“The best is the enemy of the the good.”
I have some 10,000 combined records and CDs, but am paralyzed to play any one of them until I find something that sounds the way I want it to. It’s insane how the hi-fi compulsion takes over at times.
Of course, the music’s the thing, but the ogre of sound gets in the way when you’re an audiophile like me as well as a music lover.
If you let it.
Alas!
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Schubert,
I’m listening to the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Chung on Spotify right now.
It is a gorgeous performance.
btw, In case anyone doesn’t know, One doesn’t have to buy CDs any more to hear virtually any extant recording in CD quality sound:
If you buy and hook up the Chromecast Audio device (about $35) and you have wi-fi, all you have to do is access Spotify on your iPhone or tablet, and Voila!, you have the entire range of the extant recorded catalog available to you. If you don’t want commercials on Spotify it just costs you $5 or $6 a month.
The sound is almost identical to the actual CD although nitpickers will hear a difference. But, for the price .......
Technology is amazing!
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KING
WMFE
WSHU
BBC3
If you download the TuneIn Radio app and type in “classical,” you should be able to find more. |
With that recommendation I simply have to get them! |
Had to go to Amazon uk.to get them.
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Thanks, Al for your recommendations.
Hopefully many more members will follow.
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Scott_w,
Hopefully you’ll get some ideas on this thread that will turn you on.
Sonically, my recommendations above all are excellent.
You might want to try the Stravinsky L’Histoire du Soldat on HDTT for sonic realism. Maybe the best sound I ever heard. (If you don’t know the site already, Google it. You can purchase a download or a disc.)
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Every and any contribution is welcome!
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dweller:
Thanks for mentioning the Living Stereo of Reiner’s Mahler 4.
I’m listening to it now on the XRCD version. Forgot how wonderful it is.
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Whart:
I still have some of those original Starker recordings (of Beethoven and Brahms) on Period.
schubert:
Based on your rave, I’ve ordered the Chung-Lupu recording of the Frank Sonata.
(other nice repertoire on the CD also)
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Thanks to all the contributors.
After one day, this site seems to have gotten off to a great start! |
For cello lovers, there’s an incredible, but pricey, set by my favorite cellist called the “Art of Maurice Gendron” on Decca. He was certainly one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, with a tone like liquid gold. The set contains both his solo and concerto recordings. He was like none other with the possible exception of Emanuel Feurman, with whom I believe he studied.
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+2 for Ivan Moravec. One of the most underrated of pianists.
Wonderful musician.
schubert,
i agree with you about his Brahms playing. |
Gs5556,
Ordered Schubert trios on your recommendation.
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Just listening to Ars Nova recording of L'Histoire du Soldat available on HDTT.
Stunning performance and sound from the 1950’s
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I’ve bought a lot of CDs from Presto Clsssical.
Never had a problem.
Delivery takes a little longer because it’s overseas.
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No posts today.
Have we already run out of steam?
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I just happened to listen to the same disc yesterday.
Great performances and sound.
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I promised in my original post to list some favorite LPs, but, since they’re from so long ago I know they’ll be hard to find.
So, just generally, I’ll recommend some Living Stereo records with Reiner on Analogue Productions. These are readily available.
Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Strauss: Death and Transfiguration (not sonically great, but wonderful rendering)
If anyone wants older recommendations, please let me know. (I still have some 3000 LP’s to go along with over 5000 CDs.) |
Not for nothing, but in a recorded live performance of a symphony or concerto, who is the guy who screams approval a split second after the last note is played?
Does that annoy you as much as it does me?
Or am I just a curmudgeon? |
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Schubert,
I agree. If there is a spontaneous reaction from the whole audience, that’s fine.
But, too often, there’s one exhibitionist who just wants to to be heard.
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Newbee,
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll definitely order it.
Polyansky’s recording of “The Bells” is among the best.
One of the great musical experiences of my life was at a live concert with him conducting Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony. Truly extraordinary.
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On Philps, don’t forget the wonderful Haydn Symphony set by Colin Davis.
I must have seven or eight LPs from that series
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Schubert,
Thomas Hampton Christmas, excellent recommendation.
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Schubert,
I ordered it, and very glad I did.
btw, I haven’t yet received the Frank Sonata.
When I do, I’ll let you know.
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Schubert,
Yes, Hampson IS maginificent on this disc.
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On the lighter side, is an LP titled “Gershwin on Broadway,” with a very young Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the Buffalo Philharmonic in Gershwin overtures.
The panache of the playing is infectious and the sound is world class: One of the best renderings of an orchestra on any medium.
It appears from time to time on Amazon used, also on eBay. Well worth searching for.
Interestingly, there’s a half-speed mastering of it that does not sound as good as the original.
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Upon reflection, my comment about the sound of the Gershwin record has to be qualified to reflect my system and, to a certain extent, my taste.
Of course, I can’t guarantee it will sound superlative on all systems.
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+1 to Barbirolli’s Sibelius 2nd and especially to Paray’s Saint-Saens 3rd
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ANY of Mozart’s Piano Concertos (with the possible exception of the first three numbered concertos which he didn’t actually compose but arranged.) Brendel or Perahia are as good as any pianists in these.
Rachmaninoff: “The Bells” (his favorite composition and mine) for soloists, chorus and orchestra. Not well known, but a masterpiece by this supreme genius whose time has finally come after many years of snobbish derision.
Rattle is excellent in this.
Brahms: Serenades, in D and A Major. Great symphonic compositions from the youthful Brahms. Kertesz on London/Decca is an oldie but goodie.
Glazunov: Violin Concerto. An unjustly neglected work. Beautiful from beginning to end. Oistrakh or Heifetz are supreme
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Re: Rachmaninoff “The Bells”.
