It isn't SACD, but IMO a good place to start is a two disc set with Christopher Parkening on EMI. His "Great Recordings" include "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", "Sleepers Awake", and "Simple Gifts" as well as over 20 other selections.

I don't even know if this has any importance, but EMI has just released Klaus Tennstedt's Beethoven 6th and 8th. Looking to CT.com, it appears none of their team knew these existed, as the only Tennstedt Beethoven they recall is a 6th symphony in the "Minnesota Orchestra at 100". I don't think...

Quote: Originally Posted by appophylite If you look around, you'll find a lot of classical on vinyl. My sister picked up a vinyl rig for me for Christmas. It's nothing stellar but it will get me by as my first vinyl rig. I went looking for some vinyl and found the Literary Council in my...

Perhaps it's a Michigan thing, but does anyone else get incredibly sick of Christmas music around November 10th? I love "Christmas Favorites" and some of the new stuff is okay. I like a mix of religious and secular, but I'll take just secular if that's what I get. But playing the same 10...

Quote: Originally Posted by jsbach The most sought after interpretation of this concerto is the one performed by Regino Sainz de la Maza, the Concerto was dedicated to him. It is said to be the best, but I have not heard it myself. There are many recordings of this work, the one I...

Kubelik on Audite

Quote: Originally Posted by eyeresist I'm a big Dvorak fan, so Dorati's 7/8 might be the one I check out first. Has anyone heard the Abravanel Brahms set? It was reissued on DVD-A recently (remastered from the original quadrophonic (!) recordings) as well as CD. What I've heard...

Quote: Originally Posted by ken36 Pretenders Seether

Nancy Sinatra

I think the 8th could be more famous if it didn't take so damn much work to perform and put together. It is a joyous, exciting work that is full of the color that Mahler is famed for. I think the first is easiest for a casual listener to understand. It has perhaps the least "weirdness" (a...

Zinman's cycle is out of print now? Interesting. The concertos are what I own from the contents of this set and they are excellent. Despite receiving the ubiquitous 10/10 from Classics Today, I find that all of the concertos are indeed worth much more the six dollars they cost individually...

At least DG hasn't gotten the same idea with Lenny's Mahler...it was always more expesive to my knowledge, and many don't care for it anyways. I happen to like it quite a bit, but it is pricey.

Quote: Originally Posted by pbarach I loved the disc with 3 & 4 (Bronfman/Zinman), but I thought the pianist was rather dull in 1 & 2 (I'm sticking with Fleisher/Szell in both of these) and therefore I skipped buying the disc with 5 and the Choral Fantasy. If you haven't heard the...

Toscanini: The Verdi Recordings. If you can stand MONO sound, this 11 CD set covers parts of 12 Verdi Operas, and includes the Requiem and Te Deum. Prokofiev-- The Fiery Angel Beethoven- Fidelio Weber-- Oberon

Quote: Originally Posted by randerson3024 1. Beethoven's 9th - Solti 2. Beethoven's 5th & 7th - Kleiber 3. Beethoven's 3rd - Abbado 4. Rimsky Korsakov - Scheharezade 5. Ravel - Bolero 6. Mozart's 40th & 41st 7. Wagner - Ring Highlights - Solti 8. Franck - Symphony in D-Minor...