Recommended Listening from the Maestro Michael Morgan's CD Picks of Works Featured on the 2007-2008 Season
	If you would like to spend some time listening to the major works featured on our 2007-08 season in preparation for hearing them performed live, here are some suggestions from Michael Morgan (in his own words). Most of these works are available at amazon.com. When you enter the Amazon website through our Website, (Click here), OEBS gets a portion of the proceeds from your purchase.
		NOVEMBER 9
		Beethoven, Symphony No. 5: I recommend the recording of The London Classical Players, with Roger Norrington conducting (on EMI). Bernstein, Fancy Free: I like the New York Philharmonic recording, Leonard Bernstein, conductor (on Sony). There is also a recording of Fancy Free by Andrew Litton that includes the song Big Stuff, which begins the ballet, sung by Billie Holliday. But I would suggest getting the song separately in a Billie Holliday collection. We will be playing the Billie Holliday recording at our performance.
		JANUARY 25
		There are many fine recordings of the Verdi Requiem, and you should choose based on your favorite soloists or conductor. There are two I will recommend: one conducted by Sir Georg Solti (on RCA with Leontyne Price) and one with Herbert von Karajan conducting (on Deutsche Grammophon). I happened to see von Karajan live in Vienna at the time, with the Vienna Philharmonic and soloists that included Jose Carreras. Both of these are especially thrilling performances. But there's never been anything to surpass Price floating the high B flat in the last movement.
		FEBRUARY 22
		John Adams, The Chairman Dances: I still like the old San Francisco Symphony recording with de Waart conducting (Nonesuch). It's how I first heard the piece many years ago. Tan Dun, Water Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra: This has not, to my knowledge, received an audio recording. That could be because it is such a visual piece. One really has to see it.
		Jon Jang, Chinese-American Symphony: Not yet released but soon to appear on the first recording from the Sacramento Philharmonic, Michael Morgan, conductor. This was the co-commissioning orchestra, along with OEBS.
		MARCH 14
		Richard Strauss, Don Juan: There are many fine recordings of this work. I will highlight those of the Staatskapelle Dresden under conductor Rudolf Kempe because it is a great set of recordings of the complete Strauss orchestral music (on EMI) and the historical Vienna Philharmonic recording conducted by Strauss himself (Preiser Records).
		Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: Pick your favorite pianist playing these variations. I grew up on the Gary Graffman/Leonard Bernstein recording (Sony).
		Of the Persian music, I don't know of a recording of the Hossein Piano Concerto but the music of Mr. Tjeknavorian, who is also a prominent conductor, can be found. Learn more about him at www.loristjeknavorian.com.
		APRIL 18
		Rare is the year when I recommend one Herbert von Karajan recording and this year I'm recommending two. The Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht receives a typically Berlin-Philharmonic-lush reading under Karajan (on Deutsche Grammophon). I'm personally planning to buy the recording by the Smithsonian Chamber Players (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi) on period instruments because it sounds fascinating.
		Brahms' Second Piano Concerto is another of those pieces where you can just pick your favorite pianist's recording. I'll cite two of mine: Rudolph Serkin with George Szell (on Sony) and Krystian Zimerman with Leonard Bernstein (Deutsche Grammophon). Two very different approaches, each extraordinary in its own way.
		MAY 16
		For Stephen Sondheim's Follies, no concert performance will ever beat the 1985 live performance with the New York Philharmonic (RCA Victor), with everyone from Barbara Cook to Carol Burnett to the fabulous Elaine Stritch. You might not like every single performance (I personally like the insanely manic Mandy Patinkin performance, though others don't), but you certainly cannot fault them for not getting into the spirit of the thing. This recording is all about big stars having great fun.
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