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Classical Music for Aficionados

I would like to start a thread, similar to Orpheus’ jazz site, for lovers of classical music.
I will list some of my favorite recordings, CDs as well as LP’s. While good sound is not a prime requisite, it will be a consideration.
  Classical music lovers please feel free to add to my lists.
Discussion of musical and recording issues will be welcome.

I’ll start with a list of CDs.  Records to follow in a later post.

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique.  Chesky  — Royal Phil. Orch.  Freccia, conductor.
Mahler:  Des Knaben Wunderhorn.  Vanguard Classics — Vienna Festival Orch. Prohaska, conductor.
Prokofiev:  Scythian Suite et. al.  DG  — Chicago Symphony  Abbado, conductor.
Brahms: Symphony #1.  Chesky — London Symph. Orch.  Horenstein, conductor.
Stravinsky: L’Histoire du Soldat. HDTT — Ars Nova.  Mandell, conductor.
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances. Analogue Productions. — Dallas Symph Orch. Johanos, cond.
Respighi: Roman Festivals et. al. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.

All of the above happen to be great sounding recordings, but, as I said, sonics is not a prerequisite.


128x128rvpiano
jcazador
417 posts
 
Pardon me, this could be considered off topic.
I use a computer based sound system, with music on an external hard drive, going from computer to dac to preamps and amps.The sound quality was recently greatly enhanced by a very inexpensive simple addition: a POWERED USB hub between computer and dac.  Evidently the computer was not providing the dac with a sufficient flow, so the sound would cut out and then the dac needed to be reset.  I had consulted IT experts, including one with an advanced degree from MIT, and they could not fix my problem!
A powered usb hub costs as little as $10 on Amazon, that was all that was needed.  But it must be a powered usb hub, one that connects to your household ac.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Thanks jczador . Never new that!
Nothing is off topic if you want to say it .
jim204
881 posts
 
@jcazador       Yes Jeremy that is a good tip about the USB Hub and yes it does provide a stable platform for the digital stream to get to work. I also play all my music from a computer I have built myself.
I use a powered USB card from J Play and I also use their Network card , they are powered by a Linear Power supply from HD Plex and the sound that comes from it is incredible actually. It was so good that after I built it I committed about three thousand CD's to hard drives and I then sold my Gryphon Mikado Signature CD Player and have never looked back. 
jcazador
417 posts
 
thanks Jim, thanks Schubert
just a word about hard drives
they definitely do self destruct in time
last month, mine did.
fortunately, i had made a copy onto another hard drive
that is kept unplugged
so i lost very little, only the most recent additions
my computer tek wizard says an external drive might last 5 yearsif used frequently
i just bought another XHD, 8Tb, for $119, at Costco
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
Sibelius 4 and 5 with Karajan.  I think I "get" 4 a little more with this version, but I can't say I really warm to it.  I struggle to understand the progression, as I definitely like 1, 2 and 3, and 5 and 7 are firm favorites (6 is "up to the plate" tomorrow).  BTW, this "old" EMI ADD sound is truly excellent!  Either that, or one of the components in the system has finally broken in, way past the period when I thought all of them would be well done with that process.
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