Thanks so much for this! I am a neuvo audiophile / Jazz junkie, getting into Classical. This is so helpful! Your enthusiasm comes through and you have such a warm speaking voice. I have shopping to do! :)
Claudio Abbado's version of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet with the Boston Symphony is spellbinding. After the thunderous timpani roll before the coda and the nobility of the orchestral phrasing until the end it's exceptionally beautiful.
That Karajan "Planets" with Vienna is a very special recording, my favorite of the many versions I own. They play like it's a fantastic new discovery and the sound is fantastic...those low C's on the organ 'lock' the room in "Neptune". Fantastic stuff. And the Reiner/CSO recordings of "Zarathustra" and "Heldenleben" from March, 1954 in two-track are mightily impressive with their huge soundstage and depth. The Ansermet "Petrouchka" is one of those rare recordings that is so real I sit smiling while listening...it's just astounding.
London and Decca of the same edition were made at same plant, just different labels. Outer jackets were printed elsewhere. Great video, some nice recordings to hunt for!
Not sure if Elgar's violin concerto is in the top 5. Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius all ready have the job and Bruch is next in line.
Always enjoy your classical reviews. I ended up waiting until I ordered a pizza to make it an event for the evening. Your site is of course splendid as well 👍
As one who has been collecting classical records since the seventies, your knowledge of both performance and recordings is breathtaking. Details I would never had known. I was surprised to see how many of these recordings I had. There must be some consensus in classical music after all. Great job, maestro!
Thanks for this. I was surprised to see how many of these I have, but many more yet to explore. FWIW, I really enjoy this kind of content coming from a musician's perspective. There are many people out there reviewing and recommending records. Very few have enough knowledge of the music and its history to do so with any authority.
Thank you for your insights. I was in London when Abbado and Tilson Thomas were there and saw them many times.. St Martins in the Field could always be relied on for their authenticity.
A great selection and I am pleased that I have many of them. I'm a huge Lyrita fan and must point out that whilst Lyrita used Decca engineers and facilities in the 1960s the label was (and still is) completely independent and, as such, has been able to make obscure music available, something that more mainstream labels were not always able to do due to a possible lack of profitability. In the UK, labels like Lyrita (together with Chandos, Hyperion and others) changed all that and almost forced the big boys into recording lesser known works. A great upload :)
The Solti Ring is on Decca instead of EMI. Heinz Zednik really is a great Mime - but on Boulez's Ring, not on Karajan's. Then again, Gerhard Stolze on the Karajan set is wonderfully frightening and weird.
I agree that Starkers interpretation is amazing, however I must admit that I haven't heard anything that exceeds Erling Blöndal Bengtssons stellar recording from 1984 (Danacord, DACO 226). Especially the Sarabande in C-minor: it is so organic and natural; the master breathes with the cello like a body in deep contemplation. I would be delighted to hear your opinions regarding this performance.
Sir Colin Davis told the story of how Malcom Sargent would dress up immaculately in his concert attire and hire a Rolls Royce to take him just a quarter of a mile to the Albert Hall to conduct and then be chauffeured back the quarter mile after the concert.
Well, under a label called "Audiophilia" our good host should concentrate more on newer recordings. Furtwangler, for example, guarantees a good performance. However, the lack of dynamic range and the background noise on those old recordings is quite noticable. I just threw out a Toscanini recording because it sounded like chicken scratching. DG recordings from the 60's, however, are primo and I'm glad he reviewed some here. Conversely, DG went downhill in the seventies, up until their digital recordings in the 80s, which are abysmal. I like to hear about Telarcs and other "new" recordings. Harmonia Mundi is a newer, underrated label.
fyi LPs are 'lossy' not audiophile quality (contrary to what vinyl lovers would have you believe.) The Solti "Ring" sounds far better on digital hi-res audio or even CD.
Thanks for your reply it is along time ago since I collected records. I still play my Lyrita Bax records and Dowland Lachrymae on Archiv. I still treasure my Walton 2nd Symphony on CBS conducted by Szell and Bartok String Quartets on Hungaraphon. Problem is scratches ! I stopped in the 80s and only purchased CDs since then. Why would I collect an obsolete format that takes up huge amounts of space and is liable to damage. I lost about 10 records due to storage damp & warping all bent out of shape:)@@AudiophiliaChannel
Thank you for a very interesting and useful video. I noticed that most of your albums are stored in pvc plastic. This video, ua-cam.com/video/b97WEUfeDFQ/v-deo.htmlsi=2bdR_Hx5fH32km48, suggests that over time pvc can break down and damage your records.
This is a fantastic video and a huge help as I begin to navigate my way into the classical world! Thank You!
Thank you for the kind words, Rich. Let us know what you collect.
Absolutely love Lyrita recordings. Their Herbert Howells LPs are some of my favorites. Fantastic sound.
Fantastic video. I've played it numerous times. Thank you.
Thanks so much for this! I am a neuvo audiophile / Jazz junkie, getting into Classical. This is so helpful! Your enthusiasm comes through and you have such a warm speaking voice. I have shopping to do! :)
Thank you so much for the kind words.
Claudio Abbado's version of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet with the Boston Symphony is spellbinding. After the thunderous timpani roll before the coda and the nobility of the orchestral phrasing until the end it's exceptionally beautiful.
That Karajan "Planets" with Vienna is a very special recording, my favorite of the many versions I own. They play like it's a fantastic new discovery and the sound is fantastic...those low C's on the organ 'lock' the room in "Neptune". Fantastic stuff. And the Reiner/CSO recordings of "Zarathustra" and "Heldenleben" from March, 1954 in two-track are mightily impressive with their huge soundstage and depth. The Ansermet "Petrouchka" is one of those rare recordings that is so real I sit smiling while listening...it's just astounding.
