[redbook]

   Just wish to report that after a year of shear enjoyment my BCD3 is sounding better than ever. the soundstage is one thing I am amazed with over my BCD1....guess the double chip set makes that happen. Koodos to Bryston for creating such a wonderful redbook only device. I still prefer the ritual of playing records over streamimg so I hope this player will remain available for some time . I will soon buy another one as a back up just in case ...

[gberger]

Gotta' agree!
I received my BCD-3 late last October, and, after a year, It's by far the best spinner I've ever had - - or tested. I've never heard the Vienna Philharmonic sound better.
Like you, I much prefer spinning CDs rather than relying upon a streaming source. No computer in the way, and it keeps me active, getting up to slip in another CD.  .
I did opt for the BP17 cubed to replace my BP-6c and BP-26, and have a 4B cubed amp.  Guess I'm Bryston from the CD spinner t the speaker terminals.
Cheers.

[CanadianMaestro]

Gotta' agree!
 I've never heard the Vienna Philharmonic sound better.
Cheers.

They're even better LIVE.   

Prosit.

[gberger]

Yeah.  Over the years, I've had the good fortune to hear several concerts by them in the Musikverein Great Hall.The last time was in 2009.

[CanadianMaestro]

Yeah.  Over the years, I've had the good fortune to hear several concerts by them in the Musikverein Great Hall.The last time was in 2009.

You're lucky. I've heard them 3 times, but never in Vienna.
2 x Carnegie Hall ('95, '96; Solti and Ozawa)
1 x in St Petersburg Russia '10 (Gergiev).
Programs: Wagner (Die Meistersinger; Tristan und Isolde), Beethoven's 7th (!), Mozart's #41, Beethoven's Piano Cto #5 (Buchbinder pianist), Strauss: Alpinesinfonie and Till Eulenspiegels lustige streiche, Nicolai's Merry wives of windsor. Still have the programme books. Great souvenirs.

[gberger]

IMO, there's no orchestra quite like the Vienna Philharmonic.

[CanadianMaestro]

IMO, there's no orchestra quite like the Vienna Philharmonic.

True to a large degree. The current VPO still is a somewhat pale shadow of the "Old Guard" under conductors like Bohm, Furtwangler, and Karajan.

I also like very much the Staatskapelle Dresden on record (have not heard them live), and also the Bavarian Radio Sy Orch. The sound of these two orchs are mesmerizing.
And don't forget the Royal Concertgebouw, which is a fantastic orch for Mahler. I saw Gatti conduct them in Amsterdam 2018, Mahler #1. I was just blown away. I have about 12 diff recs of M1, but the live perf just opened my ears big-time. Was seated behind the orchestra, not far from the percussion (!).
https://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/en/concert/gatti-conducts-mahler-1


The Berliners suck badly now imho, since Abbado (and then Rattle) mangled their corporate sound. They were at their peak under Karajan (aka. Herbert von Knazi).

[gberger]

We heard the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw , but in the Musikverein, playing Berlioz Te Deum (with the Staatsoper Chorus). That's the only time we heard them live.

Having served in the US Air Force for 30+ years, I was fortunate to have several assignments in Europe from 1948 through 1975. I took every opportunity to visit Vienna and Milan. After retiring, we took several trips to Vienna and to Milan during concert and opera seasons. My wife was a Verdi and Puccini fan, so the Milan (La Scala) visits were her favorites.

My favorite Mahler is #2, Bernstein. And also a Verdi fan . (I must have twelve different performances of his Requiem.)

Cheers

[CanadianMaestro]

^ I need to get more into Verdi. My main handicap is no Italian competence!
You're fortunate to have been based overseas during the "Golden Age" of classical music performance.

M2 is a great piece. My favs are M1, M4, M5, and M7 (the 1st Nachtmusik mvt of #7 is just amazing).  I hate M8. Too many recs to list here.

cheers

[p.s. M2 by Mehta/VPO is spectacular -- another gem of a Decca recording].

[gberger]

I'v been a classical music lover since I was seven, and listened to the RCA Victor Red Seal records on a wind-up Victrola.  Guess its in my blood.

