My Essential Classical Albums.

[Kal Rubinson]

35 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

Are they so good? What about SQ?

Excellent but stereo only.

[sphinxsix]

2 minutes ago, Kal Rubinson said:

Excellent but stereo only.

2 ch are always enough for me, I'm a stereo guy. Thanks for the response!

[Musicophile]

3 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Are they so good? What about SQ?

I never did a formal review beyond this:

 

https://musicophilesblog.com/2016/12/14/my-top-5-classical-albums-for-2016/

 

But see also here:

 

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/2016/orchestral

 

And I like the SQ as well.

 

Here’s what others have written about the recording quality:

 

http://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2018/6/22/shostakovich-4

[sphinxsix]

17 minutes ago, Musicophile said:

I never did a formal review beyond this:

 

https://musicophilesblog.com/2016/12/14/my-top-5-classical-albums-for-2016/

 

But see also here:

 

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/2016/orchestral

 

And I like the SQ as well.

 

Here’s what others have written about the recording quality:

 

http://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2018/6/22/shostakovich-4

Thanks a lot! Checked out fragments of the 5th today, in fact it sounded not bad for mp3 streaming. I must go back to Shostakovich some day cause I have mainly quite old recordings of (just a couple of) his symphonies, usually with not very convincing sonics.

 

BTW I really wonder where is @AnotherSpin , we're discussing Russian composers, here..

[Daccord]

1 hour ago, sphinxsix said:

Thanks a lot! Checked out fragments of the 5th today, in fact it sounded not bad for mp3 streaming. I must go back to Shostakovich some day cause I have mainly quite old recordings of (just a couple of) his symphonies, usually with not very convincing sonics.

 

BTW I really wonder where is @AnotherSpin , we're discussing Russian composers, here..

 

Well here's my spin. I love the Shostakovitch symphonies, but for a real treat try his string quartets.

[AnotherSpin]

3 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Thanks a lot! Checked out fragments of the 5th today, in fact it sounded not bad for mp3 streaming. I must go back to Shostakovich some day cause I have mainly quite old recordings of (just a couple of) his symphonies, usually with not very convincing sonics.

 

BTW I really wonder where is @AnotherSpin , we're discussing Russian composers, here..

I am not sure I deserve a honor to be kept in your memory) anyway, I am in India for cold part of the year, and not bother much about Soviet “music”... We all know too well bad or secondary things in the world have at least the same if not more visible tribe of followers, as things good and original. Happy listening!

[sphinxsix]

13 hours ago, AnotherSpin said:

I am not sure I deserve a honor to be kept in your memory) anyway, I am in India for cold part of the year, and not bother much about Soviet “music”... We all know too well bad or secondary things in the world have at least the same if not more visible tribe of followers, as things good and original. Happy listening!

Good to hear from you. Hope you're having a good time in India.

[rando]

Sviridov might be another to consider.  I'm sure at least one set of eyes rolled at the mere mention since one of the compositions I'm about to mention has been opening music to the official national news broadcast for some time.  "Time, Forward" and "Snowstorm" are the two most famous works by him.

[sphinxsix]

1 hour ago, rando said:

Sviridov might be another to consider.  I'm sure at least one set of eyes rolled at the mere mention since one of the compositions I'm about to mention has been opening music to the official national news broadcast for some time.  "Time, Forward" and "Snowstorm" are the two most famous works by him.

Thanks for the suggestion. Never heard of him. Any performances recommendations.?

[rando]

 

 

 

@sphinxsix I would say trust your own judgement on the music and digital copies you might wish to own.  Almost any CD is going to be culled from one of two analog recordings.  My introduction was through vinyl digitized into 192/24.  A copy of which I was able to attain.  

[semente]

Prokofiev; two suggestions:

 

 

[sphinxsix]

@semente you've read my mind. Really.

I'm open to suggestions on this (Prokofiev) subject gentlemen although I'm still checking out Tchaikovsky.

