PHILIPS 835382AY

Beethoven piano sonatoes n.31 & 32, op.110 & 111

Claudio Arrau

Sound eng. M. Gray

I like very much this music and I think the Arrau interpretation is th ebest I have ever listened. The last Beethoven sonata is very famous, but I think that the end of the 31 (Adagio ma non troppo) is something really astonishing, with its final fuga so well played by the cilean pianist.

DECCA SXL-336181

Galuppi, Scarlatti and Beethoven sonatas

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

recorded by BDM

The sound is not the best possible, but the Galuppi sonata is really incredible. That is the art of Michelangeli!

CBS 72067

Chopin sonata n2 + Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Liszt

Vladimir Horowitz

Sound eng. ?

The “funeral march” of the Chopin sonata is really great.

CBS 76892

Beethoven Appassionata, Pathetique and Moonlight sonatas

Vladimir Horowitz

Sound eng. ?

Another great record from this very loved pianist.

COLUMBIA 33CX1386 (MONO)

Bach, Scarlatti, Chopin, Ravel

Dinu Lipatti

Sound eng. ?

Speaking on pianists... this is the one that I and my wife love most. He was an angel visiting our planet for a too short time! It was Lipatti who “discovered” how to play Bach at the piano. His virtuoso Alborada del Gracioso was never equally repeated...

COLUMBIA 33CX1499-50 (MONO)

“Last recital” Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Chopin

Dinu Lipatti

Sound eng. ?

This is great and tragic Besancon concert, made a few days before to die. It is probably one of the greatest music testament of the recording history.

PHILIPS 422 061-1

Johan Sebastian Bach

Irena Grafenauer and Maria Graf

Sound eng. Ko Witteveen

I was so lucky to listen these two girls playing this wonderful Bach music in the castle of Dobrovo just for a few of us: this music is wonderful as is this -digital- record.

DGG 2530247

Herbert Von Karajan Berliner Philharmoniker

Sound. Eng. G. Hermanns

Some very nice baroc music played by the Berliner big orchestra. No original instruments!

DECCA LONDON OS.25081

AA.VV. “Operatic Recital”

Giuseppe Di Stefano

Sound eng. ?

My wife really like the italian tenor Di Stefano, in particular for the Puccini arias. I think that the “E lucevan le stelle” here recorded is very languid and tears taker. I have found it in the same shop where I have found the 3 Cornered Hat, a proper reason to visit Frisco!

DECCA SKL4973

Andrew Lloyd Webber “Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat”

Alan Dogget The Joseph Consortium

Sound eng. B. Price

If you like musicals then you probably already know this record. If not, try to find it and you will enjoy the Joseph story in a '68 style.

DGG 2723044

Luigi Cherubini I quartetti per archi

Melos Quartett Stuttgart

Sound. Eng. H. Wildhagen & W. Mitlehner

Luigi Cherubini? Who was that guy? Well, in few words, he was a guy who wrote string quartets and solo piano at the same level -or even greater!- than Ludwig Van Beethoven (do you know him?). That happens if you are Italian instead than German...

CBS M42227

Bernstein, Copland, Stravinsky and Bartok “Compositions & Collaborations” from the Benny Goodman Collector's Edition

Benny Goodman

Copland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Stravinsky Columbia Jazz Combo

Sound eng.? Digitally remastered by J. McClure

I don't want to miss my respect for Bernstein and Bartok, but I really felt in love with the Copland's “Concerto for clarinet and string orchestra” and in particular for the Igor's “Ebony concerto”. Both were directed by their composer and also the sound is great: what do you pretend more than that?

TELEFUNKEN 6.42230 & 6.42621

Bottesini, Dragonetti, Von Dittersdorf

Ludwig Streicher

Norman Shelter (piano), Hans Stadlmair Munchener Kammerorchester

Sound eng. ?

The Bottesini opera for “kontrabass” is something very nice and Streicher is one of the best double bass player.

ERATO STU70474

Corelli, Marcello, Platti, Tartini oboe and flute concertoes

Pierre Pierlot and Jean-Pierre Rampal

Claudio Scimone I Solisti Veneti

Sound eng. P. Willemoes

When I was a little child my parents used the Marcello oboe concerto as lullaby. That is probably why I like it so much.

Updated October 2011

To be continued?