A selection of musical texts and interpretaions of the very highest level of artistic inspiration.
Date | Composer | Work/Movement_______ | Artist(s) | Label | time | Comments________________________ | |
1 | 1708 | Bach | Cantate BWV 106 "Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit"/ Chœur | Süddeutscher Madrigalchor & Consortium Musicum | EMI | 08:58 | “The time of God is the very best time”: divine! |
2 | 1716 | Bach | Choral prelude "Ich ruf’ zu dir" BWV 639 | Alfred Brendel | Philips | 03:39 | calm and spiritual, just what one often needs |
3 | 1720 | Bach | Partita no. 2 in D minor, BWW 1004/ Chaconne | James Eanes | FL | 16:52 | a monument of the art of violin composition and execution |
4 | 1721 | Bach | Concerto "Brandenburg" no. 6 in B flat, BWV 1051/ Allegro | I Musici | Philips | 06:20 | what rhythm, what musicality! |
5 | 1725 | Bach | Suite for cello no. 6 in B flat, BWV 1012/ Prélude | Paul Tortelier | Classical | 05:43 | a prelude to Heaven |
6 | 1735 | Bach | Italian Concerto BWV 971/ Allegro | Alfred Brendel | Philips | 04:20 | smoothly and most rhythmically exclamatory |
7 | 1735 | Bach | Italian Concerto BWV 971/ Andante | Alfred Brendel | Philips | 05:41 | quiet, peaceful, very beautiful, these two movements complement each other marvellously |
8 | 1741 | Bach | Goldberg Variations BWV 988/ Aria | Zhu Xiao-Mei | Accentus | 04:16 | on another plane |
9 | 1784 | Mozart | Sonate pour piano en ut mineur K. 457/ Adagio | Anne Queffelec | Mirare | 08:58 | this delves deep into the mystery of quiet beauty |
10 | 1791 | Mozart | Clarinet Concerto K. 622/ Adagio | Robert Marcellus, George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra | CBS | 07:49 | so justly famous because so very beautiful |
11 | 1791 | Mozart | Requiem K. 626/ Benedictus | Edith Mathis, Karl Böhm, Wiener Philharmoniler | DG | 6:53 | impossible to celebrate more intensely the memory of those departed |
12 | 1794 | Beethoven | Sonata for piano no. 2, Op. 2, no. 2/ Largo appassionato | Stephen Kovacevich | EMI | 05:35 | its quiet but powerful lyricism epitomises the composer’s spirit of striving for higher things |
13 | 1801 | Beethoven | Sonata for piano no. 12 in A flat, Op. 26/ Marcia funebra | Stephen Kovacevich | EMI | 05:42 | more searching for higher things, soberly and powerfully |
14 | 1802 | Beethoven | Sonata for piano no. 16, Op. 31 no. 1/ Adagio grazioso | Yves Nat | EMI | 10:06 | wonderfully interpreted by the great Yves Nat, this song is a pure enchantment with its drive and captivating upswing and sheer melodic beauty. |
15 | 1802 | Beethoven | Eroica Variations/ Introduzione | Emil Gillels | DG | 03:01 | force and beauty, music of the heights attained by a pianist so worthy of them |
16 | 1802 | Beethoven | Eroica Variations/ I | Emil Gillels | DG | 02:02 | by a young man of 32! |
17 | 1802 | Beethoven | Eroica Variations/ III | Emil Gillels | DG | 02:02 | variations - one of the master’s areas of innate genius |
18 | 1802 | Beethoven | Eroica Variations/ IV | Emil Gillels | DG | 02:02 | this (super-)man seems to pour out variations just ever so utterly effortlessly |
19 | 1802 | Beethoven | Eroica Variations/ Finale alla Fuga | Emil Gillels | DG | 04:47 | a fine finale indeed |
20 | 1805 | Beethoven | Sonata for Violin and Piano no. 9 „Kreuzer“/ Adagio | Itzhak Perlman, Vladimir Ashkenazy | Decca | 16:26 | the focus for one of Tolstoy’s most renowned stories, the aptly-named The Kreuzer Sonata |
21 | 1805 | Beethoven | Sonata for piano no. 21, Op. 43 „Waldstein“/ Adagio molto | Stephen Kovacevich | EMI | 03:28 | only no. 21 but nevertheless in the same majestic category as the justly celebrated great five last sonatas (nos. 28-32) |
22 | 1805 | Beethoven | Sonata for piano no. 21, Op. 43 „Waldstein“/ Allegretto moderato | Stephen Kovacevich | EMI | 09:26 | |