London and Decca of the same edition were made at same plant, just different labels. Outer jackets were printed elsewhere. Great video, some nice recordings to hunt for!
What a wonderful video! I have been collecting willy-nilly and buying whatever catches my eye. This list gives me a roadmap to follow. Thank you!
You are most welcome.
A great survey. Thanks very much.
Not sure if Elgar's violin concerto is in the top 5. Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius all ready have the job and Bruch is next in line.
Would also love to see your set-up: stereo components, speakers, listening room, etc. Hope you'll do a vid showcasing them and doing a demo. :)
Check out my vinyl setup video.
Always enjoy your classical reviews. I ended up waiting until I ordered a pizza to make it an event for the evening. Your site is of course splendid as well 👍
Thank you so much for the kind words. All the very best.
I can't wait to dig into this video!
As one who has been collecting classical records since the seventies, your knowledge of both performance and recordings is breathtaking. Details I would never had known. I was surprised to see how many of these recordings I had. There must be some consensus in classical music after all. Great job, maestro!
Thank you so much for the kind words.
Thanks for this. I was surprised to see how many of these I have, but many more yet to explore. FWIW, I really enjoy this kind of content coming from a musician's perspective. There are many people out there reviewing and recommending records. Very few have enough knowledge of the music and its history to do so with any authority.
Thank you for the kind words.
We have come to the conclusion that your collection is immaculate and excellent and 😊😊that your favorite record company is Deutsche Grammophon
You’re half right :)
Thank you for your insights. I was in London when Abbado and Tilson Thomas were there and saw them many times.. St Martins in the Field could always be relied on for their authenticity.
While I don’t own that many classical records, I actually own the majority of your selections. Cool video.
A great selection and I am pleased that I have many of them. I'm a huge Lyrita fan and must point out that whilst Lyrita used Decca engineers and facilities in the 1960s the label was (and still is) completely independent and, as such, has been able to make obscure music available, something that more mainstream labels were not always able to do due to a possible lack of profitability. In the UK, labels like Lyrita (together with Chandos, Hyperion and others) changed all that and almost forced the big boys into recording lesser known works.
A great upload :)
Thank you for the kind words.
Great
1:06:31 That Varese recording has astonishing sound. I don't even love the pieces all that much, but the percussion!
Agreed. But the sound! Incredible. The first three minutes of Arcana are amazing.
The Solti Ring is on Decca instead of EMI. Heinz Zednik really is a great Mime - but on Boulez's Ring, not on Karajan's. Then again, Gerhard Stolze on the Karajan set is wonderfully frightening and weird.
Yes, I am pleased to read that everyone has these. Do you have a copy of Orff's Lamenti by Monteverdi? Everyone should.
I agree that Starkers interpretation is amazing, however I must admit that I haven't heard anything that exceeds Erling Blöndal Bengtssons stellar recording from 1984 (Danacord, DACO 226). Especially the Sarabande in C-minor: it is so organic and natural; the master breathes with the cello like a body in deep contemplation. I would be delighted to hear your opinions regarding this performance.
I will search it out. Thank you for the recommendation.
Janos Starker was principal cello of Chicago Symphony from 1953 to 1958.
Starker never played in the NBC Symphony.
Sir Colin Davis told the story of how Malcom Sargent would dress up immaculately in his concert attire and hire a Rolls Royce to take him just a quarter of a mile to the Albert Hall to conduct and then be chauffeured back the quarter mile after the concert.
He lived in Victorian Mansions, literally half way around Albert Hall artists entrance lol
Any more thoughts on other George Lloyd symphonies? Like #8, etc?
Like several and some good recordings but composer, conductor, orchestra and Lyrita hit it out of the park with the 5th.
Thanks for the reply, love the classical videos you have done. I have a chance at the Lloyd #8 LP on Lyrita, same conductor.
Well, under a label called "Audiophilia" our good host should concentrate more on newer recordings. Furtwangler, for example, guarantees a good performance. However, the lack of dynamic range and the background noise on those old recordings is quite noticable. I just threw out a Toscanini recording because it sounded like chicken scratching.
DG recordings from the 60's, however, are primo and I'm glad he reviewed some here. Conversely, DG went downhill in the seventies, up until their digital recordings in the 80s, which are abysmal. I like to hear about Telarcs and other "new" recordings. Harmonia Mundi is a newer, underrated label.
fyi LPs are 'lossy' not audiophile quality (contrary to what vinyl lovers would have you believe.) The Solti "Ring" sounds far better on digital hi-res audio or even CD.
I do not think that Walton,Tippet, Bax. Elgar and other British composers can be considered as indispensable. What about Verdi, Berg, Shoemberg?
What is wrong with Dynagroove?
Question from a non fanatic music lover😊
Added compression to help out cheaper tables of the day. Awful pressings for the most part.
Thanks for your reply it is along time ago since I collected records.
I still play my Lyrita Bax records and Dowland Lachrymae on Archiv.
I still treasure my Walton 2nd Symphony on CBS conducted by Szell and Bartok String Quartets on Hungaraphon.
Problem is scratches ! I stopped in the 80s and only purchased CDs since then.
Why would I collect an obsolete format that takes up huge amounts of space and is liable to damage. I lost about 10 records due to storage damp & warping all bent out of shape:)@@AudiophiliaChannel
Thank you for a very interesting and useful video. I noticed that most of your albums are stored in pvc plastic. This video, ua-cam.com/video/b97WEUfeDFQ/v-deo.htmlsi=2bdR_Hx5fH32km48, suggests that over time pvc can break down and damage your records.