Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?

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Tyson

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Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?
« on: 9 Jun 2013, 09:54 pm »
With close to a thousand SACD/Hirez recordings, I feel like I can just now start to maybe broach this subject.  But man, oh man, it's such a HUGE topic, I barely feel up to the task!  Maybe I'll just start it and then others can contribute too.  OK, lets begin.....

As a big classical guy, I have a ton of these recordings in standard rez, and I've had the chance to compare the standard rez to the hirez directly on a track by track basis, so I can get an idea of the differences going on.  For the most part, things that sound great on redbook, also sound great (and maybe even a bit better) on hirez.  On the other hand, I think older recordings is where there are some spectacular gains in sound quality.  Many of these older recordings sound amazing in remastered hirez.  However, not all of them do. 

Of the new recordings that sound great, some are no-brainers, like any of the Hilary Hahn recording, or any of the Tilson Thomas Mahler recordings, or any of the Paavo Jarvi Beethoven recordings.  Or the recent Tokyo String Quartet's Beethoven, or any of the clarinet music performed by Frost (that guy is amazing).  Same for Ivan Fischer - any of his recordings are outstanding and deserve purchasing. 

But what about older recordings?  I can say this - they ALL benefit from hirez remastering.  But some are so poor to begin with, that no remastering will ever salvage them.  However, there are some that have really surprised me and I would heartily recommend checking out.  Almost any recording by George Szell, Heifetz, Bernstein, Solti, Bruno Walter, Karl Bohm, Kempe, Pollini, Argerich, or Karajan would qualify.  Each of these, IMO, were particularly poorly served on redbook, as they were each sort of assigned a "sound", and all of their recordings were mastered on redbook to match that preconceived sound.  On hirez a lot of that falls away.  For example, Solti is always thought of as hard edged and driven. But on hirez, his humanity comes through.  With Szell, it was always as a perfect taskmaster.  But on hirez he has real feeling, across the spectrum.  Karajan is thought of as an egocentric, but on hirez it is clear that he has a real feel for the sheer beauty of the music he is conducting.  And so on and so forth.  Oh, and I have to give a shout out to both Solti and Furtwangler (RAIA) recordings of Wagner's Ring on Hirez.   Both are freaking awesome, in their very different ways.  Note, however, that most Furtwangler recordings suck, even in Hirez - the rome Ring recordings are an exception.  But what an exception!

rbbert

Re: Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?
« Reply #1 on: 9 Jun 2013, 10:09 pm »
I would recommend Martinon's Debussy, available either as import SACD's (expensive) or HDtracks 24-96 (a great bargain, IMHO).

In addition to Ivan Fischer's stuff, almost anything from his current label Channel Classics sounds spectacular.

Tyson

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Re: Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?
« Reply #2 on: 9 Jun 2013, 10:21 pm »
Oh yes, Martinon, anything by Martinon, is a must buy in hirez!

pescholl

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Re: Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?
« Reply #3 on: 12 Jun 2013, 05:48 pm »
HiRez is the way to go for classical music.  Modern recordings made in hirez need to be listened to in hirez. 

I believe that transferring older analogue recordings to hirez digital is the best way to preserve the nuances of the recording, even if the recording itself isn't up-to-par.  Once in hirez, the recording should be listened to in hirez.

HiRez all the way, Baby!

steenm

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Re: Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?
« Reply #4 on: 24 Jul 2013, 06:15 pm »
Julia Fischer on Pentatone is my favorite

golfugh

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Re: Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?
« Reply #5 on: 24 Jul 2013, 09:36 pm »
Wow, don't know how I missed this one.

Hilary Hahn -  J.S.Bach: Violin Concertos (HD Tracks) absolutely incredible.  The Deutsche Grammophon SACD is even better, bought it for the multichannel.



She was born where I went to college - Lexington VA, who'd have thunk a classical violinist would come out of there.

Mark

Tyson

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Re: Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?
« Reply #6 on: 25 Jul 2013, 12:26 am »
Hahn is amazing.   She's probably the best violinist working right now (IMHO).

alfajim

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Re: Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?
« Reply #7 on: 1 Mar 2015, 07:11 pm »
Hahn is amazing.   She's probably the best violinist working right now (IMHO).

Back in 2007 I got the chance to see a beautiful young lady Elizabeth Pitcairn perform Tchaikovsky and Mozart violin concertos with the Marin Symphony in the Marin Symphony hall. What made it so attractive to me was she was playing these on the famous "Red Violin" and the minute she started to play it was totally clear why that instrument is so special you could her it right off. Had a chance to talk with her after in a meet and greet and had her autograph the CD. The lady is very very good and her and her violin are just special. She explained that her Uncle got it at auction in England for a measely $8 million.

Jim

Randy

Re: Hirez Classical - What is worth getting?
« Reply #8 on: 1 Mar 2015, 11:55 pm »
Hahn is amazing.   She's probably the best violinist working right now (IMHO).
Wow, you're just asking for it with that statement.