+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Essential albums (classical)

  1. #1
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

    Posts: 14,595
    I'm Steve.

    Default Essential albums (classical)

    Following on from Thingfish's excellent thread, I got to wondering if such an idea could be used for classical music. There must be plenty of folk who like some classical music, but find getting a handle (Handl?) on this rather daunting, due to the sheer breadth and diversity of the genre. Or maybe it's just me.

    Would there be certain classical "must haves" which might be a good way to get in to this?
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

    T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
    Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables

    T'other system:
    Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF

    A/V:
    LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub

    Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.

    KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009

  2. #2
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,853
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

    Default

    That's an easy question to ask, and one which is impossible to provide a comprehensive answer.

    You are talking about 9 centuries of music, of amazing breadth and diversity, and once you have chosen a composer there is the performance to consider also. One of the joys of classical music is to compare different artist's interpretation of the same piece. For example I must have at least eight sets of the complete Beethoven symphonies, performed by different orchestras and conductors. And that is just one composer and some of his work.

    But to make a start, I'll recommend this (out of hundreds of different recorded performances):

    Antonio Vivaldi - 'The Four Seasons' The Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble



    BIS CD-275 (1985)

    There are of course several other equally fine recordings of the Four Seasons - but this is one of my favourites. No doubt there will be other recommendations.
    Barry

  3. #3
    Join Date: May 2010

    Location: Worcestershire, UK

    Posts: 1,101
    I'm Rob.

    Default

    The Classical CD that I would give up last is Verdi's Simon Boccanegra as conducted by Claudio Abbado. Just beautiful.

    Rob.
    Powered by crossed fingers and clenched buttocks

  4. #4
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Seaton, Devon, UK

    Posts: 13,241
    I'm Adrian.

    Default

    Richard Strauss, Los Angeles Philharmonic*, Zubin Mehta ‎– Also Sprach Zarathustra
    Label: Lim ‎– LIM K2HD 035



    Brahms* ‎– Robert Silverman ‎– Intermezzo: Works For Piano By Brahms
    Label: Stereophile ‎– STPH003-2



    Richard Strauss, Fabio Luisi, Staatskapelle Dresden ‎– Ein Heldenleben / Metamorphosen
    Label: Sony Classical ‎– 88697084712
    Format: SACD, Hybrid, Stereo, Album



    Abbess Hildegard Of Bingen* - Gothic Voices (2) With Emma Kirkby Directed By Christopher Page ‎– A Feather On The Breath Of God (Sequences And Hymns By Abbess Hildegard Of Bingen)
    Label: Hyperion ‎– A66039
    Format: Vinyl, LP



    Vivaldi* - Anne-Sophie Mutter, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan ‎– Le Quattro Stagioni / The Four Seasons / Die Vier Jahreszeiten
    Label: EMI ‎– 42 099 2, His Master's Voice ‎– 42 099 2
    Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Club Edition, Gatefold

    Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.

    Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner

    Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive

    Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp

    Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones

    Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links


    I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but don’t tell anyone.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Cardiff

    Posts: 2,395
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AJSki2fly View Post
    Richard Strauss, Los Angeles Philharmonic*, Zubin Mehta ‎– Also Sprach Zarathustra
    Label: Lim ‎– LIM K2HD 035


    This is also one of my favourites especially the original SXL pressing.

    just ordered this CD off the bay. I didn't know it existed.
    Add water... Makes It's own sauce! + Don't Do Rap.. Don't do Urrban.. Don't do Modern R&B and Don't Do Radio 1 cos it's all fecking SHITE

+ Reply to Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •