Spinning Today (Classical version)

[morris_minor]

From the Surrey trip:



Looks like it, Bob, but that's no bad thing, especially considering what I paid for them... Anyway, it's not a bad 'doubler' to have, and one pressing might sound better than the other!

Marco.

I know I've duplicated stuff before ... But as you say the pressing's will vary, probably, or the wear. Enjoy your haul.

[Marco]

Churz - after running them all through the RCM, the records (and music) are sounding mighty fine!

If you own an RCM, are careful what you buy second-hand, and can therefore transform old but superbly recorded classical albums on vinyl to virtually 'as new' condition, it's amazing the bargains you can obtain, considering how much some of this stuff costs new on CD (and SACD), providing you can even find some of these (rather awesome) vintage recordings on digital, in the first place!

Marco.

[MartinT]

Nice job lot there, Marco. I'd say the Tchaikovsky Karajan 4th and 5th would be well worth listening to. I especially love the 5th, my favourite symphony of his.

[Marco]

Yup, all the Karajan stuff on Deutsche Grammophon (vinyl) is superb! Music aside, I've never heard classical recordings sound as good as that on CD, or even SACD.

Marco.

[jandl100]

I found this at the local library while the kids looked for books. I decided to give it a go.

Elmer Bernstein: Concerto for Guitar
Christopher Parkening, guitar
London Symphony Orchestra

... and ... what's it like? Worth investigating?

A curious world wants to know!

[jandl100]

yesterday, whilst eating far too many mince pies! ...

Bernard Stevens - violin concerto & 2nd symphony on a Meridian CD. Not exactly bursting with melody, but an interesting listen now & then!
Bernard Stevens - string quartets and sting trio - on a Unicorn Kanchana CD. Ah, this is more my sort of tipple. Very fine chamber music writing, I like this a lot.

[MartinT]

Yesterday, also:

Bach: Violin Concertos, Nishizaki, Jablokov, Dohnanyi, Capella Istropolitana

Shostakovich: Piano Concertos, Alexeev, Maksymiuk, ECO

[Marco]

Just out of curiosity, Martin, I presume that most of the classical music you own is on a digital format? Or if not, roughly what's the percentage divide in your collection with classical music, between vinyl and CD or SACD?

Availability of desired titles aside, I know that many people prefer listening to classical music digitally, due to the potential disturbance from noise with vinyl during quiet passages.

However, after having tried it now on numerous occasions, I'm very pleasantly surprised at the virtual complete lack of any noise (once records have been cleaned thoroughly on an RCM) with even vinyl pressings that are over 50 years old! And the production and recording quality on some of those albums is phenomenal, often surpassing much of what is produced now....

It was just a thought, as you also own an RCM (and a top-notch T/T), and so you may find that, like me, routing through the used vinyl in charity shops unearths many classical music gems at, quite frankly, ridiculously cheap prices, considering the quality of the recordings on offer, and so one can quickly amass a fairly large classical music collection for peanuts. I now have around 300 classical music albums on vinyl, in near mint condition, which have probably cost me less than a £1 an album!

It doesn't get much better than that, dude

Marco.

[WOStantonCS100]

Shostakovich The String Quartets Fitzwilliam String Quartet

[MartinT]

Just out of curiosity, Martin, I presume that most of the classical music you own is on a digital format? Or if not, roughly what's the percentage divide in your collection with classical music, between vinyl and CD or SACD?

Very roughly 50% CD, 10% SACD, 40% vinyl.

Availability of desired titles aside, I know that many people prefer listening to classical music digitally, due to the potential disturbance from noise with vinyl during quiet passages.

It is strange but I really do like classical from SACD or CD source, although I'm very slowly coming around to listening to classical on vinyl again. However, some of my recordings, although effectively brand new, are noisy and I find that far more distracting with classical than with rock/pop. I have many older LPs with tape hiss and bad surfaces (especially the Melodiyas I bought in Russia), which don't help.

There's more to it; perhaps the laid-back stage for classical recordings works better with digital than my preferred up-front presentation for rock?

Another factor: I bought all my vinyl classical earlier in life. Since the age of digital, I have studied classical composers more thoroughly, been to far more concerts and used the Penguin guides to buy the best recordings and performances I can on CD and SACD. So my digital collection more naturally has the performances I reach for when playing a piece.

Whatever the reasons, by osmosis I seem to have fallen into playing almost all modern music on vinyl and almost all classical on digital. Needs some further analysis, I think