AnotherSpin Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 Oh, wait a minute! here we go christopher3393 1 Link to comment
sphinxsix Posted September 4, 2017 Author Share Posted September 4, 2017 3 minutes ago, AnotherSpin said: Oh, wait a minute! here we go Well done! See.? Link to comment
mansr Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 2 hours ago, sphinxsix said: I think that this analogy is wrong. I'd compare a bad old recording full of analog clicks to a statue of a woman (meaning the original music itself in this analogy) damaged so badly that for many it's quite difficult to appreciate its beauty. At the very least, we should remove the moss and bird's nests. Link to comment
Popular Post highEnd Posted September 5, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted September 5, 2017 On 4/20/2017 at 7:39 PM, sphinxsix said: Please post any number of albums you personally consider essential, the ones without which in your opinion no classical albums collection can be called 'complete' or 'satisfying', the ones you can't imagine your own collection without, the recordings you'd wholeheartedly recommend to anyone interested in the genre - your real desert island albums - from any period you like - starting from early music and ending with contemporary composers. Don't hesitate to post albums that have already been mentioned by somebody else as this can be an important signal and even stronger cofirmation that the recording is an important one. Additional comments on performance and sound quality are welcome! Derailing the thread in order to go into any specific details is welcome too! Every post is appreciated! Hello sphinxsix, I have many recordings I would like to recommend to you, but I will have to give my suggestions in small doses- I hope you don't mind. I have included links to reviews and the downloads themselves, as well as my impressions. Hope this helps! Early Music Gothic Voices: The Unknown Lover Linn Records ECHO Series (CD Quality)http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-the-unknown-lover.aspx This download is only available in CD Quality, but you can follow individual voices, and the singers appear to be standing in your listening room (at least that was my experience). Strongly recommended. Magnificat, Linn Records: The Tudors At Prayerhttp://www.linnrecords.com/recording-the-tudors-at-prayer.aspx High Resolution (96/24 in my case) Tallis: Spem in aliumhttp://www.linnrecords.com/recording-thomas-tallis-spem-in-alium.aspx High Resolution (96/24 in my case) Da Palestrina: Song of Songshttp://www.linnrecords.com/recording-giovanni-pierluigi-da-palestrina-hdcd.aspx CD Quality Recently, I listened to the Palastrina and "Tudors at Prayer" downloads on my audio system. I was able to follow individual voices easily across a wide soundstage. Even though the Palastrina was CD quality (44.1/16) and "Tudors at Prayer" was 96/24, the sound quality of both was very close- the Palastrina was that good. I was easily immersed in both recordings and resented having to pull myself away from my system when the listening session was over. Baroque Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico Podger, Brecon Baroque Channel Classics Reviews: http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=1723882 Here is the link to the downloads at Channel Classics's website: https://www.channelclassics.com/catalogue/36515-Vivaldi-LEstro-Armonico Vivaldi: La Stravaganza Rachel Podger, Arte Dei Suonatori Channel Classics Reviews: http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=74053 Here is the link to downloads at Channel Classics's website: https://www.channelclassics.com/catalogue/19503-Vivaldi-La-Stravaganza-12-Violin-Concertos/ Here's what Stereophile magazine had to say: https://www.stereophile.com/recordingofthemonth/882/index.html I realize you don't want to read a lot about music, but I'd strongly suggest you read this review, particularly near the end, where the reviewer says of the sound quality, "at just the right volume level, the room practically vibrates." I own both of these Channel Classics recordings on SACD, with the Redbook layer ripped to my laptop, and I can say that the room DOES seem to vibrate. I have many others I would like to suggest in the near future, from all periods, including some real stunners! BacHolz, jhwalker, christopher3393 and 1 other 2 2 Link to comment
sphinxsix Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 26 minutes ago, highEnd said: Hello sphinxsix, I have many recordings I would like to recommend to you, but I will have to give my suggestions in small doses- I hope you don't mind. Not at all. Quite the contrary - small doses reduce the risk of overdosing which happened to me on more than one occasion while checking music recommended on this thread Linn and Channel Classics practically guarantee top-notch sound. I have some recordings issued by them but none of these. Will certainly check them out. 43 minutes ago, highEnd said: I have many others I would like to suggest in the near future, from all periods, including some real stunners! Thanks in advance, I'm awaiting your next posts! Link to comment
