Classical Music for Aficionados

I've always liked Pinnock's Brandenbergs with the English Concert, although there are many fine ones out there.  I like the energy they project in their performances.  It's interesting to me how much the original instruments versions that now seem to predominate have made some of the old versions done in the 60s that I grew up with sound sluggish or too lush to me.   

I have been listening to an oldie but goodie Brandenberg, Karl Ristenpart with the Chamber Orchestra of the Saar.  It will sound anachronistic next to HIPP versions but I love it.  The players (including Rampal, Andre, and Veyron-Lacoix) are superb and the tempos are sane.  Their is energy in the music, demonstrating that one doesn’t need hyper caffeination to sound involved

@rcprince 

Yes, it’s amazing how our taste can change like that.

@mahler123 

Ristenpart’s interpretations have managed to survive the HIP movement.  
Just a superb musician.  
Those Nonesuch LP’s are wonderful

This Ristenpart version was my best one because of the perfect tempo all along... On vinyl...

I loose it when i go digital thirty years ago...

😁

No version beat his tempi and dynamic...

My best is now Hogwood recording which instruments recording is better but dont beat Ristenpart dynamics... Ex Aequo in my mind....

Perfect description of Ristenpart for me 😊 :

The players (including Rampal, Andre, and Veyron-Lacoix) are superb and the tempos are sane. Their is energy in the music, demonstrating that one doesn’t need hyper caffeination to sound involved

Nowadays we have even more perfect audiophile recording but none i listened too had the integrated musical timing and dynamic of Hogwood and Ristenpart even if the sound could be  more beautifully recorded ... Playing together  with the same answering timings responses as in a spontaneous jazz dialogue is  a difficult art ... For me Ristenpart and Hogwood had it ...

My prefered version of Mozart Requiem is Hogwood for the same reason ...

I love the Hogwood Mozart Requiem, but it’s a curio because he refuses to use any notes that might have the taint of Sussmayr, so it sounds very truncated.  I think that is being a bit extreme, since Sussmayr was an accomplished 18th century composer, had been a student of WAM, and was the choice of Frau Mozart to finish it off.

  I found digital copies of all the Ristenpart Bach recordings, a 6 CD set from France, via eBay, at about $15 per CD.  A bit pricey, but I had bought a turntable and phono pre just so I could play treasured LPs that are unavailable digitally, and a substantial fraction of my lp collection are the aforementioned Ristenpart Bach recordings.  I had bought a handful of other Nonesuch and Vox/Turnabout recordings that I now have been able to locate digital versions as well.  Considering selling the analog rig as listening to these noisy, poorly pressed records is reminding me of why I got out of vinyl in the first place