fournier, cello. "Of all the great cellists, Pierre Fournier came closer to the heart of the music than almost any other." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tAA4HVaFjU&pp=qAMBugMGCgJhchAB
Playlist...
1. Cello-Suites#1 BWV-1007 (0:00) 2. Cello-Suites#2 BWV-1008 (18:39) 3. Cello-Suites#3 BWV-1009 (37:44) 4. Cello-Suites#4 BWV-1010 (1:00:56) 5. Cello-Suites#5 BWV-1011 (1:26:26) 6. Cello-Suites#6 BWV-1012 (1:51:20)
Bach - Mass in B minor BWV 232 - John Eliot Gardiner, directing / The Monteverdi Choir / The English Baroque Soloists.....this is considered by many to be Bach's greatest work...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7obnfrlP0s
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.5, "Emperor" - (live video) - Murray Perahia, piano / Sir Neville Marriner conducting Academy of St. Martin In The Fields.....this magnificent performance is to be watched as well as listened to (view it in full screen!).....one of the greatest performances I have seen/heard.....of possibly the greatest piano concerto.....(unfortunately I haven't been able to find a recording of this performance besides this one on YouTube)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RceJqdOk_8o
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4 G major - (live video) - Murray Perahia, piano / Sir Neville Marriner conducting Academy of St. Martin In The Fields.....another superlative performance by the brilliant artist, Beethoven exponent...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m8zV6fjGMQ
Beethoven - Violin Concerto in D major op. 61 - Jascha Heifetz, violin / Charles Munch, Boston Symphony Orchestra.....sublime...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PNe2LcIb6I
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 - (live video) - Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Paavo Järvi, conducting.....a spectacular performance.....(All 9 Symphonies are included in the video ; the 9th Symphony is track 34 of video)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKxX2EJozxo&list=PLEy1BhquKKO2v71Bws7-N4bh0ZfnXp19W&index=34
Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 - Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nicolas Harnoncourt conducting - "...this is surely one of the most stimulating Beethoven symphony cycles of recent times..." - Gramophone*.....(All 9 Symphonies are included here; the link brings up the 5th Symphony initially)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hr3xlS0lbI&list=PLUyrqiNADJv3kj_16D1639DsOOhPxiVEv&index=17
Beethoven - Complete String Quartets - Takacs Quartet - "...one of he best available Beethoven quartet cycles, possibly the finest..." - Gramophone*.....(the video starts on Quartet No. 13 in B flat Op. 130)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQLvO98FUhE&list=PL0ZmMFhoVcpiVVr52RDnjchVk_A2OiJ2v&index=54
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 Op. 27/2 "Moonlight Sonata" - (live video) - Claudio Arrau, piano.....beautiful...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0UrRWyIZ74
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor Op.57 "Appassionata" - (live video) - Claudio Arrau, piano.....brilliant.....and, yes, passionate...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdg-DT8rTUQ
Beethoven - Piano Sonatas - Claudio Arrau, piano.....reference recording.....(make a point to listen to the great Piano Sonata No. 29 Op. 106 "Hammerklavier" (tracks 91-94)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k1W6oJAGS8&list=PL6EW1JinNs5_2EhH_FxDarnVFPDBvFAMH
Beethoven - Complete Piano Sonatas - Wilhelm Kempff, piano....."Whilhelm Kempff was the most inspirational of Beethoven pianists" - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOQwK3uv96g&list=PLzm9sEXjZ90edvoYyLEX2ACvyW9hdC_8w&index=1
Beethoven - Trio No. 6 in B Flat major for Piano, Violin and Cello Op. 97 "Archduke" - Rubinstein, Heifetz, Feuermann.....considered by many to be the greatest of all works for piano, violin and cello.....performed by legends...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eb1y1bjBmM
Brahms - Violin Concerto in D major - Jascha Heifetz, violin / Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner.....majestic...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPU1bOIWYXc
