Beethoven Symphony No. 5 - Kleiber, VPO, DG [cd]
Sometimes it's good to play a popular piece and learn, once again, what a genius Beethoven was. Possibly the most perfect symphony ever written and undoubtedly the best performance on record. Simply thrilling to listen to.
Captain Tidy
Location: Wales
Posts: 8,043
I'm NotAnAudiophile.
Prompted after a programme on Radio 4 this afternoon, which has given me a deeper understanding of this fantastic work.
Some people have no idea what they're doing and a lot of them are really good at it.
George Carlin
Boycott the US
The first movement is stark and really quite unsettling but perhaps not as terrifying as the first movement of the ninth. In the latter, Mahler was clearly afraid of dying, in the former he seems to have accepted it but the other-worldliness is quite apparent.Originally Posted by Tim
Banned
Location: Lancaster(-ish), UK
Posts: 16,936
I'm ChrisB.
The Maureen Lipman character in 'Educating Rita' had it nailed, I reckon:
'Wouldn't you just die without Mahler?'
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,487
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Now (on vinyl) Chopin Nocturnes Vol.2, Peter Katin, recorded in 1958 on Decca Eclipse.
Next (on vinyl) Schubert, The Trout Quintet in A Major, Clifford Curzon with the Vienna Octet, recorded in 1968 on Decca Ace of Diamonds.
Hey, I could quite get into this classical malarkey - the sound quality on these early original releases on vinyl is simply breathtaking!!
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & regulator mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat with Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight. Isonoe feet & boots. Ortofon RS-212D tonearm with Denon DL-103GL, in a Denon PCL-300 headshell, fitted with Funk Firm Houdini and Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp and Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp, fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Captain Tidy
Location: Wales
Posts: 8,043
I'm NotAnAudiophile.
Some very good choices there Marco
And Chris . . . . indeed and I couldn't live without Mahler either - I think if someone said you could only take one classical composer's work to a desert island, it would be a very hard choice but ultimately it would have to be Mahler.
Some people have no idea what they're doing and a lot of them are really good at it.
George Carlin
Boycott the US
I think for me it would be a close run thing between Beethoven and Mahler.
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,487
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Oi loikes me Shostakovich - dark and brooding to slit your wrists to!
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & regulator mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat with Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight. Isonoe feet & boots. Ortofon RS-212D tonearm with Denon DL-103GL, in a Denon PCL-300 headshell, fitted with Funk Firm Houdini and Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp and Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp, fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Shossie is fab, but perhaps doesn't cover a huge span of emotions. As you say, dark and brooding most of the time. Have you tried his 13th Symphony?
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,487
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Indeed... Cheery isn't it?
I usually listen to that one in the dark in the small hours of the morning, particularly during the winter months when its snowing outside, and as I watch the snowflakes falling, the room lit only by the glow of my valve amps, disturbing thoughts enter my mind......
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & regulator mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat with Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight. Isonoe feet & boots. Ortofon RS-212D tonearm with Denon DL-103GL, in a Denon PCL-300 headshell, fitted with Funk Firm Houdini and Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp and Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp, fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
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