Here are 100 discs and albums, offered as suggestions for beginners, the selections of which are obviously subjective but which can serve as the basis of your CD library. We have paid special attention in this list to the relationship between quality and price. In other words, we have included as many discs as possible which are of the best quality but are readily available at mid or budget price.
Bach
- Brandenburg Concertos. Akademie für alte Musik Berlin (HM)
- Violin Concertos. Faust-Poppen (Haenssler)
- B-Minor Mass. Jacobs (Berlin Classics)
- Passions. Koopman (Erato)
- Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin. Ehnes (Analekta)
- Goldberg Variations. Perahia (Sony)
Bartók
- Piano Concertos. Anda-Fricsay (DG)
- Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta. Bernstein (Sony)
Beethoven
- Violin Concerto. Perlman-Giulini (EMI)
- Piano Concertos Nos. 3 and 5. Serkin-Bernstein (Sony)
- Fidelio. Klemperer (EMI)
- Piano Sonatas Nos. 8, 14, 26. Moravec (Supraphon)
- Symphony No. 3. Szell (Sony)
- Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7. Kleiber (DG)
- Symphony No. 9. Fricsay (DG)
Bellini
- Norma. Callas-Serafin (EMI)
Berg
- Violin Concerto (+ Stravinsky). Perlman-Ozawa (DG)
Berlioz
- Harold in Italy. Davis (LSO)
- Symphonie fantastique. Munch (RCA)
Biber
- Rosary Sonatas. Manze (HM)
Bizet
- Carmen. Solti (Decca)
Brahms
- Piano Concertos. Gilels-Jochum (DG)
- Violin Concerto. Oïstrakh-Szell (EMI)
- Piano Works. Kempff (DG)
- Violin Sonatas. Suk-Katchen (Decca)
- Symphonies. Solti (Decca)
Britten
- Peter Grimes. Britten (Decca)
- War Requiem. Britten (Decca)
Bruckner
- Symphony No. 7. Skrowaczewski (Oehms Classics)
- Symphony No. 9. Mehta (Decca)
Chopin
- Ballades, Mazurkas. Moravec (Supraphon)
- Nocturnes. Arrau (Philips)
- Préludes. Sonata No. 2. Argerich (DG)
Debussy
- Piano Works. Michelangeli (DG)
- La Mer, Nocturnes. Tilson Thomas (Sony)
Dowland
- Vocal Works and Lute Pieces. Deller (HM)
Duruflé
- Requiem. Graden (BIS)
Dvorak
- Symphonies Nos. 7 and 9. Levine (RCA)
Falla
- The Three-Cornered Hat. Ansermet (Decca)
Fauré and Franck
- Violin Sonatas. Grumiaux (Philips)
Fauré
- Requiem. Shaw (Telarc)
Franck
- Quintet. Levinas, Quatuor Ludwig (Naxos)
- Symphonie in D minor. Monteux (RCA)
Gershwin
- Rhapsody in Blue. An American in Paris. Tilson Thomas (RCA)
Gounod
- Faust. Cluytens (EMI)
Handel
- Water Music, Royal Fireworks Music. Savall (Astrée)
- Messiah. Mackerras (EMI)
Haydn
- The Creation. Karajan (DG)
- Quartets Opp. 42, 64 No. 5, 76 No. 5. Lindsay Quartet (ASV Quicksilva)
- London Symphonies. Jochum (DG)
Janácek
- Glagolitic Mass; Sinfonietta; Taras Bulba. Ancerl (Supraphon)
Liszt
- Piano Concertos. Sonata. Richter (Philips)
- Faust Symphony. Bernstein (DG)
Mahler
- Symphony No. 1. Solti-LSO (Decca)
- Symphony No. 5. Barshai (Brilliant Classics)
- Symphony No. 9. Ancerl (Supraphon)
Mendelssohn
- Symphonies . Abbado (DG)
Messiaen
- Turangalila Symphonie. Wit (Naxos)
Monteverdi
- Vespers. Herreweghe (Harmonia Mundi)
Mussorgsky
- Pictures at an Exhibition. Ormandy (Sony)
Mozart
- Flute Concertos. Gallois (Naxos)
- Piano Concertos Nos. 18, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27. Casadesus-Szell (Sony)
- Don Giovanni. Giulini (EMI)
- The Magic Flute. Östman (Decca)
- Quatuors dédiés à Haydn. Alban Berg Quartet (Teldec)
- Requiem. Bernstein (DG)
- The Last Symphonies. Davis-Dresden (Philips)
Nielsen
- Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5. Schonwandt (dacapo)
Orff
- Carmina burana. Muti (EMI)
Prokofiev
- Symphonies Nos. 1 and 5. Karajan (DG)
Puccini
- La Bohème. Tebaldi-Serafin (Decca)
- Tosca. Callas-de Sabata (EMI)
Rachmaninov
- Piano Concertos. Kocsis-De Waart (Philips)
Ravel
- Orchestral Works (2 CD). Cluytens (EMI)
Rimsky-Korsakov
- Schéhérazade. Kondrashin (Philips)
Rossini
- Overtures. Reiner (RCA)
Schubert
- Lieder (various collections and song cycles). Fischer-Dieskau-Moore (EMI)
- String Quintet in C major. Schiff-Alban Berg Quartet (EMI)
- The Last Piano Sonatas. Brendel (Philips)
- Symphonies. Wand (RCA)
- Trio op. 100. Stern, Istomin, Rose (Sony)
Schumann
- Piano Concerto (+ Grieg). Katchen-Kertesz (Decca)
- Kreisleriana. Horowitz (Sony)
Shostakovich
- Symphonies Nos. 1, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 15. Sanderling (Berlin Classics)
Sibelius
- Symphonie n° 2. Szell (Sony)
Smetana
- Ma Vlast (My Country). Kubelik-Boston (DG)
Strauss J.
- Waltzes. 1992 New Year’s Concert. Kleiber (Sony)
Strauss R.
- Also Sprach Zarathustra (+ Holst). Steinberg (DG)
- Salomé. Karajan (EMI)
Stravinsky
- The Firebird. Dorati. (Mercury.)
- The Rite of Spring. Petrushka. Boulez (Sony)
Tchaikovsky
- Violin and Piano Concertos. Kremer-Maazel, Argerich-Dutoit (DG)
- Symphonies Nos. 4 – 6. Sanderling et Mravinski (DG)
Verdi
- Aida. Solti (Decca).
- La traviata. Cotrubas-Kleiber (DG)
- Requiem. Shaw (Telarc)
Vivaldi
- The Four Seasons. Carmignola (Sony)
Wagner
- Overtures and Preludes. Böhm , Kubelik, Jochum (DG)
- Tristan and Isolde. Böhm (DG)
Zelenka
- Trio Sonatas. Holliger (ECM)
