Kurt Atterberg's First Symphony is absolutely ******* fantastic, superb, riveting, blustery, thunderous, energetic piece of dramatic onslaught of romanticism, lyricism and pure power ever released from Sweden!!!

The finale may be a little stretched out, but I don't give a damn. the first movement is so unrelenting, the slow movement achingly beautiful, the scherzo colourful and exhilarating, and the finale has some real moments of grandeur that criticism just get all diluted.

It's simply superb, superb, superb!

Yeah, the bit in the middle from the Levi advert is the best.

I renamed this thread and will in the future be making further raves and recommendations of more civilized stuff 'cause.... well, you know, no one else will.


Of course unless somebody else wants to contribute, that's fine too. Or if you want my particular thoughts on something you may want, then ask.

Out of all the concertante pieces of Franz Liszt for piano and orchestra, there is nothing better than the Totentanz, a set of brilliant variations on the Gregorian Dies Irae melody, combining brilliant virtuoso techniques, sustained lyricism, thunderous passages and a full array of Lisztian practices. Being no empty clatterpiece, it is said to be based on Francesco Traini's fresco "Triumph of Death" in Italy. The work is roughly dividable into four sections and makes for some really pleasurable listening, also featuring some interesting modernistic touches, particularly in the piano writing that Bartók later on expanded. In short, Liszt's 16-minute Totentanz is really fun.

YES! Beethoven's Appassionata (Piano sonata no.23) is fantastic! The alternating moods of stormy and peaceful of the first movement are just wonderful, at times calm and quiet, then exploding with stormy pounding. The dancable variations of the second movement then yield to the fireworks of the finale to a spectacular effect. The final presto just adds so much exhilaration to the whole thing, it almost drives me to jump around the house. Particularly Sviatoslav Richter's 1960's performance is top notch, the finale being taken way too fast for human consciousness to even comprehend. AAAARRUUUU!!! I love it! I love it!

More Liszt! The popular Liszt evergreen of the encore numbers, the Grand Galop Chromatique is unbelievable. The sheer virtuosity this requires just makes me go wild. Best heard when played to the pianist's edge of skills in speed and execution, no wonder so many falter under the pressure and slow the work down considerably. Trust the ultimate Lisztian, Georges Cziffra, to milk the excitement to its fullest. Four minutes of unashamed virtuostic brilliance that makes one wonder how the fingers are not getting crossed and messed up with each other at every moment. Just fun and should be heard more often!!!

I'm not sure how many replies you're goany get on this thread

I don't mind! I'm not after replies, just airing my head off stuff that I get when getting drunk. Brahms' Fourth Symphony by the way is fantastic!

I like The Planet Suite thingy by Holst

Cavelera Rusticana or Rusty Cavalier as I nicknamed it. By goodness this is opera at its best. The choral work makes me go all bumpy.

Holst's Planets: I love, it, I love it, I love it!!!! From beginning to end some of the most fantastic music ever written I think (and even more topical now as Pluto has been robbed of its planetary status).

Ah, and Cavalleria Rusticana, Mascagni's only call to fame (but the man was a lout, so serves him right I guess).

Beethoven's Violin concerto, AND Chopins Nocturnes.

All great! Beethoven's Concerto sure had difficulties getting off the ground, but thankfully has now gained its rightful status. And while talking of violin concertos, I don't think many rival Mendelssohn's E minor Concerto in straight out lyrical invention and purity (Sibelius' perhaps comes close, but with totally different merits).

sebelius doesn't come near it for me. I much prefer Mendelssohn. How about French composers ? What do you think of Erik Satie. Boy can he make a piano sing. Wish i could play like that.

Well of French composers it probably won't be much of a surprise that I consider Berlioz as my absolute favourite ever since I heard the Symphonie fantastique. Likewise people like Saint-Saëns (a French Liszt almost), Fauré (loving the mellow tone he has), Debussy (as far as impressionistic tone painting goes) and Lalo (bravado sensational).

Satie of course is quite the interesting character and his titles are really inventive and fun. I particularly like the Gnossiennes, the Gymnopédies, the Embryons desséchés and the ultimate in messed up directionality of Véritables préludes flasques (playing directions are in dog-Latin).

And the hair-raising virtuosity of Charles-Valentin Alkan is another French composer of exceptional talent (he died when a bookcase fell on him!).