Brahms - Symphonies 1-4 - Berliner Philharmoniker, Nikolaus Harnoncourt...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUHOVDFbQAM&list=PLyPTjSogIU3lB8bhSMqMp9_FqHZICP9Vu&index=11
Brahms - The Piano Concertos - Nelson Freire, piano / Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly....."...these gorgeously engineered, stunningly executed performances will stand as points of references for generations to come." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX2kkLVHckc&list=OLAK5uy_mgubB4-hOHWwh2qaSfvDZeg_DkFrOxNK0&index=4
Chopin - Fantaisie Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor, Op.66 - Claudio Arrau, piano.....transcendent, with that lush Arrau tone...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GISW40umi1I
Chopin - The Nocturnes - Claudio Arrau, piano.....an acclaimed performance...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUdoxvigIl8
Chopin - Nocturnes - Maurizio Pollini, piano.....celestial...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUB-qW3Prc0&list=PLNyyVeY4nUuHCqXmJmlsN-BmgD9D59mU4&index=1
Chopin - The Nocturnes - Maria Joao Pires, piano....."Passion rather than insousiance is Pires's keynote. Here is an intensity and drama that scorn all complacent salon or drawing-room expectations." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N_ZatMoaAo&list=PLq7MWRGJO0XxDe243vRH-oBH-ZtIDsly0
Chopin - Waltzes Complete - Claudio Arrau, piano.....exquisite...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBLgCPcBoNM&list=PL6HNC-FzQX5baEfO_s5d2EV2TWR6WkBHY&index=1
Chopin - 14 Waltzes; Mazurka in C sharp minor Op. 50 No. 3; Bacarolle in F sharp Op. 60; Nocturne in D flat Op.27 No. 2 - Dinu Lipatti, piano.....an acclaimed performance, reference recording...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdr_sBXvaJY
Chopin - Murray Perahia Plays Chopin - a select collection of the composer's piano concertos, sonatas, ballades, mazurkas, etudes, preludes, impromptus and more.....beautifully performed by one of the great Chopin exponents.....(video starts on Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hLwmOA9-hc&list=OLAK5uy_n-VmVizNTWfgS6cwe2-JRN1euD1ZMQ394&index=15
Chopin - Arthur Rubinstein, The Chopin Collection - Arthur Rubinstein, piano.....Rubinstein is the acknowledged master interpreter of Chopin solo piano music.....here a massive compilation of each of the composer's piano forms.....for Chopin lovers, it doesn't get much better than this.....(video starts on the Polonaise in A flat Op.53 (Heroic)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P63s3Nw3iM&list=PL050B847FDA1CA642&index=78
Debussy - Clair de Lune, Suite Bergamasque, Pour le piano, La plus que lente, Valse romantique - Claudio Arrau, piano....."Debussy added an entirely new dimension to the piano's expressive and evocative power" - David Dubal in the "The Essential Canon of Classical Music"......pianistic impressionism...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUTuCNtCoKk&ab_channel=ClassicalMusic%2F%2FReferenceRecording
Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor Op. 104 - Pieter Wispelwey, violincello / Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fischer...."Straight to the top...a magnificent achievement..." - Gramophone*.....(3 movements)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcsG-2WUug8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fUUvxJxuTI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTCmTaIiees
Handel - Excerpts from Handel's most famous works.....performances by renowned artists, orchestras, etc., including London Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin In the Fields.....glorious, inspirational music!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KErrDz8HcZY&list=OLAK5uy_llX71G8BXSqzQXs2LgnAyvJYKgIeWBY1M&index=1
Handel - Water Music - The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock.....majestic.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1rPJ7_Pmes&list=OLAK5uy_nNUVm6nRUBgxoLCqY9iXMuPHzxo-HcRxw
Handel - Messiah (HWV56): Hallelujah Chorus - here are several outstanding performances of this the most famous chorus from the greatest of all oratorios...
