Prokofiev. "Must Have " CDs.

[Don Petter]

Not a ‘Must have CD’ because, as far as I know, this recording has never appeared in that form, but the most outstanding Prokofiev performance I know is that of the First String Quartet by the Smetana Quartet (on Supraphon LP SUA10420).

I seem to remember that one of the private bloggers has had it available for download, I’m not sure if this still is the case.

(The coupling on the LP is a similarly great performance of the Shostakovich Third Quartet.)

[Dave2002]

I have always liked the 1st and 3rd piano concertos, though less sure of the others.

I had thought that there was a classic recording with Shura Cherkassky, but I can't trace that. Perhaps I was thinking of this one by Mindru Katz with Adrian Boult and the LPO - http://open.spotify.com/track/4akrnbPBMC9J5BNOCOkkNX which is definitely worth hearing.

There must be several good versions of concerto no 3.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Who?

That chap who has renounced first-team football and a knighthood, no?

[teamsaint]

That chap who has renounced first-team football and a knighthood, no?

The king is dead.......long live ...er...somebody else !!

Anyway, I, like the Super Saints, have a shopping list to compile .

[AmpH]

The king is dead.......long live ...er...somebody else !!

Anyway, I, like the Super Saints, have a shopping list to compile .

Well, with what you got for Lamb and Banana, you should be able to buy every cd going !!

[Sir Velo]

The Second PC is a stonking piece; no-holds barred brutalism - but with that intangible quality of melody with which Prokofiev scores over (pardon the pun) DSCH. Ashkenazy in his legendary two PC set with LSO/Previn accompanying is unchallenged in this repertoire.

Elsewhere, Sergei Sergeyich's chamber music is largely overlooked. This is a mistake. The first violin sonata is one of the great pieces in the repertory. Mintz and Bronfman (DG) get to the heart of this elusive music, as they do in the lighter, but by no means negligible, 2nd VS.

Chung and Previn (LSO) (this combination could do no wrong seemingly in the 70s) in the violin concertos are a safe and recommendable coupling.

[teamsaint]

[QUOTE=AmpH;412331]Well, with what you got for Lamb and Banana, you should be able to buy every cd going !![/QUOTE

Bompey got 25% of the Fee for the Llama
so I guess we only get 75% of all the CDs we want .

Talking of which thanks everybody so far for the recommendations.

My shopping list is taking shape nicely in fact I have already ordered the Chung VCs and the Bronfman Box (breaking my own "Single Cds" rule !) to keep me going while I contemplate or save for all those other goodies.

Keep 'em coming !!

[AmpH]

Two other great one-offs: Rozhdestvensky's Cinderella on Audiophile Classics Gold, and Richter (with Maazel) in the 5th Concerto, c/w Bartok's 3rd on Toshiba-EMI, one of Okazaki's very best remasters, really stunning.

The 2cd Gold Rozh Cinderella is indeed stunning and did at one time grace my collection ..... until the box of cd's containing it was " misplaced " during a house move - I haven't been able to replace it since at reasonable price. IIRC, the last time I saw the Tosh - EMI Richter cd ( the one with just Richter's head on the cover ) online it was priced at £100 + which is a bit rich for me. The EMI double forte will have to do !

If you do know where these discs can be sourced, I would be very gratefull if you could point me in the right direction !

[Dave2002]

I have an LP of the violin concertos - think it's Perlman/ Rhozdestvensky, BBCSO. As I recall it's very good, though has the close mic for the soloist which is particularly an issue with Perlman's recordings.
Apart from that I'd say it's up there with Chung/Previn.

There may be more recent performances/recordings which are at least as good as any of these.

I also wouldn't say that only Ashkenazy/Previn can do the piano concertos, good though they are.

[Barbirollians]

I have an LP of the violin concertos - think it's Perlman/ Rhozdestvensky, BBCSO. As I recall it's very good, though has the close mic for the soloist which is particularly an issue with Perlman's recordings.
Apart from that I'd say it's up there with Chung/Previn.

There may be more recent performances/recordings which are at least as good as any of these.are.

Agreed - I have the Ashkenazy/Previn and good as they are I prefer Kempf in 2 and 3 and Argerich in 3 and Richter in 5 !

[visualnickmos]

Not so much a "Must Have" but more of a "I'm glad I have"

Gergiev in the symphonies - LSO. Not everyone's choice, I know...... it took me a bit of time to get into their groove, but was worth it.

[pastoralguy]

For me, one of my favourite discs of all time is Martha Argerich playing the 3rd piano concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic under the late Claudio Abbado. One of the first Lps/ CDs I ever bought.

For the violin concertos, one of my favourite recordings is Isaac Stern with Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. (He recorded them twice. The second time was, IMHO, inferior). Demonic playing!

I also love Anne-Sophie Mutter's Erato cd of the first concerto under Rostropovich with the National Symphony Orchestra. Savage playing in the scherzo...

Of course, all are dwarfed by the wonderful Prokofiev second concerto under the incandescent Mr. Jascha Heifetz. The second movt. Is some of the most glorious violin playing ever committed to disc.

I have two favourite DVDs. An episode of 'Andre Previn's Music Night' split over two separate discs. Previn conducting the LSO in the 'Lieutenant Kije' suite and Martha Argerich playing the 3rd piano concerto.

Heady stuff for an impressionable 13 year old!

[pastoralguy]

Oh, and Georg Szell with the Cleveland orchestra in the fifth symphony.

Phenomenal playing!

[Ferretfancy]

I seem to have an awful lot of Prokofiev !

Of the piano concerto complete sets, Beroff is ver good, especially in No. 2 John Browning's old set with the BSO and Leinsdorf is also excellent.

I've heard Martha Argerich live in No. 3, but last time I heard her I was not terribly impressed. I'm afraid it has become too much of a party piece for her, great as she is.

My favourite performance of No. 3 comes from Gary Graffman with The Cleveland Orchestra and Szell. He manages to make the whole structure convincing while avoiding the rather hectoring quality which so often gets in to this concerto.

No. 4? Well, Fleisher with the BSO and Ozawa takes some beating, along with two other left hand masterpieces, the Britten Diversions and the Ravel.

Going back to No. 2, I've seen two terrific Proms performances in recent years, one with Kissin, and one with Alexander Toradze, I wish somebody would record his performance, I thought the piano would collapse at the end of the first movement cadenza !

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Oh, and Georg Szell with the Cleveland orchestra in the fifth symphony.

Phenomenal playing!