How to go about collecting Classical Music


At age 68 I’ve started to like Classical Music. It’s been mostly Jazz, Rock n Roll, and R&B up to now. I’m familiar with those genres, know their history, artists, and how to best and most economically acquire their recordings. Not so the Classical repertoire which covers a much longer time period and encompasses so many styles and forms.

What genres and/or periods of Classical music should I be exploring? I’m not looking for recommendations on particular composers or artists, only genres or periods. In Classical music there is orchestral music, chamber music, opera, church music and who knows what else to try out. Maybe you could advise me, if you wouldn’t mind, of some types to try? Or maybe you could recommend a book on the subject that would help a rookie get a start understanding what’s out there.

In buying classical music, for any one work, there may be innumerable recordings by various artists, orchestras and ensembles. How do you sort out which recordings you want in that respect. For example, I looked up Stravinsky’s Rites of Spring on Ebay last night to get some idea of pricing and what classical music available there. There were so many recordings of that work, I would have no idea how to sort out which would have been a good choice. Are there web sites where there are recommendations on which recordings are most exceptional? Or alternately, are there classical record labels you can rely on routinely to provide superior quality recordings? I’ve heard Deutsche Gramophone may be a reliable label for one, but that’s about it. Could you recommend any other labels to look for?

There seems to be a lot of Classical music in SACD format relative to Jazz or Rock n ’Roll. Is there some reason for that? Should SACD be the format of choice for purchasing Classical music, or is there good classical material in Redbook format to be found? I prefer to stay away from used vinyl due to condition issues, or new vinyl due to cost. I’m guessing the better dynamic range of CD’s lends itself to orchestral music. Is there any market for used classical SACD’s? Are there any sites you prefer to purchase your Classical CD’s, either new or used?

I grew up on Long Island. On one trip to midtown Manhattan I walked into an old church not too far from St. Patrick’s to view its’ magnificent stained glass window. Once inside I heard some equally magnificent classical organ being played. I discovered the church’s incredible organ was being played by some of New York City’s finest classical organists who would book time to practice on it. That large church was always deserted, and I went back many times for what amounted to free private concerts. I’d like to know what kind of music that was to try and replicate that experience to some degree at home, From what I’ve read here and elsewhere there surely is a plethora of other wonderful Classical music to explore and enjoy. Thanks in advance for any advice,

Mike






skyscraper
 On one trip to midtown Manhattan ..................... Once inside I heard some equally magnificent classical organ being played. I discovered the church’s incredible organ was being played by some of New York City’s finest classical organists who would book time to practice on it. ................... I’d like to know what kind of music that was to try and replicate that experience to some degree at home
Let me suggest that the best way to replicate that experience at home is with multichannel SACDs (or the equivalent downloaded files) and a well-constructed multichannel system.  IMHO, stereo can't do it.
Regarding determining which classical recordings are *best* - - for many years the go-to source was The Penguin Guide - the most recent edition I have is the 1986 iteration titled *The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs, Cassettes and LPs*. It's a paperback of more than 1,200 pages and provides a wealth of comparative information.

  True, it's dated in that it was published over 35 years ago, but so many of the recordings reviewed are timeless and still available today in LP, CD and, probably, some of the streaming formats.

A quick check on eBay shows several Penguin guides for sale, including an edition that "only" dates back to 1997.  You can get one for just a few bucks, and in it you'll find a exactly the sort  of the information you are seeking.


I meant to add - - the Penguin Guides are organized alphabetically by composer, and for each composer categorically by type of composition (symphony, concerto, chamber, vocal, etc.) Versions of the same work are graded, more or less, in descending order. Very convenient and easy to use. 
OMG, you'll never get consistent advice.  Buy what you like.  (or borrow it from the library!)  I don't know anything about streaming; but you can get "Brilliant Classics" recordings for $2-3/disc and the quality and performances are excellent.  You'll never replicate an organ performance unless you happen to live in a church.  Even orchestral music has compressed dynamics in commercial recordings.  That's why I started with chamber music--mostly quartets, so that you can really hear and (at times) understand what's going on in there.   I don't need any new music--I'll never live long enough to hear what I have already!
Thank you all for your replies. I enjoy the physical media and will be likely sticking with CD's for the forseeable future. I've, for me, a fairly expensive stereo system and don't wish to invest in any more expensive equipment, cables, or monthly charges for streaming. I really enjoy the collecting aspect too. It's a lot of fun, I appreciate your suggestions in that regard and may be foolish in avoiding streaming, but what the hey. Getting and listening to records, and now CD's, has been one of the joys of my life since I was a kid so I don't want to give that fun up now that I can afford to indulge myself in purchasing them. 

Inna, thank you for the suggestions on the  Berlin, Vienna, London Philharmonic orchestras. I'll keep them in mind as well as the conductors and pieces you recommend. Are there any Classical record label you or anyone could name that are consistently good, say as Blue Note might be for jazz.

Jdane, trouble is I don't know or haven't been exposed to enough classical music to know what I like or don't yet. I've mostly had random exposure by picking up a few recordings at library sales or by listening to NPR on the radio while driving. If the local library wasn't closed due to the pandemic I'd go check out a book or two on the subject. I did take an elective course on Classical music in college. but that was close to fifty years ago. The only thing I can recall from that course was that  the professor had an enormous "pumpkin" head . He's probably long gone now so hopefully that isn't too mean-spirited a memory to bring up.

Rshak, thank you much for the advice on the Penguin guide, I will get one ordered ASAP,  I've found similar guides on rock an roll indispensable. Excellent idea. I'll do a little research and find out which is their most recent edition is and track that down.

Kr4, you're undoubtedly. right,, but I'd like to see what my Magico A3's can do. I recently purchased an Erykan Badu recording that had some very deep bass notes on it the Magico's did a nice job reproducing, so I'm wondering how they'd do on some sonorous classical organ pieces. I don't know what pieces to order though, as I have no idea who wrote them, played them, or when they were written. My lack of knowledge on classical music is fairly comprehensive.

My mom on the other hand could actually play classical music on the piano, but preferred to try and dope out boogie-woogie type jazz piano pieces instead, which she could sadly never master. She could play Rachmaninoff however without blinking an eye, Go figure.

Mikelavigne, if I stick to physical media do you find the SACD;s preferable to the degree Redbook CD's should be overlooked for orchestral pieces or is there good Redbook material out there for that type of music?  

Thanks again all,

Mike