highEnd Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 48 minutes ago, sphinxsix said: Not at all. Quite the contrary - small doses reduce the risk of overdosing which happened to me on more than one occasion while checking music recommended on this thread Linn and Channel Classics practically guarantee top-notch sound. I have some recordings issued by them but none of these. Will certainly check them out. Thanks in advance, I'm awaiting your next posts! Hello sphinxsix, I'm glad you liked my last post. Consider this a sidebar, perhaps, but you said that you liked jazz and related music. Have you heard the Analogue Productions reissues of Nat King Cole, remastered by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman? I have 5 of these on SACD, and even the Redbook layers are stunning! Nat is dead center, 3-dimensional, rich and warm-sounding. Read some of the reviews of the SACDs, and listen to the samples- You will immediately understand how special these are. Love Is The Thinghttp://store.acousticsounds.com/d/93839/Nat_King_Cole-Love_Is_The_Thing-FLAC_176kHz24bit_Download The Very Thought of You SACD: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/64376/Nat_King_Cole-The_Very_Thought_of_You-Hybrid_3-Channel_Stereo_SACD Download: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/93705/Nat_King_Cole-The_Very_Thought_of_You-DSD_Single_Rate_28MHz64fs_Download Just One of Those Things SACD: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/64381/Nat_King_Cole-Just_One_of_Those_Things-Hybrid_3-Channel_Stereo_SACD Download: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/93844/Nat_King_Cole-Just_One_of_Those_Things-FLAC_176kHz24bit_Download I realize you wanted classical recordings, but these are essential as well. Sorry that some of these links aren't working properly. When I highlighted, copied, and pasted them into my browser, they worked fine. Have a nice day! sphinxsix 1 Link to comment
sphinxsix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Share Posted September 6, 2017 @highEnd Thanks, unfortunately my interest in Nat King Cole is limited to 'The Extraordinary' 24-192 compilation. I regret that when I bought it I didn't know Analogue Productions issued double SACD compilation cause I'd rather have this one. I'm a big AP remasters fan. Link to comment
highEnd Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 9 hours ago, sphinxsix said: I'm a big AP remasters fan. Hello sphinxsix, I've been listening to several recordings, recently, that I consider essential for any serious library. I collect recordings of many different vintages, from 1940s up to brand new releases. I especially love the "Golden Age of Hi-Fi" as some audiophileslike to call the 1950s and 1960s, such as RCA Living Stereo, Mercury Living Presence, Everest, Decca SXL, etc. I'll start with some RCAs. I have several Analogue Productions remastered RCA Living Stereo SACD releases, and they all sound wonderful, with very wide, three-dimensional soundstages, plenty of "bass slam", and lots of details. You can hear pages turning, noises in the background, etc. My opinion of the sound is limited to the Redbook layer of the SACD (my DAC will not decode DSD), and my memory of the sound of my Classic Records 180-gram LPs (my turntable has been on the fritz, so I am unable to play them). Here are three of my favorites: Spain Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner RCA Living Stereo SACD: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/91652/Fritz_Reiner-Spain-Hybrid_3-Channel_Stereo_SACD Download: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/120158/Fritz_Reiner-Spain-DSD_Single_Rate_28MHz64fs_Download Rimsky-Korsakoff: Scheherazade Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner RCA Living Stereo SACD: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/91663/Fritz_Reiner-Rimsky-Korsakoff_Scheherazade-Hybrid_3-Channel_Stereo_SACD Download: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/110040/Fritz_Reiner-Rimsky-Korsakoff_Scheherazade- DSD_Single_Rate_28MHz64fs_Download Moussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures At An Exhibition Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner RCA Living Stereo SACD: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/91650/Fritz_Reiner-MoussorgskyRavel_Pictures_At_An_Exhibition-Hybrid_3- Channel_Stereo_SACD Download: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/110037/Fritz_Reiner-MoussorgskyRavel_Pictures_At_An_Exhibition- DSD_Single_Rate_28MHz64fs_Download Next, I recently purchased two Deutsche Grammophon downloads of historic recordings, and I am continually stunned by the sound: * I do hope you are taking advantage of the 20% off code on the left of the thumbnail photograph on the product pages! I have a feeling you'll love this one. You are transported to the concert hall!Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.3 / Ravel: Piano Concerto In G MajorMartha Argerich, Berlin Philharmonic, Abbado Download: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/105293/Martha_Argerich- Prokofiev_Piano_Concerto_No3__Ravel_Piano_Concerto_In_G_Major-FLAC_96kHz24bit_Download Sorry, these links aren't pasting properly: the above links are on two lines. In this download, the 'cello is three-dimensional, and sounds deadly real.Beethoven: Triple Concerto / Brahms: Double Concerto Geza Anda, Fournier, Starker, Ferenc Fricsay Download: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/116779/Geza_Anda-Beethoven_Triple_Concerto__Brahms_Double_Concerto-FLAC_96kHz24bit_Download Finally, last year I discovered the Symphonies of Carl Nielsen, and I fell in love with his music. I originally purchased the first set of symphonies, but the second set was released a few months later, and I decided that I didn't want to live without either of them, so I purchased the second set as well. Both of these sets transport you to the concert hall, and are full of detail, snarling brass, and deep bass. *Are you on the ProStudioMasters email list? They send discount codes every week, by email, for 15% off their downloads. Carl Nielsen: The Symphonies & Concertos (Live) New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert Dacapo Records 88.2/24 Here's a review: http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=1855502 Download: http://www.prostudiomasters.com/album/page/4627 Carl Nielsen: Symphonies Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Sakari Oramo BIS 96/24 Here's the reviews:http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=1664883http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=1803624http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=1065029 Downloads:http://www.prostudiomasters.com/album/page/6705http://www.prostudiomasters.com/album/page/6707http://www.prostudiomasters.com/album/page/6704 I hope I didn't overwhelm you with all this! sphinxsix 1 Link to comment
sphinxsix Posted September 6, 2017 Author Share Posted September 6, 2017 @highEnd As for your early music - baroque recommendations - I'm very impressed with all of them but in particular with da Palestrina (never heard his music before) and Vivaldi 'La Stravaganza'. I think I used to be one of those who took Vivaldi for granted. Not anymore - after listening to this album. And although this was a poor quality streaming and I listened to it through my old Sony headphones I did hear low bass notes resonating in the church the music was recrded in. As for Reiner's Sheherezade and Argerich/Abbado album - I completly agree with you - both are great recordings, I have them. The remaining ones - to be checked out. Thanks for your fantastic contribution to this (costly ) thread,, I'm counting on your further suggestions. Link to comment
rando Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 La Cetra or basically any of the Podger Vivaldi's on Channel Classics are worth at least streaming. sphinxsix 1 Link to comment
AnotherSpin Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 1 hour ago, rando said: La Cetra or basically any of the Podger Vivaldi's on Channel Classics are worth at least streaming. I follow Rachel Podger recordings for a while, the sound is beautiful throughout. However artistic quality leaves me with some questions sometime. For instance, her highly anticipated recording of Biber's Rosary sonatas discouraged me for some extent, may be because expectations were too high. Link to comment
rando Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 Along the course of threads in this section I've noted a longstanding personal discord with pop music industry influence in the classical sphere. Removing this from the arena where it could be seen as an attack on Podger. I will say the promotion of young comely female soloists is a better example of putting an attractive woman on the cover to sell albums than the statement made by Naive. Who I see as issuing a very loud protest through blatantly using hollow eyed rail thin fashion models in barely there couture knowing it will repel. Who quietly promotes artists, like Sara Mingardo, perseverance and musical ability far below the greater music industry's system. Who bankrupted themselves to make music how their artists heard it inside. I had hoped you would dig in with enough interest to see this... Link to comment
sphinxsix Posted September 7, 2017 Author Share Posted September 7, 2017 6 hours ago, AnotherSpin said: her highly anticipated recording of Biber's Rosary sonatas discouraged me for some extent Haven't heard it so I can't say anything. What about her Vivaldi - have you heard it? Did you like it? I liked it a lot, I'm not an expert on Vivaldi though. In fact I'd appreciate some more recommendations as far as his music is concerned. You may not include the obvious composition. Link to comment
Popular Post Musicophile Posted September 7, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted September 7, 2017 Personally I'm a big fan of Rachel Podger, but not so much of her Vivaldi, which is not her fault but related to my general under- appreciation of Vivaldi, the composer "who composed the same concerto 400 times" (a famous quote attributed to Stravinsky). Just in case nevertheless, here is my recommendation for the "obvious composition": https://musicophilesblog.com/2015/10/19/my-favorite-four-seasons-by-giuliano-carmignola/ Also pretty well known but less totally obvious: The Glorias: Another good Vivaldi album (although the 2nd half with Bach is WAY better) sphinxsix and christopher3393 1 1 Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
