To start in recent history, ever since Puccini was writing Tosca for the Romanian soprano Hariclea Darclee, Romanians wrote glorious pages in the history book of music. This list will present some of the most influential and best represented in the recordings catalogue:
1. George Enescu
Any list about Romanian music and musicians has to start with its most illustrious figure. One of the most complex phenomena of the musical world from the dawn of the last century, Enescu left a profound mark on both the violin teaching and playing as well as composition. One of the great composers of the first half of the century, we own him a good deal of the great musicianship that Yehudi Menuhin managed to bring to the world. I will just mention two of his many achievements. First is the recording of te compelte Bach sonatas and partitaas for violin, which hold a legendary status. Anybody who thinks that heard and knew everything about these masterpieces should listen to Enescu. It's profundity and reachness of spiritual detail borders the miraculous.
The second work I want to mention here is as close to a nation's soul as a musical piece could be. It is also the most performed of Enescu's compositions, although his symphonies and many of his other works see the red beans of the cd-players more and more often. The work I am talking about is the First Romanian Rapsody. Recently the great recording of Celibidache became available on dvd, and is by far the definitive recording. For a cd recording try Stokowski's version especially that now is available in the beautiful sound of the XRCD.
2. Dinu Lipatti
The pianist that reached the legend in just 33 years of life. Although his carrier was cut short by Hodgkin's disease his music-making was preserved in couple of recordings. Phenomenal technique put in the service of musical perfection. Considered by most one of the greatest of the 20th century, his recordings share the Reference status or count among the greatest recordings of the century. He is particularly noted for his interpretations of Mozart and Chopin, but he also made recordings of Franz Liszt, Enescu, Maurice Ravel's Alborada del Gracioso, the Schumann and Grieg piano concertos, and Johann Sebastian Bach. His recordings of the Schumann and Grieg concertos are widely considered to be among the finest ever made. His recording of Chopin's Waltzes has remained in print since its release and has long been a favorite of many classical music-lovers.
3. Sergiu Celibidache
Probably the best known figure from this illustruous list, Celibidace sits among the greatest battons of the last century. Controversial in many ways, Celibidache was capable of bringing to light the whole soul of a musical piece with elegance and extreme clarity. He made the Munich Philharmonic sound like one of the greatest orchestras. He was capable of expressing new things there where nothing seemed left to be discovered. Even for the well educated ear Celibidache's recordings are one rare treat, capable of bringing an entirely new vision of very-well known grounds.
4. Clara Haskil
Few know that this celebrated Mozartian is Romanian. Although at her time many considered her the foremost interpreter of Mozart her recordings show also a superb interpreter of Beethoven, Schumann, and Scarlatti. She was a preferred partner for chamber music of such musicians as Enescu, Ysaye, Casals, or Grumiaux. Especially the period after the Second World War saw her name entering the pantheon of the great keyboard figures of the century and every recording she left us is a most convincing argument.
5. Radu Lupu
Contemporaneity finds us still at the keyboard, where we find one of the most creative and sensitive pianists of our times. I had the chance of seeing him live and it was a truly great experience. A very profound and lyrical interpreter of Schumann and Schubert, he is a suprisingly fresh and powerful Beethoven interpreter (his cycle with Mehta is a very good one), while in Mozart he provides a most beautiful account, deep, with a great sense of style and joyful creativity (his recording with Perahia of K. 365 concerto is one wonderful example).
6. Virginia Zeani & Ileana Cotrubas
The Romanian Canto School provided outstanding generations of vocal talents. As I mentioned in the beginning starting probably with Hariclea Darclee great voices from that part of the world gave life to characters on the most important stages of the world. I picked just two from a very long list for their prominence in the history of bel canto and of operatic recordings.
Virginia Zeani was one of the most dominant sopranos of the the first half of last century. Playing alongside the gratest voices of her time starting with Beniamino Gigli and Ferruccio Tagliavini right up to Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo, you can listen to her voice on numerous "pirated" or live recordings. They show one of the most versatile and supremely gifted sopranos of the century.
Ileana Cotrubas was a prominent figure of the second half of the century operatic stage. Extremely versatile with an exceptionally good technique she was able to put her above average acting skills in practice in roles as diverse as Violeta in Traviata (her recording with Kleiber is a great classic) and Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro.
