Tim: I finally picked up on your question from October. I still do not have an SACD player, but I like listening to some hybrid dual-layer CD's both GYBR and Roxy Music's Avalon because even in PCM, the remastered versions sound terrific on the Capitole MK II. |
All of Fischer's Philips recordings are good--his Dvorak 8 and 9 are excellent. Springbok, that Beethoven 6 even sounded superb on CD, I think it's probably Walter and the music as much as an extraordinarily minimalist (ESPECIALLY for CBS) recording.
A recent SACD I find myself listening to a lot is the Higdon Concerto for Orchestra on Telarc with Spano and the Atlanta Symphony--she is one contemporary composer whose work I could listen to all the time. Very dynamic, rhythmically exciting piece, and very well-recorded. And another plug for the SFO/Tilson-Thomas Mahler cycle, not a bad one in the bunch so far and it's the SF Symphony's own label, so you're supporting them as well. |
... and the second is Rachmaninov II. symphony, Channel Classics. |
If you like classical music, you should hear the sacd of the Budapest Fesztival Zenekar, conducted by Fischer Ivan. They have two outstanding records: Bartók Bluebeards' Castle, Philips. |
Springbok10,
Beethoven's 6th Symphony sound good even on a boombox so I am sure it must be sounding absolutely fantastic on the SACD. Must check it out.
Thanks |
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I may not disagree but I will get it and listen! |
Nothing that I have heard touches Bruno Walter and Beethoven's 6th Symphony. Just spectacular performance and recording. I defy anybody to listen to it and disagree:)
(SS 6012) |
I waffle between Mingus Ah Um, Schubert Ninth Szell/Cleveland, and McCoy-Tyner. Oh, and the Wispelway Tchaikovsky and then there's the Dvorak Eighth Szell and although the recording of the Gabrielli with the Cleve and Philly winds isn't that good the performances are wonderful and the Midori Mozart is glorious and Redbook sounds better on this player, too.
Almost everything named I also have on CD and LP and the SACD's, whether DSD or re-masters sound like a third medium. Not too hot and not too cold but just right. |
ÂGeri Allen - Life of a Song: Geri has fabulous touch, and this is the first digital recording that captures the tiny dynamic shifts that are inherent to this level of piano playing. This also captures Jack DeJohnette's brushwork just right. The presentation is a little more tonally diffuse than the best LPs but there is NONE of the edge that gives almost all digital recordings their "digital" signature. BTW, the music on this disc is beautiful and would justify its purchase even if it sounded like plop.
ÂSam Cooke - Ain't that Good News: Flat out the most icredibly real sounding vocal presentation I've ever heard from recorded music. However, the instrumental accompaniment is much less well served, sounding canned. Fabulous, timeless music. This one really turned the corner for me with digital recording.
ÂMahler's First Symphony, SFPO, Tilson-Thomas cond.: Call me a Luddite but I have always thought that digital mangles classical music more than anything else. It's always destroyed the timbers of high strings and woodwinds, made tymps and snares sound unnaturally peaky, and we won't even talk about cymbals and other high percussion. These are things that good LP playback never does, and is infinitely more enjoyable because of it. This SACD is the first classical digital recording I've heard that is not offputting in the way described above. I have LPs of Mahler's 1st that are more sonically pleasing to me, but this is very nice, with string tone being particularly impressive. This is one of my favorite works of the Late Romantic era and a very enjoyable rendition. |
It get's better. Now they are releasing dual format. This is a 5" disc with cd on one side and dvd on the other. Just heard about this the other day. Cheers |
Hi, I'm not sure if this is the spot but I have to whine about SACD. No doubt it is an improvement from standard Cd, but don't you feel conned?
They talked a lot of people into getting rid of their vinyl and buy the new wonder a Cd. It sounded horrible. Time goes on and small improvements are made, HDCD.They still sounded horrible but you bought it.You've now purchased the same album three times. No real improvements came along for a long time so the record companies came out with new re-mastered Cd's with extra tracks.That makes four times you've bought that album.
Now its SACD or perhaps DVD-Audio.Legitimate improvements from "old" Cd but now we are at number five. For me this is where it stops. I don't care if SACD is the second coming of recorded music, I'm not buying it.
I don't think you have to be too cynical to see how this fiasco has been played out.
Thank God I kept my original vinyl and (for the most part) stayed off the merry-go-round. As Johnny Rotten sneered when asked about the Sex pistols reunion "Ever get the feeling you've been conned'. |
If you like female vocals try the album Yola by Irish artist Eleanor McEvoy, she is just brilliant! The recording is very good too. |
Muswell Hillbillies - The Kinks
The Firebird - Stravinsky - Mercury Living Presence
Sea Change - Beck
Tommy - The Who |
I agree Gerry, Roxy Music- Avalon is great! Its been a few years and now I have a few hundred SACD's and some are REALLY good and a few disappoint, that being said I am impressed with what the format has to offer. When did you pick up a SACD player? |
Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Roxy Music - Avalon. |
There are a number of previous threads on this subject that you should check out for good recommendations. A recent SACD which I bought is a Bis recording, Prieres Sans Paroles, which is a recording of 20th Century pieces for solo trumpet and organ recorded in a vast Danish cathedral. It is a DSD recording, and shows off what the medium can do in terms of naturalness of timbre of the trumpet, stunning capture of the cathedral's ambience (makes every CD I've heard sound artificial in comparison, including the very good CD layer of this disc), and dynamic range (and we're talking about the trumpet as well as the organ here). I also have grown to like the selections, some of which are quite good, particularly the first cut on the disc. If you're at all into trumpet and organ music and can take atonal music, worth getting. |
Look for SACD's that were originally recorded using DSD A/D converters, rather than transfers from analog masters. Although there are scientific/mathematical reasons why this is better (having to do with noise-shaping and dither in a 1-bit system), there is no question that they sound (to my ears) much better than other SACD's and really give you an idea of what SACD is all about. The only problem is that there are not too many SACD's recorded in this manner, but check out Yo Yo MA - Solo (not the Appalachian disc) on Sony and several discs on dMP (especially the Steve Davis Project and Far more Drums by the Robert Horner Percussion Ensemble). |
That's an easy one. The Titanic soundtrack. Maybe it's just a girl thing, but I can't get that #@*!@# love theme out of my head. Been humming it for the last three months now. Lots of other great music also, especially if you've got an amp with some hefty cajones to handle the bass and dynamics of some of those symphony crashes. Good thing CDs don't wear out, as I've listened to that one at least a couple dozen times already. |
Miles Davis "Kind of Blue"
Duke Ellington "Blues in orbit"
McCoy Tyner "New York Reunion"
The Dave Brubeck Quartet "Time Out"
Paquito D'Rivera "Tropicana Nights"
Jacintha "Here's To Ben" and "Autumn Leaves"
The Philadelphia Orchestra "Nature's Realm" |
Can't miss if you get Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue", even a non jazz fan will fall in love with this classic recording.
Keb' Mo's "The Door" ain't too shabby either.
Yo Yo Ma's "Appalachian" recordings are superb.
Now, if only I could get Tom Waits on SACD. |
Hey, Tim! To be honest, I haven't ventured into the SACD arena yet. I guess I am waiting to see if it's the new version of the Sony Beta Max - I mean, we have 100's of CD's, finally converted from vinyl - now I don't know if that was the right decision either - ACK! I am going for another glass of whine... I mean wine. wink wink nudge nudge
yer pal - |
