[SoundsGood]

Someone had mentioned starting a classical SACD thread; I thought it sounded like a good idea. Which classical SACDs are worth buying? Which aren't worth your time? Which have the best sound quality? How is the multichannel quality? Lots of different stuff we could talk about with the new format.

I'll start with a few. Any of the Mahler hybrid SACDs with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony are wonderful. They have gorgeous sound and the performances are top notch. The multichannel layers are very good I think, they sound very natural as if you were in the concert hall.

Another is the Gilbert Kaplan Mahler 2 with the Vienna Philharmonic. Another top notch performance in wonderful sound quality. The offstage musical contributions come from the rear speakers in multichannel, which is a nice effect.

More Mahler...Riccardo Chailly's Mahler 3 and 9 are must haves on the Decca label.

Another great series is the RCA Living Stereo hybrid SACD reissues. I really love the Reiner/Mussorgsky, Reiner/Richard Strauss, Munch/Berlioz Requiem and Munch/Saint-Saens "Organ" discs. They've never sounded better and the performances are about definitive.

There are so many classical SACDs out there now, it's really great to see. Others have some opinions?

 

[soundboy]

The thread is a great idea. I am not a classical music fan, but the few Living Stereo SACDs I have are great. Hope to pick up more classical music SACDs based on recommendations in this thread.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

This is great - I have lots of suggestions and will list them as we go.

You hit some of the biggies. Here's a few more off the top of my head:

Vaughn Williams Symphony # 1 - Spano

Shostakovich - Complete Symphonies - Kitajenko

More Mahler: # 3 - Boulez; # 6 - Zander

All of the RCA Living Stereo SACDs are great (there are 30, soon to be 40); I also like the Mercury Living Presence SACDs - although there are some questionable titles mixed in with the "good stuff". Both the RCAs and Mercs were mostly originally recorded in 3-channel, and are available here that way for the first time).

The latest crop of Telarc SACDs, including Dvorak's New World Symphony - Jarvi, and Hanson's Romantic Symphony - Kunzel are uniformly excellent.

More to come!!!!

 

[Doc Sarvis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoundsGood Any of the Mahler hybrid SACDs with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony are wonderful. They have gorgeous sound and the performances are top notch. The multichannel layers are very good I think, they sound very natural as if you were in the concert hall.

To add to this, here's a cut-and-paste of a post I wrote on the MTTs last month in the Mahler thread:

Thoughts on the MTT SFO Set

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have the entire set now (except of course 5 and 8 which have not been released yet). Generally I really like them, with one major exception below. Here are a few observations:

General:

The sound quality is somewhat variable between offerings - surprising since they were recorded in the same venue. In general the sonics are very good (except 2), but you will find that they are a bit quiet - you'll need to crank up the volume. Dynamics are great. There is definitely a "house sound" that takes a little getting used to, it is most evident on 4. Another peculiarity: In each case the clock ticks for about ten seconds before the piece actually begins.

As for the performances, these are refined, smooth interpretations. For some they are a bit too sedate, but I generally think they are good introductions to Mahler, and make a nice set.

1. Along with 6 and 7, probably the best of the series.
2. A real dud, a bland interpretation with substandard sound quality. I honestly don't know what happened here.
3. A good "long-line" approach - generally satisfying.
4. Extremely smooth and refined interpretation; somewhat bright sound which becomes acceptable once one gets used to it.
6. Probably the single best of the set, was famous when released since it was recorded the day after 9/11. The only one of the series that is among the best available recorded interpretations IMO.
7. I like this 7; not everyone feels the same way. Probably the best last movement interpretation of 7 I have heard.
9. Some think it too reserved, I reallly like it as a 9 for a "certain mood", more reflective than most.

YMMV of course.

 

[wakeride74]

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 - Slatkin
Hilary Hahn - Bach Concertos

These are the only two classical sacd's I own but they are both great

 

[Bunnyears]

Where to start!

Mahler first.

Kaplan M2
Abbado M2
Slatkin M2
Litton M2

Chailly M3
Zander M3

Reiner M4

Zander M6
MTT M6
Seiji Oué M6 (From my husband in Japan)
Kubelik M8
Nagano M8 (although I'm having trouble deciding how very good it is, the sound is awsome)

Chailly M9
Zander M9

Mozart:
René Jacobs -- Le Nozze di Figaro (One of the best opera recordings in existance! Has to be heard to be believed)
Flute Concertos -- Sharon Bezaly
Night Music Andrew Manze/ECO
Clarinet Concertos -- Martin Froest
Requiem -- Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Requiem -- MacKerras


Beethoven
Ronald Brautigam -- Beethoven Sonatas vol. 1 & 2 (a real stand out, Brautigam plays a wonderful fortepiano)
Kempf Trio -- Archduke Trio
Vanska -- Symphonies 4 & 5
Kleiber -- Symphonies 5 & 7
Heifetz/Munch -- Violin Concertos (with Mendelssohn)
Storioni Trio--Piano Trios (Ghost)
Pieter Wispelwey (cello); Dejan Lazic (piano) -- Complete Sonatas and Music for Cello and piano (wrapped up as a present from my kids, so I haven't heard it)

Bruckner
Symphony No 5 -- Harnoncourt
Symphony No 9 -- Harnoncourt
Symphony No 8 -- Oué (on the way with my husband from Japan)

