2. music
  3. 1077038590

Help this budding Classical audiophile

I am looking for a recommendation on what Classical cd to buy, preferable under the Naxos label as they are well recorded and inexpensive (talk about having your cake and eating it too!). I've been an audiophile for the past 20 years now and mainly listen to acoustic jazz. My taste includes artists such as Bobby Hutcherson, Kenny Barron, Brad Mehldau, Micheal Franks, Yellowjackets, Joey Calderazzo to name a few. I have about 700 cd's, with about 80% acoustic jazz. I'm more into the melody, and of course the musicianship, when I buy cd's. One thing that is also very important to me is the recording quality. I only started getting "turned on" to Classical music within the last 2-3 years and have since bought cd's from Bach, Beethoven, and my favorite right now, Haydn. I particularly like the sound of the violin and have exclusively bought violin quartets/trios. I like listening to Classical songs that are "emotional", even solo violin would do. Any recommendations out there would be greatly appreciated as this budding Classical audiophile has no clue as to what cd to pick from the very vast selection Classical music has to offer. Thanks in advance!
gemini
jzzmn88
58 posts
 
I too am "getting started" in the classical vein (even though I grew up playing classical violin and piano) and have very similar tastes in jazz. That being said, I just purchased Yo-yo Ma's Obrigado Brazil cd, both the studio and live versions. This is obviously not a true classical recording in the sense but I feel it has the best of both worlds. Also try Lara St. John's Bach Works for Violin Solo. A+ performance and recording. Good luck!
jlamb
150 posts
 
I've been exploring classical music for some time now, since back in the day when the best I could do was the speakers that came with my Gateway computer! Not only could I not afford a decent system, but budget cd's were always in order. So that's what I did, I picked up cheap compilations from the big chain stores, listened and learned. Best Buy, Circuit City, you name it! All cheap, cheap, but boy did I get exposed! With time I came to distinguish what I liked from what I appreciated from what I loved. Many of these cd's were under $5.00, not particularly well recorded but then again, my system wasn't up to snuff either. One of my favorites was a 4 disc set that I picked for under $10.00 "Great Violin Moments", from the Kannon label. Violin concertos from Brahms, Mendelsson, Sibelius and two sonatas from Mozart. What a starter set! In time I got a decent system and with it new and better recorded versions of my favorites. But to this day I don't think I'll ever recapture the emotional impact of discovering these gems on that old beat up computer.
Another such compilation, which incidently, is very well recorded, is "Romantic Violin" on the RCA Red Seal label. They aslo have a very fine "Romantic Cello" disc as well! (I love the Red Seal series from RCA, classic perfomances from the RCA archives remastered)
So to answer your question on violin suggestions:
Mozart and Beethoven's Sonatas for Violin & Piano;
Brahms, Mendelsson, Beethoven, Sibelius for violin concertos;
Gidion Kremer's readings of Astor Piazolla's music for something different;
Naturally, Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Bach's Brandenberg Concertos need to be mentioned for Baroque standards.
There's just so many!
ykk's avatar
ykk
124 posts
 
Perhaps, getting a copy or two of introduction to classical music books will be helpful (from libraries or bookstores). They give you the background info to help you appreciate classical music, and they usually recommend music for various levels of appreciation. Also, you might want to check The Absolute Sound (TAS) for the recommended list-- nothing is absolute, but at least that is the start. And many websites (e.g. Amazon.com) will allow you to listen to portion of the titles to see if you like the selected music. Your taste might be different from everyone else, so you can listen before you buy. Naxos is okay, there are various brands too worth your exploration. Hope this is helpful!
buscis2's avatar
buscis2
468 posts
 
Gemini, if you are looking to start with some of "the classics" how about:

Ravel: Bolero / Herbert Von Karajan w/ Berlin Philharmonic (1978)

Wagner: Ride Of The Valkyries / Erich Leinsdorf w/ Los Angeles Philharmonic (1978)

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons / Seiji Ozawa w/ Boston Symphony Orchestra (1981)

Holst: The Planets / Herbert Von Karajan w/ Berlin Philharmonic (1981)

For Violin, Beethoven: Violin Concerto/Romances / Kurt Masur w/ New York Philharmonic featuring Anne Sophie Mutter (2002)

And...... My absolute all time favorite:

Ouverturen und Intermizzi: Herbert Von Karajan w/ Berlin Philharmonic featuring Anne Sophie Mutter on EMI. (1981) Be very prepared to cry. Anne's performance in this recording is exceptional. Especially, Meditation. OH MY GOD!!!!!

Well, that was fun. I think I'll listen to some classical tonight.

Happy listening.
ewha
80 posts
 
here's a shameless plug for one of my best friends:

fantasies for violin and piano (schubert, schoenberg, ernst, and waxman)
frank huang, violin and dina vainstein, piano

here's a link to the cd on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000TAPT2/qid=1077048138/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8031871-1940010?v=glance&s=classical

frank has recently won several major international competitions (most recently, the naumburg competition), and he just released his first cd on the naxos label. great performances, especially of the schubert fantasy. the ernst and schoenberg may be a little less accessible (musically), but who knows, you might enjoy them as well. in any event, i think it is an excellent album, and frank has one of the sweetest tones i have ever heard.

happy listening,
eric
More to discover