AudioCircle
Music and Media => The Classical Music Circle => Topic started by: Infidel on 1 Aug 2023, 04:35 am
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Hi, I have wanted to delve into classical music for a long time, but the cost of purchasing pieces which I may or may not enjoy had kept me from jumping in. Are there specific pieces which are very widely enjoyed, and which "pressings", so to speak, would be the most widely considered good? I know that this is a very ambiguous question, as there is such variety in the classical world, so some recommendations for orchestral, some for chamber music, and so forth would be appreciated. I understand that tastes vary, so mainstream would be a good start, and few recommendations as I haven't hit the lottery lately, so can only purchase a handful of titles. Thanks for your help.
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RCA Victor "Living Stereo" series of recordings was extremely popular in its day, and many of these versions became the "standard" at least to the public.
Classical has changed a lot since then, in recording technology, interpretation, musician skill, marketing, etc.
I discovered music I liked mostly from listening to classical radio/internet stream, then diving deeper into composers and performers that I heard and liked on radio. WCPE is good one but there are many online.
I subscribed to Gramophone magazine a decade ago and the reviews were helpful trying new music but t was pricey mag.y I now subscribe to some recording label newletters like Reference Recordings, and I listen to "Preview" on WCPE which features new releases. I prefer new recordings to the old classic recordings. I don't like the old dramatic exaggerated style of classical performances from mid 20th century. Modern interpretations tend to be more literal, as written, which I greatly prefer.
Best advice I can offer is subscribe to a lossless streaming service like Qobuz, Tidal, etc, then you can explore new music easily and much less cost than buying CDs
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You can peruse YT tô know Classical music before the purchase.
For beginners I would rec some easy repertoire as Cármen, 1812, Bolero Ravel and some Rossini Operetas.
Classical Easy listening repertoire are surprising enjoyable, I always return to it every week to relax from Krautrock and Ambient.
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Google Classical basic repertoire or words to that effect.
Here's brief list that looks mostly ok... https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/best-classical-music-beginners/
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These are some albums with great musicality>
DG low rate PCM recording not great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e0pPwIYyOo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU1kOOunlRk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6edOETC-aE
For instrumental Wagner selection buy this gem asap before it end, great SACD sound quality from Duisburger Philharmoniker under Jonathan Darlington.
https://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/6217
The 1812 Overture went one of Tchaikovsky most popular works, along with his ballet scores to The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake always recommended also.
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Wow, thanks guys. I don't have radio reception where my stereo is located or I could have made use of the radio. I certainly appreciate all the great resource and selection recommendations. I actually do have the 1812, used to have it on vinyl too. One thing about listening, the same music of years gets a bit boring for me, but it seems that there is so much more to classical, I think that repetition will be more enjoyable than a lot of pop music is. Thanks again!
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Pretty much anything by Beethoven, that guy was a genius and also wrote a ton of great melodies.
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Pretty much anything by Beethoven, that guy was a genius and also wrote a ton of great melodies.
I'd equate Beethoven to Ted Williams, the great baseball player and last to bat .400-- meaning the about half of Beethoven's stuff is good, and the other half rather boring.
Chopin had a much higher on base average.
But, to make a quick off the top of my head list:
Beethoven symphonies #3,5,6,7,9 and piano sonatas
Chopin etudes, nocturnes, waltzes, scherzos, ballades
Liszt Hungarian rhapsodies piano concertos
Grieg piano concerto, Peer Gynt suites
Bach- too many to list
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man, Appalachian Spring, Rodeo
Barber Adagio for Strings
Albanoni Adagio
Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto
Vivaldi 4 seasons
Rossini Overtures
Debussy Clair de Lune and others
Mozart Requiem
Rodrigo Conceirto de Aranjuez
Eric Satie Trios Gymnopedie
Dvorak New World symphony
Holst the Planets
Rimsky-Korsikov Scheherazade, Cappricio
Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite, Cappricio, Violin concerto
Dukas The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain, Pictures at an Exhibition
All these are top quality, and just as important, they are approachable by those new to classical music. Much of 20th century classical can be beautiful, but it's not what I'd recommend for newcomers. But you never know... Scriabin might just up your alley.
... and that's just scratching the surface. Ask Tyson, and he'll add dozens more I didn't list. Ask any classical fan, and you'll get another list of unarguably great music.
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I'm a bit overwhelmed. I did check out the YouTube videos, nice pieces. I just got the latest, and unfortunately the final version of the Don Sachs DS2 preamp, added CuTF V-Caps to bypass the ODAMs, and gave it a listen. It's hard to believe that he has designed a DHT preamp which he says, and I always listen to what Don says, is far superior to the DS2. With the Teflon caps, it's difficult to imagine better, but I guess DHT technology and transformer coupling is even better. Anyway, I'll be busy for some time trying to get through this list. Much appreciated. Due to all the issues, turntable, arm, cartridges, stepup devices, new pressing costing too much, and still having lots of surface noise even with brand new, freshly cleaned and LAST treated records. It overwhelmed me, and with a few modifications my Lampizator, with good material, sounds far better than I was ever able to get vinyl ever did, to me, in my system. Audio is a personal preference. There are no absolutes as long as the listener is content.
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We listen almost entirely to classical music and I know it can be a bit overwhelming at first. I encourage you to get on the email list for Presto Music Classical (you can just go to their website and search for music, but I think getting on their email list would be helpful). I suggest this because nearly all the albums they have, allow you to sample each movement of each piece. The samples are each about 1 minute long and perhaps that would help you decide on a few pieces you’d like to consider further. Presto’s weekly Music News will cover perhaps 10 new releases (again most can be sampled); it also periodically will show BBC recommendations, Gramophone’s monthly Editors’ Choices and Presto’s monthly top picks. I personally like Gramophone’s recommendations best, then Presto’s and last would be BBC’s, but your preferences might differ. It also lists periodic sales for various music labels. Presto recently introduced its own streaming service and offers a free trial (I have not explored this service as we use Quobuz for streaming).
I hope this is helpful.
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Thanks Sounddog! I am putting together 2 systems currently, but I can certainly take a break long enough to check them out! 😀
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Hi, I have wanted to delve into classical music for a long time, but the cost of purchasing pieces which I may or may not enjoy had kept me from jumping in. Are there specific pieces which are very widely enjoyed, and which "pressings", so to speak, would be the most widely considered good? I know that this is a very ambiguous question, as there is such variety in the classical world, so some recommendations for orchestral, some for chamber music, and so forth would be appreciated. I understand that tastes vary, so mainstream would be a good start, and few recommendations as I haven't hit the lottery lately, so can only purchase a handful of titles. Thanks for your help.
Look int the Berlin Philharmonic. They offer streaming services, plus access to their library. I have the 25 year DVD Box Set, which I enjoy very much.
YouTube has a lot of classical recordings available for listening/viewing as well.
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Hi Freo-1, thanks! I'll look into that!
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If you sign up for Tidal or Qobuz, you get streaming access to almost all major recordings in the classical music world, and in excellent sound.
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Thanks Tyson, this is getting to be a bit overwhelming though guys. I only have 2 ears you know! 😉 I do appreciate the information to be sure though!
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.. this is getting to be a bit overwhelming though guys...
Of course it's overwhelming. What you are asking for is a "hits" list from the last 500 years. It's sort of like saying, "I want to start appreciating art. Where do I begin?"
Just pick out a piece from any basic list and give it a listen on YouTube. Pick one a day. Some will appeal to you and others won't. But your life will be richer for the effort.
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Of course it's overwhelming. What you are asking for is a "hits" list from the last 500 years. It's sort of like saying, "I want to start appreciating art. Where do I begin?"
Just pick out a piece from any basic list and give it a listen on YouTube. Pick one a day. Some will appeal to you and others won't. But your life will be richer for the effort.
Logic helps. There are only x number that were well recorded, X number that were well conducted, x number that were well coordinated, only 100 years had recordings, of these, only 60 years perhaps had quality equipment, and of these there are some considered exemplary. Ask me my favorite rendition of Laya. It's been around for 40 to 50 years, recorded multiple times by its author, and many more times by others. Yet there is one recording I think is awesome, so to me that would be an excellent representation of pop music. Sure, there is a slew, but I don't want to burry anyone, what purpose would that serve? I guess I see things differently. Had I known what I wanted, perhaps I wouldn't have asked? YMMV
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Sign up for Qobuz and stream some Beethoven, he’s a great into to classical. Most modern recordings are actually pretty good so just pick whatever looks cool 😎
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The 1812, and Beethoven 9 Symphonys Gardiner and a few greatest hits, which usually are not the greatest, I have, but I have been waiting to get my system squared away. I didn't want to either burn out on them, or quit listening due to listening fatigue. I finally have one decision left, but either amp is a winner. So now I am ready to get serious. Again, I really do appreciate the help. I need to burn Beethoven to the hard drive.