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent.....for decades in the mid 20th century this was considered the reference standard performance (particularly in the UK)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srwp6ObY1Is
Academy of St. Martin In the Fields & Chorus, Sir Neville Marriner...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uY7at9KP-A
The English Concert & Choir, Trevor Pinnock...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKkE2TPdCt8
Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Sir Georg Solti...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFRI-Ar5hTs
Robert Shaw Chorale & Orchestra, Robert Shaw...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp5swlmFAhU&list=PLyXewGfDx5l3Sxe_d62-TdaUGVAZj1rPD&index=14
Dunedin Consort & Players, John Butt.....here a performance of Handel's first version of the oratorio which premiered in Dublin, Ireland in 1742.....(Hallelujah Chorus starts at minute 24:50 of the video)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmbQbDG6RwE
Handel - Messiah (complete oratorio) - Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Sir Georg Solti - the greatest of all oratorios.....magnificent...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n16lPkkA1Z8&list=PLBJYcaB0IMrRtLdNszBRAUBm4_fDog9h1&index=1
Haydn - Symphony No. 104 in D major - Concertgebouw Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis.....the composer's final and most majestic symphony.....(four movements)....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMhI_t4XqQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wYfH5MbJnM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IENbico0zyY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAYpJSPV_2A
Haydn - Cello Concerto No 1 in C major - (live video) - Mischa Maisky, cello & conductor - Wiener Symphoniker.....a wonderful performance...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c355&v=mooB5Q-0FIE&feature=emb_logo
Heifetz - "Jascha Heifetz - God's Fiddler" - (documentary DVD video in 2 parts) - his personality and his talent were the result of the strict regime of his childhood, which was entirely consumed by the violin. He was perhaps the greatest violinist ever (I think so). Be sure to check his brilliant Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Brahms and Mendelssohn Violin Concertos, Bach's Partita No. 2: Chaconne, and Paganini Caprice No. 24 performances elsewhere in this list,...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOthENqJuZI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kKsUTkcWSo
Liszt - Liebestraum (Dreams of Love) No 3 in A-flat major - (live video) - Nobuyuki Tsujii, piano.....a wonderful performance of this universally loved classic.....(Tsujii, blind since birth, was the winner of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5hZEtB7qdg
Liszt - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat - Sviatoslav Richter, piano / London Symphony Orchestra, Kyrill Kondrashin....."...among the great Liszt recordings." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzOjEfre9dE
Liszt - Piano Sonata in B-Minor S.178 - Evgeny Kissin, piano - (live video) - an acclaimed performance of what is considered to be Liszt's greatest work...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzhYgzl2RYI
Liszt - Grande etudes de Paganini, S.141, No.3 in G-sharp minor, "La Campanella" - (animated video) - dazzling piano performance, by Kaissa...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf2MFBz4S_g
Liszt - Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S514 - (animated video) - dazzling piano performance by HDA Pianomusic...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MKOW0xnDA4
Liszt - 12 Etudes d'execution transcendante, S139 - Lazar Berman, piano.....reference recording.....the epitome of pianistic virtuosity...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1lFUXm91uw
Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsodies Nos. 1-15 - Georges Cziffra, piano.....reference recording...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9Xvv-a5K1w
Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 - Jascha Heifetz, violin / Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch.....(also includes Prokofiev, Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 63).....superlative...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GSXcYCcomE
Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 4 in A major ("Italian") - London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado.....vivace!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pO7_IxbDsU
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik K. 525 - Academy of St. Martin In The Fields, Sir Neville Marriner.....a pure delight...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhPBT0dA_oA&list=PLNitVGYNCIxEjA-JmaMOI2pACWbk1GYan
Mozart - Piano Concerto No.21 in C major - (live video) - Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano and conductor / Philharmonia Orchsestra.....an outstanding performance of the most acclaimed piano concerto of the preeminent composer of piano concertos....."The dreamlike Andante, with its magnificent sustained lyricism, is loveliness personified" - David Dubal in the "The Essential Canon of Classical Music"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1FEvl2lcUo&t=64s
Mozart - Piano Concerto No.21 in C major - (live video) - Murray Perahia, piano, conducting / Chamber Orchestra of Europe.....a wonderful performance of this iconic concerto by one of the great pianists of the modern era...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAdGbUHEygE
Mozart - Piano Concertos - Murray Perahia, piano & conductor / English Chamber Orchestra.....an outstanding collection.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as-Dl7t3rfk&list=PLFD021B50EBAB3677&index=1
