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Buidling a Classical Library - MUST HAVES!

I started a r2d4 thread last week and am so impressed with the depth of music knowledge on this site that I'm going to start this one too. My knowledge of great classical recordings is so limited it's embarrassing to call myself a music lover. I've tried following some of the reviews in Stereophile, TAS and Golden Ear, but they all seam to have some agenda other than great sound, great performance and great material in mind. The fact that my system can resolve the subsonic activity of an earthquake during the highschool bands performance of Nutcracker or what ever Stereophile is about does nothing to help me find great music. My request, if you choose to accept it, is to identify the must have recordings to build library from scratch. PLEASE CONSIDER SONIC QUALITY, PERFORMANCE AND MATERIAL EQUALLY. As a lover of music I believe all three should be superior. Also, in the spirit of my last post, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CRITICIZING OTHERS SELECTIONS. IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE A SELECTION START A THREAD, LEAVE THIS ONE FOR KNOWLEDGE FOR THOSE OF US WHO NEED IT. THANK-YOU. Finally, please list a maximum top ten and even if your favorites already appear, list them anyway. This will help me figure out the first ones to buy. Vinyl and/or digital are acceptable as long as the material is still avalible.
128x128jadem6
dekay's avatar
dekay
2,959 posts
 
"Rossini - Comic Overtures", conducted by Evelino Pido. "Berlioz - Le Carnival Romain ans Symphonie Fantastique", conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras. Both are performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and distributed by The International Music Company, Hamburg, Germany as 32 bit CD's. I found them (and many others fron the series) at a local close out store. They have thick glossy paper covers that slide over the jewel cases. I also just picked up a "geatest hits" so to say CD entitled "Engineer's Choice" - top recording engineer John Eargle picks his favorite (22) tracks. It is all classical (some opera) and is distributed by Delos International, Inc., phone 1-800-HIDELOS. I am not a clasical buff but feel that these stand out from the rest of my selections.
dekay's avatar
dekay
2,959 posts
 
PS: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is Great Britain's.
abstract7
541 posts
 
Ito Emma performing Bach's Goldberg Variations on M*A. CD Eiji Oui conducting Minnesota Symphony, Mephisto & Co, on Reference Recordings CD. Bobby McFerrin & Chick Corea, the Mozart Sessions on Sony (you've never heard Chick Corea like this!) CD. John Rutter, Requiem on Reference Recordings CD HDCD. Beethoven, Entangled Devotions on Pope Music CD. Nature's Realm, on Waterlilly CD. Sir Arthur Sullivan, the Merchant of Venice and the tempest on Klavier (LP--not sure if it's still available).
elgordo
530 posts
 
Anything with Eiji Oue on Reference Recordings, Most RCA Living Stereo and most Mercury Living Presence reissues is a good place to start. The RCA and Mercury CDs (and the vinyl copies)have the absolute phase reversed. If you have a phase reversal switch be sure to flip it. If you don't have a component with this switch you are missing out!
rcprince
2,830 posts
 
Jadem6, do you have any period of classical music that you prefer (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century, etc.)? It would help to narrow the field, if you want to do that. By the way, although I may not always agree with their recommendations, BBC Music Magazine has a feature each issue on building a library of classical music that is informative. Plus a good to excellent CD each month, some of which have introduced me to new music I would never have listened to before. Worth subscribing to, if you're interested in learning more about classical music.
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