Spinning Today (Classical version)

[royzak]

Gluck - Orphee et Eurydice. von Otter,Hendricks and Fournier conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. 1989.
It's a long time since I heard this,a nice way to spend a dull afternoon.

[Marco]

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



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

Lol... S'ok, dude, I getcha. However, as a cheap and quick way of building a decent collection of classical music, IMO, you can't beat the charity shop route, where one's RCM becomes and integral and invaluable tool. Especially for someone like me who, until about 3 years ago, didn't own one classical album on vinyl!

When I was younger, classical music just didn't get a look in (all I was interested in was rock, pop and dance music). However, now I'm older, I rather enjoy a session of listening to quality classical choons, especially whilst sipping a nice Armagnac or Rémy Martin... Oh the joys of maturity!

Marco.

[MartinT]

Don't worry, the local charity shops must be starting to know me (not a good thing). The British Heart Foundation shop, in particular, seems to regularly acquire whole collections dumped by their owners. A veritable treasure trove

[Marco]

Popped into the PDSA charity shop in Wrexham today and obtained the following, as usual all on minty vinyl:

Symphony No.4 in E Minor, Op.98, with The Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Herbert Von Karajan, on Columbia records from 1954 - Brahms.

Catulli Carmina, Rundfunkchor - und Rundfunk-Sinfonie with Orchester Leipzig, Ute Mai (Soprano) and Eberhard Buchner (Tenor), conducted by Herbert Kegel, on Phillips records from 1976 - Carl Orff.

Symphony No.2 in D Major, Op.36/Piano Sonata No.30 in E Major, Op.109, with Ernst Von Dohnayi (pianist) and The London Symphony Orchestra, on World Record Club records from 1958 - Beethoven.

Fauré Requiem, Victoria de los Angeles, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, with Elisabeth Brasseur (Choir), Henriette Puig-Roget (Organ) and The Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, conducted by Andre Cluytens, on EMI from 1963 - Fauré.

Symphony No.29 & Symphony No.39, with The Sinfonia of London, conducted by Colin Davis, on World Record Club records from 1959 - Mozart.

Symphony No.3 in F Major, Op.90, with The Houston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski, on World Record Club records from 1958 - Brahms.

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op.77, with Endre Wolf and The Sinfonia of London, conducted by Anthony Collins, on World Record Club records from 1959 - Brahms.

Symphony No.5 in E Flat Major, Karelia Suite, with The Sinfonia of London, conducted by Tauno Hannikainen, on World Record Club records, from 1957 - Sibelius.

Piano Concerto No.1/Klavierkonzert No.1 in D Minor, Op.15. with Clifford Curzon (piano) and The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by George Szell - Brahms.

Images for Orchestra, Gigues-Iberia-Rondes de printemps. Prelude a L'Apres-Midi d'un Faune, with Peter Lloyd (solo flute) and The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andre Previn, on EMI from 1979 - Debussy.

Concerto No.1 in D Major, K.412/Concerto No.3 in E Flat Major, K.447/Concerto No.2 in E Flat Major, K.417/Concerto No.4 in E Flat Major, K.495, with Dennis Brain and The Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Herbert Von Karajan, on EMI from 1954 - Mozart.

All for £1 each... Time for some more cleaning and then playing!

Marco.

[MartinT]

Fauré Requiem, Victoria de los Angeles, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, with Elisabeth Brasseur (Choir), Henriette Puig-Roget (Organ) and The Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, conducted by Andre Cluytens, on EMI from 1963 - Fauré.

That's a superb performance and recording, Marco. A real desert island disc.

[Marco]

Cheers, Martin, and noted. I'll let you know what I think when I listen to it

What's disappointing so far is that I haven't managed to find any Shostakovich, as he's my favourite composer... Perhaps he's not as popular as Beethoven, Tschaikowsky, Mozart, etc, whose compositions on vinyl are generally 'ten-a-penny' in charity shops?

Marco.

[MartinT]

Shossie is definitely not as popular as he is generally seen as 'difficult'. It's a shame as he wrote some wonderfully easy music for the ears, such as the Piano Concerto No. 2, The Assault on Beautiful Gorky and Music for Gadfly.

For me, it's the darker works such as Symphony No. 8 and, especially, 13, that reward with further listening, not to mention some of the string quartets.

[Marco]

I'm going to start building up my Shossie collection on vinyl. This is currently the only one I have, superb as it is:





On another note, I'm currently spinning this very album, which is absolutely superb:





The vintage Ace of Diamonds stuff is brilliant, in terms of genuine audiophile quality recordings!

Btw, has anyone ever come across this website: http://www.rareclassicalvinyl.com/?p...1729f28ba4f152

Looks interesting

Marco.

[WOStantonCS100]

The vintage Ace of Diamonds stuff is brilliant, in terms of genuine audiophile quality recordings!

Btw, has anyone ever come across this website: http://www.rareclassicalvinyl.com/?p...1729f28ba4f152

uggghh... You should not have posted that. I really didn't need another bookmark. My wife (and my wallet) may start sending you hate mail.

[JJack]

Also Sprach with Reiner, Britten Peter Grimes interludes (on fantastic Keith Johnson recording).

Just getting into Britten, wonderful stuff.

If someone could recommend a modern Peter Grimes (I have the composer's version) I would appreciate any advice.