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Worry about which pressings later. For now just listen to the music. First and foremost, let your ears decide.
When you find something that really speaks to you, they you can find the pressing you want.
For me, music I love on a mediocre recording beats a great recording of something I don't like any day of the week.
Hope you find some value in the lists and recommendations made here.
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Worry about which pressings later. For now just listen to the music. First and foremost, let your ears decide.
When you find something that really speaks to you, they you can find the pressing you want.
For me, music I love on a mediocre recording beats a great recording of something I don't like any day of the week.
Hope you find some value in the lists and recommendations made here.
Generally good advice. I do think that "artists" have the ability to so mutilate a piece that one might think that they hate one that done well they may love. I suppose that's been part of my holding back, but upon reflection, such things usually self correct over time. Thanks for your good advice.
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If by chance you DO want some specific recordings and groups, especially if you get a streaming service like Tidal or Qobuz (which can be overwhelming), here's a list of great performances and great sounding recordings I put together fairly recently. It starts with Vivaldi and Bach (older classical music) and goes all the way through Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and finally Stravinsky in more or less chronological order of the time the composers composed the music:
Vivaldi - 4 Seasons - Alessandrini & Concerto Italiano
Vivaldi - Opera Arias - Roberta Invernizzi
Bach - Goldberg Variations - Murray Perahia
Bach - Brandenburg Concertos - Cafe Zimmermann
Haydn - Middle Symphonies - Kalmar & Oregon Symphony Orchestra
Haydn - String Quartet - Angeles String Quartet
Mozart - Piano Concertos 12 and 17 - Brendel & Mackerras & Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Mozart - Symphony 40 - Abbado or Mathieu Herzog
Beethoven - Symphony 7 - Rattle & Berlin Philharmonic
Beethoven - Triple Concerto - Aimard & Harnoncourt
Beethoven - String Quartet 10 ‘Harp’ - Artemis Quartet
Beethoven - Kreutzer Violin Sonata - Lara St John & Herskowitz. Full set - Gatto & Libeer
Beethoven - Piano Sonata 23 ‘Appassionata’ - Richard Goode
Schubert - Trout Quintet - Alfred Brendel & Cleveland Quartet
Schubert - Death and the Maiden Quartet - Quatuor Arod
Brahms - Piano Concerto 2 - Emil Gilels & Eugen Jochum
Chopin - Nocturnes - Daniel Barenboim
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto 1 - Martha Argerich and Charles Dutoit
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto 3 - Trpceski & Petrenko
Rachmaninov - Symphonic Dances - Petrenko & Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Prokofiev - Symphonies - Litton & Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Prokofiev - Piano Concerto 2 and 3 - Freddy Kemp & Andrew Litton & Bergin Philharmonic Orchestra
Mahler - Symphony 8 - Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Sibelius - Violin Concerto - Hilary Hahn & Salonen & Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Dvorak - Cello Concerto - Soltani & Barenboim & Staatskapelle Berlin
Elgar - Cello Concerto - Segev & Also & London Philharmonic
Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring - Heras-Casado & New Paris Orchestra
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Thanks Tyson, that should take quite awhile to go through. Hopefully I may have a better idea of what I prefer. I am not a drinker, but as I understand it most start drinking desert, sweet, wine, and somehow doing so over time changes their palates, and in time the development an appreciation for dryer wines. I imagine that classical music may take a similar cultivation to truly appreciate much of it. Thanks again. I hope to start digging in on Sunday. I am still trying to decide which of 2 amps I prefer. One, speaking of wine, is quite full bodied, the other may be more refined. I won't have that sorted out by Sunday, but classical may make the differences pronounced enough to make the decision easier. BTW, if you know someone getting started in audio, and who likes full bodied, less detailed but quite livable music, I just bypassed the crappy Muse caps in a Lyr, pre/headphone amp with .01uf Duelund copper foil bypass caps. While it isn't perfect, it's something that I could actually live with now. I highly recommend it for anyone who has one, or needs a moderate costing preamp that is able to punch well above its cost. I'll likely use that too, just to check it out with headphones. The caps have less than an hour burn in, so it will likely still improve too.
