Craig, I tend to agree with your period preferences. Although I listen to Bach, Haydn, Mozart etc. my greatest interest begins about 1830 with the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique. As sushi and others pointed out, the music tends to have both gentle and vigorous moments within the same composition and I'm not going to honor your "laid-back" specification.
Ravel's music does tend to have more gentle moments, so let me first suggest a Ravel collection including the exquisitely beautiful Ma Mere L'Oye(Mother Goose), with Tortelier and the Ulster Orchestra on Chandos CHA 7102.
Rachmaninoff is one of my real favorites, so I'll suggest a bargain(about$7)CD I've suggested before in replies and PMs: Symphonic Dances, etc., Batiz and the Royal Philharmonic on Naxos NXS 8.550583.
I've got 6 versions of Smetana's Ma Vlast(My Country)and I'll suggest a bargain CD with Berglund and the Dresden State Orchestra on Seraphim SPH 73736.
An old but beautiful collection with Anna Moffo singing and Stokowski conducting the gorgeous Rachmaninoff Vocalise and others on RCA 7831.
A very colorful collection of Respighi's Pines of Rome, etc., in excellent sound with Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony is on London LON 455 290.
A new recording(also on SACD)of Gliere's gigantic Il'Ya Murometz is on Telarc TLC 80609 with Botstein and the London Symphony.
As always, these often have to ordered since they're not in stock, even at big stores. I'll stop here although I could list hundreds more.
Last edited by JohnK; 07/17/03 12:29 AM.
