All Time Best Album

[jcmusic]

What is Classical's version of Jazz's (Kind of Blue) and Rock's (Dark Side of The Moon)? Looking for what Classical listeners all have???

[MylesBAstor]

What is Classical's version of Jazz's (Kind of Blue) and Rock's (Dark Side of The Moon)? Looking for what Classical listeners all have???

While I would vote KOB, for rock it would be for me The Beatles Sgt. Pepper.

The biggest classical? I''ll throw these out.

Gould's Goldberg Variations
Solti's Ring Cycle
Kleiber and VPO: Beethoven's Symphony #5 and 7

[JackD201]

By KOB and DSOTM do you mean these as must haves or must have demo/reference tracks? If the latter, my go to's are

Le fille mal gardee (Decca London)
Richter Lizt Piano No2 (Philips)
Witches Brew (Clarity 45 single sided)

[jcmusic]

While I would vote KOB, for rock it would be for me The Beatles Sgt. Pepper.

The biggest classical? I''ll throw these out.

Gould's Goldberg Variations
Solti's Ring Cycle
Kleiber and VPO: Beethoven's Symphony #5 and 7

Myles,
I was just using DSOTM as an example. The point is I know next to nothing about Classical Music and want to get one or two albums to use as a reference...

[MylesBAstor]

OK Jack posted some audiophile favorites with great performances that are a good place to start. I posted what music lovers and critics would list though the sound on the Ring Cycle produced and engineered by Culshaw and Haddy is exceptional. The recording of what is just referred to as Solti's Cycle was an extraordinary undertaking and unprecedented event back then. Wait until you hear the anvil strike!

Of what's available today, any of Chad's current RCA reissues are good or the ORG Decca or Mercury reissues. (not quite the original but worth having.)

Of the RCAs I'd recommend starting with Lt. Kije (definitely turn the record over and listen to Stravinsky's Song of the Nightingale--as it is better than Kije--and that's saying something), Pines of Rome, The Reiner Sound, Scheherazade or Pictures at an Exhibition. Or any of the Heifitz reissues such as the Bruch Scottish Fantasies. You can't go wrong with any of them. Or check out the ORG though wish the strings were better. Something like the reissue of the Mercury Prokofiev Love for Three Oranges, Brahms PC#1, Espana or Peer Gynt are good places to start. The Peer Gynt is light and very fun music. (A $500+ album used.)

[regnaD kciN]

For classically-minded audiophiles, surely Reiner's Scheherazade is that genre's DSOTM!

Yep.

[jcmusic]

For classically-minded audiophiles, surely Reiner's Scheherazade is that genre's DSOTM!

This one arrived yesterday a good cleaning and I will take it for a spin later today!!!

[Andy]

.... Of the RCAs I'd recommend starting with Lt. Kije (definitely turn the record over and listen to Stravinsky's Song of the Nightingale--as it is better than Kije--and that's saying something), Pines of Rome, The Reiner Sound, Scheherazade or Pictures at an Exhibition. .....

+1 for Pictures at an Exhibition.
I would add Beethoven 9th - I have a variety of copies, and taken together, give me a great sense of a system
and... Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 Oberösterreichisches Jugendsinfonieorchester (Artist), Anton Bruckner (Composer), Remy Ballot (Conductor) Because of dynamic range, I find that if I can listen all the way through without having to adjust volume and there's no harshness, "I got something".

[Johnny Vinyl]

What's the best interpretation of Vivaldi's Four Seasons?

[Rob]

What's the best interpretation of Vivaldi's Four Seasons?

"best" will be debated forever, my go to is Neville Marriner cond St Martin-in-The-Fields on Argo or Decca

[Johnny Vinyl]

I suppose that's true.....are these difficult to find?

[Rob]

it shouldnt be, its a popular piece that every body bought because they thought they should have it

[Johnny Vinyl]

Cool! I'll have a look next time I'm out and about at the vinyl shops.

[JCOConnell]

how about Walter's Beethoven 6 sym?

[Andy]

"best" will be debated forever, my go to is Neville Marriner cond St Martin-in-The-Fields on Argo or Decca

I just heard this past week for the very first time: Zubin Mehta; Israel Philharmonic; with Itzhak Perlman; Isaac Stern; Shlomo Mintz and Pinchas Zukerman all on Violin.;
Deutsche Grammophon label.
I think it just became my all time favorite for "Four Seasons" !

[Johnny Vinyl]

I really ought to make more of an effort to listen to classical music as I quite like it. I used to listen to classical every Sunday morning while having my coffee and reading the Sunday paper. I was in an apartment then and my system was in the living/dining room. I found it relaxing and most enjoyable. Unfortunately, now my system is downstairs and its just not the same.

[MylesBAstor]

"best" will be debated forever, my go to is Neville Marriner cond St Martin-in-The-Fields on Argo or Decca

My second edition of the Penguin Guide circa '77 (of course only IP recordings are listed) gives the Marriner a coveted rosette. "The Academy of St. Martin's gives a magical performance of Vivaldi's four most frequently heard concertos, with an element of fantasy that makes the music sound utterly new. The continuo, for example (played beautifully by Simon Preston) uses a wide variety of tone colour, and for the slow movement of "Winter" with its pizzicato accompaniment under a rich violin arioso, Preston switches to the organ and avoids confusion of texture."

Some other three star performances that come in for nice mentions are the EMI ASD 3293 with Perlman on violon, the Phillips Universo (mid-priced line) recording with Szerying and the von Karajan/Berlin PO with Michael Schwalbe on violin on DGG.

[Billy Shears]

What's the best interpretation of Vivaldi's Four Seasons?

For me; Richter, Recomposed.....unleash the hate :-)