Classical Music: A Gradual Reimmersion
A few years ago, I experienced a surge of interest in classical music. Though I'd always had an affinity for such music, with a decided preference for works that showcased the violin, I underwent an intense, albeit brief, obsession during my last year of law school. Perhaps this is a strangely cyclical experience; during my last deployment to Kuwait, I felt the urge again.
This time, however, I am determined to take things slow. During the last iteration of classically-oriented compulsion, I purchased so many new discs in a short span that I was unable to provide each piece with its proper share of attention. The best music, of any genre, only improves upon repeated listening, and I intend to pursue a gradual approach this time around.
It might be worth a few words to explain why I am, at this late stage in the digital music revolution, going back to purchasing physical CDs. The simplest answer is that the price is just not much different. Unlike popular music, where one might purchase a few songs from any particular album, it would be rather odd to download a single movement from an symphony or concerto. Many discs are now so inexpensive that there are no savings at all for buying digital. Not to mention the benefits of owning the CD itself: a medium that is not subject to compressed encoding or DRM restrictions and that often comes with attractive and informative liner notes. And I can still get all the benefits of digital downloads by ripping the purchased CD to my hard drive and Ipod.
I placed my first order just a few days before I left Kuwait, so that they would be waiting for me upon my return in March. Though I limited myself to a budget of $50 (and almost stayed within that budget), this was probably the easiest order I'll place; I simply bought my very favorite works:
The Grumiaux Bach has been the standard for me since I was introduced to it by my violin instructor (I spent a single quixotic year taking lessons in high school). Ma and Ashkenazy are top-flight performers who can be trusted with just about anything in the repertoire and these recordings of Bach and Rachmaninoff, respectively, are nicely mid-priced. The Fournier Dvořák is not as famous as Rostropovich's recording with Karajan, but is a steal at its budget price. The only disc I have reservations about is the budget-priced Slavonic Dances, which are professionally handled by Szell but seem timid next to the fiery rendition conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Sometimes it is worth a few dollars more to get the best.
I augmented these with a disc of violin showpieces featuring Itzhak Perlman, my favorite violinist, backed by Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic. This disc collects a series of works either written by or for violin virtuosos of the past couple centuries. I had a CD of Perlman's "greatest hits" in high school that featured these recordings, and it quickly became a preferred disc in my collection. Saint-Saens' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso is my favorite piece of music and Perlman's version was actually the inspiration for my brief attempt to learn to play the violin (I did not quite get to Saint-Saens).
