Classical Music for Aficionados

This is a remarkably interesting and erudite thread containing both mainstream and offbeat suggestions. But reading through it, I did miss two of my favorite recordings.

There are a few recommendations for Nielsen’s music, but nothing praising his Third Symphony which is well deserving of all the praise its fans send its way. Frankly, I think it is a masterpiece, and since there are few recordings available, I may as well recommend the one where I first heard the piece: Leonard Bernstein conducting the Royal Danish Philharmonic Orchestra on a CBS recording released in 1965.

The second of the "missing" recommendations is a very recent recording on the 2L lablel of two song cycles for voice and orchestra by the Norwegian composer Henning Sommerro: Ujamaa and the Iceberg. This might be a little weird for some, but it is tonal, attention grabbing, stunning, and simply the best recording I have ever heard.

Mahler Symphonies are my passion. And today is Mahler’s birthday. Listen to your favorite Mahler Symphony recording to celebrate. I’m going to have a Mahlerthon and listen to all ten symphonies. 

Because really few systems + rooms can truly handle properly a full-scale symphony orchestra in flat-out hue and cry, listening to chamber music in the home is often an all-round more satisfying experience.

This is true. But I've recently been using small monitor speakers in near field (1m) with a powered subwoofer, and this comes closer to full orchestra representation than my large system in the same large room.

Grand Piano is very hard to record and reproduce, so I’m always looking for recordings that do a good job. Eureka! This recording is the best I’ve ever heard. And bonus points for it being Prokovief.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079JCLZ6G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_C4GoDb0V440S3

Now listening
Martha Argerich and Sergei Babayan, Prokofiev For Two
Romeo and Juliet, Eugene Onegin, Hamlet, Queen of Spades, War and Peace
Superb!

It’s beyond superb. It’s one of the best recordings I’ve ever heard, and one of very very few that sounds like a piano (or in this case, two pianos).

Normally I am more interested in pieces of music and less interested in who is performing. But there are exceptions. Last December I saw one of the most remarkable and memorable recitals of my concert-going career. It was a violin and piano duo consisting of violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and pianist Polina Leschenko.

I had purchased the tickets because I had seen the amazing Kopatchinskaja before and I wasn’t going to miss a chance to see her again, and she delivered the goods at this concert. But the most amazing thing about this concert was that both performers exhibit incredible virtuosity and both have energetic performing styles. Often the piano accompaniment to a singer or instrumental soloist is stolid and supporting. Not in this concert. Both performers were egging each other on and raising the roof as they went about it.

The program consisted of a Poulenc sonata, the famous waltz from Delibes’ Coppélia, the 1922 Bartok sonata, and Ravel’s Tzigane. Fortunately for everyone who was not at that recital, or the others in the tour, Kopatchinskaja and Leschenko were plugging their new CD. Which anyone can buy.

Here is a pretty good review of the CD
http://myscena.org/norman-lebrecht/patricia-kopatchinskaja-polina-leschenkos-deux-ingenious-exhilarating/

Patricia Kopatchinskaja: Take Two

It’s hard to put into words what a fantastic and creative talent this woman is.

Mark Swed, classical music critic of the Los Angeles Times, wrote a very entertaining (and accurate) review:

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/classical/la-et-cm-patricia-kopatchinskaja-records-review...

I had not even considered SSD, interesting that you say they have better sound quality.

Music stored on and retrieved from an SSD will sound exactly the same as music stored on and retrieved from an HDD.  However, an SSD uses less electricity, and if you aren't doing a lot of writes, it should last longer than a HDD. I use an SSD for my music server, but not because it will should any different.

@jim204 your excellent PS Audio Direct Stream DAC buffers and then reclocks the digital data. Any jitter earlier in the stream will not make any difference.