Starting my classical CD library, Need Pointers...

[Ruby]

Hi to everyone, <P>if there's anyone who can give me a few pointers on which orchestra's, soloists etc etc have published worthwhile CD's for the following composers, I would greatly appreciate it!<P>I'm looking for Mozart, Beethoven, Hayden, Bach, Rachmaninov(sp?), and Vivaldi.<P>Thanks again!!

[~Leslie]

<BR>Hi Ruby, <P>You might wanna try a baroque package sold in some stores that gives you a feel for <BR>this period of music,<P>And then move your way into Beethoven's symphonic works, and concertos. <P>Just a thought~<BR>Les<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ruby:<BR><B>Hi to everyone, <P>if there's anyone who can give me a few pointers on which orchestra's, soloists etc etc have published worthwhile CD's for the following composers, I would greatly appreciate it!<P>I'm looking for Mozart, Beethoven, Hayden, Bach, Rachmaninov(sp?), and Vivaldi.<P>Thanks again!!</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>

[provistbrahms]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ~Leslie:<BR>[B]<BR>Hi Ruby, <P>You might wanna try a baroque package sold in some stores that gives you a feel for <BR>this period of music,<P>And then move your way into Beethoven's symphonic works, and concertos. <P>Just a thought~<BR>Les<P> Les I quite agree with you. it really dosen't matter which orchestra is performing the piece in my opinion because there are so many. In my own collection I have orchestras from around Europe. Just as long as the piece is played. Now I might suggest for someone who is starting their collection to start with Vivaldi's Four Seasons. It is a great piece to start out with. <P>

[Peter]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ruby:<BR><B>Hi to everyone, <BR>if there's anyone who can give me a few pointers on which orchestra's, soloists etc etc have published worthwhile CD's for the following composers, I would greatly appreciate it!<BR>I'm looking for Mozart, Beethoven, Hayden, Bach, Rachmaninov(sp?), and Vivaldi.<BR>Thanks again!!</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Hi Ruby, If just starting out on the classical road, I'd suggest picking up a Naxos catalogue, & choosing a few CDs at a time, by your chosen composers. All Naxos' recordings are modern, generously conceived & cheap!

[provistbrahms]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Peter:<BR><B> Hi Ruby, If just starting out on the classical road, I'd suggest picking up a Naxos catalogue, & choosing a few CDs at a time, by your chosen composers. All Naxos' recordings are modern, generously conceived & cheap!</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Excelsior is also a cheap but good cd brand to buy. Peter have you ever listened to this brand before? If you have what do you think of the tone quality and the way the piece is played?

[Peter]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by provistbrahms:<BR><B> Excelsior is also a cheap but good cd brand to buy. Peter have you ever listened to this brand before? If you have what do you think of the tone quality and the way the piece is played?</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Sorry, Prov, but I am unfamiliar with this label. What say you about Excelsior?

[Ruby]

Thanks everyone! I'll keep your pointers in mind when my next pay check comes in

[keokime]

hey provist brahms...i have to disagree with you on the excelsior...i have bought a few of those, and less than 50% of them turned out any good. Point Classics are really good, and very affordable, as is Naxos. But remember when you buy those cheap cd's that sometimes the music is not 100%...<BR>

[~Leslie]

I am not familiar with these labels,<BR>but a word of caution here about super cheap<BR>recordings:<P>One time I bought the Brandenburg Concerti<BR>a la bargain basement, and they actually<BR>played out of tune!!!(either that, or it was a defective recording!) LOL! <BR>Needless to say, I was REAL disappointed.<P>There is nothing quite like hearing a fine<BR>piece of music interpreted by a maestro conductor, leading a reputable orchestra <BR>with audiophile acoustics. <P>So, Caveat Emptor!!~

[BenG]

Ruby:<BR>If you have a shop that sells USED CDs, check that out. I've found some real gems on good quality labels for very reasonable prices.

[serge urtizberea]

Call me elitist, but I can't bear to purchase any music not of a major label. I find on the whole the performance and rechnical qualities are unsurpassed on discs by Sony Classical, DG, or Philips. I also consider the packaging that comes with a disc as much an indicator of the quality of the content as anything. Any other cd out there has clever, curious, or colorful art design, and I demand no less from the classical music I intend to hold onto. <BR>

[ReedMan]

You might want to consult the Penguin Guide<BR>to Classical Music. Just don't let it become your music bible. It can at least steer you away from 'the dogs of classical music'. <P>Some of the NAXOS recordings are well done technically and musically. Their Mozart piano concertos, played by Jando, are superb.<P>The better your sound system, the pickier you will become, so consider buying for the long term and not on just price.<P>I have found that many CD's recorded in the early to mid 80's can be harsh in sound quality, especially the DDD (all digital) ones. If they are ADD or AAD, then you will have beter luck in this time period.<P>If you are just starting, consider a music club like BMG or Columbia House. They let you audition many of their on-line selections. 12 for the price of 1 is a good deal if you like what you get.

