Great Classical Recordings

Savall's Beethoven Revolution is opening my eyes -- better to say, ears -- to classical music in a new way. Many thanks. will try to find and listen to others. 

SACD might play a role, not just the recording, I am beginning to realize. 

Glad I asked. 

@petar3

Saying that you are interested in Operatic and symphonic recordings and then offering up Muddy Waters Folk Singer as an ideal gives no indication at all as to what you really want in a classical recording. Recording a symphony or opera is an entirely different challenge.

Even with symphonic recordings there are all sorts of techniques. And what you prefer may not only be personal, but may depend upon your set-up and what it can accurately decode.

For example some of us like older recordings providing more of the room acoustic.* Some may prefer modern, so called "live," recordings with microphones closer to the instruments.** It’s time for you to listen to some, at random perhaps, and decide what works for you. Streaming allows you to do that very efficiently.

*Rachmaninov Symphony 1 Ashkenazy, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

**Beethoven Symphony 3 Honeck, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

I have many classical recordings, including full sized orchestras, with very good imaging. But, when you have between 70-100 members of an orchestra, it is hard to differentiate between each individual violinist of 16-18, for example. But they are far from a "mash of sound" either. You can tell exactly where the violin section is with relation to the rest of the orchestra.

Hearing the orchestra spread out from left to right, front to back, with each section being in it’s correct location in relation to each other, including being able to tell that the horns are behind the woodwinds, which are behind the strings, with the percussion behind them all, is pretty common for classical recordings. It is not unusual for me to hear the percussion of an orchestra seemingly coming from 30 feet behind my speakers, and from a very specific location (I can point to their exact location).

Chamber ensembles of various sizes, on the other hand, can be among the best imaging recordings there are. With instrument locations arranged in space, so immediate and visceral, that I am often times surprised, even with recordings I am familiar with.

Note, I am only a fan of modernist, avant-garde, contemporary classical music (’thorny’ sounding stuff), that may not be your cup of tea, so YMMV.

Here’s a couple of examples:

Ernst Krenek - Static and Ecstatic (Varese Sarabande label). The LA Phil Chamber Orchestra. I can close my eyes, and easily ’see’ the musicians in their own acoustic space, laid our in front of me, from left to right, and front to back. The 2nd side is another Krenek piece of the LA Camber Orchestra and a oboist. The oboist is so realistically placed in space, I can walk over to the oboist and steal his oboe.

As for orchestral music, with the previous caveats, there are some pretty impressive recordings. Pretty much anything on the Reference Recordings label, have very good imaging. I have a recording of EOS: Goddess of the Dawn, by composer, Augusta Read Thomas, with amazing imaging by the entire orchestra. Especially the percussionist.

But I have dozens and dozens more recordings on CD, vinyl and hi-res files with similar sonic attributes.

Think about what you are asking though. You are asking for an orchestra of 70+ people, to have the image specificity of a 4 piece blues band. How much image specificity (that ’sculpture in space’ as you describe it) do you think you’d get, if there were 6 guitarists, 6 bassists, 2 drummers, a few keyboardists, maybe a few sax players, etc?

thank, simonmoon. I'll make sure to try Krenek. I too like new classical -- on Tidal, most Glass is awful. Reich is not far behind. It has been hard for me to find a really good recording. 

I did not ask that a symphony orchestra be EQUALLY recorded as a small band, only for the same referential status. 

Best I can describe it is you hear instruments arranged in space (a sort of sculpture), not a mush of sound. I am especially interested in operas and symphonies. but would also like to hear about smaller ensemble work

An example of an orchestral recording that captures the 3D space and soundstage is the Shostakovich Symphony No. 1, Bernard Haitink conducting the London Philharmonic on Decca. Excellent recording and performance.

For solo and small ensemble I'll suggest the label M-A Recordings, which creates audiophile recordings with minimalist miking. There is a free hi-res sampler for download here: https://we.tl/t-TyJKu9Bvya (created for Steve Guttenberg's  Audiophiliac YouTube). The solo cello tracks have some of the best cello reproduction I've heard.