Week 17 Nos. 16-20
Top 20 time! (and this was easier than last week’s so I am catching up 
)
16. Symphony No. 41 in C Major (Jupiter Symphony), K. 551
817 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony 1788 Play
I’ve stated my preferences for these late symphonies before (Bernstein/VPO and Mackerras/SCO for modern and HIP respectively) but since I know you prefer HIP I’ll throw in another and recommend Gardiner’s superb reading with his EBS.
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernstein “Mozart: Symphonies Nos.35 ‘Haffner’ & 41 ‘Jupiter’” 1985, 16/44.1
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Mackerras “Mozart: Symphonies Nos.38-41” 2008, 24/88.2
English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner “Mozart: Symphonies 39 & 41” 2011, 16/44.1
17. Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466
579 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto 1785 Play
For the Mozart piano concertos Murray Perahia will always be my primary go-to, but for HIP try Malcolm Bilson again with the incomparable EBS under Gardiner.
Perahia, European Chamber Orchestra “Perahia Plays and Conducts Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos.11 & 20” 2013, 16/44.1
Bilson, English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner “Mozart: The Piano Concertos” 1990, 16/44.1
18. The Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 846–893
948 Johann Sebastian Bach Piano Sonata 1742 Play
This is a big one Ben. For me this is some of the most beautiful (and important) music ever written, worth reading up a bit beforehand (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Well-Tempered_Clavier).
András Schiff is my primary go to for most of Bach’s keyboard works and as good as his first cycle for Decca is I definitely prefer his second outing for ECM. Likewise Angela Hewitt, a very safe pair of Bachian hands and here again I prefer her second recorded cycle, interestingly on a Fazioli piano instead of a Steinway.
Schiff “Bach: The Well Tempered Clavier Books 1 & 2” 2012, 24/44.1
Hewitt “Bach: The Well Tempered Clavier Books 1 & 2” 2009, 24/44.1
19. Symphony No. 9 (From the New World), Op. 95, B. 178
1253 Antonín Dvořák Symphony 1893 Play
My go to here has always been the BPO under Rafael Kubelik, but I recently discovered Jakub Hrůša’s “insightful and inspirational interpretation” which I love.
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Kubelik “Dvořák: Symphonies Nos.8 & 9 'From the New World” 1973, 16/44.1
Bamberger Symphoniker, Hrůša “Brahms: Symphony No.4; Dvořák: Symphony No.9 ‘From The New World’” 2018, 16/44.1
23 Franz Schubert Lieder / Song 1827 Play
I’ll start with an absolute classic, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, one of the finest baritones of his generation and a safe bet for any of Schubert’s lieder. This is the last of his three recordings of this piece and IMO is his finest, superbly accompanied by Jörg Demus.
But I almost feel he is upstaged by Johan Kaufmann whose superbly clear and tonally beautiful performance forms my new reference. He is perfectly matched in colour and texture by Helmut Deutsch.
Dieskau, Demus “Schubert: Winterreise” 1965, 16/44.1
Kaufmann, Deutsch “Schubert: Winterreise” 2014, 24/96
