Bolstering My CD Collection

[lenfer]

Hello, I'm new to the forum so I apologise if I have posted this in the wrong place.  Until recently I didn't really buy music on CD, however I have made  it my new year's resolution to gradually build a small CD library for myself.

When I look at what I have bought over the past month or so I'm sorely lacking paino. I have Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981 recordings) but that's about it.  My taste is varied but I mostly listen to classical music. I like everything from Bach, Chopin and Liszt to Pärt, Ligeti and Glass.

I do not have a predilection for any one painist over another (yet) and would even be open to jazz suggestions.

I hope I'm not to vague or asking too much but could you please recommend some CDs? I really don't mind what it's all part of developing my taste.  I am looking for a "good" copy of Chopin's Nocturnes though.  

L'enfer

[symphonicdance]

There are just so many classical piano pieces worth listening, if not owning the CDs.  Here, I'd just try to address some of the points you raised.

May be you can try Kapustin's 8 Concert Etudes to get a taste of jazz/classical piano music. 

Rzewski's People United will Never be Defeated & North American Ballads are interested American contemporary piano music.

Barber's complete piano music (1 CD) will also do you with early - mid 20th century American piano music.  You must have heard of the 3rd pieces from his Excursions somewhere, some time ago.  Lovely melody.

Many famous pianists had recorded the complete set of Chopin's Nocturnes.  Rubinstein, Arrau, Ashkenazy, Barenboim, Joao Pires, ... too many.

BTW, Bach's Well-tempered Clavier Bk I & II and Beethoven's Sonatas are regarded as the Old and New Testaments of classical piano music, and so you shouldn't miss them in your library.  Also, some budget labels actually aren't bad, in terms of both the pianists' interpretations and engineering/sound.

Good luck, and happy building of the library!

[redbaron]

Gyorgy Szandor - Bartok Complete Piano Works
Pascal Roge - Ravel Complete Piano Works
If you want an excellent set of wonderful and unjustly neglected music then I can wholeheartedly recommend Annette Servadei's recording of Sibelius' Complete Piano Works.