AnotherSpin Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 2 hours ago, sphinxsix said: Haven't heard it so I can't say anything. What about her Vivaldi - have you heard it? Did you like it? I liked it a lot, I'm not an expert on Vivaldi though. In fact I'd appreciate some more recommendations as far as his music is concerned. You may not include the obvious composition. Yes, as I mentioned earlier I am following her art for certain time, and I found her recordings have consistently very good level. Of course Vivaldi, I heard cycles mentioned here. About obvious composition, it was over recorded so many times in so many versions, that it almost killed truly beautiful music. If you dare to try one more, I could suggest Alan Loveday with Marriner and ASMF. I read about this recording in a book of Norman Lebrecht 'The Life and Death of Classical Music: Featuring the 100 Best and 20 Worst Recordings Ever Made'. This is fun book to read. One doesn't need to agree with Lebrecht on everything, but he is never dull and gives many interesting insights. Among his 100 list are many true gems, and some are quite rare. Back to Vivaldi - I love some of his vocal works, such as Nisi Dominus, Stabat Mater, etc. Some of his concertos - cello, mandolin, etc. sphinxsix 1 Link to comment
Dave G Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Musicophile said: . . . Vivaldi, the composer "who composed the same concerto 400 times" (a famous quote attributed to Stravinsky). Yes, but it's a really, really good concerto! Link to comment
AnotherSpin Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Dave G said: Yes, but it's a really, really good concerto! Stravinsky was jealous, he was not able to create nice melodies..) Musicophile 1 Link to comment
Popular Post rando Posted September 7, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted September 7, 2017 Ever listened to "The Four Seasons Of Buenos Aires? Paired with the old warhorse here. Typical Jordi Savall high quality recording of repertoire otherwise neglected And now the bad, Japanese imports by I Solisti Italiani of his core works. Investigate reviews and stream if possible to determine if they are to your taste. SQ is typically very good. In case you can stomach his operas this won a Diaspon D'Or and a number of other awards. Musicophile and sphinxsix 1 1 Link to comment
Popular Post highEnd Posted September 8, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted September 8, 2017 On 9/6/2017 at 5:13 PM, sphinxsix said: Thanks for your fantastic contribution to this (costly ) thread,, I'm counting on your further suggestions. Hello sphinxsix, I'm happy to help! I have many more suggestions in the near future, but first, how about a FREE high-resolution download? This was recommended in a review in Stereophile magazine a few years ago. I believe the reviewer uses this to judge equipment he is testing. The company, Less Loss, produces high-end wire, cables, conditioners, etc. in Lithuania. Here is their website: http://www.lessloss.com/ Here are some studio installations they created: http://www.lessloss.com/private-recording-studio-installation-project-p-208.html http://www.lessloss.com/recording-studio-installation-project-p-201.html However, they also have several free 96/24 downloads of live recordings they made using their equipment. Bach Sonatas in St. Martin's Church transports you to the church. Here is the link: http://www.lessloss.com/bach-sonatas-in-st-martins-church-p-197.html When you click on a download link, you'll be sent to a page that wants you to add two numbers together and type in the answer, just to prove you are not a robot! Then you are sent to the page to download the track. It's well worth it! rando and sphinxsix 1 1 Link to comment
christopher3393 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 For the very best in Vivaldi, as well as other Baroque masterpieces, look no further than Red Priest: Link to comment
highEnd Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Hello sphinxsix, I don't like to keep steering you toward such expensive downloads as the Linn, which have gone up in price in the last year or so, so I have another freebee I'd like to share with you: Rediscovery Catalog. These are all MP3 downloads, but DON'T let that put you off! These have been carefully remastered and have to be heard to be believed. When you unzip the file, you will get a couple of .jpg files that contain the cover art and fairly extensive liner notes- a very nice package: all free. I would like to suggest you try the following to start with: Command Spectaculars! Start with tracks 2 and 3 (Debussy: Iberia), I think you will be more than pleasantly surprised.Music of the World's Great Composers (A remastered Reader's Digest set, probably from the 1950s or 1960s)Wagner: The Forgotten Recordings These can be downloaded from http://www.rediscovery.us/compilations.html These recordings, to the best of my knowledge, aren't available anywhere else. Their copyrights have expired, and major labels like RCA don't seem interested in reissuing them, for some reason. Back to the high-resolution recommendations: The following three Linn downloads all have excellent music and stunning sound quality. If you only want to pick one to start with, I would suggest the last one, La Gamme by Trio