[redshifter]

i have hundreds of classical cd's that i collected in the 80's. i love all the music, but i have noticed that compared to the few modern classical recordings i have, these older cd's from the 80's often sound pretty bad: shrill and thin.

can anyone recommend some labels, cd's, etc., that have either re-issued some older recording, or offer new digital recordings with better sound quality than my old collection.

would an upsampler help my old cd's?

some of my favorites include:
beethoven
handel
bach
prokofiev
vivaldi
puccini
wagner
glass
reich
mozart
rossini
tchaikovsky
etc...

i prefer "original instrument" recordings when appropriate to the music and time.

i also have a preference for keyboard music, solo, concerti, piano, fortepiano, harpsichord, organ, etc. (mostly keyboard + orchestra of some kind).

i prefer to see opera live, but recorded excerts and overtures are ok.

some of my favorite performers and conductors are:
alfred brendel
christopher hogwood
ton koopman
karl bohm
furtwangler
m. periah
perlman
karajan
glenn gould
ormandy
etc.

so i'm looking for newer recordings or remasters that are greatly improved over the 1980's cd's i have. if you have links to where to buy them that would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

 

[KR...]

I would suggest getting Mozart - Requiem (Telarc) this is the Pearlman version done with period instruments. It's CD-80410

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

Originally posted by KR... I would suggest getting Mozart - Requiem (Telarc) this is the Pearlman version done with period instruments. It's CD-80410

i found it and bookmarked it. sounds like a winner, thanks! please, keep them coming (my money clip is snapping open and closed in dismay already).

 

[chillysalsa]

I just got my second XRCD: Scheherazade. Have Beethoven's No. 3, 'Eroica'. I must say, that's 2 for 2. Absolutely lovely recording quality, warm and rich. The price you pay for 'em is on the wrong side of $25 US though, so I've capped my spending for now.

 

[phonatic]

Gardiner's Beethoven symphonies on Archiv, already mentioned on another thread... best one with period instruments.

Gardiner again... (I'm a big fan of his work): J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor. I know, it's 80's... but the sound is fabulous and the performance one of the best on record.

Pretty much everything on Astree/Auvidis has great sound.

Bach's Goldberg Variations, Pierre Hantai, on Opus 111. A terrific performance you can listen to over and over, and the sonics are just awesome. Best-recorded harpsichord I've ever heard.

Bach's sonatas for solo cello. Anner Bylsma, on Sony. Bylsma played a Stradivarius cello. Sony's SBM process was used to create the CD master. Some may not appreciate Bylsma's neo-Romantic interpretation of the material, but I think it's enjoyable, and the sound is incredible. Actually, a lot of Sony's more recent releases sound really good.

If you like harp music (or even if you don't), Andrew Lawrence King's output is uniformly fabulous; mostly baroque era. Especially noteworthy are Spanish Dances and his Carolan album. On first hearing, these may strike you as Ren-faire music, but there is tremendous depth there, and exceptional sonics.

Nimbus is an odd little label that has always had great sound and performances. Most of what I have from them is Indian, Chinese, or Persian classical music. I know they offer Western classical music, too, but I can't comment specifically except on their transfers from 78s, which are amazing.

If you like early vocal music, get anything at all by the Tallis Scholars or Anonymous 4.

If you like Frank Zappa, try the Yellow Shark. It has some of his best orchestral works, with the kind of obsessive engineering quality you'd expect from Zappa.

Don't forget about Naxos. Inexpensive, and the quality of performances and engineering varies, but at these prices, you can afford to experiment, and they do have some very nice things in their catalog.

 

[sliberman]

Quote:

Originally posted by chillysalsa I just got my second XRCD: Scheherazade. Have Beethoven's No. 3, 'Eroica'. I must say, that's 2 for 2. Absolutely lovely recording quality, warm and rich. The price you pay for 'em is on the wrong side of $25 US though, so I've capped my spending for now.

The Reiner/CSO Scheherazade XRCD is an absolute must have.
Just incredibly played and recorded.

Another "must have" XRCD is the Munch/BSO Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique.

At the CES2003, the guys from JVC XRCD were selling them
for US$ 20 each. I bought 10...

 

[DarkAngel]

RED
That question is too general and would take forever to answer, I will narrow my response down to TCHAIKOVSKY also as always consult latest Penguin Classical guide.

SYMPHONY 1-6
The standard answer for me has always been Jansons/Chandos featuring lush Chandos sound but these are still full price, studied under Mravinsky these are very russian preformances and capture moods/feelings other conductors miss, their excellence has stood the test of time. The late 1970's Karajan/DG at mid price are also very good and still one of the best sets available, as a mid price alternative to Karajan the Markevitch/Phillips Duo is also very good set. You almost have to own the legendary 4,5,6 Mravinsky/DG set to hear sym 4 pushed to the limit but still held together......you will wonder how it is possible.

BALLETS
I have three clear favorites here among a very competetive field.

Sleeping Beauty - Pletnev/DG just got this recently it is newer recording so it not only has great sound but also now leads the feild performance wise. Pletnev has on first attempt established himself as one of the best ballet conductors, this is beautiful version that has no weakness.

