Jawad’s Classical Archives
Welcome to my new classical music blog!
Classical music has been an enduring passion of mine since at least 1996. I was then a graduate student at the University of Montreal who – by pure chance – discovered the library of the University’s music department and spent countless hours listening to the great works of western classical music. I started collecting celebrated recordings shortly after. Today my collection exceeds 500 recordings, many of which are timeless glories of the gramophone.
The present blog reflects my desire to share with you my passion. Each post will introduce one recording in my collection, with a short essay summing up my opinion of it and a sample of expert reviews. I will try to keep the posts coming as regularly as my spare time permits.
I sincerely hope you will find my selection to your liking.
Jawad Abrache
POSTS
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 018
Arrau plays Liszt’s Piano Sonata, etc. (Philips Classics) Artist(s): Arrau, Claudio Composer(s): Liszt, Franz Series: Philips Classics My Opinion Widely regarded as the greatest Chilean pianist of all times, Claudio Arrau was trained with the rigor of the Germanic classical tradition of the early 20th century. His repertoire, while being among the largest of all…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 017
Karajan conducts Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier (EMI’s Great Recordings of the Century) Artist(s): Karajan, Herbert vonSchwarzkopf, ElisabethLudwig, ChristaStich-Randall, TeresaEdelmann, Otto Composer(s): Strauss, Richard Series: EMI’s Great Recordings of the Century My Opinion Is getting a reincarnation of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in the realm of the possible? As with the likes of Maria Callas, Victoria de Los…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 016
Ferrier sings Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, etc. (Decca Legends) Artist(s): Ferrier, KathleenPatzak, JuliusWalter, Bruno Composer(s): Mahler, Gustav Series: Decca Legends My Opinion I have a mixed feeling about this particular recording. On one hand, it features the most beautiful singing one might dream of hearing. On the other, it is infused with an…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 015
Furtwängler conducts Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (Naxos Historical) Artist(s): Furtwängler, WilhelmFlagstad, KirstenSuthaus, LudwigFischer-Dieskau, Dietrich Thebom, Blanche Composer(s): Wagner, Richard Series: Naxos Historical My Opinion A friend of mine has reminded me that it is awkward to post more than ten reviews of great recordings, and still miss out somehow on both Richard Wagner and Wilhelm…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 014
Kleiber conducts Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (Decca Legends) Artist(s): Kleiber, ErichSiepi, CesareDella Casa, Lisa Gueden, Hilda Poell, Alfred Composer(s): Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Series: Decca Legends My Opinion This is probably the best recording of the best opera by the best composer. Austrian conductor Erich Kleiber (1890 – 1956) was predestined by background and training…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 013
Gieseking plays Debussy’s Preludes, Books I and II Artist(s): Gieseking, Walter Composer(s): Debussy, Claude Series: EMI Great Recordings of the Century My Opinion This legendary recording features German master pianist Walter Gieseking, one of the giants of the keyboard in the 20th century, in the popular set of preludes by French composer Claude Debussy. Gieseking…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 012
Beecham conducts Puccini’s La Bohème Artist(s): Beecham, ThomasDe los Angeles, VictoriaBjörling, Jussi Composer(s): Puccini, Giacomo Series: EMI Great Recordings of the Century My Opinion As indicated in the recording’s booklet notes, this work, a true miracle of music making, happened by pure chance and could easily never have materialized. For that miracle, we are thankful…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 011
De Sabata conducts Puccini’s Tosca Artist(s): De Sabata, VictorCallas, MariaDi Stefano, GiuseppeGobbi, Tito Composer(s): Puccini, Giacomo Series: EMI Great Recordings of the Century My Opinion Last week, one of the friends following my blog asked the question: “Jawad: how on earth someone who reviews legendary classical music recordings could possibly miss out on the great…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 010