Mozart - The Piano Concertos - Geza Anda, pianist / Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum.....superb performances by a highly regarded Mozart interpreter...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYChuk3Sbuo&list=OLAK5uy_mULp5E5LEigKAcRbb7oNz3QTMLdr8tvWo&index=40
Mozart - Symphony No. 40 in G-minor K. 550 - Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras.....one of Mozart's greatest symphonies...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgPRF0zQlZI
Mozart - Symphony No. 41 in C ('Jupiter') K. 551 - Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras....."Mozart's most powerful symphonic creation" - David Dubal in the "The Essential Canon of Classical Music"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp4dol4uSkw
Mozart - The Symphonies - Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert / performance on 'period' instruments..... "Pinnock's Jupiter (No. 41) is truly outstanding" - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrPTxmQWicA&list=PL0CYAoPYod9kmp8ctptFI_2FQUz_DJdbM
Mozart - Violin Concertos (Complete) - Arthur Grumiaux, violinist - London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis.....elegant....(the video starts on Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219, "Turkish")...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU9iNbYqsJ8&list=PLKq64tL0GeMFC_N4a8U8UZFua3ToZ9JpI&index=15
Mozart - Fantasia No. 4 in C Minor, K. 475 - Mitsuko Uchida, piano.....the most acclaimed of Mozart's solo compositions, performed by an acclaimed Mozartian pianist...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui9pyxdVX6Y
Mozart - Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622 - Jack Brymer, clarinet / Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Marriner.....delightfully spritely and wistful.....for every mood.....(3 movements)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1vGoiyy6dk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w__gfGuxStE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxnBPZy7CEk
Mozart - The "Haydn" Quartets - String Quartets Nos. 14-19, K.387, 421, 428, 458, 464, 465) - Hagen Quartet.....beautifully performed.....(video starts on No. 17 -"The Hunt")...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w_tO2arOrU&list=OLAK5uy_neWy6Mng8PSdFkl_I6vMhSXGbjFh4QTeA&index=13
Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) - (complete opera - live video) - Hermann Prey as Figaro, Mirella Freni as Susanna, Kiri Te Kanawa as La Countessa di Almaviva / Karl Bohm conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.....this Mozart comedic masterpiece is the most frequently performed opera in the world...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVyPWJdZx1U
Mozart - Best of.....a veritable feast of Mozart delights.....just in case you need more Mozart!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb0UmrCXxVA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqesejcElLA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHhfqJbQLhU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHl6wYCwlcQ
Paganini - Jascha Heifetz plays Paganini Caprice No. 24 - (live video) - When he first heard Heifetz play, fellow violin legend Fritz Kreisler said: “We might as well take our fiddles and break them across our knees.”...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c233&v=vPcnGrie__M&feature=emb_logo
Paganini - 24 Caprices - Itzhak Perlman, violin - Paganini's most famous work, this is considered by many to be the supreme test of violin virtuosity.....astonishing!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuIvx3SNyvY&list=OLAK5uy_lrO2QUlv7PXbrJvCx4z9KUCVLWSf5gdbM
Paganini - Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op.6 - Salvatore Accardo, violin / London Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles Dutoit.....astounding violinistics!.....(3 movements)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qye0Ri4LRuk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej7vxYZqar4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8e-mbVV42s
Paganini - Complete Guitar Music - Luigi Attademo, guitar.....exquisite...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSBHsrPzf_s
Pavarotti - Opera hits - the greatest performances by one whom many consider to be the greatest of all tenors.....(several live videos)...
Turandot (Puccini) - "Nessun Dorma" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWc7vYjgnTs
La Boheme (Puccini) - "Che gelida manina" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkHGUaB1Bs8
La Boheme (Puccini) - "Che gelida manina" (1965 TV broadcast) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEptCT9rf-o
La Boheme (Puccini) - "O soave fanciulla" with Mirella Freni -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYB5QS8LS-4
La Boheme (Puccini) - "O soave fanciulla" with Fiamma Izzo d' Amico -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzPW8mXX3bg
L'elisir d'amore (Donizetti) - "Una furtiva lagrima" -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J7JM0tGgRY
Aida (Verdi) - "Celeste Aida" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP1vp_G9mLc
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) - "Vesti la giubba" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0PMq4XGtZ4
Tosca (Puccini) - "E lucevan le stelle" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU5roitYI1s
Rigoletto (Verdi) - "La donna e mobile" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCFEk6Y8TmM
Rigoletto (Verdi) -"Parmi veder le lagrima" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O50YveN3TL0
Rigoletto (Verdi) - "Bella figlia dell'amore" (the most famous quartet of opera, featuring Joan Sutherland) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6S_kx0gDzc
I Puritani (Bellini) - "A te, o cara" with Joan Sutherland -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvll26VYXXA
La Traviata (Verdi) - "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" with Joan Sutherland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfv8g3_v-Lo
La traviata (Verdi) - "Un dì felice, eterea" with Joan Sutherland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joNe-LVXPTI