[AnotherSpin]

Some of most interesting ex-Soviet composers are or were not Russians. Everybody knows Pärt. Valentin Silvestrov has a lot of excellent recordings for ECM. From earlier composers Aram Khachaturian was very good.

[Musicophile]

57 minutes ago, AnotherSpin said:

Some of most interesting ex-Soviet composers are or were not Russians. Everybody knows Pärt. Valentin Silvestrov has a lot of excellent recordings for ECM. From earlier composers Aram Khachaturian was very good.

That reminds me of this recording. 

 

I bought it for the excellent Brahms, but really started to like Khatchaturian. 

 

[Musicophile]

On 2/6/2019 at 11:46 PM, sphinxsix said:

@semente you've read my mind. Really.

I'm open to suggestions on this (Prokofiev) subject gentlemen although I'm still checking out Tchaikovsky.

While we are on Prokofiev we can always go back to Martha. 

 

 

[AnotherSpin]

6 hours ago, Musicophile said:

While we are on Prokofiev we can always go back to Martha. 

 

 

I could go for Prokofiev piano concertos any day. Argerich shines here, agree. From recent recirdings Yuja Wang comes to memory with No.2

[sphinxsix]

10 hours ago, AnotherSpin said:

From earlier composers Aram Khachaturian was very good.

What are your favorite Khachaturian's recordings if I may ask?

 

9 hours ago, Musicophile said:

While we are on Prokofiev we can always go back to Martha. 

Will willingly do it

 

 

[sphinxsix]

BTW I really regret I can't go to this concert tonight:

https://www.concertgebouw.nl/en/concerts/simen-ten-holt-s-canto-ostinato-on-four-piano-s/12-02-2019

A remark from the Concertgebouw site

Quote

This concert has no intermission.

 

[rando]

The Fischer/Kreizberg "Russian Violin Concertos" Pentatone disc might already be lurking in your library. 

 

Maybe the Bezaly recording of flute concertos by Khachaturian and Rautavaara on BIS would interest you?  I seem to mention this one often because of the inclusion of a bass flute in the Finnish finishing half. 

 

Another violin concerto option is Sergey Khachatryan. Having no idea what is available for streaming an alternative bore worthy of mention. 

[AnotherSpin]

On 2/12/2019 at 6:32 PM, sphinxsix said:

What are your favorite Khachaturian's recordings if I may ask?

 

I believe his ballet music – Gayane, Spartacus is most famous with moments of great beauty. Masquerade is worth to check as well. I can not recommend any particular recording of these at the moment, but guess any decent Soviet recording of suites from these could work, Svetlanov’s maybe. Once I had an LP with ballet music suites conducted by composer himself but that was of rather archival quality.

[semente]

On 2/12/2019 at 1:59 PM, sphinxsix said:

BTW I really regret I can't go to this concert tonight:

https://www.concertgebouw.nl/en/concerts/simen-ten-holt-s-canto-ostinato-on-four-piano-s/12-02-2019

A remark from the Concertgebouw site

 

 

I have the two-piano recording. Love it.

[semente]

On 2/13/2019 at 4:32 PM, AnotherSpin said:

Masquerade is worth to check as well.

 

[sphinxsix]

On 2/15/2019 at 7:12 PM, semente said:

 

I have the two-piano recording. Love it.

Me too. It was you who made me interested in STH and CO. Got a couple of versions including four pianos one (on 3CDs!) and also a harp performance.

 

I've slowed down with Tchaikovsky but will go back to him and your other recommendations,, guys. Got little free time now and I also go through my favorite test recordings recently a lot checking my new IEMs - Noble X Massdrop. They're better than I expected (my first BA phones, surprisingly detailed and musical at the same time).

[AnotherSpin]

On 1/29/2019 at 7:40 PM, 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. 

 

Do you like Mahler?)

[Musicophile]

31 minutes ago, AnotherSpin said:

Do you like Mahler?)

Maybe that's the issue 🙂 I've never been 100% a Mahler fan. Many of the symphonies are just "too much" for me. I get the accessible ones, 1, 4, maybe even 5, but most of the others I'm still struggling with.