SPOTLIGHT The classical music general discussion thread

[gene_stl]

watch the movie Amadeus and then get a bunch of Mozart stuff to listen to.


Disney's Fantasia is a great sampler too.

watch the you tube videos about why J S Bach is so great.

especially this one
Any Gustav Leonhardt harpsichord renditions. Or Trevor Pinnock or Jean Rondo all great keyboardists.
Especially catch the Prelude Fugue and Allegro either on guitar lute or harpsichord
Capriccio on the departure of his beloved brothe BWV992

Listen to early music. Stuff on the classical guitar or lute by John Dowland.
Alonso Mudarra (spanish 16th century)

If you want something a little noisier le Banquet du Roy is a french group that my mrs and I are watching a lot of their videos.


I still find the 19th and 20th century greats mostly too intellectual for me and prefer the older stuff that seems to go straight to emotions.

Harpsichord music by Domenico Scarlatti.

Anything by Antonio Vivaldi especially the Four Seasons.
Vivaldi Four Seasons: "Winter" (L'Inverno), complete; Cynthia Freivogel, Voices of Music 4K RV 297

The Bach Ciaconne played on any instrument (the masterpiece for both guitar and violinists written for the fiddle)

Any recording by Jascha Heifetz is definitive. (1901-1987)

there is a ton of all of the above on you tube that you can sample as much as you want and then find CDs or SACDs or downloads or streams when you figure out what your preferences are

Happy Birthday in the Styles of 10 Classical Composers (COMPILATION)
The happy birthday song in the style of various classical composers.

 

[jefe1]

Great post and recommendations Gene.
I was lucky enough to have once seen Gustav Leonhardt in concert and met him after the concert.
Was sad when he recently died.

 

[gene_stl]

That is good fortune indeed. I have been very lucky too about attending live music events but not lately. I don't think he ever performed in St. Louis though Trevor Pinnock was artist in residence here several times as were other baroque greats.

 

[windhoek]

Berliner Philharmoniker has opened its virtual doors for free thanks to Covid-19. I'm not sure whether their entire collection is free to watch or just some of it, but either way, it's great to access the service for free. Simply click here and enter the code BERLINPHIL before 31st March and start watching for 30 days free of charge

 

[4-earredwonder]

Berliner Philharmoniker has opened its virtual doors for free thanks to Covid-19. I'm not sure whether their entire collection is free to watch or just some of it, but either way, it's great to access the service for free. Simply click here and enter the code BERLINPHIL before 31st March and start watching for 30 days free of charge

Funny, Derek, I JUST put this 'highly touted' version of Tchaikovsky's immortal 6th symphony in my ImportCD shopping cart:

https://www.importcds.com/tchaikovs...dium=web&utm_campaign=Recs&utm_content=widget

 

[windhoek]

Good timing, Ralph - hopefully, the Tchaikovsky piece is available on the site

 

[Goona]

Is there any decent multichannel recording of Gustav Holst: the Planets?.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Is there any decent multichannel recording of Gustav Holst: the Planets?.

Surprisingly not, Goona, save for the Tomita 'electronic realization' of the Planets but if I recall, Leonard Bernstein did a discrete QUAD version for Columbia Records in the early 70's which when released on multi~ch SACD did NOT contain the discrete mix.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Surprisingly not, Goona, save for the Tomita 'electronic realization' of the Planets but if I recall, Leonard Bernstein did a discrete QUAD version for Columbia Records in the early 70's which when released on multi~ch SACD did NOT contain the discrete mix.

Come to think of it, it would be a real coup if Dutton Vocalion could release that discrete QUAD version of Bernstein's PLANETS!

MQ-31125 (SQ)/MAQ-31125 (Q8) GUSTAV HOLST: The Planets, Op. 32
(Bernstein/New York Philharmonic)

 

[JediJoker]

Is there any decent multichannel recording of Gustav Holst: the Planets?.

There are a few out there, but I can't personally speak to the quality of the performances, recordings, or mixes. I know that some hold the Steinberg recording in high regard, which was mixed in quad and recently rereleased on Blu-ray.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Is there any decent multichannel recording of Gustav Holst: the Planets?.

Many (perhaps more than one needs) but that depends on how you are defining "decent."

 

[4-earredwonder]

Many (perhaps more than one needs) but that depends on how you are defining "decent."

What is YOUR personal favorite, Kal?

LOVE this multi~ch SACD version recorded on ORGAN which is unbelievably dynamic and will surely tax one's system

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=7536

 

[Kal Rubinson]

What is YOUR personal favorite, Kal?

I don't have one because I can no longer tolerate the music.

 

[gene_stl]

One of my "new" audio friends here in St. Louis streams the Berlin Philharmonic into a home theater room that is extreme audiophile quality.
He gave me the brochure for that service.

 

[humprof]

There are a few out there, but I can't personally speak to the quality of the performances, recordings, or mixes. I know that some hold the Steinberg recording in high regard, which was mixed in quad and recently rereleased on Blu-ray.

I think the Steinberg/BSO recording of The Planets is fantastic--the mix is more discrete than Also Sprach Zarathustra (with which it's paired).

 

[windhoek]

The Planets conducted by Susskind has a more dynamic presentation in multichannel than most. Fwiw, it's quad. But as an OOP release that commands big bucks these days, I wouldn't rush out to buy it myself.

https://www.amazon.com/Holst-Planets-Gustav/dp/B0002C4IJK

 

[jonmchugh]

Easily the best ever performace and recording of The Planets has to be Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra recorded at Kingsway Hall London in the 70s. Recently HD remastered and available to download at 192khz FLAC. Is SQ encoded so listen on a Surround Master, a Tate or script decoded it yourself.
https://www.prostudiomasters.com/album/page/34233

 

[JediJoker]

Easily the best ever performace and recording of The Planets has to be Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra recorded at Kingsway Hall London in the 70s.

Have you heard any of the ones ranked higher here?

 

[jonmchugh]

Have you heard any of the ones ranked higher here?

No, I've only every listened to the Quad recordings and of those I consider this to be the best.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

One of my "new" audio friends here in St. Louis streams the Berlin Philharmonic into a home theater room that is extreme audiophile quality.
He gave me the brochure for that service.

The BPO is offering free 30day access. Just go to The Berliner Philharmoniker’s Digital Concert Hall and redeem the voucher as offered.