My Essential Classical Albums.

[semente]

[Musicophile]

38 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

I'm aware of that.

BTW I think I will not become a huge fan of The Nutcracker. It's a soundtrack, right.?

More like Bollywood. People dancing all the time. 

[rando]

This has been the best Suite 3&4 I've come across.  The album cover was quite well chosen to reflect on the butterflies and crashing waves contained within.

 

 

[sphinxsix]

5 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

BTW I think I will not become a huge fan of The Nutcracker. It's a soundtrack, right.?

That was obviously a joke but when I listened to its fragments I felt this music needs some visuals added to be complete. Beside that - charming, melodic piece. But probably not compatible with me (at least not today ).

[sphinxsix]

So next I'm going to check PIT's symphonies. Started with:

and I must say it's the best piece of new (to me) music I've heard in a long time. I will begin with 5, 6, and 4th so if there are some more recordings suggestions I will appreciate them.

[Kal Rubinson]

Classic Mravinsky/Leningrad 4,5,6 set!!!

Many others but these are essential.

For a modern mch, try #6 with Honeck/Pittsburgh.

[Musicophile]

9 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

That was obviously a joke but when I listened to its fragments I felt this music needs some visuals added to be complete. Beside that - charming, melodic piece. But probably not compatible with me (at least not today ).

Are these visuals enough?

 

 

[Musicophile]

4 hours ago, Kal Rubinson said:

Classic Mravinsky/Leningrad 4,5,6 set!!!

Many others but these are essential.

For a modern mch, try #6 with Honeck/Pittsburgh.

To this day I still don’t “get” the Pathéthique.

 

But indeed the Mvravinsky box seems be to the one that pretty much every Tchaikovsky lover can agree on.

 

Personally I was intrigued by this review: 

 

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/tchaikovsky-symphony-no-6-currentzis

 

Currentzis is one of those musicians who never leave you cold. There are a lot of his recordings I really don’t like, but maybe this will be the record that finally could be my entry point for no. 6. 

 

Talking about Currentzis and Tchaikovsky, this is another album worth checking out:

 

 

Obviously if you put two quite “extreme” artists into one recording you get something rather special. After all, this one is a bit “too much” for me. But it is really worth experiencing. 

[sphinxsix]

5 hours ago, Musicophile said:

Are these visuals enough?

 

 

I seem to be art-forms-that-are-more-rooted-in-tradition-than-open-to-innovation - proof. Ballet is for me one of such forms. While I can appreciate modern dance eg enjoyed 'Pina' movie tremendously (see the trailer below) I get bored while watching ballet or opera after 5 minutes. Probably blues music is closest to where I'm able to enjoy art (music in this case) despite its some might say unchanging structure. But it's the real roots for many things in the world of music. You may feel like going to the basics from time to time (probably Bach is for me such 'basics' in the area of classical music).

 

 

[Kal Rubinson]

6 hours ago, Musicophile said:

Personally I was intrigued by this review: 

 

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/tchaikovsky-symphony-no-6-currentzis

 

Currentzis is one of those musicians who never leave you cold. There are a lot of his recordings I really don’t like, but maybe this will be the record that finally could be my entry point for no. 6. 

I think it is an awfully insensitive and manipulative performance and a terrible-sounding recording.  Others differ.  There was a whole thread on this at:  https://www.stereophile.com/content/devastating-tchaikovsky-sixth

[Musicophile]

2 hours ago, Kal Rubinson said:

I think it is an awfully insensitive and manipulative performance and a terrible-sounding recording.  Others differ.  There was a whole thread on this at:  https://www.stereophile.com/content/devastating-tchaikovsky-sixth

Currentzis seems to be able to do only love it or hate it recordings. I was typically more in the hate it camp. But recently started liking his Mahler 6 somewhat. 

 

[Kal Rubinson]

28 minutes ago, Musicophile said:

Currentzis seems to be able to do only love it or hate it recordings. I was typically more in the hate it camp. But recently started liking his Mahler 6 somewhat. 

I have not yet found an exception to ABC (Anybody But Currentzis).  

[rando]

I figured there would be more on the 4, 5. & 6.  For sport I'll throw Gatti into the mix.

