I've been listening to a lot of concertos while studying for the CPA exam. Generally I think my rock brain can handle compositions with a focus on a single instrument more easily than I can handle symphonies or even chamber music. I can latch on to that violin/piano/cello/whatever and let it be my guide.

 

Care to recommend your most listened to concerto recordings? Pics or links or whatever. Either I can then buy it or be like "yeah I have that one its awesome". Composer doesn't matter.

 

Thanks!

 

SACD

Redbook

Edited August 15, 201411 yr by robm321

 

SACD

Redbook

 

Have it, love it. I bought all the Living Stereo SACDs when they were going for $8.

 

Here's one I'm listening to now, one of the first concertos I bought when I got into headphones many years ago:

 

Nice 

 

Let me try again. 

 

 

link

Nice 

 

Let me try again. 

 

 

link

 

Awesome! My collection of mozart is woefully inadequate. Just bought with some amazon visa points.

Mozart's piano concerto #20 is my favorite piece of music, of any genre.

If you haven't heard it, it's definitely worth a listen. Look forward to your impressions.

Edited August 15, 201411 yr by robm321

My favourite living violinist (and not just 'cause she's cute -- I know I like her music because I've taken a chance on stuff I don't like otherwise (don't usually like Mozart anything), but I almost always like anything she does).

 

Ditto Helene Grimaud

 

And probably my single favourite memory of my mother was going to see Andre Watts play Saint-Saens' 2nd...from the choir pit (behind the stage), it's still my favourite rendition of this piece.  And the Tchaikovsky's not bad, neither.

 

Oh, and I wouldn't mind hearing thoughts on the best Mendelssohn/Bruch violin concerto pairing, I don't have favorite renditions, but I love both pieces.

I was just listening to Hahn's Brahms/Stravinsky tonight. Another one I've had for several years, a wonderful performance, and a flawless recording taboot.

I've never grouped Heifetz and Beethoven together, I think he's more of a Brahms and Prokofiev 2 kind of guy. If you want to listen to some really magical Beethoven, try Schnabel or Radu Lupu, and for a refreshingly different perspective, Glenn Gould. I'd be interested in hearing your opinion of his last Emperor performance with the Toronto Symphony (it's on youtube).

 

To add one to the list, Michelangeli's Ravel/Rach 4.

I'm going to have a good listen to the great recommendations I haven't yet heard.

Not strictly concerto music, I find Bach's suites for classical guitar amazing, I have a preference for John Williams interpretations and playing style for Bach's music.

Chaconne from BWM 1004 is a particularly beautiful piece to wet your appetite.

Nice 

 

Let me try again. 

 

 

link

 

Listened to this last night, really dig it. I can see myself listening to this one frequently.

 

Despite listening to "serious" music "seriously" in addition to rock/pop for the past several years, my comments still don't get any deeper than "i like this" or "i don't like this".

I'm going to have a good listen to the great recommendations I haven't yet heard.

Not strictly concerto music, I find Bach's suites for classical guitar amazing, I have a preference for John Williams interpretations and playing style for Bach's music.

Chaconne from BWM 1004 is a particularly beautiful piece to wet your appetite.

 

 

The Chaconne was actually originally written for violin as the last movement of the Partita in D minor. Would personally recommend Milstein or Szeryng if you want to hear it on violin. I actually recently played it for a couple of friends from memory after having not practiced it for over half a year and having not practiced in general for a couple months (very slow recovery from hand injury), which was surprising.

 

Listening to those recordings of the Ravel and Beethoven Emperor for the first time, the second movements in particular, was earth-shattering for me and forever changed not only my musical perspective but on life in general. I still remember listening late at night over and over the first few weeks after discovering them, and the goosebumps that ran all over my body. Music shouldn't be measured on or categorized by its level of "seriousness" as much as it should its ability to capture the human condition and captivate its soul (IMO).

In case someone is interested, I think this is the Beethoven's 5th by Gould about which MPI is talking about

 

http://youtu.be/jh8q6CfhjtI

 

If the story explaining how Gould got to play this concert is true, that's a hell of a performance. It would be too if the story wasn't true

Listened to this last night, really dig it. I can see myself listening to this one frequently.

 

Despite listening to "serious" music "seriously" in addition to rock/pop for the past several years, my comments still don't get any deeper than "i like this" or "i don't like this".

 

Like / dislike works 

I went looking for a copy of Beethoven's Violin Concerto in my CD collection.  Didn't have one but found a copy of Beethoven's Piano Concertos  3 & 4 with Alfred Brendel at the piano and James Levine conductiong.   I am not going to call it my favorite but both were great!  I'll have to get a copy of his violin concerto mentioned by OP. 

 

Me

Thanks for the tips, MPI! I enjoy hearing different version of the Chaconne and haven't hear those two yet. And agree, JWM, hearing it on John Williams' classical guitar is mesmerizing.

 

Going back a bit, but I still sometimes revisit Wynton Marsalis' Hummel and Haydn Trumpet concerto and I still enjoy that. I miss Wynton doing classical. Maybe because I saw him perform this live, and I was a young college student, that it made such an impression.

The Chaconne was actually originally written for violin as the last movement of the Partita in D minor. Would personally recommend Milstein or Szeryng if you want to hear it on violin. I actually recently played it for a couple of friends from memory after having not practiced it for over half a year and having not practiced in general for a couple months (very slow recovery from hand injury), which was surprising.

Indeed it was written for violin.

I think Bach's wrote 4 suites for lute, they transcribe well to the modern guitar.

I play also (guitar), not Bach though, way too difficult, but I enjoy hearing the greats play his works.

I'd add the Brandenburg Concertos (Concerti?) w/ Szeryng + The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

 

new one for me, digging this. super weird stuff.

 

also a new classical musician crush for me.