New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Recommended Classical Recordings
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Welcome to the Graham Slee Audio Products Owners Forum

 

Open to all owners plus those contemplating the purchase of a Graham Slee HiFi System Components audio product and wishing to use this forum's loaner program: join here (Rules on posting can be found here)

This website along with trade marks Graham Slee and HiFi System Components are owned by Cadman Enterprises Ltd


Recommended Classical Recordings

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 23456 22>
Author
morris_minor View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Location: Surrey
Status: Offline
Points: 6015
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote morris_minor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 May 2015 at 5:44pm
Originally posted by Fuzzy Fuzzy wrote:

Now that I have my Gram Amp 2 SE installed (with a nice enough 1 meter Supra RCA connect), I am finally able to enjoy in all its glory the legendary live recording of Mahler 8 conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos (Everest 3189/2 two LP set). While the recording itself is technically speaking nothing really special - and sometimes even rather bad - (the box says 'electronically enhanced for stereo effect'), the music making is excellent. And the LPs I have are for as far as I can tell in very good condition, so that does help too. Somehow these older recordings feel and listen nicer on LP than CD (the latter version I do not possess). 
There's something special about playing vintage LPs in the format they were originally released on. Mind you "electronically enhanced for stereo" was a dreadful idea, obviously dreamt up by a marketing man jumping on the stereo bandwagon. If you can play these in mono they'll sound better, but you can't easily get rid of any tonal processing; a number of my processed LPs sound unnaturally bassy and muddy (needing to be ripped to digital and put through a software parametric equaliser  - a bit like restoring a painting!). But I digress. I'm sure the music of your Mahler 8 shines through, with the 2SE doing it's bit.
Bob

Majestic DAC/pre-amp
Accession MC/Enigma, Accession MM, Reflex M, Elevator EXP, Era Gold V
Solo ULDE, Novo, Lautus USB and digital, Libran balanced, CuSat50
2 x Proprius + Spatia/Spatia Links
Back to Top
RichW View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 21 Jan 2013
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 1471
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RichW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 May 2015 at 8:43pm
Originally posted by morris_minor morris_minor wrote:

Originally posted by RichW RichW wrote:

Elgar violin concerto.
I've owned the CD of the Kennedy EMI recording for many years & recently acquired
the LP of the same (from Phil).
Have been reminded (as if it were needed) that LP is still an extremely capable & valid
format for classical music.
One of my favourites too. With the best Elgar conductor in Vernon Handley since Boult. (IMO) "Other conductors are available" LOL

Get a quiet pressing and LPs are excellent for classical music!


That's right Bob, & if my collection is typical, classical records with very quiet backgrounds
are actually quite common, especially after a run through a cleaner.
Also it's well known that a GSP phono stage has an uncanny knack of making any
background noise much less intrusive.Wink
Classical LPs do appreciate a TT with bang-on speed stability though!
 
Majestic/Enigma, Accession MM & MC.
Back to Top
Fuzzy View Drop Down
Regular
Regular
Avatar

Joined: 15 May 2015
Location: Sjoa, Norway
Status: Offline
Points: 83
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fuzzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 May 2015 at 10:08pm
If I may continue with Mahler, and if you like Mahler too, I would heartily recommend the recording of the 'Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn' by the Symphony Orchestra of the Vienna Festival conducted by Felix Prohaska, sung by Maureen Forrester and Heinz Rehfuss (Vanguard Stereolab VSD-2154). In my view a great performance, and probably my favorite 'Knaben Wunderhorn' recording (on any medium). On LP it is just a wonderful listen, but I think would never buy it on CD: to my ears the vintage LP breathes some extra kind of life into the recording and performance.
Jan

*****

Majestic DAC
Proprius
Gram Amp 2 SE
Solo SRGII
Solo ULDE
Back to Top
Bi-wire View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 21 Jan 2011
Location: Shropshire, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 283
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bi-wire Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2015 at 6:01pm
I've been meaning to add a couple of my favourites to this thread for a while so, here goes, a quartet at random:
 - Elgar Symphony No1 - LPO/Georg Solti (DECCA SXL6569) - a beautiful recording with tremendous range, depth and subtlety, the third movement is sublime.
 
 - RVW A Sea Symphony and Music from The Wasps - LPO/Boult (DECCA LXT2907 &2908) - these FFRR records really come alive through my Revelation.
 
 - Faure Requiem - Willcocks/New Philharmonia Orchestra (HMV ASD2358) - peace, perfect peace for the late evening.
 
 - Saint-Saens Organ Symphony - Von Karajan/Berlin Phil (Deutsche Grammophon 2532 045) - a late recording on vinyl (1982) and the polar opposite of the Faure. Overblown, bombastic and very loud. Guaranteed to get it all out of one's system  -  did the earth move for you? You bet!
Peter

Satisfied user of: Revelation M, PSU1-Enigma, Solo SRGII and lots of CuSat50
Back to Top
RichW View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 21 Jan 2013
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 1471
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RichW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2015 at 11:15am
That Elgar Symphony no.1 is indeed a top class recording.
Continuing with Elgar for a mo', the Enigma Variations & Cello Concerto are both highly recommended additions to any classical collection.

These are the two I happen to own on vinyl.





Majestic/Enigma, Accession MM & MC.
Back to Top
morris_minor View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Location: Surrey
Status: Offline
Points: 6015
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote morris_minor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2015 at 12:02pm
I have both of those, Rich! 

Boult's later EMI, and Zubin Mehta's Los Angeles PO on Decca are my favourite Enigmas though. And Jacqeline du Pre's Elgar Cello with Barbirolli (EMI) is the "gold standard" (at least for me!).

The Decca LAPO recording is pretty special, too.
Bob

Majestic DAC/pre-amp
Accession MC/Enigma, Accession MM, Reflex M, Elevator EXP, Era Gold V
Solo ULDE, Novo, Lautus USB and digital, Libran balanced, CuSat50
2 x Proprius + Spatia/Spatia Links
Back to Top
RichW View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 21 Jan 2013
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 1471
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RichW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2015 at 1:49pm
I must try to hear those alternatives Bob. Thanks.
Talking of great British composers,  must also mention this superb collection of RVW
symphonies and other pieces. A repeat posting from the other long-running thread
but a re-post will do no harm!
Outstanding.


Majestic/Enigma, Accession MM & MC.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 23456 22>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.156 seconds.