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Recommendations for a few high SQ classical CDs

I have a modest collection of classical music CDs, most of it symphonic works, maybe 20-30 CDs at most. Most of my musical interest is with rock, roots rock and blues but I do enjoy classical music but have limited knowledge and experience.

I am also a new audiophile with my first hifi system for about a month now.

I would like some specific recommendations on just a few symphonies (for now). What I am looking for at this point is good CD recordings rather than the nature of the performance/conductor/orchestra. In other words, I'm looking for SQ first and performance quality second. I know that might sound backwards but I don't have enough knowledge to have a major preference between performances but I can hear SQ. Certainly a great recording of a great performance is ideal.

To keep things limited I am specifically interested in these works:

Beethoven's 9th
Mahler's 4th
Dvorak's 4th
Brahm's 4th

Certainly open to other symphonies by these composers. I have the works listed above and other symphonies by them as well.

Thanks for any recommendations,

George


n80
johndoe21ro
72 posts
 
For Mahler: Ivan Fischer, Budapest Festival Orchestra from Channel Classics or Ricardo Chailly, Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Decca.
For Beethoven: Osmo Vanska, Minnesota Orchestra, BIS Records.
For Dvorak: Nicholas Harnoncourt, RCO, Teldec or Leonard Bernstein, NYPO from Sony Classical. 
There are also reference interpretations!
ronkent's avatar
ronkent
336 posts
 
thanks guys for all the great suggestions.  i have a reasonably large (500 or so) of classical cds and there are many above that i need to look into.  my suggestion for an outstanding recording both performance wise and SQ wise is this cd:  https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-Rite-Spring-Petrushka-Igor/dp/B004QI1556/ref=sr_1_20?s=music&i...
daverz
487 posts
 
Decca issued a big box with a nicely varied selection of music from their catalog, The Decca Sound:

https://www.amazon.com/Decca-Sound-50-Box-Set/dp/B018FCVK8U

IMO only one real clunker here: I cannot abide Ute Lemper's mannerisms in her Kurt Weill disc.  YMMV.  But that's a really good batting average for a box like this.
johndoe21ro
72 posts
 
@ ronkent: For the Rite of Spring I'm gonna say Ivan Fischer, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Channel Classics once more! :)
glupson
7,842 posts
 
lowrider57,

You got the part about 1987 New Year's Concert right. It is far from the best sound quality that ever was. I, don't ask why, happened to have had a plain any-store copy Made in West Germany, one more like that Made in U.S.A. and now I have this Japanese K2. I bought K2 simply because it existed and those regular copies were getting on my nerves. Not that I listened to them more than once a year, or every two years. K2 is definitely better than ordinary CD, surely not four times better like the price might suggest but I think it is decent. Still, I suggested it as a decent-sounding material for some easy-classical listening. Kind of when we get tired of Mahler's attacks and need a break.

As far as actual Deutsche Gramophone recordings go, would it make a difference that this particular CD/concert was recorded live with whatever constraints the venue might have brought? I have no idea, but I do have some of the Deutsche Gramophone recordings you are implying and I think you are spot on about the imperfections of sound. It may be my ears, but I think that this particular New Year's Concert is a bit better to start with. To repeat, not great.
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