As per @scapegoat, allegri’s miserere is just sublime (I’ve had the Tallis Scholars version for over 30 years, probably my first classical cd). From memory it was judged to be so beautiful it was only to be played once a year in the Sistine chapel but a young punk (initials WAM) heard it (once!) and transcribed it note perfect and the secret was out.
Carrying on the choral I cannot recommend enough the works of Arvo Pärt. Kanon Pokajanen but word of warning it’s sung in Church Slavonic is probably my most placed cd ever. Tabula Rasa is non choral and was my introduction.
The sister piece to KP is Symphony No 4: Los Angeles, the ECM cd has fragments from KP (probably my favourite piece of music, ever). I have many AP cds… many.
Bach I like. In addition to those already mentioned I’ll add the violin concertos. Bought academy of ancient music album (definitely my first classical purchase) back in the 80’s. Saint Matthew Passion as well. There was a fascinating R4 Soul Music episode on this on how it literally saved someone’s life.
Purcell as well. Dido’s Lament is a classic. Also part of the R4 soul music series. They both used to be on YouTube but not anymore. Maybe on the bbc sounds thing?
I’m a big fan of the avant garde. There is a brilliant film: In the ocean – a film about the classical avant garde. Again, it used to be on YouTube but I couldn’t find it so it’s probably been pulled as well. Gives a great overview of the development from Europe to the US. Features Steve Reich, John Cage, Phillip Glass, Louis Andriessen and the Bang on a Can crew (Gordon, Wolfe, Lang). I have it on the Music for Airports dvd…
There is also the neo-classical stuff like Max Richter, Johann Johannsson, Nils Frahm, a Victory for the Winged Sullen and (my particular favourite) Hania Rani.
Carrying on the choral I cannot recommend enough the works of Arvo Pärt.
Wow, you’ve done it now! There’s a playlist on Youtube, called Da Pacem by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, and I’m going to lose a good few hours listening to that. Absolutely sublime.
I’ve been big into Reich for about as long as Arvo so I have, err, a few of his cds also. The Phases boxset is a pretty good introduction containing Music for 18 musicians, different trains, desert music, come out and proverb.
Personal favourites are six marimbas, Proverb and 4 Organs. 4 organs has had a mixed reaction. Here is what happened at an early concert:
A 1973 performance of Four Organs at Carnegie Hall in New York City nearly caused a riot, with “yells for the music to stop, mixed with applause to hasten the end of the piece.”[6] One of the performers, Michael Tilson Thomas, recalls: “One woman walked down the aisle and repeatedly banged her head on the front of the stage, wailing ‘Stop, stop, I confess.'”
Yeah, they are amazing. I’d love to see them do the KP stuff live in a cathedral or similar setting. It’d be proper hair sticking up on the back of your neck stuff…