Il Trovatore (Verdi) - "Di quella pira" with Joan Sutherland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CH6EaxwPv4
La fille du régiment (Donizetti) - "Ah mes amis - Pour mon âme".....a powerful, rousing performance!... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8DVcK7QxKc
Pavarotti - The 50 Greatest Tracks.....an outstanding Pavarotti collection!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFSpAh-9OI&list=OLAK5uy_lw_Ecr0eEM8i2wvAfG8eKlHws4CDaFJbA&index=1
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 - Vladimir Horowitz, piano / New York Philharmonic Orchestra, John Barbirolli (recorded 1940)....."This is the Rachmaninoff Third to end all Rachmaninoff Thirds..." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7B4P1slPSk
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 - Van Cliburn, piano / Symphony of the Air, Kirill Kondrashin. This is Van Cliburn's Carnegie Hall performance in May 1958 following its performance in the finals of his historic triumph at the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Competition the month prior in Moscow. For that performance, which also includes the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, see the listing below - Van Cliburn...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR7YWzYe1VQ
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 - (live video) - Martha Argerich, piano / Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Riccardo Chailly.....an incandescent performance by the fiery artist...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6vARZLkaSY
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 - Krystian Zimerman, piano / Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa..... "...the verve and poetry of these performances somehow forbid comparison, even at the most exalted level." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRNV0wouFhU&list=OLAK5uy_mdLNKx4UfHcUpHvWCO3HIgJ86HsqZe9sA&index=1
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4; Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini - Earl Wild, piano / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Jascha Horenstein / "...conveys the composer's intentions with miraculous fluidity, passion and stylistic integrity." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVW7JYhb4dg
Ravel - Bolero - Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti.....mesmerizing!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-nm2OIEzM
Rimsky-Korsakov - Sheherazade - Kirov Orchestra, Valery Gergiev....."...the most red-blooded, exciting account of Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral warhorse currently available..." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DokrPBOQ2T0
Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio Espagnol - London Symphony Orchestra, Igor Markevitch....."A brilliant performance..." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfu5AS9ZOyY
Rimsky-Korsakov -Russian Easter Festival Overture - Concertgebouw Orchestra, Igor Markevitch....."...more remarkable playing from this great orchestra." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yskWoSX9MT8
Rossini - Overtures - L'Italiana in Algeri / La Gaza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) / William Tell - National Philharmonic Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly.....sparkling melodious music, rousing finales!....(caution at minute 8:37 of William Tell, lest it (volume) startles you!)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dirZLwSphY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZlWCPZSF-I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuayt2HazNY
Rossini - Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) - (complete opera - DVD video) - Teresa Berganza as Rosina / Hermann Prey as Figaro / Claudio Abbado, conductor, La Scala Orchestra.....this is Rossini's most famous comedic opera.....the entire cast and performance are fantastic - it was responsible for my falling in love with opera...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSjyDH4MJCc
Rossini - La Cenerentola (Cinderella) - (complete opera - DVD video) - Frederica Von Stade as Angelina (Cenerentola) / Claudio Abbado, conductor, La Scala Orchestra.....another absolutely delightful comedy by the unsurpassed master of comedic opera...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXZn1j_484U
Schubert - Impromptus "Le Voyage Magnifique" - Maria João Pires, piano....."This is something very special" - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yVZu05WZ9o
Schubert - Impromptus / Sonatas - Claudio Arrau, piano.....reference recording...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQiG8bouUys
Schubert - Piano Sonatas D894, D575, D840 - Sviatoslav Richter, piano....."...visionary performances by one of the greatest Schubertarians of the century." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA-RtFKBnEQ
Schubert - Piano Music - Alberto Miodini, piano.....4 hours of beautiful music!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Y35hjZ06E
Schubert - "The Trout" / "Die Forelle / "La Truite" Quintet D.667.....Ax, Frank, Young, Ma, Meyer....delightful.....(five movements)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyKu0JQfrqk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug1BLxiZcFM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDzi1_qUTCs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq76YgWTxHA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M_5y7vY0_4
Schumann - Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood), Op.15 - Martha Argerich, piano.....evoking the innocence of youth...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T34Wxq0SLNA&list=PLU60dlhvHX0rrU-XzJ55bBLtVErTUkv_L
Schumann - Carnaval Op. 9 - (live video) - Claudio Arrau, piano.....a wonderful performance by the consummate artist...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSG1CTVD4fo