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Thanks Tyson, that should take quite awhile to go through. Hopefully I may have a better idea of what I prefer. I am not a drinker, but as I understand it most start drinking desert, sweet, wine, and somehow doing so over time changes their palates, and in time the development an appreciation for dryer wines. I imagine that classical music may take a similar cultivation to truly appreciate much of it. Thanks again. I hope to start digging in on Sunday. I am still trying to decide which of 2 amps I prefer. One, speaking of wine, is quite full bodied, the other may be more refined. I won't have that sorted out by Sunday, but classical may make the differences pronounced enough to make the decision easier. BTW, if you know someone getting started in audio, and who likes full bodied, less detailed but quite livable music, I just bypassed the crappy Muse caps in a Lyr, pre/headphone amp with .01uf Duelund copper foil bypass caps. While it isn't perfect, it's something that I could actually live with now. I highly recommend it for anyone who has one, or needs a moderate costing preamp that is able to punch well above its cost. I'll likely use that too, just to check it out with headphones. The caps have less than an hour burn in, so it will likely still improve too.
Oh, absolutely. I only buy used gear, and then proceed to mod the hell out of it :P Duelunds are great caps, as are Miflex copper.
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=255373)
Miflex, never use email. 😉 My favorite gets pricy. I really like ODAMs bypassed with CuTF V-Caps.
Oh, absolutely. I only buy used gear, and then proceed to mod the hell out of it :P Duelunds are great caps, as are Miflex copper.
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One of the amps I am trying to choose between is a Threshold Stasis 2. I replaced all the driver resistors with Resista resistors primarily and Holcos where I was unable to source Resistas. This has since been mimicked, I replaced the carbon output emitter resistors with Mills. I used Black Gates on the driver boards. I figured out that it would be less expensive to have Jon Soderberg update the output transistors, to get matched transistors you have to buy a ton, and unless you do this all the time, the ones outside of the tolerances are junk. Jon also had bigger PS caps. Gone is the, it needs hours to warm up, meaning it needs to warm up the carbon resistors and dry them out, and gone is the masking done by them as well. Some like a warm sound, I like proper timbre, soundstage, details, etc. The old beast really delivers now. Jon said it was the best sounding Stasis amp he ever heard. Who else would swap out resistors on the driver boards? I've played with internal wiring a bit since, but it is a pretty awesome amp. Playing with a JC5 now. We'll have to see how that goes. By playing I mean listening. I don't believe it needs work. It's just a matter of sound preference between the two.
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After many years running SS gear, I'm pretty much an all tube guy now. With the occasional excursion in to First Watt/Pass land. I just could never get the the core tonality right with SS amps. Try as I might.
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Easy, get the latest version of Don Sachs' DS2, he may have 1 left, bypass the ODAMs with CuTF V-Caps, and run that into a neutral SS amp, the best of both worlds.
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Easy, get the latest version of Don Sachs' DS2, he may have 1 left, bypass the ODAMs with CuTF V-Caps, and run that into a neutral SS amp, the best of both worlds.
Actually, one of my power amps is a custom design that Don Sachs helped me with. I wanted something like a Kootenay but with KT66's instead of KT88's. It was a 1 off build, and I'm super happy I have it as I like the KT66's a lot more than the KT88's.
Here's a full list of all the amps I own currently. Some people roll tubes. I roll amps. Haha, it's maybe a little out of hand....
First Watt Burning Amp 3 (BA3)
First Watt Aleph J
Don Sachs "baby-Kootenay" KT66 Push-Pull
Custom EL84 Push-Pull (based on ANK EL84 amp)
Dennis Had Inspire MB14 Single Ended Pentode Monoblocks
Almarro A318B 6C33C SET
TAL Korneff Type 45 SET
Elekit TU 8233 2a3 SET and 300b SET
Sun Valley 211 SET and 845 SET
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...
Here's a full list of all the amps I own currently. Some people roll tubes. I roll amps. Haha, it's maybe a little out of hand....
First Watt Burning Amp 3 (BA3)
First Watt Aleph J
Don Sachs "baby-Kootenay" KT66 Push-Pull
Custom EL84 Push-Pull (based on ANK EL84 amp)
Dennis Had Inspire MB14 Single Ended Pentode Monoblocks
Almarro A318B 6C33C SET
TAL Korneff Type 45 SET
Elekit TU 8233 2a3 SET and 300b SET
Sun Valley 211 SET and 845 SET
Whenever I had an amp question I used to PM BigRedMachine... but you may be the new amp fanatic! I've only got two modded Moscodes, three Dodds, and a Folsom. Oops, and sort of a Dynaco 120 with better iron, caps, circuits, and KT120 tubes.
