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__________________ Digital: Esoteric P-03/D-03, Esoteric Rubidium G-0Rb, Esoteric DV 60, Linn Akurate DS, iPod, Wadia iPod Dock. Analogue: Basis 2500 Signature, Basis Vector 4, Kiseki Agate Ruby, Air Tight PC-1, Clearaudio Syncro, Magnum Dynalab MD-90, Nakamichi 600 MKII, 25+ exotic moving coils. Headphone Amplifiers: RSA Hornet, RSA Tomahawk, Stax SRM-727, Stax SRM-007t, Ray Samuels Raptor, HeadAmp Blue Hawaii. Headphones: Sennheiser HE 60's, Stax Lambda Pro, Stax SR-X, Stax Lambda Novas, Stax Sigmas, Stax Gammas, Stax Omega 1's, Sennheiser HE-90 Orpheus, Stax Omega 2 MK2, Ultrasone Edition 9,Ultimate Ears UE-11's. Other: Shunyata Hydra 8, Anacondas, Pythons, Nordost Vallhalla, Shunyata Antares, Kimber Select, Audioquest Sky, Shunyata V-Ray & Pythons, Shunyata Antares, Purist Audio Dominus, Stealth Indra, Harmonix Isolation Devices (various), Mye Stands, Purist Audio Speaker Cables, Harmonix Cables & Isolation Devices, Shunyata Guardian. Stealth Varadig Sextet. Speakers: Magnepan MG 20.1, Martin Logan CLS, Green Mountain Europa Electronics: Audio Research Reference 3, Audio Research PH-7, Audio Research Reference 210's, Pass X-250.5, Tom Tutay Crossover On Order: Headamp Blue Hawaii Special Edition.
"Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood." H. L. Mencken
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." Dubya
I just got the Reiner Scheherazade on SACD - absolutely an amaing recording. Good call on the conductors. There are so many.
__________________ Digital: Esoteric P-03/D-03, Esoteric Rubidium G-0Rb, Esoteric DV 60, Linn Akurate DS, iPod, Wadia iPod Dock. Analogue: Basis 2500 Signature, Basis Vector 4, Kiseki Agate Ruby, Air Tight PC-1, Clearaudio Syncro, Magnum Dynalab MD-90, Nakamichi 600 MKII, 25+ exotic moving coils. Headphone Amplifiers: RSA Hornet, RSA Tomahawk, Stax SRM-727, Stax SRM-007t, Ray Samuels Raptor, HeadAmp Blue Hawaii. Headphones: Sennheiser HE 60's, Stax Lambda Pro, Stax SR-X, Stax Lambda Novas, Stax Sigmas, Stax Gammas, Stax Omega 1's, Sennheiser HE-90 Orpheus, Stax Omega 2 MK2, Ultrasone Edition 9,Ultimate Ears UE-11's. Other: Shunyata Hydra 8, Anacondas, Pythons, Nordost Vallhalla, Shunyata Antares, Kimber Select, Audioquest Sky, Shunyata V-Ray & Pythons, Shunyata Antares, Purist Audio Dominus, Stealth Indra, Harmonix Isolation Devices (various), Mye Stands, Purist Audio Speaker Cables, Harmonix Cables & Isolation Devices, Shunyata Guardian. Stealth Varadig Sextet. Speakers: Magnepan MG 20.1, Martin Logan CLS, Green Mountain Europa Electronics: Audio Research Reference 3, Audio Research PH-7, Audio Research Reference 210's, Pass X-250.5, Tom Tutay Crossover On Order: Headamp Blue Hawaii Special Edition.
"Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood." H. L. Mencken
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." Dubya
Someone pointed out that all my old links in the original post were broken, so I've updated them all, plus revamped some of my original recommendations. I think this version is even stronger/better than the last one. Hope others find it useful.
__________________
Currently in rotation: Denon AH-D5000, Audio Technica a900, BeyerDynamic DT250-250, AKG K271s w/Heaphile cable, Sensaphonic Prophonic 2X-Soft
Former cans - Sennheiser HD600's and 580's, Shure E5, Sony V6, Sony CD1700, Sennheiser HD280, Sennheiser HD497, AKG K271S, Ultrasone HFI-700, Etymotic ER-6, Etymotic ER-4S
It's a nice list but I just think the Baroque/Pre-classical selection could use a little more beef. Within sub-full price per album category requirement, I think these albums can add a little variety to the meaning of Baroque:
Discover the Baroque Era - Various
Why: This is a great sampler of the Baroque for the money. Covers keyboard to voice, choral to sonata. Extremely cheap and very common. Gives a great idea of the variety and extravagance of the Baroque without having to spend money on multiple albums.
Complete Organ Works by Bach - Karl Richter
Why: This set of album covers many Bach organ favorites including the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, the great Fantasia in G minor, the great Passacaglia, and others; the repertoire shown here sums up the genre of the Baroque organ category from Canon to Choralpartita. While the instrument may not be considered period (at least to the extent of my knowledge), Karl Richter's playing is very moderate without many spin offs or super improvisation, which makes it less disturbing for the newer individual who might be looking at this list.
La Stravaganza Concertos by Vivaldi - St Martin in the Fields
Why: The fast paced rhythm contrasted with the expressive slow movements can get people hooked onto the Italian orchestra, beyond the four seasons. Analogue-y orchestral texture of modern instruments with clear articulation into efforts of the Vivaldi insights make this set of dual discs a nice run for the money.
Handel's Messiah - The English Concert, The English Choir
Why: This is one of the more moderately and consistently tempo'ed Messiah without losing any of it's grand. Orchestra-choir relation is clearly established with good acoustics and victorious soli passages without the rush (my preference, for example Paul McCreesh), or extra slow movements then extra fast movments (like Harnoncourt) . Least disturbing to the audience foreign to the Messiah apart from the Hallelujah.
collection of Lully orchestral - Le Concert de Nations
Why: The lack of French vocal not withstanding, Jordi Savall and the Le Concert de Nations in this album portrays the French Baroque with excellent dynamics, the heavy homophonic ouvertures and the joyous airs. Again like most of his albums, excellent acoustic with the right amount of sound from every instrument.
Of course I can add more albums but that would defeat the purpose of staying low priced and newbie friendly.
Someone pointed out that all my old links in the original post were broken, so I've updated them all, plus revamped some of my original recommendations. I think this version is even stronger/better than the last one. Hope others find it useful.
I was just thinking about this the other night while listening to the '81 performance of the Goldberg variations. How do we know what Bach was supposed to sound like. I'm in way over my head here, but to me music notation contains only a very limited amount of information as to what the music was supposed to sound like. My initial exposure to Bach left me with the impression that his music was "surgical" in it precision, and somewhat sterile. Magnificent, but sterile. Is this the way Bach played harpsicord, or just the way the harpsicord played his music, was he a master musician? Is this how music of the time was played in general? How do we know? Are there music theory/technique books from the time. That tell a person how to play. I know that blues for example cannot be accurately notated. I could be wrong but has there ever been such a technically gifted pianist as Glenn Gould? Would people of the time play differently it they were better technically. Who could add a certain swing and phrasing surprise that one doesn't normally hear in baroque music. Whatever, he takes me to places no other pianist does, and I am glad for what he gave that was in Bach to us.
QUOTE=JayG;2554177]Because Gould's performances are pretty far from what Bach wrote. I'm not saying his interpretations are bad or not valid; I'm just saying that when you listen to Gould play Bach, it's sometimes hard to hear Bach. It's never difficult to hear Gould.
Linear Mode