Schumann - Kreisleriana - Vladimir Horowitz, piano.....a legendary performance...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D6B5B39ERI
Schumann - Fantasia in C major Op. 17 - Sviatoslav Richter, piano....."Richter's Schumann is unequaled." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ywy1fkm0ds
Schumann - Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 - Van Cliburn, piano / Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner....Van Cliburn embodies the Romantic Age of piano music.....it doesn't get much better than him together with Reiner and the CSO.....here a superb remastering of the vinyl LP recording...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRftkJw9UP4
Sibelius - Finlandia Op.26 - Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy....."Ashkenazy makes a superb job of Finlandia, which boasts some of the most vibrant, powerful brass sounds on disc." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVuziDPQ66g
Sibelius - Finlandia, Karelia Suite, Valse Triste, The Swan Of Tuonela, Scène Historiques, et al. - Sir John Barbirolli conducting Halle Orchestra.....reference recording...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_18IKw9KFc
Sibelius - Violin Concerto in D-minor - Jascha Heifetz, violin / Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Walter Hendl...it's Heifetz and the CSO - enough said...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ww3az5pyJ8
Strauss, Johann II - Waltzes, Polkas, Marches, including An der shonen blauen Donau (On the Beautiful Blue Danube, aka 'Blue Danube Waltz') / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Willi Boskovsky....."There have been no finer recordings of Johann Strauss than those of Willi Boskovsky" - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzTgbRhIKU8&list=PLzEAFn2fkkkfQUQhad81wsbWAl56Nyr9d&index=3
Strauss, Johann II - Die Fledermaus - (complete opera - DVD video) - Kiri Te Kanawa as Rosalinde, Hermann Prey as Eisenstein / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Placido Domingo conducting.....a delightful comedy, considered by many to be the greatest operetta....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dka-_N6KaG0
Strauss, Richard - Also Sprach Zarathustra - Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner..."Reiner's incandescent1954 account is the stuff of which legends are made....playing of incredible intensity and concentration" - Gramophone...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RETQ8sopFuQ
Tchaikovsky - Ballet Suites: Sleeping Beauty - Nutcracker - Swan Lake - Rostropovich, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.....simply enchanting...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqjlocepj0o&list=OLAK5uy_kRXpbwg0zftsRKme2cmIaJmeALJ4CF27Y&index=1
Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D major op. 35 - Jascha Heifetz, violin / Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra....an unsurpassed performance of one of the greatest violin concertos!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gumh_GZpO_w
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor - Vladimir Horowitz, piano / NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini....this is the celebrated 1941 Carnegie Hall performance, by two legends, of one of the greatest piano concertos!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOicWK05pWk
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor - Van Cliburn, piano / RCA Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin. This is Van Cliburn's Carnegie Hall performance in May 1958 following its performance in the finals of his historic triumph at the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Competition the month prior in Moscow. For that performance, see the listing - Van Cliburn...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZYYqUssAVw
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor - Martha Argerich, piano / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado....(recorded 12/1994; also includes The Nutcracker - Suite).....an acclaimed performance by the brilliant artist...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmVJjDEYDrY&list=OLAK5uy_keZeYfv2PfU83DdnhLssxFlfPYyf_TPaQ
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture Op.49 - Here is the 1958 recording of the performance by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra & the University of Minnesota Brass Band conducted by Antal Dorati, with special effects of cannon fire provided by U.S, Military Academy, West Point, and the bells of the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Carrillon of the Riverside Church, New York City. This recording/performance is absolutely spectacular! I highly recommend to acquire the CD of this performance not only for the great performance but also for the detailed liner notes describing the elaborate project involved in making this historic recording. It is advisable to listen to the recording initially at a moderate volume as the cannon fire and bells are extremely loud!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spWBkQj7HGA
Tchaikovsky - Symponies 4, 5 & 6 ('Pathetique') - Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Evgeny Mravinsky - "These recordings are landmarks, not just of Tchaikovsky interpretation but of recorded orchestral performances in general. The Leningrad Philharmonic plays like a wild stallion, only just held in check by the willpower of its master. Prodigious." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL7hNANFEKI
Tchaikovsky - Romeo & Juliet - (live video; BBC Proms 2007) - London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev .....an impassioned, first-rate performance of the composer's fantasy-overture masterpiece...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxj8vSS2ELU
Van Cliburn - historic piano performances - (live videos) -
Van Cliburn wins The First International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition - Moscow - April, 1958.
