[Quinto]

  oh its the headphone - obviously  

& Grace M902, love it 

 

[perhapss]

  Would it be a nice idea if at least all the more experienced collectors here would name one recording that they consider to be the 'best recording of anything ever'?
 
(I would have to think a while to decide what mine would be.)

 
Of course objectively life is not so simple BUT subjectively:
 

 
This recording(or more appropriately: compositions, genre, performance, spirit etc... ) got me interested in music outside of rock and jazz which led me on to everything else "classical" wise.
I still regard it highly.
 
Also let me say I heard it on some old Bozak (not sure the model anymore) speakers with an old Sony amp/receiver(1960's or early 70's vintage but forget what model,stolen in 1992) which is apparently so rare I can't even find pictures of it on the internet.
Regarding stereo system: it was so loud at about 30% it shook my house at that time(late 1970s) which was an old 8 bedroom 2 story victorian(BIG).You could literally hear it everywhere in the house with detail.And I mean loud with authority, like it was just getting started....
 
Ah the good ol' days....

 

[perhapss]

   
Of course objectively life is not so simple BUT subjectively:
 

 
This recording(or more appropriately: compositions, genre, performance, spirit etc... ) got me interested in music outside of rock and jazz which led me on to everything else "classical" wise.
I still regard it highly.
 
Also let me say I heard it on some old Bozak (not sure the model anymore) speakers with an old Sony amp/receiver(1960's or early 70's vintage but forget what model,stolen in 1992) which is apparently so rare I can't even find pictures of it on the internet.
Regarding stereo system: it was so loud at about 30% it shook my house at that time(late 1970s) which was an old 8 bedroom 2 story victorian(BIG).You could literally hear it everywhere in the house with detail.And I mean loud with authority, like it was just getting started....
 
Ah the good ol' days....

 
Of course on vinyl.

 

[perhapss]

   
Of course objectively life is not so simple BUT subjectively:
 

 
This recording(or more appropriately: compositions, genre, performance, spirit etc... ) got me interested in music outside of rock and jazz which led me on to everything else "classical" wise.
I still regard it highly.
 
Also let me say I heard it on some old Bozak (not sure the model anymore) speakers with an old Sony amp/receiver(1960's or early 70's vintage but forget what model,stolen in 1992) which is apparently so rare I can't even find pictures of it on the internet.
Regarding stereo system: it was so loud at about 30% it shook my house at that time(late 1970s) which was an old 8 bedroom 2 story victorian(BIG).You could literally hear it everywhere in the house with detail.And I mean loud with authority, like it was just getting started....
 
Ah the good ol' days....

 
And by shook the house I mean outside in the winter with 3 feet of snow you could hear the bass frequencies.
Literally.

 

[Drosera]

   

 
Very nice! Makes me all the more impatient for this set to be released:
 

 
 
 

   
Of course objectively life is not so simple BUT subjectively:
 

 
This recording(or more appropriately: compositions, genre, performance, spirit etc... ) got me interested in music outside of rock and jazz which led me on to everything else "classical" wise.
I still regard it highly.
 
Also let me say I heard it on some old Bozak (not sure the model anymore) speakers with an old Sony amp/receiver(1960's or early 70's vintage but forget what model,stolen in 1992) which is apparently so rare I can't even find pictures of it on the internet.
Regarding stereo system: it was so loud at about 30% it shook my house at that time(late 1970s) which was an old 8 bedroom 2 story victorian(BIG).You could literally hear it everywhere in the house with detail.And I mean loud with authority, like it was just getting started....
 
Ah the good ol' days....

 
Well, the cellist of the Hungarian Quartet might have helped with the shaking. He's quite dominant. But that's certainly a brilliant recording. For me it's still the reference for performances of these quartets.

 

[Drosera]

   
I agree completely.I just posted those lists because:
 
1. There are many great and IMO not so great recordings on those lists.
2. It's interesting to see the contrast in opinions on what is regarded as greatest and for me leads me to speculation as to why so and so may think so.
3. It's interesting to see how headfi folks opinions compare.
4. These lists clearly illustrate the depth of the subject at hand.
 
