What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[AudioNut]

These EMI SACD's are beginning to show up on Amazon as pre-issues and some of them are available for pre-order via Amazon Prime

I just ordered this one - click on the cover picture below to see the information on Amazon.

Three discs, SACD, remastered Klemperer for $33.13 doesn't sound too bad!

The Amazon information says that they are SACD only, but the information from England says that they are definitely hybrid discs and playable on CD players. (and if you enlarge the picture on Amazon, you can just about make out the words "Hybrid SACD")

[Kal Rubinson]

Originally Posted by kfr01

You've inspired some Schubert listening!

On SACD, I am a big fan of the Nott/Bamberg recordings.

or

[tsv_1]

Originally Posted by jprice

Now this music would be beautiful if it weren't for those blasted Harpsichords!

Listening to . . . . Bach - 9 Concerti Per 1.2.3 E 4
Cembali ed Orchestra

A Philips 3 LP Box Set

Raymond Leppard, Andrew Davis, Philip Ledger, Blandine Verlet Harpsichord and multiple harpsichords.

English Chamber Orchestra - Raymond Leppard, Conductor

I'm kidding about the harpsichords - because, obviously,this music was written for them. I don't favor that instrument, and have said so several times in this forum, (much prefer the piano in similar settings) but these players and these instruments sound, not only appropriate, but fantastic on these recordings - Especially in those concertos where multiple harpsichords are employed - Listen to the Concerto for Four Harpsichords and Strings in A minor, BWV 1065, as an example - Wow!

I'd love to know the provenance of that beautiful instrument on the album cover.

Here's the (excellent) disc I have of these harpsichord works (well, some of them - 1063, 1064, 1065). Picked this up when it first came out in the early 90s... and have always been gobsmacked by the complexity-come-musicality. Really a treat for the ears!

Would be very interested to compare the CD to the Album given the heavy-weights involved with both efforts.

Also, Julian, I did an image search on that "Cembali" pictured on your album... nothing of note came of it, sadly.

[BlueChiaro]

Originally Posted by AndyPandy

...thanks for the tip on Italian pressings - I'll avoid. Like their cars.

C'mon, Andy...gotta have some love for the Prancing Horse, no?



Speaking of Italians, how about a little Antonio Vivaldi, this morning?

Psalm 126 "Nisi Dominus"
English Chamber Orchestra
Teresa Berganza (Born in Spain although I suspect Italian lineage given the spelling)

Beautiful music and vocals that can't quite drown out the landscapers buzzing about on mowers outside... BTW, Julian, there are enough new thread members that my cornering of the market on this disc/album may eventually pay off!

[Pider]

Lots of LP and SACD recommendations here. As I build my system one question. I'm probably not going to go vinyl (never say never) but is SACD that much better for 2.1. And how does this relate to HD downloads.

Don't answer this. I'll start a new thread. But I want to start buying music and have hesitated given not sure about some of this.

[Josquin des Prez]

Originally Posted by tsv_1

Here's the (excellent) disc I have of these harpsichord works (well, some of them - 1063, 1064, 1065). Picked this up when it first came out in the early 90s... and have always been gobsmacked by the complexity-come-musicality. Really a treat for the ears!

Would be very interested to compare the CD to the Album given the heavy-weights involved with both efforts.

Also, Julian, I did an image search on that "Cembali" pictured on your album... nothing of note came of it, sadly.

I like the Gustav Leonhardt recordings. I would love to hear the Pinnock/Gilbert recordings, but I've never heard Archiv digitally mastered vinyl that didn't sound edgy, sterile and strident. Although most of the digital vinyl of the 80s -- in my experience -- has that problem. Ugh.

J.S. Bach, "Sämtliche Cembalokonzerte"
Leonhardt Consort; Concentus musicus Wien; Gustav Leonhardt
Telefunken 6.35049 (5 LP)

[Kal Rubinson]

Not for those who disdain harpsichords but this is a killer recording:

[tsv_1]

From one potentially grating instrument (harpsichord) to the next (all brass)... depending on one's musical predisposition

Actually, these are some absolutely wonderful performances - "landmark" as some have noted. And this is indeed an excellent transfer to SACD. Interestingly, this is SACD only (as they tended to be back in the early days of DSD disc offerings before hybrid dual-layer became fashionable).

Now here's an odd issue with this particular disc wrt my current audio setup. I temporarily have an Oppo 93 player connected to my W4S DAC2 via digital coax. This configuration does not allow for DSD level resolution (because the oppo will down-convert DSD to 16/44 before pushing it out the SPDIF port). But I can live with that while I wait for more goodies (components) to arrive.

ANYWAY... while the Oppo seems to play this disc ok (according to the track/time counter), the DAC2 is not locking to the SPDIF data. Weird. First time I've seen that happen. I have a few more of these DSD-only discs from the way-back machine that I'll try as well.

Sorry for the tangent... just thought I'd share my traumatic experience with those who care

Bottom line... this is a phenomenal presentation of these wonderful ~50 year old performances.

[AudioNut]

Back to easy to listen to music! Haydn is often so innocuous that frequently his compositions make Muzak sound lively - but, his music is uniformly beautiful!

And, I love this box set .. . .

Listening to . . . Haydn - 12 Name Symphonies

A six LP box set by Philips

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields - Neville Marriner, Conductor

[AudioNut]

And now for a wake-up call -

Listening to Mahler: Symphony No. 7

New York Philharmonic - Leonard Bernstein, Conductor

The original 1965 Columbia LP Box Set



Mahler's 7th is probably my least favorite of his great symphonies, but this 1965 live recording is, IMHO, about as good as you can get on that work of music.

As the New York Times said about the concert:

"The conductor's control of the forces let loose in the music was complete. He kept the symphony at white heat, guiding it through its many changes of tempo with a sure hand for what was psychologically right. There wasn't a moment's loss of tension, even in the playful passages. In one sense, it was a brilliant tour de force, in another, a brilliant musical achievement"