23 | 1805 | Beethoven | Andante Favori WoO 57 in F | Claudio Arrau | Philips | 11:53 | sublime piano music, surprisingly little-known, originally written as the middle movement of the „Waldstein“ sonata no. 21 and then relegated to partial oblivion |
24 | 1805 | Beethoven | Symphony no. 3, „Eroica“/ Allegro con brio | Herbert von Karajan | DG | 13:28 | the quite perfect introduction to one of the master’s most celebrated symponies, then and now |
25 | 1806 | Beethoven | Violin Concerto, Op. 61/ Larghetto | Itzhak Perlman, Guilini, Philharmonia Oechestra | EMI | 9:24 | justly famous beyond words |
26 | 1808 | Beethoven | Triple Concerto, op. 56/ Largo | Richter-Oïstrakh-Rostropovitch-Karajan | EMI | 05:36 | divine music played exquisitely and profoundly by truly great musicians |
27 | 1811 | Beethoven | The "Archduke" Trio, no. 7 in B flat minor, op. 97/ Andante cantabile | Beaux Arts Trio | Philips | 12:34 | a long, slow song of deeply moving beauty |
28 | 1819 | Beethoven | Sonata for piano no. 29, Op. 106 „Hammerklavier“/ Largo | Yves Nat | EMI | 11:26 | the master climbs the highest heights of the piano repertoire here |
29 | 1820 | Beethoven | Sonata for piano no. 30, Op. 109/ Andante molto cantibile | Maurizio Pollini | DH | 12:30 | exceptionally, B. added a comment for the pianist in German (rather than in the standard Italian), obviously straight from the heart: „Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung“ which sort of signifies „in the manner of a song, with the deepest sensibility“ |
30 | 1822 | Beethoven | Sonata for piano no. 32, Op. 111/ Arietta | Maurizio Pollini | DG | 17:23 | the stupendous last movement of his last sonata, another eternal summit |
31 | 1824 | Beethoven | Symphony no. 9/ 4. Presto | Claudio Abbado | DG | 23:56 | no doubt the most celebrated of all the master’s works, an eternal monument |
32 | 1825 | Schubert | Ave Maria, D 839 | Barbara Hendricks | EMI | 06:15 | beyond music and even religion into the realm of ethereal purity |
33 | 1827 | Schubert | Adagio in E flat “Notturno” D. 897 | Beaux Ats Trio | Philips | 13:03 | moving and intense this is more soul-searching than sad, and it rises to the same grandiose heights as (late) string works by Schubert’s contemporary Beethoven |
34 | 1827 | Schubert | „Im Abendrot“ D. 799 | Dietrich Fischer-Diskau | DG | 04:14 | the beautiful text of „In the Red Sunset“ by Karl Lappe is sung with deep feeling by DFD and the meditative wish-I-could-be-watching-this-sunset mood is perfectly conveyed by Gerald Moore’s piano. |
35 | 1827 | Schubert | Impromptu Op. 90 D. 899, no. 3/ Andante | Radu Lupu | Decca | 06:28 | for its atmosphere of calm, peacefulness and beauty that captures in a very poetical way the essence of the musical experience |
36 | 1828 | Schubert | „An Silvia“ D. 891 | Dietrich Fischer-Diskau | DG | 02:44 | Shakespeare’s charming song from „Two Gentlemen of Verona“ becomes a hymn to beauty and to the joy of loving when put to music by Schubert and sung in poetic German by DFD |
37 | 1828 | Schubert | String Quintet Op. 163 D. 956/ Adagio | Quator Sine | Nomine Claves | 15:11 | intense, almost other-worldly, this is music that scales the very highest heights. |
38 | 1832 | Schumann | Tocccata, Op. 7 | Youri Egorov | EMI | 06:59 | breathtakingly energetic, just sweeps you along with it |
39 | 1835 | Liszt | Harmonies poétiques et religieuses/ III. Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude | Andrea Bonatta | Astrée | 18:34 | the magnificent harmonies, the continual sense of intense striving towards higher things, the sheer beauty of the melodic line – all combine to create a very special and very, almost uniquely, moving musical experience. |
40 | 1835 | Liszt | Harmonies poétiques et religieuses/ X. Cantique d’amour | Andrea Bonatta | Astrée | 07:26 | a hymn to higher things declaimed with both force and tenderness, infused with a atmosphere of intimacy and poetry that is just too beautiful for words – only music can suffice here in these lofty domains ... |