Bach
Four Orchestral Suites (Ouvertures) BWV 1066-9 -- Maasaki Suzuki (Wrapped gift from my husband who is still in Japan)

Shostakovich
Symphony 7 -- Oué (also coming from Japan)
Rostropovich -- various symphonies


Tchaikovsky
Serenade for Strings/Souvenirs de Florence -- Marco Boni
Gergiev -- Symphony 6 (dvd-a, but it's available in sacd also)

Dvorak
New World -- Szell (sq not that great)
String Quartets --Prazak Quartet (again it's still under the tree)


I guess I've been collecting multichannel recordings this year. I am completely bowled over by how wonderful things sound in multi channel sound.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

I wanted to get everyone's perspective on the "LSO Live" SACD series. They are (I think) recorded "live" (as the title suggests), and distributed directly by the LSO with no intermediate label.

Anyway, I've heard just one (bought for six bucks form yourmusic): The Brahms 4th conducted by Haitink. It's a pretty straightforward interpretation but entirely competent, and the sonics are great! Has anyone else heard some of the others from this series?

 

[SoundsGood]

Doc,

You mention the Mahler 3 with Boulez. How does this compare to the redbook CD? Is there a big improvement? I have the original CD and have wondered if there is much improvement with the SACD.

Bunny,

I've heard great things about the Litton M2 SACD. I have the original CD release of this and like it quite a bit. I've read that the SACD is supposed to be one of the most natural recordings out there, unfortunately it's only in stereo. Which is odd since the original was made to work with Dolby Pro Logic. Have you had a chance to compare the SACD and CD versions of this? And is it worth getting the SACD?

I also agree with the Harnoncourt Mozart Requiem. A great recording, much better than his first, IMHO.

I've been wanting to pick up the Kleiber Beethoven on SACD for a little while now. Obviously any serious Beethoven lover should already have the redbook CD.

Ditto for the Vanska Beethoven 4 and 5, tremendous recordings.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

I just counted up and realized I have over 125 SACDs! Wow, that number crept up on me...

 

[Bunnyears]

I don't want to start counting mine!

Which reminds me, I also forgot the Naxos SACD/hybrid of the Canteloube Songs of the Auvergne.

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoundsGood Doc, You mention the Mahler 3 with Boulez. How does this compare to the redbook CD? Is there a big improvement? I have the original CD and have wondered if there is much improvement with the SACD. Bunny, I've heard great things about the Litton M2 SACD. I have the original CD release of this and like it quite a bit. I've read that the SACD is supposed to be one of the most natural recordings out there, unfortunately it's only in stereo. Which is odd since the original was made to work with Dolby Pro Logic. Have you had a chance to compare the SACD and CD versions of this? And is it worth getting the SACD? I also agree with the Harnoncourt Mozart Requiem. A great recording, much better than his first, IMHO. I've been wanting to pick up the Kleiber Beethoven on SACD for a little while now. Obviously any serious Beethoven lover should already have the redbook CD. Ditto for the Vanska Beethoven 4 and 5, tremendous recordings.

The Litton M2 SACD is only 2 channels. I would say, save your money. There is a very slight difference but not enough to justify the difference in price. For the same reason I don't recommend the Perahia Goldberg Variations in SACD (not hybrid) as it is also just 2 channels and not really enough of an improvement in sound to justify the extra expenditure. However, this is not classical but I also have the original multichannel SACD release of Blonde on Blonde and that is worth the money if you can find it as it has the whole album on one disc. The later sacd release of Blonde on Blonde is Sacd/hybrid and is on 2 discs.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoundsGood Doc, You mention the Mahler 3 with Boulez. How does this compare to the redbook CD? Is there a big improvement? I have the original CD and have wondered if there is much improvement with the SACD.

It's a good question. I just sampled it again. I've not heard the standalone rbcd, but I do notice a definite, but subtle improvement between the redbook and dsd layers of the sacd. In this particular case, though, I'm not sure if it would justify a repurchase, since this sacd is pretty high-priced.

Obviously if you want surround, the DSD version is the way to go.

One more note: This isn't meant to open up a debate about the sonic differences between stereo sacd and rbcd presentations of the same recording, but I'll just say this: Some notice a big difference, others don't. It's clearly recording-dependent, but it's also system-dependent. I notice a significant difference in about 80% of 2-channel sacds, I'd say.

 

[scottder]

One of my favorites on SACD:

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 3 -- Chailly

 

[scottder]

Gustav Holst -- The Planets

Conductor: David Lloyd-Jones
Label: Naxos

SACD is great in that it ommits the horrid Pluto on the other versions.

 

[majid]

I have maybe 60 or so. Off the top of my head, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem by Herreweghe, the BIS Tchaikovsky and Grieg cycle. The Chandos Vaughan-Williams cycle is not DSD but PCM audio converted, but still quite good - try the Norfolk rhapsodies and Pastoral Symphony disc. Not enough Shostakovich on SACD yet, but Gergiev and Masur have some decent recordings out.

I am not too fond of the SFS Mahler cycle, even though I bought them out of civic pride, being a San Franciscan. I still turn to my Abbado redbook set instead.

Check out the site SA-CD.net, among others they have a categorized RSS feed so you can keep abreast of new releases.