1. Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-3. London Symphony Orchestra, Igor Markevitch, conductor. Philips.
2. Hindemith, Honegger and Martinu: Cello Concertos. Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Christoph Poppen, conductor. Johannes Moser, cello. Hannsler Classics.
3. John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony; String Quartet. International Contemporary Ensemble, John Adams, conductor; St. Lawrence String Quartet. Nonesuch.
4. Sousa: Marches. Czechoslovak Brass Orchestra, Rudolf Urbanec, conductor. Nonesuch.
5. Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings, 1953-1967. Music by Beethoven, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Chabrier, Franck and others. Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Decca.
6. Franck and Stravinsky: Symphony in D minor; “Petrushka.” Chicago Symphony and Boston Symphony, Pierre Monteux, conductor. RCA.
7. Ruggiero Ricci: Decca Recordings 1950-1960. Music by Paganini, Weber, Ravel, Lalo and others. Decca.
8. Mahler and Schubert: Symphony No. 9 and Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished.” Chicago Symphony, Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor. Deutsche Grammophon.
9. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique. Concertgebouw Orchestra, Colin Davis, conductor. Philips.
10. Spiked!: The Music of Spike Jones. Spike Jones and his City Slickers and his Other Orchestra. RCA.
11. Ataulfo Argenta: Complete Decca Recordings, 1953-1957. London Philharmonic, London Symphony, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ataulfo Argenta, conductor. Decca.
12. Litolff: Concerti Symphonique Nos. 3 and 5. Peter Donohoe, piano. BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton, conductor. Hyperion.
13. Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 9. New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, conductor. Sony.
14. Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, “Eroica.” Schumann: “Manfred” Overture. Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor. Deutsche Grammophon.
15. Richard Strauss: “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks”; “Don Juan”; “Death and Transfiguration.” Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, conductor. Sony.
16. Bach: Cello Suites. Mstislav Rostropovich, cello. EMI Classics.
17. Berlioz: Requiem; “Symphonie funebre et triomphale.” London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Colin Davis, conductor. Philips.
18. Mozart: Violin Concertos. Camerata Salzburg, Leonidas Kavakos, conductor and violin. Sony.
19: Fiesta: Music by Revueltas, Marquez, Bernstein, Ginastera, Estevez and Castellano. Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor. Deutsche Grammophon.
20. Satie: 3 Gymnopedies and other works. Pascal Roge, piano. Decca.
Classical Life 
I remember a cd you brought home to me from Tower. I THINK you said it was the best recording in the place. I LOVE it and play it often…do you know what it is? I bet you do. No pressure.
Satie?
yes!
Time is limited, so I must be brief. I fully agree on numbers 1, 5-9. The CSO is visiting Segerstom in Feb and is scheduled to play the Frank. I believe the Marinsky Orchestra either recently performed some of the early Tchaikovsky at Segerstrom, or will soon. I had the Tchaikovsky 2 from that set as a child and grew up quite happily with it.
Can’t believe I only have one of these (Berlioz). Clearly I have some catching up to do!
I wholeheartedly recommend this new CD of song cycles by the distinguished British composer Alun Hoddinott, performed by some of the UK’s leading young musicians including soprano Claire Booth, tenor Nicky Spence and their pianist Andrew Matthews-Owen.
Hoddinott was a major force in the UK as a symphonist (10) and was commissioned by some of the greatest names of the 20thCentury including Rostropovich (Scena for Cello and Orchestra), Ruggiero Ricci, John Ogden, Dame Margaret Price and many more.
He wrote operas in collaboration with Myfanwy Piper and many CDs are available of his lavish, and individually stark, mysterious and appealing music.
This CD is an all premiere recording of works from 1970s to 2006. Cycles written for the great Welsh tenor Stuart Burrows (words by Ursula Vaughan Williams and Welsh poets writing in English), song settings of texts by Christina Rossetti, WB Yeats, Emily Dickinson and charming folksong arrangements of Welsh melodies sung in English translation to texts by Rhiannon Hoddinott, the composer’s wife, of whom Peter Pears wrote that such was her beauty ‘she could start a Trojan War’.
UK amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hoddinott-Landscapes-Song-Cycles-Folksongs/dp/B0041XSB6C/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1322339571&sr=1-1
US/non UK amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Landscapes-Hoddinott/dp/B0041XSB6C/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1322339542&sr=1-2
Where’s Carlos Kleiber in all this? There was a DG set with all of his recordings for that label at one time.
He’s coming …
Litolff, here I come! I’ve been wondering about that one. Thanks.