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Evaluating Classical Music Albums

How do you evaluate classical music albums? 
First, what do you look for when you’re deciding which album to stream or buy? Is the conductor/orchestra more important, or is the record label? How important is the date of the recording?
Second, what do you listen for in an album that you already have to determine the quality of the recording? This can obviously be divided further into the musical quality and the sonic quality of the recording. What factors are important in evaluating these qualities?

Thanks for the advice. 
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mahler123
3,369 posts
 

I beg to differ.  Most recordings that I have purchased made in this century have audience noise present.  Resolving systems can detect this well

rcprince
3,074 posts
 

What I've noticed is that the orchestras' private labels generally use live performances (LSO Live, SFO, Royal Concertgebouw and Berlin Philharmonic, at least in some cases), while most of the commercial labels like Sony, Decca, DG and Phillips still do "studio" recordings, though in the orchestras' concert halls.

frogman
7,467 posts
 

rcprince is exactly right. Practically no orchestral recordings are made in actual recording studios; that was the main point of my comment. My personal experience is certainly not the final word, but I would also say that of the recordings that I have been a part of, maybe a third have been of actual concerts.

simonmoon's avatar
simonmoon
525 posts
 

Being a fan of mostly classical music (modernism, serialism, avant-garde, etc)  from the mid 20th century up through the present, it is often a fact that I do not have too many recordings to choose from. Many times I only have one recording of a piece.

Many great composers only have one recording for most of their pieces. So, I have to choose that one recording, or not listen to their music.

So far, though, most of them have been extremely good performances and recordings. 

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