The first piece I mention, Chopin's "Anda...

2010-05-19T10:55:14.153-04:00

The first piece I mention, Chopin's "Andante spianato..." was recommended in Ayn Rand's newsletter "The Objectivist" (September 1967). That's how I found out about it.

One of my favorite pieces, and one of the pieces that got me initially "hooked" on classical is Chopin's "Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante". Best

Ed, I picked up the Saint-Saën and Berlioz works y...

2008-08-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Ed, I picked up the Saint-Saën and Berlioz works yesterday (Borders didn't have a copy of the Symphonic Dances), and I can see why you like them. They're very good, and likely pieces that I wouldn't have found without your recommendations.

Tom, thanks for the suggestions. I almost bought some Sibelius yesterday, but wasn't sure what to pick. Now I have something to look for.

Wow, what a question! Okay, here goes...

1....

2008-08-19T01:06:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a question! Okay, here goes...

1. Sibelius Symphony No. 5 - Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. I'll describe it as Sibelius did: "The gates of heaven open and God's orchestra begins to play." It is majestic, profound and triumphant - but that's typical of Sibelius.

2. Rachmaninov's 3rd Concerto - Ashkenazy with Previn and the London SO. Of all Rachmaninov concerti, I

My very favorite classical piece is Hector Berlioz...

2008-08-18T09:33:00.000-04:00

My very favorite classical piece is Hector Berlioz’s “Roman Carnival Overture,” performed by the London Philharmonic in 1946, conducted by Victor de Sabata. It’s purely coincidence, but that is also my birth year. It is a kind of personal overture to my life and how I have lived it.

My second favorite is Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances,” performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra,

As you listen to the fugues, it is helpful to keep...

2008-08-17T11:40:00.000-04:00

As you listen to the fugues, it is helpful to keep in mind what a fugue is; this will make it much more pleasurable and rewarding.

The whole point of a fugue is that it develops and elaborates upon a single musical idea. The fugue always starts by presenting this main idea, or motif, in exposition: a single musical “voice” at the beginning of the piece that states the theme in the

Amazing, Stephen. Thank you.

Regarding you...

2008-08-16T20:45:00.000-04:00

Amazing, Stephen. Thank you.

Regarding your last paragraph, where you describe "heaviness" or immensity as the thing you seek... I'll know better after I listen to your recommendations, but I like the same thing. I read the Wiki entry on Tchaikovsky's 5th, and when it was play in the US in 1888 or something, the reviews were really harsh, saying the last movement sounded like he had

Well, this is a topic that I could go on and on ab...

2008-08-16T16:58:00.000-04:00

Well, this is a topic that I could go on and on about, so even though my comment is long, I promise I’m being about as brief as possible! (By the way, I’ll spend almost no words beyond mere titles about the particular recordings I have, since it is generally the composer and composition that is most important to me, not the performance. For some people, the opposite is the case, but it’s just

Thanks! And Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 is my fa...

2008-08-16T06:18:00.000-04:00

Thanks! And Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 is my favorite of all time (so far). Listening to it in the car recently was what got me to thinking about posting this request.

The version I have is by the Chicago Philharmonic, with Claudio Abbado directing.

Okay, here goes (and I doubt I will be able to kee...

2008-08-15T21:39:00.000-04:00

Okay, here goes (and I doubt I will be able to keep it to anything like three):

1) Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 in e minor, "From the New World"
2) I haven't listened to multiple recordings of this piece -- the one I have is of Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, and it is just fine.
3) There is no melodist like Dvorak -- he writes stirring tunes that stay in the mind

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