Richter plays Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concertos Artist(s): Richter, Sviatoslav Composer(s): Rachmaninoff, SergeiTchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich Series: DG The Originals My Opinion No serious classical music collection would be complete without (many) recordings of the great Soviet pianist Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter (1915-1997). Born in Zhytomyr (Ukraine), this giant of the keyboard was blessed with extraordinary technique,…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 009
Michelangeli plays Debussy’s Preludes (Book I) and Images Artist(s): Michelangeli, Arturo Benedetti Composer(s): Debussy, Claude Series: DG The Originals My Opinion Italian pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995) was one of the supreme artists of the 20th century. Native of Brescia, he started playing violin then piano at the tender age of three, and graduated from…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 008
Klemperer conducts Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte Artist(s): Klemperer, OttoGedda, NicolaiJanowitz, Gundula Berry, WalterPopp, LuciaFrick, GottlobSchwarzkopf, ElizabethLudwig, Christa Composer(s): Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Series: EMI Great Recordings of the Century My Opinion I could not delay the presentation of this jewel anymore. Here is one of the greatest recordings of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. The work has special meaning…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 007
Gilels plays Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos. 4 and 5 ‘Emperor’ Artist(s): Gilels, Emils Composer(s): Beethoven, Ludwig van Series: EMI Great Recordings of the Century My Opinion The great Ukrainian pianist Emil Gilels shines in this legendary recording. Made in 1957, it features Beethoven’s last two – and certainly most popular – piano concertos. When he…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 006
Argerich plays Chopin, Brahms, Prokofiev, Ravel, and Liszt Artist(s): Argerich, Martha Composer(s): Chopin, FryderykBrahms, JohannesProkofiev, SergeiRavel, MauriceLiszt, Franz Series: DG The Originals My Opinion One may love or hate Martha Argerich’s piano playing, but surely never be indifferent to her artistry and personality. The great Argentine pianist was indeed blessed with a phenomenal technique -…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 005
Argenta conducts Rimsky-Korsakov, Chabrier, Granados, etc. Artist(s): Argenta, Ataúlfo Composer(s): Chabrier, EmmanuelRimsky-Korsakov, NicolaiDebussy, ClaudeGranados, EnriqueMoszkowski, Moritz Series: Decca Legends My Opinion Every once in a while, mankind is robbed of a musical genius by an unfortunate tragic event. This was the case of the Spanish conductor Ataúlfo Argenta, who sadly succumbed to carbon monoxide asphyxia…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 004
Lipatti plays Chopin’s 14 Waltzes, Barcarolle, etc. Artist(s): Lipatti, Dinu Composer(s): Chopin, Fryderyk Series: EMI Great Recordings of the Century My Opinion The tragic death of the great Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti at the astonishingly young age of 33 robbed the world of a supremely gifted artist. About him, Harold Schonberg, the famous music critic,…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 003
Argerich plays Bach’s Toccata, Partita, and English Suite No. 2 Artist(s): Argerich, Martha Composer(s): Bach, Johann Sebastian Series: DG The Originals My Opinion This is perhaps an unorthodox and unusual pick for introducing the great Argentine pianist Martha Argerich – a more straightforward selection would probably have involved her incandescent Chopin, Liszt, or Ravel instead,…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 002
Böhm conducts Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte Artist(s): Böhm, KarlSchwarzkopf, ElisabethLudwig, ChristaKraus, AlfredoTaddei, GiuseppeBerry, Walter Composer(s): Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Series: EMI Great Recordings of the Century My Opinion Mozart finished the composition of Così Fan Tutte in 1780. The work is not the composer’s most well-known opera to the general public, but still has its unique…
Jawad’s Classical Archives – Set 01, CD 001
Kleiber conducts Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7 Artist(s): Kleiber, Carlos Composer(s): Beethoven, Ludwig van Series: DG The Originals My Opinion This is truly a desert island recording, worthy of inclusion in any respectable top-ten list. If you are a serious connoisseur and classical music lover, your collection would not be complete without it. The…
Follow My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Jawad's Classical Music Blog 