Swan Lake - Dutoit/London this features another in long line of excellent recordings Dutoit has acheived with London, this is very lush romantic version which may its only slight weakness but is excellent in both sound and performance with tremendous dynamic range, Dutoit's lush style is well matched to Swan Lake material.

Nutcracker - Gergiev/Phillips a brash newcomer comes along and sweeps the field with a new single CD complete ballet that tops any other version in sound quality/dynamic range. Gergiev is also
in top form capturing all the moods and colors with plenty of excitement available when called for........a complete package. (Caution, some of the tympani strikes will startle you vivid forceful impact)

PIANO CONCERTO 1
Martha Agerich performances pretty much dominate this piece as far as I am concerned, she seems to capture insights that elude almost all other performers. Penguin will recommend her new recording with Abbado, but forget that and get the Agerich/Phillips
1980 version conducted by Kondrashin in live perfromance that will blow you away. Includes equally fine performance of Rachmaninoff 3 concerto......this is essential purchase!

Also nearly as good are the Wild/Chesky and Pletnev/Virgin sets.
If you want a remarkable budget version with great sound look no further than Glemser/Naxos.....a giant killer.

If you would like recommendations on any other composer's work let me know.

 

[phonatic]

Thanks for mentioning Argerich... she is absolutely my favorite pianist. Anything live, anything from a Russian or French composer performed by her is a slice of heaven. Her live Rach 3 was slightly murky-sounding, but what a player. Aside from that, she seemed to always get good sound in the recordings I've heard.

 

[DarkAngel]

Phonatic
Agree with you fully on Gardiner/Archiv Beethoven sym set, also must give same high level of praise to Gardiner/Arkiv Schumann sym set.......very complete set with alternative movements etc.

(also agree on Gardiner/Archiv Bach Mass B although I don't really like to listen to masses usually)

 

[redshifter]

da,
have you heard the mozart mass in C? personally i like requiems and masses, but this one is my favorite. i believe the one i have is from karajan and has a statue draped in silk on the cover.

okay, the question is a bit long. let my tastes sort of guide you, for example, i like beethoven so if youhave ANY beethoven cd's that just stand out sound quality-wize please post it.

and da, can you recommend any good handel recordings too (and anyone else, of course).

thank you everyone for the great suggestions. i'll drop by tower later and empty my pockets on the classical room counter

 

[phonatic]

Always glad to help someone spend his hard-earned dough.

Beethoven's Archduke and Ghost trios on Sony, I think it was Bylsma on the cello again... nice performance, wonderful sound.

 

[DarkAngel]

HANDEL
Well lets see there are plenty of operas, oratorios, cantatas etc but I really don't get into this area so I will have to ship over this
which unfortunately is his main body of work.

CONCERTI GROSSI - these are very popular with many recordings but I find them to be very stiff and mannered. If you want early orchestral concerti Vivaldi is much better and has huge body of work that has many recordings......for good reason

ORGAN CONCERTOS - these are different story, here is where Handel shines there are many wonderful sets, you will recognize many of these melodies they are endlessly entertaining. There is great budget price set by Preston/Archiv with great sound:

There are also various harpsicord concerto sets that include the famous "harmonius blacksmith" but this would only be for avid Handel fans to explore.

WATER MUSIC/ROYAL FIREWORKS - I have two here I really like, one is the Hogwood/Oiseau Lyre which is budget priced 2 CD set and also includes various other concerti recorded in vividly detailed sound. Pinnock/Archiv version is excellent, and also comes in very inexpensive budget 6 CD set that also has the Concerti Grossi:

 

[aeberbach]

Phonatic, thank you for the Gardiner recommendation. Because I don't know any better I usually just get whatever Deutsche Gramophon has to offer. I heard Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 last night at Carnegie Hall and it was incredible, have ordered - reviews of the concertos set are very positive too.

(has anyone else shopped at ArkivMusic.com? Seems like they stock a very complete selection.)

 

[DarkAngel]

I use Arkiv sometimes because they have hard to get items other stores don't have, plus site is well organized for browsing. Prices are high however.

For easy to find items alldirect.com is far cheaper, the music search function there is terrible for classical though. Use Yahoo music advanced classical search to find and buy classical music from alldirect, you will save 25% or more.

Just recently got Mackerras/EMI Classics for Pleasure Beethoven complete symphony set at Arkiv........this is almost impossible to find elsewhere.

 

[GanChan]

WAGNER: The famous Solti Ring cycle was remastered by Decca/London a few years ago, and supposedly sounds even better than ever. (I have the previous CD edition). I don't knwo whether this applies to the excerpts disc too.

PUCCINI: The famous old 1953 Tosca with Maria Callas has also just been remastered. This is a big deal, because the previous CD remasterings were not only less than ideal as such, they had actually tampered with some of the original sound balances in the name of "improvements," which angered some of us. Yes, it's still "just mono," but it's supposedly much better now and available at mid-price on EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" edition. Again, not sure about the excerpts disc.

MOZART/KARAJAN: Karajan's old 1962 recording of the Mozart Requiem was recently reissued with some kind of multichannel capability for 5.1 systems. It may be a gimmick, though. (Did you have with one?)

RESPIGHI (heh heh): Naxos has a Fountains of Rome/Pines of Rome that will knock your socks off, sonically.