 

 

Gergiev's Nutcracker and 1812.

 

     

 

and two more split albums with very good SQ and performances.

 

     

 

[Musicophile]

Let me throw in another remarkable PC1

 

 

Even the recent 24/96 remaster doesn’t help the shoe box acoustics of the DG recordings of the time, but the playing is fantastic, although a bit on the heavy side.

 

Plus you get a really great Rach2 in addition.

[Norton]

On 1/29/2019 at 1:29 AM, sphinxsix said:

So next I'm going to check PIT's symphonies. Started with:

and I must say it's the best piece of new (to me) music I've heard in a long time. I will begin with 5, 6, and 4th so if there are some more recordings suggestions I will appreciate them.

 

Try the Manfred Symphony too, my favourite recordings :

 

https://tidal.com/album/26631061

 

https://tidal.com/album/52223381

 

 

[austinpop]

1 hour ago, Norton said:

 

Try the Manfred Symphony too, my favourite recordings :

 

https://tidal.com/album/26631061

 

https://tidal.com/album/52223381

 

 

 

+1

 

Also this recent release: https://open.qobuz.com/album/0002894832323

[Norton]

2 minutes ago, austinpop said:

 

+1

 

Also this recent release: https://open.qobuz.com/album/0002894832323

 

I like that one very much too, but on Tidal and in the format that cannot be named...

[austinpop]

2 minutes ago, Norton said:

 

I like that one very much too, but on Tidal and in the format that cannot be named...

 

Yeah sorry, should have also included the Tidal link: https://tidal.com/album/79118296

 

I'm spending most of my time on Qobuz now, especially with the Roon integration now live. Especially for classical, it's a veritable candy store!

[Norton]

7 minutes ago, austinpop said:

I'm spending most of my time on Qobuz

 

Been thinking about Qobuz too, but worried may not work in UK after March 29th...hope it’ll be specifically included in any renegotiated backstop...

[austinpop]

2 hours ago, Norton said:

 

Been thinking about Qobuz too, but worried may not work in UK after March 29th...hope it’ll be specifically included in any renegotiated backstop...

 

Too bad you couldn't get it into the vote yesterday. Brexit non-negotiables:

1. Irish backstop
2. continued Qobuz service

... not necessarily in that order of importance.  

 

[sphinxsix]

On 1/29/2019 at 3:14 AM, Kal Rubinson said:

Classic Mravinsky/Leningrad 4,5,6 set!!! 

Sounds great to me! Added to my shoping list, just like:

5 hours ago, rando said:

 

Tried the first part of his VC, I'm not convinced yet.

3 hours ago, Norton said:

Try the Manfred Symphony too,

I will, but I'm afraid I'm close to OD-ing Tchaikovsky. Might need a short break

 

 

[Norton]

20 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

I'm close to OD-ing Tchaikovsky.

 

PIT is just a “gateway” Russian composer, if like me before  long you’ll start heavily using  Balakirev (Sym1), Kalinnikov, Taneyev, Myaskovsky (Cello concerto, Sym6 & 20+) before moving on to the real hard stuff (Shostakovich).

[sphinxsix]

2 hours ago, Norton said:

 

PIT is just a “gateway” Russian composer, if like me before  long you’ll start heavily using  Balakirev (Sym1), Kalinnikov, Taneyev, Myaskovsky (Cello concerto, Sym6 & 20+) before moving on to the real hard stuff (Shostakovich).

You've just scared me..

[Musicophile]

2 hours ago, Norton said:

 

PIT is just a “gateway” Russian composer, if like me before  long you’ll start heavily using  Balakirev (Sym1), Kalinnikov, Taneyev, Myaskovsky (Cello concerto, Sym6 & 20+) before moving on to the real hard stuff (Shostakovich).

I never liked Tchaikovsky that much, skipped most everything in between, and am now for the first tile seriously discovering Shosta, thanks among others to the great recent Nelsons recordings. 

[sphinxsix]

5 minutes ago, Musicophile said:

I never liked Tchaikovsky that much, skipped most everything in between, and am now for the first tile seriously discovering Shosta, thanks among others to the great recent Nelsons recordings. 

Are they so good? What about SQ?