Good Listeners

Their passion is not so obvious as that of the fans who convulse into air-guitar solos or hurl themselves into mosh pits. Practitioners and ardent listeners of music’s classics describe their effect as subtly organic--a persistent thrum that begins in the brain, courses through the body and nourishes heart and soul. We asked a sampling of them, “What’s your favorite recording of your favorite music?”

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“Beethoven’s ‘Triple Concerto [Opus 56]’ with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Mark Zeltser. It’s just the excellence and the level of playing on it. It’s not a profound piece, but it’s a technical bear to play. The elegance and power displayed in this particular recording made me want to listen again and again. And for some reason, it has disappeared from our household.”

--Kevin Connolly, concertmaster of the Pacific Symphony

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“I’m partial to ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,’ the Mozart piece, done by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner. They play on period instruments, and it gives you a flavor of what it used to sound like before technology came along. Plus, I like the piece, the way it flows like water. And it’s short, not too terribly long, so you don’t have to wait for an hour for it to be over.”

--Henry Rosello, special-orders clerk, Borders Books & Music, Mission Viejo

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“I think the Bach ‘B-minor Mass’ is the single greatest work ever written from one of the master composers of all time. If he had written nothing else in his life, he would be one of the greatest ever based just on that one work. It deals with every element of music. I have four different recordings of it, all good, but I’d pick the one by John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir accompanied by the English Baroque Soloists on Feb. 9, 1985, at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.”

--Brent Pierce, composer-in-residence at Fullerton College

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“[Lalo’s] ‘Symphonie espagnole,’ with Dmitro Mitropoulos conducting the New York Philharmonic, with Zino Francescatti as violin soloist. It’s his style of playing. As the name implies, it’s Spanish music, but not in the sense we know it today. A lot of the playing today is so perfect, but it sometimes lacks a charming quality. That’s why I find this recording so beautiful. Francescatti was able to convey a sense of rhythm and charm. You really feel very close to it. It’s very personal.”

--Timothy Landauer, principal cellist, Pacific Symphony Orchestra

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“I love the score to [Bizet’s] ‘Carmen,’ particularly the song where she sings in the cantina. Oh, what is it . . . it’s on the tip of my tongue. Hold on. [Long pause] ‘Lillas Pastia.’ It’s a very flirtatious thing [the singer] does there. I just like the lilt in the melody line. If I had to pick a favorite recording of it, I like Marilyn Horne’s, I think with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. I hum right along.”

--Jan Duncan, artistic director and co-founder of Fullerton Civic Light Opera

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“It’s Brahms’ ‘Requiem’ on London Records, conducted by George Solti in 1977. Kiri Te Kanawa is the soprano soloist. It is undoubtedly the finest Brahms that’s ever been recorded. Solti is one of the great conductors. The form is unbelievable. The choir is unbelievable. It has the Chicago Symphony Chorus, one of the great choirs of the world, and the Chicago Symphony. Fantastic.”

--John Alexander, artistic director of Pacific Chorale