41 | 1835 | Schumann | Carnaval, Op. 9/ Préambule | Youri Egorov | EMI | 02:22 | Forceful, wild, irresistible |
42 | 1835 | Chopin | Nocturne No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27 no. 2 | Samson François | EMI | 05:33 | floating along for minutes that seem like an eternity on heights intensely and poetically depicted by the great Samson François, the summit of great art. |
43 | 1845 | Wagner | Tannhauser/ Ouverture | H. von Karajan, Wiener Philharmoniker | DG | 15:06 | sublime! |
44 | 1846 | Chopin | Polonaise no. 7 in A major | Samson François | EMI | 12:28 | a few instants of perfectly calm, meditative beauty |
45 | 1850 | Wagner | Lohengrin/ Prelude Act 1 | Mariss Jansons, Symphonie-orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks | Sony | 07:46 | the essence of the master’s art |
46 | 1850 | Wagner | Lohengrin/ Prelude Act 3 | Mariss Jansons, Symphonie-orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks | Sony | 03:20 | almost too perfect! |
47 | 1859 | Brahms | Concerto for piano no. 1 Op. 15/ Adagio | Vladimir Ashkenazy, Bernard Haitinck, Concertgebouw Orchestra | Decca | 14:08 | the music and the orchestra and soloist are all sublime, the effect is overpoweringly beautiful and moving |
48 | 1863 | Liszt | Saint François-de-Paule marchant sur les flots, S. 175 | Anne Queffelec | Erato | 09:13 | for its powerful, lyrical central theme, for its quiet aura of significance and for its aura of striving to reach out to higher things combined with an atmosphere of triumphant affirmation of the beauty and meaningfulness of this life here on earth. |
49 | 1878 | Brahms | Violin Concerto, Op. 77/ Adagio | Itzhak Perlman, Guilini, Chicago Symphony Orchestra | EMI | 10:09 | rising to the level of the masterwork for violin of his great predecessor B, a musical miracle. |
50 | 1881 | Brahms | Concerto for piano no. 2 Op. 83/ Andante | Vladimir Ashkenazy, Robet Scheiwein, Vienna Phil. | Decca | 13:09 | the lyrical beauty of the cello combined with the soft expressiveness of the piano and orchestra are just too much for words... |
51 | 1884 | Brahms | „Gestillte Sehnsucht“, Op. 91/1 | Jesse Norman | DG | 07:11 | “Becalmed Longing” – an expressive title indeed |
52 | 1884 | Brahms | „Geistiches Wiegenlied“, Op. 91/2 | Jesse Norman | DG | 06:12 | “Sacred Lullaby” - the most beautiful of them all |
53 | 1888 | Brahms | „Immer leise wird mein Schlummer“, Op. 105 | Jesse Norman | DG | 03:59 | “My slumber becomes ever lighter” is pure poetry just so moveingly interpreted by the great JN |
54 | 1902 | Mahler | Symphonie No. 5 in C sharp minor/ Adagietto | Bernard Haitinck / Berlin Philharmnoniker | Philips | 13:56 | peacefully intense, intensely moving |
55 | 1902 | Mahler | Rückert Lieder, "um Mitternacht" | Kathleen Ferrier / Wiener Philharmoniker | Decca | 06:30 | "At midnight I awoke and I looked up to the heavens; and no star in the teeming firmament smiled down at me — at midnight". A quite unforgettable and ever-so-moving cry of despair and loneliness, somehow buttressed by the poet’s fortitude and by the sublime voice and artistry of the ever-to-be regretted Kathleen Ferrer, who will always remain a shining light to comfort many at their own midnights throughout the ages. |
56 | 1905 | Sibelius | Violin Concerto, Op. 47/ Adagio di molto | Christian Tetzlaff | Virgin | 9:46 | an essentioal listening experience |
57 | 1931 | Ravel | Concerto pour piano et orchestre en sol majeur/ Adagio assai | Samson François | EMI | 08:40 | magnificently haunting |
58 | 1948 | Strauss | Four Last Lieder/ "Beim Schlafengehen" | Elizabeth Schwarzkopf | EMI | 05:24 | to a text by Herman Hesse, „On Falling Asleep“ is one of Strauss’s last and perhaps most lasting works. |