Sonnerie. The recording puts the musicians right in your listening room. Don't have the volume up too high the first time you play this one. Linn Records: Early Music Lawes: The Royal Consort Phantasmhttp://www.linnrecords.com/recording-lawes-the-royal-consort.aspx Linn Records: Baroque Music Corelli: Concerti Grossi, Opus 6 The Avison Ensemblehttp://www.linnrecords.com/recording-corelli-opus-6-concerti-grossi-avison-ensemble-ckd-411.aspx La Gamme: Trio Sonneriehttp://www.linnrecords.com/recording-la-gamme.aspx These last three are reissues of Everest recordings from the 1950s, two recorded using Westrex 35mm film recorders. The sound of the film is nothing less than amazing. The 35mm film masters are in very bad condition, and are turning to vinegar, as I understand, due to the metal cannisters they were stored in. Making digital masters from them is not a pleasant experience. Here are some ads and history of 35mm film, including Mercury Living Presence, Everest, and Command Records:http://aes-media.org/historical/pdf/fine_35mm-fad.pdf Bartok: Concerto For Orchestra Houston Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski, recorded in 1960 on 3-track 35mm film and played back on a modified Westrex-1551http://www.hdtracks.com/hso-stokowski-bartok-concerto-for-orchestra?___store=default&nosto=nosto-page-search2 Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 London Symphony Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent recorded in 1959 on 3-track 35mm film and played back on a modified Westrex-1551.http://www.hdtracks.com/lso-sargent-prokofiev-symphony-no-5?___store=default&nosto=nosto-page-product3 Copland: Symphony No. 3 London Symphony Orchestra, Copland conducting, recorded in 1958 on 3-track half-inch tape.http://www.hdtracks.com/copland-symphony-no-3 Much more to come from Linn, Everest, etc.! sphinxsix 1 Link to comment
sphinxsix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Share Posted September 9, 2017 On 7.09.2017 at 5:27 PM, Musicophile said: Just in case nevertheless, here is my recommendation for the "obvious composition": https://musicophilesblog.com/2015/10/19/my-favorite-four-seasons-by-giuliano-carmignola/ A very nice performance IMO too. Tempting but I haven't decided yet whether to get my 3rd version of the 4 Seasons. Actually I like 1976 Perlman recording. Anne Akiko Meyers' Guarneri violin doesn't sound that bad either On 7.09.2017 at 5:27 PM, Musicophile said: Also pretty well known but less totally obvious: The Glorias: Yet another album that will be added to my 'Essential Vivaldi' collection, thanks. I've also chosen a very(!) different (quite grandiose and much slower) version by Riccardo Muti. On 7.09.2017 at 10:30 PM, rando said: Ever listened to "The Four Seasons Of Buenos Aires? Yes, I have. Unfortunately I didn't like it (some other performace) that much. But this was long ago, maybe I should revisit this piece one more time. @Musicophile @rando Thanks for reminding me that Jordi Savall performed Vivaldi too. That means at least one or two more JS albums in my collection. 19 hours ago, highEnd said: I don't like to keep steering you toward such expensive downloads as the Linn, Linn is ok 19 hours ago, highEnd said: Rediscovery Catalog. These are all MP3 downloads, but DON'T let that put you off! These have been carefully remastered and have to be heard to be believed. I admit that I avoid mp3 more than fire but based on your strong recommendation I will check these, thanks! I didn't have enough time to check all albums recommended by you but I sampled: On 6.09.2017 at 9:02 PM, highEnd said: Spain Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner RCA Living Stereo among others and I liked it a lot. Actually Spanish influences in classical music is the question and suggestions request for all of you guys. You can omit Jordi Savall recordings as I have explored his discography quite close not long ago. @highEnd Thanks for your recommendations, I will check them all out step by step (unfortunately I will probably have much less free time in the next few weeks). I really appreciate your contribution and hope for more! On 8.09.2017 at 1:13 PM, christopher3393 said: For the very best in Vivaldi, as well as other Baroque masterpieces, look no further than Red Priest: I'm sorry - you haven't convinced me this time. I think I don't like the classical-pop (or any other genre - pop actually) crossover in general. Very energetic performances though! rando 1 Link to comment
christopher3393 Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 1 minute ago, sphinxsix said: On 9/8/2017 at 6:13 AM, christopher3393 said: For the very best in Vivaldi, as well as other Baroque masterpieces, look no further than Red Priest: I'm sorry - you haven't convinced me this time. I think I don't like the classical-pop (or any other genre - pop actually) crossover in general. Very energetic performances though! I apologize for omitting a smiley face. Link to comment
sphinxsix Posted September 9, 2017 Author Share Posted September 9, 2017 2 minutes ago, christopher3393 said: I apologize for omitting a smiley face. I actually wanted to ask whether you didn't forget to add : Ok, now everything is clear Link to comment
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