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Buidling a Classical Library - MUST HAVES!

I started a r2d4 thread last week and am so impressed with the depth of music knowledge on this site that I'm going to start this one too. My knowledge of great classical recordings is so limited it's embarrassing to call myself a music lover. I've tried following some of the reviews in Stereophile, TAS and Golden Ear, but they all seam to have some agenda other than great sound, great performance and great material in mind. The fact that my system can resolve the subsonic activity of an earthquake during the highschool bands performance of Nutcracker or what ever Stereophile is about does nothing to help me find great music. My request, if you choose to accept it, is to identify the must have recordings to build library from scratch. PLEASE CONSIDER SONIC QUALITY, PERFORMANCE AND MATERIAL EQUALLY. As a lover of music I believe all three should be superior. Also, in the spirit of my last post, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CRITICIZING OTHERS SELECTIONS. IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE A SELECTION START A THREAD, LEAVE THIS ONE FOR KNOWLEDGE FOR THOSE OF US WHO NEED IT. THANK-YOU. Finally, please list a maximum top ten and even if your favorites already appear, list them anyway. This will help me figure out the first ones to buy. Vinyl and/or digital are acceptable as long as the material is still avalible.
128x128jadem6
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,386 posts
 
PS: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is Great Britain's.
abstract7
541 posts
 
Ito Emma performing Bach's Goldberg Variations on M*A. CD Eiji Oui conducting Minnesota Symphony, Mephisto & Co, on Reference Recordings CD. Bobby McFerrin & Chick Corea, the Mozart Sessions on Sony (you've never heard Chick Corea like this!) CD. John Rutter, Requiem on Reference Recordings CD HDCD. Beethoven, Entangled Devotions on Pope Music CD. Nature's Realm, on Waterlilly CD. Sir Arthur Sullivan, the Merchant of Venice and the tempest on Klavier (LP--not sure if it's still available).
elgordo
530 posts
 
Anything with Eiji Oue on Reference Recordings, Most RCA Living Stereo and most Mercury Living Presence reissues is a good place to start. The RCA and Mercury CDs (and the vinyl copies)have the absolute phase reversed. If you have a phase reversal switch be sure to flip it. If you don't have a component with this switch you are missing out!
rcprince
3,061 posts
 
Jadem6, do you have any period of classical music that you prefer (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century, etc.)? It would help to narrow the field, if you want to do that. By the way, although I may not always agree with their recommendations, BBC Music Magazine has a feature each issue on building a library of classical music that is informative. Plus a good to excellent CD each month, some of which have introduced me to new music I would never have listened to before. Worth subscribing to, if you're interested in learning more about classical music.
alexc's avatar
alexc
265 posts
 
I second the recommendation for CSO recording's from the 50's and early sixties on RCA Living Stereo, and many of the Mercury Living Presence recordings. Tough to get more specific w/out knowing your musical taste. I also share your frustration with some of the reco in the trade rags (e.g., just got the Antill Corroboree on Classic Rec. LP - great sound - uninspiring music. Same goes for the much vaunted soundtrack to the film "Glory"). I am VERY fond of any Mahler symphony conducted by Solti (though Shaw's version of the 8th with the Atlanta Symphony is also v. good). I also love Rodrigo's Concierto Andaluz and Concierto de Aranjues on Mercury with The Romeros doing the honours on the guitar. Post you musical preferences, and I will try to give you more suggestions. If your taste extends to opera, there are many memorable performances on record by Callas..most being sold at heavily discounted prices vs. modern recordings and, even if mono in some cases, well worth the $$. Classical music covers far too much ground to give good recos in all areas in one message...
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