[Peter]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by serge urtizberea:<BR><B>Call me elitist, but I can't bear to purchase any music not of a major label. I find on the whole the performance and rechnical qualities are unsurpassed on discs by Sony Classical, DG, or Philips. I also consider the packaging that comes with a disc as much an indicator of the quality of the content as anything. Any other cd out there has clever, curious, or colorful art design, and I demand no less from the classical music I intend to hold onto. </B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I'm afraid, by definition, Serge, that you are elitist! What exactly is wrong with Naxos' covers? - they look fine to me, although I admit that I probably don't have your artistic eye. Surely, it's the music that counts, not the packaging; as long as there are adequate accompanying notes, then, frankly, I'd rather buy 3 cheaper-labelled CDs, than 1 by one of the big guns. Who's to say that greater spending means greater quality, anyway? As Reedman says, Mozart's piano concertos (for example) on Naxos are first-rate. So is their complete Chopin set, by Idil Biret. I presume that when you mention Sony, Philips, etc., you are referring to their new recordings, because I think that many of their re-mastered old recordings are simply not up to the mark. DDD nearly always beats AAD, hands down!<P>PS. Not that I needed a response, but did you get my e-mail a month back (just curious)?

[serge urtizberea]

I like the sizzle to be as substantial as the steak, and I do refer to the more recent releases by those big labels. I pretty much stick to what's been released in the past five years or so.<P>The Naxos label has fine music, no doubt. It is a real shame, then, that their art direction looks like it was done on original Photoshop by high-school juniors. It's just a little thing I have against them.<P>No, I don't remember ever receiving an email from you in the past month. Please send it again; I'm sure it was important.<p>[This message has been edited by serge urtizberea (edited 03-26-2001).]

[Luegwig]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><BR>I'm looking for Mozart, Beethoven, Hayden, Bach, Rachmaninov(sp?), and Vivaldi.<BR><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Ruby,<P>I'm a big fan of most of your list here except for Haydn (well, I like some of his string quartets ; ) If you're into symphonies, look for a good conductor. For Mozart and Beethoven, Sir George Solti and Herbert Von Karajan (pronounced like "carry on") are excellent. Arturo Toscaninni is the benchmark of Beethoven interpretation, but his recordings were made in the '50s so they don't sound as good. <P>As far as labels go, I like Telarc for their high fidelity recordings and decent performances. Deutche Grammaphone and Philips are also good. These last two seem to have the best performers, though Telarc has built theirs up quite a bit. <P>Just my humble opinion. <P>-Bill

[Ruby]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ReedMan:<BR>[B]You might want to consult the Penguin Guide to Classical Music. <P>Thanks but where can I find that?? <P>Ruby<P>

[treebeau]

Howdy Ruby,<P> My wife always tells me this. "Buy the best one you can afford or else you will be buying another one before long."<P> I agree with Provistbrahms in that it doesn't matter to me "who" is playing the piece...but that is a general statement because I do have my favorites as well. For example, when it comes to solo violin pieces I look for Itzhak Perlman first.<P> It's not usually the "performance" that speaks to me, rather the music being performed. So, I probably have very few CDs that have a common selection of music. I have a buddy that IS more concerned with the performance. He has GIVEN me a couple of CDs that he didn't like, but I think they are just fine !<P> Cover art doesn't matter much to me either. I don't look at the cover while the CD is being played. I suppose if I really didn't like a cover I would use my computer and some software to create my own and insert it in the jewel case.<P> I like BenG's suggestion of checking out used CDs. Another avenue is to poll your friends and family members, borrowing what they have to see if you like a certain piece of music. If you do then go buy the best one you can afford. Best, as in not 2 dollars.<P> I myself went through a "Telarc phase" back in the late 80's. I'm not unhappy with any Telarc CD I bought, but again, it's the music that speaks to me.<P> Many of the people that post here have a strong preference for Beethoven. Several have stated a dislike for Mozart and Haydn. Some feel that Brahms walks on water. I like 'em all just fine, but not every piece of music by any of them. There's a fairly well-known quote about Vivaldi having written the same concerto something like 400 times. Well, that's paraphrasing, but I happen to like several of those 400.<P>If you or anyone would like to discuss likes and dislikes of particular pieces of music feel free to email me at treebeau@beethoven.com. I won't post that info here because people's likes and dislikes are subjective and have led to heated discussions. I like to avoid that.<P> Happy collecting.<P>Regards,<BR>Tim B.<P>P.S. Don't take your love to town.

[Peter]

A brilliant P.S., Tim, you just beat me to it!

[Ruby]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by treebeau:<BR><B>Howdy Ruby,<P><<G'Day to you too sir!<P>My wife always tells me this. "Buy the best one you can afford or else you will be buying another one before long."<P><<very sound advice. one I intend to follow<P>Happy collecting.<BR><<Thankye kindly<P>P.S. Don't take your love to town. </B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><<:::looks in wallet, turns wallet upside down, shakes it vigorously, watch lint fall out::: looks like it's back to Napster/raiding other people's collections for me.<P>ps. thank you VERY much for your valuable insights!!<P>Ruby<BR>

[smithjd]

National Public Radio has a program called PERFORMANC TODAY which is hosted by Ted Libbey. On this program Ted Libbey gives a background about the classical music he plays. His choices are the titles he has added to his PT BASIC LIBRARY of classical music. You may look up the list on <A HREF="http://www.npr.org/programs/pt/library/index.html." TARGET=_blank>www.npr.org/programs/pt/library/index.html.</A> <P>You can also go to NPR.ORG, but the above address should take you directly to what you are looking for. Good Luck! I hope this helps.