# Best recordings of certain classical works

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-recordings-of-certain-classical-works/291045>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 20, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-recordings-of-certain-classical-works/291045 "2005-02-20T19:23:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-recordings-of-certain-classical-works/291045/1 "2005-02-20T19:23:13Z")

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What are, in your opinions, the best (currently available) recordings of the following?

Beethoven - seventh symphony, violin concerto, “Tempest” sonata  
Chopin - first piano concerto  
Mahler - first, fifth, sixth symphonies, any of the song cycles  
Sibelius - violin concerto

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-recordings-of-certain-classical-works/291045/2 "2005-02-20T19:41:45Z")

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For Sibelius, it’s any Oistrakh recording. He brings an incredible breadth to it.

Likewise, I can’t suggest anything other than Kathleen Ferrier for _Das Lied von der Erde_, itself IMO the greatest thing he wrote. Fifth symphony, I’d say Bernstein. Sixth, maybe Kubelik, maybe Ormandy.

Beethoven, I find it impossible to choose. It depends on my mood 😃

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-recordings-of-certain-classical-works/291045/3 "2005-02-21T02:26:42Z")

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> [@Paladud](#):
>
> What are, in your opinions, the best (currently available) recordings of the following?
> 
> Beethoven - seventh symphony, violin concerto, “Tempest” sonata  
> Chopin - first piano concerto  
> Mahler - first, fifth, sixth symphonies, any of the song cycles  
> Sibelius - violin concerto

I’ll second the Oistrakh pick for the Sibelius violin concerto.

An Oistrakh/Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra recording of this was one of the first classical LPs I ever owned. A fantastic orchestral-violin duel.