Here is the "official" Russian video of Van Cliburn's performance of both the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor and the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 in the final of the inaugural 1958 competition, with Kirill Kondrashin conducting the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. The audio and video quality are fair at best, but it's the artistry, the performance and how inspiring it is that matters above all. Within the context of the so-called "Cold War" tensions that existed between the Soviet Union and the USA at the time, these historic performances had ameliorative effects beyond those engendered in the concert hall during the few days of the competition. The performances continue to inspire to this day...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9aKbfnMSrY
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 - (live video) - Van Cliburn, piano / Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin, conducting..... from the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Competition...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VkGLlf03no
Further perspective of the historic event....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p3FR1ZhVPo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtI51PsEgOY
As far as I am aware the following is the only available (CD) recording of the final of the 1958 Moscow competition, of Van Cliburn's performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto and the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3.....(Label: Testament; ASIN: B00IIZDZLK)...
https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Ilyich-Tchaikovsky-Rachmaninov-Philharmonic/dp/B00IIZDZLK/ref=sr_1_37?crid=Z5UBWGWOYDAF&dchild=1&keywords=tchaikovsky+piano+concerto+1&qid=1595032589&s=music&sprefix=tchai%2Cpopular%2C240&sr=1-37
DVD's of Van Cliburn's historic performances at the 1958 Tchaikovsky Competition....
https://www.amazon.com/Van-Cliburn-Moscow-Vol-1/dp/B00143XE46/ref=sr_1_4?crid=QXZ7BQ9GBHRA&keywords=Van+Cliburn+-+Beethoven+%2F+Liszt+%2F+Tchaikovsky&qid=1693631585&s=music&sprefix=van+cliburn+-+beethoven+%2F+liszt+%2F+tchaikovsky%2Cpopular%2C160&sr=1-4
Vivaldi - Vivaldi Strings Concertos - (live video) - Giuliano Carmignola, violin / Venice Baroque Orchestra.....a wonderful performance by an acclaimed Vivaldi soloist and ensemble...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS0MRL3Aj2w
Vivaldi - Pinchas Zukerman Plays Vivaldi - English Chamber Orchestra, Pinchas Zukerman, violin, conductor.....a select compilation of the composer's popular works, including The Four Seasons Concertos.....stirring, uplifting performances!.....(video starts on track #13 - Violin Concerto in E-Flat Major, Op. 8 No. 5, RV 253 "La tempesta di mare": I. Presto)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb7UH54Ym0Y&list=OLAK5uy_mL2ah5k9VzB2JDKZYvdJNGyGctNtzXT14&index=13
Vivaldi - "L'estro armonico" 12 concertos, Op.3 & 4 woodwind concertos - Academy of St. Martin In The Fields, Neville Marriner.....this sparkling collection will lift your mood!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enq9503UM64&list=OLAK5uy_nF_a2iTyUM0rCSBPHei808UXlvNQmenCM&index=1
Vivaldi - The Four Seasons - (live video) - Gabor Szabo, violin / Orquesta Reino de Aragón, Ricardo Casero, conducting.....a superb performance...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rgSzQwe5DQ&ab_channel=HALIDONMUSIC
Vivaldi - The Four Seasons - Giuliano Carmignola, violin and Andrea Marcon, harpsichord & organ, with Sonatori De La Gioiosa Marca....."Carmignola plays with immense brilliance." - Gramophone*...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulrKcPZU9Es
Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwangler...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92OBNsQgxU
Wagner - Preludes and Overtures - Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMB-9C8HBCU
Wagner - Favorite Overtures - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loKnEy4wbLw&list=OLAK5uy_nVQCcwzflmtzLzQZ5bYmg1PKcMNIqRmhY
Wagner - Siegfried Funeral Music - Götterdämmerung - Solti - VPO - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkOiKy6sXfM
*************************************************************************************************
Be sure to check out other articles relating to chess, including instructive chess resources and chess book recommendations, in my Chess.com blog.
*************************************************************************************************
*Review excerpts from Gramophone Classical Music Guide; Gramophone.co.uk
*************************************************************************************
220821 -1913
