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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
montobo
18 posts
 
Even cheaper CD's --the public library. Depending on your population area, the offering would vary. In Indianapolis, the Classical CD collection is HUGE!

Gabbro, nice idea to include music in baroque style, particularly since the request was for "emotional" music. It is often overlooked the resource of emotional music that is baroque.

Some of the best performances you may ever hear are live performances broadcast in the mid to late evening on NPR and college stations. They would include subscription concerts of some of the top orchestras, festivals, the show "Perfomance Today" and others. Generally, these broadcasts are better than many CD's, both in audio quality (no weird mixing and studio reverb) and also in artistic quality.

The price is right. Through radio broadcasts and public library recordings you can discover more about what you like.

Classical music can be immensely rewarding. The treasures are as vast as the ocean. As far as Classical, I'm a "lifer."
aroc
760 posts
 
Agreed. use the library. Lots to choose from there.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Fatparrot.... When I play my violin (no CD involved) it tends to sound "harsh, scratchy, or screechy". Maybe that's just a characteristic of the instrument. Violas, and cellos are smoother.
vvrinc
323 posts
 
Maestro Eldartford,

I think the element of...ahem...practice...may be in question here? ;>)

(Or maybe it's the chin-rest you are using. Have you tried the oxygen-free model by Hollistic Thermometer? Also, what kind of horse did you use for the bowhairs? It's that pesky synergy issue again.)
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Vvrinc...I don't play much lately. Can't stand to listen to myself. I quit when I realized I would never sound like I Perlman.

The bow hair is from a fine Arabian horse, raised exclusively on organicly grown oats, but which was bred using artifical insemination Do you think this could be the problem?
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