Works that might benefit from a new recording.

[teamsaint]

There must be a good number of works that would really benefit from a new recording. Some would be where a work hasn't been recorded often, and some where perhaps no really "satisfactory" recording has been made or is available. Some perhaps, where a really different approach might yield interesting results. There might be any number of reasons.

I read somewhere on here a long time ago that something as well known as LVB's Missa Solemnis had never been recorded to the poster's satisfaction, for example.

I wasn't really thinking of works that have never been recorded commercially, though that of course would be fascinating, although there was a thread on this not so long ago.

Any suggestions?

[aeolium]

Busoni's Doktor Faust has had few recordings, AFAIK. There is a severely cut version with Boult and the LPO, and Fischer-Dieskau in the title role, another one - also with cuts - with DFD in the title role with Leitner conducting (which I have and think very good) and the more recent Kent Nagano recording with Dietrich Henschel as Faust and Kim Begley as Mephistopheles. I haven't heard that latter one of which there are good reports. I saw this opera in ENO's very impressive production in the 1980s (?) and think its comparative neglect both in the opera house and on disc is incomprehensible - it surely deserves to be in the standard operatic repertoire.

Another opera which has not been much recorded is Berlioz' Benvenuto Cellini, a work with some great music. Two recordings about 40 years apart from Colin Davis (very good, especially the latter one), one fairly recent one from John Nelson, a recording by Ozawa and a 1960s recording by John Pritchard and the ROH orchestra. I'm surprised that for instance John-Eliot Gardner has not recorded it (AFAIK).

[Tony Halstead]

Hindemith's 'Mathis der Maler' - the opera not just the symphony.

[Thropplenoggin]

Beethoven's Mass in C Major.

Mozart's Masses could do with some new period performances (I would commend Koopman's Coronation Mass and vespers on Erato anyone keen for a new recording).

[Pabmusic]

Here's some works by three symphonists who have been recorded by Naxos and CPO with good enough orchestras, but who would benefit from better orchestras and recordings:

Roy Harris (especially No. 7, which did have a good recording by Ormandy that is rather old now, not to say hard to get).
Ture Rangstrom (especially No. 2)
Walter Piston (especially No. 2)

[rauschwerk]

Here's some works by three symphonists who have been recorded by Naxos and CPO with good enough orchestras, but who would benefit from better orchestras and recordings:

Roy Harris (especially No. 7, which did have a good recording by Ormandy that is rather old now, not to say hard to get).
Ture Rangstrom (especially No. 2)
Walter Piston (especially No. 2)

Piston 2 was recorded very well by Michael Tilson Thomas and the Boston SO about 40 years ago and it still sounds good. The Seattle Symphony/Schwarz versions of Piston 2,4, and 6 were originally on the Delos label and I find them more than acceptable. It's clear that conductors and record companies are not queuing up to record Piston's music, excellent though it is.

[amateur51]

I'd like to see a recording of Britten's Diversions for Orchestra and Piano Left-hand by Ben Grosvenor. We have two very elderly recordings by Julius Katchen and a 1980s performance by Rattle/CBSO and Peter Donohoe but we do need to get this wonderful piece 'on the map' for the 21st century.

The other piece? - Malcolm Arnold's Concerto for Phyllis and Cyril by Ben Grosvenor and Angela Hewitt

Edit: Just discovered that Steven Osborne has recorded the Britten - does anyone know it?

[Suffolkcoastal]

The Tilson Thomas recording of the Piston 2nd Symphony is preferable to the naxos/delos recording as is the Slatkin recording of No 6. There is a more recent recording of the 3rd coupled with a couple of approchable works by James Yannatos.

I agree about the Harris 7th and the other key work of Harris's that is even more in need of a good modern recording is the 1st Symphony. How a work of this stature (the 1st American symphony to be commercially recorded in 1934) has managed to be ignored by recording companies in recent years is scandalous. Harris's chamber music is also poorly represented, the majority of the current recodings available are variable in quality and some works fpr example, the Piano Trio, Concerto for Clarinet, Piano & String Quartet & Cello Sonata, have never appeared on CD.

Another key American work that has only been recorded once is Roger Sessions 2nd Symphony, the Mitropoulos recording dates from the 1950s.

[Don Petter]

Hindemith's 'Mathis der Maler' - the opera not just the symphony.

I've not heard the Albrecht, but the Kubelik has always sounded pretty good to me, can you elaborate?

My vote would go to having a recording of Cedric Thorpe Davie's cantata 'The Jolly Beggars'.

[Don Petter]

Piston 2 was recorded very well by Michael Tilson Thomas and the Boston SO about 40 years ago and it still sounds good. The Seattle Symphony/Schwarz versions of Piston 2,4, and 6 were originally on the Delos label and I find them more than acceptable. It's clear that conductors and record companies are not queuing up to record Piston's music, excellent though it is.

Pristine have re-issed Hanson's Mercury Piston 3.

[John Shelton]

Hans-Joachim Hespos’s iOPAL (on DVD).

Richard Barrett's Construction (on CD and DVD, to be greedy)

[vinteuil]

... the early Lully operas.

We need replacements for the unimpressive Hugo Reyne performances.

I look forward to Marc Minkowski, Stephen Stubbs, Hervé Niquet, Christophe Rousset, Philippe Herreweghe, or Wm Christie taking these on...

[MickyD]

As you might expect, I am banging the gong for Rameau. I heard a complete performance of "Acante et Céphise" back in the 80s in a concert performance organised by R3 at St John's Smith Square - it contained some lovely music and to my knowledge, apart from some orchestral suites, it has never been committed to disc. Also missing is a complete recording of the even more wonderful "Zais"....I treasure a long-unavailable version recorded by Leonhardt for the French STIL label, but today's performers could do it even better justice.

[Ferretfancy]

Amateur 51,

I agree about the Britten diversions, and Benjamin Grosvenor would be an ideal choice. I don't know the Steven Osborne recording, but you may have overlooked a splendid performance by Leon Fleisher and the BSO under Ozawa. It's coupled with equally impressive performances of the Ravel left hand and Prokofiev's 4th. Fleisher made these recordings when he was still suffering from a problem with his right hand, but he has now fully recovered after years of absence

I've only been lucky enough to visit the Lincoln Centre once, and that was to hear Fleisher play the Ravel in a programme with the Suisse Romande Orchestra. It was wonderful, even if the hall leaves a bit to be desired. Light bulbs around the gallery made it look a bit like a high class knocking shop! ( Naturally, I have never visited a low class one )

Fleisher's Beethoven with the Cleveland and Szell still takes some beating.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Handel's Messiah in the Beecham/Goossens orchestration. With modern sound and less extreme tempi than the 1959 RCA recording, a new version would be most welcome.