Mine is this one (I already posted the link here half a year ago):

Johann Sebastian Bach in optima forma et summa gravitate:

Jean-Sébastien Bach par Pierre Cochereau à Notre-Dame en 1959 !!!

https://youtu.be/UScb-eaHsCE?si=ft_g9_QwDCkmOUu_
--
Roland van Gaalen
Amsterdam

E. Power Biggs playing the Daquin Noels on the Harvard Flentrop organ. It never fails to make me smile.

Various operas I listen to a lot:

L'Enfant et les Sortileges - Maazel
The Cunning Little Vixen - Prague Nat Theatre, Gregor
Die Meistersinger - Solti second recording.

On Thursday, 14 September 2023 at 19:59:20 UTC+10, Roland van Gaalen wrote:
> Mine is this one (I already posted the link here half a year ago):
>
> Johann Sebastian Bach in optima forma et summa gravitate:
>
> Jean-Sébastien Bach par Pierre Cochereau à Notre-Dame en 1959 !!!
>
> https://youtu.be/UScb-eaHsCE?si=ft_g9_QwDCkmOUu_
> --
> Roland van Gaalen
> Amsterdam

I cannot really think of a best work, as it could vary, but am presently going through Malcolm Arnold's nine symphonies as recorded on Naxos conducted by Andrew Penny (on 5 individual discs). Arnold's orchestration, for what he wanted to portray, is ideal (no orchestral excess), and there is terror mixed with blinding flashes of drop-dead gorgeous tunes. There are hints of Mahler, Sibelius, and Walton, and these are works that are simply far too good to not know. Vernon Handley also recorded a set of these works, as did Richard Hickox.

Ray Hall, Taree

I'm interpreting this question as not necessarily the greatest works -
and they don't have to be the finest performances - or have the most
spectacular sound - but to simply list several recordings that we just
really enjoy:

Bruch Scottish Fantasy Chung/Kempe
Schoenberg Gurrelieder Ozawa
Massenet El Cid Ballet Martinon
Mozart Seraglio Jochum
Handel Chandos Anthem O Sing unto the Lord Mann
Handel Acis and Galathea Boult
Bach Cantata 182 Ehmann
Janacek Sinfonietta Ancerl
Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphoses Szell
Ravel Mother Goose Martinon
Beethoven Missa Solemnis Klemperer
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade Anyone

Roland, thanks for suggesting this topic - and the Bach recital is
great, interesting organ sonority and played with enthusiasm!

On Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 10:59:20 AM UTC+1, Roland van Gaalen wrote:
> Mine is this one (I already posted the link here half a year ago):
>
> Johann Sebastian Bach in optima forma et summa gravitate:
>
> Jean-Sébastien Bach par Pierre Cochereau à Notre-Dame en 1959 !!!
>
> https://youtu.be/UScb-eaHsCE?si=ft_g9_QwDCkmOUu_
> --
> Roland van Gaalen
> Amsterdam

I’m not keen on BWV 686, and I don’t much like the Notre Dame organ for baroque music. But I do think that this live performance by Cochereau has a bit of magic.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EFw1QlCM35I&pp=ygUNQ29jaGVyZWF1IDY4Ng%3D%3D

I can’t think of a 686 I prefer, so it’s quite possibly my favourite recording of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h60P7rLPnQ8

Richter in Sofia 1958 - the famous recital.

Liszt Valse Oubliee 2 is unreal.......

On Thu, 14 Sep 2023, Notsure01 wrote:

> I'm interpreting this question as not necessarily the greatest works - and
> they don't have to be the finest performances - or have the most spectacular
> sound - but to simply list several recordings that we just really enjoy:
>
> Bruch Scottish Fantasy Chung/Kempe
> Schoenberg Gurrelieder Ozawa
> Massenet El Cid Ballet Martinon
> Mozart Seraglio Jochum
> Handel Chandos Anthem O Sing unto the Lord Mann
> Handel Acis and Galathea Boult
> Bach Cantata 182 Ehmann
> Janacek Sinfonietta Ancerl
> Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphoses Szell
> Ravel Mother Goose Martinon
> Beethoven Missa Solemnis Klemperer
> Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade Anyone
>
> Roland, thanks for suggesting this topic - and the Bach recital is great,
> interesting organ sonority and played with enthusiasm!

In the same spirit, and just off the top of my head:

Jordi Savall performance of Handel's Water Music - definitely brings a smile.
Radu Lupu's set of Schubert Impromptus - actually my very first CD.
HK Gruber's CD production of "Die Dreigroschenoper".

A set I've been listening to recently which I could easily add is the
BIS recording of Villa-Lobos (complete Choros and BB).

And I still always get a kick out of a good Mahler 2 (but not for
frequent listening, more of a special-occasion work).
--
Al Eisner