Classical music DVD's

[jilgiljongiljing]

I would like to get some good Live concerts of Classical music. I see a lot of them on amazon, but really have no clue where to start. Sound and picture quality are high priority, ofcourse the performance too

I am a total classical music noob, but I have a soft spot towards piano based music, and powerful epic sounding orchestra music.

Thanks.

 

[slowpogo]

I was just going to post a thread about this, but my question was more specific.

Anyone know of any good DVDs of Mahler symphonies? I saw Simon Rattle conducting the 9th with the Berlin Philharmonic on TV the other day, and wondered why I'd never ventured into classical DVDs before. I'd love to have the 9th and 6th on DVD.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

Actually I saw a few Mahler DVD's as well and had no idea which one to pick up. DVD's don't have return policies so I don't want to end up with something I will not watch again.

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowpogo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyone know of any good DVDs of Mahler symphonies?

Bernstein!

See ya
Steve

 

[mbhaub]

No -- skip the Bernstein. Great performances, maybe. Some rough spots. But the sound is so dated. Very crude, compressed and not pleasant. For Mahler DVD's, the Abaddo series seems to be quite good, with modern digital sound.
Other than that, I can't see the point of classical concerts on DVD. I do have some for historic reasons: Szell, Reiner, Bernstein, Barbirolli. I do highly recommend DVD on opera. Yes, there were some great performances on LP and CD that will never be possible again, but I've been buying many operas on DVD in modern performances, and the quality of sound, being able to see the staging, AND have translations on-screen make it a no-brainer. Boris Godinov, Aida, Tannhauser, Rusalka, Fidelio, La Boheme, Hansel und Gretel, Lohengrin, the Ring, Il Pagliaci, and many more have come to life in a way that I never knew before.

 

[Raptor34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jilgiljongiljing /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would like to get some good Live concerts of Classical music. I see a lot of them on amazon, but really have no clue where to start. Sound and picture quality are high priority, ofcourse the performance too I am a total classical music noob, but I have a soft spot towards piano based music, and powerful epic sounding orchestra music. Thanks.

Claudio Abbado, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, M2 M6 M7. M9 is with a different orchestra. The Gustav Mahler Judendorchester. The M7 is one of my favorites on any medium. All are worthy of many viewings. The Bernstein Mahler dvd collection is rather old now. Sound and pq aren't in the same league as the Abbado but they are Bernstein's Mahler and worthy of anyone's collection, IMHO. Might try the "Keeping Score" Series from the San Fransisco Symphony with MTT. The Tchaikovsky symphony no. 4 is superb.

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbhaub /img/forum/go_quote.gif No -- skip the Bernstein. Great performances, maybe. Some rough spots. But the sound is so dated. Very crude, compressed and not pleasant.

The VPO sounded pleasant on records in the mid 30s. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the sound on the Bernstein DVDs. What they have that few other DVDs have is a vital, spontaneous and exciting performance. That matters a lot more than the the proportion of Ds to As on the three letters on the cover.

See ya
Steve

 

[MattKT]

There's an amazing recording from the 1960s of Herbert von Karajan conducting Verdi's Requiem!

 

[fractus2]

You really can't beat The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music. < link is to the 2010 edition and includes dvd recordings. Got a new copy in 2012 for $26 and change. They have used copies for sale still. Abebooks has a like new for sale.