[CanadianMaestro]

Reiner/Chicago on LP, RCA et al., are still gold standards for stereo.

Glenn Gould's Bach: tops for solo piano. What an icon.

[CanadianMaestro]

I'v been a classical music lover since I was seven, and listened to the RCA Victor Red Seal records on a wind-up Victrola.  Guess its in my blood.

 

From my website:
https://sites.google.com/site/favoriterecordings/home

[gberger]

Wow! That's one gorgeous recording setup.

I never ventured into recording, but envied my friends who did.   My audio Hi Fi experiences began with the old mono 78s, then 45s, LPs, reel-to-reel, and finally CDs. Built my own preamps and amplifiers until the KT88 and 6550 tubes became too expensive to acquire in matched sets.  Changed to digital, and never looked back.

Cheers

[gberger]

Just finished listening to your explanation of "modifying" the Beethoven 9th (Bernstein, VPO).  Absolutely fascinating.   I watched it, full screen on my 27"iMac and listened via apair of B&W near-field MM-1 speakers.   I'm saving that so I ca really go through it again to get the full impact of what you've done.    Yeah, and I agree on having the sound come i  all directions. (That's what I really liked about the Great Hall - - we usually sat 1/3rd of the way back from  the orchestra.  (The Hall is about 160 x 62.5 and 58' high.
(Love that Tape recorder!)

Cheers,  George

[redbook]

Wow! That's one gorgeous recording setup.

I never ventured into recording, but envied my friends who did.   My audio Hi Fi experiences began with the old mono 78s, then 45s, LPs, reel-to-reel, and finally CDs. Built my own preamps and amplifiers until the KT88 and 6550 tubes became too expensive to acquire in matched sets.  Changed to digital, and never looked back........I too began with 78s and my parent's windup portable gramaphone..Digital for me has been a Nirvana.

Cheers

[CanadianMaestro]

George,
Great to read about your experiences. Reassuring that hard-core musicophiles still exist, who have tried all the diff media. I too am mostly digital now. It's come a loooong way form the'70s, when digital sounded harsh and brittle. Not anymore, when it's done right!

time to zzzzzzz.

cheers

[redbook]

George, thanks for the compliment. Yeah, my system is a thrill.
Great to read about your experiences. Reassuring that hard-core musicophiles still exist, who have tried all the diff media. I too am mostly digital now. It's come a loooong way form the'70s, when digital sounded harsh and brittle. Not anymore, when it's done right!... Yes exactly ....

time to zzzzzzz.

cheers

[CanadianMaestro]

Just finished listening to your explanation of "modifying" the Beethoven 9th (Bernstein, VPO).  Absolutely fascinating.   I watched it, full screen on my 27"iMac and listened via apair of B&W near-field MM-1 speakers.   I'm saving that so I ca really go through it again to get the full impact of what you've done.    Yeah, and I agree on having the sound come i  all directions. (That's what I really liked about the Great Hall - - we usually sat 1/3rd of the way back from  the orchestra.  (The Hall is about 160 x 62.5 and 58' high.
(Love that Tape recorder!)

Cheers,  George

hmmm......
just to be clear here...that's not me in the video, and it's not my recording setup either. I used the YT video on my audio website there. That's all. The stereo system in the main album IS mine, however.

cheers

[fado]

RE:  Glenn Gould

On April 10th 1964 I was very fortunate to hear Glenn Gould in concert at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. I got to experience his well publicized eccentricities of using an old chair made by his father instead of a piano bench and hearing him hum audibly as he played. I went with a friend and his father. While we were waiting for the concert to begin the father observed that Arthur Rubinstein played as if he was in control of the music but Glenn Gould played as if the music was in control of him. This turned out to be Glenn Gould’s last public performance. I will never forget it.


https://www.scpr.org/news/2009/04/10/485/45th-anniversary-pianist-glenn-goulds-final-concer/

[fado]

#2. RE: Glenn Gould

The April 10, 1964 program included:   Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30, selections from Bach's The Art of Fugue, and the Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 92 No. 4 by Ernst Krenek.