Also being a long time collector with wide-ranging tastes, widely varying moods and an open mind(IMO) makes top lists among competent competitors with different viewpoints difficult at best.

 
Yesterday I was just thinking that recommending single 'best' recording actually makes me quite unhappy. Because I don't think any single recording can give an even remotely complete picture of a great work.
 
For example: If I was asked for several recommendations for the Bartok string quartets, I would probably suggest Hungarian, Julliard ('63) and Hagen. Because these three illuminate these works in radically different ways. However, if I was asked for one single recommendation for these works, it would probably be the Takacs. Simply because it's a good 'golden mean' choice. But I wouldn't be very happy with this choice, because it would feel like I hadn't done justice to these works in recommending this single viewpoint.

 

[Drosera]

So I guess I have to choose one single recording as well. This actually made me regret my suggestion, because it's impossible for me to make such a choice and be satisfied with it. So in the end it's still a situation of 'close your eyes and pick one blindly out of many valid choices'. The result is this one:
 

 
 
One of my favourite composers and two of my favourite performers. They are really going at those works full bore and it sounds like they are having the time of their lives. This is what good music making should be.

 

[Andrasdesoria]

As far as Sibelius Violin concerto concerned, i think Oistrakh is a very nice, romantic, full-heartedly played version. 

 

 

[perhapss]

   
Yesterday I was just thinking that recommending single 'best' recording actually makes me quite unhappy. Because I don't think any single recording can give an even remotely complete picture of a great work.
 
For example: If I was asked for several recommendations for the Bartok string quartets, I would probably suggest Hungarian, Julliard ('63) and Hagen. Because these three illuminate these works in radically different ways. However, if I was asked for one single recommendation for these works, it would probably be the Takacs. Simply because it's a good 'golden mean' choice. But I wouldn't be very happy with this choice, because it would feel like I hadn't done justice to these works in recommending this single viewpoint.

 
YES.

 

[perhapss]

   
YES.

And yes.
 
I think choosing one best limits our own perception by building walls.
"Tribal" and "Naive" may be bit extreme but these words comes to mind.
Looking back at my past as a human I've noticed that my prejudices have kept me from even listening to certain music.
MY LOSS.
Luckily as I age many walls have crumbled but I'm still human(for example I still can't listen to kpop).
 
The only reason I took the challenge to post the "one best" and posted the Bartok recording is it
is a recording that opened my mind to other things that continually enrich my life.
Almost like a key to a closed door...

 

[Quinto]

As I understood it, recommending a single 'best' recording is of just for the sake of it, so not to be taken too seriously

 

[bigshot]

There are actually a few "single best" recordings... not a lot. But there are some.

 

[perhapss]

  There are actually a few "single best" recordings... not a lot. But there are some.

 
This is opinion not fact.
I know that some think their opinions are fact but I disagree.
Obviously there are recordings that stand out based on high merit but art criticism is not a science.
 
As you know science is provable with measurable data.
If we used people's opinion and musical priorities in the world today to measure music's quality these days I think classical music would be regarded as unimportant(IMO).
Classical music simply is not that popular to the general public compared to other music.
Of course those of us who care about it would disagree.
 
As I read the suggestion posed to suggest one single best recording it meant just thatne single best recording.
 
Anyway moving on....

 

[perhapss]

Yes Americans write music too:
 

 
This is the original full ballet(not the suite) with the original instrumentation.
Some folks dispute Copland's conducting skills(including Bernstein) and often I agree  but with this small ensemble things work beautifully.
 
 
The Full orchestra version (prompted and recorded by Ormandy)is also quite beautiful but this I think is truer to the original conception.

 

[bigshot]

 
 


This is opinion not fact.

 


Not all opinions are created equal. Some are informed opinions that are backed up by supporting evidence.