Best recording labels for orchestral music

Mrtennis, just a thought. I've found some of my Glossas to be on the bright side. One of Guerrero motets is the most noticeable. In your opinion, do Glossas seem to be balanced a bit brighter than the Klaviers and Harmonia Mundis, or is there no difference you can hear?

For the OP: among my own label preferences are ASV and sometimes Bis. Two Norwegian labels are also excellent: Simax and 2L.

I have a bunch of old Lyrita CDs that sound very nice. I see that this label has recently been resurrected.
Also have some old Unicorn Kanchana CDs, don't know if they're still around.
I agree with you Tobias, many nice things on ASV and Bis.

He belongs to the very small group of composers, who devoted his music to the tragedies of his own time.

I agree - but he often couched his tragic themes in military music that was acceptable. If you listen to the Lorn Maazel version if his Fifth you will know what I mean about fun - it has a furious tempo....and the finale, wow!!

Hi,yes, you are right to a certain extent. He had to disguise his real intention, and the Fifth symphony is one of the prime example.But still...but I am not familiar with the version of Maazel. I think this is a kind of music, which one really should listen a Russian performance (conductor and orchestra both), or at least an Eastern European one. ... Not only because of Maazel or anyone else not coming from the same musical background is not idiomatic (yeah, I have just heard how Boulez conducts Bartok...funny ... and he obvisously has not have the slightest idea about Hungarian folk music), but one has to be familiar with that feeling of being of mercy of a cruel and wayward omnipotent dictatorship. Sorry of hijacking the theme. But to certain extent -to go back to the main question of the thread - my suggestion is not to look for labels, but for conductors and orchestras, and try to find the best performance which really able to transmit the music. For that, if someone would like to go beyond the "nice" or "audiophile" sound, one has to put effort to read about composers and interpretations and to discover the soul of the music - which is not always about entertainment and being nice.

This has got to be one of the best recordings I've heard of this piece of music.

One of the best performances or best recorded sound?

Are there specific recording labels to stay away from and which in your opinion are the better ones to look at?

Not really; most labels produce average, as well as excellent recordings (performance and sound). Maybe the best thing to do is read reviews; then decide (if you can't hear it first). A good online place is classicstoday.com I think that's what it's called.

Actually, one of the most tragic, soul-gripping music in the world of classical music is that of Shostakovich

We're going to hear his 10th in Cincinnati in March. It's my favorite symphony of his by far. Have never heard it live. Can't wait.

Steve O.