I based my recommendation of Simon Rattle in this piece because of a live telecast of him on the Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall site— a truly exciting rendering. Sadly, his Warner Classics CD, IMO, is leaden with the sound to match.
I did a comparison of 12 recordings of “The Bells” and came to the following conclusions: Ashkenazy on Decca/London was my favorite along with Kondrashin on RCA. The former had among the best sound, the latter, unfortunately, the worst. Surprisingly, the non-Russian Jose Serebrier on Warner was among the best performances, with some of the best sound. Semyon Bychkov on Hanssler was similarly good.
Probably more than you wanted to know about this piece.😊
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Gs5556,
Schubert Trios arrived today.
Very nice recommendation!
Gorgeous Schubert, expertly played.
At first, fortepiano took some getting used to.
After that, sounded very natural.
Beautifully recorded. |
Schubert,
You’re not nuts. The biggest difference between LPs and CDs is the air around the instruments.
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I’m going into withdrawal. My amplifier crapped out AGAIN, so I’m without music. A very sorry state.
I’m getting a new amplifier!! |
Someone else (audioconnection) recommended the Belles Aria monoblocks, but they are a little out of my price range. Right now I’m considering the Red Dragon monoblocks (at half the price.) |
I totally agree. Those remasterings of early stereo recordings on CD are wonderful. The majority of CDs however don’t have the space that most LPs do.
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That description of the opening of the Beethoven Third Concerto (“a few chords....”) sounds like a description of the the opening of the Fourth Concerto.
The Third concerto opens with a series of scales. |
Sevs,
It was my pleasure.
Enjoy!!
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Schubert,
The Franck Violin Sonata et al finally arrived.
I had almost forgotten how beautiful this piece is. The performance by Chung and Lupu is lush and luscious, especially the first movement. Never heard it played so sensitively. The Debussy and Chausson are a nice addition. |
Newbee,
I had to order from Europe, but finally obtained the Grechaninov disc.
”Snowflakes” is delightful I also love “Missa Sancti Spiritus.”
I haven’t listened to the symphony yet, but will.
Thanks for the recommendation! |
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I agree with Schubert. The doctor had very eclectic, excellent taste.
I think that it would be difficult and not very helpful for us to start picking choices for you.
That would be our taste. You should develop your own taste.
Schubert has some very good guidelines above.
Start with the more well known composers.
In my experience, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Vivaldi appeal to neophytes most. The doctor’s taste was quite far reaching, so you might find other composers that appeal to you.
It can be an exciting venture of discovery for you.
Have fun!
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Re: RVWilliams
My favorite of his is Symphony #2 “A London Symphony”
Captures the city with Big Ben and street sounds, musically interpolated.
Truly wonderful work.
Also “A Sea Symphony” (Symphony #1). The opening bars are thrilling — an evocation of the sea.
“Symphony Antarctica” is actually from a film score evoking the aloneness of that continent.
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Well, I just had to order the Tabakova, too.
Just listening to a Nonesuch record I bought over a half a century ago, with some of the best sound ever recorded. It’s of Bach Cantatas No.140 and No. 57.
Karl Ristenpart leads definitive performances of these wonderful works. “Selig ist der Mann “ is a not well known, but gorgeous cantata, along with the ever popular “Wachet auf....”
I’m not sure if this cantata series ever made it to CD. |
There was a whole series of Bach cantatas with Ristenpart on Nonesuch.
All of them with amazing sonics.
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I’ve been away for ten days and unable to contribute anything to this thread, but now will try to catch up.
Khatia Buniatishvili is indeed an extraordinary pianist. If you want to hear how incredible she is, listen to her take on Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”
totally original concept, with Horowitzian technique. On the same CD is a sizzling Ravel’s “La Valse.”
On the subject of the most most difficult piece to perform, several decades ago, I bought tickets to hear Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben” conducted by Klaus Tennstedt.
when I showed up at Carnegie, there was an insert saying he was ill and was being replaced by James DePreist. I was bummed out because I had bought these tickets months in advance to hear Tennstedt.
But I was bummed out even more after I heard I believe it was The Philadelphia Orchestra totally butcher the piece into unrecognition. The only conclusion I can draw, is that the piece must be a bear to play, and that DePreist couldn’t bring it together with limited rehearsal. |
Schubert,
How did you ever guess!? I was on a cruise ship, which is a germ generator. As I write, I’m coughing my head off and wheezing out lyrics to songs.
I didn’t exactly get the flu, but something very close to it, and have been laid up all week. Not a happy camper!
I’ve been following the discussions, though.
I’ll contribute something when I feel more human. |
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I’ve discovered a great way to deal with an intimidatingly large collection of CDs and records.
It would take much longer time than I have on this earth to go through them all, so I’ve found a way to really enjoy the variety.
What I do is, without looking, just reach blindly for a disc on the wall and, no matter what it is, play it through in its entirety.
It’s amazing how enjoyable this is. Things which I would not ordinarily choose become currently viable. After all, I bought them for a reason. There’s no reason I shouldn’t like them!
I found that when I conciously pick a selection, I’m very choosy, considering the sound quality far too often. This way, it’s like getting a new present all the time.
Re-discovering wonderful performances I’d forgotten about (and, coincidentally, enjoying the sound quality for what it is, more than I would have if I had been searching for good sonics.)
I highly recommend this procedure! |
Lots of love for Glenn Gould here. One of the great musical minds of the 20th century. And, what a pianist!!!
Also a big fan of Jeux. A masterpiece.
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Schubert,
It’s funny how just randomly picking something is like making a new discovery.
I’ve been finding the same phenomenon this week in auditioning a new piece of equipment and ferreting out new facets of old recordings.
It makes you listen to the musical message more closely.
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