[NewMexiCat]

I'll admit it, I know very little about classical music.

I listen to classical occassionally as background music while working or reading.

Now that I have my headphone setup, I'd like a recommendation from classical audiophiles for THE reference classical SACD or DVD-A. I'm asking less for knowledge into the classical realm and more for seeing what my cans can do with a great classical source.

Thanks!

 

[Guss2]

I would say any of the MTT Mahler Symphonies with the SFO are definitely worth getting.Also,one of my favorites is music of Turina and Debussy(Lopez Cobos with CSO) on the Telarc label.These are Pure DSD recordings,which is what I look for now a days.Gary.

 

[AndreYew]

The SFSO Mahler recordings with MTT are quite good, but I find them a bit bright in two-channel. In multichannel, they can be quite glorious (check out the Mahler 1st recording, especially the brass sections).

Pentatone and Channel Classics are also very good, and much warmer in two channel. In multichannel, they are even better. I've found Telarcs to be variable in quality. For example, I didn't think the Zander Mahler series, the Runnicles Carmina Burana, or Spano RVW Sea Symphony sound that good, but the Jarvi recording of Prokoviev's Romeo and Juliet is very good.

All the comments above are for SACD, and I haven't had much experience with DVD-A classical, because there doesn't seem to be very many good performances on that format.

--Andre

 

[Czilla9000]

Quote:

For example, I didn't think the Zander Mahler series, the Runnicles Carmina Burana, or Spano RVW Sea Symphony sound that good, but the Jarvi recording of Prokoviev's Romeo and Juliet is very good.

Interesting. I find the Runnicles Carmina Burana underwhelming as well (in performance, too). However, I have Telarc's recording of Jarvi doing Stravinsky (Firebird) and it is very good.

Seems like the Jarvi recordings by Telarc are their new bests.

 

[AndreYew]

I like Jarvi's Stravinsky recording as well. The new Zander Mahler 3 is quote an improvement over the earlier ones, and is worth checking out.

--Andre