101 Classical Music CDs

Over the next two posts, we will finish off the remaining two Felix Mendelssohn's symphonies on my 3-CD collection of his Five Symphonies. Today, we'll cover his Third, the "Scottish" Symphony. ********************** Herbert Von Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Five Symphonies Deutsche Grammophon, 1973 ********************** In my view, Mendelssohn's Third Symphony is the best one I've listened to yet, after having listened to his First , his marathon Second , and his Fifth . And my boy Felix himself backs me up on this one: according to the unusually well-written liner notes accompanying this CD (written by Ivan March), Mendelssohn "valued the 'Scottish' Symphony above the others." Mendelssohn was inspired to compose this work after a visit to Scotland in 1829, and the introductory theme of this symphony burst into his mind upon seeing the famous Holyrood Abbey ruins . It's interesting, however, tha...

"Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy." --Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ************************** The more I learn about Tchaikovsky, the more I see him as one of the most inspiring composers in all of classical music. Here was a man who suffered throughout his life. His mother died when he was an adolescent. He was mentally unstable during much of his adulthood, suffering from depression at best and derangement at worst. And he was a gay man living in a society that considered homosexuality to be criminal. As if these enormous hardships weren't enough, he had just as many barriers blocking him from his dreams to become a composer: he had almost no background in the subject, having chosen a more "respectable" career in law. He had little musical training and less compositional training. He knew nothing of harmony, counterpoint or music theory. Worst of all, his first attempts at composition have been charitably described as "feeble....

Today we'll cover Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, from a live CD recording by the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Valery Gergiev. ********************** Valery Gergiev and the Wiener Philharmoniker Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 Philips, 2004 ********************** The Sixth was Tchaikovsky's last symphony, and many music historians consider it his requiem, as he died just nine days after the work's premier. Also, the circumstances surrounding his death were unclear--did he die of cholera, or did he commit suicide?--adding to the controversy surrounding this composer's already highly controversial life. We'll discuss more about Tchaikovsky's life, and in particular his, uh, eccentric personal life, in future posts. Listener notes for Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony: 1) It's strange, but after really enjoying this symphony earlier this year (on another CD), I seem to have gone a bit limp on Tchaikovsky's Sixth....

It's ironic that Dvorak's Seventh Symphony and his Eighth Symphony are commonly found on the same CD, because they are a study in contrasts. The Seventh Symphony is as dark and stormy as the Eighth is joyful. The Eighth is suffused with Slavic folk tunes, while the Slavic themes in the Seventh, if they show themselves at all, appear late in the work in camouflaged form. ********************** Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Philadelphia Orchestra Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) Symphonies 7 and 8 EMI, 1990 ********************** But there is one thing Dvorak's Seventh and Eighth Symphonies inevitably share: both are unjustifiably overshadowed by his more commonly performed Ninth. I'm grateful that this blog has caused to listen closely to these two symphonies. Until I started this blog I had never heard Dvorak's Sixth, Seventh or Eighth Symphonies, despite the fact that for years they've been sitting over on my CD rack collecting dust. Listener notes for Dvorak's Sev...

In the eyes of the average casual classical music listener, Dvorak's Eighth Symphony is generally overshadowed by his much more widely known Ninth Symphony. But in the eyes of true Dvorak lovers, however, the Eighth is more popular by far. Real Dvorak fans cherish the raucous and exuberant folk music of Dvorak's native Bohemia--and that's exactly what suffuses this symphony. It makes listening to this symphony an experience of pure joy. And at an all-too-brief 35 minutes or so in length, this thrilling symphony is over before it begins. ********************** Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Philadelphia Orchestra Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) Symphonies 7 and 8 EMI, 1990 ********************** Dvorak's Eighth Symphony is proof that not all great symphonies are conceived in suffering. Occasionally a symphony--like this one, or Brahms' Second--bursts out of a composer during a period of contentment and happiness. And Dvorak composed this entire work in just two and a half...

"Whosoever has built a new Heaven has found the strength for it in his own Hell." -- Nietzsche "The mightiest of Beethoven's symphonies." --David Dubal , from The Essential Canon of Classical Music With today's post, I've now finished listening to and writing about the entire cycle of Beethoven's symphonic works. And I have to thank this blog for helping me accomplish a task I've wanted to do all my life: listen closely and carefully to every single one of Beethoven's nine symphonies. It's been a profound and deeply moving experience for me. ********************** Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Beethoven (1770-1827) Beethoven: Symphonie No. 9 Deutsche Grammophon , 1984 ********************** Classical music fans with at least a passing knowledge of Beethoven's life and biographical details will know the story of the premiere of the Ninth: Beethoven was actually on the stage with the musicians, assisting the conduc...