:oops: Maybe you're not such a fanatic after all.
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Whenever I had an amp question I used to PM BigRedMachine... but you may be the new amp fanatic! I've only got two modded Moscodes, three Dodds, and a Folsom. Oops, and sort of a Dynaco 120 with better iron, caps, circuits, and KT120 tubes.
:oops: Maybe you're not such a fanatic after all.
I did some work on a Moscode 600. I'd like to get another one. I didn't have the caps we have now. Well, I need another amp like I need additional holes in my head.
Got my son's system dialed in. He's got an older DS2, but it has ODAMs with CuTF V-Caps bypassing them. The ODAMs I believe adds a slight flavor to the music. They are like Auri Caps throttled back in color, but unlike Auri Caps, they transmit details. They are weak in the highs, but the CuTFs take care of that. They may not add color, but it seems like it to me. They are like a good set of tubes, IMO.
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Actually, one of my power amps is a custom design that Don Sachs helped me with. I wanted something like a Kootenay but with KT66's instead of KT88's. It was a 1 off build, and I'm super happy I have it as I like the KT66's a lot more than the KT88's.
Here's a full list of all the amps I own currently. Some people roll tubes. I roll amps. Haha, it's maybe a little out of hand....
First Watt Burning Amp 3 (BA3)
First Watt Aleph J
Don Sachs "baby-Kootenay" KT66 Push-Pull
Custom EL84 Push-Pull (based on ANK EL84 amp)
Dennis Had Inspire MB14 Single Ended Pentode Monoblocks
Almarro A318B 6C33C SET
TAL Korneff Type 45 SET
Elekit TU 8233 2a3 SET and 300b SET
Sun Valley 211 SET and 845 SET
He helped me out with a KT88 amp, but I haven't powered it up.
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I listened to;
Vivaldi - 4 Seasons - Alessandrini & Concerto Italiano
Bach - Brandenburg Concertos - Cafe Zimmermann
I like Bach so much that I tried to buy it. I couldn't find a source digital download or CD for it. I know, all that's old fashioned, but I won't own nothing and be happy. Anyway, I have begun my journey. I am just using youtube.com for now, I love the commercial interruptions. Thanks for the recommendations. I did like Vivaldi, but I really liked Bach.
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but I really liked Bach.
Try Switched on Bach>
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/816HlZ+FItL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
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If you like Bach, I'd also recommend any/all of Angela Hewitt's recordings of his solo piano/keyboard music.
And Isabella Faust for his solo violin works.
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Well, I liked one of his works, will see about more
I was trying to avoid the commitment, but I see Tidal in my future.
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I am a huge classical fan, but the vast majority of classical music from earlier than about 1930, bores me. The "common practice" eras.
Most of the classical music I listen to is post WWII, up through the present era. And the vast majority of it is atonal, serial, dissonant, and overall "thorny" sounding. Not exactly easy listening. A bit of a challenge, actually
So, YMMV.
But here are a few recommendations, anyway:
Elliott Carter - Concerto for Orchestra (1969)
Elliott Carter - Three Occasions for Orchestra (1989)
Eilott Carter - Variations for Orchestra (1955)
Joan Tower - Concerto for Orchestra (1991)
Magnus Lindberg - Sculpture (2005)
Charles Wuorinen - 4th Piano Concerto (2005)
Unsuk Chin - Violin Concerto No. 1 (2001)
Alban Berg - Violin Concerto (1935)
Some 20th century pieces that sound a bit more 'traditional':
Bela Bartok - Music for strings, percussion, and celesta (1937)
Bela Bartok - Concerto for orchestra (1943)
Igor Stravinsky - Rite of Spring (1913)
Samuel Barber - Piano Concerto (1962)
Samuel Barber - Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance (1955)
Benjamin Britton - 4 Sea Interludes (1945)
You might want to also join the TalkClassical.com forums.
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Classical music, or recordings you find objectionable. If I correctly understand you, it's the actual music. I'll give some of these a listen. An acquaintance sent me much 20th century material. I can't say that I was crazy about it. It just wasn't cohesive, but music is so personal. Some eat raw onions like apples, I don't. Nothing wrong with either. Thanks! I will check it out.